Donny Dog

10 June 2011 - It is great to be in London, as it easy to pick up a free newspaper in the morning tube and read the highlights of British news. Like: "A woman sacked as Doncaster Rovers' mascot Donny Dog after posing in her underwear with the costume has been offered her job back." The football club's chairman John Ryan confirmed he had offered Tracy Chandler her job back. Ms Chandler was dismissed by e-mail from the unpaid job after she appeared in the Sunday Sport in her underwear. Mr Ryan said the situation was a "storm in a tea cup", while Ms Chandler insisted the photos were not "seedy". Mr Ryan said: "The Sunday Sport and a mascot designed for children is not an ideal mix. "We were just a bit concerned about the sexualisation of young children, it's a tricky area these days, we're putting it right, maybe it was a mistake. As far as I'm concerned I'm going to put this whole thing to bed and let Tracy get on."

London Tower Bridge

10 June 2011 - This morning I walked over London's Tower Bridge to work. It is inevitably one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London. Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the city seemed a necessity. It would take another eight years - and lots of discussions about the design - before construction of the bridge started. The bridge, designed by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry, would eventually be completed in 1894. Five contractors and nearly 450 workers were involved in the construction of the 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build the framework. At the time many people disliked its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of London's most famous symbols. Walking the bridge is a great way to get into the day.

Albanian Criminals

9 June 2011 - London is a dangerous place! The BBC reported that more than 100 dangerous Albanian criminals could be in hiding in the UK, some of them in London it is thought, according to a secret dossier sent to the Scotland Yard by police in the country's capital, Tirana. The head of Interpol there said most of the fugitives are wanted for murder. One of those in hiding was Marash Gjoka, who claimed asylum in the UK pretending to be a refugee from war-torn Kosovo. BBC London has learned that the 48-year-old Albanian national lived in Catford, south east London, with his wife and two teenage sons for more than 10 years, under the assumed name of Mark Toma. To his neighbours he was a quiet, family man who helped them with odd jobs around the house.What they did not know is that Gjoka, one of Albania's most wanted criminals, is accused of shooting dead Tonin Doshi, 33-year-old farmer in May 1999. After an apparent dispute over a piece of land, Gjoka is said to have shot him in the town of Lezhe, northern Albania.

Olympic Tickets

8 June 2011 - I am still in London and the city is already buzzing with news about the Olympics 2012, which will be hosted here. People could recently apply for tickets of the main events, which - surprise, surprise - turned out to be a disaster. One quote: "The ticketing process has been a farce. I applied for 80 tickets across 20 sessions, some I knew I was unlikely to get, but I did also apply for a lot of the minor sports. On Friday my credit card was debited for the cost of one session - £86 which means that only one of my applications has been successful. I don't even know which tickets I have, although I suspect they are for table tennis which I only applied for in the expectation I would be successful in getting tickets for other events over the same weekend. Because of this fiasco I have had to go on the German ticketing site Detour and buy tickets from them, although the choice is now limited, I now have at least some tickets and can start arranging travel and hotels. The UK system is bad because we don't know what tickets we have got. It would have been better not to have applied through the UK system at all. At no stage have they told people how many tickets are available at each price level. Had we known this information we may have considered applying for tickets at a higher price level." Are people just complaining no matter what or is it really surprising that organizations never seem to get the details right?

Bunnies in London

7 June 2011 - The Playboy bunnies return to London! Women's rights groups have slammed Hefner for exploiting women as he re-launches a playboy Club in London. Playboy club in London. Over 100 members of the groups UK Feminista and Object will protest outside the club in Mayfair, which they claim is demeaning to women. Speaking on behalf of the groups, Julia Long told Sky News: "The women see that Playboy are about the exploitation of women. They're about the degradation of women and I think they're rightly angry at the way Playboy is trying to legitimise pornography and bring it into the mainstream. This club is another step in that direction." Hefner, who is 85, is in the UK with his 25-year-old fiance Crystal Harris for the opening. Asked what he thought about the protests he said: "A feminist protest in 2011 to the Playboy Bunnies is lame. Look around you - certain things of a sexual nature are everywhere now." "Playboy and the Playboy clubs were the end of sexism. Women were being held bondage for hundreds of years, owned first by their fathers and then their husbands, Playboy helped to change all that.

Bayswater

7 June 2011 - I am staying in Bayswater, London and I checked what Wikipedia has to say about the area. It says that Bayswater is an area of west London, It has a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre.
Bayswater is one of London's most cosmopolitan areas wherein a diverse local population is augmented by a high concentration of hotels. In addition to the ancestral Britons, there is a significant Arab population, a large Greek community attracted by London's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, many Americans and London's main Brazilian community. The area has attractive streets and garden squares lined with Victorian stucco terraces, mostly now subdivided into flats and boarding houses. The property ranges from very expensive apartments to small studio flats. There are also purpose-built apartment blocks dating from the inter-war period as well as more recent developments, and a large council estate, the 650-flat Hallfield Estate, designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and now largely sold off.

iPAD 2

4 June 2011 - A teenager in China has sold one of his kidneys in order to buy an iPad 2, Chinese media report.The 17-year-old, identified only as Little Zheng, told a local TV station he had arranged the sale of the kidney over the internet. The story only came to light after the teenager's mother became suspicious. The case highlights China's black market in organ trafficking. A scarcity of organ donors has led to a flourishing trade. It all started when the high school student saw an online advert offering money to organ donors. Illegal agents organised a trip to the hospital and paid him $3,392 (£2,077) after the operation. With the cash the student bought an iPad 2, as well as a laptop. When his mother noticed the computers and the deep red scar on his body, which was caused by the surgery, Little Zheng confessed. In 2007, Chinese authorities banned organ trafficking and have introduced a voluntary donor scheme to try to combat the trade.

Sherlock Vultures

3 June 2011 - German police are trying out a new weapon in the fight against crime - vultures that can find hidden corpses. Three feathered detectives - called Sherlock, Miss Marple and Columbo - are being trained in Walsrode bird park in northern Germany. The birds' keen eyesight and acute sense of smell might make them as skilful as their fictional namesakes. But worryingly Sherlock sometimes prefers to hunt on foot, rather than scan the ground from above. Police used a piece of shroud from a mortuary for the training exercise, German media report. The vultures are thought to be better than sniffer dogs at finding bodies when a large area has to be searched and the terrain is difficult, for example if it is densely overgrown. But the experiment raises ethical concerns because of the risk that a vulture could start pecking at a dead body, the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper says. This week Miss Marple and Columbo, from a zoo in Austria, joined Sherlock for the exercise in the reserve, north of Hanover. Police are using three birds because the vultures prefer to roam big areas as a group. "The vultures may work much more effectively than sniffer dogs," said a Hanover police officer, Rainer Herrmann. "There's a lot of interest in this. We've had inquiries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland," he said.

Mobile Risk

2 June 2011 - The World Health Organization's cancer research agency says mobile phones are "possibly carcinogenic". A review of evidence suggests an increased risk of a malignant type of brain cancer cannot be ruled out. However, any link is not certain - they concluded that it was "not clearly established that it does cause cancer in humans". A cancer charity said the evidence was too weak to draw strong conclusions from. A group of 31 experts has been meeting in Lyon, France, to review human evidence coming from epidemiological studies. They said they looked at all relevant human studies of people using mobile phones and exposure to electromagnetic fields in their workplace. The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) can give mobile phones one of five scientific labels: carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic, not classifiable or not carcinogenic. It concluded that mobiles should be rated as "possibly carcinogenic" because of a possible link with a type of brain cancer - glioma. Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "The WHO's verdict means that there is some evidence linking mobile phones to cancer but it is too weak to draw strong conclusions from.

Dutch Trauma

1 June 2011 - From the BBC: The extradition of Ratko Mladic to the Netherlands for trial on genocide charges is particularly poignant. The Dutch have a special interest in bringing him to justice because of their role - some would call it complicity - in the Srebrenica massacre. More than any other nation, the Netherlands - whose peacekeepers failed to protect Muslim refugees in Srebrenica - has agitated for his arrest. His detention has, therefore, sparked a collective sigh of relief here. But, for some, it has also revived a deep shame that remains in the Dutch conscience. Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal called the news of Mladic's arrest "happy and historic". He spoke of "redress" for both the relatives of the victims and the Dutch battalion of UN soldiers (Dutchbat) that proved unable to defend the "safe haven" of Srebrenica. More than 7,000 men and boys were killed there, after it was overrun by Gen Mladic's forces. "Dutchbat suffered too," he added during a TV debate, referring to the disorders that afflict many veterans. Delight over the arrest is still tempered by the collective trauma Dutch society suffered from Dutchbat's failure. The NRC Handelsblad daily warns that Gen Mladic's trial in The Hague will not "close the book on Srebrenica".

Indonesian Maids

31 May 2011 - Indonesia is allowing maids to apply for work in Malaysia for the first time in two years, after ending a long-running row over abuse of workers. The countries signed a deal aimed at improving working conditions for maids, guaranteeing them one day off a week. They will also be allowed to keep their passports, rather than having to give them to their employers. Indonesia banned its citizens from working as maids in June 2009, after allegations of abuse emerged. Last year, a Malaysian woman was jailed for inflicting injuries on her maid using hot water, scissors and a hammer. Indonesian migration minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the deal was part of a long-term plan to protect the rights of workers. "After going through a long negotiation process, we have eventually reached an agreement that is a 'win-win solution', with a number of improvements for the Indonesian worker," he said in a statement. More than one million Indonesians work in Malaysia, most as maids or labourers.

Indian X-Factor

30 May 2011 - Welcome to the global village - the X-factor has reached India. India's version of the X-factor has launched with performances ranging from the amazing to the downright atrocious. But as one of many reality singing shows in India, can the format win over one of the world's largest television audiences? A bad singer is a bad singer, no matter where you are in the world. As contestants took to the stage for the opening auditions for X Factor India, viewers on Sunday night could watch a startling variety of hopefuls, who lived up to the show's trademark mix of the truly talented and truly appalling. What marks out the Indian version of the show is the country's rich and diverse musical heritage, which saw performers try their hand at everything from Bollywood to Bhangra. "We've had everything from 16 Rajasthani folk singers dressed in turbans singing in high-pitched voices to the soft voice of a 70-year-old man who has been brought up with the Bollywood traditions of the 1960s," says Sonu Nigam, one of the judges on the Indian show. With the same theme tune, stage set, categories and editing style, the "look" of X Factor India is almost identical to that of its British predecessor.

Depressed Fathers

30 May 2011 - It is a sad story, but a man in the UK has been acquitted of murdering his six-month-old daughter, after saying he had had post-natal depression. The case of Mark Bruton-Young has put the issue of men who struggle to cope with becoming fathers in the headlines. One out of every seven new mothers has post-natal depression - but, according to the Fatherhood Institute, one out of every 10 fathers are depressed both before and after their baby is born. The peak time for fathers' depression is thought to be between three and six months after the birth. Like women, they can struggle with the huge life changes a baby brings, says Fatherhood Institute research head Adrienne Burgess. "Hormones, lack of sleep, increased responsibility and general life stresses can apply to men just as much to women," she said.  "And if their partner is depressed, then men are more likely to be too." Men and women who have pre-existing mental health problems are more at risk of developing depression after the birth of a child. But a father's depression can begin during pregnancy, when relationships are already changing. Fathers can feel left out while their partner is the focus of increased attention. Association for Post-natal Illness counsellor Liz Wise says: "Women can feel they do things best, like changing a nappy or feeding. But they don't always think about how it could undermine a man's confidence."

Cantagalo

29 May 2011 - High above Rio de Janeiro's beachside neighbourhoods is Cantagalo, one of the many favelas clinging to the city's hillsides.Cantagalo, along with the communities of Pavao and Pavaozinho, is a winding mass of concrete alleyways and stairwells that snake up the hill overlooking the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. Every day thousands of the favela's residents travel down the hill to work in the homes, shops, hotels and bars of their richer neighbours but the daily migration is one-sided. Many wealthier Rio residents have never set foot in Cantagalo but an ambitious new project in the hillside community is working to change that. Museu de Favela is trying to turn the shantytown, which is home to more than 20,000 people, into a popular destination. Like an art gallery that has exploded on to the streets, the Museu is made up of a series of huge murals covering 20 buildings, all commissioned by local artists. "Samba, capoiera, funk, everything that the elite of Rio de Janeiro enjoy comes from the favela," says Sidney "Tartaruga" Silva, vice-president of the Museu, as he guides visitors up the hill. The project's aim is to reflect the history of this urban community and give a voice to the people who live there.

Fat Risk

 

28 May 2011 - Children who get insufficient sleep at night are more likely to become overweight, according to researchers in New Zealand. A study, published on the BMJ website, followed 244 children between the ages of three and seven. It said more sleep was linked to a lower weight, which could have important public health consequences. UK experts said there was "no harm" in drawing attention to the link between reduced sleep and ill health. The children were seen every six months when their weight, height and body fat were measured. Their sleeping habits and physical-activity levels were recorded at ages three, four and five.The researchers found that those children who had less sleep in their earlier years were at greater risk of having a higher Body Mass Index at age seven. This link continued even when other risk factors, such as gender and physical activity, were accounted for in their research. Suggested reasons for the link include simply having more time to eat and changes to hormones affecting appetite.

Mladic

 

27 May 2011 - Today I just want to keep it short. All I have to say is that I am delighted that Ratko Mladic was finally caught and that he will hopefully be extradited to The Hague soon. It is 16 years too late, but the sooner this man sits behind bars the better. Remember Srebrenica, Serajevo, and so on. By the way - 2011 turns out to be quite a year: the 'breaking news' does not stop. What is next?

Oprah

26 May 2011 - One of the most-watched programmes in US history, The Oprah Winfrey Show, has ended after 25 years. But the impact of its hostess goes far beyond television. Her first episode, entitled How to Marry the Man/Woman of your Choice, suggested this was to be a daytime show like any other.But some 4,560 episodes later, the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Tom Hanks have been lining up to appear at her farewell show, which is broadcast on Wednesday. During those 25 years, Winfrey has become a household name, a cultural phenomenon and one of the richest people on the planet.As she signs off to continue work on her own cable channel, her ability to get the newsworthy guests appears undiminished. This month, President Obama talked about why he felt the need to publicly produce his own birth certificate. And Sarah Ferguson spoke about not being invited to the royal wedding. The recording of one of Oprah Winfrey's final shows at the United Center in Chicago became a night filled with tears, appreciation and A-list celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Madonna. Many will Oprah - but we have probably not heard the last of her.

Marmite War

25 May 2011 - Denmark has already threatened to reimpose national border checks to control immigration, now it has moved to expel the savoury spread Marmite. Danish officials say the product breaks food safety laws because of its added vitamins and minerals. The Danish authorities must give their permission for products with such additives to be sold. Over the past few years several well known items including breakfast cereals have been banned. Already a shop in Copenhagen has been ordered to remove jars of Marmite from its shelves, says the BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris, in Brussels. He says outraged expats in the country are already threatening a campaign of civil disobedience and there are suggestions that the Danish ban could break European laws.

Vuvuzela Again

25 May 2011 - We have not heard a lot about the Vuvuzela - the horns used by football fans celebrating last year's World Cup. It is now revealed by experts that the Vuvuzela may not only cause noise pollution but also spread diseases. A short burst on the instrument creates a spittle shower similar to a sneeze, travelling at a four million droplets a second, a PLoS One journal study shows. In crowded venues one person blowing a vuvuzela could infect many others with airborne illness like the flu or TB. Organisers are considering whether to allow them at the 2012 London Olympics. Critics say they are anti-social and unsafe because of their potential to generate a din louder than a plane taking off. Dr Ruth McNerney, who carried out the latest work at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said a "vuvuzela blowing etiquette" may be needed rather than a ban. "Just as with coughs or sneezes, action should be taken to prevent disease transmission, and people with infections must be advised against blowing their vuvuzelas close to other people," she said.

Lama Droppings

23 May 2011 - One of the world's greatest ancient civilisations may have been built on llama droppings, a new study has found. Machu Picchu, the famous Inca city set in the Peruvian Andes, celebrates the centenary of its "'discovery" by the outside world this July. Dignitaries will descend on site for a glitzy event in July marking 100 years since US explorer Hiram Bigham came upon the site, but the origins of Machu Picchu were far less glamorous. According to a study published in archeological review Antiquity, llama droppings provided the basis for the growth of Inca society. It was the switch from hunter-gathering to agriculture 2,700 years ago that first led the Incas to settle and flourish in the Cuzco area where Machu Picchu sits, according to the study's author Alex Chepstow-Lusty. Mr Chepstow-Lusty, of the French Institute of Andean Studies in Lima, said the development of agriculture and the growing of maize crops is key to the growth of societies. "Cereals make civilisations," he said. Mr Chepstow-Lusty has spent years analysing organic deposits in the mud of a small lake, "more of a pond really," called Marcaccocha on the road between the lower-lying jungle and Machu Picchu.