Washington, Oct 29 : Wondering how to treat your kid’s cough and cold without using medicines? Well, a little honey and lemon in hot water will do the trick for your little one, says a leading health expert.

Parents concerned about the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold medicines often opt for home remedies.

“A cold is caused by a virus that cannot be killed by an antibiotic,” said Jacqueline Kaari, a pediatrician and chair of pediatrics at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.

“Nothing, including over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, will make it go away faster, but you can treat the symptoms,” she added.

London, Oct 29 : The number of text messages being sent by Britons continues to soar – with an average of 217m messages per day – according to a new report.

The numbers have significantly increased by more than 60 million text messages per day, compared to last year.

The report by Mobile Data Association revealed that Brit mobile phone users have been sending almost 1.5m picture and video-based text messages every day, which has increased by 20 per cent on the same period in 2007.

The Mobile Data Association tracked the volume and type of messages sent between July and September this year.

London, Oct 29 : “Facebook generation” is too careless with technology and personal information held on databases, says a British Information watchdog.

Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, said that with more and more databases being created, the risk of data breach is also increasing.

He said that the number of data losses reported to his office has almost doubled in the past six months.

As many as 177 cases were reported between April and November this year, compared to 100 cases earlier.

Eighty of the 277 breaches were by private sector organisations, 75 NHS and other health bodies, 28 by central government, 26 by local authorities and 47 by other public sector organisations.

New York, Oct 29 : A website called mccainpalinhalloween. com is reportedly offering 500 dollars to the best Sarah Palin look-alikes on the eve of Halloween.

London, Oct 29 : A scientist has predicted that later this century, nuclear-powered aircraft will be transporting millions of passengers around the world.

According to a report in The Times, the scientist in question is Ian Poll, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Cranfield University, and head of technology for the Government-funded Omega project.

Because the aircraft will no longer need to land to refuel, it might mean non-stop flights from London to Australia or New Zealand.

The flights will also produce no carbon emissions and therefore make no contribution to global warming.

Professor Poll is calling for a big research programme to help the aviation industry convert from fossil fuels to nuclear energy.

Sydney, Oct 29 : A former high school student of Lebanese descent, who developed a phobia of “young Asian men” after allegedly being stabbed at school, is suing the New South Wales Government for negligence.

The 26-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons as he “feared for his life”, after he was stabbed in the playground in an allegedly racially motivated attack at Birrong Boys High School in 1998.

The man, whose name was suppressed in the District Court today by Judge Len Levy, is suing the NSW Department of Education for breach of duty of care.