London, Nov 25 : Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been honored at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for rejuvenating one of London''s best-loved play houses.

The ‘K-PAX’ actor was recognised "for bringing new life to the Old Vic".

He took over at the theatre, near Waterloo Station, five years ago to the bemusement of some critics.

Spacey also received praise for his performance with Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet''s Speed the Plow this year.

The Donmar Warehouse won four awards, including best actor and best actress.

London, Nov 25 : Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf received no protocol in London during his visit to London recently.

Musharraf, who arrived in London on Sunday, was received by his old pal Brigadier (Retd.) Niaz at the airport.

It was only at the time of his exit from the Heathrow Airport that he was whisked out of the airport from an emergency exit to avoid Pakistani and British media.

Contrary to his past visits to London, he will not talk at any of Britian’s leading think tanks. This time there won’t be any detailed engagements.

London, Nov 25 : Rich men who have extramarital lovers cut back on presents and payments to their mistresses during recession, according to a new survey.

London, Nov. 25 : The Palais des Nations is the U. N.''s European headquarters, and is now in need of a major facelift.

But hold your breath, according to Director General Sergei Ordzhonikidze, who heads the U. N. Office at Geneva, it will cost a billion dollars to rebuild the palace that is flanked by the Swiss Alps to the west and Lake Geneva to the east, besides the pristine, 111-acre Ariana Park that surrounds it.

London, November 25 : A Colorado judge has found a unique way of dealing with noise polluters – forcing them to listen to Barry Manilow.

Judge Paul Sacco enforced the music ‘therapy’ after finding too many repeat offenders returning to his courtroom in the small town of Fort Lupton, 25 miles north of Denver, reports the Telegraph.

As per the unconventional punishment method, the violators are made to sit in a room and listen to an hour of music they detest, such as hits from Barry Manilow and Barney, the purple dinosaur and Joni Mitchell''s ‘Chelsea Morning.’

London, November 25 : Swiss chemists have developed a new material from polyester fibres coated with millions of tiny silicone filaments, which they claim is the most water-repellent clothing-appropriate material ever created.

Stefan Seeger, the University of Zurich researcher who led the creation of the waterproof material, has revealed that drops of water stay as spherical balls on top of the fabric, and a sheet of the material need only be tilted by two degrees from horizontal for them to roll off like marbles.

The researcher says that a jet of water goes off the fabric without leaving a trace.

He attributes the incredible water resistance of the material to a layer of silicone nanofilaments, which are highly chemically hydrophobic.