United Kingdom

Quantum of Solace: A new Bond for new times

London - The famous line "The name's Bond ...," the gizmos, gadgets and glib one-liners are missing from Quantum of Solace - in line with Daniel Craig's mission to reinvent James Bond for modern times. 

Following on directly from Casino Royale, the actor's first 007 incarnation, Quantum of Solace provides the viewer with a "leaner, tauter experience," half an hour shorter than the previous 21 Bond films. 

"There is a generation of people who don't know Bond movies and I want them to watch the movies and understand who those characters are," said Craig, 40, in a BBC interview about his mission. 

Canadian software developer found guilty in terrorist plot

Canadian software developer found guilty in terrorist plot Montreal - A Canadian software developer was found guilty of terrorism charges Wednesday in a foiled trans-Atlantic plot to bomb nightclubs, railway stations and subways in Britain.

Momin Khawaja, a former contract employee of Canada's Foreign Affairs Department, was found guilty of several counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act in the first major test of the controversial legislation rushed into law after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Experts warn that world is facing "ecological credit crunch"

London - The world is heading for an "ecological credit crunch" with demands on natural resources exceeding by almost a third what the earth can sustain, conservation groups in Britain have warned.

The Living Planet Report, produced by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Britain's Zoological Society and the Global Footprint Network said that more than 75 per cent of the global population lived in countries where consumption levels were outstripping environmental renewal.

This fact made those countries "ecological debtors," meaning that they are drawing - and often overdrawing - on the agricultural land, forests, seas and resources of other countries to sustain them, said the report published Wednesday.

BBC suspends top presenters in row over "lewd calls"

BBC suspends top presenters in row over "lewd calls" London - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Wednesday suspended two top entertainers in a spiralling row over the broadcasting of lewd comments left on the answer phone of veteran Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.

Programmes by Jonathan Ross, host of a popular Friday evening TV chat show, and Russell Brand, a comedian, will be taken off air until the BBC has completed its investigations into prank calls they made on the BBC 2 radio channel.

Lufthansa acquires smaller German and British airlines

Lufthansa acquires smaller German and British airlines Frankfurt - Lufthansa, which has announced an earnings setback, is to take controlling stakes in British airline BMI and German airline Eurowings, it said Wednesday in Frankfurt.

Earlier this week, Lufthansa emerged among the last two bidders for Austrian Airlines. Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Lufthansa chief executive, said the German airline could help the Austrian unit increase sales.

High fuel prices earlier this year and a looming recession have put heavy pressure on smaller, weaker airlines in recent weeks, speeding up consolidation in the aviation industry.

TV and computer games making Brit kids grow duller

London, Oct 29 : A new study has revealed that teenagers are increasingly becoming dull due to their overindulgence in TV watching and computer games.

Researchers at King’s College, London, have found that 14-year-old kids these days are only as bright as the average 12-year-old used to be way back in 1976.

The reason behind the decline in intelligence has been attributed to the fact that children these days spend more time playing video games and watch television, instead of doing practical activities to boost their brains.

However, the findings go against school exam results, which have seen a steady rise in grades across all age groups.

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