London, Oct 24 : The Labour party has been accused of hiding the true extent of the surge in violence in Britain.

According to the Sun, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith admitted some forces have not kept proper records for ten years, following revelations that police chiefs hid a massive surge in violence.

Tories and anti-crime campaigners said the system has created a "shambles", and blamed it on Labour''s obsession with crime-fighting targets.

Since Labour came to power, cops have recorded assaults under a less serious category if no grievous harm was inflicted, quoted the newspaper.

London, Oct 24 : Doctors often get confused when it comes to deciding whether a particular woman in labour should undergo caesarean or not. But now, a computer can easily take this decision.

Jose Príncipe and colleagues at the University of Florida in Gainesville say that wireless sensors could monitor the progress of labour, and warn doctors when a Caesarean is necessary.

In the new method, software could monitor the progress of a woman''s labour, reports New Scientist magazine.

Usually, a Caesarean is needed in case of an abnormally slow birth. However, deciding what is abnormally slow is what poses the biggest problem for doctors,

London, Oct 24 : Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council has decided to ban men’s clothes for women and also lesbian relationship amongst women.

According to the Telegraph, Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of the National Fatwa Council, said women wearing men’s clothes and behaving like men was unacceptable. He also said that lesbianism amongst women (sex between two woman) was highly unacceptable.

Dr Abdul explained, "In view of this, the National Fatwa Council have decided and taken the stand that such acts are forbidden and banned."

Male homosexuality - specifically sodomy - is illegal in Malaysia and punishable with up to 20 years in jail.

London, Oct 24 : A British war hero who fought in Afghanistan is living in his car, while a migrant family of Afghans has been handed over a 1.2million pounds mansion.

According to the Sun, Corporal Marcus Kilpatrick, 31, who spends his nights in a sleeping bag in the back of a 12-year-old Land Rover, was told no council housing was available for him.

Marcus, who had served in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, said: "I feel completely let down and unloved by my own country."

Unemployed Marcus, originally from Norwich, sought help a week ago from Ealing Council in West London.

"I kept getting pushed from one person to another, or got told to come back the next day or the next, the paper quoted him, as saying.

London - The British economy has shrunk for the first time in 16 years, dropping 0.5 per cent in the July-September quarter, the Office for National Statistics reported Friday.

London, Oct 24 : Scientists are developing an optical distress beacon for astronauts working outside their spacecraft, which would enable their screams for help to be heard in space in case of an emergency.

According to a report in New Scientist, the device could provide an alert if an astronaut is unable to speak or radio links fail.

The distress beacon will be attached to sensors monitoring heartbeat or breathing, and will have LEDs visible up to 800 meters away.

“The astronaut might even flash them to send messages in Morse code,” said Sarah Harris of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, who is developing the device with staff at the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California.