United Kingdom

Jacqui Smith faces opposition for "Big Brother" national database idea

Jacqui-SmithLondon, Oct. 20 : British Homse Secretary Jacqui Smith is reportedly facing strong opposition from her senior officials on the government''s controversial plan to set up a new "Big Brother" national database.

According to a leaked memo, plans by the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to set up an eavesdropping centre in Cheltenham to monitor all telephone calls, e-mails and internet visits to be retained to help combat terrorism.

According to The Independent, Smith is insisting that no decision has been taken as yet, added that the new database is one of several options under consideration by the Government.

‘Eureka!’ moment most likely to strike at 10.04pm

London, Oct 20 : Trying really hard to come up with a good presentation to impress your client tomorrow? Well, in that case, make sure you do it after dinner, for according to a new research, people are at their most creative late at night with 10.04pm the most likely time for a eureka moment.

According to a new survey, brainwaves are least likely to strike in the afternoon.

The least creative time in the day is 4.33pm, with 92 per cent of people admitting to feeling uninspired in the afternoon, the survey found.

The poll of 1,426 people showed that a quarter of us stay up late burning the midnight oil when seeking inspiration, the poll by the Crowne Plaza hotel chain showed.

Ad watchdog wants kids'' websites to stop promoting junk food, toys

London, Oct 20 : A leading consumer watchdog has warned that children''s websites are fast becoming advertisers of junk food and toys, aimed at wooing youngsters.

Consumer Focus, the new super-watchdog created by the Government last month, said that web advertisements are not tightly regulated the way TV and print ads are.

Ed Mayo, the chief executive of Consumer Focus, even wrote to the trade body Advertising Association asking it to consider reclassifying all children''s websites as adverts.

According to the rules, a confectionery or junk food company cannot advertise its products during a children''s television programme or on a children''s website, but the rules only apply to the adverts themselves, not the content of the websites.

UK Defence Secretary says troops may be pulled out by 2009

London, Oct. 20 : British Defence Secretary John Hutton, who is currently on his first visit to Iraq, has said that all British troops could be pulled out of that country by 2009.

Speaking after talks in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the, Hutton said that Britain is likely to undertake a "fundamental change" in its role in Iraq in the first months of 2009.

This included the possibility of the military taking on a training role, The Telegraph quoted Hutton, as saying.

He hailed the "significant progress" that had been made in Iraq in recent months, and welcomed the improvement in the security situation across the country.

Britains to seek global assistance for Pakistan tribal areas

London, Oct 20: British Foreign Secretary David Milibandhas said that the international community must help Pakistan gain control of its Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The Daily Times quoted Miliband as saying that President Asif Ali Zardari had promised to co-operate with Afghanistan.

“The role of the international community is not to wring its hands and go home, but to help the Pakistan government get a grip on its Tribal Areas,” Miliband added.

Passenger jet had near miss with UFO, claim experts

Melbourne, Oct 20: Secret British Government documents, released for the first time, have revealed details of how a commercial jet almost collided with an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) over densely populated England.

According to the official documents, as the captain of Alitalia Flight AZ 284 began his descent into Heathrow, he saw something alarming overhead, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Shaped like a missile, the object suddenly veered across the airliner''s path causing the pilot to shout ''Look out!'' as he attempted to avert a mid-air collision 22,000ft above the Kent countryside.

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