United Kingdom

British Library to digitalise over 100,000 old books

London, Sept.29 : Over 100,000 old books previously unavailable to the public will go online thanks to a mass digitisation programme at the British Library.

According to the BBC, the programme will focus on 19th Century books, many of which are unknown as few were reprinted after first editions. The library believes online access to the titles will help teachers.

Rude gesture land's Queen's Buckingham Palace guard in a soup!

London, Sept.29 : A rude gesture by one of Queen Elizabeth II's guards last night left visiting tourists outside Buckingham Palace shocked, and him in trouble.

According to The Sun, the guard's hand signal was videoed by an American sightseer and posted on the website YouTube.

The sentry is seen moving his clenched fist up and down, apparently in a joke insult to a comrade.

Palace guards are strictly forbidden from communicating with anybody while on duty.

Traditional light bulbs to be history in Britain by 2011

London, Sept.28 : Britain plans to phase out traditional bulbs by 2011.

The Telegraph quoted Environment Secretary Hilary Benn as telling a Labour conference that he wanted to see an end to the sale of 150-watt bulbs from next January.

Less powerful traditional bulbs would be taken off the shelves in stages under the voluntary energy-saving scheme by 2011, he added.

Indian mission in UK to release book on Mahatma Gandhi

London, Sept.28 : To mark the 138th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, the Indian High Commission in London will release a book titled "Mahatma Gandhi: Images and Ideas for Non-Violence" by Vijay Rana.

Diana inquest jurors to get armed security

London, Sept 28 : Jurors probing into the death of Princess Diana are to get unprecedented security to prevent them from being ‘hassled or harassed’.

The hearing that is expected to last at least for the next six months began at the High Court on Sept 27.

The Metropolitan Police's jury protection team will take the responsibility of transporting the jurors between home and court during the probe.

‘Brits being used as guinea pigs for unproven cosmetic surgery’

London, Sept 28 : Plastic surgeons are warning British men and women not to fall for “miracle” anti-wrinkle treatments in the country, for some of the products being offered are from companies that have been refused licences elsewhere.

Surgeons warn that a lack of regulations over non-surgical procedures means that women are being used as ‘guinea pigs’ to test unproven cosmetic treatments.

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