Britain has found itself swimming against the tide in the last few days, after a European Union make-or-break summit to save the euro. The British PM David Cameron vetoed treaty changes for the 27-member bloc aimed at forging a tax and budget consens
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Up until now, a trip to the toilet for most men has been limited in its potential for entertainment. Standing at the urinal there's not much to do but stare blankly at the wall tiles, whistle and relieve oneself. But for those who can't bear the bore
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If you're a bread lover or a cheapskate, or preferably both, British scientists have discovered your ideal meal. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has worked out that at 7.5 pence (0.7 yuan), a toast sandwich is Britain's cheapest meal. And the so
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New Year is a time to peer into a crystal ball and tease out some of the stories that are likely to make the headlines in 2012. Technology: The BBC's correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones says that one thing we can be sure of is that internet access will s
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The Christmas decorations have come down and the Santa costume has been put away for another year. But what to do with that tired-looking Christmas tree? Well there is a new option for the carbon-conscious... why not eat your tree?! A chef in Copenha
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For decades we've been sending signals into space and listening out for out of this world broadcasts. But what's the plan if signs of intelligent alien life are detected? Those likely to be at the receiving end of a cosmic signal are the scientists a
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Five years after they disappeared, lost jewels belonging to the wife of the US ambassador to the Netherlands have been found. Dawn Arnall had already received an insurance payout for her loss. However, the misplaced gems had been found and held for s
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A dog's day might never be the same considering the attention pooches have been getting recently. An advert claiming to be the first aimed directly at them has been screened on television in Britain. It features high-frequency sounds, whistles and ba
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Adele has picked up two gongs at the Brit Awards ceremony in London to add to the six she won last week at the Grammys in the USA. She triumphed in the Best British Album and Best British Female categories. It caps a stellar year in which the 23 year
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Good morning. Are you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after your recommended eight-hour sleep? Or perhaps instead you dropped off for four hours, got up, had a chat, smoked tobacco and visited some neighbours before hitting the sack for another four hou
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You are feeling very sleepy... These are not words normally addressed to policemen. But this might well be the sort of language directed to officers in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Senior officers there have called in a hypnotist to help
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Creating a new computer or software from scratch is the dream of many a budding Steve Jobs. And now this goal is easier to reach than ever. A new, low-cost computer that can be bought for around ￡20 (200 yuan) has been launched in the last few days
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The man formally known as Sir Fred Goodwin is going to have to get used to being called plain old Mr Goodwin. He has now lost his knighthood. The former head of Royal Bank of Scotland became the subject of a public outcry after RBS had to be bailed o
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You really should finish compiling that boring spreadsheet, but you just can't bring yourself to do it. Maybe it can wait a little longer? Or it might just disappear if you ignore it long enough? You know the feeling. According to Professor Piers Ste
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After years of anticipation, the greatest show on earth has ended. The London 2012 Olympic Games have come and gone, and the city must begin to return to what life was like before the two weeks of intense sport. Any Londoner could scarcely avoid the
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If you love eating and have a gargantuan appetite, the idea of going on a diet might be hard to swallow. Yet evidence suggests that short periods of fasting could help people lose weight and lead to better health. A lower calorie intake increases the
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One of the worlds richest men has taken a close interest in one of mans most basic functions: visiting the toilet. Bill Gatess charitable organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future, w
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What have former French President Nicholas Sarkozy, ex-Beatles singer John Lennon and female tennis champion Maria Sharapova got in common? They all share a passion for philately, or stamp collecting. As fewer people send letters to one another, the
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For many, knitting evokes images of elderly women weaving woolly jumpers for their grandchildren. But the craft is undergoing a revival as knitters of all ages are picking up needles and yarns again. For Dr Sarah-Marie Belcastro, knitting is a mathem
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Have you ever raced against a horse, charmed worms or smashed an egg against your head? These wacky activities are amongst the sports taking place in the World Alternative Games in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells. You might not see the likes of Usa
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