Burping cows and sheep harm the environment.

Scientists are making cows and sheep scapegoats for a small part of global warming. There are new reports that methane gas produced from the animals burping and flatulence could be more hazardous to the environment than four-wheeldrive cars. Experts claim cows are responsible for about three per cent of Britain's greenhouse gases. Michael Abberton of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research said the average cow or bull belches out about 100 to 200 liters of methane each day, a lot more damaging than the carbon emitted by gas guzzling cars. Methane emissions from cattle account for a quarter of the gas in our air. In Britain, cows and sheep are the biggest single source of methane - a gas that is 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming. The race is now on to reduce burping and farting in cows and sheep. If scientists can achieve this, it could help Britain reach its commitments under the Kyoto agreement. Researchers are trying to find a new way to feed cattle and sheep which leads to less gas being produced. The key seems to be in developing new types of food that are easier for farm animals to digest. Scientists in Wales believe putting garlic in their food could reduce the impact on global warming by cutting the amount of gas produced by up to 50 per cent. Project leader Professor Jamie Newbold said: "Garlic directly attacks the organisms in the gut that produce methane." He is conducting

tests to see if the garlic gives the animals bad breath or, more specifically, if it lead to garlic flavored milk and meat.

Plastic replacing cash in UK.

Plastic cards are the UKs favorite way to pay for goods and services, according to a new report by APACS, the body that monitors payments in Britain. Spending on plastic cards overtook cash in 2004 and has continued growing ever since. British consumers love of plastic means that spending on credit and debit cards has trebled over the past decade. A little under a third of total consumer spending is now charged to cards. Plastic transactions increased to a record $600bn last year. APACS director of communications Sandra Quinn said: "The last 10 years have seen a rapid rise in the popularity of plastic, with debit cards showing particularly strong growth." She added: "Consumers enjoy the ease and convenience plastic cards bring, and today most retailers and supermarkets take plastic, as do an increasing number of professional service providers." Last year saw new smart card technology introduced into the world of card payments. However, these technological advances have not stopped an increasing reliance on plastic, which is responsible for the rising mountains of debt British people now have.

In the first three months of this year almost 17,000 people were declared bankrupt a 10 percent rise on the previous year. There is also a parallel, worrying trend regarding the opportunities plastic creates for fraud. In 2006, conmen stole almost a billion dollars using stolen cards and personal information. Soon, people will be carrying a single card in their wallet which will combine debit and credit cards and other financial transactions. This is another step toward a cashless society, but one that might increase personal debt and credit card fraud.

Cyber-bullying spreads in the US.

A new report on the influence of the Internet on US teens reports that one third of teenagers who surf the Net have been victims of cyber-bullying. The research, conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, says: About one third of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities such as receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online. However, the most common complaint from online teens was about private information being shared rather than direct threats or physical violence.

Teenagers still believe that worse bullying happens offline. The report discovered that as more young people join social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, they are making themselves vulnerable by sharing more of their personal information online for cyberbullies to find. The survey found that 39% of social network users had been cyberbullied in some way, compared to 22% of online teens who had never used social networks. Report author Amanda Lenhart commented: "Bullying has entered the digital age. The impulses behind it are the same, but the effect is magnified. In the past, the materials of bullying would have been whispered, shouted or passed around. Now, with a few clicks, a photo, video or a conversation can be shared with hundreds via e-mail or millions through a website, online profile or blog posting."

Ten Commandments for motorists.

The Roman Catholic church has taken a break from moral and ethical concerns to issue its own rules of the road for drivers around the world. A 36-page document called "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" contains the dos and donts of good motoring. The Ten Commandments cover everything from road rage, avoiding rude gestures and angry language, being considerate to pedestrians, and looking after your vehicle. The Vatican warns that:

"Cars tend to bring out the 'primitive' side of human beings, thereby producing rather unpleasant results". It is strange that a state such as the Vatican, which has almost no traffic problems and a 30 kph speed limit has produced this document. There are just 1,000 cars in the Vatican and the last traffic accident was in 2005. Most of the worlds motorists will happily abide by the suggestions, although driving fanatics will be less enthusiastic, especially in motor-mad Italy. The section titled "Vanity and personal glorification" is sure to make Ferrari owners furious. The document's Fifth Commandment reads: "Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin". The Vaticans Cardinal Renato explained a potential evil, saying: "Cars particularly lend themselves to being used by their owners to show off, and as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy." He also pointed out the document was intended to save lives, stating: 1.2 million people die each year on the roads. That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church."

Moscow is the worlds costliest city.

Thinking of moving to another world capital? A new report compiled by the human resources consultancy Mercer suggests you need to think carefully about how costly it is in other parts of the world. Surprisingly, Mercer ranks Moscow as the world's

costliest city, with London a close second. This is bad news for students wanting to study in the Russian and English capitals. Mercer gathers information on 143 cities around the globe. Its annual survey measures and compares the costs of more than 200 items, including rent, transportation, food, clothes, household goods and entertainment. This data is invaluable for companies wishing to open offices in far-off lands. A Mercer spokeswoman said: "As companies continue to send employees on expatriate assignments, they must closely monitor changes in the cost of living." A major theme of the latest survey is how currency movements have changed the rankings of different cities. Mercer stated: "There have been some significant changes in the rankings since last year.These are primarily due to exchange rate fluctuations - in particular the weakening of the U.S. dollar and the strengthening of the euro." Last year, London was ranked fifth, but due to a weak dollar, it has risen three places. Seoul was the third-placed city, followed by Tokyo and Hong Kong, both down a place from last year. Asuncion was the cheapest city for expats for the fifth year in a row. The worlds most expensive apartments are in Tokyo and the most affordable are in Johannesburg. The dearest fast food is in Copenhagen. Zimbabwes Harare dropped off the list this year due to its rates of hyperinflation.

UN agrees to ban on ivory trade.

The UN has agreed to approve a landmark nine-year ban on trading in ivory to stem a surge in poaching that is killing as many as 20,000 elephants annually. The agreement will go into effect after a one-off sale of stockpiles of ivory to Japan. Four southern African nations will sell their government-held stock of elephant tusks, although the exact amount is unknown. Willem Wijnstekers, the Secretary General of the 171-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), reckoned as much as 200 tonnes of ivory might be heading to Japan. It will be made into personal stamps that are used in place of written signatures. However, CITES was positive about the new deal. It said: "This African solution to an African problem marks a great step forward for wildlife conservation.It is good news for the elephants and the people who live alongside them." The agreement ends an 18-year deadlock on the ivory trade and elephant poaching. The future of the worlds largest land mammal was at stake. There are only half a million of the majestic beasts left in the world and this number was falling due to sharp increases in hunting since the turn of the century. Conservationists say elephant numbers are decreasing every year to satisfy illicit markets in China and Japan. African governments hope the oneoff sale to Japan will reduce demand and the money raised will go into conservation programmes. However, China is up in arms over the agreement as it is excluded from the sale. CITES refused a request

by Beijing last week, saying: "We do not agree that they meet the criteria. Customs officials will now be watching carefully to see if the trafficking of ivory reaches China.

Scientists test WiTricity Wireless Electricity.

A team of US researchers has come up with an electricity system that does not need wires. This is a breakthrough in what will hopefully be a wireless future. The scientists, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, lit a 60-watt light bulb using magnetic fields. In the test, the power source was just two meters away from the light, but the team hopes they will soon be able to send electricity longer distances through the air. They have dubbed their new invention WiTricity, or wireless electricity. Although Wi-Fi has been around for some years now, it has been limited to the transmission of information, especially between computers and modems, printers and scanners. This is the first time electrical appliances have been powered wirelessly. This new development means that our houses may be free from tangled wires. Gone will be the days of having to unplug the vacuum to go from room to room, and of having countless plugs hidden behind the TV and stereo. The new source of delivering power to gadgets remotely may also reduce the number of fires caused by poor wiring and overloaded sockets. It turns out the concept is not so new. A century ago, inventor Nikola Tesla struck

upon the idea of building a huge tower in New York that would wirelessly beam power to the city. Unfortunately, his idea never came to fruition, until today, that is. It will still be a while before we have wireless homes and offices. Safety experts will be checking closely to ensure the power source causes us no harm.

Children into computers younger than ever.

Children are using and owning consumer electronics from a younger age than ever before, according to US market researcher NPD. Its research shows the average age at which children begin using computers, games and other electronic gadgets has declined from 8.1 years in 2005 to 6.7 years in 2007. The NPD report, Kids and Consumer Electronics Trends III, says the youngest consumers are also getting choosy about what they buy. More and more young children now own a DVD player, portable video game, digital camera or cell phone. NPDs Anita Frazier said: Kids are drawn to the latest and greatest digital devices just as their parents are. She added: They appear to have no fear of technology and adopt it easily and without fanfare, making these devices a part of their everyday lives. The study is based on data collected via an online survey to a sample of American adults aged 25 and older who had children aged between four and fourteen. The survey also found that kids use

electronic devices an average of three days per week. Surprisingly, many of the families surveyed were not regular consumer electronics buyers. Almost 25 percent of parents surveyed said they had made no electronics purchases during the previous 12 months. Father of two Robert Garside, 38, said he was amazed at what his children want to buy. He admits to often having to ask his nine-year-old how to operate his Sony PlayStation. Children nowadays are so tech savvy that soon Sony will bring out a PlayStation for babies, he said. His son Robert Junior said all the gadgets around him really were childs play.

UN - We can control Global Warming.

A United Nations committee on climate change has said we can control global warming. The panel, made up of representatives from over 120 countries, believes we can limit the harm greenhouse gases do to the atmosphere. Its report concluded the picture of Armageddon painted by many scientists will not happen if we use technology and have the right strategies to protect the ozone layer. Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the panel, told reporters in Bangkok that the study was a remarkable step forward. The panel indicated that we can keep our Earth safe by changing the way we use energy around the

world. Most important is to introduce more fuel-efficient vehicles and household goods. For this to happen, individuals need to change their lifestyles and spending patterns. Report co-author Pete Smith said: We can go a long way to addressing this problem at relatively low costs with a range of options. He calculated that it would cost less than three percent of world economic output by 2030. He added: We've got a big problem on our hands [but] this report provides governments with a way out." The big problem is the damage rising temperatures are doing to the Earth. Increased floods, droughts, rising sea levels, more violent and destructive storms and extinctions of species are just a few things threatening the life of our planet. The report stressed the urgent need for introducing a wide variety of clean technologies. Harlan Watson, head of the U.S. team, warned: If we continue to do what we are doing, then we are in deep trouble.

Toyota - world's number one car seller.

For the first time in history, a non-US car firm is the worlds number one carmaker. Japans Toyota Motor Corporation knocked the USAs General Motors from the top spot in the first three months of the year to

claim the world sales leadership position. This ends GMs 76-year reign as the top dog in the international auto industry. Analysts expected this to happen following Toyotas nonstop push for pole position. Industry experts predict Toyota will probably stay number one in the world for quite some time due to its efficient production methods and outstanding marketing. Excellent reliability, unbeatable prices and world class after-sales service will also help the Japanese company retain its grasp as the industry leader. The companys Corolla car continues to be the top selling vehicle worldwide and a new model planned for launch in 2008 should keep things that way. Unlike its American rivals, Toyota is enjoying bumper profits. Whereas the likes of Ford, Chrysler and GM are doing their best to cut costs to survive and stay in the market, their Japanese rival expects its profits to continue to grow from the $11.7 billion last year. Industry insider Jim Hossack believes Japans skilled and motivated workforce also greatly helps Toyota. "A job in the auto industry is still a prestige position in Japan," he said. He also puts Toyotas success down to its unbeatable image, saying: "They have to keep their quality up, though they've had such a good reputation people forgive them when they have problems." Hossack added "People don't forgive GM when they have problems." Toyota executives were modest in recognizing their achievement. They insisted that the goal was to be number one in quality, not sales volume.

Hopes fading for future of Indian tigers.

The survival of the tiger in India is doomed, according to Indian conservationists, who say hope is fading fast for the big cat. They say an increase in poaching and a non-caring government are the final nails in the coffin for what is Indias national symbol. This is in contrast to a successful conservation initiative started in 1973 called Project Tiger. This scheme had the full backing of then Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and managed to double the number of tigers in the wild. However, in recent years, enthusiasm for the project has dropped as government ministers have focused more on the economy. The result is a rather shameful situation in which all of the tigers in Indias premier wildlife reserve, Sariska in Rajasthan, had been killed by 2005. There are now only 1,200 of the majestic beasts on the whole subcontinent. Valmik Thapar, a well-known tiger conservationist said in a BBC documentary that: "We are living with the last tigers of India. He said the Indian government was wholly responsible for the animals survival, saying: "If the government wants to save tigers it can, if it doesn't want to save tigers, it'll allow them to go extinct. He added: "Never before in the

history of this country has wildlife and forest governance been at such a low ebb. It is inevitable that our tigers, leopards, lions and other wildlife will vanish." The BBC says two factors are behind the current poaching of Indias tigers. One is the market for tiger bones, used in traditional Chinese medicine; the other is the demand for tiger skins, used in ceremonial dress in Tibet. The trade in tiger products is extremely lucrative. A tiger skin fetches up to $20,000, while the bones fetch around $3,000 per kilo.

Cut-and-paste essays a problem in schools.

A survey by Britains Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has revealed that 58 percent of British teachers believe online plagiarism (copying work from the Internet) is a serious problem. Estimates are that over a quarter of students work includes writing that was cut-and-pasted directly from a website. ATL general-secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: "Teachers are struggling under a mountain of cut-and-pasting to spot.plagiarism." One shocked teacher explained she had work so blatantly cut-and-pasted that it still contained adverts from the Web page!" Dr Bousted added that putting so much emphasis on passing tests meant students were not learning. "Unsurprisingly, pupils are using all the means available to push up their coursework marks, often at the expense of any real understanding of the subjects they are studying,"

she said. To tackle this issue, many high schools are trying out software that can easily spot plagiarized work. The Turnitin programme is used by universities across the world. Teachers can highlight a block of text they believe was copied and the software searches the Internet to see if it is already online. William Murray, a Turnitin spokesman, said the Internet made it easy for students to cheat. He pointed to the hundreds of sites that offer sample essays and essay-writing services. He added that students often do not know they are cheating when they copy-and-paste from the Web. This view is supported by teacher Diana Barker, who said: "I think the majority of students who engage in plagiarism do it more out of ignorance than the desire to cheat. Dr Bousted noted that: Pupils are the real losers because they lack the skills they appear to have.

Hollywood And China In Animation Deal.

Hollywood is moving into one of its biggest untapped markets China. The animation studio DreamWorks, jointly owned by Steven Spielberg, has teamed up with some of Chinas biggest media companies to open a studio in China. The makers of KungFu Panda, Shrek and Madagascar say the agreement is

an important one for getting their movies distributed to Chinas huge population. Chinas vice-president Xi Jinping will travel to Hollywood later this week to seal the deal between DreamWorks and the Shanghai Media Group and China Media Capital. The new joint venture, to be called Oriental Dreamworks, will produce movies, television shows and live theatre productions for the fast-growing Chinese audience. DreamWorks co-founder and Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg said: "Our goal is, for five or 10 years from now, to have the leading family-branded entertainment company in China.It's a pretty significant opportunity for us". The company hopes to consolidate on the success of its movie "Kung Fu Panda 2". This is the highest-grossing animated movie in China with revenues of around $100 million. Executives believe now is an opportune time to move into China. The movie industry is booming and three new screens in movie theatres are opening at a rate of three a day. China is expected to be the worlds biggest cinema market within the next decade.

6,000-Calorie Burger Gives Man Heart Attack .

A man at a Las Vegas fast food restaurant tempted fate by ordering a Triple Bypass Burger. The man was dining at the aptly named Heart Attack Grill a

fast food eatery that specializes in cholesterol packed food. He was eating a 6,000-calorie hamburger called a Triple Bypass Burger when he suffered cardiac arrest. The restaurant owner, Jon Basso, had to call an ambulance and the customer was taken to hospital. The burger contained over 3 kg of beef, 12 slices of bacon, cheese and a unique special sauce full of saturated fats. Mr Basso told Fox News how much distress his customer was in: The gentleman could barely talk. He was sweating, suffering, he said. The Heart Attack Grill hit the headlines for its approach to dining. Some of the high-fat meals on the menu contain as many as 10,000 calories. There is even a warning on the door that the food is bad for your health. Diners at the restaurant are called patients and the serving staff takes prescriptions as orders. Patients who weigh more than 158 kg get to eat for free. Mr Basso had a special TV commercial promoting his restaurant. He tells people: I personally guarantee a stable upward progression of body weight. The ad warns of possible side effects that include repeated increase of wardrobe size, back pain, male breast growth, loss of sexual partners, tooth decay andin some cases, mild death may occur.

Whitney Houston Dies Aged 48 .

Pop superstar Whitney Houston has passed away aged 48. The blues and soul songstress died in a Beverly Hills hotel room on Sunday, just hours

before she was to appear at a pre-Grammy Awards party. Ms Houston was expected to receive a lifetime achievement award at the main ceremony. Medics arrived at her room around 3.43 pm and administered CPR. She was pronounced dead 12 minutes later. The cause of her death is not yet known. Her body was quickly removed from the hotel to avoid the chaos of the worlds media, which had congregated to cover the story. A police officer told reporters: "She has been positively identified by friends and familyand next of kin have already been notified. Whitney Houston was one of the worlds most influential, successful and popular singers. She was born into a musical family. Her mother Cissy was a gospel singer and her aunt was the legendary Dionne Warwick. Houston won six Grammy awards among many other top prizes. She released seven studio albums and sold over 170 million CDs, singles and videos. Her most famous song is her worldwide hit, "I Will Always Love You." In 1992, she married soul singer Bobby Brown. They had a rocky relationship that was widely covered by the press. The last 10 years of her life were dominated by drug use. Tributes to her have poured in from the worlds music superstars. Rihanna posted on Twitter: "No words, just tears."

Father Makes Toddler Train in Blizzard.

A video of a father making his 4-year-old son train in freezing weather has caused outrage across the

world. The man, He Liesheng, 44, calls himself "Eagle Dad" because he believes he will give his son strength and increase his intelligence if he trains him like eagles raise their young. Mr Liesheng recorded his son, He Yide, wearing just underpants and trainers running in a minus 13 degrees Centigrade blizzard. He said: "When the old eagle teaches its young, it takes the young eagles to the cliff side, beats them and pushes them to teach them to use their wings, and I believe I am helping my son in this way - to force him to challenge limitations and exceed his own expectations." Liesheng said on Tuesday that his son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was born and that this could hinder the intellectual development of his son. He explained that the tough training schedule, including jogging in the snow without clothes, would make his son as healthy and intelligent as other children. He told CNN: I consulted my doctor friends to ensure what we do is scientific and that it won't harm my son's body. In the video footage, little Yide is crying as he chases his father and begs to be picked up. Xu Pengfei, a pediatrics doctor said Mr Lieshengs method lacks scientific basis and that education can only lead to a modest change in IQ.

British Queen Celebrates Diamond Jubilee .

Britains Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 60 years as a

monarch on February 6th. She ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom in 1953, when she was a 25-year-old princess. The 85-year-old queen spent the day on official duties. She toured the town of Kings Lynn in the east of England. The local mayor opened the celebrations to mark her diamond jubilee. Queen Elizabeth herself launched a new website that shows how much the world has changed during her six-decade reign. Bigger celebrations are scheduled to take place in the U.K. in the summer. There will be a 1,000-ship pageant on the River Thames and a concert at Buckingham Palace. During Her Royal Highness reign, there have been 12 British prime ministers, 12 American presidents and six popes. She has also owned 60 corgis (her favourite dog). The diamond jubilee website says she has answered approximately 3.5 million letters. The queen promised her citizens that she would "dedicate myself anew to your service". She also said: "I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart." The queen is still very popular with British people, despite a downturn in her popularity after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.