iblog

Kayleigh: Drivers have been warned that the freezing temperatures and snow could severely affect Britain’s roads today.

Most of Northern England and Scotland woke up to a blanket of snow this morning, and the weather is expected to continue for the rest of the day.

The Highways Agency have urged drivers to check road conditions before they set out and avoid unnecessary journeys. Motorists have also been advised to wear warm clothing and to carry an emergency pack in their car containing items such as boots and a spade.

Temperatures today are between 0 and 3 Celsius, however the wind will make it seem even colder.

Snowfall is expected to be up to two inches (5cm) deep in parts of England and Wales. Scotland is expected to be the worst hit however, with predictions of up to six inches 20cm (15cm) by tonight.

Helen Chivers, from the Met Office said: “There will be frost and ice all over the country, and we are likely to see some flurries of snow.

“We could finally have a white winter almost anywhere in the country because the temperatures will be low enough, but the east of England and the Midlands are the best bets for a dusting of one to two centimetres. On the Chilterns and in some parts of Scotland, we could see up to five centimetres settling.”

Gritters and snowploughs already began clearing most of the UK’s roads lastnight. Network Rail also said it had staff ready to clear the tracks to reduce disruption to Britain’s rail tracks.

Another Highway Agency spokesman stressed how important it was for drivers to be extra careful in these bad weather conditions. They said: “It can take ten times longer to stop when it is icy, so allow more room to slow down and stop.

“Avoid losing control of your vehicle because of wheel spin, by using the highest gear possible. Avoid sudden braking, acceleration and sharp turns.”

The cold weather is not expected to last, with forecasters predicting temperatures of up to 8 Celsius tommorrow, and double figures by the weekend. However, the freezing temperatures are expected to return next week. Weather-Action said: “The winds from Siberia will return, making it one of the coldest winters for two decades.”

Rushda: Today marks a terribly sad day for Pakistan and indeed much of the world as Benazir Bhutto, the leading Pakistani opponant and former Prime Minister, has been killed in a suicide bomb attack whilst doing an election rally for next month’s general election in the northern region of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. This event marks a severe blow to any hope in the return of stable democracy in Pakistan as many believe that Bhutto’s liberal views and bid to counter terrorism have now been in vain.

The assassination was sudden as she spoke to thousands of people in the crowd. As Mohammad Zaman, a member of her PPP party, explains:

“The meeting went perfectly well. She delivered her speech, she came down the stage and got on the land-cruiser. She started coming out, we heard three [shots] fired, and after that the bomb blast went [off]. And when I came down the road I saw there was loads and loads of injured. And I really thought that her vehicle was safe and left the place safely. I was hoping she would be OK.”

Though Bhutto was taken swiftly to hospital, she died straight away. It is unclear at present who was involved in the attack and what the motive was, but it is strongly believed that the attack links with Al-Qaeda who, amongst others, were angry at her secular leadership and affinity to the West. The country is in shock and in many parts considered to be a danger after the attacks with curfews in main city areas. Many are understandably emotional and angry, with some blaming the current president Pervez Musharraf for not ensuring that Bhutto received adequate security.

Having studied at both Harvard and Oxford, Bhutto gave much hope to those in the West and in Pakistan who feel threatened by Islamic extremism. As the only woman to have been Prime Minister of Pakistan, she also represented women’s rights in Pakistan which are often suppressed due to Islamic practices. Major world leaders believe that her death has been an attempt to kill democracy in Pakistan, but as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said in his speech:

“Benazir Bhutto may have been killed by terrorists but the terrorists must not be allowed to kill democracy in Pakistan and this atrocity strengthens our resolve that terrorists will not win there, here or anywhere in the world. We will work with all in the Pakistani community in Britain and elsewhere in the world so that we can have a peaceful and safe and democratic Pakistan.”

My heart goes out to all of Bhutto’s family and supporters as we are reminded once again of the dangers extremists pose for those who wish to fight for tolerance. Who knows what lies in store for Pakistan now, and how safe it remains.

Rushda: Designs for London’s new Olympic stadium have been unveiled. As the picture on the left shows, the centrepiece will be a giant sporting bowl which will have seats for an audience of 80,000 and the stadium will be located in Stratford, in East London. Construction will begin next April in order to be ready a year in advance of the events.

Apparently the costs of the stadium will be a huge £496 million even though the previous budget stated £280 million. Many feel uncomfortable with the idea of this much being spent for a singular construction, but budgeters have reassured everyone that after the Olympics the top tier of seats will be lifted off and the stadium will be able to be used as a standard sports venue with 25,000 seats.

The stadium has been designed by HOK Sport, the same architects who designed other world-famous sports venues such as Sydney Olympic stadium and Wembley stadium. Chair of the Organising Committee, also a former Olympic champion, is excited about the project and thinks the plans for the stadium are modern and practical. He says:

“It’s a stadium that delivers on everything we said we would deliver on: a stadium with track and field as its primary legacy; a stadium that will be reduced from 80,000 seats in Olympic mode to a 25,000-seater community base.”

Though I’m no huge sports fan, I’m glad the excitement and patriotism for 2012 is still going strong, especially after the embarrassing and shocking logo (which, we are reminded, will not change despite thousands of protests). However, I am reluctant to believe that the design for the stadium will melt many hearts - after all, it IS essentially an unwarranted sum of money to pay for what looks like a very bogstandard and uninspiring stadium. It seems that the organisers behind 2012 want to emphasise coolness and youthfulness in everything they produce (see the promotional video for yet more of the same). Yet ironically this is what is making the young people cringe most!

Rushda: Regulators across Europe are strongly considering making it possible to make phone calls even when in a plane more than 3,000 metres in the sky. Indeed, technology is being developed which will allow mobile phone use without interfering with the aircraft systems.

The plans are flexible as they will allow individual airlines to choose whether they use the technology. As a spokesperson from Virgin Airlines has said:

“We are monitoring customer demand and will act if they say they want to use their mobile phones. If we were to introduce this service in the future we want to ensure we do it in a socially acceptable way.”

The costs of making calls from the sky would understandably be much higher than when on the ground. However, this would only be reasonable and Ofcom has said that it will make sure airlines don’t charge extortionately for the privilege. Ofcom also says that there are still many different considerations to sort out before reaching a final approval, but it is still a likely development in the near future.

It sounds like a great plan, especially for those people travelling on long flights that need to make urgent contact whilst in the air. To say “Hi, I’m on the plane now” to someone thousands of metres down on the ground certainly seems remarkable!

Rushda: It may seem like something out of science fiction, and it’s difficult to know how seriously to take it, but scientists have produced money which can be used in outer space. The Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, conveniently abbreviated as Quid, is for the use of inter-planetary travellers when space travel becomes more common in future.

The currency has been specially designed by scientists from the National Space Centre and the University of Leicester for the foreign exchange company Travelex. One of the developers ,Professor George Fraser, is excited about the new invention and says:

“None of the existing payment systems we use on Earth - like cash, credit or debit cards - could be used in space. Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk to astronauts, while the chips and magnetic strips used in our cards on Earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic radiation.”

The Quid coins are specially adapted to outer-space because they have no sharp edges so will not damage anything if they accidentally float free in space. They are made of a polymer which has previously been best used for non-stick pans.

The technology comes after much speculation that space travel will become very common in the near future. Indeed, predictions from the National Space Centre state that even tourist facilities on the Moon by 2050 are a real possibility. There are all sorts of things currently being developed for space tourism - from an inflatable space hotel being produced in the US to VirginGalactic developing spaceships for ordinary use. It only then makes sense, say these scientists, to have a way of using money whilst in space.

The confidence these scientists have is indeed astounding. As Travelex say:

“It’s only a matter of time before people will be walking up to our shops and asking for Quids for their two weeks in a space hotel.”

Furthermore, what’s most bizarre is that they have even decided already what the conversion rate is, currently quoting £6.25 to the Quid!

Rushda: Cars that drive themselves to and from a required destination may not be as far off into the future as once thought - indeed, trials of a driverless “cybercar” have already begun recently in a Northamptonshire town called Daventry. The new car works out the directions using a computer and manages to avoid obstacles using laser technology.

Daventry’s mission has long been to encourage more people to use public transport, so this is an incredible way to increase efficiency and boost enthusiasm. The cybercar can easily be called by pressing a button and will automatically go to an assigned destination without any human input. So far, the car is only really suitable for short trips at low speed - for example, it can be seen as an alternative to a school bus. However developments go in the future, it is clear that the initial trials have been successful and hold great promise for the future. As Daventry District Council leader Chris Millar says:

“We can build lots more car parks and have lots more cars going in or we can look at a viable alternative to the car. We believe this could be the answer.”

The cybercar can be seen in demonstration until 5th October, on a test track at the town’s Eastern Way. Alternatively, a video of it can be seen here.

Rushda: A key which is believed to have been able to save the Titanic from sinking has recently fetched £90,000 in an auction. Apparently the key was for a store of binoculars but it was not on the ship when it set sail so the binoculars were never used. Many speculate that if it had been on the ship, the crew would not have had to rely on their naked eyes alone and may have been able to spot the fatal iceberg and dodge it in time.

The small, rusty key, bearing the tag “Crows Nest Telephone Titanic” is believed to have been in the pocket of an officer who was transferred off the vessel days before it left. He had simply forgotten to pass it on and it therefore couldn’t be used. Now, an anonymous telephone bidder has been able to acquire the key in an auction in Wiltshire, for which the bidding was apparently “fierce.” As auctioneer Henry Aldridge says:

“We had several telephone bidders as well as people in the auction room, and the gentleman who was successful was very happy. But I can tell you the man he outbid was not, he was very disappointed.”

The price for which the key was sold is obviously a huge sum of money for anyone to get their head around. However, it is clear why the key is seen as so precious now - the key wasn’t just any old key but the key to the life of the Titanic, the key to the lives of 1,522 who perished on that voyage. It is simply incredible that this small object could have changed the destiny of so many, and is now in the hands of someone so many years after the incident.

Jeanne: Following in the footsteps of one of history’s greatest warriors, an intrepid Australian has completed an exhausting three-year journey across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Tim Cope undertook much of the difficult journey with only a hunting dog named Tigon for company. He travelled largely on horseback, often relying on the hospitality of the region’s nomadic residents. The trek, which took Tim Cope from Mongolia to Hungary, was initially expected to last a mere 18 months. However, family emergencies and poor weather resulted in the journey taking roughly three years.

Tim Cope’s journey was anything but easy. Temperatures vary enormously across the region - from a freezing –52 degrees Celsius to a whopping 54 degrees. In a region known for its lawlessness, it was also not surprising that Mr. Cope was accosted by thieves on a number of occasions. However, it was the welfare of his four-legged companions that occupied Mr. Cope’s thoughts during his trek. In particular, the freezing temperatures of Ukraine took their toll on Tigon, who nearly froze to death on one occasion after being trapped in a frozen mine shaft. He was able to continue the journey only after being revived with copious quantities of vodka. Speaking to the Associated Press, Mr. Cope spoke of the strong connection he felt with his animals:

“I’m feeling a bit panicky about finishing because I can’t imagine saying goodbye to the (them).”

Mr. Cope’s destination was the town of Opusztaszer, which is located some 90 miles south of the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Cope emphasised the symbolic importance of this location. In a recent interview, he explained his choice, stating:

“Here at the Danube River is where the Eurasian steppe ends, with its beginning in Mongolia and Manchuria. So Opusztaszer is the perfect ending symbolically and geographically.”

Tim Cope hopes that his 10,000 km journey will generate further interest in the life of Genghis Khan. The exploits of the Mongol leader during the Middle Ages resulted in the creation of the Mongol empire which controlled much of Eastern Europe and Central Asia as well as parts of North Africa and Southeast Asia during the 13th and 14th centuries. The Mongol Empire grew to become the second largest empire in human history.

Rushda: A plane from budget airline One-Two-Go crashed upon landing today in the Thai holiday resort of Phuket and killed at least 87 people. The plane was travelling from the capital, Bangkok, and it is believed that most of the passengers were internationals, with some Britons amongst them as well. Both the pilot and the co-pilot survived.

Though officials are still unsure as to how such a terrible catastrophe occurred, it is believed that strong winds and heavy rain contributed to the crash. The pilot had originally asked to abort the landing of the plane but it still ended up falling onto the runaway and slipping off it, after which it exploded into flames. Up to half of the passengers managed to crawl out of the wreckage, many of which are now in intensive care being treated for their severe burns. As a survivor Parinwit Chusaeng explains:

“I saw passengers engulfed in fire as I stepped over them on the way out of the plane. I was afraid that the airplane was going to explode, so I ran away.”

At least 70 of the passengers are believed to have been foreign nationals from countries such as Australia, Britain, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The crash is indeed a terrible tragedy - being the worst one in almost ten years in Thailand. Hopefully the ones who are being treated will make good recovery.

Rushda: An immaculately preserved Inca girl which was found by archaeologists in 1999 has gone on display in Argentina. The girl was originally discovered in an icy pit on top of Mount Llullaillaco, a volcano in north-west Argentina. It is believed that she was sacrificed by the Incas nearly 500 years ago. According to Dr Johan Reinhard, the leading archaeologist from the team that discovered her, she is the best preserved mummy in the world.

The newly famous attraction, a picture of which can be seen here is named “la Doncella” (”the maiden”), and has attracted hundreds of tourists from Argentina and other parts of the world. It is believed that when the girl died in the Andes mountain range she was only fifteen years old; she was discovered along with remains of a younger boy and girl.

The mummy is being kept in special conditions in a cold chamber that mimics the sub-freezing conditions in which she was found. Visitors have found the way in which she has been preserved remarkable and have commented that she looks like she may come alive any minute. Although some groups have disputed with the decision to put her on display, believing that it shows no respect for the dead, most have found the visit to be an intriguing and educational experience.

Now, even in death, the Incan girl lives on, perfectly preserved and showing us a glimpse of what has long, long gone.