11UN

"The 'outdated' practice of recruiting 16-year-olds into the [British] Army is wasting up to £94m a year and should stop, two human rights groups have said.

"Child Soldiers International and ForcesWatch claim it costs the Ministry of Defence twice as much to train a 16-year-old as it does an adult."

"The MoD said it did not recognise figures in the report and it 'ignores the benefits' for young people."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22259982

"Drinking large quantities of Coca-Cola was a 'substantial factor' in the death of a 30-year-old woman in New Zealand, a coroner has said.

"Natasha Harris, who died three years ago after a cardiac arrest, drank up to 10 litres of the fizzy drink each day.

"Coca-Cola had argued that it could not be proved its product had contributed to Ms Harris' death.

"The coroner calculated that drinking 10 litres (17.5 pints) of Coke amounted to more than 1kg (2.2lb) of sugar and 970mg of caffeine, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) reports."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21423499

"There has been a rise in the number of incidents in which handheld lasers are being used to distract airline pilots flying over London, Scotland Yard has said.

"In 2010 there were 145 reported incidents. In 2012 that number rose to 252."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-213489...

"The Telegraph understands that senior commanders fear the quality of Britain’s world-class special forces could be undermined if defence spending is cut again in 2015.

"In 2011, Brigadier Richard Dennis warned that the SAS was struggling to recruit enough high-quality entrants because troops did not have time to train properly for its gruelling selection process."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/983...

It seems the government wants to slash our Armed Forces to a size similar of other European countries, whilst still projecting our power worldwide. A bit paradoxical.

Royal Mail deliveries have declined significantly in recent years since there peak in 2005-06 when some 84 million items were delivered every working day. Today that figure stands at roughly 58 million.

With privatisation looming - possibly even this year - will we see a loss or closure of post boxes? Or, is there hope yet?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21057160

I have to say, my area seems a little too well-served, with six post boxes all within a short walking distance.

It would appear so.

"An Australian library sign promising to reshelve books by disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in the fiction section has sparked approval online.

"All non-fiction books by the cyclist, including 'Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion', would soon be moved to the fiction section, it read.

"A council spokesman said the sign was a joke (boo) and that local libraries could not arbitrarily reclassify books."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21115720

What other factual literature do you think should be resigned to the fictional shelf?

I am not anti-American. I admire the United States, having visited twice in the past year. I am not anti-gun. I own a shotgun and an air rifle.

Concerning the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, I asked yesterday why a US citizen should ever require an assault rifle, to which somebody responded that such weapons are needed in order to defend themselves from their government. Others, elsewhere on the Internet, have echoed this sentiment.

Isn't something seriously wrong when the citizens of a civilised society fear their government?

A group of colleagues were discussing the 'Mayan prophecy' today, and one even commented that he may call in sick on the 21st December "just in case", much to the bemusement of our director.

When this theory spectacularly flops next month, can we finally put Doomsday predictions to rest? Man has been forecasting his own demise since time immemorial, and lo-and-behold we're still here.

It seems whenever anybody does something foolish enough or stupid enough (for example, burning poppies) to warrant attention, some are quick to leap to their defence, and cry foul in the name of democracy and human rights, regardless of how grossly offensive their words or actions may be.

I'm certainly not saying advocates wrong (at least, not always) but, surely we must draw a line somewhere? Say, when it offends the majority of the population, for instance?

I had to discover information about police and crime commissioner candidates for my county through the BBC Kent, as there's been little coverage in my local media.

Many of the electorate seem to show no interest and there's been calls by some (mainly ex-Met boss Ian Blair) to boycott the polls.

Me? I'll vote on the 15th November because I believe it's the "right" thing to do.

My local supermarket is peddling antibacterial wipes, bottles of hand gel, disinfectant and remedies to "stave" off the flu and cold this winter. But, are such products actually making us more ill? I mean, surely, we need to ingest a certain amount of germs to aid our immune system? Isn't our obsession with health, in part, how MRSA came about?

I read not too long ago, an article in a newspaper claiming that dishcloths or sponges is ridden with salmonella and E. Coli, but I regularly use a dishcloth to wipe down our kitchen work-top, upon which I cut cheese, vegetables, and so forth, and I'm hardly ever ill.

I support the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust, which operates two helicopters across South East England. To my disgust, I discovered, unlike their lifeboat counterparts, air ambulances are not exempt from paying VAT on fuel.

Please take a moment to sign the government's e-petition:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29349

Thank you!

A trivial matter, but...

"George Osborne has been forced to pay for an upgrade after sitting in a first class train carriage with a standard class ticket.

"An aide to Mr Osborne initially refused to pay the £160 supplement and said the chancellor did not want to move into standard class."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20008342

"The European Union has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for six decades of work in advancing peace in Europe."

"The award comes as the EU faces the biggest crisis of its history, with recession and social unrest rocking many of its member states."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19921072

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Questions concerning "coming out" seem to be among the most popular in this subcategory (besides "Are they gay, do they like me?").

What advice would you give to somebody who wishes to come out, do you have any personal stories you wish to share, your own experience, perhaps?

I seemingly cannot fathom why nurses and children's home staff stood idle by and did nothing whilst children were abused by Jimmy Savile over a period of decades.

I can only consider that a culture of fear existed; allegations from 'lowly' employees dismissed by managers and matrons who themselves were scared of accusing a "national hero".

Was it some variation of the "bystander effect", a social psychological phenomenon whereby bystanders believe that others will come to a stricken person's aid?

If you were to 'wed' your fiancé or fiancée in a civil partnership, would you take their surname or keep your own, or alternatively would you consider a double-barrel name (e.g. "Smith-Jones")?

(This is entirely a poll and I have no intention of 'marrying' in the foreseeable future. Christ, I'm only 20.)

It has emerged a one-off concert starring Alicia Keys cost Manchester City Council £425,000 to stage last month.

The spending is to be investigated by a watchdog, with the Taxpayers' Alliance slamming the figure as "absolutely preposterous". The council, however, has defended its actions, saying it helped to organise the concert to showcase the city's global profile.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19...

I'm all for arts and culture, but at a time when frontline services are being slashed and thousands of workers laid off, was it genuinely a wise move by the council?

I know I said I wouldn't celebrate until Hamza was on American soil, but the police convoy has left Long Lartin prison and is bound for an airbase, where the five men will be handing over to US Marshals. I'm sure the Americans will treat him kindly. *Smirk*

Maybe, just maybe this farce will finally come to an end.