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Even cops believed in Loch Ness’ existence in the 1930s

April 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, April 27 (ANI): A top police officer believed the existence of a Loch Ness monster was ‘beyond doubt’, according to a historical document.

In 1938, the chief constable of Inverness-shire raised concerns about protecting ‘Nessie’ from hunters, reports the Independent.

In a letter he wrote: “That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness seems now beyond doubt, but that the police have any power to protect it is very doubtful.”

The document has been released by the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) as part of an exhibition An Open Secret.

The letter from William Fraser to the Under Secretary of State at the Scottish Office, describes a London couple, Peter Kent and Marion Stirling, who were “determined to catch the monster dead or alive”.

The document goes on to describe how the party claimed they were having a special harpoon gun made and would return with 20 “experienced men” to track the monster down. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 1930s, chief constable, cops, exhibition, existence, Harpoon Gun, Historical Document, Inverness Shire, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Monster, National Archives, National Archives Of Scotland, Nessie, Peter Kent, police officer, Scottish Office, secretary of state, stirling, Strange Creature, William Fraser

Relax, Huxley tells concerned fans

April 13, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Former Wallabies back Julian Huxley has a message for all rugby fans who hold their breath every time he gets hit – relax.

Huxley has returned to first-class rugby over the past month following two years out of the game after the removal of a brain tumour.

Playing just his second game for the Brumbies and making the first start of his comeback, Huxley was on the end of some big hits against the Cheetahs last Saturday.

On one occasion, near the end of the game, he was landed on his head in a dangerous tackle by Cheetahs number eight Kabamba Floors, who consquently copped a five-week suspension.

Huxley apparently appeared dazed during a post-match interview, but on Monday was quick to reassure people he was fine.

“I’ve copped a fair few knocks at training and in the games over the last month,” Huxley said.

“Nothing other than what we thought would happen has happened, which is absolutely nothing.

“I think people will carry their own worries and insecurities about me out there, but they need to know that the best in the field have cleared me to play and they have been proven right over the last month with me being subject to some heavy testing and I’ve come through it fine.

“I’d say to everyone relax and enjoy it as much as I’m enjoying being out there.”

Huxley said he took a couple of knocks on Saturday, including one just before half-time which left him dazed at the time, but he had suffered no lingering affects.

He said he did not feel he had been singled out for treatment by opposing teams and being tested had just given him more confidence.

Asked for his reaction to Floors’ suspension, Brumbies coach Andy Friend said: “If you tip someone up on their head it probably deserves five weeks”.

Friend is awaiting further information on knee ligament damage to five-eighth Matt Toomua.

His biggest injury worry in the lead-up to Friday’s home clash with the Hurricanes is forward Mitchell Chapman, who is struggling with a hip problem.

Centre Stirling Mortlock (back) and half-back Josh Valentine (hamstring), both of whom missed the Cheetahs game, could be in the running to return for this week’s fixture.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: brain tumour, brumbies, chapman, cheetahs, clash, coach andy, confidence, hurricanes, insecurities, Julian Huxley, Kabamba Floors, Knee Ligament Damage, last saturday, match, Number Eight, rugby fans, second game, stirling, wallabies, worries

Government could intervene in favour of Milton development

April 8, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The Queensland Government may step in to stop a legal challenge to a 31-storey development at Milton in inner Brisbane.

The Brisbane City Council has approved plans for the residential, office and retail development attached to the Milton Train Station.

However a residents group is appealing the decision in the planning and environment court.

Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says he is considering whether to intervene.

“I would have the ability to reassess it in the same way councils have the ability to assess a project and set some conditions or make some variations,” he said.

“But first of all I want to get feedback from the relevant stakeholders on whether I should take that action of calling in the project or not.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman says he would have no objection if the State Government decides to intervene.

He says the project should proceed.

“For five years a company has been trying to get this project up and running providing much needed jobs,” he said.

“It’s been through an incredible amount of process in council and we’re very happy to see it go forward.

“So we have no objection on this specific one for the Minister undertaking a call-in.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Lord Mayor, Environment Court, favour, Hinchliffe, jobs, legal challenge, Mayor Campbell, objection, queensland government, Relevant Stakeholders, Residential Office, Residents Group, Retail Development, state government, stirling, train station, variations

New home energy ratings reward Queensland design

March 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The Queensland Government says verandahs, wide doors and hallways will be included in new home energy efficiency ratings.

Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says it will raise the maximum rating from five- to six-stars, in line with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) new requirement for the national building code.

Mr Hinchliffe told State Parliament the changes will promote Queensland architectural features.

“The six-star standard will recognise and reward Queensland design features and work with our unique regions, not against them,” he said.

“We understand that Queensland has a unique climate that ranges from the tropical north to the sub-tropical south and beyond the range.

“We acknowledge the shortfalls of requirements developed for southern climates are not appropriate for Queensland.”

The rating will come into effect on May 1.

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Public urged to speak out on buslink route

March 26, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The Liberal National Party Member for Kawana, Jarrod Bleijie, says he had a positive meeting yesterday with Queensland Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe about a new housing development at Palmview on the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Bleijie pushed for a buslink to be moved and for a Bruce Highway access to be included in the Palmview structure plan.

He says Mr Hinchliffe told him and the other members of the Sunshine Coast delegation present that he will consider a new buslink route if it is included in the council’s revised proposal.

Mr Bleijie wants residents who are opposed to the current route to voice their concerns.

“The public still has until the 19th of April to get their submissions into council,” he said.

“So if anyone in Sippy Downs is listening, and you don’t believe the greenlink through the half of your community is a good idea, then I would encourage them to get their submissions into council because the only way we’re going to get this overturned is with people power.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Australia, Buslink, community-and-society, delegation, government-and-politics, Greenlink, Hinchliffe, Local Government, members, National Party Member, New Housing Development, Palmview, palmview-4553, proposal, Qld, Queensland, Sippy Downs, sippy-downs-4556, stirling, Structure Plan, submissions, sunshine coast, urban-development-and-planning

Hinchliffe rejects sustainability criticism

March 15, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Queensland’s Planning Minister has rejected suggestions the State Government is obstructing the Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s plan to make the region Australia’s most sustainable.

The council says the Government has scrapped sustainability features it put forward for the new Palmview residential development and for future housing in Maroochydore.

A local environment group says the Government is being obstructive and has shown its “true colours” on the issue of sustainable development.

Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says the Government is helping the council achieve its goal because the Building Act already includes a range of energy efficiency and sustainability provisions.

“I believe what we have in terms of our very high standards around five star energy efficiency requirements now, and moving towards six star as a State Government, that we’re helping facilitate that,” he said.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: development minister, Energy Efficiency Requirements, environment group, Environmental Management, Local Government, maroochydore-4558, moving, palmview-4553, provisions, Queensland, Region Australia, Regional Council, residential development, Star Energy, state government, states-and-territories, stirling, sunshine coast, sustainability, sustainable development, True Colours, urban-development-and-planning

Facebook may boost your brain’s working memory

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 7 (ANI): Some social networking sites, like Facebook, could help improve a person’s working memory, according to an expert.

Dr. Tracy Alloway, a psychologist at Stirling University, says that working memory – the ability to recall things over a short period of time – could be the key to success.

She believes that it may be possible to train the brain’s working memory just like an athlete trains muscles, reports the Independent.

Alloway said that some technological inventions, such as Facebook, might actually improve working memory because they require people to hold a lot of information in their heads.

However, other such websites, like spell-checks and Twitter, which requires only small bite-sized phrases, may work against improving working memory.

Instead, these websites could be contributing to some people’s lack of success, she suggested.

Alloway said that she had devised an on-line game that can improve working memory, which may help the young develop working memory skills as well helping to combat memory loss in the elderly. (ANI)

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Most people downplay amount spent on purchases while telling partners, parents

May 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, May 30 (ANI): A survey conducted by online shopping website eBay has revealed that about 73 per cent of people hide purchases from a loved one, and downplay the amount spent on shopping sprees.

The study revealed that sneaky shoppers concealed purchases because they believe that their partners, parents or other family members would not understand the value of the item, The Advertiser reports.

It showed that such shoppers took up to 25 per cent off the price tag of purchases when telling their other half or parents.

Eight per cent of the participants admitted that they cut the cost by half.

Independent retail analyst Stirling Griff said that “little white lies” about the cost of clothing and other products was a way to justify buying them.

“It’s human nature and rife amongst men and women, we love to get a bargain and will try and convince ourselves this is the case, even when it isn’t,” News.com.au quoted him as saying.

He further said that people were more likely to lie about purchases in present-day tough economic conditions, compared to a year ago.

“Some people feel they really should be cutting back, even when they do have the money to avoid looking too extravagant,” he said.

Barlow Shoes shop assistant Corrine Kelly revealed that she would often find women asking for their shoes not to be in boxes so they could make their splurges less obvious.

“It makes it easier for them to sneak those expensive heels into the house and put them in the wardrobe without the husband noticing,” she said.

Not surprised to learn that “closet shopping” was so common, 21-year-old architecture student Kate Holford, said: “I think it can make you feel a bit better.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: advertiser reports, architecture student, barlow, corrine, downplay, ebay, economic conditions, holford, human nature, little white lies, news com au, price tag, Retail Analyst, shoes shop, shoppers, shopping sprees, shopping website, stirling, t news, wardrobe

Coming soon: a ‘wheezy’ pill that makes big bellies disappear

April 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Sydney, Apr 19 (ANI): A drug that has been used to treat asthma sufferers for 40 years may help fat people shed up to five kilograms a week, say Australian researchers.

The main ingredient in Ventolin could be the key behind the magical weight loss.

A firm Down Under is planning to develop a slow-release capsule form of salbutamol, known as r-salbutamol. The company claims the drug can reduce body weight by 2 to 3 per cent a week and could be on the market in three years.

Stirling Products says it could prove to be a “massive blockbuster” because salbutamol had been proven safe.

Salbutamol administered to asthmatics acts on smooth muscle to reduce bronchial spasms, but managing director Peter Boonen said a capsule form of the drug could “turn off fat receptors”.

“It will move weight fairly rapidly, but it won’t be available over the counter. Doctors will prescribe it for 14 days, then review progress,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

Salbutamol is a beta-2 agonist, which has the same effect on the adrenergic system as exercise, resulting in weight loss, an increase in muscle mass and a reduced appetite. It is rapidly excreted in urine but tolerance usually develops within days. (ANI)

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Antarctic dust helps scientists unravel details of past climate change

March 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 30 (ANI): In a new study, dust trapped deep in Antarctic ice sheets is helping scientists unravel details of past climate change.

The study, carried out by the Universities of Edinburgh, Stirling and Lille, has found that the very coldest periods of the last ice age correspond with the dustiest periods in Antarctica’s past, thus establishing a link between the two.

They found that dust blown south to Antarctica from the windy plains of Patagonia – and deposited in the ice periodically over 80,000 years – provides vital information about glacier activity.

It indicates that the ebb and flow of glaciers in the Chilean and Argentinian region is a rich source of information about past climates – which had not until now been fully appreciated by scientists.

During the last ice age, glaciers in Patagonia were at their biggest and released their meltwater, containing dust particles, on to barren windy plains, from where dust was blown to Antarctica.

When the glaciers retreated even slightly, their meltwater ran into lakes at the edge of the ice, which trapped the dust, so that fewer particles were blown across the ocean to Antarctica.

Dust from the ice cores was analysed and found to be a close match with mud of the same age in the Magellan Straits, showing that most of the dust originated in this region.

According to Professor David Sugden, of the University of Edinburgh, “Ice cores from the Antarctic ice sheet act as a record of global environment. However, the dust levels showed some sudden changes which had us puzzled – until we realised that the Patagonian glaciers were acting as an on/off switch for releasing dust into the atmosphere.” (ANI)

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Meet the Brit farmer who has counted over 100,000 sheep this year

March 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Mar 2 (ANI): A Brit farm worker has counted more than 100,000 sheep this year – not in a bid to fall asleep, but to see how many lambs is it carrying.

Andrew McGillivray, from Larbert near Stirling, scans pregnant sheep so he can tell the farmer how many lambs they are expecting, so that he knows how much feed to give each sheep to ensure a healthy birth.

The technique used by McGillivray is similar to the ultrasound used on pregnant women.

He rubs the ultrasound scanner probe underneath the sheep at the top of its leg, and can then see on screen how many lambs are inside the womb.

The animal is then spray-painted with a mark to indicate how many lambs it is carrying.

McGillivray, scans up to 2,500 sheep a day, and has scanned about 110,000 across central Scotland since the beginning of January.

He estimates he has seen around 165,000 lambs on the screen so far this year.

“It is useful for the farmer because it means the feed goes to the right places so you get even-sized lambs for lambing,” the Telegraph quoted McGillivray as saying.

“Or if a sheep is expecting triplets and has only had two lambs the farmer might realise something is wrong and have a look,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: central scotland, London, mcgillivray, pregnant sheep, Pregnant women, stirling, Telegraph, triplets, two lambs, ultrasound scanner, womb