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April 01, 2011 Moussa Koussa, here speaking during a news conference in a hotel housing the foreign press in Tripoli, March 7, 2011. Reuters picRABAT, April 1 The noose is tightening around Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family after his foreign minister and another top diplomat defected in the highest-level desertions since the start of the civil war.But Gaddafis spokesmavowed yesterday that the brother leader would fight on unbowed.Rest assured, we are all here, government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said in the Libyan capital Tripoli. We will remain here until the end. This is our country. We are strong on every front.Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, a former spy chief and a close Gaddafi adviser since the 1970s, slipped out of the country to Tunisia and flew to Britain on Wednesday in a stunning blow to Gaddafi.He was being debriefed by British intelligence officials yesterday, a source familiar with the matter said.It shows that now Gaddafi is losing some key components of his...

Add to My Stories At the age of 45, Reg Edge began to worry that he was suffering from a terminal illness. The normally super-efficient electronics engineering boss was suffering from memory loss, swollen joints, night sweats, extreme exhaustion and loss of libido. Indeed, his behaviour was so out of character that his wife Anita, a computer programmer, thought he must have fallen for someone else. Certainly, as she pointed out, he was no longer interested in her. I could barely drag myself out of bed in the morning, says Reg. I felt like a zombie. I no longer wanted sex, had no energy whatsoever and my memory was so bad I had to write simple instructions on my hand, such as Lock office door. The successful businessman was in turmoil. Im 6ft tall, weigh 12st, and havent suffered a days illness in my life. Suddenly I no longer felt like myself. And as well as physical symptoms, my personality changed. Id blow my top at the slightest provocation. At first, I put it down to work stress, ...

Add to My Stories Prince William has decided not to wear a wedding ring following his marriage to Kate Middleton, palace officials have revealed.According to senior royal sources, the Prince discussed the issue with his fiance but has chosen not to. 'It is simply down to personal preference,' an aide said.Kate, 29, will wear a band fashioned from a lump of Welsh gold already owned by the Royal Family which will be given to her in the traditional way during the April 29 Westminster Abbey wedding ceremony, the Mail can reveal. Breaking with tradition: Prince William will not be wearing a wedding ring after his marriage to Kate Middleton on April 29 The use of Welsh gold in royal wedding bands is a long-standing tradition.Most male royals do wear a wedding ring of some kind, with the exception of the Duke of Edinburgh.Like many members of the upper classes, Prince Charles wears a gold wedding ring under a signet ring on the little finger of his left hand given to him by the Duche...

Filed under: Nutrition: Health , In The News Credit: Getty Images If your kids seem to bounce off the walls after their morning bowl of cereal, you may want to take a look at side of the box and see if artificial food colorings are listed in the ingredients. The subject of artificial food colorings has been a source of controversy in the U.S. since the 1970s, when pediatrician Benjamin Feingold first insisted there was a link between the colorings and behavioral or health problems, like hyperactivity, in children. But after ruling years ago that the connection couldn't be proved, the Food and Drug Administration has now publicly convened a panel of experts to re-examine the evidence and advise if a change in policy is needed -- like the addition of warning labels on packaged foods that contain the ingredients, The New York Times reports. This week's FDA hearing is seen as a victory for consumer advocacy groups, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which in 2008 ...

Filed under: In The News If you've been following NCAA basketball, you probably know that this year's March Madness was particularly maddening, with a record-breaking number of top-seed upsets. To put that in perspective, consider that out of the 5.9 million brackets that were filled out for the tournament at ESPN.com , only two actually picked all four of the Final Four teams, while only 1,093 picked three of the four teams. Which is why 10-year-old Patrick Lindsey is being hailed as somewhat of a wunderkind this week. Patrick, a fourth grader from Camden Elementary School in Camden, Ga., has completely bested the pros by correctly picking the teams from University of Connecticut, University of Kentucky, Butler University and Virginia Commonwealth University in this year's Final Four, WIS-TV news in Columbia, S.C. reports. Patrick's picks were an offshoot of an in-class project thought up by his teacher, Darlene Cantey, which combined basketball and poetry. "We s...

Filed under: In The News , Weird But True Credit: Getty Images People with Asperger's syndrome can often come across as socially inept. This makes them ideally suited for careers as high school math teachers or journalists. Robert Wollkind chose to be a math teacher. He blames the condition for the trouble he's in after asking a fat kid if he ate his homework. The student had apparently been teased for his weight before. Now Wolkkind, who teaches at Brookfield High School in Connecticut, is fighting for his job. The Hartford Courant reports he has been on administrative leave since November and faces a termination hearing next week. School district officials tell the paper this is not the first time the math teacher has been running his mouth with his brain in neutral. They claim he has made a string of demeaning remarks over his 32-year career. He even told a student he hated him. Wollkind claims he has Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, which makes i...

Filed under: In The News , Bullying "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words may save me" could be a new mantra for kids who get bullied and speak out. In a bold and brave move, a Connecticut teen is taking on the bullies who are making her life miserable on YouTube , rallying thousands of Internet troops in support of her plight. After alerting the website of her hometown newspaper, the Westport Patch , of what she was about to do, Alye Pollack, a 13-year old eighth-grader at Bedford Middle School in Westport, Conn. used handwritten signs to say she is a victim of bullying on a YouTube video, according to CBS News. Without ever speaking, she describes her pain and the insults she says she endures every day on the signs. Thousands of viewers posted sympathetic comments: "Be strong, Alye," reads one message, and, "Always know how special you are," according to CBS News. Sophia Green, 14, is Pollack's classmate and tells CBS she's witnessed ...

Filed under: Divorce & Custody , In The News , Weird But True , Twins, Triplets, Multiples Parents of twins are more likely to get divorced. Credit: Getty Images Your parents will tell you that their divorce has nothing to do with you. It is not your fault. Don't listen to them. You drove them to divorce. Or maybe it was your evil twin. Either way, the Reuters News Service reports parents of twins are more likely to get divorced than parents who only have to deal with only one of you little monsters. OK, so parents of twins are only slightly more likely to get divorced. And it really has nothing to do with you or your sibling per se. But feel free to use the new study to beat yourself up anyway. In fact, Reuters reports researchers don't really know why divorce rates are 1 percent higher among parents of twins. It could be the extra emotional or financial stress of having an extra baby. All researchers have right now is an interesting little statistic. Dr. Anupam Jena of...

Filed under: In The News , Weird But True , Funny Stuff "We're having fun because we're over-paying for Nanny McFee!" Credit: Getty Images Yo! Dummy mummy! Do you have pramnesia? Nansformer just told you that Baby Gaga is having a Code Brown. There's no way to Disneyfy it. This is a definite dadmin. You don't want to deal with Nanny McFee. Did you understand any of that? If not, you're probably not a British mother (or "mum"). The London Daily Mail reports there's all sorts of new slang in Great Britain for new parents. Great. As if British slang wasn't hard enough to track already. (Snogging? Yuck. It makes kissing sound like post-nasal drip.) Anyway, the paper reports, the term "Yummy Mummy" is no longer in fashion. Of course, who on this side of the pond knew it ever was in fashion? The preferred term these days is "Dummy Mummy." It refers to a new mother rendered stupid or at least forgetful by her children. Her...

Filed under: Opinions , Teen Culture Illustration by Dori Hartley Here's a Thought: Hit the Books, Not the Sack! by Jennifer Mattern Ah, college! One's first foray into adulthood, a time of self-growth, newfound wisdom, and rampant casual sexual encounters conveniently orchestrated online! Say what? An Internet site offering the college crowd a veritable EZ-pass to casual hookups is now expanding its operation. Originally created for University of Chicago students, eduHookups.com ("Where Fun Comes to Thrive!") is expanding its randy range to Northwestern University and Columbia College students -- making sure Chicago's collegiate crowd has better sex access, 24-7. Proponents of eduHookups.com espouse the site as a "safe" way to scratch that special itch. The site's FAQ insists that eduHookups is vastly preferable to trolling Craigslist for one's next booty call, for the following reasons: eduHookups is open to members of selected colleges and ...

Filed under: Your Pregnancy , Nutrition: Health Nuts make a healthy and filling snack during pregnancy. Credit: Getty Images Pregnancy can be a confusing time when it comes to eating. Sometimes, the very thought of food makes you queasy. Other times, certain foods (potato chips!) have never tasted so good. To find out how to satisfy your cravings, ParentDish spoke with Allison Tannis, co-author of " The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy ." Along with the prenatal vitamin your doctor prescribed, her top 10 list includes: 1. Almonds are filled with with calcium, protein, fiber and magnesium and a handful can stave off midday hunger. 2. Apricots are a good source of iron and fiber in your morning oatmeal, in granola or eaten by the handful. 3. Brewer's Yeast , sprinkled on popcorn, is full of B vitamins for energy 4. Ginger is a great anti-nausea food you can sip in teas or add to stir fries.For a treat, try nibbling small amounts of candied ginger. 5. Kiwi is...

Filed under: Healthy Families Challenge Watch Video of the other Healthy Family Challengers When we first started the Healthy Families Challenge back in October, one of my biggest concerns was the time commitment. We are, like so many of you, busy. My daughter Emmie, 6, has reached the age where her after-school and weekend activities are infringing on our already strapped schedules, and Henry, 2, has his own burgeoning career as an extra-curricular star. Between their classes at the Little Gym of Champaign (both on different days), soccer practice , playdates and birthday parties, these two have the kind of social calendar that requires a full-time secretary. Channing has been buckling down at work, going into his office every weekend to write, and I went through some pretty heavy professional upheaval this past week, leaving me to bury my face in a box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, purchased on the sly so the kids wouldn't catch me with them. It's been incredibly stre...

Filed under: Kids' Games , Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers , Activities: Big Kids , Activities: Tweens , Activities: Family Time Don't move after a 'Red Light'. Credit: Getty Images What you need: All you need for this game is a group of children. This game can be played indoors or outdoors. How to play: The person designated as "it" stands at the opposite end of the room or playing field from the other players. "It" turns his or her back to the other players and calls out "Green light!" The players then run towards "it" until "it" turns around and yells "Red light!" Then the players must freeze in place where they are until "Green light!" is called out again. Players who do not freeze at "Red light!" must return to the starting line. The rules: Who will be "it" can be determined by a counting-out game, such as One Potato . "Yellow light!" can be called out as a...

Filed under: Riddles Which is the longest word in English? Click on this link for the answer. Permalink | Email this | Comments

March 31, 2011 File photo of a hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell test vehicle is seen in Los Angeles on June 10, 2008. A new technology could make the use of hydrogen to power cars more widespread. Reuters picLONDON, March 31 A new technology that allows hydrogen to be stored in a cheap and practical way could make its widespread use as a carbon-free alternative to petrol a reality, according to its developers.The technology is based on a new way of producing nano-fibres from hydrides, materials that soak up hydrogen like a sponge, and then encapsulating them in tiny plastic beads so small they behave like a liquid.The process is being developed by Cella Energy, a spin-off from Britains Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, who says that the technique allows hydrogen to be released at a much faster rate and at lower temperatures than before.What weve been doing is taking these materials and encasing them in plastic and making them into a very fine powder and that improves their ...

Add to My Stories The typical first-time bride is now 30-years-old when she walks down the aisle, official figures have revealed. In a landmark shift, the age of the average bride is no longer in her 20s, as couples wait longer before marrying.National statistics also show that the number of marriages is at its lowest level since 1895.Women today are on average nearly eight years older than their mothers were when they married for the first time. In 1970 the typical first-time bride was 22. Following trend: When Kate Middleton marries Prince William next month, she will be 29By 1991 she was 25, and by 2000 the average age rose to 28. Men are also older before they tie the knot. The typical groom is now just past his 32nd birthday when he marries for the first time.Royal weddings reflect the age trend. When Kate Middleton marries Prince William next month, she will be 29. He will be 28. By contrast, when Diana Spencer became the Princess of Wales she was just 20. More... Former US Air ...

Add to My Stories Grandparents are to be given legal rights to maintain contact with their grandchildren after a family breakdown or divorce.A report will today set out radical proposals to enshrine in law greater access rights for grandparents when couples split, Whitehall sources revealed.The review of the family justice system will also mean couples being pushed into mediation to sort out contact arrangements rather than resorting to the courts. Important: Ministers say it is a scandal there is 'little or no' recognition of the vital role grandparents play in societyIt is expected to reject calls for guaranteed equal access to children for separating mothers and fathers, effectively leaving the presumption of custody with mothers. The report, by former civil servant and businessman David Norgrove, will herald the biggest shake-up in family law for decades.Ministers say it is a scandal there is little or no recognition of the vital role grandparents play in society. More... ...

Add to My Stories If you grew up reading Sweet Valley High, and wondered whatever became of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, your wish has come true.Writer Francine Pascal has just published a follow-up to her hugely popular series of novels.The fictional blonde twins, with perfect size six figures and 'peaches-and-cream skin' became a hit with teenagers when the books were first launched in the early Eighties.Now, in Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later, we meet the girls again, this time, in their late twenties. And if you don't want to know what happened, stop reading now. Teen hit: The Sweet Valley twins, played by Brittany and Cynthia Daniel in the spin-off TV series, have been a favourite with young adults since 1983Unlike the Sweet Valley High books, the new tome is not designed for teenagers - with more heavyweight content and complex relationships, it is targeted at the women who, like the protagonists, were young adults ten years ago. More... The rise of th...

Add to My Stories Grandparents are to be given legal rights to maintain contact with their grandchildren after a family breakdown or divorce.A report will today set out radical proposals to enshrine in law greater access rights for grandparents when couples split, Whitehall sources revealed.The review of the family justice system will also mean couples being pushed into mediation to sort out contact arrangements rather than resorting to the courts. Important: Ministers say it is a scandal there is 'little or no' recognition of the vital role grandparents play in societyIt is expected to reject calls for guaranteed equal access to children for separating mothers and fathers, effectively leaving the presumption of custody with mothers. The report, by former civil servant and businessman David Norgrove, will herald the biggest shake-up in family law for decades.Ministers say it is a scandal there is little or no recognition of the vital role grandparents play in society. More... ...

Add to My Stories If you grew up reading Sweet Valley High, and wondered whatever became of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, your luck is in, as writer Francine Pascal has just published a follow-up to her hugely popular series of novels.The fictional blonde twins, with perfect size six figures and 'peaches-and-cream skin' became a hit with teenagers when the books were first launched in the early Eighties.Now, in Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later, we meet the girls again, this time, in their late twenties. Teen hit: The Sweet Valley twins, played by Brittany and Cynthia Daniel in the spin-off TV series, have been a favourite with young adults since 1983And unlike the Sweet Valley High books, the new tome is not designed for teenagers - with more heavyweight content and complex relationships, it is targeted at the women who, like the protagonists, were young adults ten years ago. More... The rise of the celebrity designer: How the multi-tasking A-list are taking on th...

Add to My Stories Norland nannies are the creme de la creme of British nannies, beloved of royals, celebrities, gentry and the super-rich alike the closest thing to Mary Poppins we have in the modern world. However, with an average starting salary of 21,000, they are beyond thereach of most parents but their no-nonsense approach to childcare is not. Two mums, Louise Heren and Susan McMillan, spent a year at Norland College in Bath, which has been training Norlanders since 1892, and have written a fascinating book divulging the tricks of the trade and pointing out where todays parents are going so wrong. These are their golden rules... Hats and white gloves: Norland nannies are trained to the highest level DON'T SAY NO This is a difficult word for many children, so often it is best to give an alternative rather than an outright negative. For example, instead of snapping: No, you cant have it, try something more reasonable like: You cant have it now as its bedtime, but would you ...