Who are you calling a dumb animal? Chimps that can understand English, crows that have mastered physics and a very shrewd shrew: New research shows how we’ve woefully underestimated so many animals’ intelligence By Sarah Chalmers Sitting on the floor, surrounded by an assortment of objects and utensils, Kanzi the bonobo pauses for a moment, a look of contemplation flickering across his warm brown eyes, before picking up a knife with his left hand and beginning to chop the onions in the bowl in front of him. He has done exactly what the researcher asked him in English, in much … Continue reading Evolving Animals

Saturday nut fever: The red squirrels who can’t resist showing off their dance moves By Daily Mail Reporter It’s Saturday NUTS fever . . . the red squirrels who have been caught on camera showing off their far from wooden dance moves. These bushy-tailed Travoltas were snapped strutting their stuff on the branches of trees deep in the ancient forests of Poland. In this series of hilarious pictures photographer Marek Paluch followed the frisky forest creatures’ fast and furious furry feet over several weeks. Boogie Nights: The red squirrel brushing up on his dance moves. But was he inspired by … Continue reading Red Squirrel – John Travoltas Guru?

L of a fiddle! The man who took a hefty fee to sit your driving test (but failed) By Paul Bentley Man of 1000 faces: Gageen Preet Singh adopted a variety of disguises to fool driving test examiners as part of his fraudulent ‘test taking’ business A conman who charged thousands of pounds to take driving tests for incapable clients – but kept failing them – was jailed yesterday. Gageen Preet Singh, 35, tried to outwit test centre staff by alternating his headwear, sometimes arriving in a turban, at others in a beanie hat, a wig or a flat cap. … Continue reading Gageen Preet Singh – Did you pass with him?

VIEW: Comprehending the catastrophe —Dr Mahjabeen Islam Explaining the current floods crisis, the ultra-right claims God’s wrath for the Lal Masjid fiasco. If the Lal Masjid fiasco is to be blamed, why does its primary perpetrator, Pervez Musharraf, sit in luxurious dry land in England? Regardless of one’s persuasion when faced with catastrophes and personal suffering, the question ‘why’ always comes up. And with all that Pakistan has been through in variegated forms, from terrorism to economic collapse and now the floods, for Pakistanis it is not a simple question but a chorus of agony. On a mundane and scientific … Continue reading Comprehending the catastrophe

VIEW: Keeping him alive —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad The greatest medal that all of us can award Safwat, which would be true to his legacy, is to earnestly carry on the fight against extremism and terrorism. If truly the whole country feels his loss, then let us as a whole country keep him alive in our work against the terrorists He has been called the “hero cop who died with his boots on”, a brave, fearless police officer who would personally mourn every time a police picket was attacked. Personally picking up the bodies of shaheed police constables, he would vow … Continue reading ‘Shaheed’ Safwat, The Suicider Chickens and Their Mullah Owners

HUM HINDUSTANI: Not by another Nalanda —J Sri Raman If students are taught by rote and the rod in primary classes, and evaluated by extremely unfair external examinations at the secondary stage, universities cannot be unique suppliers of scholarship of independence and integrity Re-creating Nalanda: why has the idea failed to elicit an enthusiastic response in a country that seeks a future greatness to match its past glory? Is it because the media finds news of other kinds more saleable? Or is it because the people are instinctively more cynical about the significance of the impressive-sounding scheme? A bit of … Continue reading Not by another Nalanda

COMMENT: Life in the post-flood scenario —Naqib Hamid It is essential to consider the relationship between deprivation and extremism seriously, since life for millions of victims in the post-flood scenario will be based on feelings and emotions of loss, deficiency and resentment The present flood season has brought unprecedented destruction in the country and it is essential that proper consideration be given to the challenges that our society shall have to face in the post-flood scenario. This article seeks to analyse the fact that the sense of deprivation felt by the flood victims will not only increase the propensity of … Continue reading And After the Pakistan Flood?

COMMENT: Once more —Zafar Hilaly The reason why civilian governments and the army find themselves at odds on occasion is less their different perspectives on global or, for that matter, domestic developments and more because both are victims of their own propaganda Are the civilian government and the ISI at odds over the cancellation of the visit of the ISI chief to Britain? The irrepressible Fauzia Wahab let on as much during a TV talk show. Nor did she stop there. She went on to accuse the ISI of scrapping the visit without obtaining the required consent of the government, … Continue reading Fauzia Wahab – please behave!

Four Met officers to be charged with assault on terrorism suspect Babar Ahmad Four police officers will be charged with assaulting terror suspect Babar Ahmad as they arrested him in 2003. telegraph.co.uk Terror suspect Babar Ahmad is escorted into the High Court by prison officers in March 2009 Photo: GETTY IMAGES The officers, all members of the Metropolitan Police’s territorial support group, will be charged with causing actual bodily harm. The Crown Prosecution Service said Pcs Nigel Cowley, John Donohue, Roderick James-Bowen and Mark Jones will appear before magistrates on September 22. Related Articles Terrorist suspects cannot be sent to … Continue reading Police to be charged with assault on Babar Ahmad

Disney sued by mother who ‘was groped by Donald Duck’ A woman is suing Disney for £30,000 claiming she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after Donald Duck allegedly groped her breast. By Nick Allen in Los Angeles telegraph.co.uk April Magolon claimed the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had received 24 similar complaints since 2004 Photo: ALAMY April Magolon, 27, claimed she was molested by a Disney employee dressed as the cartoon character at the Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. She said the incident took place during a visit to the US park with her fiancé and children in May 2008. According to … Continue reading Donald Duck and Tits incident