Typical British man ‘wears flat caps and rides mobility scooters’, French poll finds The typical British man wears a flat cap, rides a mobility scooter and eats processed cheese, according to a new survey of French opinion. By Andrew Hough Published: 6:30AM BST 05 Aug 2010 telegraph.co.uk Union leader Charlie Whelan is seen here arriving in Downing Street wearing a flat cap. Photo: STEVE BACK The poll comes after a row over Renault’s new television advertisement, which angered villagers in Lancashire. Photo: RENAULT In the advertisment, Cote d’Azur was compared to a puddle in Gisburn. Photo: RENAULT The poll was … Continue reading French say British ‘wear flat caps and ride mobility scooters’

Vimto enjoys boost from Ramadan Vimto, the Merseyside-made purple fruit drink, has enjoyed a 39pc rise in profits after an earlier Ramadan increased shipments to the Middle East. By Amy Wilson telegraph.co.uk Vimto and, right, prayers in Mecca during the 3-day Eid festival, which marks the end of Ramadan Photo: REUTERS The region has become a sizeable export market for Vimto, which is used as a tonic by Muslims fasting during Ramadan, to give them an energy boost. Nichols, the owner of Vimto, said 2010 profits will be “significantly” better than last year, after selling more of the soft drink … Continue reading Vimto Muslim?

Motoring enthusiast builds 367mph bus A motoring enthusiast has built a bus capable of hitting more than 350mph. telegraph.co.uk The bus can reach 367mph by using a 42,000HP engine from a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jet Photo: CATERS The yellow American-style school bus has been fitted with a jet engine from a Phantom fighter plane, allowing it to reach up to 367mph. Paul Stender and his team from Indy Boys Inc, based in Indianapolis, USA adapted the bus which uses a full tank of 150 gallons of fuel in just one quarter-mile run. Related Articles Sewage powered VW Beetle … Continue reading 367mph bus!

Marijuana may cause Canada’s economic comedown A thriving marijuana industry has aided Canada’s economy – but political shifts in the US and at home are now threatening this Douglas Haddow guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 August 2010 10.00 BST Article history A participant at a rally sponsored by the marijuana party of British Columbia. Photograph: Andy Clark/ReutersIf you’ve been paying attention to some of the more peculiar side-effects of the global recession, you may have noticed that Canadians have been behaving uncharacteristically uppity of late. This new-found swagger is a result of Canada having the dubious distinction of being the “least-bad-rich-world-economy” – … Continue reading Marijuana Canada

Pakistan’s floods are not just a natural disaster The state has failed its citizens, and now the country is unprepared to deal with the floods Kamila Shamsie The Guardian, Thursday 5 August 2010 Article history A man gathers his belongings from his flooded house in Noswera, Pakistan. Photograph: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty ImagesFirst came the Taliban. Then the army. And now the floods. The people of the Swat valley – synonymous with beauty and peace just a few years ago – have cause to wonder if they are the most benighted people in the world. The oppressive and murderous rule of the Taliban, who had … Continue reading Donate to DEC Pakistan – not its Government

UFO files and their flights of fancy The latest release of UFO files bring together conspiracy and cover-up allegations that even Winston Churchill can’t escape Nick Pope guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 August 2010 11.00 BST Article history The UFO files include an allegation that Winston Churchill and General Dwight D Eisenhower agreed to keep a possible sighting from the public. Photograph: Bettmann/CorbisAnd still they come. The Ministry of Defence has just released the latest batch of their UFO files, as part of an ongoing three-year collaboration between the MoD and the National Archives. There are 18 files and while that may … Continue reading UFO files and flights of fancy

UFO files: Battle of the RAF versus the flying saucers RAF fighter jets were scrambled 200 times a year to intercept UFOs during cold war, National Archive documents reveal Alan Travis, home affairs editor The Guardian, Thursday 5 August 2010 Article history A surge of public reports of UFOs in the 1990s has been attributed to the popularity of programmes such as the X-Files. Photograph: GettyRAF fighters were scrambled 200 times a year to intercept unidentified targets on the radar of Britain’s air defence systems during the cold war right up until 1991, according to the latest batch of UFO … Continue reading RAF scrambled 200 times a year to intercept UFOs

UFO files from National Archive allow believers to revisit ‘Welsh Roswell’ Reports of 1974 ‘explosion’ from declassified papers show Ministry of Defence struggled to explain Llandrillo incident Alan Travis, home affairs editor The Guardian, Thursday 5 August 2010 Article history A stone circle near Llandrillo, Wales, close to where the 1974 sighting was reported. Photograph: John Warburton-Lee Photography/AlamyUFO enthusiasts called it the “Welsh Roswell” and insisted that one evening in 1974 an alien craft crashed in north Wales and the government secretly removed dead extraterrestrial bodies, the latest files from the National Archives reveal today. The documents describe how residents … Continue reading Welsh Roswell