Sitting comfortably? Real passengers finally get to try out new ‘saddle class’ seats (and somehow we can’t see it catching on) Potential passengers were given the chance to ‘saddle up’ and try out a plane seat which brings a new meaning to the term cattle class – but it doesn’t look as though they enjoyed the ride. Appearing rather squashed, people were strapped into the ‘Skyrider’, which could be used by budget airlines to cram more passengers on board, as it was unveiled in America. Those behind the design, first revealed by the Mail, claim they have not compromised on … Continue reading Airlines – ‘saddle class’ seats

The meerkat and the weird cat: Lion cub makes an unlikely new best friend It could be straight out of Disney hit The Lion King but this lion cub and meerkat cuddling up to each other is real. Meet the real-life Simba and Timon. The loveable duo have been best chums since new-born lioness Zinzi was rescued by being taken into the home of zoo and safari ranch owner Marcell Tournier, 33, after its mother rejected her. Just like cartoon character Simba – the lion cub hero of Disney classic The Lion King – young Zinzi was also separated from … Continue reading The Lion and The Meerkat!

I’d love to baptise ET, says Vatican’s stargazer The Pope’s Astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, says that intelligent life elsewhere is probable, but believes that we are unlikely ever to encounter it Intelligent aliens may be living among the stars and are likely to have souls, a senior Vatican scientist said yesterday. The Pope’s astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, said he would be happy to ‘baptise an al ien’ – but admitted that the chances of communicating with life outside the Earth were low. Speaking at the British Science Festival in Birmingham, Dr Consolmagno also dismissed Creationism and claimed that the revival of ‘intelligent … Continue reading ET does not make open contact due to Priests!

Just how big is the terror threat? The shrieking headlines following Jonathan Evans’s speech show how hard it is for MI5 to make the case for its work Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 September 2010 14.09 BST Article history The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, made his speech to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals. Photograph: PA”Terror attack risk is doubled,” shrieks the headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph. “Security services fighting terror on more fronts than ever,” claims the Times on page three. He may not mind the headlines, he may even welcome them, but it’s … Continue reading Jonathan Evans’s speech shows how hard it is for MI5

Imran Farooq: Life of a political worker Dr Imran Farooq was one of the founding members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. — Photo by AFP Dr Imran Farooq, a founding leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was assassinated in London on Thursday evening. Farooq was among the key figures who laid the foundation for the All Pakistan Mohajir Students’ Organisation (APMSO), which eventually began led to the formation of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement. In 1997, Muhajir Qaumi Movement was renamed as Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Farooq was born on June 14, 1960 in Karachi and was a close associate of … Continue reading Imran Farooq

The US Republicans have created a Frankenstein monster Karl Rove and the neocons were the inspiration for the Tea Party. But they’ve lost control and now it threatens to overwhelm them Michael Tomasky guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 September 2010 21.30 BST Article history Carl Paladino stood at the victory podium and bellowed: “Tonight the ruling class knows. They have seen it now. There is a people’s revolution.” Paladino, the Tea Party-backed candidate whom New York Republicans nominated for governor on Tuesday, crushed his establishment opponent – a former congressman with a somewhat moderate reputation – by two to one. This was after … Continue reading Tealibanisation of US Republican Party?

Why have we allowed the conservative interpretation of religion to dominate discourse? The current floods in Pakistan have confirmed what some have suspected for years – that the underlying polity in Pakistan is irrevocably inept and dysfunctional. That the citizens of Pakistan have suffered under a broken polity. There is renewed scrutiny and critical commentary on political and social discourse in Pakistan due to the floods. However, there is one area which forever escapes this new found spirit of critical enquiry in the Pakistani media, and that is the issues of religious authority and religious institutions. Ever since the so … Continue reading Stop the free ride for mullahs