A small town in France that built the country’s only council-funded UFO landing pad has received its first craft after a 34 year wait. By Henry Samuel in Paris Published: 5:18PM BST 03 Sep 2010 telegraph.co.uk The local mayor decreed that extraterrestrial visitors would be exempt from airport tax Photo: CORBIS Arès, near Bordeaux, southwestern France, has decided to try and attract Martians to its triangular “UFOport” with its very own fake Martian craft. Made by a local artist, the man-made UFO “landed” on the strip yesterday and, it is hoped, will entice any hesitant extraterrestrials in search of a … Continue reading French town’s UFO landing pad welcomes first visitor

Two police officers have been suspended from driving duties after they stopped a suspected drink driver then wrote-off his sports car by crashing through a garden wall. Published: 4:21PM BST 03 Sep 2010 telegraph.co.uk The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution after the police officers crashed it Photo: MEN The high-powered Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was driven across a grass verge, then across the garden of one luxury home and through the neighbour’s garden fence before ending up on its side. Both officers, who are under investigation, were found inside the vehicle. One suffered minor injuries and the other was left severely shaken. They … Continue reading Police officers suspended after writing off suspect’s sports car

Bono could have been prime minister, says Tony Blair Former prime minister claims in memoir that U2 frontman could have ended up in No 10 if he hadn’t chosen pop over politics Sean Michaels guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 10.42 BST Article history ‘An inspirational speaker’… Tony Blair on Bono of U2. Photograph: Getty ImagesIn a memoir filled with profound navel-gazing, political bombshells and a few purple-prose love scenes, Tony Blair has also found time to salute U2‘s activist frontman, claiming he “could be … prime minister”. Blair’s new book, A Journey, is the hottest thing in bookshops this week. … Continue reading Bono – Prime Minister ?

Morrissey reignites racism row by calling Chinese a ‘subspecies’ Remark came in attack on animal welfare in China, with singer having faced repeated criticism on race comments Read Simon Armitage’s interview with Morrissey in full Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 21.30 BST Article history Morrissey, the former Smiths singer and author of the song Meat Is Murder, is a long-term vegetarian, animal rights advocate and campaigner against circuses and zoos. Photograph: Jake Walters for the GuardianFor almost three decades, indie rock icon Morrissey has made almost as many enemies as devoted fans willing to hang on his every … Continue reading Morrissey

Journalism in the Gulf is losing its appeal Indian journalists have long formed the backbone of the media in the Gulf but it’s a decreasingly rewarding career move Hussain Ahmad guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 08.00 BST Article history Recently a friend of mine who wanted to start a magazine in a Gulf country asked a prominent journalist in India to look for an editor to work with him. My friend wanted someone with modest experience and the salary offered was decent. After two months came the reply: the search in India had turned up nothing and, more surprisingly, many … Continue reading Indian journalists in The Gulf

Al-Qaeda and counter-terrorism Jihad in Saudi Arabia: Violence and Pan-Islamism since 1979 by Thomas Hegghammer Reviewed by Brian M Downing Thomas Hegghammer, a research fellow at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, looks at al-Qaeda with an eye trained in international affairs, statistical analysis, and sociology. His book is an outstanding, engagingly written study of the rise of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the methods used by the Saudi state to defeat it. Phase One: 1979-1990 The movement in Saudi Arabia, which in 1988 would form into al-Qaeda, began with Pan-Islamic sentiment in the late 1970s and 1980s. Despite differences … Continue reading Jihad in Saudi Arabia

Charles Darwin’s ecological experiment on Ascension isle By Howard Falcon-Lang Science reporter, BBC News Cloud forest now forms a damp oasis on Ascension’s highest peak A lonely island in the middle of the South Atlantic conceals Charles Darwin’s best-kept secret. Two hundred years ago, Ascension Island was a barren volcanic edifice. Today, its peaks are covered by lush tropical “cloud forest”. What happened in the interim is the amazing story of how the architect of evolution, Kew Gardens and the Royal Navy conspired to build a fully functioning, but totally artificial ecosystem. By a bizarre twist, this great imperial experiment … Continue reading Charles Darwin – Key To Mars

Butts Arrested in Boob Murder Case POTTER TOWNSHIP, CENTRE COUNTY – Police have arrested a third person in connection with the murder of Samuel Boob. Boob was shot and killed at his home in Potter Township, Centre County, on the morning of August 23rd, 2009. Kermit Butts, 26, of Madisonburg, is accused of driving the suspected killer to and from the crime scene on the morning of the killing.  He was charged with aggravated assault and assisting a murder suspect and placed in the Centre County Prison. Police believe that Butts drove Ronald Heichel to the Boob home and picked … Continue reading Butts Attacked Boob!

Zooming in on Mars: New high-resolution images reveal Red Planet’s stunning terrain By Daily Mail Reporter It has long been a planet of wonder, leaving early astronomers to speculate about advanced alien civilisations. Now modern-day star-gazers can enjoy stunning new close-up images of Mars’ diverse surface after they were released by NASA today. The photographs were taken with a telephoto lens which can focus on objects the size of a beach ball from more than 180 miles away. They zoom in on a range of terrains – from volcanic cones and cratered planes to wind-swept dunes to crusts of ice. … Continue reading Mars – New high-resolution images

My wife the Queen: Prince Philip reveals his hidden talent for painting By Beth Hale She has sat for many an artist and her image has been captured on canvas countless times. But rarely has the Queen been captured in quite so informal a pose. Sitting at a beautifully-laid table, reading a paper, with a fresh loaf of bread and a pot of marmalade in front of her – she indulges in a leisurely breakfast. Who, you might wonder, had such intimate access to the monarch at her breakfast table? Well her husband of course. The Queen is shown at … Continue reading Prince Philip – The Painter