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British Engineers Produce Amazing 'Petrol From Air' Technology Revolutionary new technology that produces “petrol from air” is being produced by a British firm, it emerged tonight. Andrew Hough 18 Oct 2012 A small company in the north of England has developed the “air capture” technology to create synthetic petrol using only air and electricity. Experts tonight hailed the astonishing breakthrough as a potential “game-changer” in the battle against climate change and a saviour for the world’s energy crisis. The technology, presented to a London engineering conference this week, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The “petrol from air” technology involves...

'Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60. "She died during the night during her sleep," her agent, Marieke Verharen, told the AFP news agency. The actress, who had cancer, was admitted to hospital in July after suffering a stroke. Emmanuelle, which told the story of a sexually promiscuous housewife, spawned numerous sequels and played in a cinema on the Champs-Elysees for 11 years. Released in 1974, the soft-focus French film was one of the first erotic movies to be shown in mainstream cinemas.'

The publisher of the Guardian and Observer newspapers is close to axing the print editions of the newspapers, despite the hopes of its editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger to keep them running for several years. Senior figures at Guardian News & Media are seriously discussing the move to an entirely online operation, it has been claimed, leaving Mr Rusbridger increasingly isolated. The longstanding Guardian chief wants to develop the Guardian’s digital-only US operation before pulling the plug on the print edition, in the hope that it will provide a useful blueprint for the online business in Britain. However, trustees of the Scott...

An independent Scotland would be refused to entry to Nato regardless of whether SNP members vote tomorrow to reverse the party’s long-standing opposition to the nuclear alliance, the Ministry of Defence has suggested. In evidence to a Commons inquiry, defence chiefs indicated that a separate Scotland’s allowing Trident nuclear submarines to remain in its waters would be the critical factor in whether it would be admitted to Nato. Alex Salmond is hoping to fight off a rebellion at the SNP conference, which starts today, and push through the change in party policy. He fears opposition to Nato will severely undermine...

A police force has apologised to a blind grandfather who was shot in the back with a 50,000-volt taser stun gun after officers mistook his white stick for a samurai sword. Two-time stroke-victim Colin Farmer, 61, said he thought he was being attacked by muggers when he was hit with the weapon by the officer, who then handcuffed the retired company director as he fell to the ground. Officers had been dispatched to Chorley, Lancashire - where Mr Farmer had been on his way to meet friends for a drink in a local restaurant - following reports of a man...

A police force has apologised after an officer used a Taser on a blind man whose white stick was mistaken for a sword. Colin Farmer, 61, was stunned by police following reports of a man walking through Chorley with a samurai sword. Ch Supt Stuart Williams, of Lancashire Police, said the force had "deep regrets" and had "clearly put this man through a traumatic experience". Mr Farmer was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged. "It felt like I was grabbing an electricity pylon," he said. Mr Farmer, who has suffered two strokes, said he thought he was being...

'The Magazine's recent article about the Britishisation of American English prompted readers to respond with examples of their own - here are 30 British words and phrases that you've noticed being used in the US and Canada.'

A policeman faced an investigation today for tasering a blind man in the street after he mistook his white stick for a Samurai sword. Former company director Colin Farmer, 61, was hit in the back by 50,000 volt stun device and then handcuffed whilst on his way to met friends for a drink in his local pub. Police had earlier been dispatched after reports of a man roaming around Chorley town centre in Lancs armed with a sword. A patrolman spotted stroke victim Mr Farmer walking down the street using his white stick to get around and wrongly assumed he...

Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist shot by the Taliban, has been taken to Britain for treatment. Malala, 14, was in critical condition after the shooting, but doctors say her condition is now stable. She is expected to recover, but will need extended medical care. Malala is known for speaking out in favor of education for girls despite the strong Taliban presence in her home region, the Swat valley of Pakistan. The Taliban responded to her activism by shooting her twice...

THE Dean of St Paul's, the Very Revd Dr David Ison, accused Occupy protesters of abusing the cathedral's hospitality, after four protesters chained themselves to the pulpit during evensong yesterday. The evensong service yesterday had been scheduled to include prayers by members of Occupy Faith, to mark the anniversary of the camp arriving at St Paul's. But just before Dr Ison got up to preach, a group of four women chained themselves to the pulpit and, said a statement from St Paul's, "shouted out a list of grievances against St Paul's as well as reading part of the Bible". Dr...

Paul Krugman assured us back in 2009 that, “In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors. We’ve all heard scare stories about how that works in practice; these stories are false.”If that’s the case, then the British press is filled with liars who deliberately make up horror stories about their nation’s healthcare system, as you can see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.We now have another nightmare to add to this list. Here are some of the horrific details from the UK-based Daily Mail.An elderly woman died alone after doctors failed to tell relatives they were ending...

A former Merchant Navy seaman died after doctors refused to resuscitate him because medics made him the subject of a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order without consulting him or his family. John Flockhart, 79, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital despite his daughter begging medics to revive him, an inquest has heard. Doctors had previously ruled any attempt to revive him would be “futile”, despite the family claiming they had never been informed or consulted. Sharon Flockhart "begged" a nurse to try to resuscitate her father. She said: "It felt that I was pleading for my father's life,"...

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STARBUCKS was yesterday slammed for “gaming” Britain — as it emerged the coffee king hasn’t paid a bean to the taxman in THREE years. Experts claimed that, since 1998, the American coffee firm has paid just £8.6 million in income tax here. Over the same period it has generated more than £3 billion of sales as customers flock to its cafes for cappuccinos and lattes. The chain — which prides itself on being “ethical” — has been able to cut income tax by paying fees to other parts of its global empire, such as royalty payments for use of the...

Protest group Occupy today took over St Paul's Cathedral to mark the first anniversary of its original camp. Four women from the movement went into the cathedral and chained themselves to the pulpit during a service. They then gave a sermon attacking cathedral authorities for "colluding with the City of London Corporation" which led to their eviction. The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul's, said he was taking an evening prayer service when "four young women dressed in white" chained themselves to the structure. City of London Police are at the cathedral but the women from the...

British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond met today in Edinburgh to sign the agreement under which the British government consents to allow Scotland's independence referendum to go ahead. A 3-1 trade paved the way for the agreement. Cameron and Salmond had to cut through four disagreements that were blocking a deal. The opponents of Scottish Independence wanted the referendum to be limited to one question: Would Scotland's remain part of Great Britain or go independent. Alex Salmond wanted a fallback option in case he lost the independence vote by posing a second question, popularly dubbed...

Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl who was targeted and nearly killed by the Taliban for supporting education for girls, has been flown to a hospital in Birmingham, England for medical treatment. She arrived this afternoon. Her shooting launched an unprecedented outcry, cross-cutting through Pakistan's complex religious and political lines. Political leaders from all parties, even those with historical ties to the Taliban, have condemned the attack. Pakistan's normally reclusive army chief and the country's prime minister made personal visits to see her in the hospital. Girl Shot by Taliban Becomes Hero in Pakistan Watch Video 14-Year-Old Pakistani Rights Activist...

British defense minister Philip Hammond has confirmed reports the UK will seek to end participation in dozens of EU-level crime-fighting structures. Several British newspapers on Sunday (14 October) predicted that home affairs minister Theresa May will in parliament on Monday say the government is "minded to" opt out of some 130 EU justice and home affairs programs. The list includes the European Arrest Warrant and the European criminal records information system, as well as future schemes to create an EU-level public prosecutor and a European investigation order, a protocol on EU countries' exchange of evidence in criminal cases. Under the...

David Cameron has signed a deal with Scotland's First Minister, giving him the power to hold a referendum on independence. The Prime Minister and Alex Salmond met at the Scottish Government's headquarters to sign what has been called "The Edinburgh Agreement". It declares that the UK and Scottish governments will "work together to ensure that a referendum on Scottish independence can take place". The referendum will "deliver a fair test and a decisive expression of the views of people in Scotland", it adds, making clear that the result will be respected by all sides. The agreement is the launchpad for...

WH Smith has banned children from buying magazines about shooting – even though it is legal for them to own a gun.  Britain’s biggest newsagent has introduced an over-14s limit on all copies of country sports magazines following a campaign by animal rights activists.  The retailer, whose founding family owned a highly prized shoot in Buckinghamshire, will enforce the restriction on hobby magazines including Shooting Times, because it understood children are not allowed to obtain a firearms certificate until they are 14. However under the current law, there is no minimum age for applying for a shotgun certificate in the...