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"While a student, I was under the impression that even if a speck of my housemate's bacon fat was to get anywhere near my fish finger, I would be immediately struck down by lightning, but not before I had received 40 lashes in public from the local mullah and was disowned by the entire family."

In a quiet side street not far from where the Texas freeway system knits the sprawling suburbs of Houston into something like a city centre, business is booming at the Top Gun shooting range. Recession is not biting here in the oil-rich Energy Capital of the World as it is in the rest of the United States - but that is not the only reason why it is difficult to find a parking space outside Top Gun towards the end of the working day.

Where I come from in West Africa, we have a saying: "A fool at 40 is a fool forever", and most African countries have now been independent for over 40 years.

Is Obama black? It depends on who - and when - you ask. For some of us, the heralding of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States seems a rather uncontroversial claim. ... The bulk of the people protesting against references to Obama as a black man, however, grant that he is "part" black (by way of his father), but assert that because he also has a white mother it is not "accurate" to call him black. ... For us, being black and mixed-race are not mutually exclusive. We have learned to live with the contradictions....

Some black leaders say Obama's political success means it's time to shift away from the dialogue of victimhood. "Racism is no longer the primary obstacle to black progress. With the election of a black man whose middle name is Hussein, the rhetoric of white racism is off the table," declared the Rev. Eugene Rivers, a Boston-based minister with a national agenda and a history of taking controversial stands. "Black people don't want to hear it. White people don't want to hear it. . . . The old school is over." By "old school," Rivers is referring to what he calls...

Bangalore's hi-tech enclaves are an oasis of excellence With its economy growing at more than triple the speed of Britain's, India has become a global leader in information technology and other hi-tech products. But how has this been possible in a country where poverty is so widespread and where more than a third of people are still illiterate? In the words of Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, "the danger of India moving in the direction of being half California and half sub-Saharan Africa is a real one." The contrast between hi-tech, silicon enclaves such as Bangalore and the primitive...

Anthropologists from Wheaton College (Illinois) and The Field Museum have discovered how the ancient Maya produced an unusual and widely studied blue pigment that was used in offerings, pottery, murals and other contexts across Mesoamerica from about A.D. 300 to 1500. First identified in 1931, this blue pigment (known as Maya Blue) has puzzled archaeologists, chemists and material scientists for years because of its unusual chemical stability, composition and persistent color in one of the world’s harshest climates. The anthropologists solved another old mystery, namely the presence of a 14-foot layer of blue precipitate found at the bottom of the...

"Christians around the world are marking Christmas Day, the traditional day of Jesus Christ's birth." "The centre point of the celebrations is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where tradition has it Jesus was born." "A midnight Mass was held inside the church and thousands of pilgrims filled Manger Square in front." "In St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, led the Mass." "Later on Tuesday, the Pope will deliver his annual Urbi et Orbi Christmas message to the world." "Malaysian Christians." "In China, many attended Mass in government approved...

Environment can change the way our genes work Environmental factors such as stress and diet could be affecting the genes of future generations leading to increased rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.A study of people suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the 9/11 attacks in New York made a striking discovery. The patients included mothers who were pregnant on 9/11 and found altered levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood of their babies. This effect was most pronounced for mothers who were in the third trimester of pregnancy suggesting events in the womb might be responsible....

A 'sun tower' is one of the concepts being considered by researchers Scientists are assessing the possibility of embarking on a space engineering project that would eclipse the effort to construct the International Space Station. Researchers from Europe, Japan and the US are considering the viability of building giant solar panels in a low earth orbit that would supply cheap, inexhaustible energy to industry and homes. Building a huge array outside the Earth's atmosphere would have the advantage of having no clouds to interrupt the flow of solar energy to the arrays. Yet the sizeable downside would be the...

Mr Kiir, Sudan's vice-president, has warned of a return to war Former southern rebels in Sudan have suspended their involvement in the national unity government.The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) said its northern partners had failed to implement parts of a 2005 deal that ended a 21-year civil war. These include boundary demarcations and the redeployment of northern troops from the south. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir warned recently there could be a return to war if the deal was not kept to. Some 1.5 million people died in the conflict - Africa's longest civil war - which pitted...

A draft constitution was previously rejected by French and Dutch voters Legal experts from the 27 countries of the European Union have agreed on a draft reform treaty. The treaty is set to replace the defunct European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters. Portugal, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, hopes to get agreement on the treaty at an EU summit in Lisbon later this month. Possible domestic opposition to the treaty in Poland and Britain mean they may present the biggest hurdles. The treaty aims to streamline the workings of the EU...

The monks have vowed to continue their action Lorries with loudspeakers have been driving through Burma's main city of Rangoon warning residents to stop anti-government protests.The broadcasts threatened that "action will be taken against those who violate this order". But hundreds of monks and civilians defied the threats and began fresh protests at the Shwedagon pagoda. On Monday, there were protests in at least 25 towns, with tens of thousands of people marching in Rangoon. Several military trucks are now parked near Shwedagon pagoda, which has been the focus of the protests. Eyewitnesses said several hundred monks gathered at...

A farmer dries corn on a road in near Shenyang, in north-eastern China, as the government moves to restrict the use of corn for industrial uses. A bus shelter is capsized in Farnborough, Hampshire, as much of central and southern England is struck by tornadoes. Afghan workers remove bricks from a kiln in Kabul. Papuans demonstrate in Indonesia's capital Jakarta to call for a referendum on independence for the province of West Papua. A street vendor in Beijing displays tomatoes and potatoes for sale as the government announced increased inspections of produce to check for the use of banned...

Vigilante justice has become common in Bihar Pics: Prashant Ravi Vigilante justice appears to have become the order of the day in the lawless northern Indian state of Bihar.The latest incident in which 10 men suspected to be thieves were lynched by a group of villagers in Vaishali district on Thursday underscored the people's frustration with the police. The villagers said that they were fed up with rising theft for the last two months in spite of informing the police regularly. "But when the police did not take any action we started patrolling our village ourselves to catch the...

Is there a way to 'backup' how a computer is prior to installing a program (AdAware in this case)? Last time went on a spyware installing binge, the computer got a blue screen. This computer has Windows XP, and apparently there is a feature to go to the last session(?) that worked. Thing is, when the computer got a blue screen, the last session option did not work. Is there something to do to initiate it?

About 50 million people are affected in Bangladesh About 140 million people, mainly in developing countries, are being poisoned by arsenic in their drinking water, researchers believe. Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) annual meeting in London, scientists said this will lead to higher rates of cancer in the future. South and East Asia account for more than half of the known cases globally. Eating large amounts of rice grown in affected areas could also be a health risk, scientists said. "It's a global problem, present in 70 countries, probably more," said Peter Ravenscroft, a research associate in...

New fires continue to break out around Greece The European Commission will put forward proposals this autumn for a standing EU force to respond to fires, floods and other major emergencies. The commission says the current system has its limits. In 2007, there has been flooding in the UK, a heat wave in central and southern Europe, and now forest fires in Greece, in which at least 60 people have died. But critics say the EU should release financial aid faster, rather than set up a civil protection force of its own. 'Better way' When Greece appealed for help...

Akshay Kumar will play the part of Sidhu US film studio Warner Brothers is making its first foray into Bollywood with a movie called Made In China.It will also mark the first time that a Hindi-language film has been filmed in China. Hollywood studios are keen to make in-roads into the Bollywood market, as their films only account for 8% of the market in India, according to Variety. Made In China will feature action star Akshay Kumar as a Mumbai cook who is mistaken for a kung-fu hero. Nikhil Advani will direct the film, which starts shooting in January....

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is keen for the deal to be ratified The Philippine government is urging the country's senate to ratify a $4bn (£2bn) trade deal with Japan, which it says may create more than 300,000 jobs.The agreement, struck last year, would bolster local exports such as shrimp to Japan, the government said, a market being eyed by trading rival Thailand. Japan has also pledged to employ at least 1,000 Philippine nurses. But the opposition-dominated senate has objected with claims the deal would see toxic waste sent to the Philippines. However, this has been denied by the government, which...