World Briefs

A table made from oak that once held up Old London Bridge is expected to fetch up to £3,000 when it goes under the hammer this week.

The wood that formed the foundations of the bridge over the Thames dates back to 1177.

The piece of furniture is being sold by the owners of the Kinnaird Estate in Perthshire and bears a brass plaque testifying to its history.

It reads: "The oak of which this table is made was under the foundations of Old London Bridge, upwards of six hundred & fifty six years and taken up from thence in 1833 by Sir Edward Banks and William John Jolliffe Esq, the contractors & builders of New London Bridge".

Records show there has been a bridge at the site of the current London Bridge as far back as 1016. (PA)

Striptease angers Aborigines

A woman who performed a striptease on top of Australia's giant red rock Uluru yesterday prompted a renewed call for people to be banned from climbing the important indigenous site.

Alizee Sery, 25, stripped down to a white bikini after climbing the central Australian monolith, formerly known as Ayers Rock, in what she described as a tribute to Aboriginal culture.

"I am aware that Uluru is sacred in their culture. My project is a tribute to the greatness of the Rock," she told the Sunday Territorian.

"What we need to remember is that traditionally, the Aboriginal people were living naked. So stripping down was a return to what it was like."

Visitors are asked not to climb the rock because of its cultural significance to Aborigines but thousands do each year. (AFP)

Terrace collapse kills World Cup fans

Police in Senegal say 11 people died after the collapse of a terrace on which they had gathered to watch a World Cup match on TV.

Police said the collapse happened as the people were watching the game between Uruguay and Korea.

A police official said yesterday there could still be people trapped in the rubble of the building in Matam, in northern Senegal. (PA)

Floating museum

A historic vessel - thought to be the world's last complete steamcoaster - is to be lifted on to a floating pontoon today following restoration.

The 300-tonne SS Robin is being hoisted by giant cranes from its current base in Lowestoft, Suffolk, before being returned to London.

The ship - built in 1890 and listed on the National Historic Fleet register - will be moved to the River Thames to be used as a floating museum.

Project management consultants Kampfner Ltd led a team of East Anglian and London-based marine consultants, engineers, naval architects and shipwrights in the two-year restoration. (PA)

Jeans for a wedding

More than two-thirds of women would wear jeans to a wedding, a survey suggested yesterday.

The poll found most females believed denim was acceptable dress for most occasions - apart from job interviews and funerals.

69 per cent of those questioned said they would wear designer jeans to a formal wedding, compared with 10 per cent who said they would not and 21 per cent "maybe".

Jeans were given the thumbs up for trips to the theatre by 88 per cent of respondents, while 78 per cent said they would wear them to an up-market restaurant.

A quarter (28 per cent) said they would wear designer denim to a job interview compared with 62 per cent who would not, and 62 per cent also said they would not wear jeans to a funeral, the survey for Wizard Jeans revealed. (PA)

Part-time greens

Britons are "green" at home but far less environmentally-friendly while getting brown in the sun abroad.

Almost 90 per cent say they regularly recycle bottles, cans and paper in their day-to-day life.

But fewer than half keep up the good work when they go away, a survey by sustainable tourism charity The Travel Foundation found. (PA)

Loose change

Britons have an average of £20.55 stashed around their homes in loose change, a charity said.

People are most likely to find money in bedrooms, sofas and clothing, research by the MicroLoan Foundation found.

The poll of 3,000 people showed 83 per cent spent the change on themselves - usually on chocolate, takeaways and cigarettes. (PA)

Looking woof

A Chihuahua's hunchback and closed-up left eye earned the four-year-old rescue dog top honours at the World's Ugliest Dog contest at a Northern California fair.

Sporting a grey, brown and black coat, Princess Abby Francis beat a rough-looking list of candidates for the prize, including Pabst, a teeth-bearing boxer mix who won last year.

Princess Abby shivered in the cool breeze after her win on Friday night while nestled in the arms of her owner, Kathleen Francis, who said: "I don't think she's ugly at all. I think she's the most beautiful dog." (PA)