World Briefs

Scientists have launched a project to capture the essence of the “Essex swagger” as part of an attempt to analyse UK walking styles.

Medical researchers at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford have set up a gait analysis laboratory, the first of its kind in the UK.

They are appealing for members of the public to come forward to help them detect the subtle differences in walking styles and develop better treatment for a range of patients.

The gait of Essex volunteers will be compared to samples taken by the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, highlighting the difference geographic location plays.

The information gathered will allow more accurate testing and analysis of patients, ranging from burns victims to those who have undergone hip or knee surgery.

Teenagers ‘don’t sleep enough’

Many teenagers do not believe they are getting enough sleep to remain alert at school and stay healthy.

A study has revealed that girls are more concerned about their sleeping habits than boys, and that youngsters are more likely to say they are not getting enough as they get older. More than one in four 14 and 15-year-old girls (28 per cent), and just over a fifth of boys of the same age (22 per cent) do not think they sleep enough to concentrate on their studies, according to the Schools Health Education Unit.

Olympic stamps out on Friday

Royal Mail is issuing a new set of stamps to mark the start of the Olympic Games, featuring four of the most popular events.

The stamps, which will be on sale from Friday, the day of the opening ceremony, show a cyclist, a fencer, a diver and runners, alongside London landmarks Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, the Olympic Stadium and the London Eye.

During the Games, Royal Mail will be issuing a special collection of Olympic Gold Medal stamps to mark every Team GB gold medal win.

It’s the world’s biggest cocktail

Cuban mixologists whipped up a giant daiquiri in the Old Havana tavern where the tropical cocktail was born and where regular Ernest Hemingway made it popular.

Two waiters stood on a wooden platform at El Floridita pouring pitcher after pitcher of the slushy rum, lemon and sugar concoctions into a 6.5-foot tall cocktail glass, and after pouring in around 71 gallons organisers said they believed they had set a world record.

A Cuban man who holds the world record for rolling the longest cigar was on hand to judge the attempt.

He said organisers have been in touch with Guinness World Records about certifying the record.