More than 1,000 Britons are serving time in tough foreign jails on charges of drug smuggling, the UK government said yesterday, warning travellers to steer clear of trafficking.
Figures published by the Foreign Office show there are 2,582 Britons currently in jail overseas, with almost half that number - 1,057 - serving time for drugs-related offences.
Some 207 Britons are being held in Spanish jails, with another 141 serving time in the United States. Both Thailand and France have 79 British prisoners each, with the remaining 500 or so held in different countries across the globe.
Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said strict foreign laws on trafficking meant travellers should be "extremely wary" as anyone caught handling drugs could potentially face long jail terms in harsh conditions.
"The message is clear - we can't get people out of jail in other countries, so if you don't want to waste your life away in a tough foreign jail, be sensible and keep clean," Bryant said.
His remarks come a month after China executed a 53-year-old Briton with a history of mental health problems for carrying four kilograms of heroin into the country. (AFP)
Stressed workers 'losing sleep'
Recession-hit companies are keeping people at work longer and increasing their workloads, causing millions of people to lose sleep, a new report has claimed.
More than one in five are not getting enough sleep, losing up to three hours a night because of work worries, a study of 2,100 adults by insurer RSA of the UK showed.
Half of those losing sleep said they were working longer hours or were waking up in the night worrying about their jobs.
Men were more stressed by their jobs than women, especially those in higher-paid professional posts, with two-thirds blaming work for losing sleep. (PA)
'Birth month determines fitness'
An Australian researcher has found your chances of becoming a professional sportsperson could depend on your birthday.
Senior research fellow Adrian Barnett from Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation found that a person's birth month could determine their health and fitness.
The results of the study are published in a book, Analysing Seasonal Health Data, which
Dr Barnett co-authored with researcher Annette Dobson from the University of Queensland.
Dr Barnett analysed the birthdays of professional Australian League (AFL) players and found a disproportionate number had their birthdays in the early months of the year, while a fewer number were born in the later months, especially December.
The Australian school year begins in January. (Reuters)
'Long-life' super pill
Scientists are on the verge of developing a "long life" super pill which could help people live past 100, according to experts.
The drug, which could be ready for testing within three years, is designed to mimic the actions of three 'super genes' which all significantly increase the chances of living past 100.
Two of the genes increase the production of so-called good cholesterol in the body, reducing the risk of and stroke, while the third helps to prevent diabetes.
People born with the genes are 20 times more likely to live past 100, and 80 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's. (Reuters)
YouTube hit
An interview with Bulgarian football star Hristo Stoichkov in broken English has gained wild popularity on the internet among fellow countrymen and inspired a rap singer to post a song about it on video website YouTube.
Ivan Ivanov's song Tu Parts contains phrases taken from an English language interview the former national team striker gave to a South African journalist. The interview has been posted on YouTube and is gaining rapid popularity in Bulgaria. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf6qMXi5n4I)
"Sometimes lyun (instead of lose), sometimes win" or "too much peoples come only for the pass the time" are some of the soccer-great-turned-coach's expressions bringing smiles to the faces of Bulgarian fans. (Reuters)
Banker in hot water
An Australian bank is investigating an employee caught red-handed viewing pictures of a near-naked model on his computer during a live TV broadcast.
Footage of the incident, which has generated 200,000 hits on YouTube, shows the banker turning around in surprise when he realises a colleague behind him is being interviewed about interest rates.
The Seven Network TV station said it had received complaints, while Macquarie Bank issued a statement stressing that it took "unacceptable use of technology" extremely seriously.
"Macquarie has strict policies in place surrounding the use of technology and the issue arising from today's live cross on 7 News is being dealt with internally," it said. (AFP)
150,000 newspapers destroyed in raid
A raid by union militants on a printing works east of Paris yesterday destroyed 150,000 copies of a free newspaper, a police source said.
A 40-strong group broke into the Brodard Graphique site in Coulommiers, around 60 kilometres east of the French capital, shortly after midnight and used fire hoses to soak copies of the Direct Matin daily, the source said.
Militants from the Livre trade union opposed to Brodard Graphique printing the newspaper are thought to be behind the attack, according to a source close to the case. (AFP)