Britishers bracing for tough times

Latest reports from London show more gloom is in store for Britishers as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, readies his red box to reveal tough measures to face what the IMF is expected to say are going to be even tougher times for the Queen's subjects ensuring more entertainment for customers of one restaurant in London.

CNN looks at G20 Coverage

The G20 Summit in London earlier this month was closely followed by huge audience around the world. There was hardly any doubt about the reason for the keen interest: Would the leaders of the top twenty economies in the world come up with answers to the unprecedented global economic crisis?

A programme aired by CNN looks at how the media geared themselves and covered the huge event.

International Correspondents hosted by CNN London Anchor Fionnuala Sweeney

The 47-year old singing sensation

Wannabe British singer Susan Boyle is hardly wannabe. She certainly can sing! And with a little help from our wired world and YouTube, she's an instant celebrity.

Her performance though, underscores the point that if you're good at what you do and believe in yourself, all you need is courage. Awesome!

GuardianUK: Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent performance a hit for ITV website

Economic Slowdown Hits Below The Belt

Gone are the days when economic pundits lectured to us in language you and I didn't understand about fiscal policies and macroeconomic pressures. There was nothing we could do about it. We had to accept whatever they said, and hope that it was right. Those days are gone though.

Nowadays they are more serious about finding out whether anyone has got his knickers in a twist. The funny thing is, they're trying to prove the former Fed Chairman was right.

This is what the Huffington Post has to say.

Some like him.

Some don't.

A Man Who Shone For His Country

Sri Lanka Cricket today publicly showered its gratitude to Mehar Mohammad Khalil, the driver of the bus whose timely action saved the Sri Lanka Cricket Team and averted a catastrophe in Lahore last month. A veteran driver whose services had been used to drive important guests around Pakistan, Khalil had the ultimate test of his nerves and his character when gunmen opened fire on the bus driven by him ferrying the Sri Lanka Cricket team to the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, on March 3^rd.

Kahlil's heroic actions have brought a shower of goodwill to Pakistan which has been viewed worldwide as a country sliding away from stability and the rule of law. His actions have also ignited a feeling of revulsion among a large cross section of Pakistan's population which has hailed him as a hero and disassociated itself from the actions of extremists and terrorists.

I tip my hat to the hero. Well done, Mehar Mohammad Khalil!

Read also:

ANCL felicitates Lahore hero

Sri Lanka Honour 'Hero' Bus Driver

Sri Lanka honours cricket driver

Mehar Mohammad Khalil: A hero across borders

Wet Weather in Dubai

The current wet weather in Dubai has been accompanied by bursts of strong winds which saw a huge digital print hanging from a prominent building on Sheikh Zayed Road Monday. It was later carefully taken down by workmen under the watchful eyes of the Dubai Police. The bad weather is expected to continue through Tuesday.

Forecast from Weather Underground

These pictures of the torn digital print show the pain brought about by the inclement weather in Dubai adding to the woes occasioned by the economic crisis. For those counting cars however, the news is that traffic in Dubai has seen a marked increase from January this year. 

Outdoor activities including construction work on the Metro are also affected by the weather. At the Metro Station near Emirates Towers workers are normally seen working thorugh the night under fllodlights. The lights were off and the workers nowhere to be seen as the gusty winds and driving rain slowed traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road, Tuesday evening.

My Pick of The News

• The Worst Air Disaster Ever – Wired.com remembers the world's worst air disaster.
  

• Best Mind Mapping Software? - Lifehacker.com tries to find out the best way people do brainstorming.

• Hackers Deface Aussie Censorhip Board's Website – Another example that highlights the need for high security and constant vigilance.

• A Gorgeous, Curvy Hot Number … - Wired.com takes a look at the newest electric car that promises 300 miles on a 45-minute charge.

• Top Google execs: $1 salary, no bonus, no options – CNET News examines the salaries, perks and wealth of Google's top executives.

• Killer Typography Tools and Free Font Downloads – Lifehacker.com on how to organise, identify and compare fonts.

• Close'n Forget Removes Browser Tracks of the Site You're On – This one is for law enforcement officers, secret agents and journalists researching steamy secrets.

• Commentary: No job? Create your own! - This story on cnn.com/us seems ideal for the current crisis situation.

• Air passengers pay to queue jump – This story from The Australian is about earning an extra buck by catering to those in a hurry.

• The Betamax of DNA sequencing – This one from cnnmoney.com takes you deep into how the building blocks of life work and how genetic diseases may one day be cured.

• For Sale to Feds: My toxic assets – Here's a blogger who has made a wish list for a Federal Bailout.

• Aussie flight attendant 'had bomb note' - A story from news.com.au about the recent bom hoax at Gatwick Airport.

• UK Scientists Grow a Living Human Brain – We've all heard of thinking out of the box, but scientists are now thinking out of a bottle to find a cure for Alzheimer's.

• Abortion advice set for UK airwaves in changes to advertising codes – This is news for the advertising industry in the UK where some taboos may soon be off.

• Abortion pill used to tackle gerbil plague – In China, unlike in the UK, they are using abortion pills to control rodents.

• Loo queue sets world record – Many would have seen such queues on flights, but this one was organised by UNICEF for World Water Day.