News Tank

Robert B Sherman, the elder half of The Sherman Brothers and winner of Academy Awards with his brother Richard for Mary Poppins, died aged 86 in London last night. Songwriter Robert Sherman, who composed Disney tunes including ‘It’s a Small World (After All)’ and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, passed away on Monday after a protracted illness. His death was announced on Facebook by his son Jeff. He wrote on Facebook “My Dad, Robert…

According to the Defence Ministry report six British soldiers are missing, feared dead, after an explosion in the Helmand area of southern Afghanistan. If the soldiers are confirmed dead, the number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 will have reach 404. The group, which is believed to be killed after its armoured vehicle was hit by an explosion while on patrol, included five soldiers from the 3rd…

Prime Minister David Cameron said Iran is developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of hitting Great Britain, expressing serious concern over the possibility of a nuclear arms race. Speaking to the members of the parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister said he has intelligence reports indicating that Tehran wants “intercontinental missile capability”, strongly warning that Iran becoming a nuclear power has implications far wider than the Middle-East. “It is clearly very…

A team of geologists and environmentalists from five continents have warned that Antarctica faces conservation threats from an unlikely source –non-indigenous seeds and plants brought by visitors to the polar continent in the far south. With the threat of global warming looming large over the frozen land, the risk to its ecology lies in unintentional introduction of plant groups that belong to other parts of the globe, says a report…

Ed Miliband is all set to insert more patriotism into British economic policies by calling for a ‘Made in Britain’ mark on goods produced in the UK. The Labour leader Ed Miliband in a speech at EEF National Manufacturing Conference in London will be accusing government for underestimating the need of “pride and patriotism”, saying it is the key to success for British business. Revising memories of Harold Wilson’s “I’m…

Boris Johnson urged George Osborne to close a loophole that allows rich foreigners to dodge stamp duty on purchase of expensive properties by treating the house as a company. In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, London Mayor writes “It is all the more extraordinary that there is a billion lying on the pavement, under his very nose – and all that the Chancellor has to do is trouser it…

A new survey reveals that friends and acquaintances are more likely to sexually abuse a girl compared to strangers. In attempt to scrap the myths and half-truths surrounding date rape, the new campaign unearths some shocking facts that might prompt young women to reconsider their views about the threat perception coming from known guys. An NSPCC survey revealed that nearly 33% of teenage girls reported facing sexually abusive behaviour from…

While JK Rowling’s creation Harry Potter may seem to be unrivalled when it comes to popularity amongst youngsters, author Jeff Kinney took the glory on Wednesday’s Blue Peter Awards function in Manchester. Kinney’s Wimpy Kid narrative topped Rowling’s Harry Potter and was polled as the best children’s book of the decade. In the race were authors Jacqueline Wilson, Anthony Horowitz, Charlie Higson, John Grisham and Francesca Simon. More than 15,000…

A couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo were convicted of torturing and murdering teenager Kirsty Bamu on Thursday on suspicion of being a witch, indicating the rising trend of witchcraft in Britain. The Metropolitan Police yesterday issued a warning saying the killing is not the first in Britain to involve claims of witchcraft, as they have investigated 83 “faith-based” child abuse cases in the past 10 years. UK social…

In a rather unexpected turn of events, James Murdoch stepped down as the executive chairman of scandal-hit News International, creating a ripple of conjectures as to what prompted the junior Murdoch to make the move. While some analysts say the resignation might signal the ascension to the throne of Lachlan or Elisabeth Murdoch as the new supremo of News Corp., some still question the move saying that it dealt a…