Monthly Archives: June 2011

30 June 2011 Last updated at 07:08 ET By Tom de Castella BBC News Magazine Councils are cracking down on leafleting. Is it a public menace or part of a buzzing town centre? Before bands and comedy acts establish themselves, they need an audience. The tried and trusted method has always been handing out flyers. … Continue reading

30 June 2011 Last updated at 11:16 ET By Oleg Boldyrev BBC Russian, Minsk A new generation of social-media activists express their opposition by clapping Sergei does not look like a typical opposition activist. A thin 20-year-old, he speaks in a quiet voice and is sometimes lost for words. But when the KGB comes calling … Continue reading

Relationships with your in-laws are not always easy. But when one bride-to-be visited her fiance’s parents in Devon the visit turned into something of a public disaster. Her future mother-in-law sent her a furious e-mail complaining about her “staggering” bad manners and “lack of grace”. The 29-year-old was so shocked she sent it on to … Continue reading

Protesters have clashed with police in London as hundreds of thousands of public sector workers across the UK staged a strike over planned pension changes. The BBC’s Jon Brain said the march passed off peacefully with only a few scuffles around Whitehall. He said it was always anticipated a few groups of anarchists would try … Continue reading

Nicolas Sarkozy kept a cool head when he was grabbed by a man and nearly knocked to the ground during a visit to Brax on Thursday. The French president was greeting members of the public when the incident happened. He was unharmed and continued to shake hands after the initial shock of the moment. The … Continue reading

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been greeted by cheering crowds at Government House in Ottawa. The newly married royal couple are visiting Canada on their first official overseas tour. Prince William described his “longing” to come to Canada with his new wife, during a short speech outside the building, drawing applause from the … Continue reading

29 June 2011 Last updated at 22:21 ET By Jon Kelly BBC News Magazine It is 60 years since British spies Burgess and Maclean sensationally fled to the Soviet Union. But how do defectors adjust to their new lives? You have spent years in the half-light, betraying those closest to you. And now your secret … Continue reading

30 June 2011 Last updated at 12:25 ET Coronation Street was shifted from its regular Wednesday slot three years ago Coronation Street’s Thursday episode is moving back to Wednesdays to make way for new shows, ITV has announced. The changes will happen next year when ITV’s current contract to screen Uefa Champions League football matches … Continue reading

30 June 2011 Last updated at 12:55 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News The 2016 orbiter would look for trace gases in the atmosphere of Mars US and European efforts to send joint missions to Mars will stay in the slow lane over the summer while the Americans organise their finances. European nations … Continue reading

30 June 2011 Last updated at 19:01 By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature The study revealed the chemistry preserved in the 120 million-year-old fossilised bird The pigments preserved in fossils, including a 120 million-year-old bird, have been revealed using X-rays. A team, led by scientists from the University of Manchester, UK, scanned the beautifully … Continue reading