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OMG Facts

OMG Facts

Burton News & Staffordshire Newspaper | Burton On Trent Local Newspaper Headlines | Daily Mail | Scouting is providing so much for teenagers today SCOUTING numbers in Burton have increased by 12 per cent in the past two years, helping drive the UK total to its highest level this century. Cubs and Scouts gather for National Scouting Week on The Delph, in Swadlincote with Connor Brookes According to the Scout Association’s annual census, the organisation now boasts 970members in the town, up from 866 in 2010 and 967 last year. “It’s so great to see Scout numbers rising,” said Chief Scout and television survival expert Bear Grylls, whose UK organisation now boasts 525,327 members. “A big reason for this is the number of teenagers joining the adventure. “More and more young people are realising that Scouting offers them so much — whether it’s the opportunity to go on a big international adventure or the chance to learn and hone vital life skills.” The annual census shows the number of Scouts in Burton, those aged 10 to 14, have increased from 194 to 208 in the past 12 months, or 7.2 per cent, despite standing at 220 in 2010.

If we must reform the Lords, here’s how... The most important question to ask about the proposed reform of the House of Lords is this: will it make our system of governance better or worse? The democratic legitimacy of the Upper House or the past promises of political parties should be secondary considerations. This is not to say that the Lords works perfectly or cannot be improved. Its composition can be changed, as happened when the majority of hereditary peers were expelled by the Labour government. But any reform must, crucially, ensure that the chamber continues to carry out its essential functions, which are to act as a check on the Commons and to provide sage and, if possible, impartial scrutiny of legislation. This issue has tangled governments in knots since the first Parliament Act became law in 1911, after the Commons won its clash with the Lords over which should wield most power. The late Lord Bingham, the pre-eminent jurist of his generation, suggested turning the Lords into what he called a Council of the Realm.

North Korean missile vehicle 'similar' to China design 20 April 2012Last updated at 02:46 ET Experts say the vehicle transporting the missile is similar to Chinese vehicles A vehicle seen in a North Korean military parade has become the focus of attention amid suggestions the design or technology may have come from China. IHS Jane's Defence Weekly reported on Monday China may have sold the design or made the missile launch transporter seen at the Pyongyang parade on Sunday. But China says it has broken no laws and a State Department spokesman said the US took China's word on the issue. Meanwhile, North Korea vowed to launch more satellites "one after another". In a statement late on Thursday, North Korea said it had finished its investigation into why its rocket last Friday failed but gave no details. Pyongyang says the launch was to put a satellite into orbit to commemorate the centenary of the birth of its founding leader, Kim Il-sung. 'Repeated assurances' James Hardy of Janes on vehicle claims

London 2012: Worldwide poets still needed for Festival event 17 April 2012Last updated at 12:23 ET Jo Shapcott won the Costa Book Prize earlier this year More than 20 writers are still needed for an event to include a poet from every nation competing in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The Poetry Parnassus will take place on London's Southbank at the end of June. Organisers have already signed up 153 poets, with another 28 being confirmed, but still need writers from 23 countries including Mali and Liberia. Writers already confirmed include Jang Jin Seong - former court poet to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. He fled the regime and now resides in South Korea. Jo Shapcott will represent Great Britain, while Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney will represent Ireland. The event, the UK's largest poetry project, is part of the London 2012 Festival. Poets, spoken word artists, rappers and story-tellers will read their work in over 50 languages and dialects including Wolof from Gambia, Amharic from Ethiopia, Haitian Creole, Maori and Kazakh.

Is Facebook HQ signaling aliens? 42-foot QR code appears on roof If you’ve seen the film The Social Network, you may be in two minds about Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg. Is the company actually as fun, cool and full of moxy as you’d originally thought? The answer is: it certainly wants you to think so. Zuck’s just let a huge, 42-foot wide QR code to land on the company HQ’s roof. Nothing says ‘zany’ like a massive QR code, does it? The QR code is the result of one of Zuckerberg’s famous ‘Hackathon’ staff competitions. Google wants QR codes to replace all your passwords The monster, black-painted code links through to the new Facebook QR code page that’ll eventually play host to games and puzzles, but it could have gone to some altogether more irreverent content. He and his crew fitted a radio controlled helicopter with a camera capable of scanning the code and revealed that the effort was, in fact, a success.

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