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French President Nicolas Sarkozy 15-year-old son has been in trouble for pelting a police officer with tomatoes. The female officer was on duty at the Elysee Palace, guarding the president when she was hit on the cheek. Louis Sarkozy is President Sarkozy’s son from his first marriage. He lives in America but often comes to France to stay with his father. The president apologized to the officer. What is said about President Sarkozy’s son?. He apologized to the police officer. He was hit by tomatoes. He was throwing tomatoes. The police officer arrested him.

Bill Richards gets up at 6am every day. He is never late for work. However, on Monday, he forgot to set his alarm clock. He woke up at 7am and arrived at the office an hour late. His boss was angry and warned him never to be late again. He lost his job. He was late on one occasion. He is usually late for work. He is forgetful.

Travelling by train has many advantages. There are no stressful traffic jams and trains are fast and comfortable. You can use the time in different ways. You can sit and read or just watch the world go by. You can work or you can have a meal or a snack in the buffet car. It is time-consuming. It is efficient. It is boring. It is stressful.

It seems that the next Ice Age could be on hold because of the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by humans. The last Ice Age ended around 11,500 years ago and it had been predicted that the next one would begin in around 1,500 years. However, it is now thought that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will delay this next Ice Age. It can’t be predicted. It could come early. It could be postponed. It is already late.

A Japanese ‘ghost ship’ has been spotted off the coast of Canada. The fishing boat was swept away by the tsunami in 2011 and has been slowly drifting across the Pacific Ocean. Japanese officials say that there is no-one onboard the vessel. Experts think that it is the first large item of around 25 million tons of debris to cross the ocean as a result of the earthquake and tsunami but most of it isn’t expected to reach North America until 2014. It has come from America. It is drifting towards Japan. It doesn’t have passengers. It avoided the Tsunami.

The biggest space vehicle servicing the International Space Station (ISS) has taken off from French Guiana. The ATV 3 space truck is taking new supplies of food, water, air, and fuel to the station. It is also carrying experiments and spares for the high-flying astronaut outpost. The ATV is unmanned and is the biggest space vehicle servicing the station. Europe plans to send two further freighters to the station, in 2013 and 2014. A larger vehicle will replace it in 2013. It will be sent to the ISS in 2014. It is carrying a passenger. It is carrying provisions.

A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck southwest Mexico yesterday. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake was felt by people several hundred miles away, but didn’t cause any serious damage. The earthquake struck near the tourist resort of Acapulco, just after midday. At first experts thought that it was a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, before downgrading it to 7.6. It injured several people. It damaged a tourist resort. It was felt over a wide area. It occurred during the night.

A police officer has revealed that thieves are targeting U.K. supermarkets and stealing chewing gum to use as money. An officer from West Mercia Police is investigating the crimes, which have spread across the U.K. Hundreds of pounds worth of chewing gum has been stolen so far. The investigation has revealed that in Romania, chewing gum and small sweets are often given as change instead of low-value coins. It is being used as currency in Romania. There is a shortage of it in Romania. It is being stolen from Romanian supermarkets. It is being used as coins in the U.K.

A total of 261 schools in England have been told they’re getting money to repair or rebuild their old buildings. The government has announced which schools are being given part of a 2 billion pound pot of cash. But 326 schools missed out on the Priority School Building Program. The previous government had promised to rebuild every secondary school in England. But the new government cancelled the plan, saying it was too expensive. They will be used to renovate buildings. All schools will receive funding. The new government initiated the funding. The previous government cancelled them.

12-year-old Chris Whitehead says trousers are too hot and that it’s “discriminatory” that girls can wear skirts in the summer, but boys can’t wear shorts. Chris’s head teacher, Mr. Campbell, said: “The boys can wear a skirt to school because it doesn’t say they can’t in the uniform policy and we would be discriminating against them if we did not allow it.”. Girls can wear shorts. Trousers can’t be worn in summer. Boys can’t wear skirts. Boys can wear skirts.

It could have been a scene in a Hollywood movie. The moment an unknown actress from the Isle of Man was told she was going to be a star in an upcoming blockbuster movie! That’s just what happened to Samantha Barks, when a top producer told her after a stage performance. She’ll now play Eponine, in a film version of the musical ‘Les Miserables’ alongside Hollywood screen stars. It was a total surprise for the actress, who’d just finished performing in ‘Oliver’ at Manchester’s Palace Theater. she was famous in the U.K. She had auditioned for the film role. She wasn't expecting the film role. She was discovered in Hollywood.

A mass pillow fight for 1,000 people has been held in Shanghai. The giant pillow party was held to help people calm down and get rid of their stress. Everyone was given a pillow on arrival on which they wrote the name of the thing or person causing them stress. After a starting whistle, partygoers were free to hit anyone in the room with their pillow. It is the fifth giant pillow fight to be held in Shanghai and has been so popular thinking of similar events in other cities. It was the first of its kind. It was a huge success. It caused a lot of stress. It is forbidden in other cities.

This year’s Oscar nominations have been announced and it looks like Uggie, the dog, will need his bow tie again! This silent black and white movie ‘The Artist’ is up for 10 awards. It is also up for the top prize of Best Picture, alongside 3D action adventure ‘Hugo’ and Steven Spielberg’s ‘War Horse’. ‘Hugo’, which is set in 1930’s Paris, got the most nominations overall, with a total of 11. The red carpet will be rolled out once again to welcome the movie stars to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The Artist’ won 10 awards. The Artist’ won 10 awards. War Horse’ could win best film. The nominees will be broadcast soon.

Official homework guidelines set by the government for English schools have been scrapped. Teachers can decide how much homework to set or whether to set any at all. It’s after some parents complained that too much homework meant kids didn’t have enough time to play, do sports or be with their family. Before, five to seven year old children were expected to do an hour a week, gradually increasing to 2.5 hours each night for pupils aged between fourteen and sixteen. The government sets homework rules. Parents want their children to do more. Teenagers now have to do two hours a night. Teachers are responsible for setting homework.

In the center of Sierra Leone, in a majestic green valley, a new hydro-electric dam symbolizes both progress and frustration. Ten years after the end of the civil war here, a construction boom is under way. The Bumbuna dam is one of the biggest recent projects. But the economy is so run down by decades of war and corruption that it will take many more years, if at all before the boom benefits most of the population. But now, electricity is being produced. There are many other projects under way. A stone crushing plant just outside the capital, Freetown, spews clouds of smoke and dust into the surrounding mountains. Major roads are being built in Freetown and between regional towns. Two big ore mining projects have recently begun. But the permanent jobs created by these projects number just a few tens of thousands; the population of Sierra Leone is six million. The construction of the dam is on hold. There are several new projects in progress. The developments have provided millions of jobs. All the population benefits from the developments.

Scientists have discovered orangutans use really complicated building skills when they build their nests. Research has revealed that the great apes use many different types of branches in lots of different ways to build their homes high up in tree tops. That has amazed scientists from the University of Manchester, who spent a year in South East Asia studying orangutans. But when some can weigh up to 80 bags of sugar, the nests need to be strong! The research took place in Northern Sumatra, an island in Indonesia, where researchers filmed the apes building their nests and took them apart when they were finished with them. The experts learnt that the nests were made up of a really complicated scaffold of branches and twigs and tools were used to help make them. Thick green, flexible branches were used on the outside and thinner leafy twigs on the inside. They can also build a nest in 5 or 6 minutes. Orangutans often dismantle their nests. The nests are built with a variety of foliage. Orangutans spend a lot of time in their nests. The nests collapse after little use.

There’s an old saying that we hear every year; ‘a dog is for life, and not just for Christmas.’ But it seems people still aren’t getting the message. Many people find the gift of a four-legged friend is a lot of hard work and they don’t find it easy coping with a new addition to the family and go on to abandon their pets. Figures from the recent Stray Dogs Survey, show for the 11th year in a row the number of stray and abandoned dogs in Britain has risen. Last year around 126,000 stray dogs were picked up across the UK- that’s more than 300 a day. The number of abandoned dogs is increasing. Many people receive dogs as Christmas presents. Dogs received as a Christmas gift are less likely to be abandoned. There are currently more abandoned dogs than ever before.

Farmers should take better care of our countryside, according to a poll by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. (CPRE). The CPRE is calling for changes, as farming can be hard on the environment. For example, lots of animals like dormice are decreasing in numbers because their habitat is being used to grow crops. Farmers can help the environment by digging ponds, keeping more livestock and growing a greater range of fruit and vegetables. Farmers shouldn’t keep so much livestock. The number of dormice is rising. Farmers should cultivate more vegetables. Farmers don’t want to change their methods.

Teachers in Scotland are being warned about using Twitter and Facebook by the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association. They believe too much information can be revealed on the networking sites, which could lead to teachers becoming too familiar with pupils. New guidelines for teachers on social networking are being drawn up. They use Facebook and Twitter inappropriately. They have been advised to be cautious with social networks. Too much information about them has appeared on social networks. They make excessive use of Twitter and Facebook.

There is a debate going on about how much aid the U.K. should give to poorer countries. At the moment the U.K. gives around 8 billion pounds a year to other governments. But the government has agreed to meet the United Nation’s target of increasing that amount to nearly 11 billion pounds by the year 2014. They want to make it law that all future governments must stick to the target of 0.7% of the whole country’s income. But the House of Lords say this shouldn’t happen, and that too much aid is going to the wrong places and is ending up with corrupt governments. The government says that cutting the funding could cost thousands of lives. The government plans to reduce the amount given. It is believed that cutting funds could save lives. The United Nation’s target is more than what is now given. The House of Lords believe that the U.K. should give more.

Nations will be divided not between east and west, or along religious lines, but between open and closed societies, the U.S. secretary of state, Hilary Clinton has said. Countries that are closed to “change, ideas, cultures and beliefs that are different from theirs will quickly find that in an internet world they will be left behind,” Clinton said. “In the 21st century, the U.S. is convinced that one of the most significant divisions between nations will be not between east or west, nor over religion, so much as between open and closed societies,” she said. “We believe those governments that hide from public view and dismiss ideas of openness and the aspirations of their people for greater freedom will find it increasingly difficult to create a secure society.”. Many countries need to change their lifestyle. Governments are increasingly rejecting openness. Countries need to lead openness. Countries will be divided by culture.

Coca-cola and Pepsi are changing the recipes for their drinks to avoid putting a cancer warning label on the bottle, to comply with California laws. The new recipe for caramel coloring in the drinks has less 4-methylimidazole- a chemical which California has added to its list of carcinogens. But the companies say rolling out the new recipe across the U.S. market makes the drinks more efficient to manufacture. “While we believe that there is no public health risk that justifies any such change, we did ask our caramel suppliers to take this step so that our products would not be subject to the requirement of a scientifically unfounded warning,” a Coca-cola representative told the AP news agency. The chemical has been linked to cancer in mice and rats but there is no evidence that it poses a health risk to humans, said the American Beverage Association, which represents the wider industry. Coca-cola and Pepsi have refused to use cancer-warning labels. It has not been proved that the coloring is carcinogenic. Coca-cola and Pepsi are now more costly to make. The caramel coloring doesn’t contain carcinogens.

Getting online is difficult in Liberia. Connections are slow and expensive. A crowd gathers on a sandy beach near central Monrovia to watch as a diver emerges from the sea. He’s pulling a rope which a team on the beach helps drag ashore. Eventually a black fiber-optic cable pops out of the water and slithers up the sand, prompting cheers from the crowd. The cable will eventually provide broadband connectivity to more than 20 countries. News of the cable’s arrival on land is welcomed by a small group of men in an internet café in Monrovia. For them, getting online currently costs around $2 per hour –more money than many Liberians earn in a day. The current high cost and relatively slow internet connection in Liberia is not surprising, says Calestous Juma, an expert in telecommunications in Africa. “Fiber optic cables have more capacity and provide more consistent data flow than the current satellite connections being used.”. Fiber optic cables are now in use in Liberia. Liberians now have access to broadband. The fiber optic cable could revolutionize internet use in Liberia. For most Liberians, internet use is relatively cheap.

A Dutch judge has ruled that a rescued female killer whale can be sent to a Canary Islands amusement park, despite pleas to release the animal into the wild. The case of Morgan the orca sharply divided opinion in the Netherlands. The orca was rescued by a dolphinarium in Harderwijk after being found exhausted and starving in shallow waters in the Waddenzee in June 2010. Conservationists are devastated by Monday’s ruling, fearing the move to the Canaries will kill Morgan. The judge in Amsterdam decided however that the orca would have no reasonable chance of survival in the wild. The plan is to transfer Morgan within days to Loro Parque on Tenerife, where she will join five other orcas in a big tank, on show to the public. Ahead of the judge’s ruling the campaign website of the Free Morgan Foundation had been getting more than 50,000 hits a day. Niels van Elk, a vet, thinks Morgan will be better off in captivity than in the wild. The campaign website continues to get more than half a million hits a day. The vet is in agreement with the judge’s decision about where to put her. The conservationists are concerned about her ability to survive in the wild. She will be kept in isolation after being transported to Tenerife.

On a Saturday night in Singapore, Nicol and his friends are dancing in a dark and crowded room at one of the most expensive new clubs in the city. For Nicol and others like him partying across the city and the region, it would seem that there has never been a better time to be young and in Asia. Instead of the economic problems and social issues that faced their parents’ and grandparents’ generations, Asia’s youth today have a chance to access a period of unprecedented prosperity and expansion. “There are only some pockets of growth left in the world and Asia happens to be one of them,” Nicol explains. “There’s opportunity and optimism out here.” For hundreds of millions of people across the region, their earning power and standard of living are increasing. The youth unemployment rate has been below 15% in most the region for the last five years. Compare that with figures of more than 30% in European economies. This focus on youth employment is important because Asia is the region with the most young people in the world. Asia’s economic boom began in previous generations. The Asian youth unemployment rate exceeds that of Europe. Asians have a positive outlook for the future. Young Asians yearn for the life their parents and grandparents had.

They don’t have oddly shaped heads and bulging eyes. Dimitar Sasselov is convinced of that. Professor Sasselov, an astrophysicist, thinks that if life exists elsewhere-and he believes it does- it will likely be based on different building blocks than ours, and so may not even be recognizable as life. A project he’s heading at Harvard University is trying to imagine what life would be like if it were based on different chemicals, conditions and history than we have on Earth. There’s no reason life can only form under our set of circumstances, he says. People have been asking questions like ‘Are we alone?’ since the time of Epicurus. And Sasselov says we probably won’t have a definitive answer in the next century either. Just as Copernicus revolutionized how people viewed themselves and their world 450 years ago, and Darwin did again 150 years ago, so Sasselov says we’re getting close to another transformative moment. This is a fertile time to be looking for life on other planets. We could know within 100 years if there is life on other planets. Life on other planets would require conditions similar to Earth. This is not an ideal era to be exploring other planets’ life forms. Life could materialize under different conditions.

The school day should be longer to get children ready for the world of work, say some politicians. Stephen Twigg, the Labor Party’s education boss, says a longer day would keep children off the streets, stop them being sucked into local gangs and give the most deprived pupils a place to study away from difficult home lives. He also thinks that pupils should be put into groups in schools by ability or interests, rather than age. The MP’s comments come after a survey by business leaders found that one out of three young people was not ready for a job. It could encourage children to join gangs. Business leaders generally disapprove of it. It could facilitate the development of studious habits. It could encourage enthusiasm for life in the work force.

Sierra Leone is trying to change its image as a war-torn country by promoting ecotourism. If you are planning a bird-watching holiday, Sierra Leone might not be the first destination that jumps to mind. But that could change soon, if the government of this small West African nation gets its way. Earlier this month, Sierra Leone opened the Gola Rainforest National Park, a 71,000-hectare protected area that is home to more bird species than can be found breeding in all of the UK. The government hopes that the new park might help nature-loving tourists see beyond the battered image that defines the country overseas. The reason for that image is a brutal 11-year civil war which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. But Sierra Leone has been at peace since the conflict ended in 2002. The park is a region that the environmental group Conservation International has identified as one of the world’s critical biodiversity hotspots. Sierra Leone is a popular bird-watching destination. Sierra Leone remains in the grip of a civil war. Gola National Park houses almost as many bird species as the U.K. Gola National Park is of great import as a natural habitat.

Paintings by famous graffiti artist Banksy are going on sale at an exclusive auction house in London. Seventeen works of art by Banksy are being auctioned at the Bonhams Urban Art Sale. This is a big step for Banksy because it shows that people in the art world consider him a real artist. Some people looked down on him previously because he was a graffiti artist. The artwork being sold includes a screen print of British supermodel Kate Moss, inspired by Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe picture. Banksy has lots of famous fans including Kate Moss and Harry Potter actress, Helena Bonham Carter. He painted a famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe. His works will be sold at an important venue. The art world has always respected him. His works are not expected to attract much attention.

It has been assumed since Charles Darwin’s time that six basic emotions are shown on everyone’s face in the same way: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust and anger. This is known as the universality hypothesis. Scientists tested this out recently by using a computer simulation of a face, which could show every possible combination of facial muscle movement. Then they asked 15 white Europeans/Americans and 15 East Asians to put thousands of its expressions into categories. Although the Westerners in the study separated all the expressions into the expected six emotional categories, the Asians showed there was an overlap of emotions. The scientists think that this could be because the theory ignores emotions such as shame, pride and guilt. Westerners also use different groups of muscles to express the six emotions while, with Asian people, a lot of the emotion comes from the eyes. The experts say that over time, different cultures have changed the way they communicate with their facial expressions. Westerners express emotion mainly through the eyes. Most cultures have retained their facial communication method. The Asians in the study separated the emotions. The result from the Westerners studied was as predicted.