Campaigners say bottled water is bad for the environment

A rural town in Australia has voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water over concerns about its environmental impact.

Campaigners say Bundanoon, in New South Wales, may be the first community in the world to have such a ban.

They say huge amounts of resources are used to extract, package and transport bottled water.

The discarded plastic bottles then end up as litter or go into landfill sites, the “Bundy on Tap” campaign says.

More than 350 residents turned out to vote at the public meeting in the town hall.

Only one resident voted against the ban, along with a representative from the bottled water industry, ABC news reported.

The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says locals have promised not to set upon visitors if they ignore the ban, but they will be encouraged to fill a reusable container from water fountains in the main street.

The reusable bottles will bear the slogan “Bundy on Tap”.

Campaigner John Dee said local opinion had been incensed when a drinks company announced plans to tap an underground reservoir in the town.

Environmental impact

“The company has been looking to extract water locally, bottle it in Sydney and bring it back here to sell it,” he said.

“It made people look at the environmental impact of bottled water and the community has been quite vocal about it.”

The ban has been supported by shopkeepers in the town, which has a population of about 2,500.

“We believe Bundanoon is the world’s first town that has got its retailers to ban bottled water,” said Mr Dee. “We haven’t found it anywhere else.”

New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees has backed the cause, ordering government departments to stop buying bottled water and use tap water instead.

Mr Rees says it will save taxpayers money and help the environment.

A science teacher has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a boy of 14 and two other pupils were hurt at a Nottinghamshire school.

The boy is said to be in a serious condition in hospital following the incident at All Saints’ Roman Catholic School in Mansfield.

Science teacher Peter Harvey, 49, is being questioned by detectives.

Det Supt Adrian Pearson said a weapon was used and there were a “number of witnesses”.

Police said the incident took place at the school in Broomhill Lane on Wednesday.

The boy was taken to King’s Mill Hospital but transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham where his condition is described as very serious.

Nottinghamshire County Council, the local education authority, said the boy’s condition “slightly improved” overnight.

The school has declined to comment “at this time”.

All Saints’ School opened in 1974 and has 1,170 pupils on the roll, including a sixth form of 200 along with a teaching staff of more than 70.

The school, a specialist performing arts college since 2002, describes itself on its website as, “a lively, Catholic comprehensive school with a very special, warm ethos which is recognised by all who visit”.

At a news conference Mr Pearson said: “Obviously the whole class is traumatised by what has happened.

“People send their children here from great distances because of its academic record and what happened is very much out of character for the school.

“I know a number of parents have rung the headteacher about what has happened but I would appeal for everyone to be calm, particularly in relation to those people involved.”

In a statement Nottinghamshire County Council said: “An incident involving a pupil at All Saints’ School occurred.

“The student was injured and has been taken to hospital where he is receiving treatment. The parents of the pupil involved have been informed.

“The matter is currently being investigated and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment while the investigation is ongoing.”

A man has died after falling into a vat of hot chocolate at a factory in the US state of New Jersey.

Vincent Smith Jr, 29, was emptying pieces of solid chocolate into the melting vat when he slipped from a platform into the 2.5m (8ft) deep unit.

A spokesman for the local prosecutor’s office said Mr Smith appeared to have died instantly from a blow to his head by a paddle mixing the chocolate.

His colleagues at the factory tried to shut down the mixer, but were too late.

Mr Smith was a temporary worker at the Cocoa Services Inc plant in the city of Camden.

‘Need answers’

Jason Laughlin, from the local county prosecutor’s office, said: “There are paddles, called agitators, that are moving inside this vat. He was hit by one of them before someone could hit the shut-off valve.”

Investigators said the chocolate had reached 49C (120F). It was being melted in the factory before being shipped out to other companies to make into chocolate bars and other sweets.

Mr Smith had been in the vat for about ten minutes before rescue crews arrived.

Thombe Smith, told journalists: “We just really need to know what happened to my cousin. We just need some answers.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the US Department of Labor, is investigating the accident.

The study was carried out on nuns

People with superior language skills early in life may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease decades later, research suggests.

A team from Johns Hopkins University studied the brains of 38 Catholic nuns after death.

They found those with good language skills early in life were less likely to have memory problems - even if their brains showed signs of dementia damage.

The study appears online in the journal Neurology.

One possible implication of this study is that an intellectual ability test in the early 20s may predict the likelihood of remaining cognitively normal five or six decades later Rebecca Wood Alzheimer’s Research Trust

Dementia is linked to the formation of protein plaques and nerve cell tangles in the brain.

But scientists remain puzzled about why these signs of damage produce dementia symptoms in some people, but not others.

The researchers focused on nuns who were part of an ongoing clinical study.

They divided the women into those with memory problems and signs of dementia damage in the brain, and those whose memory was unaffected regardless of whether or not they showed signs of dementia damage.

And they also analysed essays that 14 of the women wrote as they entered the convent in their late teens or early 20s, assessing them for complexity of language and grammar.

The study showed that language scores were 20% higher in women without memory problems than those with signs of a malfunctioning memory.

The grammar score did not show any difference between the two groups.

Lead researcher Dr Juan Troncoso said: “Despite the small number of participants in this portion of the study, the finding is a fascinating one.

“Our results show that an intellectual ability test in the early 20s may predict the likelihood of remaining cognitively normal five or six decades later, even in the presence of a large amount of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.”

Brain cell growth

The study also found that brain cells were largest in women who retained a normal memory despite showing signs of disease in their brains.

The researchers said this suggested that a growth in brain cells might be part of the body’s early response to the onset of dementia, and this might help to prevent memory impairment.

Dr Troncoso said: “Perhaps mental abilities at age 20 are indicative of a brain that will be better able to cope with diseases later in life.”

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It is interesting that the nuns in the study with better language skills in their youth avoided memory problems in later life.

“However, the research is in a very small, select group and it would be difficult to say at this stage if language skills could really predict dementia.”

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “One possible implication of this study is that an intellectual ability test in the early 20s may predict the likelihood of remaining cognitively normal five or six decades later.

“However, prominent exceptions exist, including authors like Terry Pratchett and Iris Murdoch, who developed dementia despite their linguistic brilliance.”

Rapamycin was discovered on Easter Island

A drug discovered in the soil of a South Pacific island may help to fight the ageing process, research suggests.

When US scientists treated old mice with rapamycin it extended their expected lifespan by up to 38%.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, raise the prospect of being able to slow down the ageing process in older people.

However, a UK expert warned against using the drug to try to extend lifespan, as it can suppress immunity.

We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the ageing process can be slowed and lifespan can be extended by a drug therapy starting at an advanced age. Professor Randy Strong University of Texas

Rapamycin was first discovered on Easter Island in the 1970s.

It is already used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, and in stents implanted into patients to keep their coronary arteries open. It is also being tested as a possible treatment for cancer.

Researchers at three centres in Texas, Michigan and Maine gave the drug to mice at an age equivalent to 60 in humans.

The mice were bred to mimic the genetic diversity and susceptibility to disease of humans as closely as possible.

Rapamycin extended the animals’ expected lifespan by between 28% and 38%.

The researchers estimated that in human terms this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life, if both cancer and heart disease were prevented and cured.

Researcher Dr Arlan Richardson, of the Barshop Institute, said: “I’ve been in ageing research for 35 years and there have been many so-called ‘anti-ageing’ interventions over those years that were never successful.

“I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime; however, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that.”

Professor Randy Strong, of the University of Texas Health Science Center, said: “We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the ageing process can be slowed and lifespan can be extended by a drug therapy starting at an advanced age.”

Calorie restriction

Rapamycin appears to have a similar effect to restricting food intake, which has also been shown to boost longevity.

In no way should anyone consider using this particular drug to try to extend their own lifespan, as rapamycin suppresses immunity Dr Lynne Cox University of Oxford

It targets a protein in cells called mTOR, which controls many processes involved in metabolism and response to stress.

The researchers had to find a way to re-formulate the drug so that it was stable enough to make it to the mice’s intestines before beginning to break down.

The original aim was to begin feeding the mice at four months of age, but the delay caused by developing the new formulation meant that feeding did not start until the animals were 20 months old.

The researchers thought the animals would be too old for the drug to have any effect - and were surprised when it did.

Professor Strong said: “This study has clearly identified a potential therapeutic target for the development of drugs aimed at preventing age-related diseases and extending healthy lifespan.

“If rapamycin, or drugs like rapamycin, works as envisioned, the potential reduction in health cost will be enormous.”

‘Don’t try it now’

Dr Lynne Cox, an expert in ageing at the University of Oxford, described the study as “exciting”.

She said: “It is especially interesting that the drug was effective even when given to older mice, as it would be much better to treat ageing in older people rather than using drugs long-term through life.”

However, she added: “In no way should anyone consider using this particular drug to try to extend their own lifespan, as rapamycin suppresses immunity.

“While the lab mice were protected from infection, that’s simply impossible in the human population.

“What the study does is to highlight an important molecular pathway that new, more specific drugs might be designed to work on.

“Whether it’s a sensible thing to try to increase lifespan this way is another matter; perhaps increasing health span rather than overall lifespan might be a better goal.”

Beckinsale starred in Pearl Harbor and the Underworld movies

Actress Kate Beckinsale has been awarded £20,000 libel damages over a newspaper claim that she had been dropped from a remake of Barbarella.

Ms Beckinsale, 35, was not at the High Court in London for the settlement of her action against Express Newspapers.

Her solicitor said the story in the Daily Express was entirely false and had caused considerable embarrassment.

By claiming Ms Beckinsale was dropped from the film, it wrongly suggested her career “was in decline”, he added.

Graham Atkins told Mr Justice Eady that Miss Beckinsale was never in discussions about the role - originally played by Jane Fonda - and that there was never a possibility she would be part of the project.

It followed that she had not been passed over in favour of rival Hollywood actress Rose McGowan.

Sincere apology

The article, which was also published on the newspaper’s website, stated that the Barbarella remake was “expected to be a big commercial hit so it will be a real blow to Kate”.

Mr Atkins added: “This article wrongly gave the impression that the claimant’s career is in decline.”

The newspaper’s counsel, Ian Helme, offered its sincere apology and said it was happy to pay damages and Miss Beckinsale’s legal fees.

The original 1968 film, a camp erotic space adventure, starred Fonda and was directed by her husband Roger Vadim.

Moore won an Oscar for his 2002 film Bowling for Columbine

Award-winning film-maker Michael Moore has announced the title of his forthcoming documentary, which looks at the global economic meltdown.

In a statement, the Fahrenheit 9/11 director said Capitalism: A Love Story would be “be the perfect date movie”.

He added: “It’s got it all - lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day.”

Moore, who has made three of the top six highest-earning documentaries, will release the film in the US in October.

‘Biggest swindle’

The exact date - 2 August - is a year and a day after the US Senate voted to approve a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.

“It’s a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, let’s just say it: It’s capitalism,” Moore said.

In February, Moore appealed for people working on Wall Street or in the financial industry to come forward and share what they knew.

At the time he said: “Be a hero and help me expose the biggest swindle in American history.”

Moore won an Academy Award for best documentary for his 2002 film Bowling for Columbine. He also received an Oscar nomination for Sicko (2007).

In 2004, Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to become the first documentary to make $100m (£61.6m) at the North American box office.

The summit has opened up to take in the so-called G5 nations

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has criticised leaders of the G8 industrial nations for failing to make deeper commitments to combat climate change.

On Wednesday, the leaders, meeting in Italy, agreed to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, but Mr Ban said big cuts were needed sooner rather than later.

The leaders are set to meet their counterparts from emerging economies to discuss a new deal on global warming.

US President Barack Obama will chair the session, in the city of L’Aquila.

ANALYSIS Richard Black, BBC News Now G8 leaders will try to persuade some major developing countries to halve global emissions by 2050. Governments such as China’s, that are concerned about climate impacts, may find the figure desirable. But they are unlikely to be impressed with what they see as fine words from the West unmatched by real short-term commitments. Unmatched, too, by money. Of the major developing nations, India especially has long argued that it will not compromise its economic growth by agreeing to climate curbs. So if the West wants the developing world to go through its own energy revolution, it is going to have to fund a lot of it. Are G8 climate targets realistic?

The second day of the summit has begun, opening up its discussions to take in the so-called G5 nations - Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. Egypt is a special invitee.

The G8 leaders said on Wednesday they had agreed to try to limit global warming to just 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels.

That is the level above which, the United Nations says, the Earth’s climate system would become dangerously unstable.

The G8 leaders also said rich nations should cut emissions by 80% by 2050 while the world overall should reduce them 50% by 2050.

But correspondents say emerging nations appear reluctant to sign up and tough negotiations lie ahead.

‘Moral imperative’

Mr Ban said Wednesday’s agreement was welcome, but the leaders needed to establish a strong and ambitious mid-term target for emissions cuts by 2020.

“This is politically and morally imperative and a historic responsibility for the leaders… for the future of humanity, even for the future of Planet Earth,” he told the BBC.

Mr Ban said the leaders also had to come up with financial incentives for poorer countries to reduce pollution and aid to help them mitigate the effects of climate change.

President Obama will chair the Major Economies Forum meeting on Thursday afternoon.

The countries represented there account for some 80% of the emissions of gases that are blamed for global warming.

‘Still time’

The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Robbins, in L’Aquila, says the talks with India and China will be difficult.

China’s president has headed home to deal with the ethnic violence in Xinjiang, so there are now questions whether his delegation will be more cautious.

Our correspondent adds that India is already complaining that the G8’s long-term targets for 2050 are too long-term and that G8 countries are ducking interim targets for 2020 which would make their 40-year ambitions more credible.

But in a meeting with Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Mr Obama said there was still time to close the gap between developed and developing nations before UN talks on a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen in December.

The summit host, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has said a deal should be all-inclusive.

“It would not be productive if European countries, Japan, the United States and Canada accepted cuts that are economically damaging while more than five billion people in other countries carried on as before,” he said.

The G8 summit began in L’Aquila on Wednesday, with the first day largely taken up with discussion of the fragile state of the global economy.

The leaders also issued a statement reaffirming that they were “deeply concerned” by Iran’s nuclear programme and condemning North Korea’s recent nuclear test and missile launches.

African leaders will join the summit on Friday to push for a new initiative to fund farming in the developing world and tackle global hunger.