World Briefs

Drunken pub fights in Britain are set to get safer with the invention of a strengthened beer glass that health authorities hope will cut the huge bill for treating inebriated brawlers.

The traditional pint glass - which holds just over half a litre of beer and is favoured by drinkers across Britain - has been redesigned so it is harder to smash, said Design Bridge, the company behind two prototypes.

And even if the new models are smashed, the dangerous shards of glass are held together by a layer of resin, said the company when at a launch event yesterday.

British Interior Minister Alan Johnson praised the new models and said the properties of the current pint glass are to blame for much of the country's alcohol-related violence. Glass attacks in Britain cost health authorities an estimated £2.7 billion (€3 billion) annually, and official figures put the number of attacks each year at around 87,000. (AFP)

No dressing down for banker in supermodel blunder

An Australian banker who became an internet sensation after he was caught on live television viewing images of a scantily clad supermodel on his computer will keep his job, Macquarie Bank said yesterday.

"He will remain an employee of Macquarie," the bank said in a statement. "Macquarie and the employee apologise for any offence that may have been caused."

David Kiely, who works in Macquarie Private Wealth in Sydney, opened e-mails on Tuesday containing pictures of supermodel Kerr, unaware a colleague behind him was doing a live television interview about the Australian economy.

The incident became a YouTube hit and sparked an online campaign that urged forgiveness. (Reuters)

Knicker nicker

The mayor of a village who got his "sexual kicks" by sneaking into bedrooms to steal and violate women's underwear was jailed for two years after he was caught out by a secret camera.

Church-going Ian Stafford, 59, of Sandycroft Place, Preesall, was a highly respected member of the community and mayor of Preesall in Lancashire before his "bluntly revolting" behaviour was uncovered, Preston Crown Court heard.

A part-time handyman and gardener, he had been employed for years by some of his victims who trusted him with keys to their homes.

But while alone Mr Stafford, a bachelor, would creep into their bedrooms, rifle through underwear draws and masturbate before replacing the knickers and also stealing some of the garments.

He was caught after one suspicious homeowner noticed the thefts. He admitted three counts of burglary at an earlier hearing. (PA)

Humble sandwich

The sandwich's status as the bread and butter ingredient of the British lunchbox is under threat, sales data showed. The culinary creation that Britain gave the world 250 years ago is falling out of favour amid competition from continental alternatives, researchers said.

Sales of bread, traditional rolls and baps across all retailers have fallen by 1.2 per cent, while sales of croissants have soared by 33 per cent and tortilla sales have grown by 18 per cent. Bagels, the New York favourite, have increased by 11 per cent, according to data from TNS Global Market Research. (PA)

Doodler arrested

A New York City junior high student has been arrested for doodling on her desk.

Alexa Gonzalez, who is 12, scribbled "Lex was here 2/1/10" on her desk. She also wrote "I love my friends Abby and Faith".

Moraima Tamacho said her daughter was released several hours after she was taken in handcuffs to a police station. Education department spokesman David Cantor said the incident should not have happened, and that common sense should prevail. (PA)

Signature slip-up

Museum volunteers were left red-faced after the Queen reminded them to let her sign a visitors' book.

At the opening of a new exhibition in a fishing museum in King's Lynn, Norfolk, the Duke of Edinburgh noticed the royal couple had not signed the guest book.

Volunteers at True's Yard Fishing Heritage Museum quickly ran to collect the book so it could include the royal signatures. The Queen signed the book "ElizabethR" and the Duke "Phillip, 5 February 2010". (PA)

Ghost town auction

Latvia has auctioned off a Soviet ghost town abandoned after the Russian military withdrew from the Baltic country.

The town, formerly known as Skrunda-1, was built around a radar base that was part of the Soviet Union's early warning system. It was mothballed 12 years ago, not long after Russian military personnel left the country. The town has 70 buildings, including apartment blocks, a school, hotel and hospital - most of which are in bad condition. It was sold for €2 million. (PA)

Steamy espressos

A clampdown has begun on coffee shops in the Seattle area which hired young women to serve up steamy espressos and lattes while wearing as little as a G-string.

Officials are taking a closer look at the "sexpresso" craze after police investigations revealed some of the "bikini baristas" - set up three years ago - were serving coffee with a side of something not even legal at many strip clubs.

Five bikini baristas in Everett, north of Seattle, are accused of charging to let customers fondle or photograph them as they put on erotic shows - sometimes in view of passing traffic. (PA)