Many-sided China. Chinese Beauty

Chinese models pose in front of a plane of the August 1st military aerobatic squadron on November 1, 2004 at the Airshow China 2004 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)A Chinese woman looks at pictures featuring women's breasts during a photo exhibition on November 16, 2004 in Beijing, China. The exhibition, under the theme of “Beauty, Health and Breast”, is held to promote the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in China's capital. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)Contestants take a break at a training session during China's first ever Miss Plastic Surgery contest on December 13, 2004 in Beijing,...

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Many-sided China. Toilet-Theme

A diner eats her meal at a toilet-themed restaurant on October 24, 2006 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. Food arrives in bowls shaped like Western-style toilets or Asian-style “squat pots”. The theme has attracted droves of novelty-seeking young people who come to play with their food and gross out their friends. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)A customer rests on a seat in the shape of a Western-style toilet at a shopping mall December 12, 2006 in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, China. Customers began trying the unique seat after learning about its use. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)A man walks past specially designed...

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Miracle On The Hudson» Plane Arrives In Charlotte

“US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina. On January 15, 2009, the aircraft flying this route, an Airbus A320-214, was successfully ditched in the Hudson River adjacent to midtown Manhattan six minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport after being disabled by striking a flock of Canada Geese during its initial climb out. The incident became known as the «Miracle On The Hudson».The bird strike, which occurred just northeast of the George Washington Bridge about three minutes into the flight,...

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999 Nudes Participate In London Publicity Stunt

Hundreds of willing participants remove their clothes for a publicity stunt near Waterloo, on March 15, 2009 in London, England. The airline Aer Lingus advertised on the website 999nudes.com for members of the public to take part. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Imag...

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The Waverley The World's Last Seagoing Paddle Steamer Under Threat

Passengers watch as The Waverley, the world's last remaining seagoing passenger paddle steamer arrives at Clevedon Pier on June 10, 2011 in Clevedon, England. Built in 1946, the trust which owns and operates the Waverley, is warning that this could be the last season for the vessel and is appealling for more public funding saying it is struggling to make ends meet in the current financial climate due in part to rising fuel costs. Restored in 1973 after service on Loch Long in Scotland, since 2003, Waverley has been listed in the British National Register of Historic Ships core collection as 'a vessel of pre-eminent national importance'. (Photo...

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Endeavour Orbits Earth Docked To International Space Station

In this handout images provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour orbit Earth during Endeavour's final sortie on May 23, 2011 in Space. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli captured the first-ever images of an orbiter docked to the International Space Station from the viewpoint of a departing vessel as he returned to Earth in a Soyuz capsule. (Photo by Paolo Nespoli - ESA/NASA via Getty Imag...

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Shareholders feel boardroom failings where it hurts most

Big investment houses are accused of not engaging enough with companies on governance issues, although the reality is that many more conversations take place behind the scenes than get reported. Investors certainly care about how the businesses they invest in are run, and a glance at the chart will tell you why. When there are serious failings in the boardroom, such as those demonstrated this week at Kazakh miner ENRC, shareholders eventually feel it where it hurts most. ENRC has underperformed the rest of the UK mining sector by a significant margin over the past year despite more than doubling its profits in 2010 on the back...

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10 of the best smart phone apps that will save you money

You can now get cashback on your mobile with the latest app Keeping up with the Joneses means making the most of your smart phone. And with the right applications – or apps – you'll never have to pay full price for a meal out or a good book again. We have picked 10 apps to help you save money....

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UK economy 'Plan A' - Is George Osborne on the right path?

In his first Mansion House speech last June, the Chancellor made much of the fact that the economic fall-out from the banking crisis increased the risk that investors will lose faith in a state's ability to fund itself. Osborne has used this as a platform to justify his austerity plans, arguing that though the UK has a higher deficit – the annual shortfall in the budget between revenue and expenditure – than crisis-hit Greece, it pays similar interest rates on its national debt as Germany, a bastion of fiscal rectitude. Economists are split over whether the UK was in real danger. The financial crisis certainly blew an £84bn-a-year...

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Get no-obligation advice from NatWest

Whatever your plans are, NatWest could help you make the most of them with Financial Planning. There are certain stages in life, such having a young family or retirement, where financial planning is important. We understand that there can be lots to think about but we can help making the most of your finances as simple and straightforward as possible, so you can focus on making the most of your life. A qualified financial adviser is usually the best person to help you make plans for your money. That’s why we have so many Financial Planning Managers working for NatWest, all dedicated to helping our customers to make the most...

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Sandi Toksvig: Rebuilding the grey matter

If you see me sitting still it's not a replica of my corpse, I'm regenerating my brain, explains Sandi Toksvig I’ve been thinking of regenerating my brain. I don’t suppose it will take long. I was awakened to the thought by a piece of driftwood and the Thames River Police. Occasionally, as I sit at my desk, the police boat roars past and its wake causes my houseboat to shake as if it feels suspected of whatever crime is afoot or afloat. I don’t suppose there is as much water-related crime as there used to be. When the force was first founded in 1798 there were some 33,000 workers plying a river trade of which the authorities...

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Heavy clashes as Syrians raid Jisr al Shughour

Syrian state television reported heavy clashes between army troops and gunmen in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour on Sunday, and said a large number of people had been arrested.Heavy confrontations are raging between army units and members of armed organisations taking up positions in the surroundings of Jisr al-Shughour and inside it," it said. "Two members of the armed organisations were killed, large numbers of them arrested, and lethal weapons in their possession were seized," it said, adding that army units had defused bombs and explosive charges planted by gunmen on the bridges and roads of the town. Tanks and helicopters shelled...

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