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Have you ever longed to indulge in a Yorkshire Pudding on a hot summer's day?

Then a new range of 20 ice creams created with Britain's best-known delicacies may be the ones for you.

Ranging from Yorkshire pudding flavour to Arbroath smokies the ice creams are designed to get British taste buds working.

Morelli's ice cream parlour at London store Harrods made the ice creams after Laterooms.com polled 500 people to pick flavours that best represented the UK.

Other flavours include traditional clotted cream, sausage and mash, pork pie, haggis and Cornish pasty.

There's even a Cheddar cheese flavour and Lancashire hot pot to satisfy those northern cravings.

Less palate-testing varieties are Eccles cake and Kendal mint cake.

Kathy Gwinnett, of Laterooms.com, said: "It is interesting that the humble Yorkshire pudding tops the list of favourite British delicacies.

"We're lucky to be spoilt for choice and the massive array of regional flavours that make up the taste of Britain shows just how much the UK has to offer."
-Source-Yahoo.com

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Declaring "we are a better country than this," Barack Obama launched a sharp assault on Republican presidential rival John McCain on Thursday, promising to reverse the economic failures of the past eight years and restore America's reputation in the world.

Obama, the first black White House nominee of a major U.S. party, linked McCain directly to President George W. Bush and said their failed Republican policies were responsible for a faltering U.S. economy and a decline in U.S. global standing.

"We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight," Obama told a flag-waving crowd of about 75,000 supporters in Denver's open-air football stadium as he accepted the nomination on the last night of the Democratic convention.

"On November 4th, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough,'" Obama said.

Obama delivered the biggest speech in a career filled with big speeches on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech -- a landmark in the U.S. civil rights movement.

The speech kicked off a two-month sprint to the November 4 general election against McCain, who tried to steal the limelight with word that he had chosen his running mate and will appear with the choice on Friday in Ohio.

Obama said McCain, an Arizona senator, was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education.

"Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know," said Obama, who had been urged by some Democrats to take a tougher line against McCain.

"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?" Obama asked, citing McCain's voting record in the Senate.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change," he said.

The televised acceptance speech by Obama, who was formally nominated on Wednesday, gave the first-term Illinois senator his biggest national audience until he meets McCain in late September in the first of three face-to-face debates.

The speech included some of the most direct attacks on McCain by Obama since the general election started. Obama, whose patriotism has been the subject of Internet attacks, said the candidates should be able to disagree without attacking each other's character.

'COUNTRY FIRST'

"I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first," Obama said.

Obama, an early opponent of the Iraq war, promised to "end this war in Iraq responsibly" but said he would finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan and would be willing to use U.S. military power when necessary.

"As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home," Obama said.

He chided McCain, a staunch advocate of the Iraq war, for saying he would pursue Osama bin Laden to "the Gates of Hell." Obama said McCain's focus on Iraq had let al Qaeda and bin Laden escape.

"John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell -- but he won't even go to the cave where he lives," he said.

"If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice -- but it is not the change American needs."

The speech capped a sunny day of celebration and musical performances by singers like Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow under clear skies in the stadium. By the time Obama's speech started, nearly every seat, and the entire football field, was full.

Former Vice President Al Gore, the Nobel Prize and Academy Award winner who lost a disputed election to Bush in 2000, told the crowd things would have been very different if he had won.

"I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn't matter," Gore said, describing Obama as "a clean break from the politics of partisanship and bitter division."

Obama is running even with McCain in most opinion polls, although a Gallup daily tracking poll on Thursday showed him beginning to get an edge from the convention and moving out to a 6-point advantage, up five points.

Obama addressed criticism he has not offered enough specifics along with his sometimes soaring rhetoric, restating an ambitious domestic agenda that includes a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans and an end to dependence on Middle East oil in 10 years.

He said McCain's emphasis on new offshore oil drilling was a stop-gap measure and not a long-term energy solution. He promised to invest $150 billion over the next decade to develop affordable, renewable energy sources.

While Obama's policy proposals were not new, national conventions are often the first time voters pay attention to a presidential race. Opinion polls show many still unfamiliar with Obama and concerned about his readiness for the job.

McCain launched an advertisement on cable television in which he spoke directly to Obama through the camera.

"Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations," said McCain, who has been scathing in his criticism of Obama.

"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, senator, job well done."

The last presidential candidate to accept the nomination in an open-air football stadium was John Kennedy, who spoke to the Democratic convention at the Los Angeles Coliseum before 80,000 supporters in 1960.
-Yahoo.com

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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has signed an agreement to pay Libya $5bn as part of a deal to resolve colonial-era disputes.



Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi said the settlement signed in the city of Benghazi opened the door to partnership between the two states.

Mr Berlusconi said the deal, which sees the money being released over 25 years, ended "40 years of misunderstanding".

Libya was occupied by Italy in 1911 before becoming a colony in the 1930s.

The former Ottoman territory became an independent country in 1951.

This is the first African country to be compensated by a former colonial master, the BBC's Rana Jawad reports from Benghazi.

The question is, she adds: will this latest move set precedents for other former African countries to follow suit?

Coastal motorway

Mr Berlusconi explained that $200m would be paid annually over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects, the main one being a coastal motorway between the Egyptian and Tunisian borders.

There will also be a colonial-era mine clearing project.

As a goodwill gesture, Italy also returned an ancient statue of Venus, the headless "Venus of Cyrene", which had been taken to Rome in colonial times.

The settlement was a "complete and moral acknowledgement of the damage inflicted on Libya by Italy during the colonial era", the Italian prime minister said.

"In this historic document, Italy apologises for its killing, destruction and repression against Libyans during the colonial rule," Col Gaddafi said for his part.

The agreement was signed in the Benghazi palace which once housed the Italian colonial administration, Reuters news agency reports.

Rome and Tripoli have spent years arguing over compensation for the colonial period.

Mr Berlusconi's one-day trip was his second since June when illegal immigration from Africa to Europe was the key issue of talks.

Italy has been swamped by thousands of African migrants trying to reach its shores by boat.

Libya has come in from the diplomatic cold since 2003 when it abandoned efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

Next week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to make the first high-ranking American visit to Libya since 1953.

BBC News

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An analysis of new census figures has shown that Australia is suffering from an unprecedented "man drought".



The statistics have revealed that there are almost 100,000 more females than males in Australia.

The problem is worse in the coastal cities, where women have moved seeking better jobs and lifestyles, while many men have gone overseas.

Thirty years ago Australia was with flush with men thanks to immigration policies that favoured males.

That position has been reversed because thousands of Australian men in their 20s and early 30s have gone overseas either to travel or to work.

It has caused a gender imbalance that is having far-reaching implications.

Town and country

Major cities in Australia now have concentrated groups of unattached women, along with dwindling numbers of the opposite sex.

Demographer Bernard Salt says the exodus of young men to foreign countries is leaving its mark.

"If you go into the United Arab Emirates census you'll find there is around 12,000 Australians living in Dubai, mostly male, mostly in the 25 to 34-year age group.

"Here is an example of one country that has drawn out a specific age demographic out of Australia which has contributed to the 'man drought'."

But the situation outside of the larger towns and cities is very different.

Vast numbers of women have abandoned the countryside seeking better jobs or education in metropolitan areas. They have left behind communities overloaded with younger males.

In the town of Glenden in the northern state of Queensland there is one single female for every 23 men.

Demographers have compiled a so-called "Love Map" that shows how the various clusters of unattached men and women are distributed across the Australian continent.

BBC News

-I blame Kellie

[flamesoffury]

*moves to australia* Maybe i'll be lucky enough to find someone now..

[JohnCenaFan28]

A leading suspect wanted over the Philippines' worst militant attack has been arrested in Bahrain and returned to Manila, officials have said.



Ruben Pestano Lavilla Jr, 35, is wanted for alleged involvement in the bombing of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that led to 116 deaths in a subsequent fire.

He was the "brains" behind an Islamic group allied to two al-Qaeda affiliated organisations, Manila officials say.

They say he was detected after document checks by Manila's embassy in Bahrain.

The arrest had not been made public while Philippine officials prepared deportation papers.

'Fled' country

Marcelino Libanan, head of the immigration commission, told Reuters news agency that Mr Lavilla was checked after trying to get a bank loan and had been working as an interpreter at the Philippine embassy.

However, Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor told the AP agency that the arrest came after Mr Lavilla submitted documents for a job at the embassy.

Mr Lavilla is alleged to have fled the Philippines a month after the ferry attack.

He is accused of being the mastermind behind the Rajah Solaiman Movement, blamed for several bomb attacks in Manila in 2004 and 2005.

The movement is said to be linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf Muslim militant groups, based in the southern Philippines.

Mr Blancaflor said: "If you are a terrorist, wherever you are, wherever you hide, the law will catch up with you - that's the most important thing here."

The ferry blaze was South East Asia's second-worst militant attack after the 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 202 people.

The 10,000-tonne Superferry 14 was heading for Bacolod in the central Philippines when it caught fire on 27 February 2004.

BBC News

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Thousands of opposition supporters in Taiwan have taken part in a protest in Taipei as President Ma Ying-jeou marked his first 100 days in office.



It was the first mass rally against Mr Ma since his inauguration, and also comes amid increased worries over his pro-China policies and the economy.

The protesters said he was moving too quickly to improve ties with Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although they have been governed separately since 1949.

Resignation call

This was the first large-scale protest against President Ma since he took office in May.

Opposition supporters protest on the streets in Taiwan.

His critics - mainly pro-independence groups and members of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party - took to the streets in the capital, chanting slogans, and rallied outside the presidential office, calling for him to step down.

They argue that Mr Ma has been too conciliatory towards China and that his policies have damaged the island's sovereignty.

The president was elected by a landslide in March, promising to work for friendlier ties with China and boost the island's economy.

Last month, the two sides launched regular direct flights for the first time in nearly six decades.

President Ma's administration has also relaxed many restrictions on doing business in China, and allowed more Chinese tourists to visit.

The president's office did not comment on the rally, but officials from the governing Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) said the public should not blame the current administration for the island's economic woes but the previous one, which held office for eight years.

They said the public should be protesting against Taiwan's former President, Chen Shui-bian, and his family, who are being investigated over fresh allegations of money laundering involving millions of dollars.

BBC News

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Egypt has opened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip at Rafah for two days, allowing hundreds of Palestinians to cross into and out of the territory.



Palestinian officials said the move was a goodwill gesture before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Only those requiring medical treatment, along with holders of foreign residency permits, will be permitted to leave.

The Rafah crossing has been closed for most of the period since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Israel has also sealed its border crossings with the coastal territory, allowing in only humanitarian aid and basic supplies.

In June, Hamas and Israel agreed a truce aimed at halting Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli territory in return for Israel's lifting of its blockade.

However, Israel insists "normal business" cannot resume at Rafah until Hamas releases an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza militants two years ago, Cpl Gilad Shalit.

Under a November 2005 deal, Israel can control access to the European officials who monitor Rafah. In this way Israel has kept the crossing mainly closed since 2007.

Hamas blew up large sections of the Egypt-Gaza border fence in January, enabling thousands of Gazans to temporarily stock up on goods they had been deprived of by the restrictions.

BBC News

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Russia has taken a series of diplomatic steps in an apparent effort to ease tensions with the West over this month's conflict in Georgia.



President Dmitry Medvedev told UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown Moscow wanted more monitors from Europe's security body in Georgia, the Kremlin said.

Separately, Russian and German foreign ministers agreed to seek to calm tensions over the crisis, Moscow said.

The issue is set to dominate the agenda of an EU meeting on Monday.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said earlier this week that the bloc was considering sanctions "and many other means" against Russia over the crisis.

But he said he hoped the matter would "be solved by negotiation".

Moscow's military action in Georgia and its subsequent recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - Georgia's two rebel regions - have angered the West.

Moscow has defended its actions, saying they prevented a "genocide" in South Ossetia.

However, after the inflammatory rhetoric Russia now appears to have decided it is time for a bit of diplomacy, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow says.

'Non-existent threats'

During Saturday's telephone conversation with Mr Brown, President Medvedev said Russia was "in favour of the deployment of additional OSCE [Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe] monitors in the security zone" in Georgia, the Kremlin statement said.

It said observers in the security zone would provide "impartial monitoring" of Tbilisi's actions.

Earlier this month, the OSCE decided to increase the number of its military observers by up 100 in Georgia.

Mr Medvedev also said that Russia recognised Georgia's regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia because of Tbilisi's aggression.

He said that the Georgian move "fundamentally altered the conditions in which, during 17 years, attempts were made to settle the relations between South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia," the statement said.

In a separate development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

They both "agreed on the need to put an end to attempts to use the situation surrounding Georgia... to raise tensions in Europe by speculating on non-existent threats concerning other post-Soviet countries," a Russian foreign ministry statement said.

Ties cut

The conflict in the region began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes.

Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian troops continued their operation, advancing deep inside Georgia's territory.

An EU-brokered ceasefire brought a formal end to the conflict five days later, although each side has accused the other of breaking the agreement.

Russia has since withdrawn the bulk of its force and says the troops left behind are serving as peacekeepers.

Georgia has described them as an occupation force, announcing that it is cutting diplomatic relations with Moscow.

BBC News

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Hundreds of thousands of people have marched throughout Mexico to protest against a continuing wave of killings and kidnappings in the country.



The rallies were held in all of Mexico's 32 states, with more than 150,000 people gathering at Zocalo square in the capital, Mexico City.

They were mainly dressed in white, and marched in silence, holding candles.

At least 2,700 people have been killed and 300 kidnapped so far this year, mostly in drugs-related violence.

Earlier this week, a dozen headless bodies were found in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The marches also come a week after President Felipe Calderon announced new measures to deal with the violence.

'No more impunity'

Dressed in white, tens of thousands of Mexicans walked in silence along the capital's main boulevard, holding candles and lanterns, to show that they had had enough of the murders and kidnappings plaguing their country.

Many carried national flags - a sign that they want a unified country in the fight against crime.

Others carried banners bearing slogans such as "No more impunity" and "No more revoking sentences". Others carried pictures of their children who had been kidnapped.

"The most frustrating thing has been the indolence of many of the authorities, their insensitivity," said the father of Monica Alejandrina Ramirez, who was kidnapped in 2004 and has not been heard of since.

"I have often asked myself, why? Why me? Why my daughter?"

Once everyone had arrived at Zocalo square and the sun had set, they sang the national anthem, and put out their candles together.

There were similar co-ordinated scenes in dozens of towns and cities across Mexico as thousands of others staged "Iluminemos Mexico", or "Let's Illuminate Mexico", silent marches.

The organisers hoped to emulate a similar march in 2004, when almost half a million people protested against violence, forcing the government to target police corruption and introduce reforms.

Emergency programme

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Mexico City says the marches are a visible sign of how anxious people continue to be about the violence, and their frustration at the government's inability to reduce it.

"The message is: Get to work or we'll hold you accountable," said Eduardo Gallo, whose 25-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered in 2000. "We are angry."

Last week the country's political and security leaders drew up an emergency, 74-point plan to try to combat the wave of violence.

Measures include sacking corrupt police officers, equipping security forces with more powerful weapons, new prisons for kidnappers and strategies to combat money-laundering and drug-trafficking.

President Calderon has already deployed more than 25,000 troops across the country to combat the powerful drug cartels.

Washington is also pumping in hundreds of millions of dollars to help.

But the cartels and kidnappers are well organised and often have the acquiescence of corrupt police officers, our correspondent says.

The organisers of this march know restoring a sense of calm and order will need wholesale changes in Mexican society, something one march on one day cannot achieve, he adds.

BBC News

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Relief efforts are increasing in the Indian state of Bihar, hit by some of the worst flooding in years.



Authorities say they have so far rescued more than 300,000 people left stranded after heavy monsoon rains caused the Kosi river to flood.

However, more than twice that number are still homeless and in urgent need of aid, and relief is being hampered by extensive damage to roads.

The waters have affected vast numbers of people in India and Nepal.

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder, in Bihar, says extra boats have been pressed into service and additional troops deployed.

Rescue teams are still to reach some remote villages and have been dropping aid to from the air to those affected.

In some areas the water level has begun receding but the floods have also spread to other districts, affecting yet more people.

The forecast is for more rain in the coming days and the continuing bad weather is hampering efforts to get aid to about 2.5 million people who have been displaced.

More than one million people are now being housed in relief camps, where they are being given cooked food, water and medicines.

But many of the camps are already overflowing and there are more people streaming in by the hour, our correspondent says.

Aid workers estimate that many will have to live in temporary shelters for months until their homes and villages are rebuilt.

Burst dam

Amid relief efforts, the suffering of many of those affected continues. On Saturday at least 20 people were killed when a boat capsized while carrying dozens of police.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh, who visited the affected areas in Bihar on Thursday, said the flooding was a "national calamity".

He has announced an aid package worth $230m (£115m).

But aid agencies say many of the victims are being moved to temporary shelters which lack basic amenities.

A report released by Unicef says there are fears of infectious diseases at the camps.

Army and air force helicopters are continuing to provide aid to the flood-ravaged parts and 600 boats are helping with the relief and rescue work.

But the floods have washed away roads and railway tracks, and water and electricity supplies have been affected in many areas.

"This situation is beyond comprehension," Bihar resident, Arshad Khaqani, told the BBC News website.

The Kosi river flows from Nepal where it is called the Saptakoshi river.

On 18 August a dam on the Saptakoshi burst, triggering the subsequent flooding in Bihar.

Officials in Nepal say hundreds of people there have been hit by illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia and an estimated 50,000 are homeless.

They say nearly 1,000 houses have been completely destroyed. Power supplies and transport have been severely affected.

The costs to the economy are now estimated at one billion Nepalese rupees ($14.25m).

BBC News

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Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have met in Jerusalem for a further round of US-backed peace talks.



Mr Olmert wants to draw up a document of understanding that will serve as a framework agreement they can take to Washington next month, officials say.

However, the Palestinians have said they will not sign a partial deal.

Mr Olmert has promised to resign after his Kadima party chooses a new leader in a primary election on 17 September.

The prime minister announced his intention in July following months of pressure resulting from the opening of a police inquiry into money he received from a US-Israeli businessman. He denies any wrongdoing.

'Considerable gaps'

Mr Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said his premature departure from office "would not interfere with the discussions" as the two leaders sat down for the latest of the meetings they have held every few weeks since the Annapolis peace conference last November.

Afterwards, Mr Regev told the Associated Press that "significant progress had been made", but admitted there remained "considerable gaps between the two sides".

He would not elaborate on the specific disagreements, but correspondents say they are likely to include the borders of a future Palestinian state, settlement construction in the West Bank, and the status of Jerusalem.

Before the meeting, Israeli officials said Mr Olmert wanted to discuss drawing up a "framework agreement" that could be presented to US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next month, before he left office.

They hoped such an agreement would show that progress had been made and indicate where the negotiations could be picked up by Mr Olmert's successor.

However, an aide to Mr Abbas, Yasser Abed Rabbo, insisted the Palestinian negotiating team would reject "any partial deal".

After the talks, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah: "The time factor is important but we either have an agreement on all issues or no agreement."

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a favourite to succeed Mr Olmert, has cautioned against rushing the process, saying attempts to "bridge gaps prematurely" can lead to misunderstandings and clashes.

Ms Livni's comments were echoed by her US counterpart during a visit to the Middle East last week.

Nevertheless, Ms Rice said she was "very heartened" by the fact that the negotiations continued to be "serious" and "intensive".

BBC News

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The Ministry of Defence is to meet an animal rights group to discuss alternatives to the bearskin hats worn by guards at Buckingham Palace.



People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has approached Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney to design a new shape for the 18in hat.

The charity has previously called for fake fur to be used, but said the MoD was not happy with prototype designs.

Baroness Taylor, minister for defence procurement, will meet Peta on Tuesday.

Tourist sight

The MoD says it is open to alternatives to real bearskin, but that previous attempts to replace it with synthetic fur have failed because the material has not been durable or weatherproof enough.

The ministry also wants to avoid if possible any change in the look of the red-coated sentries guarding Buckingham Palace, whose uniforms have long been one of the top tourist sights in London.

However, Peta is proposing a new hat shape and has also approached designer Marc Bouwer as well as McCartney and Westwood.

Robbie LeBlanc, Peta's director for Europe, said that although the group was proposing a different shape for the hats it did not mean the new design could not become "iconic".

"Most people think it's fake fur and when they find out it's real and it takes one bear to make a hat, they are appalled," he said.

'Inexcusable'

The meeting is the culmination of a media campaign by Peta that has included a naked protest outside Buckingham Palace.

More recently, comedian Ricky Gervais sent an open letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling the continued use of real fur inexcusable.

"I understand and appreciate the importance of uniforms, but continuing to use real fur in the 21st century is inexcusable, regardless of 'tradition'," the letter said.

"The public are relying on you to bring about a humane changing of the guards."

BBC News