Russia's parliament on Wednesday rejected a proposal to send the celebrated U. S. singer and actress Madonna to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008. The motion had been introduced by Alexei Mitrofanov, a member of the Duma for the ultra-nationalist LDPR party, saying the trip would be "a serious event" to organize in the same year as presidential elections in the United States and Russia. Madonna had expressed her desire to go into space and board the ISS, during her first ever Russian concert.

A study made by KRC Research and Goodyear found that Russians were the worst drivers in Europe with 25 percent admitting to having had sex while driving. According to the survey, Russians do not use seatbelts, break speed-limits, drive through red lights, drive drunk and have sex while driving more often than other Europeans.

After a woman made a complaint to media regulator Ofcam about two Tom and Jerry cartoons with scenes containing smoking, Turner Broadcasting decided to search through its entire catalog of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons to edit out scenes with smoking characters - unless the smoking character is a villain. The cartoons under investigation include Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. Spokesman for Turner in Europe Yinka Akindele said scenes with smoking villains would not necessarily be edited.

A new study says the French work the least hours of any country on Earth, while South Koreans might want to ask for more vacation time, coming in at number 1. While South Koreans work an average of 2,317 hours a year, Americans work their fair share at 1,957.

Man is vain in nature. At least that is what scientists in Dublin, Ireland have found after examining prehistoric bodies found in the peat bogs of Ireland. The Times says at least two prehistoric bodies, which were estimated to be 2,300 years old, showed evidence of male grooming.