In addition to using fake fireworks at Friday evening's grand opening of the Summer Games in Beijing, the ceremony also used the recorded voice of a young female singer who did not have impressive-enough looks to appear on the globally-broadcast show. According to the Guardian Unlimited, nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, who sang "Ode to the Motherland" merely lip-synched. Seven-year old Yang Peiyi, who was considered not photogenic enough for international stardom, was the real voice behind the song.

A newly released report shows that 42 people have broken into prisons in England and Wales in the last five years. According to reports, prostitutes and drug dealers are breaking into prisons in order to sell sex and drugs to inmates. The Guardian said that drugs are actually cheaper inside prison than on the street, because there is such an abundance of them within prison walls. Others say some of the break-ins may occur because prisoners become institutionalized and are not comfortable in the free world.

British girls between the ages 10 to 17 have increased their share of criminal acts with 59,236 incidents reported in 2006-07. The figure represents a 25 percent jump from 47,358 young girl crimes in 2003-04. In contrast, British boys even registered a 2 percent decline in crime rates for the same period. However, despite the emerging trends, the bulk of offenders were still young men.

A famous author offered her $1. 25 million mansion in Ocala, Florida as top prize for a pet essay writing contest. The generous donor is Clementina Marie Giovannetti, who has several bestsellers including "Clementina's Love Story: Diary of a Healer", "Caesar: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told By A Dog," "Oh Fair Maiden" and "The Best-Selling Guide To Dream Interpretation. "

British school teachers are advocating for education reforms, including a return to an early 1980s style of teaching, characterized by a strong liberal education. In essence, teachers are calling for more hours for play and less rigid methods in teaching young Britons how to read. Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told Guardian Unlimited, "Teachers want a return to a system which is liberal and flexible and not top-down and imposed by government. We want a return to a time when there was a potential for magic moments in the classroom. "