report from think tank Policy Exchange claims that most mothers of children under 3 years of age would rather get financial help to care for their children at home rather than use subsidized childcare. According to one of the authors of the report, Catherine Hakim, said that "One study showed that, in an ideal world, only one third of mothers in Britain would use any child care at all before their child's third birthday," according the Raisingkids website.

A man who found himself the winner of a Ł1. 3 million ($2. 6 million) lottery recently returned to his job at a local McDonald's after living a rich life, simply because he missed his co-workers. The man, 25-year old Luke Pittard, won the lottery with his girlfriend and co-worker, 29-year old Emma Cox, 18 months ago, leading Pittard to quit his job as the restaurant's staff trainer. However, he decided to return because of the fact that he simply loved his job.

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. "

A Chihuahua became a local spectacle at a Japanese temple, after the dog began to imitate the worshipers by clasping his front paws together, a position similar to hands placed together in prayer. The dog, a two-year old long-haired Chihuahua named Conan, would reportedly assume the praying position taken by temple worshipers, as a way of asking for doggie treats.

Excitement, enthusiasm, and national pride are running high among local Chinese in anticipation of the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games, a survey released Monday revealed. The survey 'Project 2008 Poll, conducted for public relations and advertising company Ogilvy in China and Milward Brown ACSR, showed that 74 percent of Chinese were "excited or very excited" about China hosting its first Olympics and a high degree of "national pride" in the games, prevails among 72 percent who said they were proud of China.