This week's UK news: 9 May 2014
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9 May 2014


Want to see a dinosaur? Look in the sky

Oxford University scientists say dinosaurs did not become extinct. Instead, they became smaller, and turned into the 10,000 different types of bird we see today, they say.

Researchers say that over millions of years dinosaurs gradually became smaller until they evolved into birds. Getting smaller helped them survive, and allowed them to become one of the most varied and widespread species on Earth.

 

Bedside lamp worth GBP 300,000

A family which used a vase painted with flowers as a bedside lamp base has been surprised to learn it is worth around GBP 300,000.

The vase is from the 18th century, and the owners bought it very cheaply 40 years ago. They were surprised to find it is now worth 100 times more than when they bought it, and it will be next month.

 

When are British people happiest?

You may not be surprised to find that British people are most happy minutes after they stop work for the week, at 18.08 on a Friday evening. We then feel happy about work all day Saturday but start getting grumpy about it again on Sunday evening.

By 13.42 on Mondays, most job frustration has reached its peak. The charity which did the research says: "People really don't like Mondays."

 

Famous man jailed for sex offences

Several well-known men have been accused of sexual crimes against young women and teenagers dating back several decades. Many victims came forward after publicity about a former TV and radio presenter called Jimmy Savile. Savile was honoured in his life for his charity work, but after his death police found he had abused lots of children.

The Savile case led to more investigations of other well-known people. Last week the first of these was sent to prison for eight years for sexually abusing four teenage women. The man, Max Clifford, was not a performer himself but got good publicity for people in newspapers, and kept bad stories about them out of newspapers.

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