The Daily: July 20

Cab conversion
A London cab driver has come up with a creative alternative to trawling through traffic during the Olympics, while still earning money and generating a business. David Weekes has transformed his traditional black cab by fitting in a memory foam mattress including a Union Jack duvet, radio, iPad, mini fridge and teddy bear, all of which will be available for £50 per night. The idea arose due to Weekes being shocked by the extraordinary prices for a hotel room during the Olympics period. Weekes, who has named his car as ‘hail-a-hotel,’ is worried about road closures as well as taxi drivers not being permitted to drive in the newly installed Olympic lanes. He therefore hopes that his invention will improve his income over the next few weeks. The guests will be left alone for the evening in an agreed location –outside the Olympic Park or under the London eye – for as long as it is permitted. Alternatively, guests can stay near Weekes’ East London home where the bathroom will be easily accessible.

Hundreds of bars of silver found in shipwreck
Last September hundreds of bars of silver were discovered in a World War II shipwreck, reportedly valued at approximately £155 million. This record 48-ton haul of silver bullion has been retrieved from the SS Gairsoppa after the heaviest and deepest underwater mission took place. The cargo ship had sunk in February 1941, 300 miles southwest of Galway Island. On board had been 83 crewmembers and two gunners, but tragically only one of the officers managed to survive during the evacuation to reach the shore after the vessel had been hit by a German torpedo. The 1,203 bars of silver belong to the UK after the Government paid the owners £325,000 for the cargo, and has now been moved to a secure location.

Sir Alastair Burnet dies at 84
The veteran newsreader, most famous for headlining ITV’s News At Ten, has died at the age of 84. His family released a statement saying that he died at a nursing home in London where he was receiving care after suffering from several strokes. The broadcaster had retired aged 63 after he presented his last news bulletin in August 1991. A close friend, Andrew Neil, described him as: “One of the greatest journalists of his generation.” Sir Alastair had also built a distinguished career as a print journalist, editing publications such as The Economist and The Daily Express. He joined ITN in 1963 as its political editor, deciding to switch to news reading four years later. John Hardie, the chief executive of ITN, paid a touching tribute to Sir Alastair, stating: “ITN stands on the shoulders of giants, none greater than Sir Alastair Burnet.”

Iceberg has broken off Greenland
A massive iceberg -  twice the size of Manhattan - has broken off a glacier in Greenland. NASA has revealed that its polar-orbiting Aqua satellite observed the break on 16-17 July. It is thought that this breakage is a clear indication of global warming. The Canadian and Greenland Governments are watching over the iceberg’s progress, as it could be a potential hazard to shipping. Although the floating iceberg should not cause an immediate rise in sea levels, just as melting ice in a drink does not cause an overflow, an iceberg can act as a sort of plug at the end of the glacier. This means that when glaciers break off, it can speed up the rate in which glaciers on the land, rather than the sea, melt.

Winners of highest heels in Europe: British women
It has been discovered that the average size of heel worn by British women is 3.3 inches. In comparison, the average heel height among French women is 2.4 inches and among German women 2.7 inches. The Spanish are revealed to be closer to Britain in their quest for height and have an average of 3.2 inches, as revealed in a survey by the foot care brand Compeed. The company suggested that these results could be due to the fact that British and Spanish women normally tend to be smaller than German women. However, having the highest heel height comes at a price, with 50% of women admit that they would rather endure the pain of their heels instead of wearing flats. The women in Eastern England appeared to be more sensible with their choice of heel, averaging at 3.25 inches while in North East England the average was at its highest with 3.46 inches.  Londoners settled for the middle with 3.37 inches.