For these canine lifeguards, the doggie paddle does just fine.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy’s corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

These “lifedogs” wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.

The airline has not blamed any of its current or alleged predicted policies such as charging for luggage, charging for checking in, charging to use the toilet, making people stand up or the predicted fat tax on larger passengers.

It is thought that the airline had 10,000 flights grounded because of the cloud and they always protested that too many precautions were being taken.

Is this really a good news story? Well if you have ever flown Ryanair then it probably qualifies as one and proves that every cloud indeed does have a silver lining.

A group of young people, inspired by a similar action in Estonia in 2008, promoted the idea of cleaning up the entire country – in one day! The idea was soon backed up by several partners and supporters, and nation-wide campaign started.

The campaign managed to involve and connect more or less the entire nation, including the Government, the President of Slovenia, local municipalities and organisations, media partners, Olympic committee of Slovenia, tourist organisations, Slovenian Army, Fire-fighters, trash management companies, Slovenian universities, schools and kindergartens, etc. – with several companies and well-known individuals backing up the campaign and the project

Brigitte, said last week it would only publish photographs of “real women” after readers complained they could not identify with the models depicted.

Magazine’s editor-in-chief Andreas Lebert said he was sick of having to retouch photos of underweight models. “For years we have had to use Photoshop to fatten the girls up,” he said. “Especially their thighs and décolletage. But this is disturbing and perverse, and what has it got to do with our real reader?”

This can only be good news and hopefully wannabe models around the world will sit up and take notice.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader, and Lech Walesa, founder of Poland’s liberty-seeking Solidarity movement – walked across the Bornholmer Street bridge, which was the first checkpoint along the Berlin Wall to throw open its gates Nov. 9, 1989.

“You made this possible,’’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the 78-year-old ex-Soviet premier, as tens of thousands of onlookers chanted, “Gorby! Gorby!’’

Merkel added: “You courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect.’’

The wreckage and their contents have been discovered in grand condition.  They established that the ships never actually capsized.   The wrecks were in much deeper waters away from strong destructive currents,laden with contents  found in exactly in the same positions as when the ships originally set off.

The largest wreck measures more than 65 feet.  A handful of objects were taken out to be studied and will be put on display in Ventotene.

A British soldier, who lost his legs in a rocket attack in Iraq last year, completed the London marathon after walking on crutches for two weeks. Major Phil Packer was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers as he touched the finishing line on Saturday.

“There are others who are coming back injured (from Iraq and Afghanistan) and my thoughts are really with their families at the moment,” Major Packer said.

The 36-year-old former soldier was told that he would never be able to walk again after he was injured in an attack in the southern Iraqi city of Basara in February 2008.

He completed 2 miles a day over two weeks.

Widespread reports in the press are suggesting that the next few summers in the UK will be some of the longest, hottest and sunniest on record. This is mainly attributed to the harsh winter and the oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon known as El Niño which occurs in the Pacific Ocean.

The pattern of El Nino is suggesting that Britain and much of Northern Europe will be in for a number of long and sunny summers which will come as welcome news after the recent ones.

Rainfall throughout Europe is predicted to be lower this summer too meaning BBQs will be enjoying plenty of use throughout the UK.

The Met office in the UK is usually pretty accurate with these long range forecasts and have predicted many hot days above 30C .