METRO Friday, October 23, 2009 D Koran verse on baby a miracle A MIRACLE baby has brought a mystical hope to people in a mostly Muslim part of southern Russia who are increasingly desperate in the face of Islamist violence. Thousands of pilgrims lined up this week to get a glimpse of nine- month-old baby Ali Yakubov, on whose body they say verses from the Koran appear and fade every few days. The Koranic verse Be thankful or grateful to Allah was printed on the infants right leg in clearly legible Arabic script this week, religious leaders said. Thousands of pilgrims from Russias Muslim population are arriving daily to see the docile, blue-eyed baby, whose pink brick house has become a shrine. cubism BANNED cancer-causing chemicals frozen in glaciers after being dumped 40 years ago are polluting the envi- ronment as icebergs melt through glo- bal warming, scientists have warned. Researchers in Switzerland have discovered shrinking glaciers are re- leasing chemicals, known as persist- ent organic pollutants (POPs), into glacial lakes after being dumped in the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, toxic substances, includ- ing pesticides and dioxins, were fro- zen within icebergs and buried in the cancer toxins in glaciers released as Earth warmsBy ellen oreilly ice mass known as eternal ice. But as the Earths temperature rises, pollutants that take a long time to de- compose are seeping back into lakes and soaking into the sediment. A study by research groups found melting glaciers have become a sec- ondary source of pollution from in- dustrial products that can cause muta- tions in humans and animals. Scientists from aquatic research body Eawag drilled into the Oberaar- see glacier in Switzerland and tested the samples of sediment for a range of different substances. Christian Bogdal of research group EZH Zurich said: Based on our anal- ysis of the layers, we were able to confirm that POPs were being pro- duced in large quantities from 1960 to 1970, and deposited in alpine lakes. The study also found the amount of chlorine-based chemicals in the sedi- ment dated from the 1990s was higher than in those from the 1960s and 1970s, showing a higher concentra- tion of pollutants in the last 15 years. It also found the long-living chemi- cals can be transported through the atmosphere and can be found in gla- ciers up in the Swiss Alps where they threaten the fragile ecosystems. But researchers are still investigat- ing how the chemicals accumulate in glaciers and how they are affected by exposure to intense sunlight. Peter Schmid, of Swiss research laboratory Empa, said they also need to know if larger quantities of pollut- ants are still waiting to be released. scientists stir up the perfect gravy JUICES from a joint of beef and the left-over water from boiled cabbage make the perfect gravy, scientists have found. And the joint should be cooked on a bed of halved onions, carrots and celery. Research by the Royal Society of Chemistry has come up with the ideal recipe for traditional gravy. The society says a good gravy has a lot of nutrients, including protein, vitamins B1 and B6, riboflavin and nicotinic acid. Early to bed, early to rise gets result TEACHERS have agonised over how to keep tired children interested in class, and now experts have come up with a solution lessons in getting a good nights sleep. Teaching youngsters the value of sleep should be as important as learning about healthy eating and exercise in schools, British experts said. Bad sleeping habits in childhood can lead to health problems in adulthood, they added. Most sculptors use clay, stone or marble, but artist Brendan Jamison uses sugar cubes as eye candy. The 29-year-olds largest design stands 2.7m (9ft) high and was put together over two months using 19,342 cubes of sugar. While it may not be everyones cup of tea, some of the Belfast fine art graduates bigger works sell for a sweet 7,740. To hold the sugar lumps together, Mr Jamison uses a special glue which is absorbed into the sugar Picture: Solent index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html