D Wednesday, November 18, 2009 METRO 11 US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and US president Barack Obama attend talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with Chinese president Hu Jintao yesterday Picture: AFP/Getty thought it was Amsterdam. Irish peo- ple were quicker to recognise other cities, including London (88 per cent), Paris (87 per cent) and Sydney (76 per cent) without their respective clocks, towers and music venues be- fore their own home town. In fact, more Irish people recog- nised London sans Big Ben than Brits themselves 17 per cent couldnt identify the Houses of Parliament without its iconic timepiece. Despite the rise of the mini-break, the research by Hotels.com showed it is our neighbouring European cities that we know the least. Fewer than half (48 per cent) of Irish travellers recognised Barcelona without Gaudis Sagrada Familia; more than a third (38 per cent) spot- ted Pisa without its Leaning Tower, and just 36 per cent recognised Berlin without its Fernsehturm TV tower. Its interesting to see just how im- portant a citys iconic landmark is when it comes to recognising the des- tination, said Hotels.com spokes- woman Alison Couper. This quirky survey shows that it is the cities which have a famous and world renowned landmark, such as the Sydney Opera House or the Eiffel Tower, that tend to resonate more in our minds. If you think you could actually do any better, head to www.hotels.co.uk/ hotel-deals/landmark_quiz and try the quiz yourself. Tragic: GAA star Cormac died suddenly THE parents of a GAA star who died of a fatal heart condition have backed a screening programme that is saving the lives of other young people. All-Ireland winning Tyrone footballer Cormac McAnallen, 24, was healthy when he fell victim to sudden adult death syndrome (SADS) in his sleep in 2004. His family set up The Cormac Trust in his memory to increase awareness of the silent killer. They donated 30,000 to a family heart screening clinic, which tests relatives who have lost a loved one to SADS in an effort to reduce the number of deaths. Cardiologist Dr Joe Galvin who has screened more than 900 people, and who set up the clinic in the Heart House near Dublins Mater Hospital, said: In 15 per cent to 20 per cent of families we will find some clue or some cause. He warned that anyone who had a family member who died suddenly at a young age or who suffers blackouts should be screened. Sports stars family back heart clinic A BIG-EARED bank raider nicknamed Shrek is behind bars after being warned he is too ugly to commit crime. Unfortunate David Holyoak, 33, is a dead ringer for the animated ogre and his features make it easy for police to get his description and locate him. As Holyoak (pictured), of Whitefield, Manchester, began a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence for robbery, one officer said: This man only needs to look in the mirror to realise crime is not for him. Robber who is too ugly for crime life BY ROSS McDONAGH If Hapenny bridge was gone, 28% would be lost WE ALL know everybodys broke and worried about their pay packet but who would have thought the loss of a mere hapenny could be so dev- astating? A survey has revealed almost a third of Irish people failed to recognise their capital city without one of its iconic landmarks, the Hapenny Bridge. More than 10,000 people worldwide were shown photos of 15 cities with their famous landmarks airbrushed out and thousands didnt know where they were without the big fancy reference points. Whether it was the deceptively clean looking river, the fun red barge or the general aura of drug tolerance, the vast majority of Irish people (28 per cent) who failed to recognise Dublin Hapenny placed: The famous bridge Obama: World needs a strong yuan BARACK OBAMA yesterday urged Chinese president Hu Jintao to allow the yuan currency to rise to ease global economic imbalances. The US president, speaking after a summit in Beijing, said the move would make an essential contribution to the global rebalancing effort. The yuan has been pegged against the dollar since the middle of last year and analysts have voiced fears that China is keeping its currency artificially low to boost exports. I was pleased to note the Chinese commitment made in past statements to move toward a more market-oriented exchange rate over time, Mr Obama said. However, Mr Hu failed to mention the yuan and instead said talks between them went very well and that they would continue to have consultations on an equal footing to properly address their economic and trade frictions. The two leaders also discussed human rights and Mr Obama urged China to resume talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama, Tibets exiled spiritual leader. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html