14 METRO Friday, December 11, 2009 D Why not cash in on all that gold jewellery you NEVER wear! We buy and pay cash immediately for all gold items in any condition. Old Wedding Rings, Earrings, Chains, Bracelets, Ingots or Coins. EXTRA CASH FOR CHRISTMAS? Call Peter at College House Jewellers, 44 Nassau Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 677 7597 (Sor ry no Engagement Rings) Maths expert comes up with parallel parking plan DRIVERS trying to squeeze their cars into tight spaces have been presented with a geometrical perfect parking plan. The formula is the result of a collaboration between Vauxhall Motors and maths professor Simon Blackburn, from the University of Londons Royal Holloway College, who turned the parking exercise into an equation, complete with square roots, brackets and numbers. The formula aims to present the best way of getting a car into a parallel parking space in one, smooth movement after a Vauxhall survey showed 57 per cent of drivers lacked confidence in their parking ability. 2010 may be warmest yetNEXT year could be the warmest year on record, it was reported yesterday as officials at UN talks in Copenhagen continued negotiations to try to secure a new deal to tackle climate change. The forecast from climate scientists said a combination of man-made global warming and the El Nio weather pattern heating the Pacific Ocean would make it very likely that 2010 would be warmer than 2009. But the researchers warned that a record year in 2010 is not a certainty, especially if the current El Nio declined or there was a large volcanic eruption. The latest figures from the Met Office in the UK were unveiled as more than 1,700 scientists signed a statement defending global warming research in the face of criticism by sceptics. The level of emissions cuts that developed countries are prepared to sign up to and the efforts developing countries will make to curb the greenhouse gases causing climate change is one of the key issues of the conference. Meanwhile, EU leaders met at a summit in Brussels yesterday and will meet again today to discuss climate change, the economy, and a new jobs and growth strategy for Europe. EU urged to look at Greek crisis THE EU summit was grappling yesterday with a Greek financial crisis which threatens the euro and risks destabilising other economies. Athens is facing possible sanctions from Brussels for running a deficit of almost 13 per cent far above the three per cent maximum of GDP permitted under the eurozone rules. Greek prime minister Konstandinos Karamanlis may come under attack for not revealing the extent of the crisis earlier but has promised to cut spending and restore stability. Unassuming: Samuel Beckett 40m Beckett Bridge gets a grand openingBy jeananne craig a view of the new harp-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin after its official opening yesterday Picture: PA POET Seamus Heaney took a break from writing yesterday to attend the opening of a landmark bridge named after fellow Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett. The iconic structure stretches 120m across the River Liffey from Guild Street on the northside of Dublin city to Sir John Roger- sons Quay on the southside. Designed by the world-famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge takes the shape of the Irish harp with cable-stay strings. Actor Barry McGovern performed excerpts from Becketts work at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as the Waiting For Godot authors niece Caroline Murphy, nephew Edward Beckett and hundreds of Dubliners and other passers-by looked on. Ms Murphy said her uncle would have been amazed by the 40million creation built in his honour. He was a very, very unassuming man and I think he would have been quite overcome. I can see the tears in his eyes now he probably wouldnt have turned up to the open- ing but I think he would be very, very over- come by emotion, she said. Its wonderful that Seamus Heaney came and Im quite amazed that there are so many people here. I thought there would have been only a sprinkling of people in the know but I think Dublin has taken this bridge to its heart, Ms Murphy added. The Samuel Beckett Bridges steel super- structure was built at a Rotterdam shipyard before it made a week-long sea voyage to Ireland in May. The bridge can rotate to an angle of 90 between an open and closed position to allow boats to travel along the river and will also be able to accommodate Luas trams. Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello said the 48m-high bridge was a central part of the capitals transport infrastructure. The Beckett Bridge will improve traffic circulation, public transport and the pedestri- an environment in the city centre, she added. The structure is the second Calatrava bridge in the capital after the James Joyce bridge. The architect said he was deeply honoured to have given Dublin two signature designs. It is rare that an artist is able to contribute to the blueprint of such a historically rich city, he said. Working on the James Joyce Bridge, I developed a deep affinity for the people of Dublin, and I wanted my next bridge to celebrate that connection. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html