In-briefs
By Rebecca Boller

Boeing is investigating the possibility of developing the largest plane the world has ever seen. If built according to current specifications, its principle competitors would be cargo ships, not planes.

Called the Pelican, the wingspan would be 500 feet and the fuselage longer than a soccer field. With a capacity of 1,400 tons, its payload would be five times that of the world’s largest airplane, the Russian Antonov An-225.

Its military uses are also being considered. Current U.S. military plans call for the ability to deploy a whole division in five days, or five divisions in 30 days. The Pelican could carry 17 M-1 tanks at a time, making this goal feasible.

The plane could also be used as a “piggyback” plane, meaning that it could carry spacecraft to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere.



The euro has been held responsible as a cause for inflation and loss of national pride—but illness?

A Swiss research team, led by Frank Nestle, conducted a study on the 1- and 2- euro coins, determining the nickel content of the coins is responsible for an allergic reaction in some people. According to the study, when the two alloys present in the coins meet, salt in shoppers’ sweat causes an electrical current. The metal is subsequently corroded by the current, which, when exposed to skin, can cause eczema, irritation or other allergic reactions.

Since many people are allergic to nickel, the European Union has restrictions on nickel content in jewelry and other items exposed to skin. The euro coins are not regulated, however. According to Nestle, the nickel in the coins exceeds the limit by 240 to 320 times.



Supersized snacks are being blamed for the increase in overweight children in Britain. Experts claim that extra large chocolate bars and mega-sized packets of potato chips, coupled with children unaware of the dangers of overeating, have created an epidemic of obesity.

One in 10 children are classified as overweight and 2.6 percent are obese. Some experts fear that parents could conceivably outlive their children.
According to www.thisislondon.com, Dr Susan Jebb, of the Human Nutrition Research Centre in Cambridge, said: “An adult may buy a mega-sized packet of [potato chips], eat half and save the rest. Children will eat the whole lot in one go.”



AOL Time Warner is facing difficult times. Shareholders and company executives hoped the merger of the Internet provider and the media giant would spur growth. Instead, the merger has taken the combined companies down the hole. Shares for the company have fallen by more than 70 percent.
Now, several company directors are seeking to remove CEO Stephen Case. Case is resisting the challenge according to people close to the board. Under the terms of the merger, three-quarters of the board would have to approve Case’s dismissal. All Case needs are three allies on the 14-member board to forestall any sort of action against him.

Ted Turner, the outspoken vice chairman of the company, is being discussed as Case’s replacement.



Worldwide cross-border investment fell by more than 50 percent in 2001. This is the worst fall in 30 years, and the first time the index has dropped in a decade.

This comes about as the global economy continues to falter. Developing countries suffered the most, dropping by 59 percent. African nations were at the bottom of the list.

The U.S. stayed at the top while U.S. companies regained the top spot in terms of investment. China jumped as well, gaining 15 percent, making it the top Asian nation for foreign investment.



A molecule that repairs damaged DNA has been shown to hinder cancer treatment. But that could change soon, say researchers.

The molecule, called AlkB, can hamper treatments that target tumor DNA by repairing the unwanted genetic material. By inhibiting the mechanism or using it to shield healthy DNA, scientists hope to revolutionize cancer treatment.

“We think the AlkB molecule could be one of the major reasons for resistance to chemotherapy and now that we know how it works, it should be possible to find ways to overcome this problem,” said lead researcher Barbara Sedgwick, as quoted on the BBC.



Pakistani raids on al-Qaeda safe houses on Sept. 10 and 11 netted one of Daniel Pearl’s killers. Pearl, a correspondent with the Wall Street Journal, was killed at the beginning of the year in Pakistan by a militant Islamic group.
Fazal Karim was reported to be held at a safe location in Pakistan. The raids also brought in an alleged September 11 organizer, Ramzi Binalshibh, who was subsequently turned over to U.S. authorities.

Karim and another Pearl suspect claimed that Khalid shaikh Mohammed, a chief lieutenant in al-Qaeda, was the killer who slit Pearl’s throat. Mohammed has yet to be apprehended.



Bear Stearns Cos., the sixth-largest U.S. securities firm, recently informed its employees that casual dress code is no longer an option.

Several years after loosening up the dress code to keep employees from deserting to dot-com companies where casual clothing was allowed, companies are now restricting the donning of informal attire. Now that the dot-com boom has faded, most companies feel that returning to a formal dress code won’t lead to increased employee desertion.

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