Interesting Facts

King Willem-Alexander has become the first Dutch male monarch in more than a century after his mother Beatrix abdicated today. He is the first Dutch king since Willem III died in 1890.

According to Kevin Delaney, head of road safety at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, human beings are not genetically programmed to go backwards, so reversing in general is really quite difficult when you're learning to drive. (This statement was prompted by the internet video doing the rounds of a woman trying to parallel park (see below). Mr Delaney said, "There are some people who will not parallel park - they would sooner drive the extra half mile to use the supermarket car park." What about you?)

Scientists in the UK are genetically altering dairy cows so they have no horns, in a bid to make them safer and to cut the risk of injury to farmers and animals. (According to the UK's Health and Safety Executive, 5 farmers were killed and 91 injured by cattle between 2010-11, and according to the Farmers Union 6 workers died in 2012; three were trampled to death by cattle and three were attacked by bulls. And it's not just farmers, walkers, especially ones with dogs are at risk too.)

PVH, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and German retailer Tchibo have signed up to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement (BFBSA) which will require signatories to ensure suppliers' premises meet improved safety standards. (The drive for this follows the collapse of  the Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh.  Hundreds of people have been killed or injured and rescuers are still searching for survivors.   Simple Approach, a supplier to cheap fashion outlet Primark, occupied the second floor of the eight-storey building. It seems building collapses are common in Bangladesh, due to lax building regulations. 25 Nov 2000  A fire at the Sagar Chowdhury Garment Factory in Narsingdi, 35 miles from Dhaka, kills 52 people, including children. A locked gate stops them escaping. 11 Apr 2005  Sixty-four people are killed when the Spectrum factory near Dhaka collapses. The disaster is blamed on illegal construction. 25 Feb 2010  A...

According to a survey by RoxyPalace.com, British women find an Irish accent is the sexiest accent in the UK. (The success of the Irish accent (which also beat the French accent in a worldwide poll in 2009) is thought to be down to celebrity status of singer Danny O' Donoghue and One Direction's Niall Horan. And it probably doesn't hurt that Colin Farrell and James Nesbitt are Irish too, and Essex probably ended up at the bottom because of TOWIE.  (If you're not sure what TOWIE is, consider yourself lucky). The results of the British poll were:- 1. Irish - 28 per cent 2. West Country - 19 per cent 3. Geordie - 17 per cent 4. Mancunian - 11 per cent 5. Glaswegian - 8 per cent 6. Scouse - 6 per cent 7. Yorkshire - 5 per cent 8. Welsh - 3 per cent 9. Brummie - 2 per cent 10. Essex - 1 per cent ) !Note:- Irish = Ireland Geordie = Newcastle Mancunian = Manchester Glaswegian = Glasgow Scouse = Liverpool Welsh = Wales Brummie = Birmingham

The very first sip of beer releases a chemical that makes you want another one. (According to a study carried out at Indiana’s Alcohol Research Centre, that first sip releases dopamine into the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked to the brain’s pleasure centres. That must be why my photos are always 2 beers .) Source

At 16, Britain has the lowest recruitment age in Europe for young people wishing to join the army. (They do need their parent or guardian's permission, and they are not sent to any war zones.  But, human rights groups have worked out that with longer training, and a higher drop out rate, recruiting at such a young age wastes up to £94m a year.  It costs an "estimated" £88,985 to recruit, train and pay new soldiers aged 16 and 17, compared with £42,818 for each adult recruit. It might be nicer if they just pointed out that 16 year olds can't even vote as they're not considered mature enough. )