31 July 2007: Morning

  • According to Novak, the U.S. and Turkey are capturing Kurdish leaders to forestall Turkey from invading Iraq.
  • Rice rolls through Mid-East towns on a major arms-for-allies jaunt.
  • Iraq won the 2007 Asian Cup, and citizens ignored the threat of suicide bombers to celebrate with guns (four died from "happy fire").
  • Ivory Coast leaders set fire to stockpiled weapons in a stadium, though serious doubts and obstacles remain before elections.
  • Africa, still the continent of the future, but also for some a vertiginously lucrative investment.
  • African development slightly hampered by sub-Saharan power shortages.
  • Among notes about junk mail: Microsoft maintains 130,000 Hotmail accounts specifically for trapping dross.
  • Paean to Philippe de Montebello as his swan song sounds, striking fear he must ultimately be replaced.
  • If death is not extinction, what might it be like?
  • Humans' ability to run long distances is supported by duplicate genes, study suggests.
  • Russian women race in high heels to compete for shopping voucher.
  • Not finished with your IKEA shopping by closing time? Consider staying the night.
  • That old Matthew Baldwin chestnut, the IKEA walkthrough v2.3.1.
  • This editor flummoxed by BBC story: context, facts, even first two paragraphs too stunning to describe.
  • Less stunning, but still, how to build Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull.
  • The difference in being mates in Australia and being cool in the U.S.
  • Not for mates: The new national corporate office sport known as Faceball.
  • TMN's new design intern will absolutely not have to play Faceball with beer bottles.