NEWS FLASHING - FRIDAY 23RD OCTOBER

       1. British couple feared kidnapped by pirates

     A British couple from Kent who have disappeared while sailing their yachet in the Seychelles are feared to have been kidnapped by Somali pirates.Despite the presence of a large international flotilla of warships in the area, piracy is still a lucrative business, and is a product of the chaotic situation in Somalia.

• For Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens comment on the situation in Somalia click here.
• For the latest news report on the situation, click here.

2. 70% rise in Down's pregnancies

In the last 20 years the number of women falling pregnant with babies who have Down's syndrome has risen by 70%, reflecting the growing number of older women who are having children. The number of abortions has subsequently risen because of the improvements in antenatal screening. Is antenatal screening a negative influence that pushes more women to have abortions when they wouldn't have, or is it a valuable tool which helps women to make better-informed decisions about their future?

3. Secret to happiness in younger, cleverer wives

The European Journal of Operational Research has released a report saying that a man who marries a woman who is five years younger than him and smarter than him is more likely to be happy. It shouldn't be harder for a man to find this kind of woman, but does this reflect a well-known myth that men who are the same age as women have a mental age at least 3 or 4 years younger? 

• News story on the BBC

BY FRANCES WEAVER AND ALICE COCKERELL