Italian tax inspectors go undercover on beaches

As millions of Italians soak up the sun on their annual summer holidays, not even the beaches are safe from the scrutiny of the countrys tax police. Tax officers have resorted to going undercover in board shorts, T-shirts and sunglasses to root out tax evasion among stabilimenti the operators who hire out umbrellas, changing cabins and sun loungers to beachgoers. Continue reading

Malaysia well in the red

What, I wonder, aside from self-revealing unconscious symbolism, could possibly explain Umnos strange and apparently growing obsession with the colour red? Yes, Im aware that the Umno symbol, the design with what looks like two face-to-face snake-heads on top and crossed kerises down below, usually if not always appears in the colour red Continue reading

Space Station Crew: Dragon Capsule has 'New Car Smell'

“Like the smell of a brand-new car” were the words of International Space Station astronaut Don Pettit on Saturday after he carefully opened the hatch and entered the Dragon capsule for his first glimpse inside. Dragon connected with the station Friday, making history as the first private capsule to reach the orbiting spacecraft Continue reading

Space crew enters Dragon capsule

Space station nabs ‘Dragon by the tail’ STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) — “Like the smell of a brand-new car” were the words of International Space Station astronaut Don Pettit on Saturday after he carefully opened the hatch and entered the Dragon capsule for his first glimpse inside. Dragon connected with the station Friday, making history as the first private capsule to reach the orbiting spacecraft. Pettit opened the hatch at 5:53 a.m Continue reading

'New car smell' as space station crew enters Dragon capsule

Space station nabs ‘Dragon by the tail’ STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) — “Like the smell of a brand-new car” were the words of International Space Station astronaut Don Pettit on Saturday after he carefully opened the hatch and entered the Dragon capsule for his first glimpse inside. Dragon connected with the station Friday, making history as the first private capsule to reach the orbiting spacecraft. Continue reading

Private supply ship rockets toward space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A first-of-its-kind commercial supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station following a successful liftoff early Tuesday, opening a new era of dollar-driven spaceflight. The SpaceX company made history as its Falcon 9 rocket rose from its seaside launch pad and pierced the pre-dawn sky, aiming for a rendezvous in a few days with the space station Continue reading