Ratings to die for 21.03.01 NBC'S WAR CHANNEL, or Warch, which uses unmanned aerial vehicles to capture brutal scenes of death and destruction, has been criticised by the UN for distorting the tragedy of war   Superbug invades the brain 21.09.01 A BIZARRE outbreak of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has swamped psychiatric hospitals in Birmingham First EU history book is 'just a whitewash' 18.08.01 EVERYONE involved in the Eurohistory project agrees that its first published textbook is 99.99% whitewash   The bulldog loses its bark 17.10.01 THE EXPRESS newspaper, once the very embodiment of the bulldog spirit, has been bought by its oldest enemy, the Germans.

Tony Blair began his second term as prime minister but only after what commentators described as a 'bloody nose' from the electorate. Blair's 1997 majority of 179 was reduced to just 40. Undeterred, however, the Labour leader pledged a referendum on joining the euro as soon as possible. Michael Portillo, the enduring symbol of Tory defeat in 1997, was re-elected to parliament. DS Artificial neurons have been developed to replace dying brain cells in patients affected by dementia or other neural deficits. The neurons, developed at the University of Wisconsin, are made of silicon and grow crystalline axons which can bond with natural neurons. They are also expected to be used for chips that can be bolted on to the human brain to provide additional memory. RC Plans to extend the criminal offence of blasphemy to cover the Hindu, Sikh and Jewish religions were outlined in June by the Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit. The proposals have been criticised by other groups such as the Druids, which were not recognised as established religions. PF The biotechnology entrepreneur Craig Venter claims he has mapped the location of every human gene ­ several years ahead of the $3billion Human Genome Project. JB