riverScrap

Abstinence advocates 'just as slutty as other teens'

Teens who vow to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have sex as their peers, a new study has found.

'Virginity pledges' have become popular in the US thanks to social outreach programmes, many of which are funded by Christian groups who believe that pre-marital sex is a sin.

But according to the new survey, the majority of teens who make a vow of chastity have difficulty in living up to the commitment.

Preston Council bans swearing, pissing & vomiting

Council chiefs have shown what a lovely place Preston is by erecting several signs and banners targeted at anti-social louts - who apparently the city doesn't have a problem with.

In an effort to entice festive shoppers during the Christmas period, a number of graphic public decency guidelines have been slapped up in locations across the Lancashire city.

Among the most family-friendly banners is a massive picture of a man urinating. Mothers can now happily point to the sign and tell their tots: "Look little uns', we're in a civilised society now."

PM urges sensitivity over televised suicide

Prime minister Gordon Brown has weighed in on the debate about Sky TV's broadcasting of an assisted suicide.

The network is due to air documentary Right To Die this evening (December 10), in which it will screen the last living moments of 59-year-old motor neurone sufferer Craig Ewert.

Euthanasia charity Dignitas assisted the former university lecturer's suicide, but Sky's decision to broadcast the precise moment of his death has stirred up intense controversy about media boundaries.

Poll: Savvy bible bashers 'pray ambiguously'

In news that is likely to make atheists and agnostics smugger than ever, a survey has revealed that the majority of pious Americans communicate with God in a deliberately ambiguous way.

People who regularly talk to the Big Guy tend to frame their prayers "broadly" in "abstract" terms, pollster Brandeis found, so as to boost the likelihood of an outcome that will reinforce their faith.

Researchers also uncovered other cynical undertones in the habits of America's churchgoers, many of whom express doubt about the existence of God but pray anyway just to "cover the bases".

No festive cheer for 'Christmas tree stowaways'

Four illegal immigrants who attempted to sneak into the country by hiding in a 32-foot artificial Christmas tree have been detained by police, The Northampton Chronicle reports.

The men - two Iraqis and two Iranians - are currently being questioned by the UK Border Agency after they were discovered in a lorry at a council depot in Northampton.

Their capture comes as five other Iraqi immigrants were nabbed in Calais as they tried to enter Britain in a lorry full of pork meat, which Islam deems "unclean" and forbids its followers to eat.

Juror dismissed for posting Facebook verdict poll

A juror has been kicked off a child abduction and sexual assault trial after asking her Facebook friends to weigh in on the case.

According to The Sun, the unnamed woman posted details of the trial on the social networking website, before commenting: "I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll."

What's more, she did so without specifying any privacy settings - meaning the Facebook posts were open to the public.

Child porn charges for 15-year-old who snapped self

A 15-year-old American girl has been hauled before federal authorities on child pornography charges after taking and distributing nude pictures of herself, The Newark Advocate reports.

The minor faces the prospect of having to register on the sex offender's list for the next 20 years, in addition to a lengthy jail sentence, after admitting her responsibility for the incident.

She reportedly made illegal use of her mobile phone camera despite receiving a stern warning from state prosecutors, who had been touring local schools to advise against the practice.

Anti-drug initiative tells kids: Find a reliable dealer

Anti-drug advocates in Australia are up in arms over a new brochure which tells troubled teenage students they should find a reliable dealer in order to regulate their habit.

The government-sponsored campaign in New South Wales has been accused of implicitly encouraging drug use after it issued a raft of dubious advice to schoolchildren.

In addition to touting the benefits of having a reliable dealer, the pamphlet tells kids: "When you're using a new batch, only try a little at first ... you can always use the rest later."