■ United States
Retro moon trip planned
NASA hopes to return astronauts to the moon by 2018, nearly a half-century after men last walked the lunar surface, by using a distinctly retro combination of space shuttle and Apollo rocket parts. The fact that this successor to the soon-to-be-retired shuttle relies so heavily on old-time equipment, rather than sporting fancy futuristic designs, "makes good technological and management sense," said John Logsdon, director of George Washington University's space policy institute. "The emphasis is on achieving goals rather than elegance," said Logsdon, who along with other members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board urged NASA to move beyond the risky, aging shuttles as soon as possible.
■ United Kingdom
Foxhunters find loophole
British foxhunters, whose centuries-old pursuit was banned earlier this year, have found a novel way of circumventing the law, a report said Saturday -- by bringing along a bird of prey. According to the Times, some hunts have noticed a loophole in the law which outlaws the hunting of foxes with dogs, which came into force this year despite massive opposition from hunters. The law allows foxes to be flushed out by dogs to be shot as vermin, but only two dogs are allowed to accompany such a hunt. However, if the hunt is officially being led by a bird of prey such as a golden eagle or an eagle owl, the legislation does not restrict the number of dogs that can be used, hunters claim.
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