Dazzled by the attractions of fame, more than one in 10 young Britons would quit school to become tomorrow's tabloid star, a survey showed Friday.
In a country obsessed by celebrities, a growing number of children are more interested in becoming rich and famous than getting a good education, according to research from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
Around nine percent thought fame was a great way to earn money without skills or qualifications.
"Young people realize that you don't need skills for being famous and believe it is easy, which it is not," Max Clifford, Britain's best known publicist, told Reuters.
Britain's tabloids are littered with "revelations" about C-list celebrities and the country's most famous couple, David and Victoria Beckham, have made millions of pounds from gracing the front pages.
But the LSC pointed out that the chances of being picked for a Big Brother-style TV show and being popular afterwards were around one in 30 million, longer odds than winning the lottery.
Clifford, who has acted as agent for many fleeting celebrities, agreed.
"I would say to star-wannabes: See it as the lottery, try it but don't count on it, don't rely on it.
"Get yourself educated, get yourself a job, get yourself a situation."
20060113
Thief on horseback steals cell phone
Brazilian police have arrested a teenager who rode a horse into a busy district of Rio de Janeiro and, brandishing a toy gun, forced a man to hand over his cell phone.
Police told Reuters on Thursday the 15-year-old had confessed he borrowed the horse from a neighbor in the Rio slum where he lives and committed the crime after being promised $20 for a phone with a camera by members of a local criminal gang.
He rode into the courtyard of a hospital in Rio's Meier neighborhood and snatched the phone from a man waiting in line there. When police caught up with him a few blocks away, he was on foot and the horse was nowhere to be seen.
"I've been robbed four times in this area, but this time I was totally flabbergasted seeing a boy on horseback ordering me to give up my phone. I've seen robbers on bikes or on foot, but this is crazy," Extra newspaper quoted the victim as saying.
Horses are not a common sight on Rio streets but they can sometimes be seen in the slums on the outskirts.
Police told Reuters on Thursday the 15-year-old had confessed he borrowed the horse from a neighbor in the Rio slum where he lives and committed the crime after being promised $20 for a phone with a camera by members of a local criminal gang.
He rode into the courtyard of a hospital in Rio's Meier neighborhood and snatched the phone from a man waiting in line there. When police caught up with him a few blocks away, he was on foot and the horse was nowhere to be seen.
"I've been robbed four times in this area, but this time I was totally flabbergasted seeing a boy on horseback ordering me to give up my phone. I've seen robbers on bikes or on foot, but this is crazy," Extra newspaper quoted the victim as saying.
Horses are not a common sight on Rio streets but they can sometimes be seen in the slums on the outskirts.
20060107
Is it too late to change to a different army?
Dutch troops helping earthquake survivors in Pakistan have complained that while they are subject to an alcohol ban, Spanish and British soldiers laugh at their austerity and turn up drunk at their campfire.
"We were told before we arrived that alcohol was banned in this country or else very difficult to get hold of and we accepted this," one soldier told the Dutch daily De Telegraaf.
"The Spanish drive around with cars full of Heineken ... and the English laugh at us when they show up at our campfire drunk," another Dutch soldier said.
A Dutch defense ministry spokesman said it was standard policy to ban alcohol in Muslim countries in line with local custom and Dutch troops were being well looked after.
"Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the earthquake and hundreds of thousands lost everything they had," he said. "Going without alcohol is a small sacrifice toward a very good cause."
"We were told before we arrived that alcohol was banned in this country or else very difficult to get hold of and we accepted this," one soldier told the Dutch daily De Telegraaf.
"The Spanish drive around with cars full of Heineken ... and the English laugh at us when they show up at our campfire drunk," another Dutch soldier said.
A Dutch defense ministry spokesman said it was standard policy to ban alcohol in Muslim countries in line with local custom and Dutch troops were being well looked after.
"Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the earthquake and hundreds of thousands lost everything they had," he said. "Going without alcohol is a small sacrifice toward a very good cause."
20060106
Man allegedly torches Christmas tree
Police arrested a man who allegedly torched the city's 30-foot-tall Christmas tree in retaliation for a parking ticket.
Bruce Morrison, 52, was arrested Wednesday at his Glendale home and was booked for investigation of arson, Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez said. He was released after posting $50,000 bail.
The tree at the Civic Center's Parcher Plaza was reduced to charcoal last Friday night. Witnesses told police that they saw a gray-haired man leaving the scene in a blue pickup truck shortly before the fire started.
Sgt. Ernie Garcia of the department's arson unit said the city will seek restitution of the tree's $2,500 cost and another $5,000 in decorations and fencing that were destroyed in the fire.
Bruce Morrison, 52, was arrested Wednesday at his Glendale home and was booked for investigation of arson, Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez said. He was released after posting $50,000 bail.
The tree at the Civic Center's Parcher Plaza was reduced to charcoal last Friday night. Witnesses told police that they saw a gray-haired man leaving the scene in a blue pickup truck shortly before the fire started.
Sgt. Ernie Garcia of the department's arson unit said the city will seek restitution of the tree's $2,500 cost and another $5,000 in decorations and fencing that were destroyed in the fire.
20060103
Student recants story of stolen $175,000 violin
A music student who told police a $175,000 violin was stolen from her car has recanted her story and the rare instrument has been recovered, police said on Friday.
A music shop had loaned a violin made by 18th-century Italian craftsman Nicolo Gagliano to Sabina Nakajima, 24, while she said she was considering whether to buy it. Nakajima told police it disappeared from the trunk of her car, which was towed away after she illegally parked it.
After looking crestfallen in local television interviews on Thursday, Nakajima recanted the story, a police official who did not want to be named said, and the instrument was recovered on Friday in good condition on the steps of a Catholic church 15 miles south of San Francisco.
"San Francisco police have determined that the original report of theft ... was false and the violin was never stolen," police said in a press release. "Investigators will complete their investigation and refer the case to the San Francisco District Attorney's office."
Nash Mondragon, owner of the Cremona violin shop that lent Nakajima the instrument on behalf of the seller, said he did not want to deal with the item any more.
"That's terrible," he said of the false theft report. "The violin is being returned to the owner. I don't want to handle the violin anymore."
Asked what collateral he had taken before lending out the instrument, he replied: "You have to trust them. That's the way the business has always worked."
Nakajima did not return calls for comment.
A music shop had loaned a violin made by 18th-century Italian craftsman Nicolo Gagliano to Sabina Nakajima, 24, while she said she was considering whether to buy it. Nakajima told police it disappeared from the trunk of her car, which was towed away after she illegally parked it.
After looking crestfallen in local television interviews on Thursday, Nakajima recanted the story, a police official who did not want to be named said, and the instrument was recovered on Friday in good condition on the steps of a Catholic church 15 miles south of San Francisco.
"San Francisco police have determined that the original report of theft ... was false and the violin was never stolen," police said in a press release. "Investigators will complete their investigation and refer the case to the San Francisco District Attorney's office."
Nash Mondragon, owner of the Cremona violin shop that lent Nakajima the instrument on behalf of the seller, said he did not want to deal with the item any more.
"That's terrible," he said of the false theft report. "The violin is being returned to the owner. I don't want to handle the violin anymore."
Asked what collateral he had taken before lending out the instrument, he replied: "You have to trust them. That's the way the business has always worked."
Nakajima did not return calls for comment.
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