The lost tribe staring extinction in the face: Extraordinary new pictures of life in the depths of the Amazon jungle

These incredibly detailed photographs offer a unique insight into the lives of one of the world's last uncontacted tribes.

Spears aloft, faces daubed with vivid red paint these bewildered villagers stare up at the helicopter high above them.

For them, as for those who saw them, it was a remarkable moment as the group live in total isolation in the dense Amazon rainforest along the Brazilian-Peruvian border.

The aerial images were taken by Brazilian authorities, who have been monitoring the group for some time, and - concerned about their welfare - they have handed them to British charity Survival International, and other NGOs, in the hope that they can help protect their territory and preserve their isolated existence.

Rainforest: A wider view of the first picture shows the tribe lives in among rich foliage where their needs are well met

Painted with annatto seed dye which provides the distinctive red dye, a man wanders though the community's garden, surrounded by banana plants while three others painted with red and black vegetable dye watch the Brazilian government plane

Fears are growing that an influx of illegal loggers from Peru could threaten their survival, by pushing back other tribes in the River Envira area and creating bloody conflict over raw materials and land.

Three years ago Survival International released images of the same tribe to prove their existence and the fact that they should be protected from the loggers, who were scything their way though the rainforest.

On that occasion the hunters of the group fired arrows and flung spears at the helicopter, not knowing - of course - what the helicopter was.

But while the Brazilian government have marked out three continuous areas of territory on their side of the border, where four or more tribes live in peace, their Peruvian neighbours continue to adopt a more uncaring attitude.

President Alan García, who took charge of Peru in July 2006, has even gone on record to say that these tribes do not exist. This leaves the Brazilian authorities and NGOs operating in the area in an incredibly frustrating position about how to protect the groups from the land grabs which could lead to potential extinction.

The tribe have distinctive shorn foreheads and long hair behind, like Panoan Indians, and these images reveal astonishing detail about their way of life as well as what a vibrant community they are.

There are baskets full of a type of cassava and papaya as well as containers of vegetables, fish and game covered with banana leaves.

The community, which is estimated to contain about 150 people, also have metal goods such as a machete knife and a pan - believed to have been acquired through inter-tribal trading.

Fiona Watson of Survival International and a researcher working in the area fears that if the Peruvian government persists with its current attitude and does nothing to halt the impact of the loggers then the future of the tribe is in doubt.

Back in 1987 the Brazilian government realised the disastrous impact it was having on the tribes by continually trying to make contact. Statistics showed that 50 per cent of those it had met died within a year due to their lack of immunity to diseases which they were unfamiliar with.

Mrs Watson, who has worked for Survival for 20 years, is fearful that if pressure is not put on the Peruvian government to expel the loggers, then this small cluster of tribes - and their fascinating way of life - will be lost for ever.

Rainforest: A wider view of the first picture shows the tribe lives in among rich foliage where their needs are well met

In denial: Peruvian President Alan García has gone on record to say that there is no proof that the Amazon tribes exist

'I'm extremely angry and I don't understand why in our world today a lot of people don't think that these groups don't have as much rights as anyone else,' she told MailOnline.

'They are a fantastic example of how to live a sustainable life. They are very sophisticated and no one has a better understanding of their environment. We can learn a lot from them.

'What we are seeing is people who are living differently but they are human beings like you or me. There is a moral and ethical issue. What right do we have to tell them how to live?

'Despite all the pressure on the Peruvian government over three years ago, next to nothing has been done to help them.

'The information from the Brazil side is that the situation is getting much worse - the illegal loggers are working their way though the Amazon.

'This is pushing uncontacted Indians who live on the Peru side over the hillside, and the Brazilian authorities fear that this could create contact with the tribes on their side.

'There are several uncontacted groups in the area and if they are pushed back the fear is that this would put pressure on the tribes, and there will conflict and competition for resources.

'At the moment they look healthy, they have gardens brimming full of produce and they look fit. Clearly they are living quite well at the moment, but there are threats on the horizon.'

The tribes in the area - of which there are believed to be a handful - are thought to have been descendants from slaves caught up in the rubber boom a century ago.

They were forced to work in terrible conditions and some fled into the Amazon to escape - and they have lived in these remote locations deep in the rainforest in isolation until now.

'Really very little is known about them,' said Mrs Watson, who has brought the issue to the attention of the United Nations.

'They are vulnerable and they have no voice. Often they are not aware of the threats on the horizon like a road or hydroelectric dam.

'It is a clear choice that they want to remain isolated, and I'm sure their historical memory, with what went on during the rubber boom, is very strong. They are very happy the way they are.

'We want to put pressure on the Peruvian government and force them into action. If they don't act now, then there will be serious repercussions for the uncontacted groups on the Brazil side.

'We have released these amazing pictures and set up a website, uncontactedtribes.org, so we can campaign and raise awareness.

'We want to publicising the issues and put pressure on the Peruvian government to uphold these Indians' rights.

'It is only a matter of time before the tribes are reached, thanks to the loggers - it's likely to be within this year.

'Our main weapon is public opinion - if the British public get involved in this campaign and contact their local MP, then that will help. We have an "Act Now" command on the website (which can be found here) which will allow you to send an e-mail directly to the president of Peru.'

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL

Survival International was established in 1969 after journalist Norman Lewis wrote a feature called 'Genocide' for the Sunday Times about the Amazonian tribes being obliterated.

They were targeted, killed and their land was stolen, and the government would do nothing to stop it.

The charity was formed as a reaction to the outrage the article caused.

They mostly work in South America, but also have projects in Africa, and guard remote tribes in the Andaman Islands in India, and Asia.

For more information please visit www.uncontactedtribes.org.

Angel of the North artist Antony Gormley uses old cathedral nails to create stunning new artwork

Old iron nails taken from the repaired roof of Canterbury Cathedral have been used by sculptor Antony Gormley to create a striking new artwork there.

Unveiled today, the piece, called Transport, is suspended at the cathedral above the site of the first tomb of Thomas Becket, the archbishop murdered at the altar on December 29 1170.

The two metre-long work uses antique iron nails from the cathedral's repaired south east transept lead roof to construct a membrane outlining the space of a floating body.

The new sculpture by artist Antony Gormley, entitled Transport, is made from nails taken from Canterbury Cathedral

Unveiled today, the piece is suspended in the eastern crypt of Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, above the site of the first tomb of Thomas Becket

Gormley, who won the Turner Price in 1994, is best known for his works such as the Angel of the North and Another Place on Crosby beach.

Speaking about Transport, Gormley, 60, said: 'We are all the temporary inhabitants of a body. It is our house, instrument and medium.

''We are all the temporary inhabitants of a body. It is our house, instrument and medium,' says Gormley of his sculpture

The Dean of Canterbury says he is thrilled by the piece, and particularly by the imaginative reuse of the old nails

Gormley, who won the Turner Price in 1994, is best known for his works such as the Angel of the North and Another Place on Crosby beach.

'Through it all impressions of the world come and from it all our acts, thoughts and feelings are communicated.

'I hope to have evoked this in the most direct way possible.'

The Very Reverend Robert Willis, the Dean of Canterbury, said:

'It is very thrilling for all of us here at Canterbury Cathedral that Antony Gormley has taken the old nails from the roof which was being restored and from them created the statue Transport.

'The sense of passage which the word Transport conveys tunes well with the constant movement of people through this place of prayer and creativity.

'It also suggests the way in which sacred spaces communicate a sense of time and eternity, of the finite and the infinite.

'We are hugely grateful for this work.'

Hanging in the balance: Daredevil acrobat's spectacular tight rope mountain walk... with no harness or safety net

One slip and he would plummet 10,000ft to the ground below.

Yet Freddy Nock too his most hair-raising stunt nonchalantly in his stride.

These stunning images show 45-year-old Freddy Nock completing his latest feat - walking more than 5,200 feet down a mountain cable car wire - without a safety net or a harness in the Swiss mountains.

Fearless: 45-year-old high wire artist Freddy Nock walks on the rope of the the Corvatsch cable car in Switzerland wearing no safety harness. His only aid was an outsized pole to help him balance

Balancing act: Swiss acrobat Freddy Nock moves carefully as he walks along a cable car line more than 10,000 feet above the ground - without a harness or safety net

Nock, a hire wire artist extraordinaire who works for a circus, undertook this latest stunt near the Swiss mountain resort of St Moritz.

Using only a balancing stick, he walked down the cable of a funicular on Mount Corvatsch - which is 9, 908 feet above sea level.

Long way down: Nock's incredible feat was his second attempt. Bad weather forced him to abandon a first try

He shuffled along the cable for some 5,249 feet, starting from the mountain station - at an altitude of 10,836 feet - to the middle station, which is 8,865 feet above sea level.

Nock, who starting learning acrobatic skills at the age of four, successfully completed the walk on his second attempt, after bad weather forced him to stop earlier in the day.

He previously performed similar stunts Germany, staging a climb over the slopes of the country's highest mountain, and walking 900-metres over Lake Zurich.

Above the clouds: Nock completed a similar high wire walk in 2009, when he staged a climb over the slopes of Germany's highest mountain for charity

Daredevil: Nock walked down over a distance of some more than 5,200 feet

Top bombing, Tom! Tom Daley and his Olympic partner pull off the world’s most difficult dive - an incredible 4.5 somersaults in less than 2 seconds

It is a feat of competition diving so difficult it was once thought impossible – but yesterday two British sportsmen pulled off the manoeuvre dubbed The Big Front.

Teenage star Tom Daley and his Olympic partner Pete Waterfield completed four-and-a-half somersaults in under two seconds – the blink of an eye it takes to hit the water from the 10-metre board. And what’s more, they did it synchronised in tandem.

Even to sports fans whose appreciation of diving is limited to comedian Peter Kay’s famous ‘top bombing’ advert, the precision timing and nerves of steel the somersaults demand are impressive.

Running jump: Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield need to get a good lift for their first somersault

Going: The pair are competing in the Mens 10m Synchro Final at the British Gas National Cup 2011

In just 1.93 seconds, 16-year-old Daley and Waterfield, 29, had to rotate their bodies at speeds of 60mph, while hurtling towards the water at 30mph.

It is therefore little wonder that no British diver had previously achieved the feat in competition. Now the pair believe the difficult dive will give them the edge at next year’s London Olympics. ‘It was scary,’ Daley admitted afterwards. ‘For some time I didn’t want to do it but to get on to the podium in London I knew I had to.

‘There were times in the past when I almost walked away from it. I haven’t been strong enough to incorporate the dives that can get the highest marks. But now I’m beginning to use them in competition.

‘The Big Front is technically and physically very hard. You need to get your timing right at the start because everything happens so fast. I feel very relieved to have done it.

In synch: The duo's split-second moves have to be in perfect tandem

The wow factor: Midway through their impressive dive

Nearly there: The last half-somersault as they prepare to enter the water

‘It’s gone better in training but that’s not in competition, it’s not in front of an audience and the nerves aren’t there.

‘The London Olympics have been my goal since 2005 when it won the Games bid. I was 11 and it seemed a big dream.’

Waterfield, Britain’s most experienced diver, admitted his younger partner has pushed him into new territory.

‘When you’re young like Tom, you’re fearless, you just want to get up there and hurl yourself off, but the older you get the more you realise the dangers,’ he said. ‘When a new dive comes along it wows everyone. It pushed me, but the main point is we pulled it off.’

And he admitted: ‘Just because I’m nearly twice his age doesn’t mean Tom can’t teach me things.’

After the historic dive at the British Gas National Cup, Daley’s proud father Tom said: ‘It’s a massive step by Tom. It’s only recently that he got over the psychological barrier you need to perform it.’

The pair took gold at yesterday’s event at the Southend Swimming and Diving Centre in Essex – and both will again attempt the Big Front in today’s individual dives.

But their sporting first is a significant step towards their Olympic goals, as neither reigning solo champion Matthew Mitcham, from Australia, nor the formidable Chinese synchronised diving team will attempt the Big Front at the 2012 Games. As Daley says: ‘We could be dangerous.’

£3bn a year! Hedge fund boss's astonishing pay (that's £8.5m a day or £100 for EVERY second)

Biggest payday in history: John Paulson earned £3bn last year - 125,000 times the average British wage of around £25,000

A hedge fund manager is celebrating possibly the biggest payday in history – after earning more than £3billion in a year.

John Paulson, 54, made the astonishing pile of cash in 2010 by investing in commodities such as gold and oil, and in developing economies rather than Europe and America.

The payout is the equivalent of £350,000 an hour or £100 a second.

Mr Paulson’s clients are delighted at the success of his fund – but the billionaire has his enemies.

The American came under fire after it emerged he had amassed £2.5billion in 2007 by successfully predicting the credit crunch, and making huge financial bets on it happening.

Criticism grew when it last year emerged that Mr Paulson – nicknamed ‘the undertaker’ – had helped Goldman Sachs design investments in mortgages for the low-paid that he personally believed were doomed to lose money.

Supporters counter that Mr Paulson simply spots opportunities and makes the most of them.

Certainly his firm, Paulson & Co, delivered huge profits last year. Its £20billion investment portfolio reported growth of more than 10 per cent, earning him personally a ‘performance fee’ of more than £600million.

But he also has huge sums of his own money invested in the fund, and his personal stake grew by another £2.5billion, giving him his total earnings for the year of £3.1billion, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

In practice, Mr Paulson is likely to have only a small percentage of his earnings paid into his bank account, with most being rolled back into his investment fund in the hope of earning even more.

The married father of two already owns a £15million mansion in New York and has one of the finest homes in the costly Hamptons oceanside resort.

He is, however, said to take the subway and bus to work and regularly eats lunch at his desk.

Mr Paulson, whose total fortune is around £15billion, realised in 2005 that the property boom was unsustainable and searched for a way to profit from the coming slump. He bought huge volumes of insurance which would pay out if householders defaulted on mortgages.

Mr Paulson grew up in New York’s working-class borough of Queens. He launched himself in business at the age of six by splitting up packets of sweets and selling them individually at a profit.

He is said to have lived a ‘playboy lifestyle’ until his 40s when he decided to look for a ‘cheerful wife’ and realised the ideal candidate was his PA, Jenny.

The ultimate flash mob: Mums stage simultaneous breast-feeding protest after woman is kicked out of shopping centre

Dozens of mothers organised a ‘nurse-in’ protest, simultaneously breast-feeding at a shopping mall in Montreal this week in reaction to one of their number being earlier ejected from another Mall.

The Canadian mothers are up in arms after a woman was asked to leave a shopping centre where she was breast-feeding her child. With the help of social networking sites like Facebook and microblogging sites like Twitter, mass protest was organised.

About a hundred mothers attracted a curious crowd as they sought retribution for a clothes store that had thrown out 36-year-old Shannon Smith, a mother of three, for breast-feeding earlier this month.

Protest: Mothers participate in a demonstration in front of a clothing store in a shopping mall in Montreal, Canada. A mother had been thrown out of a shop earlier in the month for breast feeding her child

While on a shopping trip on January 5, Mrs Smith’s youngest child began to cry and she moved to a semi-secluded children’s corner and nursed the baby under a blanket.

However Mrs Smith was ordered to stop by an employee of the store, called Orchestra, leaving her surprised and upset.

She was so angry, the following day she created a blog, called breastfortheweary.com.

Around 60 mothers attended the 'nurse-in' in the shopping mall to express their right to breast feed in public

Breast for the Weary: Mrs Smith set up this blog to vent her ire, and it received a massive reaction

'I'm p*ssed,' she wrote. 'My older kids were sitting in their stroller watching the movie when my youngest got hungry.

‘So I fed her. She's five months old, and she eats breast milk. From my actual breast. Shocking, I know!'

One solitary post attracted almost 7,000 hits and a day later a Facebook group had been created for the nurse-in on January 19.

Media across Canada and in the U.S. soon caught wind of the story, and it sparked a national debate over whether Mrs Smith or the employee had been correct.

Some in favour of the employee said that breast-feeding is tantamount to eating lunch and even urinating – even going as far as to say that it should only happen in public bathrooms, or specially created rooms in malls.

However, mothers and parents retaliated, and argued that their young ones deserve to eat whenever, and that breast-feeding is convenient and healthy.

Rebecca Coughlin, 30, who came to the nurse-in with her six-month-old twin daughters, told AOL: 'I don't think there's any reason women should be relegated to a room.

‘It's something that we should be encouraging women to do. The last thing we should do is create a stigma around it.'

Another one of the nurse-in mob, 40-year-old Frances Moxant, said: 'I think that, basically, you should be able to do it any time and anywhere.

'Even my parish priest tells us to go ahead and do it in church. Jesus was breast-fed - he wasn't bottle-fed. So it's definitely all right.'

Mrs Smith was enthused by the large turnout and said she had been shocked by the frenzied reaction to her blog.

'A lot of people are pro-breast-feeding, and they don't talk about it because they just think it's normal,' she said.

Orchestra has since apologised to Smith, blaming the mistake on a poorly trained new employee.

Common garden weed 'cures skin cancer', say scientists

A common weed could help cure skin cancers, claim researchers.

The sap from a plant known as petty spurge or milkweed - found by roadsides and in woodland - can 'kill' certain types of cancer cells when applied to the skin.

It works on non-melanoma skin cancers, which affect hundreds of thousands of Britons each year.

Milkweed miracle: You can find this weed invading gardens beds across the UK, but it has great cancer-fighting properties

They are triggered by sun damage and, although not usually fatal, can be disfiguring without treatment.

The plant has been used for centuries as a traditional folk medicine to treat conditions such as warts, asthma and several types of cancer.

But for the first time a team of scientists in Australia has carried out a clinical study of sap from Euphorbia peplus, which is related to Euphorbia plants grown in gardens in the UK.

The study of 36 patients with a total of 48 non-melanoma lesions included basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and intraepidermal carcinomas (IEC), a growth of cancerous cells confined to the outer layer of the skin.

Patients had failed to respond to conventional treatment including surgery, or they refused or were unsuitable for surgery because of their age.

The patients were treated once a day for three consecutive days by an oncologist using a cotton bud to apply enough of the E.peplus sap to cover the surface of each lesion.

The initial results were impressive, says findings to be released this week in the British Journal of Dermatology.

After only one month 41 of the 48 cancers had completely gone.

Patients who had some of the lesions remaining were offered a second course of treatment.

After an average of 15 months following treatment, two thirds of the 48 skin cancer lesions were still showing a complete response.

Of the three types of skin cancer tested, the final outcome was a 75 per cent complete response for IEC lesions, 57 per cent for BCC and 50 per cent for SCC lesions.

Side-effects were low, with 43 per cent of patients in no pain as a result of the treatment and only 14 per cent reporting moderate pain, and only one patient encountered severe short-term pain.

FACTFILE: PETTY SPURGE, OR MILKWOOD

Latin name: Euphorbia peplus

Occurrence: Petty spurge is a small, branched annual, plentiful in gardens and arable fields.

It is native and common throughout the UK, in any kind of soil. The plant exudes a milky sap when damaged, which is a severe irritant if applied to the skin.

Biology: Petty spurge flowers from April to November. The seed number per plant ranges from 260 to 1,200.

Petty spurge may be found in fruit for eight months of the year. Seedlings emerge throughout the year except for in winter but the main flush is from April to May. Most seed germinates within a year of shedding.

Just a few seedlings emerge in the following 5 years. Germination occurs at 5 to 10 mm depth in soil.

Persistence and Spread: Seed recovered from house demolitions and archaeological digs and dated at 20, 25, 30 and 100 years old has been reported to germinate.

Source: www.gardenorganic.org.uk

In all cases of successful treatment the skin was left with a good cosmetic appearance.

The researchers, from a number of medical institutions in Brisbane, attribute the benefit to the active ingredient ingenol mebutate which has been shown to destroy tumour cells.

British experts said further studies were needed and people should not try this at home as the weed sap can be harmful to the eyes and should not be eaten.

More than 76,500 people are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in the UK each year, with 90 per cent caused by ultraviolet light exposure.

Lesions usually appear on the areas most exposed to the sun, such as the head, neck, ears, and back of the hands.

Kimberley Carter of the British Association of Dermatologists said: 'This is a very small test group so it will be interesting to see what larger studies and the development of the active ingredient in E. peplus sap will reveal.

'Whilst it would not provide an alternative to surgery for the more invasive skin cancers or melanoma, in the future it might become a useful addition to the treatments available to patients for superficial, non-melanoma skin cancers.

'Any advances that could lead to new therapies for patients where surgery is not an option are definitely worth investigating.

'It is also very important to note that this is definitely not a treatment people should be trying out at home.

'Exposure of the sap to mucous producing surfaces, such as the eyes, results in extreme inflammation and can lead to hospitalisation.

'The concentration of the active ingredients in the sap also varies between different plants, with high doses able to cause very severe and excessive inflammatory responses.'

The eternal chronometer: How our body clock has remained unchanged for millions of years

Scientists have identified the universal ancient body clock that regulates the behaviour of all forms of life.

The internal chronometer tells the body what should be happening at different times during the 24-hour cycle and when it should take place.

The researchers found that the version today is unchanged from the earliest forms of life on Earth like algae and dates back millions of years.

Precise time-keeping: Scientists found that our body clock remains unchanged from the earliest forms of life on Earth like algae and dates back millions of years

Its discovery could shed light on a range of human conditions such as depression, cancer and diabetes and provide relief to workers such as pilots or nurses who do odd hours.

Studies have long shown that working irregular shifts increases the risk of catching a range of conditions and puts employees at greater risk of mental illness.

The studies from the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh examined the circadian clock which controls patterns of seasonal activity in everything from sleep cycles to butterfly migration.

In the first study, Cambridge scientists found that red blood cells have a 24-hour rhythm.

This is an important step because circadian rhythms have always been assumed to be linked to DNA and gene activity, but unlike most other cells in the body red blood cells do not have DNA.

The discovery of a universal body clock could shed light on a range of human conditions such as depression, cancer and diabetes

The second study found a similar 24-hour cycle in marine algae suggesting that internal body clocks have always been important, even for ancient forms of life.

Scientists had previously thought the circadian clock was driven by gene activity, but both the algae and the red blood cells kept time without it, meaning other factors were at play.

Dr Akhilesh Reddy, a neuroscientist with Cambridge University who led the first study, said: ‘The implications of this for health are manifold.

'We already know that disrupted clocks - for example, caused by shift-work and jet-lag - are associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes, mental health problems and even cancer.

‘By furthering our knowledge of how the 24-hour clock in cells works, we hope that the links to these disorders - and others - will be made clearer.

‘This will, in the longer term, lead to new therapies that we couldn't even have thought about a couple of years ago.’

Professor Andrew Millar of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, who led the second study, added: ‘This ground-breaking research shows that body clocks are ancient mechanisms that have stayed with us through a billion years of evolution.

‘They must be far more important and sophisticated than we previously realised.

‘More work is needed to determine how and why these clocks developed in people - and most likely all other living things on earth - and what role they play in controlling our bodies.’

The 'auto-cutie' effect: Men are so distracted by attractive newsreaders they can't remember the headlines

It won't come as much of a surprise to women, but men are distracted by attractive newsreaders.

In fact, the more attractive a female newsreader is, the less likely male viewers are to remember what she had been saying, according to a new study.

The research follows heavy criticism in recent years that many television newsreaders are simply overpaid 'auto-cuties' lacking in journalistic experience.

BBC newsreader Emma Crosby: The more attractive a female anchor is, the less likely male viewers are to remember what she had been saying, a study claims

The strategy of hiring attractive women to read the headlines boosts ratings figures, it is claimed.

But the flip side of this is many male viewers won't remember the news they have just been informed about.

Writing in the journal Communication Research, Indiana University students Maria Elizabeth Grabe and Lelia Samson staged two versions of their own news broadcast.

Both versions featured the same 24-year-old female newsreader. In the first, she wore a tight-fitting dark blue jacket, a skirt that 'accentuated her waist-to-hip ratio', bright red lipstick and a necklace.

In the second, the dressed in a shapeless and loose-fitting dark blue jacket and skirt, wore no lipstick or a necklace.

In both segments, she read local news and was filmed in a 'medium-long shot' revealing the top half of her body including her upper thighs.

Oh la la! It's doubtful many Frenchmen remember the headlines after watching Melissa Theuriau

Four hundred volunteers were then randomly asked to watch one of the versions and then filled out questionnaires revealing what they thought about the presenter.

Included were four multiple-choice questions about her appearance and ten about the news she had been reading.

Women remembered more about what the 'sexy' newsreader had been saying, than her less made-up counterpart.

Men, on the other hand, recalled 'significantly more information watching the unsexualised anchor deliver news than her sexualised version'.

The researchers concluded that we find it easier to process information visually, and that men's brains are overwhelmed when presented with sexual imagery, although they didn't study how women would react when confronted with an attractive male newsreader.

Last year, newsreader Katie Derham fiercely defended the role of newsreaders following criticism that they were 'auto-cuties'.

She said: 'With rolling news coverage nowadays you have to be on air constantly -and it is the overpaid airheads in the nice suits who have to hold everything together.

'We do have to think on our feet and we do have to have journalistic training, and professionalism, and common sense - because otherwise the product would be c*** and we would be taken off-air.'

Problem pupils will have to enrol at 'boot camps' run by former soldiers

Disruptive children will be sent to ‘boot camps’ run by former soldiers under Government plans.

Expelled pupils are to receive a ‘military-style education’ at the special units separate from mainstream schools.

Quiet word: Disruptive children could be given lessons in behaviour by the likes of RSM Jenny Leckenby at school boot camps

Former army officers who fought in Afghanistan will keep the youngsters under close supervision while teaching them teamwork and basic skills.

TEACHERS TAKE
3m SICK DAYS

Teachers are calling in sick at the rate of 15,000 every school day.

Almost three million working days a year were lost with some 308,800 teachers taking at least one day off in 2009, according to latest official figures.

The rising levels of sick leave mean more pupils are taught by supply teachers who may not be specialists in the subjects they are teaching. They are also expensive, up to £210 a day.

Michael Gove blamed the problem on stress caused by the amount of bureaucracy introduced by Labour.

A spokesman for the Education Department said yesterday’s Bill would cut the burden of red tape.

There will be a strong emphasis on physical exercise including assault courses and training similar to the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.

Children will be taught maths skills by learning how to use a map in a forest. They will also be expected to volunteer in their community.

Michael Gove yesterday paved the way for the measures as he unveiled his Education Bill, which focuses on boosting standards and improving behaviour in schools.

If passed, the Bill will grant the Education Secretary powers to order a local council to close failing schools.

And it will strip academy sponsors of their involvement in a school if that school under-performs.

The Bill also seeks to hand teachers more power to tackle bad behaviour in the classroom while freeing them of the reams of unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy introduced under Labour.

SEARCHES FOR
'LEGAL HIGHS'

Teachers are to be given powers to search pupils for pornography and ‘legal highs’ such as mephedrone.

Staff will be able to search children for anything contained on a school’s list of banned items.

This could include mobile phones and video cameras, hardcore pornography, and legal drugs. At present teachers can only search for weapons and illegal drugs.

The Education Secretary hopes the plan will help teachers clamp down on bad behaviour. He also hopes it will put an end to bullying in which cruel images and videos are circulated by mobile phones and on the internet.

There are currently 16,000 youngsters under the age of 16 who are outside the school system, often because they have been excluded and no school will take them in.

At present they are taught in one of more than 400 Pupil Referral Units which local authorities are obliged to provide.

Yesterday Mr Gove said most local authority-run referral units ‘are not up to snuff’ and expressed his desire for them to be closed and reopened as academies.

He said he envisaged that they would be run by and modelled on charities such as Skill Force, which trains and hires veterans to teach disadvantaged and disruptive young children.

Peter Cross, OBE, head of Skill Force, said he had ‘been in talks’ with ministers about the possibility to running alternative referral units based on the current Skill Force courses.

Skill Force already ‘teaches’ 4,000 pupils a year on its once-a-week, two-year course.

These pupils, often on the brink of expulsion, are selected by schools to attend the courses.

NO MORE SNOOPING
INTO LUNCH BOXES

School snoops will no longer pry into pupils’ lunch boxes under measures in the Education Bill.

The schools watchdog, Ofsted, will be stripped of its power to inspect ‘peripheral’ issues such as school food and pupils’ well-being.

The power had forced schools to keep detailed records of children’s purchases from the school canteen, monitor their eating habits and check the contents of their packed lunches.

Ofsted inspections will now be limited to four criteria instead of the current 27. These are pupil achievement; teaching; leadership and management; and behaviour and safety.

Mr Cross said the charity has incredible success rates which he attributes to providing the pupils, many of whom are from single families, with a strong male role model.

He added: ‘Many of the veterans have served in Afghanistan. They are used to solving problems. And they have all been given military-style training. They adapt this for the youngsters and they treat them like adults.’

Mr Cross said the charity had also placed injured war veterans alongside their teachers with dramatic effects.

‘It teaches them about responsibility, compassion and courage.’

The Bill also makes it easier for head teachers to expel violent pupils.

At the moment they can exclude a pupil for carrying a knife or acting violently. But their decision can be overruled and the head is forced to reinstate the pupil. The Bill states that a heads’ decision can be reviewed but it cannot be overturned.

It will also give the Government more power to intervene in schools that are failing and where pupil behaviour is out of control.

GOVE: EXTREMISM IS
A REAL PROBLEM

Extremism is a problem in schools, Mr Gove claimed yesterday.

The Education Secretary said he will establish a unit within the Department of Education to monitor radicalism.

Called the Due Diligence Unit, it will first vet every adult involved in the establishment of his ‘free schools’ – those set up by local parents, teachers or charities.

It will then investigate the background of teachers, staff, governors and charities involved in other schools.

The move follows the revelation that children as young as six are being taught brutal Sharia law punishments, including how to hack off a criminal’s hand or foot, at ‘weekend schools’ for Muslim pupils.

Mr Gove will have the right to order a local authority to close a school that is in special measures, requires significant improvement or has failed to comply with a warning notice.

The Government will also be able to direct councils to give a warning notice to an under-performing school, He said that local authorities had not been tough enough on failing schools in the past.

‘More than two-thirds of local authorities had never issued a warning notice; only 100 warning notices had been issued during the history of this provision,’ he added.

‘Now we can insist that local authorities issue warning notices, and not just for schools in special measures but also for schools in the Ofsted category above that – notice to improve – and also for schools where there are real reasons for us to have concern.’

Half of us believe in the Hereafter... and 1 in 5 want to talk to Diana

More than half of Britons believe in life after death and two in five believe in angels.

Some 53 per cent believe in psychic powers and the possibility of life after death, a survey reveals. One in five say they have seen a ghost or felt the presence of a spirit while two in five believe in ‘guardian angels’.

Many people believe they have seen the ghost or felt the spirit of a close friend or relative who has passed away.

Psychic: More than 53 per cent of Britons now believe in life after death, while one in five say they have seen a ghost or felt the presence of a spirit

Two in five say they want to speak to dead relatives and one in five has visited a medium or psychic to help them do so – spending an average of £31 per visit.

Almost two in five adults believe someone in their family is gifted with psychic ability.

A third of the nation describe themselves as ‘spiritual’ but only a quarter claim to be ‘religious’, according to the study carried out for the Clint Eastwood film Hereafter.

However, a third of the nation still believes in heaven and a fifth believes they will be reincarnated when they pass away.

One in five British adults would also love to have a conversation with the former Princess of Wales. Albert Einstein came second in the online poll of 3,000 adults, followed by Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Mercury. Seven per cent of us want to chat to Adolf Hitler.

Conversation: Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe were two of the dead people British adults would most like to chat with

Penny Sartori, an expert on near-death experiences and author of the study, said people are now less worried about being ridiculed for believing in spirits.

But one in five of us would still be too embarrassed to admit we had seen or felt the presence of a ghost.

Dr Sartori said: ‘We are beginning to see more people who are reporting near death experiences and encounters with deceased relatives. With media and films bringing this subject to a wide audience, people may feel more comfortable in discussing their near death experience whereas previously they would have been afraid of being ridiculed.’

Marriage, the key to a better life: Study finds tying the knot means improved health and longer life expectancy

Commitment cure: Marriage can improve your mental and physical wellbeing, studies have found

Marriage cheers you up, improves your diet and helps you live longer, researchers say.

It brings better mental and physical health, reducing the chance of premature death by 15 per cent, according to major studies in seven European countries.

And the longer a marriage lasts the more the rewards accumulate – the only catch being that the relationship has to be loving and supportive.

John Gallacher, a Cardiff University academic who reviewed the European studies, said the happily married were more likely to eat healthily, have more friends and take better care of each other.

‘Marriage and other forms of partnership can be placed along a sliding scale of commitment, with greater commitment conferring greater benefit,’ he added.

‘That marriage generally indicates a deeper commitment might explain why marriage is associated with better mental health outcomes than cohabiting. Cohabiting relationships tend to be less enduring. The most widely accepted explanation is that being in a committed relationship means better social support is available.

‘Commitment seems to provide networks of supportive and helpful relationships, beginning with the spouse or partner, leading to more healthy lifestyles and better emotional and physical health.’

The research findings were reviewed by Dr Gallacher and his doctor son David in an editorial for the British Medical Journal.

Many married couples are often unaware of the advantages, they said, but a study of one billion ‘person years’ in seven countries found husbands and wives were 10-15 per cent less likely to die prematurely than the population as a whole.

Analysis of 148 studies of social relationships found their legal status and the amount of emotional support involved were linked to death rates, with marriage coming out on top. There is no evidence available to judge the health of people in civil partnerships, said Dr Gallacher.

Evidence shows the optimal time for men to marry seems to be after the age of 25, whereas for women it is between 19 and 25 years, he said, adding: ‘In terms of physical health, men benefit more from being in a relationship than women, but in terms of mental health women benefit more than men.

‘The physical health premium for men is likely to be caused by their partner’s positive influence on lifestyle.

‘The mental health bonus for women may be due to a greater emphasis on the importance of the relationship in women.’

The advantages keep growing over time, with studies followed up for 30 years showing longer relationships are linked to better mental health.

Advantages: Married people were found to be less likely to die prematurely

The difference in mortality rates in favour of marriage also increases with age, said Dr Gallacher.

But he warned that difficult and strained relationships were bad for mental health, and being single was better than being in a strained relationship.

‘The take home message is simple. Exclusive and supportive relationships confer substantial mental and physical health benefits that grow over time,’ he added.

‘Although failure of a relationship can harm health, that is an argument for avoiding a bad relationship rather than not getting into a relationship at all.

‘On balance, it is probably worth making the effort,’ he said.

Last year, a World Health Organisation study revealed marriage could reduce the risk of anxiety and depression and those who tied the knot were much less likely to suffer the blues than those who stayed single.

Trying to quit smoking? It will take you FIVE years and seven attempts

Quitting for the last time: It will take you at least seven attempts to stop smoking, a survey has found

The average smoker takes five years and seven attempts to give up the fags, a report revealed yesterday.

Researchers studied the behaviour of 3,000 smokers and ex-smokers. They found most quit over fears for their long-term health.

Other common reasons include their smoking being a turn-off to the opposite sex, struggling with breath, and 'being judged'.

Professor Cary Cooper at Lancaster University said: 'Giving up cigarettes is a very difficult and stressful time - especially during the first week when your withdrawal symptoms and cravings are at their strongest.

'To get through that first week, it's helpful to have a 'stop smoking buddy', someone who can support and encourage you when you're feeling tempted as it's much harder to renege when your friends know you're trying to give up.

'Certain times of the day can be more difficult than others so it may help to keep yourself busy by taking up a new hobby or exercise to take your mind off your craving.

'It is also a good idea to make a list of the reasons why you want to stop smoking and think of yourself as a non-smoker rather than an ex-smoker.

'The craving will only last a couple of minutes so don't give in.'

The study found most smokers gave up when they began to worry about their health.

There was also a consensus across the smokers that they felt that they were judged more for smoking now than they were in the past.

More than half said their habit had made them feel embarrassed and insecure.

The study, commissioned by Nicorette, also revealed half of those who quit on New Year's Eve started smoking again within ten days.

Nearly all agreed the first week without fags was one of the toughest periods of their lives and said it was more stressful than going through a divorce or planning a wedding.

The average age to give up smoking is 27 - and the report found it takes roughly three months to feel like a non-smoker.

Nearly half said that giving up smoking meant that they had put on weight and one in five said they had initially put on 'a lot' of weight.

Manager works for 43 years - and he's NEVER had a day off

Hard-working Jim Owen has Britain's best sickness record - with not a single day off in 43 years.

He's turned up for work without fail since he started as a surveyor at Basildon Council, Essex, back in 1968.

Jim, 66, who has two children and three grandchildren, puts it down to 'good genes and strong work ethic'.

Hard working: Jim Owen, who now works for Basildon Council, has not had a day off sick since he started working in 1968

He's still working full time at the town hall, and has no plans to retire.

'Of course there have been days when I've woken up and felt rough and could have done with a day in bed but I have always loved my job and I've never wanted to let my team down. It's about making the effort.

'I suppose because my parents were of the war generation it was just instilled in me from a young age that you get up and go to work every day, no ifs or buts,' he said.

'It also helps that I eat healthily, I don't smoke and my job involves me getting outside in the fresh air a lot so it all adds up. Perhaps I'm just lucky and have good genes.'

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg praised dedicated workers like Jim when he spoke of 'alarm clock Britain'.

He lauded the efforts of the 'basic rate taxpayers who get up in the dark, get their children ready for school and then go out to work'.

Jim started his working life when he was just a boy, delivering papers around Southend, Essex, where he grew up.

He began work at Basildon Council in 1968 as a surveyor, making his way up the ladder to managerial positions over the years.

'I don't think there's any benefit to a life on benefits. Getting youngsters off the dole and into work to give them a job and some purpose should be a priority.

'I feel sorry for people who want to work but can't or those who get made redundant, it must be devastating.

'I'm past retirement age now but I'm going to stay here as long as they'll let me.'

When he does retire there will be no lazing on the sofa watching daytime TV for Jim.

Jim, who also has two grown up children with wife Evelyn, said: 'I couldn't bear to be lolling around.

'I've got a nice garden so I'll spend time out there working, and also with my grandchildren.'

Chris White, executive director at Basildon Council, said: 'The council's sickness levels recently reached an all time low, and this is testament to the dedication and loyalty of our staff.

'Jim is a fine example of a committed and conscientious employee and he is an asset to the organisation.'

There's life in the old donkey yet: At 54 Eeyore is the world's longest lived ass

He was born the same year Tommy Steele was topping the charts and the Russians sent Sputnik into space.

Like his famous namesake, he's been around for donkey's years - but at the age of 54, Eeyore is being hailed as the oldest living donkey in the world.

Believed to be born in 1957, he is now a Guinness World Record contender for oldest donkey in the world.

Happy birthday! At 54, Eeyore is believed to be the oldest donkey in the world. He celebrated his birthday with a feast of carrots and hay

The animal named after the gloomy Winnie the Pooh character has outlived other donkeys whose lifespan is usually 25-30 years.

Like his Winnie the Pooh namesake, old Eeyore is prone to glumness - perhaps because he keeps outliving his animal companions. But just for today, if he could talk, he'd likely echo the catchphrase: 'Thanks for noticin' me'

But unlike the 1926 AA Milne creation which was renowned for its love of eating thistles and having the catchphrase 'Thanks for noticin' me' - Eeyore is celebrating his latest birthday with his favourite diet of hay and carrots.

Owner Selwyn Demmy, took in Eeyore earlier this month at his animal sanctuary in Cheshire and discovered his two previous owners had him for over 50 years combined.

Originally living with a family in Disley, Derbyshire, the beloved donkey was once tended to by a 20-year-old girl who is now 72 - proving his age to be over 50.

Selwyn heard through his friend Trevor Seetree, 51, that Eeyore was lonely at his second residence, where he was for over 10 years, after his two best friends, llamas Freddie and Merlin, died.

The 78-year-old has taken in homeless and underprivileged animals at his Hunters Moon animal sanctuary in Mottram St Andrew for over 25 years.

He knew that all Eeyore needed was another companion, so he decided to introduce the donkey to his llama Buttons.

Thanks for noticin' me: Animal lover Selwyn Demmy with Eeyore and his two new friends, goats Andy and Pandy. They all live at Selwyn's Hunters Moon animal sactuary in Mottram St Andrew in Cheshire

They got on like a house on fire but sadly Buttons, who was 22, passed away just this week, so once again Eeyore was left on his own.

Selwyn, known locally as a real life Dr Dolittle, saw Eeyore looking lonely so sent his two goats, Andy and Pandy, to the rescue.

Eeyore, Andy and Pandy are now inseparable and Selwyn believes that his donkey could live longer than his new friends, too.

The retired bookmaking tycoon has been looking after hundreds of animals since moving into his eight-acre estate in 1983.

He said: 'I know Eeyore's over 50 because the previous owners had him for over 10 years, and the owners before them had him for over 40.

'When they first got him he was a few years old, so he's got to be at least 54.'

When Selwyn's friend Trevor heard that Eeyore needed re-housing due to losing his llama friends, he straight away agreed to take him in.

He said: 'Eeyore's owners and they said that he was lonely and suggested that Trevor bring him to me.

'Trevor assured the family that Eeyore would be happy with me and I had a llama that he could befriend in place of Freddie and Merlin.

'When Trevor went to get Eeyore from them he found out that a 72-year-old lady used to feed him back when she was 20.

'I'm saying, and others are saying, that he could well be not only the oldest donkey in the country but the world.

'We are currently doing more research to check that this is the case.'

As well as donkeys and llamas, Selwyn takes in all kinds of under-privileged animals so was keen to get Eeyore a new companion.

However Selwyn was devastated to find that Buttons had passed away on January 18, and was keen to get Eeyore acquainted with some of his other animals as soon as possible.

'It was such a shame when Buttons died. Eeyore has now lost three llamas.

'I saw him look longingly over at my two goats, Andy and Pandy, so I thought I'd introduce them properly.

'I'm really glad because when Freddie and Merlin died he was so upset, and then Buttons died so I wanted to make sure he wasn't on his own for too long.

'They all snuggle up together, talk to each other and interact with each other. I think only they understand each other though! He's a very friendly donkey.

'Straight away he took a liking to them and they bonded - it's like they've been best friends forever.' Neighbours often pop round to Selwyn's animal sanctuary with their children to see his animals.

He said: 'A lot of locals have come around by appointment to look at the animals. Eeyore is just like one that you'd find on Blackpool Sands, so all the kids love him.'

Despite his age, Eeyore still has his teeth, although they have come forward and grown out, which is common in older donkeys.

Selwyn has years of experience of looking after animals of all kinds and takes them on with the intention of either looking after them himself or re-housing them.

He said: 'I take on all under privileged animals here, despite what kind they are. I suppose it's the same principle as the RSPCA, but I'm not a charity - I do this on my own to help the animals.

'If for whatever reason I can't keep them, such as they don't get on with the other animals, I get them re-housed elsewhere. It's kind of like Dr Barnardo's for animals!

'I've done this since 1983, and reckon that there's 100s of animals that have come here over the years.

'I couldn't even count the amount of animals I have at any one time as it changes so quickly.'

Eeyore is in with a good chance of landing a record - according to Guinness World Records, the current oldest donkey in the world, named Suzy, was from New Mexico and died in 2002 aged 54.

A Blackpool donkey called Lively Laddie was said to have reached 62, although his age was never formally verified. He died in 2005.

Leslie Manger took Rosie the donkey in at Kenstud Pony Rescue, in Belper, Derbyshire, in 2006. That animal is also 54.

The night rider: Daredevil surfer who lights up monster waves in pitch darkness

It's perhaps not surprising that surfers have a reputation for daring that borders on madness - always pushing themselves and the boundaries of their sport in search of the biggest wave, the most thrilling run.

But big-wave rider Mark Visser has now taken the sport into new territory after he took on 30ft monster waves off Maui - in pitch darkness.

The Australian was towed to the notorious Hawaii surf site - known as Jaws because of the size of the swells it produces - on a jet ski in the early hours of Thursday morning before taking in a groundbreaking ride that lasted for about 20 seconds.

Man against nature: Daredevil surfer Mark Visser is dwarfed by a menacing 30-footer

'It was the scariest, but most exciting thing I have ever done,' Mark, 28, said once he had made it to the safety of the shore.

'It wasn’t until I saw the pictures I realised how big it was. Riding in complete darkness meant I had to go off feeling. I had to zone out from how you normally ride and just be part of the wave.

'I am so pumped to achieve something that no one thought possible and that I was told couldn’t be done.'

Making waves: Mark begins his run as the monster wave opens its jaws

No turning back: Mark, wearing an illuminated life jacket, hurtles across the surface of the wave

End of the line: Mark crashes into the safety of the surf after successfully completing his 20-second run

Pushing the boundaries: Big-wave surfer Mark Visser left, and right, during a more conventional surf session

Now this is what you call 'haute cuisine': World's highest restaurant opens in Dubai a dizzying 1,350ft from the ground

• At.mosphere is on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building
• The most expensive item on the menu is a £100 Maine lobster
• It takes a minute in the elevator to reach the restaurant
  

The French are renowned for their haute cuisine, which literally means 'high cooking', but in Dubai developers have taken it to another level.

The world's highest restaurant opened its doors yesterday... and it's a dizzying 1,350 feet (422 metres) from the ground - not ideal for vertigo sufferers.

At.mosphere, as it has been named, can be found - via a minute-long elevator ride in a private chrome and glass lift - on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Two floors below the observation deck and furnished with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths, the neck-craning restaurant is breath-taking in more than one sense.

Dizzying: At.mosphere, on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is the world's highest restaurant

At.mosphere can serve more than 200 covers at any one time, and those looking for fine dining will not be disappointed as a number of top-drawer chefs have prepared a raft of mouth-watering dishes.

A sumptuous variety of food from all over the world can be found on the menu (in English, then Arabic), with sea food and grilled meat being the staple offerings.

For starters, you may wish to begin your meal with chestnut and pheasant soup, 'diver's' scallops, or Angus and Wagyu beef tatare.

Room with a view: At.mosphere is an amazing 1,350ft from the ground and offers a staggering view of the emirate state

View from the fridge: At 442 metres At.mosphere is aptly named and this is what you will see while munching on your food or sipping on your tea

Grand opening: Marc Dardenne, CEO of the Emmar Hospitality Group, claps as the staff of At.mosphere release balloons in front of the Burj Khalifa

And for a main course, there is roasted Brittany wild sea bass and Australian free range Salt Bush lamb, for example.

There is also a grill menu, where the star attractions are the Maine lobster (at 590 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), or £100, the most expensive dish on offer) and the Japanese Kobe beef fillet (AED440).

Unsurprisingly there is a fine selection of world wines, aperitifs, ports and whiskeys to accompany your meal.

The Emaar Hospitality Group has spent almost £1billion building the Burj Khalifa, which has been named after UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who came to the aid of Dubai when the finicial crisis took hold.

According to the group, At.mosphere offers 'one of the finest luxury dining and lounge experiences in the world, with unparalleled views of the Arabian Gulf'.

Tasty: A sample of the menu shows that the dishes offered come from all over the globe (prices in United Arab Emirates Dirham)

It can cater for more than 210 guests and features a 'spacious arrival lobby, a main dining floor, private dining rooms and display cooking stations'.

According to the At.Mosphere website, which is not complete (menus and prices are not yet available) and can be found here, 'guests could choose to dine at the grill or unwind at the lounge overlooking stunning vistas of the world's tallest performing fountains.

The blurb continues: 'Whether you're a connoisseur of fine dining or simply wish to unwind and relax, At.Mosphere promises you an experience like none other.'

The restaurant's American designer, Adam Tihany, said: 'Up here, you feel elegant and luxurious, you feel sexy.

'You are floating - it's a journey. This is your luxury yacht in the sky.

'I came up yesterday five times and after five times, you feel a bit dizzy. You only want to come up twice.'

Fine dining: The restaurant is decked out with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths

Elegant: Another photograph shows the dining area, which can seat about 200 people at any one time

UNIQUE RESTAURANTS

- At the Kayabukiya Tavern in Utsunomiya, Japan, you will be served by monkeys

- Hajime in Bangkok, Thailand, has robots for waiters

- The Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is where you will find Kinderkookkafé, where the staff are children

- Cafe Therapy in Prague, the Czech Republic, is a restaurant that assists people to over come drug or alcohol addiction

- Dinner in the Sky, which is owned by a Belgium-based company and travels all the world, is a dining table suspended in the air

Away from the restaurant there is the lounge, which can seat 135 people and has a private area for 35 people, where you can unwind with light dishes and afternoon tea.

As day turns into night the tempo is dialled up and the lounge becomes a vibrant, trendy bar with tunes spun by the resident DJ until 2am.

And the cost for this amazing dining experience? For lunch the minimum spend per person is AED300 (£51), for dinner it is AED450 (£77) and a private room (for at least eight people) will set you back AED650 (£111) a head.

To chill out in the lounge you will need to splash out at least AED200 (£34) and, as reservations agent Charl Vermaak told the Daily Mail online: 'if the total spend per person is less than the required amount, an additional amount will be billed to reach the required minimum spend.'

The cost will be too much for most locals, but the hope is that Dubai's economy will improve and the restaurant will attract business men and women from around the globe and encourage them to re-invest in the emirate state.

Dubai's six-year boom, which fuelled construction of the world's tallest building and artificial island archipelagos, shuddered to a halt in 2008 after the global financial crisis.

Millions of pounds of construction projects were written off or shelved and Dubai is struggling to dig out from under a massive debt burden, estimated at more than £80billion.

Emaar Hospitality say the restaurant opening at these soaring heights is a sign that the low point of Dubai's recession is ending.

'I think really the hospitality business has picked up quite nicely,' said Emaar Hospitality chief executive Marc Dardenne.

'Dubai is still a very attractive destination, with world class hotels and world class restaurants available.'

Designer Mr Tihany added, in a similar vein: 'The top of the crown jewel has to be beautiful. The economy will follow suit, hopefully.'

Tallest: The Burj Khalifa opened in January 4, 2010 and took six years to build. It stands at 828m (2,717ft)