BlinkDash

CitiesWhere in the world is it illegal to die?Six towns have outlawed dying since 1999, with penalties ranging from fines to increased taxes – and they’re far from the first. It seems like a joke but is there sometimes a sensible reason? Five hundred and thirty-seven people live in Sellia, a medieval hillside town right on the ball of the foot of Italy. In the 1960s, it was three times that, and today most residents are over 65.

ShortcutsMissy ElliottThe gibberish in the chorus of Missy’s hit Work It is still surprising people 15 years on. At least she wasn’t praising Satan …In one of those instructive “you’ve been using hairgrips wrong your whole life” moments, the backwards lyrics in Missy Elliott’s 2002 banger Work It have been rediscovered, to online palpitations. The line following, “I put my thing down flip it and reverse it,” one of the trickiest portions of a song to navigate in the entire art of karaoke, is not “Fner nyer finipippy pal myap” but “I put my thing down flip it and reverse it,” reversed.

US newsChristina Taylor Green: a symbolic life tragically cut shortNine-year-old caught up in Gabrielle Giffords shooting had featured in a book collecting images of children born on 9/11There is a photograph on page 41 of Faces of Hope that, as the title of the book suggests, captures the spirit of optimism of the American people even when confronted by great tragedy. It is a grainy black and white picture of an infant girl, a ribbon round her hair, set against a background of peonies.

SpaceXElon Musk’s SpaceX launches first phone service satellitesStarlink satellites, carried on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, can beam signals directly to smartphones from space SpaceX launched a rocket on Tuesday carrying the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam signals directly to smartphones from space. Elon Musk’s space business struck a deal in August 2022 with wireless carriers to provide phone users in “dead zones” with network access via its Starlink satellites.

The ObserverKaty Perry This article is more than 7 years oldKaty Perry’s naked vote reveals more than she wantedThis article is more than 7 years oldBarbara EllenThe singer is not the first powerful woman to use nudity to raise awareness. But note that men simply don’t feel they have to behave this wayThe singer Katy Perry, a Hillary Clinton supporter, has produced a “Voting naked” video, urging people to vote in the US election.

BoxingLewis must take the Rocky roadAs Lennox Lewis ponders whether to become the first heavyweight champion since Rocky Marciano to have the guts to walk away from boxing at the top, perhaps he should ponder the full implications of a fight which has been announced in the United States on July 27. Larry Holmes, the Larry Holmes, is to fight a gentleman called Eric Esch at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia, and the best seat in the house can be bought for the miserly sum of $50.

Madhur Jaffrey’s chicken tikka masala. Photograph: Jean CazalsMadhur Jaffrey’s chicken tikka masala. Photograph: Jean CazalsObserver Food Monthly's 20 best recipesAutumn food and drinkThe nation’s favourite curry is rich and tomatoey with layers of spice – and is easy to make at home The best of the 20 best autumn recipes – in full Probably created in Britain, chicken tikka masala – or CTM as it is often called – is easily the most popular Indian curry in the UK today.

US healthcareMillions of Americans – as many as 25% of the population – are delaying getting medical help because of skyrocketing costs Susan Finley returned to her job at a Walmart retail store in Grand Junction, Colorado, after having to call in sick because she was recovering from pneumonia. The day she returned, the 53-year-old received her ten year associate award – and was simultaneously laid off, according to her family.

Travel websitesWhat is travel networking?It's a way of describing travel versions of MySpace and Bebo.com. In the last few months, a wave of websites offering to help people make new friends - and keep in touch with old ones - has begun to break. People use them to find travel companions or people local to an area they want to visit. But haven't travellers been doing this for ages? Almost. Sites like virtualtourist.