Mount Everest's Mystery: Should We Solve It?

Sarcophagus may hold manuscripts tying Bard to another writer

(NEWSER) - A 17th-century tomb might hold the key to the enduring mystery of William Shakespeare's identity, the Daily Telegraph reports, and researchers are hoping to take a peek inside. A scan found that the ornate sarcophagus, built at an English church by Shakespeare contemporary and fellow scribe Fulke Greville, contains three "boxlike" shapes that could be documents and manuscripts that shed light on the link between the men. More»

Paper praises writer's 'lucid' analysis of his world

(NEWSER) - The Vatican long regarded Oscar Wilde as a “dissolute homosexual,” but things have changed, writes Richard Owen in the Times of London. A review in the Vatican newspaper of a study on the Irish writer celebrates him as “one of the personalities of the 19th century who most lucidly analyzed the modern world in its disturbing as well as its positive aspects.” More»

Confusing phrases are keeping people from using services: agency

(NEWSER) - This recession requires the British government to drop its jargon and get consensually transparent, er, clear. A government agency frets that people are missing out on services because they don't understand bureaucratic lingo like the following phrases, per Reuters:

1. Slippage: Why not just admit the delay?
2. A menu of options offers choices.
3. Cascading means to send an e-mail around.

Anglicans second to Catholicism for first time in 400 years

(NEWSER) - For the first time in 400 years, Catholicism has more adherents than the Church of England in Great Britain, the Sunday Telegraph reports. Immigrants from Eastern Europe and Africa have filled the pews of Catholic churches, while attendance at Anglican Sunday services has dipped 20% since 2000, according to a survey of English churches. More»

Handful have already reached summit today

(NEWSER) - The deaths of four people in a Mount Everest "traffic jam" last weekend haven't stopped a new crowd from pushing toward the peak. More than 150 people plan to attempt to reach the top this weekend, and already today, a number of climbers have made it, an official tells the AP . The AP notes that there have been no reports of trouble thus far, and weather conditions continue to be favorable. More»