Middle-aged male smokers with high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels face dying about 10 years before healthier counterparts, a study warns.

The UK study looked at more than 19,000 civil servants aged 40-69 and traced what happened to them 38 years later.

It concluded that men with these three risk factors could expect a 10-year shorter life from 50 years of age.

The British Heart Foundation said it was an important reminder for everyone over 40 to have a heart health check.

Frankfurt is holding its 63rd International Motor Show from 17 to 27 September. This year's high mass for fast cars gives top billing to clean machines. But, warns the German daily Handelsblatt, this sudden craze may well prove a flash in the pan.

We do not know when it started and where it first broke out. What is certain is that electro-fever has long since hit Central Europe. And the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt has got it bad: not a single make can do without an electric vehicle (EV) of its own. Volkswagen intends to start turning out a fully-electric compact car by 2013, Mitsubishi as early as the end of this year. And BMW is planning its own line of EVs.

It is astounding how fast industry, engineers and political decision-makers have reached a consensus. The Federal Government envisions a million EVs on Germany's roads within ten years, Siemens deems as many as 4.5 million within the realm of possibility. These figures are electrifying even conservative forecasters. But the forecasts do not hold water. The idea did not really gain any momentum of its own till sales started nosediving all over the world. Yesterday's whimsy has become today's big business brainwave.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from the pandemic H1N1 swine flu is likely lower than earlier estimates, an expert in infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

New estimates suggest that the death rate compares to a moderate year of seasonal influenza, said Dr Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University.

"It's mildest in kids. That's one of the really good pieces of news in this pandemic," Lipsitch told a meeting of flu experts being held by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

"Barring any changes in the virus, I think we can say we are in a category 1 pandemic. This has not become clear until fairly recently."

Germany's coastline may soon be bristling with wind turbines. A new plan involves 2,500 turbines, 30,000 new jobs and enough power for over 8 million households. Still, some worry that environmental regulations, financing difficulties and even security issues might hurt the ambitious plan.

On Wednesday, Germany's cabinet approved plans to dedicate special zones off its northern coast to house up to 40 offshore windparks that could provide electricity to over eight million households.

The plan involves setting aside zones between 12 and 200 kilometers (seven and 124 miles) off its northern shores. Of the 40 wind farms, 30 would be in the North Sea and 10 in the Baltic Sea. Of these, 25 have already received approval -- 22 in the North Sea and three in the Baltic Sea.

The Danes like to think of themselves as green. Denmark is home to the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas. And today, the giant state-owned energy company, Dong Energy, opens the world's largest windfarm.

But the Danes have a dirty secret. For Dong Energy, while greening its image at home, is busy building coal-fired power stations elsewhere in Europe. First in Germany, and now in Scotland.

We in the rich world are used to the idea of our big companies dumping their dirty and anti-social industries on the poor countries. But now European companies are doing the same to us. Rather as if Scotland were a banana republic somewhere in the developing world, it is the recipient of Dong "outsourcing" the dirty end of its energy portfolio.