American company called SarcMark invented a written sarcasm icon or a punctuation mark that is designed to be used in the same way as an exclamation or question mark, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Anyone concerned that the irony of their email or text message might not be appreciated by its recipient can use the symbol to close their sentence, thereby avoiding awkward misunderstandings.
The symbol – a dot inside a single spiral line – can be installed …

Cabinet ministers backed Prime Minister Gordon Brown after two senior MPs called for a secret vote on his leadership of the Labour Party, Sky News reports.
Former ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt wrote to all Labour MPs asking them to support a ballot on Brown’s leadership.
But Business Secretary, Lord Peter Mandelson, who is widely credited with saving Brown’s…

Two former Cabinet ministers, Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, launched today a last-ditch attempted putsch against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, The Times reports.
Hoon and Hewitt wrote to all Labour MPs calling for the leadership issue to be sorted out “once and for all”.
The timing – just before the first Prime Minister’s Questions – was intended to be devastating.
The move by two senior figures who have so far avoided raising the leadership question is bound to …

A group of Europe’s influential political figures – among others former Polish President Lech Walesa, former Czech President Vaclav Havel and former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar – have written an open letter to US President Barack Obama, warning him of Russia’s increasing intimidation in the region and calling for the US to take a strong line.
Altogether 22 former leaders signed the letter that expressed deep concern over America’s declining interest in the part of …