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London's Heathrow is the fourth busiest airport on the planet, and it's not nearly big enough to handle the doubling in traffic the UK's Department for Transport predicts will hit by 2030. Some want to construct a third runway, but that would likely require the demolition of entire villages, as Heathrow is in a dense area outside London. There is a more outlandish idea that takes advantage of unused space... Build a new airport on the estuary of the Thames River. One group pushing for this option, the Thames Estuary Research and Development Company (Testrad) has released new plans for its "innovative and spectacular" London Britannia Airport. The new six-runway hub airport on the Thames estuary to the east of London could be built within seven years at a cost of US$76 billion ($91.2 billion), said a consortium formed by London Mayor Boris Johnson to address the capital's air capacity crunch. The British government and business groups want to expand flights to fast-growing economies to ensure the UK can tap into billions of pounds of trade opportunities. With Heathrow, London's biggest airport, operating at 99 per cent capacity, more runways are needed. The proposed new airport would sit on a purpose-built island off the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, some 50 miles east of central London, and would be known as London Britannia Airport, said the Thames Estuary Research and Development (Testrad) consortium formed by Johnson to study options for estuary airports. The plan, to be launched at the House of Lords, the upper house of parliament, comes two years after architect Norman Foster unveiled proposals for a four-runway hub in the Thames Estuary, backed by Johnson and dubbed "Boris Island". Testrad said the new hub would have six runways and could be built within seven years at a cost of 47.3 billion pounds, without having to demolish houses or industrial infrastructure. "This project avoids flying over densely populated areas of London and the south east, removing completely the noise contours and impact which have bedevilled millions of people throughout and around London over the past 40 years," a Testrad spokeswoman said, adding that Heathrow airport would likely have to close to accommodate its plans. Britain's Conservative-led government last year set up the UK Airports Commission, chaired by Howard Davies, to look into airport capacity in southern England. It is due to publish a list of potential schemes by the end of this year with the final report due after the 2015 general election. Earlier this year bosses at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports urged the government to let them build additional runways to solve the capacity shortage, plans vigorously opposed by Johnson. Johnson previously proposed a new four-runway hub should be built either east of central London on the Isle of Grain or further out in the Thames Estuary on an artificial island. http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/plan-for-spectacular-island-airport-in-london-20131118-2xq0v.html

An unfortunate crash at a bend on Petir Road left this car completely mangled. The area is prone to accidents because cars often speed round the bend, STOMPer Kloden says. Luckily, no pedestrians were injured in the crash. Residents who live in that area should be more careful, he adds, citing the unrecognisable state of this car. Kloden says: "Accident happened at Petir Road around 12.30am on December 4. "Car was a completely mangled and the tree was blocking almost both lanes on the opposite side. "This mishap is just a minefield that was waiting to blow. "The combination of a bend near Block 205 and vehicles travelling too fast is a cause. "Residents and taxis shoot out without observing oncoming traffic and better still, cut two lanes to make a U-turn further up front. "At least no innocent pedestrians were harmed this time. "Could the residents of blocks 204 to 217A take some caution please?".

Do you think we can see it in Singapore tonite? ................................................................................ .......................... Meteor In the pre-dawn hours of April 22 (1:00 - 3:00 am), be sure to look up. If you do, you'll likely be treated to a spectacular celestial show in the form of the Lyrids meteor shower. Why bother to wake up at an ungodly hour to gaze at the sky? Several reasons. First, the Lyrids shower was, according to Meteor Showers Online, first observed at least 2,600 years ago, making it the oldest of any meteor shower. Secondly, viewers have a small chance "to get a glimpse of some dazzling fireball meteors from a completely different meteor swarm." Here's a brief breakdown on the shower's history, tips on where to watch, and how in the heck the meteors earned their name... How to see them It's slightly more complicated that just craning your neck skyward, but not by much. For maximum viewing, you'll want to find a dark place, away from city lights, and with an open horizon. Lie back and give your eyes several minutes to adjust to the darkness. Then, wait for the show. How to know if what you just saw was part of the shower or just some jerk with a laser pointer? SPACE.com explains that identifying a Lyrid meteor can be done by following its trail. A Lyrids meteor should have a trail that "points back to near the dazzling blue-white star Vega." You can check out a helpful sky chart here. Old, but reliable In China, there are ancient records from 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. of meteors that are "believed to be Lyrids." SPACE.com explains that the Lyrids caused a small panic in Richmond, Virginia, back in 1803. "Numerous townspeople... were roused from their beds by a fire alarm and were able to observe a very rich display between 1 and 3 o'clock." This time, we know they're coming. How'd they get their name? National Geographic has a nice write up on the meteors and their history. Vega's constellation, where the meteors appear to emanate from, is known as "Lyra." Hence, the "shooting stars" became known as "Lyrids." Simple enough, right? What can you expect to see? Whenever the Lyrids come around, they put on a slightly different show. As Anthony Cook, an astronomer for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, told National Geographic, "The only way to know what the Lyrids have in store for you, is to go outside and observe them." As for the fireballs, Space.com calls their appearance a "wildcard," but it's definitely in the realm of possibility. Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.