With divorce rates at an all-time high, boredom and financial pressure were also among the key reasons for irreconcilable break-downs, a new survey disclosed.

Relate Northern Ireland chief executive Gerald Clarke said: “It is very widespread throughout the UK but Northern Ireland seems to have more than its fair share of it.

“There is a lot of economic hardship and the aftermath of the troubles leaving a lot of people scarred as a result of what has gone on.

“While it is being brushed under the carpet it still leaves a scar.”

Apart from secret liaisons, money and couples in loveless marriages, other causes of separation included:

;; Domestic abuse

;; Lack of sex

:: Stress caused by Christmas

:: Breakdown in communications.

In 2006 just under 2,600 marriages ended, the largest tally yet.

For couples married in the mid 1980s an estimated one-in-six relationships crashed by the 20th wedding anniversary.

Today’s study by the InsideDivorce.com website said affairs were blamed for relationship difficulties by 50% of those taking part from Northern Ireland, compared to an average of 27% across the UK.

Researchers said 60% of divorcees counted boredom as a flaw in their marriage, compared to 29% in the rest of the UK.

Domestic violence was less of a problem in Northern Ireland, with one-in-10 highlighting abuse.

Local people were more likely to suffer emotionally, with one-in-two left a wreck by the separation. Only 10% cited lack of sex as an issue.

The days after Christmas are among the busiest for divorce lawyers, with a stressful Christmas often the final nail in the marital coffin.

Most divorces at this time of year are instigated by women and more infidelities are committed during the Christmas party season than at any other time of the year.

Mr Clarke added: “Christmas is always a stressful time when it comes to relationships because of the myth presented by the media that puts individuals and couples under enormous emotional and financial pressure to live up to the image created.

“Most people can’t afford it or are disappointed because their expectations are not being fulfilled

Here is a chronology of Kibaki’s presidency:

Dec. 27, 2002 – Former Vice President Kibaki, candidate of the opposition National Rainbow Coalition, wins a presidential election on pledges to deliver a new constitution in 100 days. The victory ends Daniel arap Moi’s 24-year rule and the Kenya African National Union’s (KANU) four decades in power.

Nov. 22, 2003 – International Monetary Fund (IMF) resumes lending after three-year gap, saying the new government has shown commitment to end corruption.

Dec. 21 – Moi is granted immunity from prosecution on corruption charges.

March 15, 2004 – Government withdraws from a conference convened to write a new constitution after most delegates vote to trim presidential powers.

Feb. 7, 2005 – John Githongo quits as Kenya’s first anti-corruption adviser, a blow to the fight against graft.

July 22 – Parliament votes to keep a strong presidency in a proposed new constitution. The vote leads to deepening divisions in the ruling coalition and triggers rioting in the capital.

Nov. 22 – Kibaki suffers humiliating defeat when voters reject the new constitution in a referendum; he fires his government the next day.

Dec. 9 – Twenty-six of 29 ministers are finally sworn in after Kibaki’s struggle to form a new cabinet. Three refuse to appear although two of them later reverse that decision.

Feb. 1, 2006 – Finance Minister David Mwiraria resigns over a multi-million dollar corruption scandal, says he is innocent.

June 3 – Key ministers from the ruling coalition break away to form a new party, the National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya.

Aug. 22 – Government agrees to opposition calls for parts of the constitution to be amended ahead of 2007 elections.

Sept. 16, 2007 – Kibaki announces candidacy on the ticket of Party of National Unity, created as his re-election vehicle.

Dec. 27 – Voters elect a new president and parliament. Most opinion polls give a lead to Kibaki’s opposition rival Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement.

Dec. 30 – Kibaki wins close-run election by the narrow margin of 230,000 votes and is hurriedly sworn in.

Dec. 31 – The government floods the streets with security forces and keeps a ban on live TV broadcasts after riots convulse the nation with media reports saying at least 124 people have died. (Writing by Jijo Jacob and David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)

The Haikong cave, in verdant mountains near the southwestern city and wartime capital of Chongqing, will cost about 500 million yuan ($68 million) to develop, the report said.

The cave is “an ideal place for conferences and leisure travel,” it said, citing the local investment bureau’s Web site.

“The enshrouded cave is 50 meters (164 ft) high and as spacious as a giant conference hall,” Xinhua added. “The tourist bureau said that the manufacturing plant could be developed into a loft art workshop.”

The plant was deserted in 1949, the report said, after the Nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing a brutal civil war with the Communists.

I have to imagine the White Sox plan to use Swisher as their center fielder for the next couple of years; he did play 59 games there in ’07. Kenny Williams stuck to his word about adding OBP to his team, picking up Swisher and Carlos Quentin to fill out his outfield. Swisher, 27, is signed at a very reasonable price: $3.5MM in ’08, $5.3MM in ’09, $6.75MM in ’10, $9MM in ’11, and a $10.25MM club option for ’12 with a $1MM buyout. The option gets a $1.75MM bump if Swisher is top five for the MVP voting during the contract. He has limited no-trade protection for 2011-12.

The White Sox paid a massive price to get their man, however. Pitchers De Los Santos and Gonzalez were their two best prospects, according to Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein. De Los Santos is said to have a huge ceiling, whereas Gio is a solid lefty who’s nearly big-league ready. Goldstein ranked Sweeney eighth on the team, but projects him as more of a fourth-outfielder type (he was once very highly regarded though).

If it wasn’t obvious with the Dan Haren trade, the A’s are in full-fledged rebuilding mode. Joe Blanton, Huston Street, and Mark Ellis could be next to go.

Since the Hokies instituted the two-quarterback system against Florida State in the 10th game of the season, it was the first game where neither one could ignite the offense.

Between them, their turnovers were converted into 17 Kansas points.
Branden Ore gained 48 yards and scored a touchdown before the half to close the gap to 17-7, and Harper’s 84-yard punt return pulled the Hokies within 17-14.

Glennon gave the Jayhawks the opportunity to seal the game when Justin Thornton intercepted his pass intended for Harper and returned it 30.

Todd Reesing ran 2 yards for a 24-14 with 10:57 to play.

The deficit was too big for the Hokies to overcome.

Miller Says Goodbye
James Miller, a graduate of Fort Lauderdale High, ended his playing and coaching career at Virginia Tech at a familiar place.

An offensive lineman (2002-2004), Miller has been a graduate assistant for the Hokies the past two seasons.

“I’m ecstatic that it ended before my family and friends,” Miller said.

“What happened to me at Virginia Tech was a dream come true. It’s sad to leave, but I’ll take away some great memories.”

Miller, who begins a job as an assistant at UNC-Pembroke in a couple of days, played and in the school’s first BCS bowl as ACC champs, a 16-13 loss to Auburn, in the 2005 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

Rare mistake
The 60-yard interception touchdown was the first allowed by the Hokies in a bowl game since the 1968 Liberty Bowl when Miami’s Bob Bailey returned one 70 yards. …

The Hokies were the home team but chose to wear white jerseys. They were 5-0 on the road in white jerseys.

They wore maroon in a 48-7 loss at LSU. …

LB Vince Hall, who tweaked in his left knee on a Jet Ski on Saturday, started.

Hannah, Davis Inducted
Hall of Fame offensive lineman John Hannah of Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis were inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame.

Former Jayhawks Gale Sayers, Bobby Douglass and John Riggins were in attendance. Bruce Smith, DeAngelo Hall, Bryan Randall and David Clowney led a large contingent of former Hokie players. Sayers and Smith were honorary captains.

At the time of their marriage, Chuck was 58 years old and Gena was 30 years old.

After receiving premarital counseling, Gena and Chuck were married on November 28, 1998 at The North Church in Carrolton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

The ceremony was conducted by Pastor Lawrence Kennedy.

Chuck and Gena included all their children in their wedding which was attended by nearly 60 people.

Country singer Sammy Kershaw and his band sang “You Are the Love of My Life” for Gena and Chuck. Their honeymoon had to be postponed, but they later flew to Bora-Bora.

The Election Commission said it had recommended an unspecified delay in the parliamentary polls following unrest triggered by Bhutto’s assassination last week. It said its final decision would be made on Tuesday.

Separately, a senior government official predicted the elections would be postponed by “six weeks or so as the environment to hold free and fair elections is not conducive.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Meanwhile, video footage of Bhutto’s killing raised new questions about the government’s version of how she died. On Sunday, her party named her 19-year-old son its symbolic leader, while her husband was said to take effective control.

Despite being in mourning, Bhutto’s political party and that of Pakistan’s other major opposition leader want the polls held on time, perhaps sensing major electoral gains are possible amid sympathy because of Bhutto’s death and accusations that political allies of President Pervez Musharraf were behind the killing. The government has rejected the charges.

Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, like Bhutto also a former prime minister, said Monday that the election should be held Jan. 8, while also saying Musharraf should resign and be replaced by a national unity government.

“He is a one-man calamity. He is responsible for all the trouble in Pakistan. The country is burning,” Sharif said.

Western governments are also urging the government to go ahead with the polls without major delays. They see the elections as a key step in U.S.-backed plans to restore democracy to the nation as it battles Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

Bhutto was killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack on Thursday, but disagreements between her supporters and the government over the precise cause of death are undermining confidence in Musharraf and adding to calls for international investigators to probe the killing.

New video footage, obtained by Britain’s Channel 4, shows a man firing a handgun at Bhutto from close range as she stands up in an open-topped vehicle. Her hair and shawl then move upward, suggesting she may have been shot. She then falls into the vehicle just before an explosion rocks the car.

The government has insisted Bhutto was not hit by any of the bullets and died after the force of the blast slammed her head against the sunroof. Bhutto’s family and supporters say she died from gunshot wounds to her head and neck.

Bhutto’s husband said late Sunday he refused permission for doctors to perform an autopsy, meaning that short of exhuming her body — something her supporters have already ruled out — the cause of her death will be difficult to establish.

After days of rioting that left at least 44 dead, life in many Pakistani cities began returning to normal, though soldiers and police patrolled many areas. The streets were still quiet in the southern city of Karachi, the scene of some of the worst violence, witnesses said.

The country’s stock markets tumbled in early trading Monday as the uncertain political outlook and violence triggered a selling spree. After opening for the first time since the killing, the benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange’s 100-share index had plunged by 4.7 percent at midday — one of its biggest single-day falls.

On Sunday, Bhutto’s political party named her son, Bilawal Zardari, as its symbolic leader and left day-to-day control to her husband, extending Pakistan’s most enduring political dynasty.

“My mother always said democracy is the best revenge,” Bilawal said late Sunday at an emotionally charged media conference at Bhutto’s ancestral home. “The party’s long struggle for democracy will continue with renewed vigor,” he said.

Bhutto’s party also appealed to Sharif’s party, the country’s other major opposition leader, to reverse an earlier decision to boycott the polls. Sharif’s party later agreed.

Tariq Azim, a spokesman for the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, said “we are also ready for the contest on Jan. 8.” Earlier, he predicted the election may be delayed up to four months.

The appointment of Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari, as effective leader was not without complications. A former Cabinet minister who spent eight years in prison on corruption accusations, he is known as “Mr. 10 Percent” for allegedly taking kickbacks and is viewed with suspicion by many Pakistanis.

Zardari said the opposition party — Pakistan’s largest — had no confidence in the government’s ability to bring his wife’s killers to justice and urged the United Nations to establish a committee like the one investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Several leading U.S. politicians have made similar calls.

The British and U.S. governments had been pushing Bhutto, a moderate Muslim seen as friendly to the West, to form a power-sharing agreement with Musharraf after the election — a combination seen as the most effective in the fight against al-Qaida, which is believed to be regrouping in the country’s lawless tribal areas.

“They’ve maxed out on the troops. You’ve got guys who are over there on their fourth or fifth tours. It’s ridiculous,” says Jeanette Knowles, 40, of Mountain Home, Idaho, whose brother, Jeff, served a tour in Iraq with the Oregon National Guard.

Knowles, who calls herself a Democratic-leaning moderate, says her disapproval of Bush stems from his handling of the war.

Military families are more supportive of the war than Americans without immediate family members in the military, the polls show. Among Americans without military relatives, 59% say the invasion was a mistake, compared with 49% of immediate family members.

The data on close relatives of troops were gleaned from four national polls between Sept. 7 and Dec. 2. The polls identified 548 people as wives, children, parents, siblings, grandparents or a close in-law of a servicemember. Among them are 301 people whose loved ones served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Previous military family polling was largely of people who identified themselves as related in some way to a servicemember.

“I don’t want to see another Korea. I don’t want to see us stay there (in Iraq) forever. And you don’t want to be in a country if they don’t want us there,” says Bruce Bartley, 65, of Fredonia, N.Y., whose son, Army Capt. Steven Bartley, is on his second tour in Iraq. The elder Bartley, who describes himself as a conservative, disapproves of Bush’s job performance and says the invasion was a mistake.

Among military families, 55% disapprove of Bush’s performance compared with 64% of Americans without relatives in the service in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. Men in military families are more approving of Bush (47%) than female relatives (36%).

“The numbers really aren’t much of a surprise,” says Joyce Raezer, executive director of the National Military Family Association. “They show that the military is in many ways a reflection of the country as a whole, not an isolated subculture, as some would portray it.”

Bush considers families’ support important, White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore says. “But he believes that it’s important to continue to base his decisions on the advice he receives from commanders on the ground,” she says.

More than 1.5 million servicemembers have been sent to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, and Army combat tours last up to 15 months. Bush meets in private with grieving families, visits the wounded and frequently speaks to gatherings of military families.

That wealth includes $1.2 billion Barron Hilton stands to earn from both the recent sale of Hilton Hotels Corp. — started by his father Conrad in 1919 when he bought a small hotel in Cisco, Texas — and pending sale of the world’s biggest casino company, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.

That money will be placed in a charitable trust that will eventually benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, raising its total value to about $4.5 billion, the foundation said in a statement.

Barron Hilton, chairman of the foundation, intends “to contribute 97 percent of his entire net worth, estimated today at $2.3 billion, including the created trusts, at whatever value it is at the time of his passing,” the foundation said.

Paris Hilton was not immediately available for comment on her grandfather’s plans for his fortune.

Jerry Oppenheimer, who profiled the Hilton family in his 2006 book “House of Hilton,” has said Barron Hilton is embarrassed by the behaviour of his socialite granddaughter Paris and believes it has sullied the family name.

Barron Hilton, who is 80, has not commented on Oppenheimer’s remarks.

The foundation supports projects that provide clean water in Africa, education for blind children, and housing for the mentally ill. Its aims, based on Conrad Hilton’s will, are “to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute.”
“Speaking for the family as well as the foundation, we are all exceedingly proud and grateful for this extraordinary commitment,” said Steven Hilton, one of Barron’s sons and president and chief executive of the foundation.

Conrad Hilton established the foundation in 1944 and when he died in 1979 left virtually all of his fortune — including, according to media reports at the time, a 27 percent controlling stake in Hilton Hotels — to the charity.

But Barron Hilton challenged the will and after a nearly decade-long legal struggle reached an out-of-court settlement to split ownership of the shares with the foundation in 1988, The New York Times reported.

The hotel group was sold for $20 billion in October to private equity firm Blackstone Group, while the acquisition of Harrah’s — of which Barron Hilton was a board member until 2006 — is due to be completed by Apollo Management and TPG Capital in early 2008.

Paris, a symbol of celebrity privilege in America, gained notoriety in 2003 when a home video of her having sex with a boyfriend was posted on the Internet.

She parlayed her notoriety, fuelled by tabloid headlines about her partying lifestyle, into a celebrity career that has included a reality television show, a book, a music album, and film roles. Then this year she spent more than three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.