Subset (107)

CC-MAIN-2013-20 · 180k rows

Split (1)

train · 180k rows

url stringlengths 24 136	text stringlengths 248 143k
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21428253	Pension deficits fall back to £211bn The deficit of private sector, final-salary, pension schemes fell back in January, according to figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The PPF said the collective deficit of the 6,316 schemes fell from £245bn in December to £211bn. Huge deficits have re-emerged in the past two years, partly due to the government's policy of quantitative easing. This has raised the estimated cost of paying for current and future pensions. The PPF said: "The position has improved on the previous year, when a deficit of £265bn was recorded at the end of January 2012." The deficits are very volatile and can vary considerably from month to month. The improvement in the past month was due to a 1.8% rise in the value of scheme assets, and a 1.1% drop in the value of their liabilities because of an increased return on government bonds. Melanie Duffield of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), said: "Final salary pension funds in the private sector remain under significant pressure because of quantitative easing and the overall state of the economy, and they need help." "The government is consulting on making changes to the way pension funds do their valuations in future, but this latest data shows it is funds going through their valuations now that are under the most pressure." In December, the government launched a consultation on measures to ease the strain on companies which have to make extra large payments to plug the deficits in the schemes they provide for their employees. One measure may let schemes "smooth" their calculations of assets and liabilities during valuations in 2013. This would partly offset the effect of quantitative easing, which the NAPF says has added about £90bn to the sum of scheme deficits, about 40% of their current level.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18064875	Dangerous dogs sentencing guidelines toughened Owners of dangerous dogs which harm others in a public place in England and Wales will face tougher punishment under new guidelines. The Sentencing Council for England and Wales says people who fail to stop their dog harming others should face at least six months in jail. The guidelines are the first issued to judges and magistrates for convictions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The body says there will more jail terms and community orders. And the guidelines, which follow a public consultation and lobbying from individuals and groups, mean fewer offenders will receive discharges, it says. Official figures show there has been a rise in recent years in the number of people sentenced for dangerous dog offences, reaching 1,192 cases in 2010. The NHS has also estimated that dog injuries cost it more than £3m a year, with the number of bites doubling to more than 6,100 between 1997 and 2010. The Sentencing Council issues guidelines to help courts across England and Wales to sentence offences more consistently, within the ranges set out by Parliament. Last December, the council proposed in a consultation that judges should consider a community order as the starting point for sentencing people who allow a dangerous dog to injure someone. However, the offence will now have a starting point of six months in jail - and where appropriate judges should consider up to 18 months. People convicted of possessing a dangerous dog could face up to six months, said the council. It also said that courts should order a dog's destruction unless there is proof it cannot harm again. The council said the new ranges marked an increase in sentencing levels from current practice. Dangerous dogs banned in UK - Pit Bull Terrier - Japanese Tosa - Dogo Argentino - Fila Brasileiro Although the council's guideline has upped the proposed starting point for serious offences, some offenders could still be discharged from court if they can show they tried to stop an attack. The guideline does not cover incidents where a dog is deliberately used in an attack because the offender would be charged with assault or a serious violent offence. It has been extended to include injuries to other animals as an aggravating factor in the offence of allowing a dog to be out of control and causing injury. The council said that following 500 responses to the consultation, the guideline had been amended to allow judges to increase a sentence where the victim was clearly vulnerable, such as if they were blind. Anne Arnold, a district judge and member of the Sentencing Council, said courts would be encouraged "to use their full powers when dealing with offenders so that they are jailed where appropriate". "It also gives guidance to courts on making the best use of their powers so that people can be banned from keeping dogs, genuinely dangerous dogs can be put down and compensation can be paid to victims." David Cowdrey Campaigns Manager at the Guide Dogs charity said: "We would like to see tougher sentences for dog owners whose dogs attack guide dogs and other assistance dogs, with these attacks treated as an attack on a person. "Guide dog owners are uniquely disadvantaged. As they cannot see, they cannot anticipate an attack on their dog or easily avoid these incidents. The impact of an attack on a guide dog by another is devastating." Steve Goody of animal welfare charity Blue Cross called for local authorities to have the power to intervene to control a dog before a serious attack happened. "The campaign to reform the current Dangerous Dogs Act has been dragging on for some 20 years now," he added. "We feel that there is an urgent need for preventative action, or dog attacks will continue to increase."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/685169.stm	\|low graphics version \| feedback \| help\| \|You are in: Talking Point\| Thursday, 23 March, 2000, 09:17 GMT Budget 2000: How was it for you? Hospitals, schools and small businesses have been targeted by Gordon Brown's budget. But it has been attacked by the Conservatives who accuse Labour of rising taxes by 'stealth'. We want to hear your views on his plans. How will this year's budget affect your pocket? Has the chancellor left anything out? Do you think it's fair? Great to see 25 pence on a packet of cigarettes - with the money earmarked for the NHS. We should tax social 'bads' to help fund social 'goods', and increase hypothecation of taxation. Like Gordon Brown, I'm 100% behind Prudence and tight fiscal policy. That's why, as long term unemployed, I'm better off staying in bed. Saving 100% on interview/work clothes. Saving 100% on stamps & Stationery. Saving 100% on travel costs. Saving 100% on rent/rates. Saving 100% on prescriptions. And £100 worth of "Grant" will never persuade me otherwise. Until this Government stops making the black economy look so attractive, how can the real one ever tempt me? John Grassick, UK The commitment of the Government to 'Education, education, education' has not been delivered so far as University students from England are concerned. Whilst it is laudable to eradicate child poverty, it is invidious to continue to keep students poor, and Universities starved of funds. We must invest in further education. To Bob Perry, stop being so paranoid And ignorant. The increased stamp duty is not a tax on the English, as homeowners in the NE and NW (especially) of England will tell you. It is an attempt to stop the SE of England overheating yet again and dragging the rest of us down. It's nice to live in a country where we are wealthy enough to use the latest computer technology to complain about how hard up we are, isn't it? The British Public cannot expect to have a decent health service and good education for their children without having to pay for it. A good budget and who cares about the tax? People on low incomes pay very little tax anyway and it seems to me that people who complain about more tax under Labour are the ones who can afford to pay it Lynda Wallace, Scotland Like many other people I will be worse off after this budget although I consider myself to be part of a 'hardworking family'. I don't mind paying more to support those in society who are poorer or to improve the NHS but I dislike the dishonesty of a chancellor who is clearer taxing many families and individuals more to achieve this but is afraid to admit it. As a single, childless female, with no mortgage/car, who doesn't smoke/drink, this budget hasn't been too bad for me personally. I was, however, rather surprised to see separated/divorced parents on here complaining about the married allowance going (but you're not married are you!) And about the loss of the tax breaks on paying for their responsibilities. Particularly with the latter, they really should have thought of that before walking out on and/or neglecting their marriages. How can anyone complain at having to put their hand in their pocket for their own flesh and blood? Personally I'm really glad to see a big injection of cash into the NHS. It'll go some way towards making ordinary people's lives a bit better, rather than bribing the already wealthy middle-Englanders with I notice people complaining that they don't have children, so why should they subsidise other people's. In reality well cared for, well educated and healthy children are a bonus to society as a whole, not just their parents, so consider the money an investment in a better society, rather than a loss to your personal wealth - you'd only spend it on stupid things anyway. This is a blatant PR budget. The chancellor knows that he has to make the Labour party look like a responsible, financially competent administration. He has used the greatly increased tax income to accumulate a surplus, and is now able to do his Santa Claus act, giving an extra 2 billion to invest in the NHS. This money was only there to play with because of the Conservative's frugal policies in the early 90's which made them so unpopular. The problem with New Labour has been their reluctance to really invest in the public services they're supposed to stand for. At least with the Tories you knew they stood for low taxes and self-sufficiency; New Labour has managed to increase the tax burden without any discernible improvement in public services. As a Londoner, I enjoy a collapsing public transport system, few state schools I'd dare put my kids near, and months of waiting for any kind of service from a struggling NHS. Yet I seem to paying more in taxes. Come on New Labour; either lower taxes and let us look after ourselves, or increase tax revenues and put real effort into improving our public services - the middle way just doesn't work. Rob, London, UK A brilliant budget with targeted money going towards one of Britain's best asset - the NHS. Smoking is becoming the largest expense in many households. No one knew of the health risks of smoking until the 1960's or 70's. Many people who smoke are pensioners, and they can not give up after smoking all of their lives. It would be a more acceptable tax if at least they were excluded from it. Also couldn't some of the tax revenue from tobacco be used to help people quit, such as making some aids available on prescription? But this won't happen because the government is not serious about stopping people smoking. They enjoy too much tax revenue from it. The Labour Party could have reduced taxes in its own self-interest; it didn't. This will allow us to invest more in our health service and the education system, both of which will create jobs and improve standards of living. The budget has reduced business capital gains tax, which will attract companies, and also create jobs. With a better-educated, healthier workforce and greater employment opportunities the United Kingdom's economy should continue to grow soundly and strongly. The number of people responding to this question in terms of "me, me, me" is absolutely appalling. I am a middle-class IT professional and can categorically state that I have not been better off or more secure for many, many years. Do these people not realise that hospitals and schools need to be paid for? Just another Brown budget - dozens of insignificant changes, but overall we end up paying more tax. As someone who lives in a rural village and has no choice but to use their car, my current estimate is that 60% of my salary goes on tax. And yet I earn well below the national average. Nice to see Labour are creating a fair society... I have never seem such petty, small minded, money grabbing, misanthropy masquerading as something more noble. You can't have it all, but a lot of people seem only to be interested in "me me me". Don't these people remember the boom & bust years? Stop whining, try seeing the bigger picture and try thinking of others too. Another budget with the same old stuff. When will a Chancellor bite the bullet and simplify the ridiculously complicated tax system. Take a look at New Zealand - one rate of VAT on EVERYTHING (simple, hard to avoid, no complication as to what rate to apply to what product), and simplified tax scales with next to no deduction. Simplifying the tax system, while significantly dropping the rates will result in a higher tax take, but more evenly spread - most people will end up paying less, but big corporations, and wealthy individuals would find themselves actually having to pay tax for the first time in their lives. Compliance costs would fall, benefiting all. As for the petrol price, well..... What a shame that the Chancellor has decided only to include cars below 1200cc in the cheaper road fund licence policy. What about diesel-engine cars which, although having (for instance) 2-litre engines, use less fuel than your average 1000cc petrol-engine car? Why has no one spotted that Income tax relief on child maintenance payments has been withdrawn from April 1st? This will cost me over £37 per month in extra tax. It was not announced in this budget, and I don't remember it being announced in the last budget, but it's on my tax coding. Due to this tax hungry government, I now have to pay in total over £60 a month extra in tax, not to mention council tax. Am I one of the many who feel that this budget has left me, NHS excepted, worse off than before? I earn less than the national average, pay a mortgage, am married and (by choice) have no children. Therefore I stand to lose out in just about every way. Isn't it about time that those on an 'average' or above wage who choose to have children should not expect the rest of us to foot the bill? I would rather such resources went to the elderly. After all, one can opt to have children but there is no choice in the matter of getting old! And how about student tuition fees? Actually the catch is in the provision for small business: this government does not really give a damn about the poor or the nearly impoverished, it's the goodies for small-time business which gives the game away. Labour my foot! David Jenkins, England Amazing! Yet again help for single parents (and I'm not knocking them, my daughter is one), and pensioners but what about the disabled? My disability is made worse by the cold yet I get no help with heating costs, I need my car or I would be housebound, I enjoy smoking (25p up) and watching TV (where's my free licence?) I don't drink so the increase in duty there doesn't affect me, but I wonder why there is rarely an increase in duty on spirits? Could it have something to do with what MPs drink? My husband and myself are senior citizens and the increase in pensions of 75p plus an extra £1 on the winter fuel allowance will not pay the Labour run Wirral Council's increase of 5 and a half % increase in the rates this, of course, has a knock on effect and the water rates will probably increase too. We are already paying higher rates than most throughout the country. Rather than moaning about how he hasn't given pots of money to all the selfish people, why not try to see some of the good that he's doing. It seems that most PC owners here seem to be very selfish and greedy Tories. Andy B, UK A 2p per litre rise in the price of petrol was hardly needed when it's already gone up by about 4 or 5 pence per litre in the last few weeks, so that will have had any effect he desired in cutting carbon dioxide emissions, why can't he leave the motorist alone, like he promised in November! This budget does nothing for my family. Disabled after 20 years service in the Civil Service and with a disabled husband, the abolishment of the married couples allowance and no increases in benefits other than the rise in inflation means my young family, despite having a background of working hard for my living will be approximately £40 per month worse off due to my tax allowance being cut from 252 to 50! Again - families like mine are suffering. My husband works, we have a mortgage, 2 cars, three kids and have never claimed any benefits, not because we don't need them but because I try to work from home to make ends meet and to save on child care which again I do not qualify. You either have to be very poor or rich to benefit what about the millions of us who are just keeping our heads above water - through hard work. I have to say that I am not impressed at all with Gordon Brown's 2p raise in tax on petrol. When is this ridiculous farce going to stop. The price of petrol in this country is absolutely outrageous, I wouldn't mind so much if the roads which we were provided with were in a good condition but I myself ride a motorcycle and also drive a car. When is the government going to admit that the tax on petrol is nothing to do with the environment and trying to get people onto public transport because if all the people that they want to stop using their cars (apparently) did stop and use public transport the government would lose a fortune. The budget is excellent. But it doesn't provide for the graduate unemployment and redistribution of wealth by taxing the rich for the The capital gains tax changes are pointless so far as investor/managers in fast moving start-ups are concerned. A 15% investment can easily get diluted below 5% in a couple of years, thus disqualifying it as a business investment, even the person remains a founder employee. I am amazed how many people here are complaining about "us working people have to pay for all this". Would a strong economy, better NHS, better schools, small firm growth and technological advances, not benefit us all, especially those in work? It would have been nice to see some investment in (public) transport infrastructure as well. APD tax could have been made more fair, i.e. a variable tax. Unfortunately this does not help deter the loss of 'bootleg' taxes. Still, as long as we don't ever return to the Tory boom and bust cycle, I don't mind paying. I am a married person, no children and a doctor - I have seen the Conservative government crucify the NHS, spending huge quantities on unnecessary management pyramids. I welcome the fact that people like myself who earn more are paying a bit more to keep the NHS going in times of expanding technology and high patient expectations. Nice to see a budget that benefits everyone by increasing spending without increasing debt. Speaking as a pensioner I think the Chancellor has done almost nothing for pensioners. For instance it would have cost so little to have made tax concessions on Dividends and Savings Interest which would have not only have helped existing pensioners but have given encouragement for older workers to make better provisions for retirement. The extra "Christmas Box" of £l per week smacks as an afterthought and another "Insult" on top of the 75p per week extra pension. I think he could have at least returned the basis for future pension to Incomes rather than Cost of living index, thus reversing one of the mistakes of the previous administration. Another Budget large on window dressing and small on benefits. Helen Williams how right you are!! I am glad to see that we are not the only couple choosing not to have children who are fed up with being forced to pay for other peoples'. When are couples going to realise that if you want children, fine. BUT pay for them yourselves!!! Gordon Brown has apparently put money into crime prevention. Does this include serious funding for the statutory Community Safety Partnerships or must they continue to operate on the grossly inadequate amounts from existing Council and Agency budgets? I cannot believe that fuel prices have been increased. The UK prices are already the highest in Europe. This is going to cripple the poor, people who live in rural areas and small businesses. He has said it is in line with inflation but its easy to forget that in the last two years of this government prices fuel prices have already risen by about 15%. Last IT person leaving the country. Turn the lights out. I think no matter what Gordon Brown promises for the NHS there will never be enough injection of cash!!! I complained relentlessly last year about my husband paying tax on private health cover for the family, which is part of his work package. I wanted him to give the private plan up because he is taxed so heavily on it. I am so glad I came to my senses and agreed to keep the private plan, I think the way the NHS is going it is advisable for us all to consider private health cover. The NHS is in a critical state. As a married couple with no intention of ever having children, yet having a dual income, it seems like this large section of the population has not been given any consideration. As for Green issues, my wife and I live in a village, public transport to our work place would cost over £16 a day because high fares charged by privatised rail companies. Whereas we can use our car for £3 (fuel costs). When will something serious be done to encourage people like us to use public transport? Could the Chancellor really be embarrassed to announce a tax cut on tampons? If the cut is for tampons only, then it is not acceptable. Tax cuts should be on ALL sanitary products, not just on tampons, which cannot be used by all females. In fact, I don't think these products should be taxed at all. Whilst this may seem a small matter in the bigger picture, it nonetheless affect the majority of females for a large percentage of their lives. I have a feeling that if men had to use these products on a monthly basis, there would be no tax on them at all! However, increasing the allowances is all very well if one is receiving enough to use them. An increase now in the basic pension would have been more helpful. Our local community charge is set to rise by about £1.50 per week for the coming year, which makes the 75p pension increase look sick. Even the £150 heating allowance although useful won't arrive until next winter. Sorry Mr Brown, your speech sounded like so much waffle. John R Watson (Pensioner), Eastbourne I think we should wait for the small print to be published before we start praising or condemning this budget overall - after all it was in the post-budget proposals that IR35 came to light last year so there could yet be some unpleasant surprises, even though on the face of it, it looks to be a fairly safe, balanced sort of budget. As a higher education student, I still see no support for those experiencing financial difficulties whilst studying. I am sure I am not alone when saying that I estimate a personal debt of estimating around £10,000 before I start work. I am concerned by the Chiseller's maths. How can a 2p rise on petrol @80pence per litre be a "rise equal to inflation", and 1p rise on a £1.50 pint of beer also be a "rise equal to inflation"? Great to have £50 extra winter fuel allowance a year for pensioners. What a pity that its all swallowed up by increase in council tax of £48 a year (over 8% in my At a time when water rates in the Highlands and Islands are set to rise in the coming year by 40%, it is insulting for Gordon Brown to pretend we are better off after this budget. Few people on the poverty line have the means to send in their views. Even though I am a long-term unemployed person - I do have the means, thanks to my mother having bought me a PC to compensate for the deficiencies of statutory provision regarding training in computing. Not nearly enough is done for people with disabilities as far as New Deal is concerned, and the 'Information Revolution' has major implications for the gap between rich and poor. The tax incentives about buying computers are "for businesses," not for learners. It seems William Hague got it right when he likened Mr Brown to a "mugger" who expects the public to be grateful for having their money taken away from them. It's just more of the same, no thanks. The subject of transport seems to have been brushed under the carpet. It's all very well fuel duty "only" going up by the rate of inflation, but the damage has been done in the past two decades. On top of that, there is still no improvement in public transport, which is still unreliable and more expensive than even ONE person taking their car. Where is the incentive to catch the train or bus? Once again the married couple without children have been hit. Because we chose not to have children, why should we suffer and pay for everyone else's children. It's not fair and I don't think it is right. Why is beer duty being raised again - what ever happened to EU harmonisation? Airport Passenger Duty abolished for travel between the Scottish Islands and the Mainland. Good, but I wonder what the residents of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands will think of that. Typical useless budget from a urban-loving, rural-hating government. Petrol prices will hit the areas that have the worst public transport - if they have any at all. No doubt his champagne-swilling Islington luvvies will enjoy the budget, but we live in hope that this is the final nail in the coffin of this bunch of con-artists. Robin Elford, United Kingdom A brilliant budget - a Labour budget, and a budget for long term sustainable investment in the. William Hague's response was the style, though not the skill, of a sixth form debating society. they are out of touch with the countries priorities. As for Hague saying the Tories always found the money for NHS and Education investment, why did they then describe present spending plans as reckless, and why did Mr Portillo ask for so many tax cuts for the top 5% of earners? The Tory Party are clearly out of tune with the needs and the priorities of the country. Gordon Brown could have removed VAT from the price of new cycles to get people 'on their bikes' and promote a cleaner environment...he could have... Once again this is a budget for the parents. Will Gordon Brown ever think of the people who are just starting up in life? Huge student debt leads to an inability to afford to run a car or be able to unwind with a social life. I'm glad there is more money in education and health but what about those people who were educated in the "bad old days" and who now are trying to make a living. I am particularly concerned at the relaxation of Work Permits for IT staff. Currently Asian IT professionals earn c.£2,000pa, so how many of the tens of thousands of UK residents are going to see their families devastated as a result of an influx of what will inevitably become slave labour? Just who are Labour looking after? Not the UK obviously. On listening to the budget I would like to know where all the money poured into the health service is going. We as a nation are supposed to be getting healthier so why are they always screaming for more money. And when are men in this country going to get equality in the 60/65 pension age? Are we to believe that there are no drink-related illnesses? I mention this because the smokers again get hit but not the drinkers?! Are there no disabled people in the country now?! Or is it that the Government doesn't give a damn about their future votes? I am sure the disabled would enjoy watching TV free too! Would like help with extra heating! Jan Morgan, Cardiff As a couple who are to marry in December we find the chancellor's definition of "family" as only those who have had a child a little puzzling, somewhat offensive and a convenient way of framing a tax increase in seemingly generous rhetoric. I agree with Rob Stringer. I am a young, single, hard working and law abiding man on a modest budget. I own a car and like a couple of pints at the weekend. What have I done to deserve these increases? No tax for flights from the Scottish islands. What about flights from Having watched the chancellor's budget this afternoon, I continue to be concerned at the government's continuing strategy of reducing the headline basic rate of income tax. While this is laudable as it gives people greater control over their own expenditure, why does the chancellor not raise the tax threshold above which tax begins to be paid? This would have a greater effect for those at the bottom of the income scale and presumably increase the incentive work, if the benefit scheme was arranged around this aim. It would also still give a considerable tax break to all other income brackets. The chancellor appears to have concentrated on the corporate sector in his fiscal announcements this year, but this is little excuse for an ill-thought out attempt at buying votes. Gareth Sutcliffe, UK Apparently nothing here for those of us who have saved all our working lives to keep ourselves in our old age! Expletive-deleted! I am 53 married with a disabled wife. I earn 13500 a year, my children have grown up. I have a mortgage, what has this government done for me? My point is simple, and regarding one of my vices - cigarettes! I have read a lot over the last few months regarding the lost £2.5 billion revenue from cigarette taxes due to bootlegging. Why then another increase in cigarette prices? Does this not just encourage people to buy smuggled cigarettes? Surely if the price was actually reduced, British people will buy British taxed cigarettes... Therefore increasing tax revenue. With the solution being to increase prices, more people, myself included, will be giving their money for smuggled cigarettes... Next year's 'lost' revenue can only increase, and only be blamed on illogical policies.... Julie Wacker, UK Why not additionally fund the NHS with Lottery money like it is done in Spain, and also Lottery money towards education. I would like to know what exactly do the government hope to achieve by putting up the price of 20 cigarettes by 25 pence? Do they hope to discourage people from smoking??? I think it is absolutely diabolical that the government continues to put up the price of cigarettes when the tax we pay on them anyway pays a lot towards out armed forces and such like. This is a budget that has benefited pensioners, single parents and business. Who has to pay for this? The normal working person as usual! I will never vote for New Labour again! The extra £2billion for the health service is nonsense - you need to get proper people in there running the thing, rather than throwing money at it - look at Rover! What about couples who are unable to have children? My husband and I have even tried A.I.D. and having been "passed" to adopt, lost our home so we couldn't get a council house (no children) to be able to then adopt! I will never vote for a government who ignores the hurt to those who CANNOT have children! When will this Labour Government stop beating the motorist with a big stick? There is just no point in penalising the motorist until there is an acceptable public transport infrastructure in place, which everyone would feel comfortable in using. In view of the current situation with Rover in the Midlands, the Chancellor should be going out of his way to encourage people to buy and drive new British cars. If thousands of people become unemployed in this Industry it will cost him dearly in the long run. Margaret Simon, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Councillor The price of petrol rises yet again! When are we going to make stand against the government? When the Jamaican government increased the price of petrol they had a riot on their hands. We had to retire from our jobs due to a car accident 10 years ago. We have no children. What do we gain from the removal of the married persons tax allowance and the removal of MIRAS? We are not of pensionable age. I am 29 years old and have been Medically Retired on ill health. I receive £130 per month pension. I also live off Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance for Mobility. I am a smoker and drive. What is in this budget to HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coming from the North East of England but now living in London I am appalled that yet again the working person is hit. Public transport in London is a joke with conditions that would have animal rights activists throwing themselves in front of the train if I was a sheep. When will this government look out of it's windows and see the reality of London:- £130,000 for a two bedroom flat, overcrowding on dirty, late trains and tubes. This budget does nothing to help those that have created the surplus in the first place.... A total waste showing no imagination at all. "Taking these measures together, by April next year one million pensioners will be, compared with 1997, £20 a week, £1,000 a year better off," said Mr Brown. Since 1997 .. by end of next year? That's £5/week per year of government. Please let me never grow old under a Labour government. With IR 35 around all the expertise for e-commerce will be abroad because Mr Brown will want his pound of flesh from all us computer contractors. I personally will stay abroad with cheaper fuel, cheaper beer , wine and fags. Mark Lisle , Germany I am separated and have a small child, I have just finished retraining at University and just got married. I pay maintenance, a career development loan before I start to live. I now loose my marriage allowance and tax relief on my maintenance payments. A budget for everybody is it? Whilst I can applaud tax breaks for working people this budget once again keeps the reigns tight on anyone who dares to work hard for better life. It seems strange to keep penalising motorists, motorists are the majority. Labour are starting to get over confident with their intrusive controlling ways, people rebel against that - or at least they should! I would like to see the IR35 given more attention. It's anti-enterprise and unfair on British people. The BBC budget simulator leaves me better off. Not sure how, but I wouldn't mind being a little worse off if the money went to those who need it. People who are moaning about MIRAS should remember that it's been whittled away for years and is hardly worth having, especially when some people can't even afford to heat the homes they have! As for the Married Couples' Allowance, good riddance! Not applicable to singletons, widows and widowers, gay couples or to single parents (who are especially in need!). The tax system should not be used to reinforce the relationships guidelines: leave that to Blunkett. An excellent Budget for anyone with less than average income: as I sometimes work with low income groups, this is well overdue and should be applauded by all rational people - even those with big mortgages! A brilliant budget - a Labour budget, and a budget for long term sustainable investment in the future. William Hague's response was the style, though not the skill, of a sixth form debating society. They are out of touch with the countries priorities. As for Hague saying the Tories always found the money for NHS and Education investment, why did they then describe present spending plans as reckless, and why did Mr. Portillo ask for so many tax cuts for the top 5% of earners? The Tory Party are clearly out of tune with the needs and the priorities of the country. If you want good services, you have to pay for them. So stop complaining. Yes, people will have to pay a little more so that Billions can go into improving the NHS and the schools. Remember that we need more nurses and teachers. Remember that we need good public transport. Remember we need a welfare system that makes work pay. And when you remember all these things, you realise that this budget will not give money away in tax cuts, but make real the Labour promises to improve our public services. Having just paid the full amount of car tax for my 1109cc vehicle, should I cash in the disc and get a new one at the cheaper rate? Do you agree, as I do, that raising the price of tobacco by 25 pence per packet, thus pricing 20 cigarettes at more than £4, the chancellor is encouraging the illegal import of tobacco from our cheaper European neighbours? The devil is in the detail. Lots of promises of jam tomorrow, but somehow, under this Chancellor tomorrow never comes! Whilst more funding for the NHS and Education is to be welcomed there do appear to be lots of string attached i.e. conditions imposed by Central Government, will have to be met. I wonder when the Treasury is going to have the guts to even suggest an increase in direct income tax in order to pay for the services we all want and have come to expect? It would be more honest than the ever-increasing indirect taxation (fuel duty, 17.5% VAT) we are asked to pay. Not to mention the loss of MIRAS and other tax credits. These all hit the less well off most. Once again a Budget to pander the needs to single mums living off benefits, who will be laughing all the way to the bank... Whilst people who try to make a go of their career and improve the education by studying part-time are punished with the end of MIRAS and Married couples allowance. Once again, no commitment towards the environment with no incentives towards travelling by public transport. Ring fenced tobacco taxes for the NHS - does that mean they'll get less money when more people smuggle because the taxes are so high? I'm off to France to buy some cigarettes, 200 for £16! Well - I have never bought a property in the vain hope that I could save a significant deposit first. As soon as I get close, stamp duty goes up again. I live in London, so I and my family are going to have to pay £10,000 in tax just to buy a house for us to live in. Fine if you've seen your existing property double in value over 3 years like those who already bought (with much lower stamp duty). Gordon: exclude first time buyers from this exorbitant tax! There have been two or three references in your programme to the relatively short duration of the Chancellor's speech: do these comments take account of his breakneck rate of delivery, devoid not only of intonation but also of pauses to allow his words and their import to sink in? Oh well...another year and no change. As a working married couple with two kids, two cars and a social life we yet again get nothing out of this budget. And as an IT consultant trying to help this country into the E-commerce/Internet age - I'm about to be taxed out of work by the IR35 changes due to come into effect 4 April 2000. I applaud William Hague for his attempts to get this issue raised today, but hear that both Gordon B and Tony B had their collective backs turned and no doubt ears closed. Chris & Nicole Arnold, England Once again more money has been given to children. Parents tend to stay at home whereas people like myself tend to eat frequently in restaurants and drink in pubs, both of which are good for the local economy, and thus inevitably have far higher expenditure. Perhaps the chancellor should direct benefits to unmarried child-free people. Gordon Brown must assume that we're all completely stupid. "No real-terms rise in petrol duty" ... yet it is the increase in petrol prices that helps to set the level of inflation. Result, petrol goes up at twice the retail price index. Motorists, drinkers and workers punished again. Nothing ever changes for the better. I am saddened by Gordon Brown's presentation of the budget today. Yet again, there are numerous re-announcements of already publicised and planned changes. The Chancellor has manipulated the data to penalise most of us; yet again. Having voted for Labour for some years I really will have to review my loyalties. It appears that as a graduate working in the public sector I am no better off. My mortgage is increasing constantly but my pay rise does not match these increases. Just as well I don't have a car! However I do have lots of student debt to pay off. Thankfully I finished my degree in time to avoid tuition fees. I doubt if I would have been any worse off under the Tories. I sympathise with Mr. Stringer, having similar tastes and possessions, but would like to point out not to stress the part about being single. If he were married as I am, he'd have lost even more in the next tax year (about 200 pounds) due to the abolition of the marriage allowance. As I thought, the Chancellor's Budget is simply another give with one hand and take massively with the other situation. He claims tax is falling but look at the increases. Fuel, booze, stamp duty and cigarettes aside, I am a new mum claiming child benefit. But this benefit goes up only from April next year to £15.50 a week. By then everything else will have soared as well (because the tax increases always seem to take effect immediately), and this so-called benefit will not actually benefit me or anyone else at all. I will vote for William Hague in the next election because at least he can explain the real meaning of the Budget for us all, and seems to have a sense of humour with it, unlike Mr. Brown. Ruby Goode, England Good budget. The only moaning minnies, as usual, are those who don't want to contribute to the nation. Delighted for pensioners; increased fuel duty offset by lower VED as a small car owner. Don't mind paying more for some things if it helps those who do not earn, for whatever reason. Very impressed! This government has taken a lot of stick for not being 'socialist' enough. Intervention and services take money. If Gordon Brown can (as he seems to be well on the way to doing) work a Clintonesque economic miracle then I believe we can expect some real benefits during Labour's next term of office. I'm not expecting Clinton's five trillion surplus, but twelve billion a year's going to add up. Give Brown a chance and he'll have more of us better off and less of us worse off which is surely the main objective of socialism. Robert Coulthard, UK Everything great, unless you are trying to start a business from scratch, in which case IR35 will cripple you. The blind socialists cannot grasp basic economic realities. Oh well, at least we know that they shall be out shortly! I now reside across the pond in Colorado. However I lived for 20 years in Cardiff Wales. Why is it that every year that the tax man tightens his hands around the throats of the general population. Britain is getting so expensive I can't believe people put with it. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The class system will never changed because its impossible to get out of the hole the government put you in at birth. How can a gallon of gas cost 3 pounds and in the states a pound? If people knew what the rest of the world was paying to live I'm sure half the country would leave. Well Done Gordon ! At last, a government who has the decency to put a reasonable amount of money into Health and Education. The Health Service is desperately in need of this money, and Gordon Brown has given it a secure future, and guaranteed income over the next few years. And thank goodness, our schools now have more of the money they need to buy books and give our children the support they need. Ted O'Neill, Reigate Surrey, UK I note, without surprise, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer made no mention of Defence spending. Our Services are over-stretched to the extent of shortly falling apart. The prime responsibility of any government is the defence of the people. As for pensioners, of which I am one, I continue to be completely disgusted. For those of us who have contributed to our country for the best part of our lives, we receive virtually nothing. S. Sharpe, Norwich It is all very well for Gordon Brown to talk about the New Deal for Adults. However, I have been attempting to force my local Job Centre to help me find work. However, not only do they claim there are few real jobs, but also that they do not even have the resources in terms of available staff to telephone me in respect of looking for jobs on my behalf that I have not noticed. Yet another stinker! For those of us without kids, who are working hard (I'm just about to be made redundant!) and trying to better ourselves, life just gets more difficult in this country. Perhaps we are being encouraged to emigrate and so make room for the ever-increasing number of asylum seekers flooding here. It seems to me that the less you have contributed to the country's coffers over the years, the more you get handed out to you. Typical Labour to punish the grafter who wants to better him/her self! Steve Thorne, England To Rob Stringer: you, like myself, are "punished" because we are the least needy. Should the poor, ill, elderly or disabled suffer to make your life better? I think the budget was excellent. Once again it is interesting to note that the NHS only has nurses, obviously the doctors working over 70 hrs a week do not count. It is also interesting to note that there are no incentives for working families. The chancellor has given incentives to families with children, but those who work and do not have children, are still families they have no additional incentives. Maybe an incentive to keep the population to a manageable level, or more for looking after the ageing population and have families look after their own children would have been a fairer budget for some in the country. Edward MacInnes, UK What a hypocrite, talk about e-commerce, but with IR35 we all go bust on April 6th so are not around to benefit from these stupid schemes. Mark Rush, Great Britain As usual billions more for the NHS to swallow up. The NHS doesn't need more money it needs less patients. Why to we continue to penalise the less fortunate whilst pandering to those who can afford to look after themselves. Robert Fisher, UK Just what has the budget done to help a young single man on a modest income who runs a car? I will be worse off. I'm a single, non smoker, car driver who seems not to have gained with this budget. I earn £35,000 a years as an IT worker, but this must be the first year for along time that something good has been done in a budget. I'm happy that people who are less well off are getting something out of this budget-low earning families, pensioners, national health service, education and of course the small businesses who contribute a great deal towards our economy. It's about time people thought more about the real needs of the country and not just about themselves. Hopefully Labour have proved they haven't forgotten about their grass roots-the less well off. This Budget still forces pensioners to make ends meet on a 75p pension increase this year. The ever increasing tax burden on goods such as cigarettes and alcohol is actually decreasing When oh when is the government going to realise that the ever increasing tax burden on goods such as Cigarettes and Alcohol is actually decreasing revenue as more and more items are being brought in form overseas, thus encouraging criminal activities e.g. Yet another increase in the 'spite' tax. We should all take note of the fact that rather few people in Scotland will bear the extra 2% stamp duty imposed on house sales above £250,000. This is, almost exclusively, a tax on the English, by a Scotsman. I am disgusted that fuel prices are going up again when they are already the highest in Europe, possibly the world! It is killing the person who relies on the car to get around. If he wanted to raise fuel he should at least get the transport working first!!!!! Daniel, London, England The Chancellor indicated an increase in the heating allowance to £150.00 for each pensioner. Previously this was per household, not per pensioner. Is this still the case? Good to see the ISA limit retained at £7k. Why did BBC1 not allow the Leader of the Opposition to be given a full hearing and complete his speech. Anyone who has watched the Chancellor's speech does not need your presenter to repeat the whole thing, to the detriment of allowing Mr Hague a full hearing. How can the BBC you headline Gordon Brown's announcements about e-commerce for small businesses? Yet at the same time, thousands of small businesses that could benefit from these changes will be prevented from doing so because of IR35 - my business is being forced to close. Yet you don't mention this, I just don't understand why there is such a void of publicity in the media surrounding this issue. Even in his budget he says how he is going to make it easier for overseas IT experts to obtain work permits - this IS connected to IR35 forcing UK IT experts to desert the country, can you not see that? As someone who has just taken on a big new mortgage, the ending of MIRAS and the ending of the Married Couples allowance (both from last year) couple with NO reduction in the basic rate of tax, is going to leave me and my family in real trouble. A great budget. Having shown he can look after the nation's finances, again in this budget promoting business, the chancellor is now directing money to the areas that need it most: health, education, pensioners and families... Social inclusion more than a sound-bite. A clear commitment from the greatest ever Labour Chancellor. George Tatch, UK Once again I am disappointed to note that those in higher education have been overlooked. As a postgraduate student I had to pay for the luxury of an education. Now in full-time work I am repaying crippling debts. When will this government realise that the future of the country is dependent upon access to education for all and that for the single person in full-time work life is not easy. Brown should have lowered diesel, less sulphur in it than 4*, so why kill taxi drivers with an increase? I think the budget is yet another stealthy one, but the increase in petrol tax is absolutely devastating to me and my family. We are an ordinary family, running cars for getting to work, shopping and leisure, we live in a rural community and so need our cars. This tax is an absolute disgrace, I really didn't think the chancellor would have the bare-faced cheek to do this again. Very, very angry. Melinda Tilley. Oxfordshire As if buying a property in London wasn't expensive enough, Gordon has managed to make it even worse! Does he really think that with 11 buyers per property on London market, 0.5% extra stamp duty will impact prices? Why is the ordinary motorist being punished yet again by increased fuel taxes? The concessions given to road haulage companies will hardly help rural communities! It's time the petrol companies wised up and printed the amount of tax paid on motorists receipts. If the public saw this rip off in black and white every day, it might become less acceptable. People are confused by ISA plans and now will be even more confused. However they will be better off. Fuel duty should be reduced not raised. Motorists are already penalised enough! I run my own business, and I am disappointed that the Chancellor seems to have done so little to encourage those businesses which are building the economic sectors of the future - renewable energy, organic farming, energy efficient technologies: the 21st century alternatives to the dinosaur industries of the past. Businesses need incentives to move to the technologies of the future, and shouldn't be encouraged to stay dependent on the wasteful and damaging ways of the past. Why haven't we heard more about the budget's impact on the environment? The current focus on education has missed University funding and the way in which students of middle income families are finding it harder to afford further education. Help should be given to middle income families and high income groups need to start contributing more towards their University education. Added to this is the imbalance between Scottish and English/Welsh students who face greatly varying University costs. It's too expensive to bring all students to the Scottish level so why not abolish the help for Scottish students and redistribute the money into the University system as a whole? Once again Gordon Brown has lifted the spirits of the poor and the elderly. A very good budget for families with children. This budget was a green budget alright!! This government sure knows how to recycle money previously announced! Do not the words 'incapacitated' or 'disabled' exist in Gordon Brown's vocabulary. Yet again the genuine sick and disabled are ignored. How much better of will they be this year? It would be foolish for anybody to assume that what the chancellor says on Budget day represents the reality - we will wait to see the small print...once bitten, twice shy Roger Hayes, Small Business - Wirral Well, no mention of IR35 from what I can gather, so I assume that his "e-commerce budget" will spring to life and cripple any small IT contract firms. Pathetic. There is no pleasing some people - Gordon does his best to help. Well no change as usual! As a home owning, car driving occasional drinker I've been taxed further again! Oh well ca plus change... The Government's endless plugging of E-Commerce leaves me unsure of whether to laugh or cry. IT experts who understand business, i.e. those in a position to help launch the "E-Commerce Revolution" are about to be taxed out of business under the provisions of IR35. Joined up Government? Ha-Ha, Boo-Hoo. Doesn't John Prescott look miserable! This is an election budget so let's hope that he has not emptied out the purse for the wrong reasons. Transport policy sounds fair if money is ring-fenced. Education smacks of being a bribe and is not long term. Nothing special for Scotland or the north of England. Surprise surprise! As a single man in his thirties with a mortgage and a car, who happens to enjoy a social life when he is not working extremely hard, I find that once again, the chancellor has made my life worse.Disclaimer: The BBC will put up as many of your comments as possible but we cannot guarantee that all e-mails will be published. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments that are published. I enjoy a cigarette and a drink, and I take pleasure in driving, so I am made to suffer. Where are my tax cuts to pay for my increase in my living costs? My mortgage seems to be spiralling upwards, and whenever I need to go to the hospital, I always have to wait at least 5 hours. How comes this country always wants to punish people like me? Rob Stringer, Chislehurst The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other Talking Point stories \|^^ Back to top News Front Page \| World \| UK \| UK Politics \| Business \| Sci/Tech \| Health \| Education \| Entertainment \| Talking Point \| In Depth \| AudioVideo To BBC Sport>> \| To BBC Weather>> © MMIII \| News Sources \| Privacy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/americas/05/katrina/html/	Hurricane Katrina began as a very low pressure weather system, which strengthened to become a tropical storm and eventually a hurricane as it moved west and neared the Florida coast on the evening of 25 August. Animated guide: How Hurricanes form After crossing southern Florida - where it left some 100,000 homes without power - it strengthened further before veering inland towards Louisiana, eventually making landfall at Grand Isle, approximately 90km south of New Orleans, at 10am local time on 29 August. At this point, Katrina's sustained wind speed was approximately 200 km/h. The storm passed directly through New Orleans, destroying many lighter buildings and causing extensive damage to others. Hurricane force winds were recorded along a 200km stretch of coastline, with scenes of similar destruction and flooding in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Storm surges from the sea caused flooding several kilometres inland in some places.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15051112	Nepal tourist plane crashes near Kathmandu killing 19 A small plane has crashed in Nepal killing all 19 people on board, officials say. The Buddha Air plane was carrying 16 tourists to view Mount Everest and other peaks and was returning to the Nepalese capital. One person was rescued alive and taken to hospital but died of his injuries. Tourism Secretary Ganeshraj Joshi said there had been 10 Indians on board, two Americans, a Japanese citizen and six Nepalis, including the three-man crew. The privately-operated Beechcraft-made 1900D aircraft lost contact with the control tower at 07:31 (02:46 GMT) local time. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Local TV stations reported that witnesses saw flames coming from the plane just before it went down in foggy weather in Godavari, several kilometres from Kathmandu. One eyewitness said the plane had hit the roof of a house in Bisankunarayan village before breaking up. Police spokesman Binod Singh told Reuters that all the bodies had been recovered by ground search teams but that bad weather had prevented helicopters from landing. "Once the helicopters land, we'll bring all bodies to Kathmandu and take them to the Teaching Hospital for post-mortem," he said. Aviation accidents involving small aircraft are not uncommon in mountainous Nepal. Last December, all 22 people travelling in a small passenger plane were killed when it crashed east of Kathmandu. In August 2010, a plane heading for the Everest region crashed in bad weather killing all 14 people on board, including four Americans, a Japanese national and a British national.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7520343.stm	Residents claim using the term to refer to gay women insults their identity Three residents of the Greek island of Lesbos have lost an attempt to ban the use of the word "lesbian" to describe gay women. The residents argued that using the term in reference to gay women insulted their identity. But an Athens court ruled there was no justification for their contention that they felt slighted, saying the word did not define the islanders' identity. Greeks often refer to the island as Mytilene, after its capital. "This is a good decision for lesbians everywhere," Vassilis Chirdaris, lawyer for the Gay and Lesbian Union of Greece, told Reuters news agency. The island's name was applied to gay women in acknowledgement of the female poet Sappho, of Lesbos, who wrote love poems about both women and men in about 600 BC. The man spearheading the case, publisher Dimitris Lambrou, had claimed that international dominance of the word in its sexual context violated the human rights of the islanders - who call themselves Lesbians - and disgraces them around the world. He argued it caused daily problems to the social life of Lesbos's inhabitants. But the court disagreed, ordering the plaintiffs to pay court expenses of 230 euros ($366), although they could appeal against the decision.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3769445.stm	Nasa's chief, Sean O'Keefe, has taken a step toward a robotic repair mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope. By Dr David BBC News Online science In January, he said there would be no more space shuttle visits to service Hubble because it was too dangerous. He has now said the US space agency would ask for proposals regarding the feasibility of a robotic servicing mission. It could take place in 2007. His announcement was made to applause at the 204th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Colorado. 'We must act promptly' "In the same can-do spirit that propelled the first Hubble servicing mission, I am very pleased to inform this community that Nasa is releasing a call for proposals today for a robotic Hubble servicing capability," O'Keefe said. The fate of Hubble has been in doubt since he said that a planned shuttle mission would not be carried out due to the safety recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board following the loss of crew and the space shuttle on 1 February 2003. The request for proposals, O'Keefe said, called for methods to de-orbit the telescope safely, to extend Hubble's service life by adding batteries and new gyroscopes, and to install new scientific instruments. Without a service Hubble will last only a few years The date for submissions is 16 July. "We must act promptly to fully explore this approach," O'Keefe said. The ideas from industry will give Nasa an indication if a robotic servicing mission can be mounted in time to rescue Hubble. Experts think it is unlikely to last beyond 2007 without attention. 'Robots can do the job' The main aim of any robotic mission that visits Hubble will be to install some sort of de-orbiting module to allow it to be brought to Earth in a controlled crash. Such a mission is within the capabilities developed by Nasa and other institutions, according to its chief scientist, John Grunsfeld, who flew previously on the shuttle to service Hubble. Steven Beckwith, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute that oversees Hubble, said he was very encouraged by the news. O'Keefe later told reporters that the Hubble telerobotic servicing was an essential technology demonstrator for the space agency's broader exploration strategy - going to the Moon and Mars. "There may be options for extending the Hubble's useful work," O'Keefe said. "Our confidence is growing that robots can do the job." O'Keefe's announcement did little to dispel some people's worries about a robotic mission's ability to do the job. Last week a petition signed by 27 astronauts was sent to President Bush. Robotic servicing "would only be able to accomplish a portion of the tasks and would have a lower probability of success," it said. It warned that a robotic mission "will require both the development of new and unproven technology and flying a first time ever, unmanned rendezvous and docking mission to the Hubble." Signers included Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, and Robert Crippen, pilot of the first shuttle mission.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_7811000/7811468.stm	By Verity Murphy Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. A parent talks about his daughter's assault at school When parents drop their children at the school gates they do so in the trust that they will be safe until home time. But are they? We know that bullying, be it verbal or physical, happens in our schools and in its worst forms can ruin lives. The key to ending the torment is speaking out, but shame and fear often makes this difficult to do. And, as Panorama reports in Kids Behaving Badly, children are being subjected to a type of bullying which makes it even harder to speak out - sexual bullying. This can be anything from sexualised name-calling to spreading rumours about someone's sexual behaviour, to criminal offences such as assault and rape. Michele Elliott from Kidscape, the first UK charity established specifically to prevent bullying and child sexual abuse, says it has seen a dramatic rise in the problem: "Certainly over the last four or five years on the Kidscape helpline we used to get maybe one or two calls a year about sexual bullying, but now we are getting two or three calls a week," she said. Sexual bullying has almost become a way of asserting your power over others and for that reason it is disturbing Michelle Elliot, Kidscape The most recent government figures show that in 2006-07 there were 3,500 fixed period exclusions and 140 expulsions from schools in England for sexual misconduct - anything from explicit graffiti to serious sexual assault, even rape. Two hundred and eighty of those expulsions were from primary schools and in 20 cases the child responsible was just five years old. Ms Elliott said that "sexual bullying has almost become a way of asserting your power over others and for that reason it is disturbing". But experts say that all too often cases go unreported or are written off as youngsters experimenting. "I think it's really difficult for people generally to think about sexually harmful behaviour happening by young people, towards young people in schools," said Paula Telford from the NSPCC. "But it is an issue, it is happening, and we need to acknowledge it and we need to respond to it." To get an idea of how prevalent the problem is Panorama worked with the charity Young Voice to question youngsters aged 11-19 about their experiences. Of the 273 young people who answered the questionnaire, 28 children said they had been forced to do something sexual they did not want to do. One girl in the North West of England said she was forced to perform oral sex on a fellow pupil and one girl said she had been raped. The NSPCC says such experiences are not unusual. "We've had examples for instance of a 16-year-old boy who raped a much younger boy in a secluded setting in school," Ms Telford said. "We've had a 10-year-old who was forcing other children to perform sex acts on him, and performing sex acts on them. And we've had much younger children who've been inappropriately touching each other." The government is promising urgent action and England's Department for Children, Schools and Families is due to publish guidelines on dealing with sexual bullying in the spring. But, even in the most serious cases, those responsible are often not being prosecuted or even counselled. A 13-year-old girl told Panorama she was subjected to steadily worsening sexual bullying by a boy in her school, which went on for months until she told her parents. Her mother contacted the school and was told the boy would be spoken to and a letter would be sent to his parents, but he was allowed to remain in the girl's class and no further action was taken. It was only when the girl and her family reported the allegation to the police that the boy was made to switch classes - a situation which left the girl's mother in despair. "It's inconceivable that somebody could be sexually assaulted and expected to go to school with them and be next to them or near them in a classroom," she said. Lack of support And the consequences of sexual bullying in schools may go much further than the distress it causes at the time. "When you look at the backgrounds of some adult sex offenders, you do see inappropriate sexual behaviour when they are younger, as well as other indicators," Ms Elliott from Kidscape said. "It doesn't mean that every child who acts out sexually is going to become a sex offender, but we ignore it at our peril." However, even when the school does take the matter seriously, it can still be the case that the perpetrator is better supported than the victim. Panorama talked to the father of a 15-year-old girl who was lured into an empty classroom where a group of boys, also pupils at the school, forced her to perform oral sex on one of them. The girl spoke out about the incident and her head teacher was quick to refer the matter to the police. However, when the girl was too traumatised to return to school and her parents turned to their local council to arrange home tutoring, they were told that this facility was reserved for children who had been excluded from school - such as the boys who had assaulted her - not their victims. Panorama: Kids behaving badly is on BBC One at 2030GMT on Monday 5 January 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16629619	Hammer horror classics to be restored Dozens of horror movies produced by Britain's Hammer studios are to be restored for their release on Blu-Ray. More than 30 films will be resurrected, with several gaining new or extended scenes that were cut from the original. Among them is Terence Fisher's Dracula, which will incorporate a recently-discovered extended death scene considered too gruesome in 1958. Hammer was established in the 1934 and became synonymous with the horror genre in the 1950s. Its run of monster movies included Dracula and The Curse Of Frankenstein, which made stars of British actors like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. After lying dormant since the 1980s, the company and its back catalogue were bought in 2007 by a consortium, and recently started producing new films including Let Me In and The Woman In Black. The restoration of its older titles is a large undertaking, with the likes of Pinewood Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros, Studio Canal and Paramount Pictures all contributing material. In a press release, Hammer added that the Blu-Ray discs would contain "newly-filmed extras, including interviews with cast members". The company is also asking members of the public to help it track down lost footage and deleted scenes from its movies. Some discoveries have already been made - the original UK title sequence has been reinstated on The Plague of The Zombies, while the UK title cards for Dracula: Prince of Darkness will be included on its release. Other classic gothic titles slated for restoration are Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, The Mummy, Frankenstein Created Woman, The Lost Continent, The Reptile Slave Girls and The Vengeance of She.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18966360	London 2012: More troops deployed for Olympics More than 1,000 troops who had been on standby to bolster security at the Olympic Games have been deployed. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the 1,200 troops were to be used because ministers were clear that "we don't want to leave anything to chance". Earlier this month 3,500 personnel were drafted in after security provider G4S admitted it was short of staff. The new deployment decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet's Olympics committee, chaired by David Cameron. The move means 18,200 troops have now been deployed to the Games. It is the latest step to strengthen security after G4S said it could not deliver enough guards. Paul Deighton - chief executive of Olympic organisers Locog - said G4S had just under 6,000 personnel deployed for the Games to date. Mr Hunt told an Olympics security briefing the next 48 hours were "critical" for security and transport". Earlier, he said that the move to bring in extra troops was not because G4S's performance had deteriorated - he said it had actually improved. London 2012 - One extraordinary year "With three days to go until the opening ceremony, with an incredibly busy weekend, we don't want to leave anything to chance and we just decided that this is the right measure to take because for the public the most important thing is a safe and secure Games," he said. "It's better to have those troops on the ground so that, were they to be needed, they can swing into action immediately." In other Olympics news: - Heathrow is having its busiest day for the Olympics so far as it handles about 217,000 passengers, including 1,200 athletes and coaches and more than 3,000 other Games-related arrivals - Motorists face long queues on routes where modifications have been made to road layouts ahead of Wednesday's full introduction of 30 miles of Olympic traffic-only Games lanes in London. Up-to-date traffic information can be obtained from the BBC Travel news site for London and a website created to highlight likely disruption - The Jamaican track and field athletics team, which includes the 2008 Olympics 100m and 200m champion Usain Bolt, are holding an open training session in Birmingham ahead of the Olympics - Team GB is set to be officially welcomed to the Olympic Village later at a ceremony involving dancers, poets and rappers curated by the National Youth Theatre - The British Olympic Association says it has asked triple jumper Phillips Idowu to supply details about his injury ahead of the Games after the 2008 Olympics silver medallist pulled out of the Great Britain athletics team's training camp - The Olympic torch is travelling from Kingston, in south-west London, to Ealing, west London, as it continues its tour of the host city's 33 boroughs. During a security briefing, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison said the deployment of further troops offered extra flexibility. "We don't know what's going to come round the corner, and that's the reality," said Mr Allison, who is the national Olympic security co-ordinator. Mr Allison said the security operation had been designed to deal with four broad areas of risk to the Games: "The first is terrorism, the second is organised crime, the third is protest and the fourth is natural hazards." He said while the existing terror threat to the UK was rated at "substantial", officers were policing to the level above that - "severe" - when an attack is highly likely. "You can always downgrade your resources at the last minute - it's a lot harder to suddenly upgrade your resources." Opening ceremony rehearsal Mr Allison said the team dealing with Olympics-related fraud had so far made more than 200 arrests and he advised people to only buy tickets from authorised websites. He also warned that while the right to protest was "an extremely important part of our democracy", it was a "conditional" right and therefore "does not give you the right to stop the Games happening". On Monday, thousands attended a technical dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony. They were urged to keep the details secret and not spoil the surprise for others by circulating images or videos. People who attended Monday's rehearsal reported that the hashtag "#savethesurprise" was emblazoned on giant screens inside the Olympic Stadium. It later trended globally on micro-blogging website Twitter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16177112	Ex-priest James Donaghy guilty of 23 charges A former priest has been found guilty of 23 sex abuse charges against three men. James Donaghy, 53, from Lady Wallace Drive in Lisburn, faced 26 charges between June 1983 and December 2000. He was found not guilty on one charge of common assault. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on two remaining charges and the judge discharged them. The prosecution will inform the judge on Friday if they wish to ask for a retrial on the final two counts. They related to one of the victims, Father Patrick McCafferty. The others were former altar boy James Doherty and a former trainee priest who cannot be named. On Wednesday, the jury returned unanimous verdicts on 16 of the charges and majority verdicts on the other three. Among the offences he was convicted of were indecent assault and serious sexual assault. Judge Patrick Lynch QC told the jury on Thursday that before he proceeds to handing down the "inevitable" jail term, reports would be compiled both on Donaghy and on his victims. Donaghy ministered most recently in Bangor in County Down. He stepped down from the priesthood in 2004. Following the verdicts, the Catholic Church announced that its own investigation, which had been suspended during the term of the trial, would now resume. In a statement, the Diocese of Down and Connor, offered "sincere and unequivocal apologies to all those who have suffered abuse by clergy and religious". "Bishop (Noel) Treanor hopes that the proceedings at Belfast Crown Court and the jury's decisions will assist the victims concerned in this case on their journey towards healing," the statement said. "He prays that all who have suffered so profoundly in this process will now be enabled to find inner strength and peace." The statement said that the diocese had co-operated fully with all relevant authorities and would continue to do so.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19473320	David Cameron unveils major cabinet reshuffle Andrew Lansley has been replaced as Health Secretary by Jeremy Hunt as part of an extensive government reshuffle. The move is a promotion for Mr Hunt, who has been under pressure for his handling of the BSkyB takeover bid. Elsewhere, Chris Grayling replaces Ken Clarke as Justice Secretary and Transport Secretary Justine Greening is controversially moved to another role. The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21717884	Mali conflict: French troops 'dismantle al-Qaeda base' A major al-Qaeda base has been dismantled by French forces in the remote mountains of northern Mali, France's defence minister has said. Jean-Yves Le Drian said a "very impressive" arsenal of weapons had been recovered from the site, called Ametetai, in the Ifoghas mountains. He also said a French national fighting with the militants had been captured. French President Francois Hollande said earlier this week French troops would begin withdrawing from Mali next month. He said the final phase of military intervention would continue throughout March and be scaled down in April.'Face-to-face combat' Mr Le Drian toured Ametetai during his surprise visit to Mali on Thursday. End Quote Jean-Yves Le Drian There had been established there a kind of place, a terrorist war network, that could receive youngsters seeking a radical future, as some may have done in Afghanistan or Syria” "We knew this part of Mali was potentially the sanctuary of AQIM (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), and we weren't wrong," he told Europe 1 radio from Mali. "We're dealing with resolute and heavily-armed terrorists, who are engaging in significant fighting, and we have been able to inflict heavy damage on them." French troops found weapons "by the tonne," he said, including AK47s, grenade launchers and pick-ups hidden in natural caves. "I hadn't expected this to such an extent," he added. "The search is continuing as of yesterday afternoon in the other valleys, because the whole territory has to be cleaned out completely," he went on to say. He told Europe 1 that a French national found fighting for the militants had been taken prisoner and would be extradited to France. "This shows," Mr Le Drian said, "that there had been established there a kind of place, a terrorist war network, that could receive youngsters seeking a radical future, as some may have done in Afghanistan or Syria." Ametetai is where Chadian troops said they killed top militant commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid earlier this week, the BBC's Alex Duval Smith reports from the capital, Bamako. Mr Le Drian said French troops were also encountering pockets of resistance around the main northern city of Gao, adding that they were "practically in face-to-face combat" with the militants. Overall, France has lost four soldiers in fighting in the two areas since they began military operations in Mali on 11 January. Chad lost 26 troops in a single assault on 22 February, and officials say more than 100 militants have been killed. Chad has said that, along with Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, veteran Islamist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was also killed. The French have so far not confirmed these reports. France currently has 4,000 troops in the West African state, having intervened militarily amid fears the rebels were preparing to advance on Bamako. Mali's army and troops from several African countries, including 2,000 from Chad, have also been involved in the fighting. A coalition of Islamist and separatist rebels expanded their control of northern Mali a year ago after a military coup in Bamako.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7937155.stm	Milton Keynes Council has matched English Heritage funding World War II code-breaking centre Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire is to be given £600,000 for repairs. Following a vote by local residents, Milton Keynes Council has agreed to pay £100,000 a year for three years, matching a pledge by English Heritage. The deal means the historical site, which is in a poor state of repair, will be given £600,000 over the period. English Heritage paid £330,000 in 2008 for roof repairs at the site, seen as the birthplace of the modern computer. 'Supporting the economy' Director of Bletchley Park Trust Simon Greenish said: "The vital endorsement takes us one step closer to achieving our aim of creating a world-class educational and heritage site." Bletchley was the base where Allied code-breakers intercepted messages that had been encrypted by the German Enigma machines. Councillor Vanessa McPake, council cabinet member responsible for heritage and culture, said: "In this time of economic downturn more people are likely to be holidaying in the UK. "So Bletchley Park has a real role to play in supporting the economy of Milton Keynes." English Heritage threw down the gauntlet to outside organisations to donate £100,000 a year for three years when they funded roof repairs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/3892387.stm	An historic pub, once used as a base by a gang of smugglers, faces possible demolition after being hit by a car. The damaged pub dates back to the 14th century The landlords of Ye Olde Smugglers Inne in Alfriston, East Sussex, were led to safety by emergency crews after the crash at about 0230 BST on Wednesday. The 14th century pub was severely damaged and the High Street was closed at Waterloo Square. Police are now trying to trace a red Ford Sierra which was driven off after the crash. Maureen Scott, who has been the pub landlady for 27 years, and her husband Robert Scott Built were asleep at the time of the accident. "Neither of us heard the crash and only realised what had happened when the firemen woke us," said Mr Scott. He said builders were working to secure the pub and were concerned the front face of the building may collapse. If it cannot be saved, it will need to be completely rebuilt as it is a grade II listed building. Mr Scott, who believes Ye Olde Smugglers Inne is likely to be closed for a minimum of three months, said the accident had left him feeling devastated. "It's a real shame, especially as it is the only pub in the village," he said. Built in 1358, the pub - which used to be called Market Cross House - was once the home of a notorious smuggling gang. The layout of the building reveals how useful it was for concealing contraband and evading the authorities. In addition to having a maze of underground tunnels and a secret passage leading to a building across the street, it has an open chimney with large secret recesses and a hiding place in the roof accessed by a corner cupboard. The leader of the Alfriston smugglers, Stanton Collins, was eventually arrested in 1831 - but for stealing sheep, not smuggling.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12298562	Cyclists are 'unaware of the risks from pollution' Cycling is a great way to get around cities and become fit at the same time - but do cyclists get enough public health information about the damage air pollution could be doing to their lungs? In this week's Scrubbing Up, Amanda Dryer, based at the infirmary' s Platt Rehabilitation Unit says cyclists need to be given more information about the risks of cycling in polluted areas. Cycling is fantastic exercise. It yields many health benefits and should not be discouraged due to concerns regarding air pollution. It is critical however that we raise public awareness about the effects that air pollution has on the respiratory system - both in the short and long term. At the moment, these effects are not well publicised. Giving cyclists more information would enable them to make informed decisions about when and where they cycle.Breathing difficulties Air pollution is made up of numerous pollutants that have been reported to have specific effects on the lungs. The pollution from diesel engines is of particular concern as the small particulates or ultra fine particles which tend to be emitted by diesel engines, can be inhaled further down into the lungs than the larger particles. In people with existing respiratory disease this can cause significant airway irritation and breathing difficulties. Pollution also creates gases - sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. These gases have been reported as having certain effects on the lungs. Primarily they can cause the airways to become inflamed and therefore narrow, trigger airway irritation, decrease the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry and reduce lung function. End Quote Amanda Dryer Respiratory Physiotherapist Despite the contradictions, cyclists need to be informed of the potential risks.” However, hard evidence on the impact of air pollution on the health of the general population is inconclusive. Some studies have reported a decline in lung function with airway inflammation, whilst others highlight a very weak tenuous link between air pollution and any effects on the respiratory system. Several studies have specifically investigated the effects of air pollution on lung function in cyclists. It has been postulated that because cyclists breathe more deeply during the physical exertion of cycling, that they can inhale up to five times more particulates than either car users or those travelling on public transport. On the other hand, it has also been suggested that passengers travelling in cars or buses are more at risk of being exposed to higher levels of air pollution than cyclists, as they are sitting in an environment of limited circulating ventilation. Despite the contradictions, cyclists need to be informed of the potential risks. It is not unusual for health promotion messages to face contradictions and ambiguities when promoting one measure to benefit health - daily cycling - while potentially increasing the risk of an adverse effect - increased exposure to air pollution.Minimise risk In the cycling community, there are many ongoing discussions on different cycling web sites that suggest ways to minimise risk. These include finding alternative routes away from high density commuter traffic and major public transport routes, avoiding congested roads and utilising cycle paths and tracks and finding routes that offer some shielding from air pollution - eg trees. End Quote Amanda Dryer Respiratory physiotherapist There is no clear UK guidance as to what are acceptable levels when we consider air pollution reduction figures - it's too vague. ” Also, don't get stuck behind a bus or find yourself travelling downwind of vehicle's exhaust fumes and when stopping at traffic lights or a major junction, move out in front of the stationary motor vehicles so you are not inhaling the plume of exhaust fumes and by monitoring air quality in your area. Public health is all about investigating and identifying ways to minimise risk but it's also about common sense. It is important that we consider what measures could be adopted to try and protect cyclists' airway function. One of the main obstacles to promoting a clear public health message is that there is no clear UK guidance as to what are acceptable levels when we consider air pollution reduction figures - it's too vague. There needs to be closer scrutiny of air quality in particular, within built up urban areas and a firm commitment to continually investigate and evaluate how we can make our environment cleaner. For example investigating cleaner fuels, better emission controlling devices and supporting car manufacturers in developing new technology to investigate electric vehicles. There also needs to additional funding resources that reflects the need to improving health and allow further research to be conducted to accurately detail the effects of pollution on the respiratory system and to clarify what are the potential toxic effects of air pollution on the lungs. The government's ongoing strategy should be how we can continually monitor air quality and ensure that we are achieving reductions in pollutant levels that are clear and laid out. Monitoring air quality in the UK has not been given enough publicity or funding. As a result, often cyclists do not fully appreciate what risks they are imposing upon themselves by cycling in areas where air quality is sub optimal. We need to make sure people are given informed choices when it comes to deciding what measures they can adopt to protect themselves against air pollution - this can only come about if clear health promotion is delivered to the public.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21426276	Scottish Retail Consortium: food sales boost for shops A sharp rise in food sales last month lifted Scottish retailers to their best performance for almost two years, according to a sector survey. The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said total sales grew by 2.1% in January, with food sales up by 5.2% on a year ago. Non-food sales declined by 0.7% on the previous January. The overall figures suggested the strongest year-on-year growth in sales since April 2011. The upturn was similar to that experienced in the UK as a whole. The KPMG-SRC survey indicated food and drink results were boosted by the inclusion of New Year's Eve in this year's January figures. Last year it was included in the December survey results.Detox diets SRC said fruit and vegetable sales were boosted by the popularity of detox diets. Sales in Scottish produce, including whisky, also increased as customers celebrated Burns Night. Clothing and footwear was the strongest non-food category, with winter weather encouraging people to shop for boots and seasonal clothes. Men's clothing was the best performing segment in this category, helped by strong demand for boots and formal footwear. However, the survey also suggested that consumer confidence remained subdued in Scotland, in contrast with the whole of the UK, which saw confidence rise.'Good news' SRC director Fiona Moriarty said: "After battling consistently tough conditions through most of 2012, this is good news for Scottish retailers. End Quote Fiona Moriarty Scottish Retail Consortium The key question now is: is this just a blip or dare we hope it signals the start of a lasting revival for customers and retailers” "The healthier pace of sales that finally developed in December, gathered momentum in January to produce the strongest year-on-year growth since April 2011. "The comparison with January 2012, when sales growth was negative, also helped the overall figures. "But, even so, this is an encouraging start to what's still likely to be a challenging 2013. " She added: "The key question now is: is this just a blip or dare we hope it signals the start of a lasting revival for customers and retailers?" David McCorquodale, KPMG's head of retail, said January's figures "built encouragingly" on the modest progress made in December. He added: "It's not surprising that non-food sales remained sluggish, given that January is traditionally the month where Christmas debts are paid off. "However, retailers generally will look back on successful seasonal campaigns, be relieved that consumers responded well to promotional activity and be glad that they went into the winter with lower stocks."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7353677.stm	For the first time, the California-based firm earned more revenue abroad - 51% of total sales - compared to its home market. This was partly due to a slump in the weak dollar which increases the value of non-US earnings. Its shares fell $5.50, or 1.2%, to $449.50 before its results were released, but they rebounded sharply after the closing bell which means that when New York trading begins on Friday, they will rise. It's a good time to be a Google bull," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with Canaccord Adams. "The boys delivered." Shares in Google, the darling of the technology sector in 2007, saw its shares reach a peak of $741.80 in November last year, making it the fifth biggest US company by market capitalisation. Google boss on how the company makes money But since then, its shares have been hammered on worries that it faced an advertising slump amid mounting evidence that the US is slipping into a recession. The California-based company makes money when internet surfers click on the paid-for-links on the right hand side of the website which takes them through to the adverts. Recent data from research firm comScore showed that fewer web searchers were viewing these, fanning fears that the company's best days were behind it. Clicks on Google's sponsored links in the US slowed from a growth rate of 25% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 1.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to comScore. But its upbeat results suggest the reason for this reflects a deliberate reduction in the number of ads on each search results page to deliver to advertisers better matched visitors who are more likely to buy their products. US SEARCH MARKET SHARE Source: comScore March figures Analysts say Google's strong performance could strengthen Microsoft's resolve to buy Yahoo even if it means raising its $44.6bn offer - a move that it has so far rejected. Yahoo, keenly looking at ways to escape being bought by Microsoft, has even teamed up with rival Google in a two-week experiment which will see search-driven Google adverts alongside the search results of Yahoo's website. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/5217506.stm	Rare mice, relocated to the Scottish mainland while a mass cull of rats took place on a small island, have been returned to their home. About 40 mice have been returned to the island About 150 wood mice were taken from Canna in the Inner Hebrides to Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park last year. They were removed so that international pest controllers could eradicate the island's 10,000 non-native brown rats. The rats had threatened the mice and seabird population. The £500,000 cull was launched by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which owns the island. It ended in January and routine monitoring in April found no sign of rats. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo, said about 40 mice had now been returned to the island and would be monitored for two years. The remainder would be reintroduced in phases. David Windmill, RZSS chief executive, said: "We are pleased to have been involved with this project and hope to have valuable nesting seabirds on the island, as well as conserving a rare and unique Scottish mouse." Abbie Patterson, national species recovery officer at NTS, said: "We are delighted that the RZSS were able to help us with this phase of the project and we look forward to the population of seabirds thriving once again on the cliffs of Canna." New Zealand pest controllers were hired in October 2005 to cull the marauding rats, which had been feasting on the eggs of seabirds and posing a threat to the mice. The rats were killed using poisoned baits.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853408.stm	Ghana clinched a place in the last 16 of the World Cup against Brazil by ending the hopes of the United States with victory in Nuremberg. Ghana players celebrate the first goal against the USA Haminu Dramani gave Ghana, who lost their group opener to Italy, the lead after he robbed Claudio Reyna but Clint Dempsey's first-time shot made it 1-1. Stephen Appiah restored Ghana's lead from a controversial penalty - awarded against USA defender Oguchi Onyewu. Brian McBride sent a diving header against the post for the USA. Referee Markus Merk stamped his early mark on the game, booking Eddie Lewis and Michael Essien inside the first six minutes. With plenty at stake both sides were prepared for a physical battle and Lewis needed treatment for an eyebrow cut, which was caused by John Mensah's stray elbow. Dramani then raised Ghana's hopes of a place in the knockout stages by firing them ahead. Dramani's shuddering challenge caught Reyna in possession and the Ghana star made ground before curling his shot around keeper Kasey Keller's dive. Essien's role in the battle for midfield supremacy was pivotal to Ghana's hopes and he won the ball to release the pacy Razak Pimpong, who pulled his shot wide. The USA's ponderous build-up play allowed Ghana time to get bodies behind the ball but when they took a more direct route it proved to be effective, with McBride rising to flick the ball on for Landon Donovan, who sliced his shot wide. The Americans suffered a blow when playmaker Reyna limped off but they made light of it when they levelled just before half-time. Midfielder Clint Dempsey knows the USA are heading home DaMarcus Beasley intercepted Derek Boateng's pass and curled a delicious cross into the path of Dempsey, who crashed home a first-time shot. But referee Merk added one more twist to the first half, with a controversial penalty award. He penalised Onyewu, who appeared to win a clean header as Pimpong collapsed dramatically, and then allowed Appiah to dispatch the spot-kick. Donovan swung in a dangerous free-kick as the USA piled on the pressure at the start of the second half but Ghana showed their threat on the break and Keller had to claw away a powerful shot from Matthew Amoah. For all their possession, the Americans showed little guile and wit to break down Ghana in a game that continued to be dominated by referee Merk's whistle. The USA's luck was out as McBride dived full-length to head Lewis' cross against the post before Onyewu headed inches over the bar from a corner. The American fans may well believe that they were victims of some debatable refereeing decisions and they were angry when Mensah was only shown a yellow card for a dreadful, cynical foul on substitute Bobby Convey. Ghana: Kingston, Mensah, Pantsil, Shilla, Mohamed, Appiah, Essien, Dramani (Tachie-Mensah 80), Boateng (Otto Addo 45), Amoah (Eric Addo 59), Pimpong. Subs Not Used: Adjei, Ahmed, Kuffour, Owu, Pappoe, Quaye, Sarpei. Booked: Essien, Shilla, Mensah, Appiah. Goals: Dramani 22, Appiah 45 pen. USA: Keller, Onyewu, Conrad, Cherundolo (Johnson 60), Bocanegra, Dempsey, Reyna (Olsen 40), Lewis (Convey 74), Beasley, Donovan, McBride. Subs Not Used: Albright, Berhalter, Ching, Hahnemann, Howard, O'Brien, Wolff. Goals: Dempsey 43. Referee: Markus Merk (Germany). Fifa man of the match: Stephen Appiah Ghana is the sixth nation from Africa to progress beyond the group stage. Since 1986, each World Cup has seen one African nation qualifying from the group stages for the knock out section. The most successful have been Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 who both reached the quarter-final stage. It was the third World Cup match ever between an African country and a nation from the CONCACAF Zone. The first match between the two continents of Africa and North & Central America took place in 1978 when Tunisia beat Mexico 3-1, also the first ever African victory at the World Cup. The other match was played on 16 June when Angola and Mexico drew 0-0. With an age of 23 years and 352 days, Ghana's starting line-up was the youngest of the 2006 World Cup. The three youngest starting line-ups have all been fielded by Ghana. Clint Dempsey's equaliser for the United States was the 100th goal of this tournament. Trivia stats source: Infostrada Sports
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15804198	Nuclear sub dismantling discussed at Dunfermline event The fate of seven nuclear submarines berthed at the Rosyth dockyard in Fife is being discussed at the first in a series of consultation events. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it will run out of room to store its old nuclear submarines in 2020. It is seeking public opinion on how and where the submarines should be broken up, and what should happen to the radioactive material on board. The first public meeting is being held in Dunfermline. Rosyth in Fife and Devonport in Plymouth are the two preferred sites being considered as locations for removing the radioactive material from the vessels. Seven nuclear submarines have been stored at Rosyth since the 1990s. Ten more are berthed at Devonport, with others due to come out of active service in the future. Fife Council said it would be asking local residents their opinion before it submitted its views. The MoD has other events planned for Scotland before the consultation ends in February.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18776084	Donald Trump tees off to launch Menie Estate golf course US tycoon Donald Trump has struck the first ball on his new multi-million pound golf course in Aberdeenshire. He was piped to the first hole of the course, where he teed off with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie. Monty said it was an "honour" to play the first round on what he described it as a "marvel" of a course. The development at Menie has been controversial, with environmental campaigners opposed to the construction of a course on protected sand dunes. However, Mr Trump said he believed he had created the world's greatest course. Tuesday's ceremony took place ahead of the course opening to the public on Sunday. The Scottish Wildlife Trust, which opposed the course, has called on top golfers to boycott some of the holes. Mr Trump flew into Aberdeen on Monday on his private jet for the events to launch the Trump International Golf Links. The development has been accused of wrecking the local environment, while Mr Trump has attacked proposals for an offshore wind farm which he fears will blight the view for golfers. The course was built on the Menie Estate, which includes sand dunes classed as a site of special scientific interest. The site took six years to develop but plans for a hotel and hundreds of homes have been put on hold. Mr Trump dedicated the course to the memory of his mother, who was born on the Isle of Lewis. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has written to professional golfers taking part in the opening event at the course asking them to avoid the most environmentally-sensitive areas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18522190	Six lions killed in Kenyan capital Nairobi Six lions have been killed on the outskirts of Nairobi after they strayed into a residential area of the Kenyan capital and were hunted down by locals. Locals, apparently angry and anxious after the lions had killed a number of domestic goats, speared them to death. The animals, who were killed at night, strayed from Nairobi's national park. About 2,000 lions remain in the country and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says it is losing the animals at a rate of around 100 each year. Some are dying due to destruction of habitat and others have been killed by disease. Conflict caused by an encroaching human population has also contributed to Kenya's decreasing lion population. End Quote Francis Kasha Eyewitness Some people became too rowdy and it was impossible to stop them from killing the lions” In the case of the Nairobi killings, KWS said it had tried unsuccessfully to catch the animals and dissuade locals from taking matters into their own hands. The service, the country's wildlife custodians, despatched rangers and vets in a bid to capture the two adult lionesses, two juveniles and two cubs. However, local residents apparently gathered after the lions killed four goats in a small farmstead on the outskirts of the capital. Livestock keeper Francis Kasha told the Reuters news agency the lions had come in the early hours of Wednesday. "We gathered as we waited for KWS officials to come and catch the lions. "We tried to surround the animals as we waited for the officials but some people became too rowdy and it was impossible to stop them from killing the lions." Mr Kasha, who said the killing of some of his own goats had left him feeling bitter, went on: "I did not kill any lions then, but right now we have been forced to kill the lions and we are feeling very bad because this is national heritage and a source of income for our country." Reuters described the residents involved as being mainly Maasai pastoralists. Nairobi's national park, from which the animals strayed, is surrounded on three sides by Kenya's capital city. In May, rangers were forced to shoot a lioness after it stalked an upmarket Nairobi neighbourhood for months.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18881679	Bo Xilai scandal: French architect 'leaves Cambodia' A French architect with alleged links to scandal-hit Chinese politician Bo Xilai has left Cambodia for China, officials say. Patrick Devillers was detained in Phnom Penh on 13 June at China's request. He reportedly had close ties to Mr Bo and his wife, Gu Kailai, a suspect in the death of British man Neil Heywood. Cambodia had said he would not be sent to either China or France without an investigation, but officials said he left on Tuesday of his own free will. "China wants him as a witness," Information Minister Khieu Kanharith told Reuters news agency. Mr Devillers, 52, has been living in Cambodia for the past five years. Reports said he checked into a Shanghai-bound flight late on Tuesday. Mr Bo, the former high-flying leader of the south-western Chinese megacity of Chongqing, was sacked in March and is under investigation for flouting Communist Party discipline. His downfall was triggered when his police chief, Wang Lijun, fled to the US consulate, reportedly to seek asylum after falling out with Mr Bo over his investigation into the death of Neil Heywood. Mr Heywood was found dead in a hotel in Chongqing on 15 November 2011. Local officials initially said he died of excessive drinking, but the government announced in April that it was investigating Mr Bo's wife in connection with the case. Mr Bo and his wife have not been seen in public since then.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17286154	Norway attacks: Breivik charged with terror attacks Anders Behring Breivik, who confessed to attacks which left 77 people dead and 242 injured in Norway, has been charged with terror acts. Defence lawyers went to his prison near the capital, Oslo, to present their client with the charges. Prosecutors have indicated they consider Breivik mentally ill and will seek to have him committed to psychiatric care rather than jailed. Breivik is expected to go on trial on 16 April. He has been charged under a paragraph in Norway's anti-terror law that refers to violent acts intended to disrupt key government functions or spread fears in the population. "The defendant has committed highly serious crimes of a dimension we have no previous experience with in our society in modern times," prosecutor Svein Holden told reporters in Oslo.'Totally calm' Speaking outside Breivik's prison, police spokesman Tore Jo Nielsen said the killer had reacted calmly as the charges were read out. "The whole reading-of-the-charges process was very calm and it took place in a small room where we were sitting with the accused and I can now confirm that the charges have been read to him..." he said. "He was totally calm." If convicted, Breivik faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison. The prosecution said last week it was prepared to accept Breivik was criminally insane and therefore not responsible for his acts, and as such it might not call for a prison sentence. However, it reserved the right to alter that view if new elements emerged about his mental health by the end of the trial. "The way the case appears at the time the charges are being brought, there is no basis to request a regular prison penalty," state prosecutor Tor-Aksel Busch wrote in instructions to prosecutors handling the case. "But it must be clear in the charge sheet that the prosecution reserves the right, during the trial, to request a prison punishment or containment lasting 21 years, based on the complete evidence shown to the court." Medical experts have been divided over Breivik's state of mind. End Quote Tove Selbekk Member of support group We're very clear on the fact that it will be tough... to hear [Breivik] explain himself [in court] and to hear about all those who passed away and how they passed away” A first analysis by court-appointed psychiatrists last year found that he was insane, on the basis of 13 interviews with the prisoner. Their report said Breivik lived in his "own delusional universe where all his thoughts and acts are guided by his delusions". However, four psychiatrists who subsequently assessed Breivik disagreed with several of their court-appointed colleagues' conclusions. In findings revealed in January, they argued that Breivik was neither psychotic nor schizophrenic and said they did not think he needed drugs. A second court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of Breivik is currently under way. Breivik's lead lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said the potential for conflicting psychiatric findings complicated the defence. "We will have to prepare two lines [of defence] - both for sanity and insanity," he told broadcaster TV2.Teenage victims The attacks on 22 July last year were the worst act of violence Norway has seen since World War II, and have had a profound impact there. Breivik disguised himself as a police officer to plant a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding 209. - 8 people killed and 209 injured by bomb in Oslo - 69 people killed on Utoeya, of them 34 aged between 14 and 17 including Eva Kathinka Lutken (pictured) - 33 injured on Utoeya - Nearly 900 people affected by attacks Still in uniform, he then drove to the island of Utoeya, where a summer youth camp of Norway's governing Labour Party was being held. In a shooting spree that lasted more than an hour, he killed 67 people - mostly teenagers - and wounded 33, while a further two people died falling or drowning. Thirty-four of the dead were aged between 14 and 17, 22 between 18 and 20, six between 21 and 25, and seven older than 25, said prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh. Earlier casualty reports had spoken of 151 people wounded. According to prosecutors, nearly 900 people were affected by the twin attacks - 325 in Oslo and 564 on the island of Utoeya. Only those killed or seriously injured, a total of 119 people, will be named at the trial. Tove Selbekk, a member of a support group, welcomed the indictment but said many survivors and families of victims were dreading the start of the trial. "We're very clear on the fact that it will be tough... to hear him explain himself and to hear about all those who passed away and how they passed away,'' he said. "But this is something we need to go through.'' Trond Henry Blattmann, who lost a son in the massacre, told AFP News agency: "The penalty handed to this man will never be enough in our eyes. "The most important thing for us is, we hope, that he will never again set foot in Norwegian society." Breivik has said his attacks were atrocious but necessary for his campaign to defend Europe against a Muslim invasion. Investigators have found no evidence to support his claims that he belongs to a secret "resistance" movement.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7938227.stm	Mircrosoft founder Bill Gates has resumed his title as the world's richest The financial crisis is taking its toll on the world's richest people, wiping 332 names off Forbes magazine's "rich list" of world billionaires. Just 793 people can now lay claim to a place on the list, but on average they have lost 23% of their wealth. The stock market collapse helped Microsoft founder Bill Gates regain the top spot, despite his wealth declining $18bn (£13.06bn) to $40bn. He ousted investor Warren Buffet, whose fortune declined by $25bn to $37bn. In 2008, Mr Buffet had managed to end Bill Gates' 13-year reign at the top as shares in his firm Berkshire Hathaway surged to a record of $150,000 per share just before Forbes formulated its 2008 ultra-rich list. However, the financial crisis has since taken its toll on Berkshire Hathaway, with its share value sinking 50% over the past 12 months. Indian businessman Anil Ambani experienced the biggest reversal of fortunes, slipping to number 34 on the list from number six last year, as his net worth sank by $31.9bn to $10.1bn. The declining health of the world economy meant that to make the top 20 on the Forbes list this year a net worth of just $14bn was needed - compared with $21bn in 2008. And in the past year, only 44 people on the list managed to increase their fortunes, compared with 656 who lost money. Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg was the only member of the top 20 who managed to increase his net worth. His wealth rose by $4.5bn after a re-evaluation of his financial data firm Bloomberg LP. But the credit crunch did prove to be a boon for some names on the rich list, with nine out of the top 20 boosting their fortunes from discount retailing. Japan's Tadashi Yanai, founder of budget retailer Uniqlo, was one of the few newcomers to the 2009 list entering it at number 76 with a net worth of $6bn. Meanwhile German Karl Albrecht moved up from number 10 to number six as his supermarket chain Aldi cashed in on its cut price credentials. His rise in position came despite the fact that Mr Albrecht's net worth in absolute terms declined to $21.5bn from $27bn last year. In the regional stakes, countries like India and Russia lost ground this year to the US, which reasserted its dominance over the world's wealthy elite. The three richest men in India all saw their fortunes plummet by more than half, while Russian billionaires lost a total of $369bn between them. US citizens now lay claim to 10 of the top 20 spots - up from four last year - while the US is also the country with the most billionaires. As a result New York has also toppled Moscow as home to the most names on the rich list with 55 billionaires. The Russian capital itself has slipped to third place, with 27 members on the list, while London has edged into second place with 28 billionaires.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6723027.stm	Voting has now closed and Richard Voysey's design was chosen as favourite with about 40% of the votes. Scroll through to see all the finalists. This is the official 2012 logo. Reader logo one: Richard Voysey Reader logo two: Richard Bamsey Reader logo three: James Wren Reader logo four: Angus Walker Reader logo five: Simon Hamblett Reader logo six: Sam Boulton
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/7659905.stm	Elton John presented the 1984 award to Torvill and Dean Sports Personality of the Year Venue: Birmingham LG Arena Date: Sunday, 19 December Time: 1900 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Sport website. BBC Sports Personality of the Year celebrates its 57th anniversary this year and remains one of the most important fixtures on the sporting calendar. The end-of-the-year television spectacle began in 1954, when it attracted a television audience of 12m, who watched athlete Chris Chataway pick up the main award in recognition of setting the 5,000m world record. Chataway fought off tough competition, beating Roger Bannister to the award, despite Bannister becoming the first man to run a mile in under four minutes that same year - where Chataway was his pacemaker. Votes were cast by postcard back in 1954, with 14,517 votes arriving at BBC HQ. Since Chataway was honoured, there have been 54 sportsmen and sportswomen who have won the coveted title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year, while many others have been recipients of the other BBC Spoty awards. BBC Sport has delved through the archives to look back on the history of Sports Personality of the Year. SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR • BBC's Sports Personality of the Year was created in 1954 by Sir Paul Fox, then editor of the magazine show Sportsview, and was presented by Peter Dimmock. • Dimmock was the first of 11 presenters. Frank Bough, Harry Carpenter, Des Lynam, Steve Rider, Sue Barker, Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, John Inverdale, Adrian Chiles and Jake Humphery have all played their part since. Bough was the longest running presenter, notching up a record 19 shows between 1964 and 1982. • The first show was called Sportsview, before it was re-titled as Sports Review of the Year and then became, as we know it today, Sports Personality of the Year, in 1999. • The event had been hosted at various venues around London before the decision was taken to move the show outside the capital four years ago and give the public the chance to attend the staging. The Birmingham NEC was its first port of call in 2006 and 2007 before the event moved on to Liverpool's Echo Arena in 2008 and the Sheffield Arena in 2009. Birmingham will host the show for a third time in 2010 when the LG Arena hosts the show. • Other venues to have hosted the ceremony include the Savoy Hotel, Grosvenor House Hotel, Television Theatre, Shepherd's Bush Empire, New London Theatre, Queen Elizabeth II Centre and BBC Television Centre. THE MAIN AWARD - IN NUMBERS • Swimmer Ian Black became the youngest winner of the award in 1958, at the age of 17, and golfer Dai Rees is the oldest winner, having picked up the accolade at the age of 44 in 1957. • Kelly Holmes win in 2004 was the 17th time a track and field athlete had received the accolade - the most of any sport. This is followed by motor racing, which has produced six winners. Boxing and football have both provided five winners, with four winners from the world of Cricket. Perhaps surprisingly there has only been one winner from Rugby Union - Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. • Only three people have won the award twice: Henry Cooper (1967 and 1970), Nigel Mansell (1986 and 1992) and Damon Hill (1994 and 1996). • In 1960, the first Overseas Personality of the Year award was picked up by Australian athlete Herb Elliott. The same year, the inaugural Team of the Year prize was presented to the Cooper Formula One Racing team. • Swimmer Anita Lonsbrough was the first female to win Personality of the Year in 1962, with Dorothy Hyman (1963) and Mary Rand (1964) making it a hat-trick of female winners. FACTS AND STATS ON SPOTY'S OTHER AWARDS • Skating duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won Team of the Year twice (1982 & 1983) and Sports Personality of the Year once, in their golden year of 1984. Bobby Moore, Nick Faldo, showjumper David Broome, Steve Redgrave, David Beckham, Jonny Wilkinson, Andrew Flintoff and Ryan Giggs are the only others to have collected the individual prize and been part of a winning Team of the Year. • Muhammad Ali has been named Overseas Personality of the Year three times (1973, 1974 and 78) - a feat matched by Roger Federer (2004, 2006, 2007) However, Ali was also awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award in 1999. • The Ryder Cup Golf team (Europe and Britain) are the most successful team, winning Team of the Year in 1985, 1987, 1995 and 2002. However, football teams have collected the trophy on more occasions than anyone else, taking the trophy 12 times - with Liverpool lifting it on three occasions (1977, 1986 and 2001). FIVE AWARDS ONLY WON ONCE Manager of the Year - Leeds United's Don Revie (1969) Special Team Award - GB men's 4x400m team (1986) Good Sport Awards - Derek Warwick, Martin Donnelly, Louise Aitken-Walker for motorsport (1990) International Team Award - Alan Bond and the crew of Australia II in sailing (1983) Sports Personality of the Century Award - Muhammed Ali (1999) • Sir Alex Ferguson was named as the first winner of the Coach of the Year award in 1999. The Manchester United manager also won the first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. • Dean Macey (1999) and Jenson Button (2000) won the Newcomer of the Year awards before that award was replaced by the Young Personality of the Year prize in 2001 - last won by Tom Daley in 2009. The Helen Rollason Award, named after the former BBC sports presenter who died after a battle against cancer, was introduced in 1999. The Unsung Hero award began life in 2003 and is awarded to a volunteer who has made a difference to their community through sport. Three Special Awards have also been presented to Sebastian Coe (2005) for helping with the London 2012 bid, to comedian David Walliams (2006) for raising money for Sport Relief by swimming the Channel and to comedian Eddie Izzard (2009) for raising money for Sport Relief by running 43 marathons in 51 days. SURPRISING SPOTY STATS • Every time a British athlete has won an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics, that person has gone on to lift the SPOTY trophy - John Curry (1976) and Robin Cousins (1980). The success of Torvill and Dean in 1984 suggests SPOTY viewers are fond of their Winter Olympic champions. • Surprisingly no jockey has ever won the main award - AP McCoy came third in 2002, while Frankie Dettori was third in 1996. Lester Piggot was given special achievement awards in 1984 and 1994 to recognise his incredible achievements. • The last golfer to win SPOTY was Nick Faldo in 1989, after winning the US Open and being part of the successful Ryder Cup team. • In the award's 57-year history, only once has six years passed without a track and field athlete winning the main award. Five years have now passed since the last track and field athlete, Kelly Holmes, picked up the gong. • In the last 57 years there have been 14 years containing Summer and/or Winter Olympic Games. In those 14 years SPOTY has been won by an Olympian on 10 occasions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16871075	Motorola makes Apple pull iPads and iPhones in Germany Apple has pulled several iPad and iPhone models from its German online store after Motorola Mobility enforced a patent injunction against its rival. The move follows a December ruling that Apple had failed to license one of Motorola's wireless intellectual properties. iPhone users in Germany may also face the loss of their push email iCloud service after a separate patent victory by Motorola. Apple has said it will appeal. The dispute may eventually pit Apple against Google. The search giant is in the process of taking over the Razr handset-maker. The deal still needs to clear the competition authorities.Pulled products The sales ban relates to Motorola's patent for a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system". Motorola licenses the patent to other companies on Frand (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms. Frand-type patents involve technologies that are deemed to be part of an industry standard. In this case Motorola's innovation is deemed crucial to the GPRS data transmission standard used by GSM cellular networks across the world. Companies must offer Frand-type patents for a reasonable fee to anyone willing to pay. Apple has said it would be willing to pay the fee going forward, but the two firms dispute how much Apple should pay for failing to license the technology up until now. Missed payments are not covered by the "reasonable" rule, and Motorola would be able to demand a more expensive price. Apple said: "While some iPad and iPhone models are not available through Apple's online store in Germany right now, customers should have no problem finding them at one of our retail stores or an authorised reseller. "Apple is appealing this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago." Motorola said it had offered Apple "reasonable licensing terms and conditions" since 2007. "We are pleased that the Mannheim court has recognized the importance of our intellectual property and granted an enforceable injunction in Germany against Apple Sales International," a statement said. Apple's iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are all affected - but not its newer iPhone 4S. All 3G models of the iPad are involved, but not their wi-fi-only counterparts.Email technology The separate push email ban would only come into effect if Motorola decided to enforce a second judgement that Apple's iCloud and MobileMe infringed another of its innovations. The patent relates to two-way communications between pagers and other devices and was granted in 2002. If Motorola decides to enforce the judgement some iPhone users in Germany would lose the ability to automatically receive emails as soon as they have been sent. Instead they would either have to manually check their accounts or set their devices to periodically check for updates. This patent is not deemed to be critical to an industry standard, so the firm does not have to license the technology to Apple even if the iPhone-maker offered to pay. Apple said that it believed the patent involved was invalid, adding that it was appealing against the decision. Although the two cases only apply to Germany they may have implications for other European lawsuits. EU rules say different countries' courts can reach different conclusions, but must explain why. Patent consultant Florian Mueller notes on his blog that Apple has brought patent claims of its own against Motorola in Germany, and that Motorola also faces a lawsuit filed by Microsoft which is due to be considered next Tuesday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-21139598	Robbers cut hole in raid at Lloyds TSB Warley branch Robbers have taken tens of thousands of pounds after cutting a hole in the side of a West Midlands bank. A hole "just big enough for a person to squeeze through" was found at a Lloyds TSB branch on Hagley Road West, Warley, police said. The robbers gained access to a cash machine in the building between Sunday evening and Monday morning. A tarpaulin was placed over the back yard to hide the offenders' activities, West Midlands Police added. Det Sgt Michael Greenland, who is leading the inquiry, said: "This was an organised and carefully planned raid on a bank, at a time when the cash machine was well stocked."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-21531663	Horse DNA found in school burger leads to stock withdrawal Traces of horse DNA have been found in a frozen burger within a school kitchen in North Lanarkshire. Procurement agency Scotland Excel has, as a result, advised Scotland councils to "place a hold on the use of all frozen beef burger products". It is the first such discovery following widespread local authority testing resulting from the discovery of horsemeat in the UK food chain. The Food Standards Agency has been advised and "investigations continue". Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "It is unacceptable that a burger which has tested positive for traces of horsemeat was supplied to a school in North Lanarkshire. "However, North Lanarkshire Council have taken immediate action to withdraw the product from the schools and, as a precautionary measure, all Scottish schools have been advised to put a hold on the use of frozen burgers. "Of the thousands of tests, this is the first positive result in our schools, but it is one too many. "No company should be supplying our schools with food with beef products that contain traces of horse meat."'Very concerned' A Scotland Excel spokeswoman said it is "very concerned to learn of this incident despite the steps taken by our suppliers to provide assurances on their processed meat products". End Quote North Lanarkshire Council Our investigations are focussing on the use of frozen burger supplies during the past three months” North Lanarkshire Council stated: "Samples of frozen mince removed from storage in North Lanarkshire school kitchens have tested negative for horse DNA. "However, traces of horse DNA have been detected in a frozen burger removed for testing last week from a school kitchen within North Lanarkshire. "Our investigations are focussing on the use of frozen burger supplies during the past three months, the maximum length of time these would be held in storage." It is not known who manufactured the North Lanarkshire burger, but a supplier that discovered horse DNA in one of its products elsewhere said no horsemeat has been found in meals it supplies to Scottish schools. Renfrewshire Council had withdrawn products sourced from the Brakes Group over the horse DNA detected in lasagne the firm produces for a pub company. The council said it had removed Brakes items as a precaution until results of an investigation were known. Brakes said all beef ranges supplied to schools had tested negative for horse. "Brakes has today confirmed that all 127 of the Brakes branded beef products that are provided by Brakes for use in Scottish schools have tested negative for equine DNA," said a company spokesman. "Brakes is currently sharing the results with local authorities and hopes that schoolchildren will soon be able to enjoy beef as part of their school dinners again." Retailers have agreed to carry out testing of beef products in the wake of horsemeat contamination concerns after several high-profile discoveries in supermarket and food manufacturers.Council testing Renfrewshire Council said its food suppliers were sourced through Scotland Excel, while North Lanarkshire Council said it disposed of 20 portions of Brakes lasagne last week after they were recalled by the catering firm. Other councils across the country have also tested products in the wake of the scandal. Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said there was "no risk" of school meals in the region containing traces of horsemeat, while Tayside Contracts, which caters for schools across Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross, said there was "no evidence" to suggest its meals contained horsemeat. Borders Council said it has been assured by suppliers that they did not use any of the companies so far affected affected by the situation, while Edinburgh City Council said it had checked school dinners and found no samples that caused concern. Shetland Council said schools and care homes were supplied with meat rather than processed meals - and tests showed it was not affected. Moray and North Ayrshire councils also said it sourced meat locally and prepared meals on site. West Dunbartonshire said food safety officers were carrying out inspections on four meat production plants in the area but that meals supplied to school canteens and council care homes were not affected. Highland Council said its fresh beef, lamb and pork was sourced, slaughtered and prepared in the Highlands. The local authority said it could also give assurances on schools' chilled, frozen and processed foods. A spokeswoman said: "Chicken burgers are made from fresh British chicken locally by our butcher. "Processed beef products currently on our contract listing have been tested for equine DNA and have been proven negative by all suppliers." She added that fish fingers and salmon nibbles were compliant with Fish For Life and Marine Stewardship Council-certified from sustainable fishing practices.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15867749	Mexico police find 17 burned bodies in two vehicles Mexican police have found 17 charred bodies in two pick-up trucks in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state. Firefighters were called to a burning vehicle and found a dozen corpses, while at another location five bodies were inside a charred truck. Officials are investigating if the victims were among several people kidnapped in the state on Monday. Sinaloa is the power base of the drug gang led by Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman. The governor of Sinaloa state, Mario Lopez Valdez, said he believed the killings were "a message between rival drug gangs". Firefighters were called out to extinguish a burning vehicle early on Wednesday, officials said. Minutes later, a second truck was reported to be on fire. Officials said it appeared the victims had been shot dead, then the vehicles set alight. Initial reports said 16 bodies had been recovered. Mexico's interior ministry, which put the number of dead at 17, condemned the violence and offered all assistance to the authorities in Sinaloa. Elsewhere in the state, in Mexico's north-west, four men were found shot dead in the town of Mocorito, while another three people were killed in Guamuchil, officials said. Joaquin Guzman and his Sinaloa cartel are believed to control much of the cocaine and marijuana trafficked into the US. Earlier this month, an alleged senior figure in the Sinaloa cartel, Ovidio Limon Sanchez, was arrested in what authorities said was a major blow to the gang. He is accused of overseeing huge shipments of cocaine into southern California and of running a network to distribute the drug throughout the US More than 40,000 people have died in drug-related violence since late 2006 when president Felipe Calderon deployed troops to take on the traffickers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8522606.stm	The deal was first announced in July of last year Microsoft's plans to buy Yahoo's internet search and search advertising businesses have been cleared by both European and US regulators. The European Commission ruled that the deal "would not significantly impede effective competition". Under the deal, Yahoo's website will use Microsoft's Bing search engine, and the two firms will share the revenues. Microsoft is seeking to increase its share of the search engine industry, which is dominated by Google. It and Yahoo first announced the planned tie-up in July of last year. In explaining its decision, the Commission said that taken together, Microsoft and Yahoo currently have less than 10% of the search engine market in Europe, with Google controlling 90%. The Commission said its investigation showed that the deal was expected to "to increase competition in internet search and search advertising by allowing Microsoft to become a stronger competitor to Google". In the US, the deal was also backed on Thursday by the Department of Justice. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said regulatory approval for the tie-up represented "an exciting milestone". "I believe that together, Microsoft and Yahoo will promote more choice, better value and greater innovation to our customers as well as to advertisers and publishers," he added. Annual revenues of $58.44bn Annual net profit of $14.57bn Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz said the two firms would be creating a "breakthrough search alliance". However, technology analyst Chris Green of DMG Europe, said Microsoft had little hope of making much of a dent in Google's search engine dominance. "This deal gives Microsoft a bigger slice of the internet advertising business, but it is still miles and miles behind Google," he said. "Microsoft's Bing is technically a very good search engine, but no-one uses it, and it doesn't currently make a profit. "The deal with Yahoo should turn it into a not-too-shabby and profitable world number two search engine. But still no Google." Under the terms of 10-year Microsoft-Yahoo agreement, Microsoft's Bing search engine will power the Yahoo website, while Yahoo will in turn provide the main advertising sales team for Bing. Annual revenues of $6.46bn Annual net profit of $598m In exchange, Microsoft will retain 12% of the search engine revenues generated via Yahoo's website for the first five years of the deal, while paying the remaining 88% to Yahoo. Microsoft and Yahoo said they would start to implement the deal "in the coming days". They said they would work with advertisers to make the transition as "efficient and seamless as possible". In 2008, Microsoft offered $47.5bn (£30.4bn) to buy the whole of Yahoo, but its bid was turned down.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7311242.stm	Mobile users have been bombarded with unwanted messages China is investigating a spam attack after almost half of China's mobile phone users received unwanted text messages from advertisers. Text messages were sent to more than 200 million mobile phone users through China Mobile and its smaller rival China Unicom. China's authorities said the spammers must "correct their wrongdoing". China Mobile earlier apologised for loopholes that allowed the spread of spam text messages. It has vowed to block text messages originating from seven online advertising firms, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "We urge parties concerned to beef up self-scrutiny to correct their wrongdoing, which is profit driven in defiance of public interests," said deputy head of the State Council Office for Rectifying Malpractice, Liu Yue. The latest attack on mobile phone spam came to light after an investigation by state-run China Central Television, timed for World Consumer Rights Day on March 15. Both mobile phone firms have set up hotlines to handle consumer complaints.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19975070	Beyonce set for Super Bowl show Pop star Beyonce will headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, it has been announced. The NFL confirmed the news after the singer posted a picture on her website with "Feb 3" and "2013" written on her face - the date of the game. The half-time show is the most-watched musical event of the year in the US. More than 112.5m viewers saw this year's show, featuring Madonna. Recent performers have included The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. Beyonce has performed at the Super Bowl once before: In 2004, she sang the national anthem when the match was held in her hometown of Houston, Texas. News of the singer's performance next year has prompted speculation whether the show will feature collaborations with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, or her former bandmates from Destiny's Child. Madonna's performance at this year's Super Bowl was seen as significant because she was the first solo female artist to headline the event after Janet Jackson's famous "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004. In the years between, organisers had chosen predominantly male rock acts including The Stones, Springsteen, Prince, The Who, Tom Petty and Sir Paul McCartney. However, despite Madonna's promise of "no controversy" at her show, broadcaster NBC was forced to apologised after guest star M.I.A made a middle finger gesture during the performance.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17090149	Greek minister Constantine Papadopoulos on euro and wages The Greek minister for International Economic Relations has said the nation had no plans to leave the eurozone but admitted: "We need to do a lot more." Andrew Neil asked Constantine Papadopoulos why other EU nations should believe the latest promises over reform when previous pledges had not been fulfilled. The minister said "we have no other choice, it has come to the crunch" as he pledged to bring Greek wages in line with Spain, but said leaving the euro would kill off the economy. European finance ministers are expected to finalise a 130bn euro bailout for Greece on Monday, with cuts in pensions, the minimum wage, salaries and the loss of 150,000 public sector jobs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8608192.stm	Locals are not optimistic the government will be able to clear the area of Maoists The Indian government recently launched a major offensive against Maoist rebels in central and eastern states. The BBC's Geeta Pandey travelled to Bijapur district in the southern part of Chhattisgarh state to meet tribespeople whose lives have been torn apart by years of conflict. Bijapur used to be part of Dantewada district where Maoist rebels, also called Naxalites, killed 76 paramilitary troops on Tuesday in their deadliest ever attack on India's security forces. The new district was carved out of Dantewada in May 2007. Two months earlier, the rebels killed 55 security personnel there - their worst strike until Tuesday's killings. Last week, we travelled nearly 450km (280 miles) from Raipur, the state capital, to Bhairamgarh in Bijapur - as we got closer the drive got bumpier. The road between Gidam (in Dantewada) and Bhairamgarh is missing in places. "Work has been going on this stretch for 10 years now, but the Maoists will not let the authorities build this road," says S Karimuddin, a senior journalist based in the region. Bhairamgarh is famous for its wildlife sanctuary - containing tigers, leopards, wild buffalo and hill hyenas. But today, these jungles are controlled by Maoists who come out and strike at will before melting away into the forests. Our destination is Patta Godam camp. Scores of mud and brick homes with thatched roofs hug the two sides of the road. Seeking shelter here are people from 16-17 tribal villages. The camps first appeared in 2005 after the birth of Salwa Judum, the term for anti-rebel militias. As rebels began attacking Salwa Judum supporters, many villagers sought shelter. Initially, nearly 50,000 tribespeople came to Patta Godam - it is estimated that more than 20,000 remain in the camp and in others in these districts. The Patta Godam camp is well protected. As we arrive, we run into 24 paramilitaries patrolling the area. Somaru from Pondum village has been living in the camp since 2005. "The rebels wanted us to come to their meetings and support them, but we were busy in our farms and fields. So they got angry and attacked our village two or three times. They killed six villagers. So we came here," he says. More than 400 villagers from Pondum are living in the camp. Only 100 - mostly old people - continue to live in the village. Hapka Lakhur shows me his maimed leg. "My family was rich, we had money and cattle. One night the rebels attacked us. They came at midnight. They were armed with guns and knives - they took away all our animals, goats and cows. They sliced my leg at the knee and twisted it." His father, Hapka Yatu, was the village chief. "A few days ago, he had fever so he went to see the witch doctor in the village. The Naxalites killed him. They slit his throat. He had deep cuts on his chest," Hapka Lakhur says. Sukh Ram from Baeel village says they have been caught in the crossfire. "The police will come to seek information about the rebels and then the rebels will come to the village and beat us up. They would ask - why did police come to your village? They killed our village head, they said he was a police informer." 'Caught in the middle' Pandru and Shanti came to live in the camp with three young children because the "violence in the village got too much to bear", but every day they dream of returning home. Many villagers are not aware of the government's offensive "Life in the village is good, but we can go only if we are given protection," Pandru says. Most villagers in the camp say they have never gone back to their villages, in some cases just 5km (three miles) away. The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of the poor, but ironically it's the poor tribespeople and villagers who have been caught in the crossfire and displaced from their homes. From the camp, we go to nearby villages looking for those who have returned home. We travel for several kilometres on a dirt track and then drive in the fields to get to Jaigur village. Here we meet Jailal who spent a month in Motwada camp. "All the men from my village went to the camp, but we came back after a month because we had to look after our land, home and cattle. Moreover, the rebels were targeting camps too." 'Cannot be beaten' Jailal says his brother was the village head and wanted to go against the Naxalites, so they killed him. It is a part of India where few feel safe "We don't support the Maoists or the Salwa Judum. We are caught in the middle," he says. "Because of the Maoists, we don't even put our heart in the farming. We don't know when we may have to run again, when we may die," he says. A few minutes' walk from Jailal's house is the Indravati river - the Maoists live in the hills and forests just across the river. To be living in such close proximity to the rebels, it's obvious that Jailal and other villagers have made their peace with the Maoists. The rebels are often seen passing through the village, I'm told. And the last time the security forces came into the area was six months ago. Indian authorities recently announced a massive anti-Maoist offensive in several states, including Chhattisgarh. Nearly 21,000 paramilitary troops have been deployed in the state, and officials told the BBC fighting was going on just 10km (six miles) from Patta Godam camp. But neither the camp residents nor the villagers in Jaigur have heard of the offensive. And people are not optimistic that the government will be able to clear the area of Maoists. Jailal says: "They will not leave. They cannot be beaten quickly and easily." Tuesday's attack in Dantewada reinforces that belief. Karimuddin, the journalist, says: "This generation is unlikely to see peace in their lifetime. Next generation, maybe."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/music/newsid_3737000/3737237.stm	Harry Potter is officially your favourite thing again. After a long spell of being in either second or third place, you voted the boy wizard back at the top of your fave thing chart, beating off rivals Lord of the Rings and Music. Television didn't fare as well though. After only a week on the chart it gets the boot and is replaced by food. The Bill suffered the same fate on the TV chart and is replaced by Futurama. But will it be able to compete with its creator's other show, The Simpsons? In the music charts, Avril Lavigne comes top of the chart for a second week, whilst rockers HIM get the new entry spot replacing Muse. The unstoppable Alistair Griffin is still your fave pop star - even though he hasn't released a single in ages! And cheeky boys McFly take Christina Aguilera's place on the chart.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9723000/9723170.stm	Its not just the Greeks or Italians who some would say will suffer if they leave the eurozone, foreigners have investments in those countries too and they are pulling them out. Georg Grodski, head of credit at Legal and General, told Today business presenter Simon Jack there is evidence that non-eurozone investors are taking an even more "bearish view" of the eurozone. "They are worried that even German bonds will suffer", he said. Get in touch with Today via or text us on 84844.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19385197	Carlton Cole racist Twitter abuse leads to arrest A man has been arrested after racist Twitter posts were sent to West Ham United footballer Carlton Cole. The striker retweeted two posts on his account @CarltonCole1 after his side's 3-0 defeat at Swansea on Saturday. They questioned Cole's performance and used a racist term to describe him. He tweeted that how he plays has nothing to do with "race, creed or religion". The man, 22, of Southend, is being quizzed on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. In several tweets, Cole, 28, posted: "Listen, i take racism a lot lighter than others and i do understand the banter that comes a long with it to get under peoples skin but... "... it can sometimes be hurtful & insulting, i don't mind when people criticise me for having a bad game or they think I'm crap at football... "...but just say that, whether i am crap or had a bad game has nothing to do with my race, creed or religion. lets just keep it FOOTBALL. Kapeesh?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-19103430	River Severn voyage 'to highlight environmental problems' Conservationists have taken to the River Severn to raise awareness of its environmental problems. The eight-person crew, from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, are paddling a traditional currach 70 miles, from Edgerley to Hampton Loade. The trust said the four-day journey would offer a different perspective on the river. The team is posting updates on the various issues the river faces on both Twitter and Facebook. John Hughes said the Severn was being put under increasing pressure.Trust anniversary He said: "We're taking more water out of it, but we're also putting more pollutants into it in terms of fertilizers and pesticides, outflows from septic tanks, things like that. "We all use about 100 litres of water every day, and that's got to come from somewhere. "So the river is under pressure and its wildlife is under pressure." The journey is also marking the 50th anniversary of the trust, and the fact the Severn has gone through big changes since 1962.'Rapid decline' For example, the trust said that within the last 35 years eels, once common in the Severn, have declined by as much as 70%. It also highlights other species, such as otters, kingfishers, sand martins, lamprey and crayfish, whose populations have also been affected. Rivers officer Pete Lambert said the trust was taking steps to stop the "rapid decline" of brown trout on the Severn and its tributaries. "We're putting plants in the water to create a variety in the river bed," he said. "We're also excavating new backwaters and further up the river we're looking at opportunities to introduce gravel [used to lay eggs] in the brooks."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-19671708	Withybush Hospital baby unit fears heard at meeting Concerns about the future of hospital care for premature and sick babies in Pembrokeshire were expressed at a meeting attended by around 500 people. Hywel Dda Health Board is consulting on plans to change services and held a public meeting at Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest, on Thursday. It heard fears about the closure of the Special Care Baby Unit at the town's Withybush Hospital. A new unit is proposed for Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. The health board provides healthcare to around 372,320 patients throughout Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It currently has level one neonatal care units at Glangwili Hospital and Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest, which provide the basic level of care, along with a nurse-led neonatal unit at Bronglais General Hospital in Aberystwyth. Babies in need of complex specialist care from the health board area are currently sent to Swansea's Singleton Hospital where a level three unit cares for the most seriously ill young babies. But it is a two hour, 50 mile drive away from the homes of some patients. There are proposals for a level two unit at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, which Phil Kloer from Hywel Dda Health Board told the meeting would be an improved service in Carmarthen and would cut down on travel time to Swansea. There are no level two units at all in the Hywel Dda Health Board area at present.'Downgrading of services' But the plans - the preferred option by the health board - would mean the closure of the current baby care unit at Withybush. Local assembly members, and MP Stephen Crabb attacked the plans during the meeting. Conservative AM Angela Burns said there were concerns that paediatric services at Withybush could be cut if the baby unit was scrapped, as the two were interdependent. Her colleague Paul Davies AM, said that the people of Pembrokeshire "wouldn't tolerate any downgrading of our health services" and challenged Hywel Dda Health Board to "prove that it was a genuine consultation." Meanwhile, Labour's Joyce Watson AM, said there were "persistent concerns about neonatal care and that there were more questions than answers."'Endanger babies' A leading paediatric consultant at Withybush, Gustav vas Falco, said he had "grave reservations" about moving the special care baby unit from Haverfordwest. A nurse at the unit added that the move would "endanger our babies in Pembrokeshire". The consultation process will end on 29 October with the health board drawing up firm proposals in the New Year. The meeting - the final community one in the consultation process - lasted over three hours. The proposals are part of NHS reorganisation in Wales. Previously, Dr Simon Fountain-Polley, Hywel Dda's clinical director for child and adolescent health, said the level two neo-natal unit would provide "all aspects of high dependency care" for sick and premature babies "much closer to home".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16522281	Amish men plead 'not guilty' to haircutting attacks Twelve members of a breakaway Amish group have pleaded not guilty to charges of beard- and haircutting attacks within their community. They are accused over five incidents in which the beards and hair of Amish men and women were cut, an act particularly offensive in Amish culture. It is alleged that an internal religious dispute involving a group led by Samuel Mullet motivated the attacks. Ohio has an Amish population of about 61,000 - second only to Pennsylvania. Many Amish believe that the Bible instructs women to wear their hair long and for men to stop shaving after marriage. Within the Amish community, punishments are often decided internally and crimes are rarely reported to the police. Some of the victims of the attacks had refused to press charges. Of the 10 men and two women charged, seven were arrested in November in the wake of a string of assaults. The other five were arraigned in December. During Wednesday's hearing, women dressed in traditional Amish clothing and bonnets filled the public gallery of the court in Cleveland Ohio.'Tragic consequences' Prosecutors have argued that the charges of conspiracy, assault and evidence tampering amounted to hate crimes prompted by religious differences. Judge Dan Aaron Polster refused a request from defence lawyers to allow Samuel Mullet Sr, 66, and his son Johnny Mullet, 37, both of Bergholz, Ohio, to be released on bond. Their lawyer said Samuel Mullet, who appeared in court handcuffed at the wrist and ankles, posed no risk of violence and would not flee. But in a court filing before the hearing, prosecutors argued that he could not be relied upon to appear in court and that sending policemen to his rural family compound would risk "tragic consequences". It would not be possible to use an electric tag to monitor his movements since Mr Mullet's residence did not have electricity, they added. A trial date has been set for 19 March. Also charged in the case are three more of Mr Mullet's children, Daniel and Lester Mullet and Linda Schrock; his son-in-law Emanuel Schrock; three of his nephews Eli, Lester and Raymond Miller; the spouses of his niece and nephew, Freeman Burkholder and Anna Miller; and a member of Mr Mullet's community in Bergholz, Levi Miller. In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Samuel Mullet said he had not ordered the beard- and hair-cutting attacks, but that he had not stopped anyone from carrying them out. He said the aim had been to make other members of the Amish community ashamed of the way they were treating him and his group.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7013552.stm	The ordination of gay Bishop Gene Robinson divided Anglicans Leaders of the Episcopal Church in the US have agreed to halt the consecration of gay priests as bishops to prevent a split in the Anglican Communion. They reaffirmed disapproval of official prayers to bless same-sex unions. Many African Anglicans threatened to leave the worldwide Anglican Communion after the ordination of the first openly gay bishop four years ago. The US Church had until 30 September to respond to Anglican leaders' calls that it define its position on the issue. US bishops made the decision after a six-day meeting in New Orleans. The meeting was attended in part by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who urged the Episcopal Church to make concessions for the sake of unity. The Episcopal Church is the American wing of the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members worldwide. Plea for unity The statement urged bishops to "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration" of candidates whose lifestyle "challenged" the wider church. The agreement means that while the Church cannot stop dioceses from selecting a gay candidate for bishop, it can refrain from approving those candidates, says BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott. It will help defuse the crisis triggered by the US Church's consecration of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003, our correspondent says. But traditionalists in the US are already making plans to set up their own independent Church. Conservative churchgoers believe active homosexuality is contrary to the Anglican Communion's teachings, which are rooted in the bible. However, liberal Anglicans have argued that biblical teachings on inclusion should take precedence. The Episcopal bishops did reaffirm their commitment to the civil rights of gay people and said they opposed any violence towards them or violation of their dignity. The meeting in New Orleans follows a summit of Anglican leaders in Tanzania earlier in the year which gave the US Episcopal Church until 30 September to define its position on the issue. The leaders threatened that a failure to do so would leave their relationship with the US branch of Anglicanism "damaged at best".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4387376.stm	India and Pakistan have agreed on an unprecedented opening of the de facto border in divided Kashmir to help victims of the 8 October earthquake. The talks survived a suspension after the Delhi bombings Families and relief items will be allowed across five points from 7 November, the sides agreed after marathon talks in Islamabad. The quake killed more than 56,000 people and left millions homeless. The nations have fought two wars over Kashmir but have engaged in a peace process since 2004. The BBC's Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad says the talks were suspended in the evening and there were fears they might fail because of the series of bomb blasts in Delhi that killed about 50 people. But after Pakistan's strong condemnation of the attacks the talks resumed and reached agreement. Relief items can be sent in both directions and families will be able to cross - but only on foot. No vehicle crossings will be allowed. People wanting to cross will need a permit from government officials on either side. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the BBC that it would be "a two-way traffic", adding that several relief camps on either side of the Line of Control (LoC) were well-stocked with food and medical aid. The crossing points are at Nauseri-Teethwal, Chakothi-Uri, Hajipur-Uri, Rawalakot-Poonch and Tattapni-Mendhar. The talks came after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf appealed for the LoC that divides Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-controlled Kashmir to be opened to ease relief efforts. Pakistan-administered Kashmir bore the brunt of the devastation, while India says 1,300 were killed in the sector it controls. The opening of the LoC is sensitive for India as it believes militants opposed to its rule and who have been fighting an insurgency for 16 years still infiltrate from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Our correspondent says the delay in opening the line has meant that many affected families living close to the border have already moved away, hoping to get aid and assistance elsewhere. With winter temperatures set to be lower than usual in the quake-hit areas, the UN has warned that more people could die in the aftermath from lack of food and shelter than in the quake itself.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8370176.stm	By Kim Ghattas BBC state department correspondent, Kabul US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a political survivor who has repeatedly reinvented herself, used her visit to Kabul to appeal to Hamid Karzai - a leader whose image lies in tatters - to seize a window of opportunity and in essence reinvent himself by seriously tackling the corruption that plagues Afghanistan. Mr Karzai and Mrs Clinton spent 90 minutes talking one-on-one "I think that it is clear that he really has turned his attention in a very focused way to what his legacy will be," Mrs Clinton said in a BBC interview after Mr Karzai's inauguration. "He and his family have given 300 years of service to Afghanistan. He's a real patriot and he wants to be the leader who has ushered Afghanistan in the modern age into a secure democratic future. Sometime it's easier to say that than to do it." Mrs Clinton struck a positive note and gave the impression that Mr Karzai could rise to the occasion. Whether she truly believes it is a different thing, but her approach appears to indicate she feels that public hectoring will not yield the best results. Instead, her approach is a combination of cajoling and friendly pep talks, firm but friendly public stances on corruption - a gamble that could pay off if Mr Karzai decides he wants to burnish his legacy. Mrs Clinton is in a good position to do so because she has good relations with Mr Karzai. A number of US officials have had stormy exchanges with the Afghan leader, complicating the relationship. In a sign of how much Mr Karzai values his rapport with a woman who is not only America's top diplomat but also a world celebrity, he reportedly moved up the inauguration date several weeks to accommodate her travel schedule and make sure she could attend. "The secretary and [Mr Karzai] have a very good relationship, they can speak as politicians and they can talk in terms of not just the policy dimension of things but also the political ramifications," said a senior US official travelling with Mrs Clinton. Mrs Clinton had dinner with Mr Karzai and some of his ministers on the eve of his inauguration. She then spent 90 minutes talking to him one-on-one. "She was making the case that for him all those things are not just good policy - they're smart politics, both in the long-term and-short term," added the official. Few people believe that Mr Karzai is a changed man and he certainly did not appear humbled by the experience of the chaotic process of an election mired by fraud. Hillary Clinton is emerging as possibly the only person that Mr Karzai is willing to listen to But all the foreign ministers attending the inauguration seemed to attempt to strike the same positive tone, seeking to encourage Mr Karzai and give him the benefit of doubt in the hope it might make a difference. It is an approach that is partly dictated by the fact that Washington and its Nato allies have no other choice but to deal with the facts on the ground - and this includes Mr Karzai, as president, regardless of misgivings about him or questions surrounding the legitimacy of his presidency. And to get Mr Karzai to work with them, it will be essential to coax him. Any leverage that can be used against Mr Karzai - such as withdrawing troops or withholding aid - is a doubled-edged sword that Washington will have to use very cautiously, if at all, because it could undermine the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan. But US officials also said that if Mr Karzai did the job right then Washington would be generous with aid for Afghanistan, even after the day America starting withdrawing. 'Not always consistent' Nato countries have demanded that Mr Karzai tackle corruption and the illicit drug trade. US President Barack Obama has urged him to set up an anti-corruption commission and hold officials accountable. Mrs Clinton says both Nato and the Afghan leaders must do better Mr Karzai made some of the right noises in his inauguration speech, though the specific are yet to come. But Mrs Clinton also said it was important for Nato allies to do a better job and co-ordinate their military and civilian strategy, saying it was not only about making demands on Afghanistan. Observers point out acknowledging that there is work to be done by both parties, instead of only admonishing the Afghan government, could help bring Mr Karzai round to seeing his own failures and hopefully addressing them. "Mr Karzai and the secretary share the view that over the past year we have not always been the most consistent partners," said the senior official, adding that there were "legitimate questions about how effectively we are helping them to help themselves". Mrs Clinton, who has spoken to Mr Karzai several times about her own experiences as a politician, said: "I've always tried to listen to him to hear what's really on his mind, his concerns, how he views the problems he faces, and then to be responsive but also to offer a perspective that is perhaps useful." But along with the friendly words and the cajoling, the tough talking continues as well. In the BBC interview, Mrs Clinton said the Afghans knew there would be consequences if they failed to deliver. Without outlining those consequences, she said this had been made very clear to them. For the past several months, media reports abounded about Mrs Clinton having been overshadowed by the special envoys she had appointed, including Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke. But in the light of her trip to Kabul, she is emerging as possibly the only person that Mr Karzai is willing to listen to. It remains to be seen whether he actually feels inclined to do what she tells him.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3797563.stm	BT's plans to filter some websites set a dangerous precedent, warns technology analyst Bill Thompson If you live in Saudi Arabia and want a tasteless joke to tell at a friend's party, do not bother searching the web for one. Saudi Arabia censors the net Bad joke sites, along with sites featuring swimsuit models, pornography, information about Middle Eastern politics or material felt to be hostile to Saudi Arabia are all on a list of banned sites, and you cannot see them. The reason is that the government has decided to block sites with content "in violation of Islamic tradition or national regulations". And if you try to visit one of the thousands of banned sites, you will get an official government page instead, telling you that it is blocked. You can even fill in a form explaining why you think the site should be unblocked, and the government's Internet Services Unit will consider your request. It is censorship, but it is honest censorship. Freedom to filter However, if you are a BT broadband customer and you follow a link to a website that is suspected of hosting images of child sexual abuse - what is often sloppily called "child porn" - then you will get a "page not found" error. That is because BT has just introduced "Cleanfeed", a filtering program which silently blocks access to the websites on a list provided by the Internet Watch Foundation, the voluntary group that has become the government's favourite online policeman. It is censorship, but it is a typically embarrassed and underhand British form of censorship. The Cleanfeed list includes sites that IWF claim host images of child abuse which are, of course, illegal. It sounds like a good idea, and you can see how the people who are responsible for BT's security policy would have found it appealing. But the announcement instantly raises many questions. Some are obvious: Why are customers not told the site they are trying to access is blocked? Who is responsible if a legitimate site is added to the list? And how can you get off the list if you cannot tell your site has been blocked? More importantly, what is to stop BT silently adding other categories to its blocked list? Perhaps race hate sites, or sites that tell people how to hack the Cleanfeed service itself. And what will the company do if the government asks them to block access to a site hosting leaked documents, since they are just as illegal as child pornography? BT has said it no plans to extend the project beyond child porn sites. Because the announcement is about child abuse, anyone who dares to challenge it is instantly under suspicion as a supporter of paedophiles. But this should not stop us pointing out that Cleanfeed is a bad idea and must be stopped. This is not just because it will not achieve its goal, although it seems that it will be easy to get around, but because it sets a precedent for ISP control over what their users can do online that is simply unacceptable. Unlike Saudi Arabia, freedom of expression is fundamental to our society, and blocking websites in this way defies that tradition and must not be allowed. Last weekend I had an argument about the core principle of online freedom of speech with Cory Doctorow, who works for the digital rights campaigning group, Electronic Frontier Foundation. Cory Doctorow: free speech fundamentalist Despite being Canadian, Cory is a First Amendment fundamentalist when it comes to online speech. He argues that once you have a system that allows you to separate "good" bits from "bad" bits, then that system will end up being extended and abused by those in power. For him, and many other net activists, the dangers of censorship are always greater than the risks that come from leaving speech free. I am more of a pragmatist, and I have argued many times before that it is acceptable for governments to regulate our speech online just as they can regulate our speech in the real world. They just have to do it in a way that is open, accountable and subject to the democratic process. Race hate, images of child abuse, obscenity and other forms of speech are already controlled, even online. Some years ago most UK internet service providers decided that they would stop providing their customers with access to a number of Usenet newsgroups that were being used to share images of child abuse. But there is a fundamental difference between blocking websites and restricting access to newsgroups. If your ISP does not provide a particular group then you can look for other news servers which do have the group you want, or use the Google news archive, but if your ISP is blocking particular websites then you cannot get round it without getting a new ISP. And if you do not know what is being blocked, then you cannot argue or campaign or ensure that the sites blocked are only those which the law properly covers. So here I agree with Cory. It is better not to have any websites blocked and take the risk of openness than to allow blocking by ISPs and risk the consequent "mission creep" and loss of freedom. There is already a technology which would allow individual control over which sites can be viewed. It is called Pics, the Platform for Internet Content Selection, and allows for every website and even page to be rated so that browsers can decide whether to display them. Pics raises issues of free speech too, especially when it comes to having to rate education sites, or news sites like BBC News Online, since they may have images of violence, nudity and even bad language. However, it has to be a better approach than leaving the power to filter in the hands of an unaccountable voluntary organisation and a bunch of ISPs who are there to defend shareholder value and profits, not our online freedoms. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20539981	Energy Bill to create 'low carbon economy', says Davey Energy minister Ed Davey has unveiled the government's much-trailed Energy Bill, setting out the roadmap for the UK's switch to "a low-carbon economy". Energy firms can increase the "green" levy from £3bn to £7.6bn a year by 2020, potentially increasing household bills by £100. But big, energy-intensive companies could be exempt from the extra costs of the switch to renewable energy. There are also proposals for financial incentives to reduce energy demand. The "transformation" will cost the UK £110bn over ten years, Mr Davey said. He told MPs: "Britain's energy sector is embarking on a period of exceptional renewal and expansion. "The scale of the investment required is huge, representing close to half the UK's total infrastructure investment pipeline." The government's plan formed the "biggest transformation of Britain's electricity market since privatisation," he said. Measures proposed in the Bill and consultations include: - Household energy bills to rise £100 on average by 2020 - "Green" levy charged by energy firms to rise from £3bn to £7.6bn - Switch to clean energy to cost £110bn over ten years - Bill aims to encourage investment in low-carbon power production - Energy-intensive companies may be exempt from additional charges - Possible financial incentives to reduce energy consumption Mr Davey said government policy was "designed specifically to reduce consumer bills", arguing that without a move to renewable energy, bills would be higher because of a reliance on expensive and volatile gas prices. The government has unveiled plans to exempt some of Britain's biggest industries from charges for clean electricity. The Energy Bill confirms that households will be expected to pay about £100 a year on average to get more power from nuclear and renewables. But it looks as though energy intensive firms won't have to pay the extra charges. It's feared that if their energy bills rise too high, they'll move manufacturing jobs abroad. The move may prove controversial with consumer groups. The Bill confirms that households would provide £7.6bn of subsidy to nuclear and renewables by 2020 to keep the lights on and to meet targets on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The government says the investment will shield the UK from volatile gas prices and force down costs in the long run. But ministers have also announced that some of biggest industrial polluters in the UK - like steel and cement - may not be asked to pay extra. These global firms threaten to take their jobs elsewhere if power bills rise. The government has recognised that if you are trying to cut global emissions of carbon, it's futile driving away firms to pollute somewhere else. But many households may wonder why they're being forced to pay extra whilst big firms are not. Follow Roger on Twitter @rogerharrabin The Energy Bill aims to move the UK's energy production from a dependence on fossil fuels to a more diverse mix of energy sources, such as wind, nuclear and biomass. This is to fill the energy gap from closing a number of coal and nuclear power stations over the next two decades, and to meet the government's carbon dioxide emissions targets. By allowing energy companies to charge more, the government hopes they will have the confidence to invest the huge sums of money that are needed to build renewable energy infrastructure such as windfarms. But the opposition said that investment in renewable energy had fallen under the coalition. "The reason that's happened is because of the uncertainty the government has created - that's why firms have put investment on hold, or scrapped it altogether," said shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint. She added that the absence of a carbon cap for the energy sector for 2030 further undermined investment in renewables.Exemptions But in a consultation paper published alongside the Bill, Mr Davey said energy-intensive industries, such as steel and cement producers, would be exempt from additional costs arising from measures to encourage investment in new low-carbon production. "Decarbonisation should not mean deindustrialisation", Mr Davey said. "The transition to the low carbon economy will depend on products made by energy intensive industries - a wind turbine for example needing steel, cement and high-tech textiles. "This exemption will ensure the UK retains the industrial capacity to support a low carbon economy." Without the exemption, the government fears big companies would cut jobs and relocate abroad.Reducing demand The government proposals to reduce electricity demand include financial incentives for consumers and businesses alike. For example, firms could be paid for each kilowatt-hour they save as a result of taking energy-reduction measures, such as low-energy lighting. Householders and businesses could be given discounts and incentives to replace old equipment with more energy-efficient versions. The government believes a 10% reduction in electricity demand could save £4bn by 2030. But research by management consultancy McKinsey suggests there is the potential to reduce demand by as much as 26%, equivalent to 92 terawatt-hours, or the electricity generated by nine power stations in one year. Audrey Gallacher, director of energy at Consumer Focus, said: "The government's commitment to reduce energy demand through incentives for consumers and businesses is welcome. "But it will come at a cost - which again will be passed onto customers."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18048963	William Hague tells bosses to work harder Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on bosses to stop "complaining" about the economy and work harder. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Hague said: "There's only one growth strategy: work hard." He said the UK needed to "reorientate" itself, when it came to exports, towards expanding economies such as India, Thailand and Indonesia. But the British Chambers of Commerce said businesses were already "busting a gut" and the government could do more. Labour said it was "ministers" who needed to "work harder".'Rescue the work ethic' Mr Hague's comments come after the coalition announced moves designed to boost economic growth. The Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, said he agreed with Mr Hague. He told BBC One's Sunday Politics: "Government can't create growth, it can create the conditions for growth but we're only going to be able to do this if we all work harder. "The world has changed and our competition has changed and I think the only way we can pull out of this is by us all working harder." But Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has said Mr Hague will have "infuriated" people with his comments. Interviewed for BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics, she said: "Many businesses who feel they are really putting their shoulder to the wheel, feel that they can't expand their businesses in the way they want to, because the banks won't lend to them. "The difficulty is if the banks won't lend, if economic demand is flattened because of the government's macro-economic policies, then people are going to be saying 'well you should be doing your job as the government, not telling us how to do ours'." Mr Hague said in the Telegraph article: "There's only one growth strategy: work hard. End Quote William Hague Foreign Secretary Get on the plane, go and sell things overseas, go and study overseas” "And do more with less - that's the 21st Century... We're trying to rescue the work ethic just in the nick of time." He said the economy was undergoing "rebalancing", with the private sector growing while public sector jobs declined. "They should be getting on with the task of creating more of those jobs and more of those exports, rather than complaining about it." He also said that changes to benefits, such as the universal credit and a benefit cap, "will be seen in the 2020s as being as important to this country as the trade union reforms and privatisations were of the 1980s. "This is as fundamental as that." Asked if his comments could be compared to Lord Tebbit's "on your bike" message to the unemployed in the 1980s, Mr Hague said: "It's more than that. "It's 'get on the plane, go and sell things overseas, go and study overseas'. "It's much more than getting on the bike, the bike didn't go that far. 'Get on the jet'."'Out-of-touch ministers' But Adam Marshall, director of policy at business organisation the British Chambers of Commerce, told the BBC: "Businesses up and down the country are busting a gut to find new growth opportunities, both at home and around the world. "To borrow a phrase from a politician, businesses are already 'straining every sinew' to deliver growth. And many companies, both large and small, think that government could do more. "The government needs to recognise that it is a major customer, a maker of markets, and the guardian of Britain's infrastructure and skills policies. "Unless it acts boldly to discharge those responsibilities, rather than tinkering at the margins, UK business won't be able to deliver up to its full potential." Shadow cabinet office minister Michael Dugher said ministers should stop blaming other people for their mistakes. "The Conservatives said after the local elections that they had got the message," he said. "Instead, these out-of-touch government ministers are burying their heads in the sand and just want to blame everybody else for the fact their economic plan has failed. "The truth is it's ministers who need to 'work harder' - at getting an economy that promotes growth and creates jobs."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18121455	Hollande meets Obama: 'Greece must stay in eurozone' French President Francois Hollande and US President Barack Obama have met at the White House for talks focusing on the European economy and Afghanistan. The leaders' first meeting since the recent French election came ahead of a meeting of G8 leaders at Camp David, Maryland. Mr Obama said the situation in the eurozone was of great importance to the people of Europe and to the global economy. Mr Hollande said Greece must stay in the eurozone. It was Mr Hollande's first visit outside Europe since he was elected to office last weekend. He will also meet British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8533551.stm	Google says it works within EU competition law The European Commission is looking into complaints about Google's behaviour, the company has revealed. The complaints were made by UK price comparison site Foundem, French legal search engine ejustice.fr, and Microsoft's Ciao. Google's senior competition lawyer Julia Holtz said the internet giant was "confident" it operated within European competition law. Foundem claims that its site is demoted in Google's search results. "Foundem... argues that our algorithms demote their site in our results because they are a vertical search engine and so a direct competitor to Google," Google said. "Ejustice.fr's complaint seems to echo these concerns." Foundem's complaint included screengrabs from Google searches which claimed Google's own comparison service (highlighted in red) were too prominent The complaint regarding price comparison site Ciao, which Microsoft bought in 2008, concerns Google's standard terms and conditions. Microsoft initially took its case to the German competition authority, but Google said it had now been transferred to Brussels. A Microsoft spokesman said: "Although we haven't been notified yet by the commission, we do believe it's natural for competition officials to look at online advertising given how important it is to the development of the internet and the dominance of one player. "In the meantime, we continue to co-operate with the German government's investigation into complaints brought by Ciao." Google dominates the search engine market. It has about a 65% share of the US market and about 90% in Europe. In a statement, the European Commission confirmed that it had received three complaints against Google that it was looking into. It emphasised that it had not opened a formal investigation. "As is usual when the Commission receives complaints, it informed Google earlier this month and asked the company to comment on the allegations," it said. "The Commission closely cooperates with the national competition authorities." In a blog, Google's Ms Holtz revealed that the commission had told the company that it had received the complaints. "Though each case raises slightly different issues, the question they ultimately pose is whether Google is doing anything to choke off competition or hurt our users and partners," she said. "This is not the case." Foundem said in its filing of complaint that Google had the "ability to arbitrarily penalise rivals and systematically favour its own services". It said Google's Universal Search was a "mechanism for automatically inserting its own services into prominent positions within its natural search results" and "poses an immediate threat to healthy competition and innovation". Foundem founder Shivaun Raff said its problems with Google's rankings were resolved in December 2009, but it was filing the complaint on behalf of other search firms. Ms Raff said Google had an "unprecedented" amount of control over its market. "We just want a level playing field," she told the BBC. "We are very hopeful that our case will inspire others."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3378647.stm	Instant messaging is gaining popularity with workers trying to get around the restrictions placed on what they can do with e-mail. Instant messaging can be a real drain on producitivity A survey by filtering firm Surf Control Survey shows that workers are turning to instant messaging to do the things that company policies stop them doing with e-mail. Currently few firms subject instant messaging programs to the same scrutiny that e-mail receives to stop spam, viruses or abuse by employees. Surf Control warns that firms must do more to limit the security problems that instant messaging programs create and educate staff about responsible use. The survey found that almost 40% of staff in UK companies are using instant messaging programs while in the office. "As more companies crack down on misuse of e-mail we have seen people moving more and more towards freer communications such as instant messaging," said Martino Corbelli, spokesman for Surf Control. Worryingly, he said, many staff were using these programs for non-work purposes. Many people, 42%, use instant messaging because, as its name implies, it is a much faster way of communicating with co-workers than e-mail. But the survey also found that 31% of those questioned turn to instant messaging to send the private messages they would rather did not travel via company e-mail systems. The temptation to abuse instant messaging by wasting time chatting to friends was well known, 68%, even by those that did not use the technology. More than half of the workers questioned, 51%, said instant messaging could dent productivity as people dealt with messages that kept popping up. Others were worried about viruses arriving via instant message programs (34%) and by offensive content being circulated (6%). Mr Corbelli said companies had to do more to tackle the potential problems that greater use of instant messaging brought. He said the risks and dangers that emerged with early use of e-mail were happening all over again as use of instant messaging grew. Security strategies to stop viruses could be thwarted by unauthorised use of instant messaging, he said. Policies and training programs created to improve e-mail security and to educate staff about responsible use of net technology needed to be updated to take account of instant messaging, he said. "Having a policy is only half the job," he said, "Everyone must sign up to it and be reminded of it when they go online."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/5101426.stm	An organisation planning to build the largest freshwater aquarium in the world may have to abandon the project. A research complex planned for redundant land faces financial crisis The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (NIRAH) received £3m in loans to develop a business plan and seek planning permission. Directors say they need £300,000 more or they will have to call in receivers because the money is running out. The research complex and aquarium, four times larger than the Eden Project, was to be built at Stewartby, Bedfordshire. The 40-hectare complex in an old brickworks is the brainchild of an international team of biologists and conservationists. Receivership is alternative It would be designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, who was responsible for the Eden Project in Cornwall. The world's largest aquarium would be stocked with tropical trees and plants and populated by thousands of species of freshwater fish, amphibians and reptiles. NIRAH directors are to meet on Wednesday to discuss project finances and are hoping to enlist Bedfordshire County Council as one of their backers to provide the extra funding they need but the alternative is to go into receivership. They hoped the centre, funded by the revenue from scientific research and development as well as visitor income, would boost understanding of the Earth's freshwater system and the animals that rely on it. With more funding to gain planning permission the centre could be up and running by 2010. However the project has attracted criticism from groups who campaign against animals being kept in captive environments.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/3210160.stm	The IRA has disposed of the largest consignment of its weapons so far, the head of the international decommissioning body, General John de Chastelain, has said. The retired Canadian general confirmed a third act of decommissioning had taken place after briefing the British and Irish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, at Hillsborough Castle on Tuesday. He said the quantity of arms put beyond use was "considerably larger" than that which had been previously decommissioned by the republican movement. The news follows an IRA statement and the announcement of fresh assembly elections by Downing Street. 0710 BST: Downing Street announces 26 November election date 1030: Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams urges total support for political process 1215: IRA says there will be further act of decommissioning 1415: IRA says further act of decommissioning took place under agreed scheme 1600: Arms chief says a third act of decommissioning has been witnessed Statements from Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble "The commission has witnessed a third event in which IRA weapons are put beyond use in accordance with the government scheme and regulations," said General de Chastelain. "The arms comprise light, medium and heavy ordinance and associated munitions. "They include automatic weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive material. "The quantity of weapons involved was larger than the quantity put beyond use in the previous event. "I do want to make the point - and that is why we have indicated this time - that the amount of arms put beyond use was larger - I would say considerably larger - than the previous event." Andrew Sens, General de Chastelain's colleague on the commission, said: "The material put beyond use this morning could have caused death or destruction on a huge scale had it been put to use." But the general also added the IRA had again exercised its option to restrict what detail he could reveal about the decommissioning act. Earlier, Downing Street confirmed a 26 November poll date and the IRA issued a first statement saying it was committed to resolving the weapons' issue. Northern Ireland's devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government. In a second statement on Tuesday, the IRA leadership confirmed that more weapons had been decommissioned. A spokesman said this had happened under the scheme agreed between the IRA and General de Chastelain. It is understood there are plans for further meetings between the IRA and the arms body. Ahead of the IRA statement, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams urged total support for the political process. In some of the strongest words the Sinn Fein president has used in support of the peace process, he said Sinn Fein was "opposed to the use or threat of force for any political purpose". Mr Adams said: "Sinn Fein wants to see the guns taken out of Irish society." Speaking to Sinn Fein election candidates, Mr Adams appealed to armed groups not on ceasefire, and particularly dissident republican groups opposed to the peace process. "I appeal to them to join with the rest of us, republican and unionist, nationalist and loyalist in taking a leap forward together and collectively building a new future based on justice and peace." He said unionists and republicans were working together to try to bring about a "full and final closure of the conflict". Earlier on Tuesday, Tony Blair's official spokesman said it could be "the most significant day since the Good Friday Agreement". He said what made it different was that the progress had been made between the parties themselves rather than the government driving the process forward with Mr Blair as "an interlocuter". The announcement of an election date came after weeks of top-level negotiations between Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists, as well as the British and Irish Governments. Assembly elections were postponed in May over what the government called a lack of clarity about the IRA's future intentions. The British and Irish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, have arrived in Northern Ireland to give their approval to the deal. Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is expected to provide his initial response, probably confirming that he intends to bring any deal to his party's ruling council. Reacting to the news of an election date, Michael McGimpsey of the UUP said within hours, unionists may know what republican intentions are about the future of the IRA. SDLP leader Mark Durkan said a more inclusive approach should have been adopted. The Democratic Unionist Party reacted with scepticism to Tuesday's The party's deputy leader Peter Robinson said there was nothing new from Sinn Fein or the IRA. Gerry Adams had offered only "spin and hype", he said. Most computers will open this document automatically. You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this PDF document.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6284365.stm	Former France captain Michel Platini has been elected as Uefa's new president, ahead of rival Lennart Johansson after a vote in Dusseldorf. Michel Platini has been handed Uefa's biggest post Johansson, 77, has held the post for the last 16 years. Platini wants to limit the number of Champions League places to three per country, rather than the current four. "This is just the beginning of an adventure. I'm happy to be able to represent European football. I'm very moved and very happy," Platini said. "When I was a footballer, when you won a great victory you received a cup and went on a lap of honour. "This is a great victory for me but I'm not going to do a lap of honour because now the work starts." Platini revealed he would push on with his plans to re-shape the Champions League, with his sights set on the new format starting in 2009. Gaining recognition of football's special status in European law Developing all Uefa competitions, including Intertoto Cup, youth and women's championships Combating racism, xenophobia and fraud Correcting inequalities and establishing equal opportunities Reducing the maximum number of teams per country in the Champions League to three In creasing co-operation with Fifa A hands-on presidency and more decision-making by Uefa executive He said: "I talked about finding a better equilibrium for the number of clubs and that's for 2009-10. "The final decision will be by Uefa's executive committee in April so we have a few months still to see which way we will go, but I would like a better equilibrium, it is very close to my heart. "If you are just talking about one club in England, that doesn't convince me that it's not the right thing to do." BBC sports editor Mihir Bose said: "He's a populist - within minutes of his election he showed glimpses of a populism that wouldn't have disgraced Tony Blair. "It won't be easy, but he certainly has a plan. "He's already proposed that the four Champions League places currently granted to clubs from England, Italy and Spain should be cut down to three. "He's also going to push for cost control - possibly a limit on players' salaries in proportion to clubs' turnover." Platini said he was proposing salaries be no more than "something like 50-60% of turnover" but insisted what he envisaged was "not a salary cap". The election result was close - had Platini won two fewer votes he would not have achieved an absolute majority of the 50 valid votes and a second ballot would have been held. The 52 members who now comprise the European confederation, the richest and most influential in world football, decided on the outcome in a secret ballot. Platini immediately invited Johansson to become an honorary president of Uefa. The 51-year-old former France star said: "This is a great victory but I have huge admiration for Lennart and I would ask for Lennart Johansson to become an honorary president of Uefa." Johansson was given a standing ovation by the delegates at the invitation of Platini. The Swede was openly against Platini's proposed changes to the Champions League. Johansson said: "I don't want to be impolite to a colleague on the executive committee. I've already asked him why he wants to introduce changes to this success story. "The Champions League is covered by numerous television stations around the world and there are a lot of sports that are trying to copy it. "The future is his but he has to learn and gain in experience." Sports minister Richard Caborn congratulated the new president and paid tribute to his predecessor. "Uefa have now made their decision and I want to thank Lennart Johannson for leading Uefa into a constructive dialogue on the European governance of football," he said. "I congratulate Michel Platini on his election, look forward to meeting him and continuing the constructive dialogue that we started a few weeks ago."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21458845	Manchester United profits rise Manchester United has reported a 74% rise in profits for the second half of 2012, on the back of rising revenues. The Premier League club said pre-tax profits for the last six months of the year were £22.3m. Total revenues were up, with income from sponsors particularly strong, though broadcast revenues were down. The club, owned by the Glazer family, listed on the New York Stock Exchange last year at a flotation price of $14 a share. The shares are now trading at nearly $19 giving the company a valuation of over $3bn.Sponsors Ed Woodward, Manchester United's executive vice chairman, said the club's commercial operation "continues to experience extremely strong growth particularly in sponsorship". Commercial revenue from sponsors such as Nike and Aon rose 26.4% to £78.6m for the six months to 31 December 2012. The club also announced that it had signed a new eight-year sponsorship deal for its training kit, having bought out the last two years of DHL's existing contract in the expectation of striking a better deal. The new sponsor would be announced "in the near future", it said. The Old Trafford club still has debts of £366.6m and staff costs rose by more than 10% to £84.5m, mainly thanks to new player signings and player wage increases. Manchester United has had a successful campaign on the pitch so far this season, currently topping the Premier League. They are also in the last 16 of the Champions League, drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid in the first leg of their match on Wednesday evening. The club claims to have 650 million supporters worldwide.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16853692	Mali: Tuareg rebellion sparks angry protests in Bamako Protesters surrounded the residence of Mali's president in angry protests over the government's handling of attacks by Tuareg rebels in the country's north. Tyres have been set on fire and roads have been blocked in the capital Bamako on a fourth day of demonstrations. Soldiers' families also took to the streets in a nearby town, complaining that the army was not equipped properly. The rebels want an autonomous Azawad region in the northern desert. Fresh fighting broke out in the middle of January - led by Tuareg rebels recently returned from Libya, where they served as Col Gaddafi's security forces. The BBC's Martin Vogl in Bamako says the capital is tense and shops and businesses closed early for the day. Our correspondent says the return to fighting - after two years of relative peace between the government and the Tuareg - has re-ignited old ethnic tensions between southerners and northerners.Homes vandalised He says southerners are angry that some of their family members have been killed - accusing the government of failing to properly arm those fighting on the front line. The businesses and homes of Tuareg families have been vandalised in the towns of Kati, close to Bamako, and Segou, some 240km away - prompting President Amadou Toumani Toure to go on national TV. He urged southern Malians not to discriminate against northerners despite the recent Tuareg rebel attacks. "Those who attacked some military barracks and towns in the north must not be confused with our fellow Tuaregs, Arabs, Songhoi, Fulani, who live with us," President Toure said. "They have the same rights and aspirations as us to live in peace," he added. It was his first major speech since the fighting in the north resumed two weeks ago. The Tuareg are a nomadic community who mostly live in northern Mali, northern Niger and southern Algeria. Mali's Tuaregs have long complained that they have been marginalised by the southern government and have staged several rebellions over the years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20197710	Apple paid only 2% corporation tax outside US Apple paid less than 2% corporation tax on its profits outside the US, its filing with US regulators has shown. The company paid $713m (£445m) in the year to 29 September on foreign pre-tax profits of $36.8bn, a rate of 1.9%. It is the latest company to be identified as paying low rates of overseas tax, following Starbucks, Facebook and Google in recent weeks. It has not been suggested that any of their tax avoidance schemes are illegal. All of the companies pay considerable amounts of other taxes in the UK, such as National Insurance, and raise large sums of VAT. Apple's figures for foreign tax appear on page 61 of its form 10-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The form is used to summarise the performance of public companies. It had paid a rate of 2.5% the previous year. Apple channels much of its business in Europe through a subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland, which has lower corporation tax than Britain. But even Ireland charges 12.5%, compared with Britain's 24%. Many multinational companies manage to pay substantially below the official corporation tax rates by using tax havens such as Caribbean islands.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20536359	Who, What, Why: What happened to crime in New York City? New York City recorded a day with no violent crime. When did Gotham get so safe? For more than 36 hours in New York City, no-one was shot, stabbed, or otherwise killed. The crime freeze began after 22:25 on Sunday, when a man was shot in the head, and continued until another man was shot at 11:20 on Tuesday. Though the break in violent crime marked the first time in recent memory such an event had occurred, the figure doesn't surprise criminologists. "I'm surprised it's just the first day this has happened," says Alfred Blumstein, a professor of public policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Considering, says Blumstein, that there were only 472 homicides in New York last year, with this year on track for even fewer, the odds of a violent-crime free day are favourable. "That's an average of about 1.5 homicides a day. Some days you might have three, or five or 10, and some days you have none," he says. - Crime has been on the decline in New York City since the 1990s - That coincided with a nationwide drop in crime, but New York's crime showed steeper and longer declines - Criminologists credit better policing, but don't have the data to ascertain what specifically works While violent crimes like stabbing and non-fatal shootings are more common, it's still well within the realm of possibility that some days would be violent-crime free. Still, it's important to note that crime statistics - especially when it comes to assaults and injuries - can be imprecise. "The police department count of non-fatal shootings and stabbings is probably an undercount," says Frank Zimmering, chair of the criminal justice research programme at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of The City That Became Safe: New York's Lessons For Urban Crime and Its Control. "Somewhere in New York City it is not unlikely that someone was shot or stabbed." The truth is that New York's crime rate has been on the decline since the 1990s, when crime overall declined in the US by 45%, in part due to a tapering off of the crack-cocaine problems in the 1980s. "That tailwind helped New York, too - but then the New York reductions lasted longer and were twice as big," says Zimmering. "And while the rest of the country saw a stabilisation of crime rates in the 2000s, New York City's numbers continued to drop. "[In 2007] the talking heads were predicting big trouble on the crime front because the economy went to hell in a hand basket and the country was letting out as many people in prison as it put in." "What happened as a consequence is that crime went down. What I can tell you is that it has been a pretty general pattern. What I can't tell you is what is the dynamic that is driving that general pattern." In his book, Zimmering finds that demographic shifts don't account for the changes. Minority populations are typically the victims of violent crime, but crime went down as New York's minority populations increased. Nor were there significant drops in drug use. The answer seems to lie with more and better policing - but what constitutes "better" policing is still up for debate. Thanks in part to Comstat, a sophisticated statistics tool, New York police were better able to identify crime patterns and violent "hotspots" in the 1990s. From there, top brass in the police force were able to meet together to develop a more consistent battle plan against the city's crime. "It was much more of an attempt at being more sophisticated at policing than had typically been the case," says Blumstein. These strategies included increased police presence, busting of outdoor drug peddling, and more controversial methods like "stop-and-frisk" where young men in high-crime areas are stopped and patted down for illegal weapons and drugs. But it's difficult for criminologists to determine which of these methods work and how effective they are individually. "What scares the hell out of me is that we're not rigorously testing anything," says Zimmering. Perhaps it's possible that the lower crime rate has allowed police to focus on a more altruistic approach. At around the same time that New York's crime-free wave was making headlines, a New York City police officer became a viral sensation after he was photographed giving a pair of new boots to a barefoot homeless man.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21606777	Device explodes outside east Belfast house An explosion outside a house in east Belfast was caused by an "extremely crude" device. Police had initially said it was caused by a pipe bomb, but now say that was not the case. Parts of the device have been removed by army bomb experts. The incident happened at a house in Kenilworth Place, off the Newtownards Road, at about 20:30 GMT on Wednesday. No-one was in the house at the time and no-one was injured. A number of homes were evacuated for a time. Community worker Jim Wilson said residents in the area were angry at the attack. "It's just another fact of living in an interface that these things happen," he said. "But they were pretty angry that an individual house had been selected, for whatever reason, for someone to plant a device like that, because my young grandson lives three or four doors down and there's young children play in this area on a regular basis. "If that had exploded if any of them children were about... God knows what would have happened." The Newtownards Road between Bridge End and Templemore Avenue was temporarily closed during the alert. Ulster Unionist MLA Michael Copeland said he understood that there was a bang and people close by found a fire which they put out with a bucket of water. "This is unnerving, particularly for children. It does spook people. It adds to the general feeling that things are not all the way they should be," he said. First Minister Peter Robinson condemned those responsible for the device. "This incident and others, including a hoax device in Newtownabbey last night are attempts by a small minority to use fear and intimidation. "There are a small number of people in our society who believe they can use violence or threat to drag Northern Ireland back to the past. "People want to leave this behind and I know that the community stands united against those responsible." Meanwhile, a security alert in Newtownabbey on Wednesday night was declared an elaborate hoax. Army bomb disposal experts dealt with a suspicious object at Altnacreeve Park. A number of homes were evacuated but residents were allowed to return at about 02:40 GMT.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-20461812	Road sealed off after woman found hurt in Marchmont A 31-year-old woman is in hospital after being found with serious leg injuries in an Edinburgh street. Lothian and Borders Police were called to Marchmont Road in the south of the city at about 04:00. The road was sealed off and remained closed until 08:00. Police have appealed for witnesses in the area to contact them. A force spokesman said they was no evidence of any criminality involved but added that inquiries were ongoing. Marchmont Road was closed between Marchmont Crescent and Warrender Park Road.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7820384.stm	By Andrew Walker BBC News, Nigeria The latest deadline set by the Nigerian government to stop flaring natural gas from oil wells in the Niger Delta has passed without stopping the flames, which campaigners say are poisoning local people. Nigeria is the second largest flarer of gas in the world "Sometimes you can't tell whether it's the dawn breaking or the flame," says activist Vivian Bellonwu, the frustration clear in her voice, after seeing nothing change despite the 1 January target. "It's a history of shifting goal posts, missing deadline after deadline". Everyone agrees gas flaring wastes billions of dollars in useful gas. Campaigners say it causes huge environmental damage and according to doctors, it is responsible for causing chronic health problems among people who live in the Delta. But the government and the oil companies are blaming each other. "It's all insincerity from the government and the companies -they're destroying lives and livelihoods," says Mrs Bellonwu. Nigeria flares the second largest volume of gas of any producer, behind Russia. Communities who live near Nigeria's more than 1,000 onshore well heads are blighted by gas plumes that rise from the ground, spreading toxic smoke and chemicals over their farms. About 40% of Nigeria's gas is flared as it is produced Nigeria accounts for 12.5% of the world's gas flaring Flaring takes place from thousands of well heads in an area the size of Britain Source: NNPC, Shell Social Action, the organisation Mrs Bellonwu works for, has been representing the communities who live near the many gas flares that light up the watery marshland and mangrove swamps of the Delta. "When you approach a gas flare, the first thing you notice is the heat, the villages around the flares are all very hot." The flames also light up the sky 24 hours a day, and the noise that comes from them is a continuous roar like a jet aircraft taking off. She says doctors have reported higher rates of cancer, children with asthma and a suggestion the burning gasses may be making residents infertile. "The smoke in some places is overpowering. It can't be good." Royal Dutch Shell, the largest operator of onshore wells, has not commented on the claims that gas flaring affects the health of local residents. Nigeria's onshore oil production started in the 1950s. As the oil comes up through the well head, it emerges with little bubbles of gas. But until the 1980s with no way to store or transport it, there was little market for natural gas produced in Nigeria. The operating oil companies simply burned it off. Since then the price of gas has risen, transportation techniques have developed and drilling technology has improved allowing more oil, and consequently more gas, to be drawn through a single well. Now experts believe Nigeria is burning billions of dollars of gas from its aging wells, letting potential profits go up in smoke. Even more ironically, campaigners say, the biggest need for that gas is in Nigeria. Nigeria is in the grip of a power generation crisis and the gas that is being burned could go a long way towards providing the electricity the country desperately needs in order to develop its economy. The government and the oil companies agree they want to end gas flaring. Shell says it has reduced the amount of gas flared by more than 30% since 2000. Shell officials say it is the government's fault that gas flaring still happens. A lot more pipelines would have to be built to collect all the gas. The government isn't keeping up its end of the funding agreements, preventing more investment, they say. Also the government can't guarantee oil workers' security in a region patrolled by armed gangs who kidnap oil company employees. The government oil regulators seem unable to get tough with the companies who operate the wells. It says it can't shut down wells to force them to collect the gas without taking oil wells out of production, losing valuable profit. The minister of state for petroleum told the BBC that while it is true the national oil corporation has a controlling stake in the joint drilling ventures, the responsibility to stop the practice lay with the oil companies. "The operating companies, they are the operators, and clearly they have a responsibility to operate in an environmental way," said Odein Ajumogobia. Two deadlines have been set and passed without making any difference. Mr Ajumogobia said he hopes the problem will come a step closer to being resolved in the next three months. Because oil cartel Opec has ordered Nigeria to make cuts to its production as part of a global attempt to lift oil prices, the government might be able to take some wells out of production to be fitted with gas collecting equipment, Mr Ajumogobia said. They want to start with the wells producing the most gas relative to the amount of oil available. But oil and gas industry analysts are sceptical about the government's ability to carry out the plan. "The ministry could make the plan succeed if they worked systematically and really got tough with the companies," says Alexandra Gillies of Cambridge University, who is researching Nigeria's oil and gas industry. "This kind of decisive action in regulating the industry is what's needed, but it hasn't fared well in the past."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8026437.stm	Mr Berlusconi and his wife have had public arguments before Italy's prime minister and his wife have clashed publicly after reports his party planned to field attractive young women as European election candidates. Veronica Lario said the plan amounted to "shameless rubbish" being put on "for the entertainment of the emperor". Silvio Berlusconi said she had been misled by left-wing media reports that TV stars, actresses and an ex-beauty queen were among potential candidates. But only one of the so-called "show girl" candidates made the party list. Ms Lario vented her feelings in an email to the Italian news agency Ansa, which was then picked up by the national newspapers. She said it was "to entertain the emperor" that beautiful young women were fielded to stand as candidates for Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party in June's European Parliament election. "But behind the facade of curvaceous feminine beauty, what is even more serious is (Mr Berlusconi's) impudence and lack of reserve" she continued, it offends "the credibility of all women". Mr Berlusconi later told reporters that he was sorry his wife had apparently believed "what she read in the papers". He said his party was aiming to select female candidates because "we want to renew our political class with people who are cultured and well prepared". Candidates standing for the PdL would be unlike the "malodorous and badly dressed people who represent certain parties in parliament", Mr Berlusconi added. Ms Lario, who is Mr Berlusconi's second wife and herself a former actress, said she wanted to make clear that "my children and I are victims and not accomplices in this situation". "We must endure it and it causes us to suffer," she added. It was later announced that Barbara Matera - an actress, TV announcer and former Miss Italy contestant - was the only one of the "showgirl candidates" as the Italian media dubbed them to have made the final list.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7070911.stm	Scientists from Queen's University in Belfast have found three new planets orbiting their own stars. By Mike McKimm The new discoveries have been named Wasp-1, 2 and 3 respectively. They are all gas giants similar to our Jupiter. Using equipment they built themselves, the scientists from the University's Astrophysics Research Centre have been observing hundreds of thousands of stars for several months. The team is hunting what are known as exoplanets. These are planets outside our Solar System. They orbit their own stars, or suns, many of them in just a couple of days, unlike the Earth which takes a year to make a full orbit. Indeed, some of the planets discovered so far are so close to their stars that their "surface" temperatures probably exceed 2000C. So there is little chance of life being present. The search is based on a simple idea. Astronomers know that if a planet is big enough, as it passes in front of a star it will partly screen a star's light from Earth. By watching for this tiny change in light, the astronomers are alerted to the possibility of a planet. Don Pollacco from Queen's University watches the output from their SuperWasp project every night. "The little dip in the light tells that maybe there is a planet there. "It certainly tells you that something has happened and we need to use other telescopes to find out what is causing it," he said. SUPERWASP ROBOTIC TELECOPES Comprises 8 scientific cameras; lenses just 11cm in diameter Field of view 2,000x greater than conventional telescope State-of-the-art detectors feed automated data analysis System can monitor entire sky several times per night Detects hundreds of thousands of stars in a single snap-shot One night's observing run generates up to 60GB of data SuperWasp based in Canary Islands and South Africa When they have identified a star with a candidate planet, they train a massive 4.2m telescope, the William Herschel, on the star and watch it night after night. Eventually, if there is a planet passing, or transiting the star, they will see the light dip. By measuring the speed and amount of dip, the astronomers can quickly calculate the size of the planet and its distance from the star. SuperWasp is really eight very sophisticated digital cameras that scan a wide arc of the sky every night. It logs the position and brilliance of hundreds of thousands of stars. The Wasp sits on top of an extinct 2,500m-high volcano on La Palma in the Canaries. It gets a clear view of the sky most nights and is far above the clouds that often surround the island. Using computers, the astronomers in Belfast then sift through the data looking for the subtle changes of light. Wasp stands for Wide Angle Search for Planets. The sheer quantity of stars it checks out every night means it's more likely to discover new planets on a regular basis. A SuperWasp system has also started operating in the Southern Hemisphere, in South Africa. It has also discovered two exoplanets, Wasp-4 and Wasp-5. "We're the only team to have found transiting planets in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; for the first time we have both SuperWasp cameras running, giving complete coverage of the whole sky," said Dr Pollacco. Don Pollacco from the university watches the output each night It is also proving to be a very economical exercise. The Wasp on La Palma cost about £400,000. So far, that works out at just over £130,000 a planet; and it will get cheaper by the planet if they find more. SuperWasp has also received recognition from its peers. Normally astronomers would be delighted to get one or two nights on a major telescope such as the William Herschel on La Palma. Queen's University has already been given 100 nights - because of the potential of SuperWasp. Already the three planets that have been confirmed in the Northern Hemisphere have had their coordinates and other details made available through a link-up between Queen's University and the BBC. Details, including the coordinates can be found by clicking here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7056601.stm	Globally human populations are growing, trade is increasing, and living standards are rising for many. But, according to the UN's latest Global Environment Outlook report, long-term problems including climate change, pollution, access to clean water, and the threat of mass extinctions are being met with "a remarkable lack of urgency". Over the last 20 years, the human population has increased by a third, global trade has tripled, and per capita income has gone up by 40%. Annual emissions of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, have also increased by one third. As the human population grows it has reached the point, the UN says, "where the amount of resources needed to sustain it exceeds what is available". Sixteen thousand species are threatened with extinction. Habitat loss is a major factor as many forests are cleared for agriculture. The UN estimates the global annual loss of primary forest is 50,000 km2. The availability of fresh water will decline, according to the UN, who project that by 2025 1.8bn people will be affected by water scarcity. Sanitation is also a major issue, as contaminated water is the greatest single cause of human disease and death. The state of the world's fisheries is also touched on by the report which says many fish stocks are overexploited, while the demand for fish is expected to rise alongside growing populations. By the end of 2007 it is estimated that more people will live in cities than rural areas for the first time in history. The satellite image of the US city of Las Vegas (left) shows how rapidly metropolitan areas can grow. The city was home to 557,000 people in 1985, by 2004 this had risen to nearly 1.7 million. This rapid growth can put pressure on water resources and infrastructure.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13641451	Better child blocks on porn call Parents need much more help in protecting children from online porn, a review commissioned by the prime minister is to say. The Bailey Review says parents should be able to buy computers, devices or internet services with adult content already blocked, rather than having to impose controls themselves. The review, into the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood, also calls for age-ratings on music videos. It also suggests more advert controls. It says this should keep advertising with sexual imagery away from schools and playgrounds. The review was carried out by Reg Bailey, the head of the Mothers' Union, and the findings are due to be published on Monday. He describes the plethora of explicit adverts, videos and television programmes as a "wallpaper of sexual images that surround children". Mr Bailey says parents are worried about "the increasingly sexualised culture we live in". He says they need more support to protect their children and "help them deal with the pressure this brings". We are talking about gross horrible stuff. What harm is that going to do to a five-year-old boy or girl?” Mr Bailey said parents were concerned about heavily sexualised imagery in outdoor advertising as there was no way of avoiding it. "It wasn't as though these were something in a newspaper or in a magazine, they were in a public space. And parents felt that public space wasn't as friendly as it might be towards families. "So one of our key recommendations is to say that parents views should be heard very clearly when it comes to determining sexualised imagery and the usage of that in advertising messages in public space." Manufacturers and internet service providers could do a lot more to help parents block adult content from children including developing better ways of checking the age of users, the report says. Mr Bailey is expected to say: "I have heard a lot of concerns from parents that their children can get easy access to pornography on the internet. "Whilst most parents regularly check what their children are viewing online, and set up parental controls and filtering software, they remain concerned because they are not as internet savvy as their children. "That's why I am calling for a new approach where all customers have to make an active choice over whether they allow adult content or not. This is something internet service providers have told me is workable." The internet industry says it is already aware of the problem of young children accessing inappropriate websites. The Mobile Broadband Group, said it supported "network based and device based solutions" to limit under-age access to online pornography. Mr Bailey recommends music videos should carry age ratings and underage children should be banned from buying them.'Challenge industry' Rosemary Kempsell, the worldwide president of the Mothers' Union, said that while she welcomed the report, the government needed to take firm action to tackle the issue. "We cannot agree with the review that a purely consensual approach will be the most effective, and that further regulation or legislation would necessarily disempower parents," she said. End Quote Katherine Rake Family and Parenting Institute Steps must be taken to make parents feel they are regaining some control of the messages their children absorb” "As the review points out several times, parents want help and support to address the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, and government intervention is one way of achieving this. We should not be afraid to challenge industry when the welfare of our children, and their future, is at stake." Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, who has put forward a private member's bill about teaching abstinence in sex education lessons, says the amount of sexual imagery made available in society must be cut back. "The problem is that we have the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the UK, the highest rate of abortion," she said. "We have an over-sexualisation of this culture which is everywhere. "It is in Sky television, in video games that children now can access, on computer games, mobile phones. It's on billboard advertising, it's in teenage magazines, it's everywhere and it is too much. And we have to now say, enough."Government deadline Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said: "Developments in technology, media and commerce mean the current generation of UK children are being subjected to some entirely new pressures. "Parents are concerned children are experiencing too much too young in terms of sexualised images and aggressive advertising. Steps must be taken to make parents feel they are regaining some control of the messages their children absorb." The Advertising Standards Authority and broadcasters are being urged to pay more attention to parents' views. The government says it will implement all the recommendations and regulators and retailers have been told they have 18 months to clean up their act - otherwise legislation may be introduced.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21241946	Bill Gates: 'We can eradicate polio' The billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is using the annual BBC Richard Dimbleby Lecture to spell out his commitment to ridding the world of polio. In 2012, there were just 205 cases of naturally occurring poliovirus compared with 650 cases in 2011. This compares to 350,000 a quarter of a century ago. He told BBC Breakfast that "we have so few cases that if we really intensify our efforts we will completely eradicate the disease". There are now three countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria - where transmission of the disease has never been halted compared to 125 countries in the late 1980s.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19674873	UK's rarest spiders fostered by zoos in bid to save them There is a push to save one of the UK's rarest and biggest spiders. The female fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius) can measure up to 7cm across and the body is brown or black in colour with white or cream stripes along the sides. Nearly 2,500 spiderlings will be reared from September to November until they are strong enough to be released back into their natural habitats. To listen to other 5 live stories, please visit the Best Bits page.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8466995.stm	Massachusetts Senate poll loss threatens Obama agenda Republican Scott Brown's victory speech Republican Scott Brown has won a shock victory in the race for the US Senate seat in Massachusetts left vacant by Democrat Edward Kennedy's death. The result is a huge blow to President Barack Obama, whose healthcare reform programme is now in doubt. Democrat Martha Coakley conceded she had lost the race after early results gave Mr Brown a healthy lead. The Republican win means the Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate. This will make it much harder for Mr Obama to pass a healthcare reform bill - the most important domestic policy objective of his first year as president. The BBC's Paul Adams, in Boston, says Ms Coakley's defeat is a humiliating defeat for the Democrats, and a deeply unwelcome anniversary present for President Obama exactly one year after his inauguration. This is a referendum on the Barack Obama agenda and a way of working in Washington, an arrogant approach to politics Sen Robert Menendez, head of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee, said he had "no interest in sugar-coating" the result. "There is a lot of anxiety in the country right now," he added. "Americans are understandably impatient." President Obama had campaigned personally on behalf of Ms Coakley. Analysts say the race should have been an easy win for her in a state which has traditionally voted for Democratic candidates for the US Senate. Just weeks ago, Ms Coakley, the state attorney general, had a double-digit lead in polls and seemed destined to win. But a lacklustre campaign allowed her Republican opponent to seize on voter discontent and overtake her in the final stretch. Voters flocked to the polls through the snow and rain that fell all day on Tuesday. Ms Coakley said she had received a telephone call from President Obama, who told her: "We can't win them all." Senior Republican figure Mitt Romney said the vote heralded a political sea-change. "This is really a referendum on the Barack Obama agenda and I think a way of working in Washington, which is kind of an arrogant approach to politics in this country," the former presidential candidate told Fox News. Third major loss White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Obama had called Mr Brown to congratulate him and to tell him he was looking forward to working with him. WHAT NEXT FOR OBAMA AGENDA? Obama's bid to reform healthcare and pass climate bill now in doubt On healthcare, Democrats in House could pass bill already passed by Senate Or rush a compromise bill through before Brown can take his seat But that could spark a political backlash on Democrats, even if both houses could agree it so soon On climate, cap-and-trade bill passed by the House faces even more difficulties in Senate Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Mr Brown could take his seat "as soon as the proper paperwork has been received" from Massachusetts officials. Correspondents say the vote does not bode well for the Democrats ahead of November's congressional elections, and that if they cannot hang on to a party stronghold such as Massachusetts they could be vulnerable almost anywhere. The result comes amid opinion polls showing nearly half of Americans think President Obama is not delivering on his major campaign promises. It was the third major loss for Democrats in state-wide elections since he became president: Republicans won governors' seats in Virginia and New Jersey in November. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3423709.stm	BBC News spoke to an endowment holder who believes he was mis-sold. John Rouse, 54, takes the promises of the UK life insurance industry with a hefty pinch of salt. John, like many other endowment mortgage holders, is learning the hard way that a sure thing is rarely what it seems. When John and wife Sue bought their four-bedroom detached in Chesterfield for £125,000 in 1996, they relied on an endowment bought in 1987 to cover their £65,000 mortgage. They funded the rest of the house purchase from savings. John says that a smooth-talking financial adviser talked him into buying an endowment. "I was told that it could pay off a mortgage and provide a tidy lump sum at maturity," he said. "Endowments just seemed the way to go, everyone seemed to have one. When your house is on the line you assume that the guarantees on offer are copper bottomed." However, when the endowment matures in 2010 John faces an estimated shortfall of £20,000. "This is devastating - I may have to take out a loan at the age of 61. My wife and I are going to have to work until normal retirement age and perhaps even a little beyond." With an endowment mortgage, the borrower pays off only the interest on the loan each month. The mortgage holder invests money into a separate endowment fund to pay back the underlying debt. Unfortunately a combination of stock market volatility and lower interest rates has meant that endowments have underperformed. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has ordered insurers to issue letters to consumers, warning them of any potential shortfall. All people who have an endowment should by now have received at least one or two "re-projection letters". These are colour coded according to the level of the potential shortfall. Green means the endowment is on target, amber strikes a note of caution and red indicates a likely shortfall. Many, like John, claim that they were mis-sold their endowment policy. The usual grounds for a mis-selling claim are that the endowment holder was promised that their mortgage would be paid off, or were not informed of the investment risk. John Rouse has given up hope John has largely given up hope of redress. He bought his endowment before the Financial Services and Markets Act came into being. As a result, he is not entitled to take a mis-selling claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Instead he has had to rely on Norwich Union's internal complaints procedure. "They have washed their hands of my complaint, writing that as I bought it through a financial adviser they had no responsibility for my position." "I could take Norwich Union to court but I can't afford to do it. I feel as if the whole system is geared towards insurance firms and not consumers." In the normal course of events John and Sue would be able to take solace in the fact that rising house prices would mean that they had made a profit on their home. However, in the cruellest twist of all, their home has subsidence and is currently worth less than they paid for it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616725	Antarctic survey reveals rugged buried landscape The belly of Antarctica has given up a little more of its mystery. Survey data taken across a great swathe of the east of the white continent has allowed scientists to map the shape of the bedrock buried deep under the ice. It reveals in new detail a huge trough hundreds of kilometres long that is cut by fjord-like features. Researchers tell Nature magazine that this hidden landscape was probably moulded by the action of glaciers more than 14 million years ago. This was a time when Antarctica was only part way through acquiring the extensive ice covering we know today. The team behind the survey work believes its data will improve not only our understanding of Antarctica's past but also its future, as the continent contends with a potentially much warmer world. "This type of study is important to understand how ice flows in Antarctica and how it will flow in the future," said Professor Martin Siegert, from the University of Edinburgh, UK. "The only way you can do that is with models, and models need topography on which to grow and flow the ice. If our topography doesn't resemble the reality then the outputs from the models won't either," he told BBC News. The new findings have emerged from the Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (Icecap) project, an international effort to comprehend how the East Antarctic Aurora Subglacial Basin has been shaped over the past 35 million years. Previous research had given coarse hints of the rock structures buried under more than four kilometres of ice, but Icecap is the first systematic attempt to get a higher-resolution image of the mountains and valleys in this part of Antarctica. The team used a refurbished 1942 DC-3 plane to gather its data. Packed with instruments, it took off from Casey Station on the coast and flew long lines that traced out a great fan across the basin. Ice-penetrating radar on the underside of the plane looked through the cap to build a picture of the rock bed. What the data reveal is a complex landscape created after Antarctica was plunged into a deep cooling period. The snows that fell over ancient mountains produced mighty glaciers, which then merged to form one giant, spreading ice-mass. This would not have been a steady process but one that pulsed back and forth - and it is this advance and retreat of the ice that the scientists believe was responsible for carving the deep fjords they now see in their data. "The modern ice sheet couldn't possibly have done this; it has to have been the consequence of an ice sheet that was much smaller than today's," explained Professor Siegert. "Comparing our data with geomorphological evidence from other regions of the world, we can be pretty confident that these fjords were formed by fast-flowing ice at the edge of the ice sheet. It's the first evidence we have of how the ice was in phases of growth and retreat as it marched across this subglacial basin to form the ice sheet we recognise today." Information about local gravity and magnetism gathered on the survey flights indicates that the structures being mapped are what they seem and are not the result of tectonics - of lifting or rifting in the landscape. That can be confirmed by drilling through the ice to sample the rock below. This is a goal. The ice core pulled up in the process would also be another invaluable snapshot of past climatic change. By examining bubbles of air trapped in the compacted snow, it would be possible for researchers to gauge past atmospheric conditions and temperatures in this region. Icecap incorporates researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Texas, together with the Australian Antarctic Division and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. The aerogeophysical survey is one of several that is "virtually" lifting the ice shroud covering Antarctica to reveal its rock underpinning. Only a small number of areas on the continent remain to be assessed using modern high-resolution mapping techniques. Such work is difficult and expensive, however. The remote and inhospitable conditions make for very challenging logistics. "There are few parts of the world where you undertake pure exploration and Antarctica is one of them," said Professor Siegert.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18850931	Camera coming for Raspberry Pi Computer scientist and Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton tells Rory Cellan-Jones about the latest development for his project. Raspberry Pi was created to inspire a new generation of children to get interested in computer science - and it appears to be working, with 4,000 units being produced each day to meet demand. Now Eben Upton says a camera module for the device is coming very soon. Rory Cellan-Jones interviewed him on his smartphone.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-20178698	Swansea sex entertainment venues ban Sex entertainment venues in Swansea have been banned by council officials following a decision to cap their number at "nil". The policy has been changed from each application being dealt with on its own merits to one where they will "normally be refused". It covers lap dancing, pole dancing, table dancing, strip shows, peep shows and live sex shows. Putting a numerical control on the number of venues is allowed by law. Swansea currently has one venue with a licence for sex entertainment, which runs out in April next year. A report to the cabinet, which made the decision on Thursday evening, said: "Members have requested that the current policy is reviewed with a view to introducing an appropriate number of nil for sexual entertainment venues in the city centre. "It is not proposed that an appropriate number will be considered for the other types of sex establishments and any such applications will continue to be dealt with on their merits." Thomas-Bellis Leisure attracted controversy earlier this year when it was granted a licence for a pole dancing and strip club next to a church in York Street. But its club Bellissima, which has since changed to bar and lounge venue Club Rouge, has not been able to use its licence as Swansea council is the property's leaseholder and will not agree a change of planning use. York Place Baptist Church minister, the Reverend Haydn Dennis, objected to the licence stating there were "deep spiritual objections". More than 1,000 opponents also signed a petition against it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-21123462	Dylan Thomas tribute: Bob Dylan wanted for Swansea concert A campaign is growing for Bob Dylan to perform a concert honouring poet Dylan Thomas in the centenary of his birth. Swansea West MP Geraint Davies wants the veteran American singer to play the Liberty Stadium, home of the city's resurgent football club, next year. Sony Music has told him that Dylan, who many believe named himself after Thomas, is "thinking very positively" about it. The MP said the "Dylan to play Dylan" campaign had gone viral. It has won support from Welsh singers such as Cerys Matthews and Mike Peters, among others. There are a number of celebrations planned for Swansea and the whole of Wales in 2014 to mark 100 years since Thomas's birth in the city. Mr Davies said a concert by Dylan in which he blended his music with some of Thomas's poetry would be "the icing on the cake" of a great year. Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas - Dylan Marlais Thomas was born 27 October 1914 in Swansea, died on 9 November 1953 in New York - Robert Allen Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan) was born 24 May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota - Thomas is famous for poems such as Do not go gentle into that good night, And death shall have no dominion, and the "play for voices", Under Milk Wood - Dylan's early songs such as Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin' became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. - Dylan Thomas is buried in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire - Bob Dylan's career to date has encompassed musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, writer The two artists never met but Thomas was known for his rock star lifestyle, before there were rock stars. Mr Davies has mentioned in the House of Commons that he had approached Bob Dylan about the concert, when Leader of the House Andrew Lansley said he would look forward to attending. "Since then the campaign has gone viral with all the music websites and Twitter etc, with thousands of people calling for Bob Dylan to come to Swansea to do the concert," said Mr Davies. End Quote Geraint Davies MP Swansea West If it comes off, the welcome in the hillside will be blowing a gale” Former Catatonia singer and BBC 6 Music broadcaster Cerys Matthews has retweeted messages about the campaign to her followers and The Alarm singer Mike Peters, who knows Bob Dylan's manager, has also got involved. As well as approaching Sony Music, Mr Davies has also met the chief executive of UK Trade and Investment about the centenary concert. "They said they are willing to approach Bob Dylan's management about this," he said. "Dylan Thomas is someone we are proud of in Swansea, and right across Wales. "The idea is that Bob Dylan might come and incorporate Dylan Thomas' work into his blend of music is exciting." According to The Times newspaper, the singer has given various accounts of how he adopted the name Dylan in place of his birth name, Robert Zimmerman. In his autobiography, Bob Dylan refers to the Welshman's poetry, but claimed the choice was largely coincidental. Mr Davies said the singer-songwriter had already paid tribute to John Lennon in a track on his 2012 album Tempest, and it would not be too much to expect him to use "to bring something of Dylan Thomas to life". The concert, if it does happen, will be "a fantastic show that would have a worldwide audience," he added. "If it comes off, the welcome in the hillside will be blowing a gale."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16321999	Japanese public chooses 'kizuna' as kanji of 2011 The Japanese word "kizuna", meaning bonds or connections between people, has been chosen as Japan's kanji of 2011. The kanji, or Chinese pictorial script, for "kizuna" emerged top of a public poll for the character that best summed up the year. For Japan, 2011 was dominated by the earthquake and tsunami in March. The disasters led to unprecedented numbers of Japanese helping one another. After the tsunami smashed into Japan's north-east coast on 11 March, killing thousands and engulfing entire communities, people's stoicism and their determination to pull together won international praise. In April the then prime minister Naoto Kan thanked the world for its help in a letter entitled "Kizuna - the Bonds of Friendship". And when Japan unexpectedly beat the United States to win the women's football World Cup, "kizuna" forged by the players' teamwork was cited with pride. Half a million people took part in the annual poll for the kanji character, conducted by Japan's Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. About 60,000 people nominated "kizuna", but the runner-up was much less optimistic: "wazawai" means disaster. For some Japanese, 2011 brought the opposite of "kizuna". A firm that specialised in divorce ceremonies said in July that they had tripled since the tsunami as people reassessed their lives.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19464168	Syria crisis: 'Deadly Aleppo strike' as UN envoy starts job Opposition activists in Syria say more than 25 people have been killed by an air strike in al-Bab, Aleppo province. More than 100 people have also died elsewhere, they said, including five killed by a bomb in Damascus. In an interview with the BBC, the new international envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has said his mission to stop the fighting is "nearly impossible". Mr Brahimi, who takes over from Kofi Annan, is expected to hold talks in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad. Separately, the head of the Red Cross was beginning a three-day visit to Syria on Monday in an attempt to improve aid access to civilians. Peter Maurer said in a statement that "an adequate humanitarian response is required to keep pace" with the worsening violence.'Bulldozers' Lakhdar Brahimi has embarked on one of the world's toughest jobs. But as one of the UN's most experienced troubleshooters, he may offer the skills needed in a conflict where both sides seem to believe they have no choice but to fight to the end. Mr Brahimi often deployed a "no victor, no vanquished" power-sharing approach in previous mediations, including the 1989 agreement that ended Lebanon's 15-year civil war. UN sources who have worked closely with Mr Brahimi over many years say he will be more involved in the minutiae of the process, engaging personally with all the key players, and drawing on his own extensive experience and contacts in the region and beyond, not to mention his understanding of Arab politics and language. He plans to base his office in Damascus if possible, or in Cairo, and to spend as much time as possible in the region. But for the time being, there is little optimism anywhere that much can be done. Even Mr Brahimi sees his job as keeping expectations low. Human rights groups said several women and children were among the more than 25 people killed when a building in al-Bab was attacked by a government jet. The town, north-east of Aleppo city, appears to be largely in rebel hands and has been heavily pounded by government forces in recent weeks, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Lebanon. In Damascus, one building was badly damaged by a car bombing in the suburb of Jaramana. Five people were reported killed. Syrian state news agency Sana said women and children were also among the victims there. No group has said it carried out the attack, but Sana blamed "an armed terrorist group". The explosion is the second deadly bombing within a week targeting the predominantly Druze and Christian area of Jaramana. Also in Damascus, there were reports that the government was bulldozing houses in the Tawahin district, in what activists said was collective punishment for protests against President Assad. "The bulldozers are bringing down shops and houses. The inhabitants are in the streets," one woman told Reuters.'Brick wall' Mr Brahimi, the new UN-Arab League envoy on Syria, was appointed after Mr Annan resigned following the failure of his peace plan. "I'm coming into this job with my eyes open, and no illusions," Mr Brahimi told the BBC's Lyse Doucet in an interview in New York. "I know how difficult it is - how nearly impossible. I can't say impossible - [it is] nearly impossible." Mr Brahimi said he had so far failed to see "any cracks" in the "brick wall" that had defeated Mr Annan - an "intransigent" Syrian government, escalating rebel violence and a paralysed UN Security Council, where China and Russia have vetoed several resolutions aimed at putting pressure on Damascus. He said he would keep Mr Annan's six-point peace plan in his "tool box" for possible adaptation, but admitted he "had ideas, but no plan yet", apart from talking to as many people as possible. Addressing the Syrian government, he said the need for political change in Syria was "fundamental and urgent", but he refused to be drawn on whether President Assad should step down, as the opposition and several Western leaders are demanding. "Change cannot be cosmetic," he said. "There will be a new order, but I do not know who will be the people in the order. That's for Syrians to decide." - Aged 78 and an experienced operator in the Arab and Islamic worlds - Acted as Arab League envoy during Lebanese civil war in 1989, brokering an end to the conflict - Has represented the UN in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, South Africa, DR Congo, Yemen, Liberia, Nigeria and Sudan - Is a member of The Elders, a group of world leaders founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela to promote peace and human rights Last month, the UN wound up the observer mission that had been tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Syria under the Annan plan. Information Minister Omran Zoabi said on Monday that any peace talks would collapse as long as foreign countries were supporting and arming the rebels, a frequent accusation by Damascus. The Syrian government has also said it could use chemical or biological weapons if it were attacked from outside. But on Monday, European leaders said they would respond robustly if it did so, with France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saying the response would be "massive and blistering". British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had asked the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ensure that UN experts could be deployed quickly if there were any reports of such weapons "being used or moved". Activists say 20,000 people have died since the uprising against the Syrian government began last March. Human rights groups say August was the deadliest month, with more than 5,000 people killed, according to the pro-rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Send your pictures and videos to email@example.com or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11044760	Furry victims of the recession On Saturday 21 August, International Homeless Animals' Day, pet-lovers around the world will hold vigils for and celebrations of their furry friends. But this year the celebrations have taken a more sombre tone. The recession that has devastated so many families and individuals has affected their pets as well. Across the US, the numbers of animals in pet shelters has swelled as owners find themselves unable to care for their pets. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals (ASPCA) estimates that in 2009, around a million pets were at risk of losing their homes. When families are having a hard time making ends meets, many make the decision to relinquish their pets. Although most pets are passed on to friends and relatives, a large number end up in shelters. Stephen Zawistowski, ASPCA science adviser, says it is not an easy decision. "For people to relinquish a pet is a heartbreaking event," Mr Zawistowski says. For many pet owners, he says, their animal makes their life "whole and liveable". Particularly for people under pressure at work, economically or otherwise, coming home to a pet can be a bright spot in an otherwise stressful day. "They're the one individual you live with you that isn't judging you," Mr Zawistowski says. "They're going to love you whether or not you got your bonus or whether or not you made a sale and got your commission today."Budget woes Several shelters have started animal food banks to help families on the verge of having to give up their pets. "The opportunity to help that family stay whole is something you can feel good about," he says. Some human food banks are also stocking pet food. The recession has affected animal shelters financially as well as inflating their intakes. Shelters that rely on donations are finding it more difficult to raise funds. Publicly funded shelters are having their budgets cut as governments try to make fewer tax dollars go further. A brand-new shelter funded by the local council in Sacramento County, California, faced closure this year after just six months of operation due to budget cuts. The shelter survived, but its cash flow has dwindled and it is increasingly reliant on volunteers. At the same time, with finances tight, fewer people are adopting pets, and many people are finding it hard to afford veterinary care, such as spaying, neutering and vaccinating. That leaves animal shelters buckling under the pressure, with the International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) reporting that increasingly shelters put four cats in a cage meant for one or two because they simply don't have enough space.Social responsibility Still, with so much human suffering, it may seem like a stretch to ask people to help four legged friends. In response, Colleen Gedrich from ISAR, the group which organises International Homeless Animals' Day, quotes Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi who once said that a greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. "Our companion animals rely on us to care for them," Ms Gedrich says. "As a society, it is our responsibility to provide and protect the creatures that cannot do so on their own." Mr Zawistowski of the ASPCA similarly dismisses concerns about people prioritising animals over needy people. He notes that only about 3% of the charitable dollar in the US goes to animal-related causes, including wildlife groups. "It's not like you are taking food out of a baby's mouth and giving it to a dog," he says. For many people, the pet is a crucial member of the family that needs looking after. Mr Zawistowski recalls that many of the people who didn't evacuate in Hurricane Katrina had stayed to take care of pets which were banned from the evacuation shelters. "For very many people, the animals they live with are a significant part of their life," he says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8107606.stm	Stern family lawyer Marc Bonnant called the sentence "even-handed" A woman who admitted killing a wealthy French banker during a sado-masochistic sex game has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail. Cecile Brossard was convicted by a Swiss court on Wednesday of the murder of Edouard Stern. The court had rejected the defence team's argument that she had committed a crime of passion. Brossard, 40, has already served four years in jail, and is expected to be released by the end of 2011. The sentencing was welcomed by the Stern family, whose lawyer Marc Bonnant called it a "just and even-handed decision". 'Desperately in love' The jury on Wednesday found that Brossard had "acted with a certain determination" and that her "state of despair was not excusable". She had confessed to shooting Stern in his luxury flat in Geneva in 2005. He was found in a skin-coloured latex suit pierced with four bullet wounds. They had rowed over $1m, which Brossard had demanded as "proof of his love for her". He had transferred the money but then had it blocked. Brossard said she shot him after he told her: "One million dollars is a lot of money to pay for a whore." She admitted to cleaning up the scene of the crime - reportedly littered with sex toys among expensive antiques - before throwing the gun into Lake Geneva. Before the jury retired to deliberate their verdict on Wednesday, Brossard made an emotional apology to Stern's family. "I am a woman who is desperately in love with a man and I remain so," she said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3929369.stm	After Iraq, Iran is shaping up to be the next major crisis in the Middle East. The Natanz facility in Iran where centrifuges might be assembled (Image: DigitalGlobe) The question is whether Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. "Iran has decided to resume research and development in the enrichment of uranium," sources who track Iranian activities claimed to News Online. "It now has time on its side to acquire the capability. It is racing forward." "There has been a pattern of cheating the world and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and of trying to disguise its true intentions under the pretence of needing energy for civilian purposes. Iran wants to produce nuclear weapons," asserted the sources, who spoke on condition that they were not identified. Iran's case is that it needs nuclear power and has to make the fuel itself as it cannot rely on outside sources, as many countries do. It denies that it intends to make the bomb. It is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and therefore is committed not to do so. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Israel has started a diplomatic offensive to win support for its view that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. If Israel becomes convinced that Iran is going down that road unstopped by the United Nations, it could one day take unilateral action, as it did when it bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981. The Israeli cabinet is reported to have been told that Iran could make a bomb by between 2007 and 2009. There is a new atmosphere of urgency in advance of a meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog the IAEA in mid-September. The meeting will examine whether Iran is in compliance with IAEA inspection rules. Europeans try to save agreement For other players in this high stakes game, the jury on Iranian intentions is still out. This week, senior officials from Britain, France and Germany (the E3) are to meet Iranian officials. They want to find out why Iran has terminated an agreement under which it would freeze its uranium enrichment activities in return for future supplies of fuel for its projected nuclear power programme. Sources who spoke to News Online said they believed that Iran had taken the strategic decision to control the "full nuclear fuel cycle" The European effort to negotiate with Iran, always regarded with scepticism by the United States, is at crisis point. At the very least, the E3 want to salvage that part of the agreement under which Iran agreed to stricter IAEA inspections, known as additional protocols. The enrichment issue At the heart of the problem is the enrichment of uranium. It is carried out in a cascade of centrifuges which spin a gas made from uranium ore. The heavier parts needed for nuclear purposes are thereby separated. The technology is legal when it is used to enrich uranium to a standard needed to produce power. But the process could then be taken further illegally, and secretly, to enrich uranium to weapons grade. The sources who spoke to News Online said they believed that Iran had taken the strategic decision to control the "full nuclear fuel cycle". That means developing the ability to enrich uranium to weapons grade level. The sources listed a number of discoveries by the IAEA which they said indicated that Iran was "not behaving like a country with a civilian only programme". The use of a laser uranium separation process, an alternative to centrifuges The discovery of plutonium in one facility. Iran said this was for experimental purposes. The secret purchase by Iran of advanced centrifuges, possibly from the network run by the Pakistani scientist A Q Khan The possession of polonium which is used to trigger a nuclear explosion The development of a heavy water research reactor The clearing of a site at Lavizan before an IAEA inspection. One Iran watcher, Gary Samore of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said the Iranians were resuming the assembly of centrifuges for their Natanz facility. One other report says they have removed seals which were fixed by IAEA inspectors. Mr Samore said that Iran was also restarting the production of the gas made of uranium ore and was expected to start inserting this into centrifuges experimentally soon. "Last year the Iranians felt insecure after the invasion of Iraq and were ready to agree restrictions. Now they feel more confident. The US is bogged down in Iraq, the conservatives control the Iranian parliament and Iran does not feel that sanctions are likely. So it has reneged on a key part of the E3 agreement," Mr Samore said. As for reporting Iran to the Security Council, he felt that this was unlikely to happen in September: "There may be another warning to Iran. The United States policy is drifting because of the election but by December, the date of the next IAEA meeting, there will be a new administration able to take a position."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/6/newsid_2511000/2511575.stm	1954: Bannister breaks four-minute mile Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old British medical student, has become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes. His time was 3mins 59.4 seconds, achieved at the Iffley Road track in Oxford and watched by about 3,000 spectators. Bannister, once president of the Oxford club, was running for the Amateur Athletic Association against his old university during their annual match. The race was carefully planned and he was aided by two pacemakers, Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway. Brasher took the lead as the first pacemaker, Bannister slotted in behind, with Chataway in third place. When Brasher began to feel the strain, Bannister signalled for Chataway to take over. Just over 200 yards from the finish, Bannister took the lead with a final burst of energy. He sprinted to the line in record time and fell exhausted into the arms of a friend, the Rev Nicholas Stacey. Pandemonium broke out when spectators heard news that Bannister had officially beaten the four-minute mile. He had prepared for the race the previous week at Paddington Green in London in high winds. The weather at Iffley Road was not ideal for record-breaking - a 15mph crosswind with gusts of up to 25mph meant that Bannister nearly called off the attempt. Bannister has beaten his main rival to the record - Australian athlete John Landy. Both had run quite close to the time but the magic number four had proved elusive until now.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9435659.stm	Time to sign off. Thanks very much for your company through the wee small hours. Thank you also for all the messages, apologies that I couldn't use them all. You can catch a re-run of qualifying on BBC One and BBC HD at 1300 GMT. And I'll be back at 0530 BST - that's right BST, get in - on Sunday morning for the opening race of the season. Don't miss it. Have a good Saturday. Laters. Andy via text: "Vettel is obviously a top driver but I'm convinced that any one of the drivers from Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari would put the RB7 on pole it's that fast." Ferrari's Fernando Alonso: "We were not super-competitive today (compared to) practice. In qualifying we took a very conservative approach. We knew if we took a big risk we may be fourth, if we are safe, we go fifth or sixth, so no need to take risks in the first qualifying of the season. Position we are happy, distance from pole we are not happy. So we need to look at that overnight. Overall grip was where we lacked. We were not so bad yesterday, so we missed something today. Also the distance to Sauber, Toro Rosso, Renault, in winter testing we were one second ahead of them and here it is only 0.2-0.3secs. So we missed something in our car. I suspect this was not normal pace from us and we will get better and better tomorrow." Jenson Button is all smiles on BBC One. It's not surprising really. McLaren had a troubling winter but they turn up to the first race with a new exhaust system and new floor and end up second and fourth in qualifying. "Thank you to all the guys back in the factory," says Button.Eddie Jordan adds: "McLaren have turned this around quickly, They are in a strong position." Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher: "After winter testing, it comes to the first race and we expected different performance. There is some disappointment. We have to understand why. We had a bit of an issue with Kers, working and not working, it was an inconsistent session. We are not where we are supposed to be." Hmmm, not a great qualifying session for Ferrari while Petrov surprised with the sixth fastest time. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says Hamilton had a Kers failure on his fast lap, which will have cost him. "Apart from not having Kers hybrid boost, he would also have lost brake balance," says Whitmarsh. "That was a little bit of a disadvantage, it would have been very difficult to beat Sebastian but we would have been closer." A run down of the times for you: Vettel (1:23.529), Hamilton (1:24.307), Webber (1:24.395), Button (1:24.779), Alonso (1:24.974), Petrov (1:25.247) Rosberg (1:25.421), Massa (1:25.599), Kobayashi (1:25.626), Buemi (1:27.066). Red Bull team boss Christian Horner: "We are in good shape. Great start to the season. We are disappointed to lose second place with Mark [Webber]. It was a phenomenal lap from Sebastian. It is difficult to see the difference between them [ Mark and Sebastian], especially in the final sector." BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "While we're all digesting Sebastian Vettel's mind-blowing superiority in qualifying, a bit of F1 history has come to mind. The last Williams designed by current Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey was the 1997 car. Melbourne was also the first race that year and Jacques Villeneuve put it on pole by 1.8 seconds, from his team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Michael Schumacher's Ferrari was third - 2.1secs off the pace. And yet it was an incredibly close season that went down to the wire in the last race between Villeneuve and Schumacher. So although Vettel appears in a league of their own this weekend, that does not necessarily mean it will be like that all year. Oh, and by the way, the 1997 Australian Grand Prix was won by David Coulthard, who qualified his McLaren fourth." Well that will do won't it? Superb display from Vettel. "We keep working," he tells his team over the radio. "We do our thing. We are what we are. Great car. Thank you." Wise words, Seb, wise words. RED BULL'S SEBASTIAN VETTEL QUALIFIES ON POLE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 0700: Vettel is on a flier... but he can't beat his best... he'll surely be on pole, though. Now Webber... but he can't improve either. Here's Hamilton... and HE'S SECOND. A 1:24.307 is enough to relegate Webber to third. BBC Radio 5 Live summariser Karun Chandhok: "That is just astonishing pace from Sebastian Vettel, just astonishing. I was going to be optimistic and say we might have a bit of a race on, but it really does look like the Red Bulls may be a second ahead of the rest." Massa comes out of the pits and as he puts the power down coming out of Turn 1, he spins. Incredible. "It's like there was no tyre temperature," says David Coulthard. "I wonder if this is telling us something about these tyres. Are they under heating them?" Webber goes second with a 1:24.395. Red Bull one-two anyone? Rosberg is fifth (1:25.512), Buemi sixth (1:27.066). Kravitz in the pit lane reports that Alonso is on the last set of soft tyres he can use in this session. Hamilton is first out for a timed lap... he is on the softer compound. Button is following him. Hamilton sets a 1:24.501. "Surely that won't be enough," says Brundle. Button sets a 1:24.858. And here's Vettel... he locks up at Turn 15... but he still posts a 1:23.529. Unbelievable. BBC Radio 5 Live summariser Karun Chandhok: "Until Turn 14 Michael [Schumacher] looked OK, he was two-tenths up, but in the final two turns he was really struggling, and we heard him on the radio saying the tyres were losing grip. Tyres are perhaps the biggest variable in the car." A very sheepish-looking Barrichello is interviewed on BBC One. "It was an error. This morning we had a gearbox problem and things were rushed," he says. Here we go then. Q3 is under way. Can anyone stop Vettel? "His performance so far has been simply staggering," says Eddie Jordan. "It has been very dominant from him. He is the class act in the field." ... he doesn't make it. Big moment. "The car could have gone quicker but the drop off was the qualifying tyres, he had used up the maximum of them," says Eddie Jordan. "Fair marks to Pirelli, at they have come up with is a tyre that should make this spot very interesting." Alguersuari, Perez, Di Resta, Maldonado, Sutil and Barrichello are the others sitting out the rest of the day. Petrov sets a 1:25.582 and he's sixth. Whoa there... Adrian Sutil spins his Force India coming out of the final corner and somehow stops his car from smacking into the wall. Hairy moment. As Coulthard notes, that was a combination of Sutil going across the rumble strips and utilising the drag reduction system. Schumacher is in 11th and has one last chance to get into Q3... Webber is now up to second with a 1:24.658. Here's Alonso... what can he do... a 1:25.242. Good enough for fourth. "Ferrari are struggling and I was not expecting to say that at this stage of the weekend," says Brundle. Bang. Vettel goes quickest with a 1:24.090. Ouch. His pole time of last year was a 1:23.919. Button is second (1:24.957) with Hamilton third (1:25.522). More problems at Turn 3. Rubens Barrichello touches the grass coming down to the corner, loses control of his car and spins into the gravel. That's his session over and done with and there's a yellow flag. Alonso has on a new set of soft tyres as do Vettel and Webber. But Vettel and his team-mate come straight back in. Kravitz notes that you can get three laps out of these soft tyres if you are careful. Buemi fastest for Toro Rosso, a 1:26.053, team-mate Alguersuari second (1:26.103). We are off for Q2. And there's Dannii Minogue in the paddock. Which is nice. Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, D'Ambrosio, Liuzzi and Karthikeyan are also knocked out. The two Hispania drivers did not make the 107% cut off mark so as it stands, they will not be allowed to take part in Sunday's race unless they are given an exemption. "They are a waste of talent and petrol as far as I'm concerned," says Brundle bluntly. "They should not be allowed on the track." So there we are. Massa saves himself with his last lap but his best is only good enough for 11th. "This applies the pressure on Felipe," says Eddie Jordan. "He has not really been at ease with himself since he was told to let Alonso pass in Germany last year. He is out of sorts." Heidfeld cannot get out of trouble and he fails to make Q2. "If Robert Kubica was in that car," adds Jordan. "He would be fighting for the top five. The car has the pace." Just a minute to go now. The Hispania drivers could be in trouble with the 107% rule. Will they be allowed to start the race? In the drop zone are Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock and Jerome d'Ambrosio. Massa is in 17th and is only one place from dropping out. Lots of changes in the times at the moment. Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, on the soft tyre, sets a 1:25.803 and is third. Rosberg is fourth after a 1:25.856 but Sauber's Sergio Perez then sets a 1.25.812 to move above the German. Alonso and Massa are on the softer tyre now, as are the Renaults. Are they worried? "I did not expect Ferrari to sacrifice a set of tyres at this stage," says Brundle. Liuzzi has not set a time in the Hispania as yet and Brundle questions why the former Force India driver is at the struggling team. "I don't think he should have parked himself in that car," he says. Schumacher up to fifth with a 1:26.358. Vettel improves to a 1:26.657 but hold on... bosh - Hamilton sets a 1:25.384. And then Vettel responds with a 1:25.296. Superb. Button third (1:25.886), Webber fourth (1:25.900). The leading drivers are on the harder compound but Michael Schumacher is not. "That is a sign that he is not feeling confident in that Mercedes," says Kravitz. Petrov improves to a 1:27.396 but that is soon beaten by Vettel, who sets a 1:26.657. Hamilton is second after a 1:27.303. Karthikeyan sets a 1:38.684. Petrov puts a 1:29.463 on the board, the first one of qualifying. Brundle predicts that with the 107% rule, a 1:30 in Q1 will guarantee a race slot while Ted Kravitz reports that both Hispnia cars have made it out of the garage. Which is an improvement. And we are off. "Now we will find out how fast the cars are," says Martin Brundle. Before I forget, the driver tracker is now ready to go for qualifying. You can view it in the console at the top of this page, or by clicking Not long now. Red Bull boss Christian Horner says his drivers will be doing a run on the harder Pirelli tyres in Q1 and "will see how they go" before deciding whether they will go out on the softer compound. There's a great clip of David Coulthard, who joins Martin Brundle in the BBC commentary box, joining a very relaxed Jenson Button on his track walk on Thursday. They meet up with Seb Vettel, who is doing the same, and the pair share a joke before the world champion carries on. "Who was he again?" quips Jenson. Nice. The first part of qualifying gets going at 0600 GMT. Remember the slowest seven drivers will be knocked out in Q1 and Q2, with the remaining 10 drivers left for the Q3 shoot-out. A rule new brought in for this season is that drivers who fail to set a time within 107% of the fastest time in Q1, will not be allowed to take part in the race. metallia2797 on Twitter: "New rules look to prove interesting. Wonder how much difference they'll really make... Just have to wait and see." Renault F1 on Twitter: "Weather is pretty overcast and windy as qualy approaches. Track temp 19, air temp 16. Humidity 64 percent." Ash in Sheffield via text: "Come on Alonso, show em who's the best." Harris Hafeez in Farnham via text: "Woke up at 5am, had to sneak past mum & dad's room as quietly as possible to get to the lounge...once I got there I noticed that the lights were off but the tv was on, sound off but subtitles were on, then suddenly dad's head pops up from behind the sofa...not sure who looked more shocked...me or him!!" There's a bit of video on BBC One talking about Renault driver Robert Kubica, who will probably miss the rest of the season after the horrific crash he suffered during a rally in Italy last month. Nick Heidfeld is his replacement. BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Melbourne: "Hello again. I've just popped out to sample the atmosphere at Albert Park and it doesn't look like the overcast skies are going to clear up any time soon - but neither does it look like rain. I've spotted more than a few enthusiastic fans who are ignoring the clouds overhead by donning sunglasses and shorts anyway. The latest word on form in the paddock is that Red Bull are the team to beat in qualifying by a decent margin - and if we were in any doubt on that score, Sebastian Vettel's top time in final practice was more than a second clear of the next best car belonging to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. F1 insiders reckon Ferrari and Mercedes are the best of the rest ahead of McLaren and the rest of the pack. BUT if there is one thing we can guarantee, it's that qualifying will put an end to speculation and sort out the pecking order." Force India's Paul di Resta on BBC One ahead of his first F1 qualifying session: "I am definitely nervous. It is a big day today. It has been quite a hard challenge. Some runs have been comfortable, some have been difficult. We need to up our game a little bit." connellycharlie on Twitter: "Hurray for #bbcf1 - waiting for the tube lines to start at Paddington Station and it's keeping me occupied. Bring on the new season!" SShaw at work via text: "BBC F1 theme currently on a loop in my head. Best of luck to Di Resta." Kyle from Basingstoke via text: "Watching what I can before work but how good was it to hear the bass line kicking off the new season? Lewis and Jenson please do us all proud." Red Bull driver Mark Webber: "We don't think everyone was showing their true colours in practice. Certainly, I want to be on the front row." I've just had a message on Twitter from someone suggesting a drinking game for every time someone mentions Kers or the moveable rear wing. At this hour? That's just crazy talk. The moveable rear wing, or drag reduction system as it is officially called, can be deployed at any time during qualifying but in the race, it can only be used in a zone from the last corner to the first corner if the driver is within a second of the car in front. It has been introduced to assist overtaking. It will be fascinating to see what happens with it tomorrow. Mercedes boss Ross Brawn on BBC One: "Fundamentally we have a good car, we just have a bit of job putting everything together. This morning it was messy in terms of the session, we had too many technical issues. We have all new systems on the car and they are not all working at the same time. When they do, the car seems reasonable. We need to be in the top six to be reasonably happy. The Red Bulls look impressive and there is a gaggle of teams underneath trying to do the best job of being the next team." Red Bull absolutely bossed qualifying last season, with Sebastian Vettel claiming 10 poles, Mark Webber having five from the 19 races. Pole position has accounted for only seven of the 15 winners in Melbourne since the race switched from Adelaide in 1996, although five of those have come in the last seven years. BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle: "Why is qualifying going to be different this season? First, the tyres are designed to be less durable and there is bigger gap between the compounds, maybe up to a second between the soft and hard compounds here. The teams have six sets of tyres from the start of qualifying until the end of the race so they are going to have to stretch those out a bit and be quite tactical in how they use them. Q1 shouldn't be so significant as the frontrunning teams will be comfortable on the hard tyres but in Q2 it becomes really tough for them to make a decision on which tyres to use. The teams will have to watch out for some feisty midfielders, like Toro Rosso, Sauber and Williams, who are running on a soft tyre. The front-running teams may not be fast enough to just leave the hard tyres on, they might have to counteract them by usying softs. BUT they don't want to use too many of those because they need them for Q3 and the race - and that is where the dynamics of qualifying have changed." Thom, Basingstoke via text: "I'm not feeling the effects of an early rise! Why you ask? Because the anticipation after last year's season and what seems like an eternity without F1, I didn't bother to go to sleep. Sleeps for wimps anyway isn't it guys?! Lewis/Jenson to pull it out of the bag from nowhere! Come on boys!" Amreet from Nottingham via text: "Just came back from the last night of my 2nd term, I've got all exams after 2 weeks and finishing the day with the first F1 qualifying session, its made me smile. Come on the McLarens !" And we are go on BBC One, Eddie Jordan's evocative opening almost has me in tears. Not really, I'm nails me. And here's Eddie's shirt, not too shocking. Blue and white check affair. Strong. All set? Bacon butties cooked? Tea brewed? Coverage on BBC One and BBC One HD is five minutes away. That also means a welcome return for the Fleetwood Mac rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Boys, it's good to have you back. OllieBCFC1992 on Twitter: "Red Bull and Ferrari definitely favourites this weekend, but I wouldn't rule out Hamilton or Button, both brilliant in P2 & P3." NiallPalmer on Twitter: "My #f1 body clock has kicked in. Out last night, Bed, awake at 4.30 to make a brew and get ready to hear the sweet noise of The Chain." For some reason, I'm feeling far more awake than I should be at this time of the morning. Are you still managing to stop yourself falling asleep? Not long until we get BBC One coverage of qualifying from Melbourne. I am getting telly pictures but I haven't managed to get a peek of EJ's attire as yet. Remember that you can get involved in this commentary using ) or by text via 81111 before your message. BBC Sport works hard to bring you new developments in our Formula 1 coverage and we are introducing one this weekend. The driver tracker, which allows you to see where all the cars are on the track, will be available for qualifying this season as well as the race. This is just a quick heads-up about that. I'll mention it again when it goes live. It will be available both in the video player at the top of this story and in a separate page. As we count down to the start of the BBC One show, why not take a minute or two to peruse Sarah Holt's report of final practice. As we try to absorb just how quick those Red Bull cars looked in final practice, I'm going to take a quick break and I'll be back to take you through qualifying. Deal? simondowney1 on Twitter: "I was wondering if it was too early for a fry up. Clearly not as people are cooking now! Lol, bacon and eggs for me then!!!"It is never, never too early for a fry up! BBC pit-lane reporter Lee McKenzie: "In the qualifying programme, which begins at 0500 GMT on BBC One, you can see my interview with Britain's newest F1 driver Paul di Resta. It's been a hectic few months for the Scottish rookie, who got up-and-running by finishing above his experienced Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil in his first time out in the car during second free practice on Friday. In my interview, Paul talkes about being team-mates and beating Sebastian Vettel in the F3 Euro Series and how he hopes his experience winning the German touring car championship (DTM) can help him in qualifying later today. He is handling the nerves well but I am not sure how his family will be feeling as they watch from Scotland." Will_Beckman on Twitter: "That Red Bull looks worryingly fast. Not just for the other teams, but in terms of the spectacle as well. A walk in the Albert Park?" Just to mop up some other bits and pieces, Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher ended up in eighth and 10th, Massa was 12th fastest, while Karthikeyan's fastest of 1:41.554 was 17.047 seconds off Vettel's. BBC F1 analyst Maurice Hamilton: "It's going to be a battle between Webber and Vettel. Webber will be trying to grab the headlines like he did yesterday but Vettel is making life very difficult for him. That was encouraging for McLaren, they appear to have the qualifying pace. It's not the same as the Red Bulls but it is certainly up there." That's FP3 done and dusted. Red Bull lead the way, can anyone stop them in qualifying? Doesn't look like it. Hamilton (1:25.553) ended up third, with McLaren team-mate Button fourth (1:25.567). Renault's Vitaly Petrov was fifth (1:25.906), Alonso sixth (1:26.121), Kobayashi seventh (1:26.417). BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "It's early days yet, but those times by the Red Bulls - and particularly Sebastian Vettel - are very ominous indeed for the rest. I could be wrong, but I think the Red Bull is at least 0.6secs a lap faster than any other car - and perhaps as much as a second. It could be different at other tracks - Melbourne can be a bit funny like that. But it's a bit concerning for the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, to say the least." Vettel is lighting up the timing boards and he sets a 1:24.507. Have that. Crikey, these Red Bulls are looking very strong aren't they? Team-mate Webber is second, 0.857 seconds adrift, after a 1:25.364. It seems the Aussie was held up a fraction in the final sector by Heidfeld. BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Sebastian Vettel's front wing is broken. There's a little stay which has broken on what is called the 'cascade' wing. The mechanics called Adrian Newey over to take a look, and then formed a human shield in front of it so nobody else could see what was going on. Too late this time boys." Ted Kravitz in the Red Bull garage says that Vettel's front wing is broken. More on that in a minute. Lewis Hamilton is up to third with a 1:26.037, Alonso fourth, Webber fifth (1:26.159) then Buemi. Big news: Karthikeyan's Hispania is on track. Apparently the camera on Massa car has come off and Ferrari's mechanics are trying to fix it now. Kravitz adds that there is an agreement that the drivers who fall foul of the 107% qualifying rule could get an exemption to start the race from the pit lane. It will be interesting to see what happens. BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "The only one of the top 10 drivers still making set-up changes is Felipe Massa, to his front suspension. All the others seem happy with what they have." Virgin Racing on Twitter: "Looking like it's time to switch to yellows. Timo [Glock] coming in for set-up. He seems happy with the camber." Interesting. Sebastian Vettel, on the harder prime tyres, sets a 1:25.327 - the fastest time of the weekend so far. Button is second with a 1:25.961 but that was on the options. Alonso, also on the options, is third after a 1:26.121. BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Melbourne: Vettel keeps F1 trophy in kitchen "I had a sneak preview of Sebastian Vettel and Jake Humphrey chatting in Switzerland before the start of the season and the world champion had lots of interesting things to say. Vettel told Jake that he keeps his world championship trophy in his kitchen because at least then it's in a place where he gets to see it everyday. The 23-year-old German adds: 'I get to keep it for one year and then I might have to give it back - but I hope not. The target is to have the trophy for such a long time so that it fades.' And the man mentored by seven-time champion Michael Schumacher adds ominously for his rivals: 'For me winning the world championship still is and always has been the greatest thing I can achieve in my life. If there's a reason why I'm alive it's because I want to win the championship.' You will be able to watch Jake's interview with Sebastian during Sunday's race programme which begins at 0600 BST." BBC F1 analyst Maurice Hamilton: "It's a double whammy for Williams. They are going to have very little information going into qualifying and they were looking good, they were right up there at the head of the second group." BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "There's more bad news for Williams - Rubens Barrichello is out of the car and looks to be playing no more part in the session. The car is on the jacks and angled up so all the fuel runs back into the tank." Webber is top of the tree now, setting a 1:26.993, with Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi second after a 1:27.008. By the way, I forgot to mention earlier that Ted Kravitz was in the Virgin garage and he reported that Timo Glock has already had to change an engine. Apparently, a bolt came lose and went into a trumpet inlet of the engine. Remember that each driver only has eight new engines for the whole season. RandeeDan on Twitter: "I am in Barbados but glued to the text, very excited about the new season. Come on McLaren, let's see how good these upgrades are." The piece that flew off Heidfeld's car on the final corner was apparently an aerodynamic 'winglet'. "I don't think they will risk using it during the race," adds Maurice Hamilton. Adrian Sutil is told by his Force India that his Kers has failed - but it's working again now. Times: Vettel (1:27.337), Nico Rosberg (1:27.493), Button (1:27.624), Petrov (1:27.709), Mark Webber (1:27.883), Heidfeld (1:27.903) and Kobayashi (1:27.976). BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Red Bull asked FIA race director Charlie Whiting to ban the use of the moveable rear wing in qualifying. Mark Webber has been quite vocal that he thinks it's dangerous. But I think it's more to do with the torque characteristics of the Renault engine - the device suits the higher-torque engines. It's all political. But it's not going to happen." Analyst Maurice Hamilton adds on 5 live: "We saw yesterday that Sebastian Vettel, even though he used the moveable rear wing, could not pass Fernando Alonso's Ferrari. That's because the Red Bull is generating so much downforce by the time they get to the speed when they're using the device that they're not getting the advantage from it." And we have a yellow flag. Williams rookie Pastor Maldonado has too much speed coming down into Turn 6, the back steps out, and he meets the gravel... and it will need a truck to lift him out. Williams technical director Sam Michael doesn't look too pleased in the garage. That will cost them a lot of time. And we see a replay of Heidfeld's Renault, as a piece of his car flies off the front as he goes over some rumble strips. Worrying. It's all happening. Jenson Button has a major lock up coming into Turn 3. He flies into the gravel but does not touch the barriers. There's a massive flat spot on those Pirelli tyres. Just to repeat, the tyres with the silver logo are the hard 'prime' compound, with the yellow logo on the soft 'option' tyre. Renault's Vitaly Petrov leads the way with a 1:27.709, oh no he doesn't, Sebastian Vettel posts a 1:27.337. Oh dear, more woe for Hispania. Liuzzi does get out of the garage but he has ground to a halt. I can't see them taking part tomorrow can you? Liuzzi is asked what happened, as the team have lost all connection to the car, and the Italian replies: "I touched the brake and the gearbox went into false neutral, I lost everything." Renault F1 on Twitter: "Some short runs coming up for Nick [Heidfeld] now. He says the car already feels better balanced than yesterday." McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh: "I believe we are back in the game. Yesterday was tense for all of us, coming here with a package that we have not run before. We have made some progress. I don't think we have seen the best from Red Bull but I hope we will be giving them a hard time. Our reliability was poor over the winter, the exhaust was a complex technical solution but it was clear that we needed something much simpler." Every driver has completed an installation lap, apart from the two Hispania drivers. BBC pit-lane reporter Natalie Pinkham says Vitantonio Liuzzi's car is ready and Narain Karthikeyan's car is almost ready. BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "McLaren have made an improvement and that is the story for me. The new exhaust is reliable and it has added performance. The buzz word down at McLaren was that it was not as good we would have liked but it was not as bad as we feared." And we are off. Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen is the first man out. Right then, coverage is under way on the Red Button, on BBC Radio 5 live and in the console at the top of this page. It's still overcast at Albert Park but the crowd looks pretty healthy. Ready? It wasn't the greatest day for the smaller teams, with Lotus test driver Karun Chandhok crashing after only three corners of FP1, while Hispania managed only one installation lap all day. 0246: In case you missed Friday's two practice sessions, well here's what happened. In FP1, the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and world champion Sebastian Vettel led the way, with times of 1:26.831 and 1.27.158. McLaren have struggled during winter testing but have brought an updated car to Melbourne, with a new exhaust system and floor, and in FP2 Jenson Button set the fastest time of 1:25.854 with team-mate Lewis Hamilton in second with a 1:25.986. Remember that I'm going to need your help during this commentary. No-one in their right mind wants to read me droning on all night. Where are you watching, how are you watching, have you been out or are you getting up? Were you one of those many people with kebab in hand wandering down Putney High Street earlier on? Someone actually tried to flag me down, thinking I was a black cab. I wouldn't have minded but I was on a moped. I want to know what she was drinking. You can get in touch using ) or text me via 81111 before your message. Lovely. BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Melbourne: "Hello again. It's another grey and windy day in Melbourne but fingers crossed it will stay dry for third practice. The slightly overcast conditions aren't dampening spirits in Melbourne and there is a nice atmosphere building in Albert Park and in the paddock where drivers, team staff and their guests were still eating lunch and drinking coffee al fresco on the lawns outside the team headquarters. On track, the teams have already turned their thoughts to qualifying and will be putting their cars in qualifying trim - which means low-fuel runs and soft tyres, so we should see Friday's fastest times, set by McLaren, bettered." Morning. I knew you would be back. Hope you've rested well. So here we are then, we've got third and final practice at 0300 GMT before the real deal of qualifying at 0600 GMT. Pumped? After months of speculation and rumour, weeks of testing and fine tuning - we are about to see them strut their stuff in anger for the first time. That's right people, - Eddie Jordan's shirts are back. I've missed them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19010296	Parents sue over The Expendables 2 stuntman death The parents of a stuntman killed during filming of The Expendables 2 are seeking unspecified damages from the film-makers as a result of their son's death. 26-year-old Kun Liu was killed while performing on an inflatable boat on the Ognyanovo dam in Bulgaria. He died from wounds he suffered from an on-set explosion nearby. His parents have filed a case of wrongful death against Millennium Films and the movie's stunt coordinator. The Expendables 2 features an all-star action hero cast, including Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Kun Liu's parents, Zong Yu Liu and Yan Mei Bai, claim the filmmakers and Stahelski "negligently and carelessly failed to provide adequate protection from harm to the participants of the stunts". They are suing for funeral and burial expenses as well as "the loss of society, love, comfort, attention, services and support" of their son. Elizabeth Wolfe, a spokeswoman for Millennium Films, and stunt co-ordinator, Chad Stahelski declined to comment on the case. At the time of Lui's death in October 2011, Bulgarian authorities reported another stuntman was seriously injured during the explosion. Millennium films denied reports in the Bulgarian press that the doubles for stars Sly Stallone and Jet Li had been involved in the accident. Stallone, who directed the first Expendables film and is producing the sequel, was not present at the time of the accident as he was filming scenes in another location. The Expendables 2 is due for release in the UK on 16 August, 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21016700	Ancient migration: Genes link Australia with India Australia experienced a wave of migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a genetic study suggests. It was thought the continent had been largely isolated after the first humans arrived about 40,000 years ago until the Europeans moved in in the 1800s. But DNA from Aboriginal Australians revealed there had been some movement from India during this period. The researchers believe the Indian migrants may have introduced the dingo to Australia. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say that the fossil record suggests the wild dogs arrived in Australia at around the same time. They also suggest that Indians may have brought stone tools called microliths to their new home. "For a long time, it has been commonly assumed that following the initial colonization, Australia was largely isolated as there wasn't much evidence of further contact with the outside world," explained Prof Mark Stoneking, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. "It is one of the first dispersals of modern humans - and it did seem a bit of a conundrum that people who got there this early would have been so isolated." To study the early origins of Australia's population, the team compared genetic material from Aboriginal Australians with DNA from people in New Guinea, South East Asia and India. By looking at specific locations, called genetic markers, within the DNA sequences, the researchers were able to track the genes to see who was most closely related to whom. They found an ancient genetic association between New Guineans and Australians, which dates to about 35,000 to 45,000 years ago. At that time, Australia and New Guinea were a single land mass, called Sahul, and this tallies with the period when the first humans arrived. End Quote Mark Stoneking Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology It is strongly suggestive that microliths, dingo and the movement of people were all connected” But the researchers also found a substantial amount of gene flow between India and Australia. Prof Stoneking said: "We have a pretty clear signal from looking at a large number of genetic markers from all across the genome that there was contact between India and Australia somewhere around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago." He said the genetic data could not establish the route the Indians would have taken to reach the continent, but it was evidence that Australia was not as cut off as had been assumed. "Our results show that there were indeed people that made a genetic contribution to Australians from India," Prof Stoneking explained. The researchers also looked at fossils and other archaeological discoveries that date to this period. They said changes in tool technology and new animals could possibly be attributed to the new migrants. Prof Stoneking said: "We don't have direct evidence of any connection, but it strongly suggestive that microliths, dingo and the movement of people were all connected."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11643187	Tech Know: The sweet sound of the shred In our regular series talking to makers and hackers, Tech Know visits and talks to some of those who marry technical knowledge with musical virtuosity. All those hours spent alone, in a back room or a basement, surrounded by expensive equipment. All that time spent learning, making mistakes and improving, finding out what to do and how to do it. Who does that describe? Geeks, hackers, makers? No. Musicians. Combine them and what sweet music they make. Sometimes. At other times they use technology to make something much funnier. Take The Gregory Brothers. The four-piece plays all kinds of music when gigging but on the web have married their musical and lyrical skills with auto-tune software to make the news more interesting. In a series of videos, the various members of the Gregory Brothers sing along as auto-tuning is applied to the words of people in the news. Auto-tuning began as a useful tool for record producers to ensure the voices of their stars hit all the right notes by artificially correcting pitch. The Gregory Brothers use it in a more extreme way to turn speech into singing. The results involve President Obama singing about knowing whose "ass to kick" but their most famous work was the Bed Intruder Song which came out of the energetic interview Antoine Dodson gave to news programmes after an attempted attack on his sister.Guitar hero Then there are those who swap the sonic stylings of rock and pop stars for something more discordant. You might be forgiven for thinking that it would be easy to simply overdub the audio and make any one sound like they couldn't carry a tune in a paper bag. And it is. But the people perpetrating these "shreds" are not interested in what's easy. The key to a good shred is making it sound authentic - and that can involve a lot of time, technology and tinkering. Perth-based Tom Mitchell, aka allergonoise on YouTube, has deconstructed the works of Radiohead, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Sigur Ros and many others. Why those particular bands? "It's usually nothing to do with my personal taste," he said "I find I pick the bands that maybe take themselves a bit more seriously than others." Explaining how he got started, he said: "My flatmate showed me a couple of the original shreds of Eric Clapton and others, and I thought it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen." "I was really impressed and amazed by them," he said. At the time he was studying audio production and had been playing the guitar for over a decade. Watching those original shreds, he remembers thinking: "I might be able to do that." At first it was a joint effort with his flatmate and friends and those first few shreds were put together using Apple's Garage Band program. Soon it turned into a solo project and his shreds became more intricate. "I try to use a microphone that's like their microphone," he said, "and pretend I'm the sound guy at that gig and how I would make it sound like that. I listen for the acoustics at that venue, for every single element that makes that sound." Poor shreds lack that reality, he said, adding that they sound too "roomy" - by which he means they sound like they are being recorded in someone's back room rather than a sweaty club, cavernous concert hall or open-air stadium. The music Mr Mitchell swaps for the original also cannot be any old strumming or plucking. What you hear, he said, has to match what you see. "I watch the video clip a few times and learn how to play the song properly," he said, "and then just do something to put me off like play it upside down but while I'm doing so I'll listen to the original song. "I know what I'm doing but I don't play it right," he said. The results are eerily authentic. A successful shred is one in which the listener genuinely wonders if what they are hearing is real. For the dedicated shreds-maker an e-mail asking if it is fake, or from someone who says they were at that gig and do not remember it sounding like that is as good as a round of applause.Practice run In that sense Santeri Ojala, aka StSanders on YouTube, is a master of the art of the shred. Watch his deconstructions of The Beatles, Queen, The Rolling Stones and Kiss and it becomes hard to remember the lyrics of the original so closely are the nonsense words matched to the lip and mouth movements of Lennon, Mercury, Jagger and Simmons. "The first one was really hard to do," said Mr Ojala, "I spent most of the summer just rewinding the video to get it right." Mr Ojala was prompted to shred by a video of guitar legend Steve Vai. "I was watching a video of him without sound and I noticed how goofy he looked," he said. "I just decided to make it even more goofy." For Mr Ojala a shred must do more than make people laugh. It must also offer something to those who know their way around a guitar. This means, he said, that the bum notes and crashed chords he swaps for the real notes must be authentic and resemble the kinds of mistakes everyone makes when learning to play. "I think that's why they like it," he said, "because they know that part is hard to play." Although Mr Ojala is very well known on YouTube for his shreds, it will remain, he said, a hobby until he can make it pay. Also, he said, finding good targets is tricky. Though he has an inkling about who might be next. "It'll be a hard one because I genuinely think I could not do worse," he said. "It's going to need something different from me. I might attempt to make him look really cool."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15077626	Passengers taking the strain of transport costs On Monday Ken Livingstone announced he would be dropping fares by 5% in October 2012 if elected. And I'm told you can expect similar announcements about fares in the run-up to the mayoral election. Immediately it means, as expected, fares are a key election battleground and places clear water between Boris Johnson and Mr Livingstone. The mayor has said he'll stick to his formula of inflation (Retail Price Index) plus 2%; meaning at the moment an average fare rise of 7%. He says money is needed for infrastructure investment such as Crossrail and the Tube upgrades. It will be funded, according to Ken Livingstone, by an an operating surplus in the financial year just ended of £728m (.pdf). However, Transport for London (TfL) was extremely quick to dismiss the idea and says the accounts are "obsolete" and the £728m itself has been spent on countering the cuts from the central government grant. If this is the case, in an £8bn turnover operation there will be huge reserves that could be used. The question is: what else in terms of investment would go? Is the question for voters: jam today or jam tomorrow? Also, saying it has used the £728m fare surplus to counter the government grant, TfL is making a clear link between fare rises and the government cuts. The commuter is paying for the cuts. TfL said: "RPI+2% is the consequence of the cost of investment required to deliver these projects and the grant agreed with government through the CSR (Comprehensive Spending Review) to deliver them in the last CSR." All of this is part of a wider picture of moving the burden from general taxpayer to the user. My colleague, political editor Tim Donovan and his vast team of number crunchers, have unearthed some fascinating data from credit rating agency Fitch. It shows how the farepayer is shouldering an ever increasing burden of the cost of public transport. In TfL's case: Fares as a percentage of total revenue (year ending 31 March): - 2006: 43.6 - 2007: 45.4 - 2008: 42.3 - 2009: 54.2 - 2010: 53.7 Also note the change in transfers and grants as a percentage of total revenue including grants in this same period: - 2006: 42.3 - 2007: 40.7 - 2008: 42.4 - 2009: 27.5 - 2010: 27.6 The bad news for passengers is the figures are only going one way.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21664450	Scottish independence: Luxembourg warns against 'going separate ways' The government of Luxembourg has warned against Scotland becoming an independent country. Foreign minister Jean Asselborn said the current economic crisis in Europe was a time for solidarity, rather than for "going separate ways". Luxembourg is the only country outside the UK to have publicly expressed a view for or against independence. Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Asselborn was "entitled to his view". She added that the 2014 independence referendum was a matter for Scotland. The Scottish government aspires to full membership of the EU and does not support the UK government's plans for an in/out referendum on Europe. Last month, the US said it would remain neutral in the debate. Most EU countries take a similar line, limiting any comment to the impact independence would have on Scotland's relationship with the EU. Luxembourg's foreign minister has decided not to exercise the same diplomatic restraint. Mr Asselborn acknowledges that Scotland's future will be decided by Scottish voters. However, in a statement to the BBC, he said: "As we are all facing serious economic and social challenges, this is a time for solidarity between Member States of the EU and within Member States, rather than for going separate ways. "This being said, Scotland's constitutional future is a matter to be decided by the people of Scotland. "But its future within the EU is a matter for the whole EU and can thus only be determined with the agreement of all Member States." Responding to the comments, Ms Sturgeon said she did not accept that Scottish independence equated to separatism. She said: "We want Scotland to be independent but want Scotland to be internationalist in its outlook and that's why, unlike the UK government, we want Scotland to be a constructive partner in the EU, making sure that we are working with other countries to get through these tough times and to maximise the benefit of the single market, for example." The deputy first minister added: "The foreign minister of Luxembourg is entitled to his view. "As he rightly says, the decision on whether or not Scotland will be independent is for the Scottish people to take in the referendum. "Luxembourg, I think, demonstrates what can be achieved by a small country, in charge of its own affairs and making sure it puts its own wealth to work for the people of that country."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18799969	Chinese tightrope walker on wire fall A Chinese tightrope walker has said the hot weather was to blame for his failure to complete a 200m high wire walk on Sunday. Aisikaier, a sixth-generation acrobat from the Dawa Zi ethnic group of northwest China's Xinjiang province, walked backwards and blindfolded on a 700m-long tightrope 200m above ground in Hunan province in central China. The temperature on that day was 39C, and the steel wire at the starting point was measured to be 32.1C. In an interview Aisikaier talked about how he felt the moment when he slipped off the wire, and also announced that his next challenge was to walk on a steel wire linking two hot-air balloons.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19184637	Egypt President Mursi sacks officials after Sinai attacks Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi has sacked the country's intelligence chief and the governor of the country's North Sinai province. Hours earlier, the Egyptian military launched an offensive in the region against suspected Islamist militants which it says has killed 20 people. The campaign comes after militants killed 16 Egyptian border guards in the area on Sunday. On Wednesday, more attacks followed on checkpoints in the town of al-Arish. Those attacks left a number of people wounded and the military offensive was launched hours later. The sacking of the country's intelligence chief was announced in a statement on state-run TV. "Gen Mohamed Murad Mowafi is given retirement starting from today," presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said. Gen Mowafi had been quoted in Egyptian media as saying that the intelligence services had received warning of Sunday's attack. However, he said they had only passed the matter on to the relevant authorities, saying that the intelligence services' job was only to collect information. Mr Mursi has appointed an acting intelligence chief, Gen Mohamed Raafat Abdel-Wahed. He also dismissed the commander of the presidential guard, as well as several other top security officials. Sunday's attack was the the deadliest and most brazen against Egyptian troops in the Sinai region for decades, and Mr Mursi had faced criticism for not taking decisive action in response. - Huge desert peninsula of about 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq miles) with a population of only a few hundred thousand - Distinct identity from rest of Egypt; populated by native Bedouin and a substantial minority of Palestinian extraction - Of great strategic importance, linking Egypt to the Middle East, and site of Egyptian border with Israel and only non-Israeli border with Gaza - Under Israeli occupation from 1967 to 1982, it remains under special security regime mandated by 1979 peace treaty, which significantly restricts Egypt's freedom of military action and requires deployment of multinational peacekeeping force - There has been a surge in jihadist activity in the past decade, but analysts say discriminatory treatment by Cairo underpins local unrest Wednesday's military offensive in Sinai killed 20 people in the village of Touma, according to military officials, while the Sheikh Zuwaid area to the west was also hit. Military spokesmen said the initial operation had been a "success" and that it was ongoing. This is the first time Egypt has fired missiles in Sinai since the 1973 war with Israel, when it attempted to recapture the Sinai peninsula, security officials told Associated Press. Egyptian military presence in Sinai is limited and requires Israeli approval under the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the nations which returned Sinai to Egyptian control. State news agency Mena said that during the air raids, hours after the al-Arish checkpoints were attacked, "terrorists" had used rockets and rocket-propelled grenades to try to shoot down the military aircraft "but they failed". Tensions are very high in the area, where Islamist extremists are said to have gained a foothold in recent months, taking advantage of the security vacuum left after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year, reports the BBC's Yolande Knell in Sinai. The Egyptian soldiers killed in Sunday's attack were buried on Tuesday in a funeral marked by angry calls for vengeance. Some protesters chanted slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, and according to witnesses, tried to assault Prime Minister Hisham Qandil. Both Israeli and Egyptian officials blamed Sunday's attack on Islamist militants - though Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the group to which President Mohammed Mursi belongs, accused the Israeli spy agency Mossad of being responsible. Israel rejected that claim as "nonsense".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11944002	Canadian civil servant jailed over bank arson A retired civil servant who firebombed a Royal Bank of Canada branch in Ottawa has been sentenced to three and half years in prison for arson. Roger Clement pleaded guilty to arson causing damage and mischief in November over the 18 May incident. The 58-year-old said he and two accomplices acted because the RBC "trampled native rights" by sponsoring the Winter Olympics in February. Clement said he also acted because RBC financed the Alberta oil sands. At the trial, the court was told Clement poured petrol on cash machines, while his accomplices ignited the fire with Molotov cocktails. The group had also said in online posts that more chaos could erupt at the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto in June.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4188702.stm	In the last of our series on housing demolitions in Zimbabwe, a resident of Harare's Hatcliffe Extension township tells his story to our correspondent Justin Pearce. "They started breaking houses down on 28 May. They came early, around seven or eight in the morning, to warn us, but by three in the afternoon they started demolishing. Since then we have been living in the open. This resident had lived in his Hatcliffe home for 13 years It was because we didn't vote for the ruling party. They know we are town people. Once we go to the tribal trust lands [communal farming areas] the chiefs are told how to deal with us - to get us back to the party they wanted us to vote for. They used police and District Development Fund Vehicles to take us to Caledonia Farm [transit camp]. My family were in Caledonia Farm for four weeks, I was there for three weeks. People were dying daily. They [the authorities] didn't want this to be known - so no ordinary people were allowed in. The only relief, when they were allowed to work, came from the Catholic church and the United Nations. They helped us - gave us food and medicines, and asked what our problems were. Some people had no blankets and no food. When the UN representative [Anna Tibaijuka] came to Zimbabwe the police were telling people to go to the kumushas [rural ancestral villages]. The government allocated tents to people but then reallocated them to the police. So it was in their interest to go kumusha. My family had a lease for our stands, so we didn't go kumusha. When the UN representative came they tried to hide us. They started bringing us back to Hatcliffe on the third weekend. When we got back to Hatcliffe there was nothing. When they destroyed the houses, people from a neighbouring location came in and took away what was valuable. The donors are giving us roofing material - but the government says it's them who are giving it to us. No foundations have been dug. In two or three days time I might sleep under a roof again. That's something I'd forgotten about. I have been in Hatcliffe Extension since 1992, 23 December. Before that I was living on [opposition leader] Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole's farm. He split his farm to share between the rest of us. My wife had a miscarriage at eight months. All of the things that have happened since 28 May are what caused her blood pressure to go very high The government thought we would end up voting for Reverend Sithole. So they promised to build us decent accommodation [at Hatcliffe Extension]. They allocated us stands - but no buildings. Donors promised us basic two-room houses. I am originally from Rusape [180km south-east of Harare], and came here to find work in 1971. I have eight children, including two from my previous marriage who are now grown up. I live with my wife and our six children. I have two children in form four, one in form one, one in grade two and two in kindergarten. They are not going to school now [because of the removals]. My wife had a miscarriage at eight months. All of the things that have happened since 28 May are what caused her blood pressure to go very high. Businesses as well as homes were left in ruins Three or four times a day, the police were telling us to go to the kumushas. But not me. I am supposed to be at work - how could I have gone? It was difficult to destroy our own property. Some people stood by. I remember one old man had built a nice two-storey thing - he couldn't bear to destroy it. He fell down unconscious and woke up to find his building in rubble. Eventually they had AK47s - a group of five had one AK. Some went to Caledonia - those who weren't used to the threats went to the kumushas. The other day they found me shaving. There were lorries there 30 of them - you are supposed to go kumusha. I said no, I am going to work. Around half of the people went to the kumushas.. We at Hatcliffe are less than half the number that we were. This "tsunami" thing affected us in the workplace and at home. Some people had home industries - once they destroy your house, how can you work? I was lucky - I was affected only in my home, not my workplace. From Caledonia Farm we had to walk six kilometres to board a bus to work. The police didn't want the emergency taxis [informal public transport] to come there. I don't know why they were punishing us in that way. Maybe they didn't want people to know we were living there." Below is a selection of readers' comments and questions about this article. As we caused this mess when the country was signed away in the Lancaster gate hotel, don't you think that we have to sort this out as we caused the whole problem? Do you think that Zimbabwe will degenerate to the chaos that Uganda did? What do most Zimbabweans think of Thabo Mbeki's support for the Zimbabwean Government? I can understand Thabo wanting to stand by a fellow member of the Liberation Struggle who stood by him, but a time comes when common sense has to override loyalty. ADC, London, UK JP: Zimbabwe at least hasn't experienced the wide-scale disappearances and brutal murders that were one of the most horrific features of the Amin regime in Uganda. On your question about Thabo Mbeki: Those Zimbabweans who oppose the government are disappointed that Mr Mbeki isn't taking a firmer stance in support of change in Zimbabwe - as are many South Africans too. I thought that South Africa under Thabo Mbeki was supposed to be able to exercise some influence over the Mugabe regime, yet little appears to happen. Why might this be? Roger, Towcester, UK JP: I agree with ADC's point above - Mr Mugabe gave some significant support to the liberation of South Africa, and I think this is the main reason why Mr Mbeki is not being openly critical. On your reporting trip did you unearth any evidence of Chinese people - managers and artisans - being used to operate businesses, farms and mines because most skilled Zimbabweans have left the country on account of the difficulties. In other words - re-colonialisation Ian, Lusaka, Zambia JP: I didn't, but then I wasn't looking particularly at businesses, farms and mines - I'm not saying they aren't there. Anecdotally, I did speak to a number of Zimbabweans who resent the spread of Chinese shops with imported goods which they say are of poor quality. That said, there are plenty of Chinese shops in South Africa and Namibia too without it being a huge political issue. Is anything coming out of the proposed trade agreements between Zim & China? Seems like maybe the Australian gov't, which prides itself on being pro-China & vocal opponents of Mugabe, should maybe try & intervene... Also I heard about a month ago that AirZim flights were being cancelled due to lack of fuel, is this shortage still ongoing or has it been temporarily resolved? Mark, Melbourne, Oz JP: See the above. Also, Air Zimbabwe recently took delivery of two Chinese planes. As to fuel, the airline was running normally when I was there, but I have heard of occasional cancellations too. I sometimes feel very sad when I read about our fellow African leaders treating people in their locality with much cruelty. I feel sorry for the people in the area.Why? Why? When will peace prevail in Africa and it's sorrounding?When will all these trauma in Africa come to an end? I will therefore appeal to the top authorities in and outside Zimbabwe, to come to their aid for peace and harmony to take place. Oh Africa! Africa! We have a long way to go. May God intervain to safeguard mankind. Kwaku Ofori Addo, Ghana are there any constitutional safeguards for the protection of human rights there? if they are there how effective are they? JP: New constitutional proposals are being debated today. Watch this site for further news. What are the NGOs or the civil society in light of the forceful removal? Are the churches united or are they divided across political lines? JP: The churches and local NGOs were the first people to offer assistance to those whose homes were destroyed. As a result, they have seen the operation at close range, and the priests I spoke to were very worried about what's going on. That said, the Anglican Archbishop of Harare is known as a supporter of the government. Your belaboured coverage of the demolitions and the continued negative portrayal of life in Zimbabwe makes one ask what your motives are, surely it is not out of love for the black Zimbabwean. What of the plight of poor people in your own country and indeed elsewhere in the world. There are areas of strife and hunger elsewhere in the world deserving the unwarranted attention you British give to Zimbabwe. tsitsi topodzi, harare, zimbabwe JP: Tsitsi, as I've said elsewhere, Zimbabwe is not unique, and the BBC covers a lot of other countries too. Personally I believe that it's a duty of the journalist and the media to expose human suffering and the abuse of power. I have read all of the comments on this very worrying topic. What is the point of having votes in these countries if the people who vote will be punished for it. Isn't there anything we can do to help the current situation i.e: donations to help get some of these people to safer places. How can anyone say zim is safe when they are being governed in this fashion, I know some people say 'you have to go there to see for yourself' but what about this poor man who has had to watch his home and friends crumble around him? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? Kirsty, Herts, ENG hi,apart from donating is there any other ways you know of of helping zimbabwe? zoe antoniadis, nottingham,england Would you have any ideas as to how I can get involved in peace work of this sort or what I could do to make a difference. Imogen Sydow, Johannesburg, South Africa JP: Any suggestions for how people can make a contribution? Are there any parallels or similarities between the Zimbabwean government, Chinese and Mayyamar junta? Does the Venezualian gvt and ZanuPf have anything in common, in relation to the land question? What effect, in the long run, does Mugabe`s actions going to have in the world scale? Is the land reform going to be reversed, in the event that Mugabe ceases to be in power? What do other guys say? Elias Matinde, Sendai, Japan JP: I won't try to make comparisons with other countries. But on land reform: I don't think it will be reversed. I think there's a broad agreement in Zimbabwe that land reform was necessary - critics of the process object more to the manner in which it was carried out. There have been relatively few comments regarding any deaths caused by Operation Murambatsvina, yet given the number of people displaced, I find it difficult to believe that there are not many more victims dying. Are large numbers of dead being hidden, or are people somehow getting along with minimal support? Kevin D. Engle, Lancaster, USA JP: It's difficult to know precisely, given the mass movement of people at the same time of the demolitions, and also given the fact that many of the deaths would have been the indirect rather than the direct result of evictions - people who became ill from being outdoors or drinking contaminated water, for example. How a great country , prosper country became in a devastating country ? Are N. Mandela , D. Tutu nobel prizes not seeing this? What they defend? violence, misery??? I don't understand why the african governements are quiet(including mine -ANGOLA) ; what principle they defend? if they are quiet is because they are cumplices. Filomena Coelho, Luanda - Angola JP: I was in Luanda in 2001 and witnessed the destruction of Boavista - what I saw in Zimbabwe was very similar. My question is to do with the effect on the other relatively affluent areas of Harare - do they carry on as if nothing is wrong or are they similarly affected/troubled by the actions of the Government? Andy Thorley, Liverpool, UK JP: It is strange how life appears to go on as normal in the wealthier suburbs of Harare, when you compare it with the effects on a poorer area like Chitungwiza, for example. Of course, better-off people also have reason to complain about shortages of fuel and other commodities, but they're better able to shell out and pay black market prices when necessary. At one point the government announced that it was taking the "clean-up" to affluent areas, and I did hear that some well-off people who'd built garages or outbuildings without permission had them demolished. But the operation wasn't nearly as widespread as it was in the poorer areas. Some Zimbabweans I spoke to resented the fact that the wealthy were apparently getting preferential treatment. It's a pity to hear that our fellow africans are been tortured in that way.But I fail to understand on policies that Mugabe is following?why is it that MUGABE is enjoying support from the rural areas only and not from the urban areas?I wanted to know how people from villages are feeling?further to that,what can be done to help those affected by this demolision policy? moses Tapani, zomba,malawi JP: Very broadly speaking, rural people believe Mr Mugabe represents their interests when it comes to land reform, while urban people are more concerned about the economic decline over the last few years. At the moment, the victims of demolitions are in need of very basic help: food, blankets, medical care, help with building new houses. But it's hard to see how anyone can start to reverse the economic hardships caused by the destruction of small businesses. What effect is the New Zealand cricket tour having on those for and those against Magabe? For example, does either side perceive the tour as a direct or indirect support of the Mugabe regime? Doug Norris, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Doug, I'm afraid I never put that question to anyone. I guess that was because most of the people I was interviewing were too concerned with their basic survival to have time to think about the politics of sport, but it would be interesting to hear from Zimbabweans on this topic. Does the general population of Zim still support Mugabe against 'white colonialists'? Or has that fight, white farmers etc. now been replaced with something else? And do people in Zim feel they need outside assistance? Despite claims they are better than ruled by Britain until 1980? Frazer Sloan, Nadap, Hungary JP: Both the recent election results and the varying comments from Zimbabweans in this discussion demonstrate that there is a wide difference of opinion on this matter. The general feeling on the ground is that the government is punishing these people for not voting for ZANU PF . what i would like to find out is , has any of the affected peolpe say they will now vote for ZANU PF, now that they are in their kumushas? or they will keep supporting the MDC. justin jay , harare zimbabwe JP: I think it's too soon to predict. The movement of people happened very recently - it will be a while before one can say it had this or that consequence in terms of politics. I don't think it's true to say, though, that just because people have had problems with the present government, they will necessarily vote for the MDC. How safe is it to travel in Zimbabwe and how bad is the poverty in Bulawayo? How are tourists treated? Is what we hear or read exaggerated or not? Estrella MacIsaac, Edmonton, Canada JP: There are many poor people in Bulawayo as in most other African cities. As a foreign visitor, there would be no particular danger in travelling in Zimbabwe. But read the next two comments in which two Zimbabweans give differing views on this topic. Thanks for the coverage about Zimbabwe. I have read most of the comments and some people are claiming Zimbabwe is a safe place. I do say NO. So many people have made to suffer. How can you say its safe when Mugabe is destroying houses? What makes Mugabe not to resign? ZANU PF supporters tend to blame Britain on anything about Zimbabwe, Okay what Britain has got to do with destroying of houses, shortage of foreign currency, 75%unemployement, shortage of fuel, Noczim scandal, corruption, Shortage of all necessary commodities. You don't bite the hand that feed you. What Britain is doing is just reporting the current situation in Zimbabwe. Actually you should thank brits for that. If Zimbabwe has something good then fine, it should report its good side. Why do you expert Britain to do everything, what is Zimbabwe doing for its self. Mugabe closed all the markets and the trading of foreign currency and to my surprise petrol is being sold on foreign currency. I am Zimbabwean and I have been to Zimbabwe recently and to tell you the truth people are really suffering. Mugabe is running the country like a tomato market. Most of the people are trapped in Zimbabwe and they don't have the means to go out of the country. For example if Britain or USA are to say "those who want UK or USA citizenship queue for the forms." To tell you the truth the whole country will go for it and himself Mugabe will join the queue. Lets not try to hide the truth. If you haven't been involved with Mugabe regime it doesn't mean everything is fine, it's either you are luck or you are part of them. If I go to Zimbabwe I can't dress the way I dress when I am in UK or USA, I can't talk the way the I do when I am in other countries. I can't write a comment like this when I am in Zimbabwe. It's putting yourself on danger to talk bad things about Zimbabwe when you are in Zimbabwe. By this I mean I should try by all means to look like a local person who is always suffering. Failure to do that you put yourself in danger of being questioned by police or CIO. ZIMBABWE WILL NEVER CHANGE FOR BETTER AS LONG AS MUGABE IS IN POWER RULING PEOPLE. If you say its safe in Zimbabwe, its only you who is safe, the rest are not safe including Mugabe. The fact that he is not safe makes him want to stay in power forever. Safe people resign and start a new live like MR MANDELA. Alfred, UK, Birm JP: I said Zimbabwe was safe for tourists because someone asked a specific question about tourism. I agree with you that the situation for many Zimbabweans is very different. Justin should not be the one person alone to give thumbs up whether Zimbawe is safe or not. People should visit and make their own judgement about Zim. My recent visit to Zimbabwe was not easy, but worthy the trouble of visiting loved ones. Mabhuza, Zimbabwean / USA Justin,do you believe that the Z.A.N.U.-P.F. regime of Robert Mugabe will be overthrown anytime soon? why? by who? for what reason?, for who to gain and to lose, "Zvimwe siya zvakadaro we" ( sleeping dogs lie) JP: No - I don't think there will be any change of government soon. Why haven't the oppressed people of Zimbabwe revolted? I have seen other revolutions started with less provocation. Don't they realize that their living standards and freedoms are being taken away? Joe East, Madison, Alabama JP: On the other hand, there are also plenty of other repressive governments in the world that have not been overthrown. And you'll see from these discussions that not all Zimbabweans are against the current government. When is the British Government going to do something about this tyrant? We are so busy in other parts of the World (Iraq) and there is no concern or obligation towards it's former colony.WAKE UP BRITAIN the rest of the World is watching and waiting for your first move!! Peter, Kenilworth, United Kingdom JP: Britain has already been very vocal on the subject of Zimbabwe, with little effect. At the same time, as I've mentioned already in the course of this discussion, Zimbabwe is not unique. Is it the job of western countries to interfere in the affairs of other countries? And, if so, what should the criteria be? I'm not suggesting any easy answers for these questions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4628291.stm	In a shock decision the US Supreme Court has ruled that the firms behind file-sharing networks must answer for what people do on these systems. Here we take a look at the decision and the implications it has for the future. The US Supreme Court has ruled against file-sharing firms What did the court decide? The US Supreme Court has said that Streamcast Networks - which created the software behind Grokster and Morpheus file-sharing systems - can be held responsible for the rampant piracy on those networks. Streamcast had argued that it could not be held responsible for the uses its software was put to, but the Supreme Court justices did not agree. They said there was "substantial evidence" that Streamcast had profited by promoting copyright infringement or piracy. The Supreme Court has not outlawed legitimate file-sharing. It has simply called Streamcast to account for encouraging the infringement of copyright. The case will now be sent back to a lower court where the media firms that filed the original complaint are expected to press for substantial damages. Why is this ruling a surprise? All the lower courts sided with Streamcast and said that it did not have to answer for this piracy and backed up its case with legal precedents, so some were surprised by the decision. The main historical court case Streamcast drew on was the Supreme Court ruling in 1984 on Sony versus Universal Studios. In that judgement the Supreme Court judges said that the Betamax video recorder should not be outlawed because there were more legitimate uses, and users, of it than illegitimate ones. Also many other courts have declined to make hi-tech firms, such as net providers, answer for what users do with their technology. And that is what the Supreme Court justices have upheld in this decision. File-sharing technology has not been censured - in fact the justices noted the many legitimate uses of the technology - but the promotion of it for piracy has been. Interestingly, the decision in the Streamcast case was reportedly unanimous, even though some of the justices sitting now were also on the Supreme Court bench when the ruling on Sony's Betamax video recorder was made. The ruling is also a surprise because the US technology sector generates far more money than the music and movie industries and many pundits expected this to carry weight with the Supreme Court. Why is this ruling significant? The ruling is important because of the big changes taking place in the way that people get hold of and consume music, movies and TV programmes. There is no doubt that Napster and the other file-sharing systems that followed it have revealed a huge pent-up demand for digital media. Arguably the iPod and iTunes would never have been as successful without Napster and its ilk. Although the music and movie industries are fighting the networks to stop piracy, it is widely believed that some kind of file-sharing system will eventually be the best way for fans to get hold of the content they want to consume. It is likely though that a locked-down network that limits sharing, such as iTunes and all its rivals, will be the music and movie industries' preferred route for this downloading. This ruling is likely to give content owners more power to demand that secure locks be put on the digital media being offered. Can I still use my iPod/MP3 player/portable video viewer? You can. The ruling only concerns Streamcast and its encouragement of copyright infringement not specific technologies. However, the ruling is likely to encourage content owners, ie record labels and film studios, to pursue persistent pirates. They may also go after firms that do not do enough to encourage what they see as "responsible" use of their technologies. There are also fears that the ruling will stifle future innovation. If the ruling is applied in its strictest sense it could mean that any maker of a gadget or device must try to predict the ways that users could abuse its creation to get round copyright laws. They must also put in place controls that stop these infringements. This could mean far more restrictions on what you can do with the music and movies you buy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8167205.stm	Amy Winehouse said she wanted to put the matter behind her Singer Amy Winehouse has been found not guilty of assaulting a burlesque dancer at a charity ball in central London. She was accused of punching Sherene Flash after she asked the singer for a photograph at the event in Berkeley Square last September. The singer was accused of hitting Miss Flash in the eye when the dancer's friend tried to get into the photo, the court heard. Ms Winehouse denied assault at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. Summing up the evidence, District Judge Timothy Workman said all but two witnesses in the trial were drunk at the time of the incident. "The two accounts are irreconcilable and I have had therefore to examine carefully the evidence of other witnesses." 'Maintained her innocence' The judge said the medical evidence presented by the prosecution did not show "the sort of injury that often occurs when there is a forceful punch to the eye". As she left the courtroom, Ms Winehouse told reporters: "I'm relieved. I'm going home." Moments before the fracas, Ms Flash asked to take a photograph of the singer in a dressing room after midnight on 26 September. The court heard the situation worsened when a drunken friend of the dancer tried to get into the photo. But Ms Winehouse insisted the incident was blown out of all proportion. A spokesman for Amy Winehouse said: "She has always maintained her innocence and is very happy to move on with her life and put the episode behind her." The singer said she had gone to the event to support her goddaughter who was performing there. Winehouse cleared of assault
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6153490.stm	The chancellor was the "heavyweight" successor with "big clunking fists" referred to by Tony Blair, Labour's chairman Hazel Blears has told the BBC. During the Queen's Speech exchanges on Wednesday Mr Blair told David Cameron that he was a "flyweight" who would be "floored" at the next election. The prime minister has since refused to say whether the heavyweight he was referring to was Gordon Brown. But Ms Blears said: "He was talking about the Chancellor of the Exchequer." She told BBC Two's Daily Politics that Mr Blair had meant Mr Brown's "policies, particularly in relation to the economy, but also on other issues, could be a knockout blow for David Cameron". Mr Blair himself refused to say who he was referring to, when responding to e-mailed questions during an interview broadcast on the Downing Street website. He said: "I have decided to say nothing about it. You can say anything - people will always interpret these things but I have said all I want to say, at the moment." And Mr Blair's official spokesman, asked separately about the "heavyweight's" identity, claimed the prime minister had been "speaking metaphorically". 'Delivered so little' The boxing analogies in the Commons came as Mr Blair reacted on Wednesday afternoon to the Conservative leader's claims that the government was "tired and discredited" and peddling "the politics of fear". Mr Cameron told MPs: "The tragedy of this prime minister is that he promised so much and he has delivered so little." Mr Blair's 10th Queen's Speech featured legislation on climate change and pensions which will have their impact long after he has stepped down. THE QUEEN'S SPEECH Climate Change Bill Serious Crime Bill Criminal Justice Bill Mental Health Bill Road Transport Bill Welfare Reform Bill The package, which contained little that was not expected, was dominated by security measures to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, illegal immigration and terrorism. But Mr Blair's unexpected - and apparently unplanned - endorsement of a "heavyweight" successor has dominated the aftermath of the speech. Amid a boisterous Commons, Mr Blair told Mr Cameron: "The next election, it will be a flyweight versus a heavyweight. "And however much you may dance around the ring before times, at some point you'll come within the reach of a big clunking fist. "You will be out on your feet, carried out of the ring - the fifth Tory leader to be carried out, and a fourth-term Labour government still standing." Mr Blair has always declined to endorse Mr Brown as his successor when challenged to do so by Mr Cameron at prime minister's questions. His words seemed to be the closest he has come to a public endorsement of Mr Brown, although, given the fact that there was no name uttered, some suggest he may have been referring to Home Secretary John Reid. Mr Reid is widely seen as the most likely senior Blairite who might yet decide to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership when Tony Blair steps down. Left-winger John McDonnell is the only person who has publicly declared that they intend to contend the vacancy, which is due to come by next August at the latest. Anyone who wants to join the contest to succeed Mr Blair has to get the backing of 44 Labour MPs. The candidates then go forward to a vote, with Labour MPs, Labour members and unions each making up one third of the electorate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8712383.stm	David Laws said he regretted the situation "deeply" Chief Treasury Secretary David Laws has apologised after it emerged he had been claiming MPs' expenses to rent rooms in homes owned by his partner. Mr Laws said he would immediately pay back the money which the Daily Telegraph said totalled £40,000. He said his motivation was to keep the relationship with the man private and not to reveal his own sexuality. David Cameron said he agreed with Mr Laws's decision to refer himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Since 2006 parliamentary rules have banned MPs from "leasing accommodation from a partner". The Liberal Democrat cabinet minister claimed up to £950 a month for eight years to rent a room in two properties owned by his partner, James Lundie, according to the Daily Telegraph. Mr Laws said he claimed back the costs of sharing a home in Kennington, south London, with Mr Lundie from 2001 to June 2007. The Yeovil MP said his partner bought a new home, in London, in June 2007 and he continued to claim back his share of the costs until August 2009. The minister said he extended the mortgage on his Somerset property to help Mr Lundie purchase the new property. Mr Laws said: "At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as 'one of a couple who although not married to each other or civil partners are living together and treat each other as spouses'. "Although we were living together we did not treat each other as spouses - for example we do not share bank accounts and indeed have separate social lives. "However, I now accept that this was open to interpretation and will immediately pay back the costs of the rent and other housing costs I claimed from the time the rules changed until August 2009." He added: "My motivation throughout has not been to maximise profit but to simply protect our privacy and my wish not to reveal my sexuality. "I regret this situation deeply, accept that I should not have claimed my expenses in this way and apologise fully." By Norman Smith BBC political correspondent David Laws is well liked and highly regarded at Westminster. Many Tories view him as their favourite Lib Dem - a deficit hawk; the ideal man to get to grips with government waste. But politics is a brutal business. And so far Downing Street have been careful not to give him its unequivocal support. The critical calculation those inside Number 10 will be weighing up is whether the damage to Mr Laws's credibility and standing is such that he no longer has the authority to force through difficult spending cuts. If so, then he is unlikely to survive. In Mr Laws's favour though is the fact Number 10 will be deeply reluctant to lose such a pivotal member of the coalition. There may also be a desire not to be rocked by the media so early on in the life of this coalition government and a temptation to try and tough this out. BBC political correspondent Norman Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Laws's future would be decided through "hard-headed politics" whereby it will have to be determined whether his position is now "untenable" because he is "no longer able to be the front man for the government's efforts to reduce the deficit". A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The prime minister has been made aware of this situation and he agrees with David Laws's decision to self-refer to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner." And Labour MP Alan Whitehead, a member of the standards and privileges committee in the old parliament, said Mr Laws's position would become "very difficult" if it was decided that serious breaches of the rules had been made. Meanwhile, Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, voiced his surprise the details had only just emerged. He told the BBC: "I'm a genuinely shocked that somebody who is now chief secretary to the Treasury is faced with disclosure of this nature where he clearly hasn't told the full truth to the people dealing with expenses in the House of Commons. "Given all the expenses farrago that has gone on over the past two or three years, the fact that it has come to light now when he is a key part of a coalition government is staggering really." Mr Laws's parliamentary colleague, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton Deane Jeremy Browne, said the matter was "a human story, not a financial story" about a "deeply private man". HOUSING EXPENSES RULES Housing allowance must not be used to meet the costs of renting a property from: a partner or family member (including a spouse or civil partner); a close business associate; or an organisation or company in which you or a family member have an interest (other than as an ordinary investor). *Source: The Green Book "This is not about David being motivated by money," he said. Mr Laws was one of five Liberal Democrats named in Mr Cameron's coalition cabinet following the election, working with Chancellor George Osborne at the Treasury. A press release on Mr Laws's website, dated 18 June last year, said he had not "gained" through the taxpayer from buying a property because he rented accommodation in London. The release said: "Recent publicity means that there is particular interest in which homes MPs have designated as their second homes, how much they have spent on these, and what items have been purchased. "I have rented a property in London, rather than buying one, so I have made no gain from buying a property with help from the taxpayer." In an interview with the Times newspaper, carried out on Thursday before the revelations emerged, Mr Laws had said he was single. But, speaking to the newspaper after details of his relationship emerged, he said: "When I grew up, being gay was not accepted by most people, including many of my friends. "So I have kept this secret from everyone I know for every day of my life. That has not been easy, and in some ways it is a relief not to have to go on misleading those close to me about who I am."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-14298318	Hindhead Tunnel under Devil's Punch Bowl opened The £371m Hindhead Tunnel under the Devil's Punch Bowl in Surrey has been officially opened after a four-and-a-half year construction project. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond cut the ribbon at the 1.1 mile (1.8km) tunnel, on the London-to-Portsmouth A3 road, allowing traffic to go through. He said: "This is another one of the missing links in Britain's trunk road network now put in place. "The cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectations." Southbound traffic is using the tunnel first, with northbound traffic due to start using it in a few days.Crossing points After that, work will begin to return the old A3 to nature, reuniting the Devil's Punchbowl with Hindhead Common for the first time in almost 200 years. Construction began on the twin-bore tunnel in January 2007. It is one of the longest in England and is part of a four-mile bypass of the Surrey village of Hindhead. Seven safe crossing points have been built over or under the new road, most of them specifically for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. A major new junction has also been built at Hazel Grove, and access roads have been laid for the businesses and properties that used to turn directly on to the busy A3. The tunnel, which will be used by an estimated 30,000 vehicles a day, runs under the bowl which is a large hollow of dry, sandy heath, to the east of Hindhead. The Highways Agency said its safety features include the UK's first radar-based incident detection system and 100% CCTV coverage. The project has won awards for its innovation and its safety record, and has been delivered within budget and on schedule. Mr Hammond said traffic had been held up at the Hindhead crossroads for years, "hampering the flow of goods and services and blighting the lives of people living in and around Hindhead". "No longer. This new road will transform journeys on the A3 - improving journey times by around 20 minutes or more at busy periods - and will deliver a threefold return on investment for the economy," he said. "This cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectations in almost every way, and sets a new standard for how vital infrastructure improvements can be delivered in a way that not only protects, but actually enhances the surrounding environment." Thousands of motorists are expected to use the tunnel this week en route to the Glorious Goodwood race meeting in West Sussex.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12705300	Chechnya women's Islamic dress code: Russia blamed Russia has been criticised for letting Chechen authorities impose a compulsory Islamic dress code for women. A report by Human Rights Watch includes testimonies from dozens of Chechen women who were threatened or even attacked with paintballs by young men enforcing the 'virtue campaign'. The rights group says some attacks involved Chechen security forces. The campaign has the backing of President Ramzan Kadyrov, relied on by Moscow to stabilise the region. In 2007, President Kadyrov issued an edict that banned bareheaded women from entering state buildings. Though this is in direct violation of Russian law, it is strictly followed today. Since then, an unofficial campaign limiting Chechen women's freedoms has been gaining strength, Human Rights Watch says. A Russian rights activist, Natalya Estemirova, who had publicly criticised the Islamic dress campaign, was abducted from Grozny in July 2009 and her body was later found in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia.Bruised and scared In June 2010, dozens of women were targeted in paintball attacks for not donning headscarves or because their skirts or sleeves were not long enough. One woman interviewed for the report described her terror as she thought a real gun was being aimed at her. She said the incident left her bruised and scared ever to leave the house without a headscarf again. President Kadyrov praised the paintball attackers, and leaflets later surfaced warning that women who failed to wear headscarves could face "more persuasive measures". "The enforcement of a compulsory Islamic dress code on women in Chechnya violates their rights to private life, personal autonomy, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion, thought, and conscience," the HRW report says. "It is also a form of gender-based discrimination prohibited under international treaties to which Russia is a party." "These attacks against women are outrageous, and the alleged involvement of law enforcement officials is of special concern," HRW's Russia researcher Tanya Lokshina says. "The Kremlin should publicly and unambiguously make clear... that Chechen women, like Russian women, are free to dress as they choose." Chechnya was devastated by two separatist wars following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. 34-year-old Mr Kadyrov has been credited with bringing some stability to the region but he has come under heavy criticism from international rights groups over alleged human rights abuses.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8345944.stm	Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who has been charged with the murders of 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas, has been described as a devout Muslim whose commitment to the army may have been broken by his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - and by plans to deploy him to a war zone. US officials identified the gunman as Major Nidal Malik Hasan He is said to have been affected by injuries he saw at the Walter Reed Medical Army Center, where he worked until recently as a psychiatrist treating troops returning from combat. Maj Hasan, 40, was born and raised in Virginia. His parents moved to the US from a Palestinian town near Jerusalem, according to his cousin. After high school he joined the US Army, which put him through medical school. He has been described as devout and discreet. A local imam told the Washington Post that he attended daily prayers at a mosque when he worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. "We hardly ever got to discussing politics," Faizul Khan said. "Mostly we were discussing religious matters, nothing too controversial, nothing like an extremist." In other comments Mr Khan said that Maj Hasan had tried, but failed, to find an equally religious woman to marry. On a form for those looking for spouses through the mosque he listed his birthplace as Arlington, Virginia, but his nationality as Palestinian, Mr Khan said. Reports suggested in recent years he had become unhappy in the military. He had recently been transferred to Fort Hood. His cousin said he had faced harassment over his "Middle Eastern ethnicity" and had been trying to leave the army. His aunt, Noel Hasan, also blamed his desire to be discharged on harassment. MAJOR NIDAL MALIK HASAN US-born Muslim raised in Virginia Joined the army and trained to be a psychiatrist Treated soldiers returning from combat zones Described as a devout Muslim who attended prayers regularly Said to have been unhappy about imminent overseas deployment "Some people can take it, and some cannot," she told the Washington Post. "He had listened to all of that, and he wanted out of the military, and they would not let him leave, even after he offered to repay." Ms Hasan said her nephew had been upset by the injuries he saw at Walter Reed. "He must have snapped," she added. She said Maj Hasan had spent holidays and free time at her house, and that he "did not make many friends". He had joined the military over the wishes of his parents, who have since died, his aunt said. Despite his recent attempts to leave, "he would tell us the military was his life". Several reports said Maj Hasan was about to be deployed overseas against his wishes. "We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," his cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News. The Associated Press cited an unnamed official as saying that Maj Hasan had received a poor performance evaluation from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center before transferring to Fort Hood in July. Dr Thomas Grieger, who was training director at the centre while Maj Hasan was an intern there, said told AP that he had had "difficulties" that required counselling and extra supervision. However, Maj Hasan was "mostly very quiet", and never spoke ill of the military or his country, Dr Grieger added. "He swore an oath of loyalty to the military," he said. "I didn't hear anything contrary to those oaths." Col Terry Lee, who is retired but said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox that Maj Hasan had often got into arguments with military colleagues who supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj Hasan had hoped that US President Barack Obama would pull troops out, Col Lee said. One official was quoted by the New York Times as saying that the FBI had become aware of internet postings by a man calling himself Nidal Hasan. In one such posting, the act of a suicide bomber who kills himself to protect Muslims was compared to a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to protect other soldiers. However, officials said they had not confirmed that Maj Hasan was the author of the postings. Investigators said he will face 13 initial murder charges with the possibility of additional charges later.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8398932.stm	By Jorn Madslien Business reporter, BBC News A vast home market has helped create large Chinese carmakers China's car sales have soared this year, aided by tax cuts and other incentives aimed at promoting low-emission cars. Sales in China are set to storm ahead next year too, though the annual growth rate is set to slip back to a more measured 10-15% from 40-50% growth in 2009 as the incentives are withdrawn. The growth rate is already flattening after a peak in October when sales came in 66% higher than the same month last year. This will give the industry a chance to take a breather. Demand for cars has risen so fast, many manufacturers have struggled to keep up. The sales surge has made China the world's second-largest market for cars, after the US, where sales have slumped during the last couple of years. Chinese carmakers are eyeing growth in India Last year, less than nine million cars were sold in China. This is set to rise to between 12 and 13 million this year, and by 2015 it should have reached 16 million, research group JD Power predicts. China has also stolen a march on India and Russia, where car sales are expected to surge in the near future, both in terms of growth in its home market and in terms of its capacity as a producer. Rapid growth at home has helped create large Chinese companies, which are now eyeing the world. Carmaker Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC) is in talks to buy Saab from General Motors, while Geely is set to buy Volvo Car from Ford. But such deals are small fry when compared with Shanghai General Motors' decision, announced late last week, to expand into India. The Chinese market is attractive for foreign carmakers The Indian car market is set to almost double from 1.7 million cars sold last year to 3.2 million in 2015, JD Power predicts. In addition, Shanghai Automotive Industries (SAIC) has taken majority control of the venture, with its partner GM taking a back seat. GM agreed to hand over control of the joint venture "to get their full cooperation and the full cooperation of the Chinese government in other things", according to Nick Reilly, the president of GM's international operations and the new head of GM Europe. "It also helps us, obviously, share the large investment that is behind this program and therefore get it done faster." Chinese in charge For established carmakers in the West, hit with shrinking sales in their home markets, China will offer millions of new customers in the years ahead. To take advantage of this, they are investing vast sums in production facilities in China, in many cases in partnerships with local companies. In addition, Chinese carmakers are emerging as fierce competitors to established Western carmakers, both on their home turf and in emerging car markets. Again, many of the established carmakers may be involved as partners in joint ventures, but increasingly they may find they are no longer in the driving seats.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3614064.stm	Fred Whipple - the astronomer who first correctly described comets as "dirty snowballs" - has died aged 97. By Dr David Whitehouse BBC News Online science editor He revolutionised the study of comets when in 1950-51 he proposed that they were not "sandbags" but small bodies made of rock, dust and ice. He also predicted the coming of artificial satellites and was prepared with a satellite tracking network when Sputnik was launched in 1957. He discovered six comets, all of which were named after him. Chief of Chaff Fred Whipple began work at the Harvard College Observatory in 1931 and from 1955 to 1973 directed the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, helping it to become the renowned Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Working for the US Air Force during World War II he perfected the idea for chaff - little bundles of shredded aluminium foil that could be dropped from US aircraft to confuse German radar. Air Force wits dubbed him the "Chief of Chaff" as a result. But it was his work on the icy conglomerate model for comets that is regarded as the highlight of his distinguished career. "This was a complete paradigm switch since back then the consensus model for a comet was a flying cloud of particles," Don Yeomans, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, told BBC News Online. "It had been so since the late 19th Century when comets were identified with meteor showers." But Whipple knew that some comets have been orbiting the Sun a thousand times and more. If they were nothing but sand, they would have broken up. In 1950, he published a paper suggesting they were "icy conglomerates"; what the media later called "dirty snowballs." As the comet gets closer to the Sun, the ice vaporises and forms a spectacular coma, or tail. When in 1986, the Giotto Mission came close enough to Halley's Comet to photograph its nucleus, it looked just the way Whipple described it 36 years before. Whipple's model allowed the so-called nongravitational forces acting on comets to be understood. The rocket-like thrusting when the ices began to vaporise produced a small but noticeable thrust that needed to be accounted for so that the motions of active comets could be modelled far more accurately. Flow of knowledge Whipple also made contributions in fields as diverse as variable stars, galaxies, stellar evolution, supernovas, the interstellar medium, radio astronomy and astronomical instrumentation. He was also the first to compute an accurate orbit for the then recently discovered Pluto. While his collected works were published in two large volumes in 1972, he continued to publish research studies for at least another quarter century. "Fred was one of the truly great forces in astronomical research, and our field has gained immeasurably as a result of his insights," says Don Yeomans. "While a bit in awe of him, I quickly realised he was completely unaffected by his fame. "It really didn't matter whether one was a very young and inexperienced scientist or a well established, distinguished scientist. "He treated everyone with the same kindness and respect."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6968322.stm	The internet should not be used as a scapegoat for society's ills, said Vint Cerf, Google's net evangelist and a founding father of the network. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he rejected calls for strict control of what is put online. He said the net was just a reflection of the society in which we live. Anyone regulating beyond what was clearly illegal put themselves on a "slippery slope" that could limit freedom of expression, he said. "If it's not illegal, it raises a rather interesting question about where you do draw the line," he said. Mr Cerf's comments come after the UK's Conservative Party floated ideas to curb the access young people have to sites such as YouTube which let them see videos showing extreme or callous violence. Rather than impose controls centrally, said Mr Cerf, it was far better to put them at the edges of the network where users go online. For instance, said Mr Cerf, searching for results via Google can be constrained by filters that can be set to be strict or lax. It was a mistake, said Mr Cerf, to divorce what was seen online from what happens in the real world. "Most of the content on the network is contributed by the users of the internet," he said. "So what we're seeing on the net is a reflection of the society we live in." "Maybe it is important for us to look at that society and try to do something about what's happening, what we are seeing He added: "When you have a problem in the mirror you do not fix the mirror, you fix that which is reflected in the mirror. "We have a job to do, collectively as a society, to deal with the problems we discover in the network," said Mr Cerf, "but suppressing the knowledge of what's going isn't going to help us. "We need to face that problem directly." Google has a policy of removing video content when it has been flagged as offensive by users. But the company has been criticised for not acting swiftly enough.

Subsets and Splits

Argument Posts from BBC News

Retrieves 10 texts containing both 'pros and cons' and 'argument', with lengths between 2000 and 6000 characters, offering limited insight into content distribution.