Datasets:

ai-blueprint

/

fineweb-bbc-news-embeddings

like 0

Follow

AI Blueprint 1

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47623626

Snapchat under scrutiny from MPs over 'addictive' streaks The firm behind instant messaging app Snapchat has told MPs it may consider changes to its friendship streaks, which have been criticised for being potentially addictive. Streaks are used as a mark of a close friendship within the Snapchat app. It involves friends exchanging messages but each response must arrive within 24 hours. Some Snap users juggle dozens, or even hundreds, simultaneously. Snap executives told British MPs they would "revisit" the feature. MPs from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee are exploring the addictive nature of social and gaming platforms. Streaks are created within Snapchat if two users have exchanged messages for more than three days in a row. The longer they continue, the greater the streak. Some youngsters ask friends to sign into their accounts if they can't, in order to maintain their total. Snapchat's senior director of public policy, Stephen Collins, and Will Scougal, Snap's creative strategy director, downplayed their significance, saying they were part of a suite of features introduced in 2015 and not an integral part of the app. But committee chairman Damian Collins compared streaks to likes on Facebook and re-tweets on Twitter. "It seems that the value of a relationship could be measured in the length of a streak," he said, asking whether parents who felt that they were putting "undue pressure" on their children could remove them. No, said the executives, but both promised to "take the thoughts of the committee on board". "Streaks were meant to be a fun thing. We have reduced them in size by 30%, in line with recommendations from the Children's Commission, but we are always looking at whether we should sunset a particular feature and we will revisit it," said Snap's Stephen Collins. The firm also faced tough questions about how it makes sure that children under the age of 13 are not joining the platform. One MP said he had joined the app easily despite supplying a date of birth that indicated he was 12 years old. Mr Collins acknowledged that it was "not possible to keep under-13s off any platform" because they can easily get around parental controls. "We need a robust age verification system and we are working with the Home Office on this," he told MPs. In response to the hearing, Tony Stower, head of child safety online at charity the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Children (NSPCC) said: "We know that 18% of eight to 11 year olds have a social media account, and yet social networks still fail to build child safety measures into their platforms from the start. Dealing with it after harm has taken place is simply too late. "It is evident that tech firms will not do enough if left to their own devices, and so it is vital the government holds its nerve and brings in new laws and an independent regulator to police the Wild West Web and force social networks to introduce a range of protections to keep their young users safe." The firm was also asked about a phenomenon of "Snapchat dysmorphia" in which filters and lenses alter body and facial features. The executives were asked if they felt they were part of a growing conversation about whether such systems were encouraging young girls to have body issues and even depression. They said the filters were "a fun way" of overlaying reality and that "more research was needed across the whole industry" on the societal effects of beauty apps and filters. Snapchat's involvement in the high-profile and tragic case of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was murdered by Lewis Daynes after making friends with him on a gaming website, was also under scrutiny. Snapchat has faced media criticism for failing to provide data to police investigating claims that the murdered boy's family received messages via the platform which graphically recounted the killing. The messaging firm said it would take a year for police to get this data because the firm is based in the US and therefore bound by an agreement known as the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. Mr Collins told the committee that Snap had been asked by Kent police about its policies but had never formally been asked to release any data. It said it had spoken to Breck's family about how to report and block content and how to preserve data for any future police investigation. It also said it had advised them on resetting their accounts and not accepting friendship requests from people they did not know. Asked whether Snap could have made an exception and given police the relevant data had they asked, Mr Collins said he would have to check with Snap's legal team.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-11606258

A County Down company has been fined £80,000 after one of its workers was seriously injured when he fell into an underground chamber in Bangor last year. John Graham (Dromore) Limited admitted two breaches of health and safety legislation at Downpatrick Crown Court. The case was brought by the NI Health and Safety Executive (HSENI). The man suffered severe injuries to his head and spine in the accident on 26 June last year. It happened during the construction of a 6.4m deep underground water collection chamber. The court heard the man was now in a "paraplegic condition" and had a "traumatic brain injury". Following the hearing, Kevin Campbell, an inspector with HSENI said it was vital that companies "identified and addressed hazards within the workplace". "Falls from height must be prevented by the implementation of sensible and effective procedures," he said. "These systems need to be communicated to the workforce, implemented, maintained, and updated when necessary." He said "simple measures" would have prevented the worker on the Bangor project from falling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-45665122

"Relentlessly reasonable" is an unusual rally cry - but this was no ordinary demonstration. Hundreds of head teachers - the men in smart suits, the women in business wear - came to Westminster to make their point about school funding in England. Ripples of applause filled Parliament Square - their meeting point and the scene of many a demonstration over the decades. "Don't be chaining yourselves to the railings now ladies," someone joked. It was clear that these protesters, passionate though they may be, would not have dreamt of it. The gathering had more of an air of a collegiate conference than a demonstration. "We're all a long way out of our comfort zone," one head teacher said. "We asked each other on the bus if anyone had ever been to a protest before and nobody had," another added a little sheepishly. The participants may have felt cheerful, and maybe little awkward, but the mood was nonetheless serious. One head teacher from Suffolk told how she had been bitten by a pupil this week. "It wasn't his fault. It was because of a situation outside of school, and his emotional support had been cut two weeks earlier because of the cuts." She could not give her name in case the pupil was identified, but she added: "We have children who are distressed and angry and we can't help them." Another Suffolk head teacher, Kelly Head from Springfield Infants School, said: "It's head teachers here protesting because there's no one left. "We are using people left, right and centre to cover all sorts of jobs in schools. There's no one left." The organisers of this grassroots protest highlight Institute of Fiscal Studies' claim that per pupil funding has fallen 8% in real terms since 2010. Their budgets have been squeezed by unfunded pay rises, national insurance payments, other cost pressures and rising pupil numbers. Others point to problems with England's new funding formula, which had been introduced to even out the amount which different local authorities receive per pupil. Tony Markham, head teacher of Herne Junior School in Petersfield, Hampshire, told how his budget will be £250,000 in deficit by 2020-21. The county has one of the lowest per pupil funding rates in the country, despite the new formula. Ella Palmer, head of a school in Alton, Hampshire, said her school had been using money from its capital budget to fund laptops. But these were now 14 years old, and the capital funding had been cut from £25,000 to £5,000 a year. Another Hampshire head, Joe Ayres, said: "There just isn't enough money to do what we need to do." Ms Head added: "It's heart-breaking because the decisions we are beginning to have to make are about reducing social care and mental health support." The government insists school funds will rise to a record £43.5bn by 2020 and that a new funding formula is bringing bring more cash to schools. National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) leader Paul Whiteman said head teachers were not really "the marching type" and if they were protesting, something must be "seriously wrong". This is the latest push in a campaign by school leaders to highlight the dangers of budget shortfalls and the different funding levels between schools. Education Secretary Damian Hinds has recognised that funding is one of the biggest concerns in his brief. A Department for Education spokesman said: "There is more money going into schools than ever before, rising to a record £43.5bn by 2020 - 50% more in real terms per pupil than in 2000. "Every school attracts more funding per pupil through the National Funding Formula, high needs funding has risen to over £6bn this year, and the 3.5% pay rise we announced for classroom teachers on the main pay range is backed by £508m government funding. "We know that we are asking schools to do more, which is why we are helping them to reduce the £10bn spent each year on non-staffing costs, providing government-backed deals for things like printers and energy suppliers that are helping to save millions of pounds." But Stockport head teacher, Jim Nicholson, said he was fed up with hearing this government line. "We have seen how our colleagues are having to lay off staff and our vulnerable pupils are not getting support. "We'd all rather be back in school teaching. But we've had enough," he added. The head teachers taking part in the protest are from areas including: Blackpool • Bolton • Brighton and Hove • Buckinghamshire • Cambridgeshire • Cheshire • Cornwall • Cumbria • Derbyshire • Devon • Dorset • Dudley, West Midlands • East Sussex • Essex • Gloucestershire • Greenwich • Hampshire • Hertfordshire • Kent • Kingston-upon-Thames • Lancashire • Liverpool • London • Norfolk • Northampton • Oxfordshire • Peterborough • Poole • Portsmouth • Richmond • Rotherham • Sheffield • Slough • Solihull, West Midlands • Somerset • Southend • Southampton • Staffordshire • Suffolk • Surrey • Thurrock • Walsall • Warrington • West Berkshire • West Sussex • Wigan • Wiltshire • Wokingham, Berkshire • Wolverhampton • Worcestershire

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15817982

Q&A: The new housing strategy The prime minister has trumpeted a new housing strategy to make it easier for people in England to buy or rent homes. The main elements are: - a mortgage guarantee scheme to encourage lenders to offer 95% mortgages to buyers of new homes. - an increase in the subsidy available to developers under the "Affordable Homes Programme". - a change to the rules so that the money from the sale of council houses will go towards the building of new council homes. - increased subsidies for councils that take over neglected homes which have been left empty for a long time. The government said the strategy would "tackle the housing shortage, boost the economy, create jobs and give people the opportunity to get on the housing ladder". How will this help me buy a home? The most eye-catching aspect is the mortgage guarantee scheme. This will guarantee lenders against their losses if certain borrowers fail to repay their loans. The aim is to encourage lenders to offer mortgages to up to 100,000 potential buyers of newly-built properties who have, perhaps, just a 5% deposit, and not the 20% deposit the lenders typically require at the moment. What is the point? At the moment lenders are reluctant to lend to these people because they fear that house prices may fall. That would expose lenders to losses if the borrower defaulted, the home was seized, and the house or flat was then sold for less than the value of the loan. Also, under international banking rules, lenders have to put aside a much larger financial cushion in their reserves if they lend with a small deposit rather than a large one. That too inhibits lending mortgages to people with only small deposits. How will the scheme work? Let's suppose you want to buy a newly built flat selling for £100,000 but can only put down a £5,000 deposit. At the moment your chances of being offered a 95% mortgage for the rest are non-existent. Under the new scheme, if the developer, lender and you all agree, you may now be offered the 95% loan you desire. That is because on top of your deposit, which will absorb the first £5,000 of any fall in the value of your home in the event you cannot repay the loan, the lender now has further comfort. If the price of the property falls below £95,000, the lender will be able to reclaim 95% of any losses it incurs. What are the details? The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) says the details have still to be finalised, but it will work this way. The developer of the new property will pay a sum equivalent of 3.5% of the selling price of the home to the lender, which will be held for seven years. The developer will receive interest during that time, before the 3.5% is handed back to it. In addition, the government will agree to guarantee a further 5.5% of the sale price against loss by the lender. So, 9% of the sale price will be in an insurance pot. Under the terms of the scheme, the lender will have insurance for 95% of its loss if the borrower defaults. To what sort of people will this apply? The scheme will cover any lender who wishes to take part; any buyer of a newly built home who would like some help; and any developer that also wishes to take part. There is no compulsion on any party to take up the scheme if they do not want to and there is also no automatic entitlement. And just to keep things a bit vague, there are no targets for how much money will be available, or how any people might eventually benefit. The scheme applies to England while similar ones for Scotland and Wales are being considered. Didn't this sort of arrangement exist before? Yes. Once upon a time it was standard practice for lenders to ask borrowers to pay a premium for something called a Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee - an insurance policy - if they wanted a mortgage for more than 95% of a property's value. This industry practice largely disappeared, for two reasons. The first was that it became objectionable for people to pay for insurance premiums that benefited the lender but not themselves. And lenders stopped bothering because house prices were rising fast and they were quite happy to throw money at potential borrowers, rather than worry about them defaulting. If a borrower defaults, can they stop worrying if they have fallen into negative equity and can no longer repay the whole of their outstanding loan? No, they are still liable for any loss on their loan. So if you defaulted, the lender could recoup 95% of its own loss, then chase you for the loss too. If it was then able to recoup that money from you - assuming you still had any - it would then repay the insurance payment to the scheme. So this is not a "get-out-of-debt free" card for individual borrowers. It directly benefits your lender. You gain the indirect benefit of obtaining a loan that you would not otherwise have been given.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/groups_and_teams/team/usa

South Africa has already proved to be a land of opportunity for the United States, who unexpectedly reached the Confederations Cup final there last summer in thrilling fashion. They defeated African champions Egypt and then ended the world record unbeaten run of Euro 2008 winners Spain before succumbing to Brazil after letting slip a 2-0 lead. The USA went on to reach a second final a month later in the Gold Cup, before finishing as group winners in a straightforward World Cup qualifying campaign. But the last year has not been an outright success story. A run of five defeats against fellow World Cup qualifiers has cultivated doubts about the team's pedigree, while injury problems could yet expose their lack of strength in depth. 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/europe/6178671.stm

Belgians reacted with widespread alarm to news that their country had been split in two - before finding out they had been spoofed. RTBF reporters kept up the spoof for nearly two hours The Belgian public television station RTBF ran a bogus report saying the Dutch-speaking half of the nation had declared independence. Later it said Wednesday night's programme was meant to stir up debate. It appears to have succeeded. Thousands of people made panicked calls to the station and politicians complained. "It's very bad Orson Welles, in very poor taste," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, referring to the famous director's 1938 radio adaptation of War of the Worlds. That spoof fooled many Americans into believing Martians had invaded. "In the current context, it's irresponsible for a public television channel to announce the end of Belgium as a reality presented by genuine journalists," he added. The French-language TV channel interrupted regular programming with an apparent news report, announcing that Dutch-speaking Flanders had unilaterally declared independence and that Belgium as a nation had ceased to exist. It showed "live" pictures of cheering crowds holding the Flemish flag, huge traffic jams leading to Brussels airport, and trams stuck at the new "border". Monarchists rallied outside the Royal Palace after the report The broadcast came amid an apparent growth of separatist sentiment in Flanders. Recent regional elections have shown strong support for the far-right, nationalist Vlaams Belang party, which advocates Flemish independence. The station's website crashed briefly as alarmed viewers sought more information, and 2,600 calls were made to a telephone number given out during the spoof. "Our intention was to show Belgian viewers the intensity of the issue of the future of Belgium and the real possibility of Belgium no longer being a country in a few months," Yves Thiran, head of news at RTBF, told the BBC. He said it introduced people to the debate who would otherwise have ignored it, but he admitted some may have taken it the wrong way. "We obviously scared many people - maybe more than we expected," he said. Some politicians were in on the joke, contributing interviews to the programme with their reactions to the "news". But others were not amused. The minister for audiovisual affairs for the French-speaking community, Fadila Laanan, said the words "this is fiction" appeared on screen half an hour into the broadcast - at her insistence. "I find it questionable to use such a tactic, which frightened people unbelievably," she said, adding that a number of people had called her in panic when the "news" broke. The AFP news agency reported that even some foreign ambassadors in Brussels were taken in, and sent urgent messages back to their respective capitals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20081378

Tibetan immolations: China offers rewards for information Police in China's Gansu province are offering rewards for information about planned self-immolations by Tibetans. The authorities in Gansu's Gannan prefecture say recent immolations affected social stability. They add that those who tell police about planned immolations will be awarded 50,000 yuan ($7,700; £5,491). Information about those who organise immolations will also be rewarded. Dozens of people have set themselves on fire since such protests began in 2009. The majority of them are believed to have died in the protests. At least two are believed to have died since Monday, the latest in a recent spike of Tibetan protests inside China. The Tibet divide - China says Tibet has always been part of its territory - Tibet had long periods of autonomy - China launched a military assault in 1950 - Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 - Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India - Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence A notice issued by Gannan police says the immolations have "seriously impacted social stability and harmony as well as people's ability to live and work". It says: "Anyone who reports and informs the legal authorities on the people who plan, incite to carry out, control and lure people to commit self-immolation will be awarded 50,000 yuan." It also adds that anyone who provides genuine information about what it calls the "black hands" - referring to those behind four recent self-immolations - will be awarded 200,000 yuan. This is believed to be the first reward offer of its kind in the region. Gannan has been the site of a number of self-immolations this year. On Monday a man, believed to be in his 50s, died after he set himself on fire near the Labrang monastery. A day later another Tibetan set himself on fire in the same region. China's authorities have so far proved unable to halt the self-immolations. China's leaders blame the Dalai Lama, the Tibetans' exiled spiritual leader, for inciting the self-immolations and encouraging separatism. He rejects this, and both activist groups and the Tibetan government-in-exile say the self-immolations are protests against tight Chinese control of the region and religious repression.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10644350

Stop your child becoming a screen addict? Years ago Barbie dolls, Action men and My Little Ponies were the must-have toys - today its the latest in computer gaming. Even little children are pestering for them. But in this week's Scrubbing Up, consultant psychiatrist, Dr Alex Yellowlees warns that youngsters can rapidly become screen addicts. And he says parents can rely too heavily on computer games, even using them as unofficial babysitters. It used to be that playing computer games was a fun and harmless pastime - but not any more. Although not officially classified as an addiction, parents and professionals are becoming increasingly alarmed at the rising number of young people shunning normal 'fun' activities and family life in favour of playing computer games in isolation. It is not uncommon for children to spend upwards of six to eight hours daily on their computers playing games.Worrying symptoms And now increasing numbers of children and teenagers are experiencing the negative effects of gaming. End Quote Dr Alex Yellowlees These issues cause them to feel that they are not in control of their lives - gaming gives them sense of power and mastery over their 'world' and environment” Signs for parents to watch out for include: tendonitis in wrists and neck pain, depression, mood swings, angry outbursts if interrupted or restricted, avoiding normal socialising and being active with other friends, preferring to be in their rooms to being with the family (even for meals), and deterioration in quality of school work and poor attention during classes. If your child is shy, socially avoidant and anxious, they may be at risk as may those who may be depressed, have family or school problems or who are being bullied. These issues cause them to feel they are not in control of their lives - gaming gives them sense of power and mastery over their 'world' and environment. Children who may be bottling up a lot of anger tend to play aggressive video games.Parent power There are a number of measures parents can use. Learn the art of communication with your child so they feel acknowledged and listened to, place limits on computer usage and keep the PC in the open - not behind closed or locked doors, keep an eye on what they are accessing on the net and join in their games from time to time. End Quote Dr Alex Yellowlees Parents can no longer afford to use the computer as a babysitter or entertainer for their children” It is also a good idea to develop family involvement in other activities, increasing the child's sense of personal achievement and being in control of their world, for example getting them to take part in sports and clubs. Parents can no longer afford to use the computer as a babysitter or entertainer for their children. It's time to get involved in your child's life again if you want to avoid the larger problems that addiction can lead to - total isolation from friends and family and social immaturity at a critical stage in their life development.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/313827.stm

Wednesday, April 7, 1999 Published at 14:59 GMT 15:59 UK McGuinness adamant on arms Only the Loyalist Volunteer Force has started to disarm No prospect exists of the IRA agreeing to decommission any of its weapons or explosives as a precondition, Sinn Fein's chief negotiator has insisted ahead of crucial talks next week. Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern suggested the IRA could take part in a collective act of reconciliation, which would include putting some arms "beyond use". He told BBC Radio Foyle: "I am working on the basis that there is no prospect whatsoever for the IRA to decommission anything as a precondition to Sinn Fein's participation in an executive. "I don't believe the IRA are going to jump to any ultimatum or demand issued either by David Trimble or those elements within the British military establishment who have hung unto this issue in a very unrealistic and unrealisable way over the course of the last four years." Arms decommissioning has remained the stumbling block to the implementation of last year's Good Friday Agreement past its first anniversary. The Ulster Unionists continue to refuse to sit in the Northern Ireland Assembly's executive council with Sinn Fein before IRA arms disposal begins. After intensive talks last week, the province's political leaders reportedly came close to a deal, before announcing they would meet again on Tuesday. Under the declaration put forward, Sinn Fein would be allowed to take up its two seats, based on a guarantee that the IRA would "voluntarily" dispose of some weapons at the reconciliation ceremony. Mr McGuinness said Sinn Fein would seek to find a way through the impasse when the talks resume. But he reiterated the strong resistance with the republican community to enforced decommissioning. "The history of republicanism and the demeanour of republicanism from time immemorial clearly shows that they are not going to bend the knee to the demands of elements of the British military establishment, or unionism," he said. "Particularly if their assessment is that this is seen as an issue which can divide republicanism on this island." Mr Blair and Mr Ahern have not yet stated whether or when they will attend next week's talks. UK Politics Contents A-Z of Parliament

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/3158609.stm

Italy's Daniele Nardello claimed his first World Cup after winning the Championship of Zurich cycle race on Sunday. Nardello won his first World Cup race Team Telekom rider Nardello broke on his own seven kilometres from the finish and held off the challenge of Tour de France runner-up Jan Ullrich over the closing kilometre. Ullrich, who later announced that he will skip next month's Tour of Spain in order to concentrate on October's world championships, was six seconds behind the Italian at the finish. Nardello's compatriot Paolo Bettini was third and the Quick Step rider retains his lead in the World Cup standings. The final two events in the 10-event World Cup are Paris-Tours and the Giro di Lombardia in Italy. Portuguese rider Nuno Ribeiro won the 11-stage Tour of Portugal after Denmark's Claus Moller of Denmark won the 36.7km time trial final stage around Viseu. Championship of Zurich leading results: 1. Daniele Nardello (Italy) Telekom five hours 55 minutes 31 2. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Bianchi six seconds behind 3. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 11 seconds 4. Michael Boogerd (Netherlands) Rabobank 5. Davide Rebellin (Italy) Gerolsteiner 6. Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spain) Ibanesto 7. Oscar Camenzind (Switzerland) Phonak 8. David Moncoutie (France) Cofidis 9. Michele Scarponi (Italy) Domina Vacanze 10. Cristian Moreni (Italy) Alessio all same time World Cup standings: (after eight rounds) 1. Bettini 350 points 2. Boogerd 204 3. Peter Van Petegem (Belgium) Lotto-Domo 203 4. Rebellin 187 Celestino (Italy) Saeco 139 6. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) Saeco 136 8. Francesco Casagrande (Italy) Lampre 123 Pieri (Italy) Saeco117 10. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazhakstan) Telekom 100

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-20493007

Candidates line up for Croydon North by-election The story of Croydon reflects the story of London, where demography and diversity have been transformed over the last half century. The area was solidly Conservative from 1955 until a boundary re-organisation in 1997. The more urban-north of the previous constituency was hived off and Malcolm Wicks became its first MP. He was there for 15 years until his death, prompting this by-election. His majority at the 2010 election was 16,483, the 11th largest in the capital. Probably the only thing close about Thursday's by-election has already happened - a contest between two leading south London municipal players for the Labour nomination.Prized Labour citadel Lambeth Council leader Steve Reed won the party's backing for this prized Labour citadel, defeating Val Shawcross, a former leader of the local Croydon Council, currently a member of the London Assembly and deputy to Ken Livingstone during his failed resurrection bid this year. Labour present Reed as one of a new brand of competent town hall leaders who have adjusted to - even embraced - cuts and austerity by trying to re-shape council services. In Lambeth, they've called it a "co-operative" way forward. The Conservative challenger Andrew Stranack is Croydon-born and has an interesting recent back story. He gave up his job working for the council in 2001, and spent six years on a local housing estate living on a low income and doing Church-based community work. The Liberal Democrat candidate Marisha Ray is a former IT professional who currently advises the board of a London NHS Hospital trust. But it's the presence of Respect which offers an extra dimension of uncertainty, and not simply because of George Galloway's success in Bradford. In Lee Jasper, controversial former adviser to Ken Livingstone, Respect have chosen a charismatic figure whose involvement in police community relations and anti-racism campaigns over the years made him a well-known figure in neighbouring Lambeth. Polling stations are open between 07:00 and 22:00 GMT on Thursday 29 November

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-11384048

Condor Ferries boss talks of resolving fleet's faults - 21 September 2010 - From the section Guernsey The managing director of Condor Ferries has spoken of his firm's attempts to try to resolve problems with its fleet. Last month Simon Edsall apologised for delays caused by technical issues which, at times throughout the summer, affected the firm's three ferries. Mr Edsall said the delays and cancellations on services between the Channel Islands, the UK and France, had been "unfortunate". He added that engineers were trying to locate the root cause of the faults. At the weekend the Vitesse was put out of action due to technical problems - resulting in many passengers being stranded in Poole. This was followed by Tuesday's high-speed sailing from Weymouth being cancelled too. Mr Edsall told BBC Jersey that each fast catamaran had three engineers on board as well as a shore-based team who were also looking into the problems. "There is nothing that jumps out in the way we run or maintain the ships that would indicate a single cause," he said. "I have apologised a number of times... this summer with the problems we have had. "We have tried to keep our passengers informed as well as we can. "We are trying to minimise the impact."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/england/8664399.stm

Baby Alexander McConnell was born in February 2009 A 15-month-old baby has been sent a polling card for the general election. Alexander McConnell, from Southwold in Bicester, Oxfordshire, received the card in the post along with cards for his parents Ian, 38 and Gaynor, 37. Cherwell District Council said his parents had made a mistake filling in an application form. Mr McConnell said: "I thought it was a joke at first, then I wondered who else might have got the wrong card." A spokesman for Cherwell District Council said: "The reason that Alexander was sent a polling card is that his name was entered on the application form despite the form stating that no one under 16 should be listed." Mr McConnell, a sales manager for Mercedes, and his wife, an administrator, said they had registered their son's birth, but said it was not the case that they had filled in forms incorrectly. Mr McConnell said: "The three polling cards all turned up and I didn't think anything more of it. "I didn't realise just how rare this was until I spoke to a friend last night and he mentioned that a six-year-old boy was all over the news on Radio 4 last week." Mr and Mrs McConnell are intending to vote at their local polling station in Southwold. They said were intending to keep Alexander's card "for a bit of fun".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/2235625.stm

|You are in: Football: Europe| Thursday, 13 February, 2003, 21:57 GMT European Championship review A full review of the weekend's European Championship qualifiers France were given a shock before edging through in Nicosia. The home side took the lead through Yiannis Okkas after 15 minutes before goals either side of the break from Djibril Cisse and Sylvain Wiltord secured victory for the visitors. Slovenia 3-0 Malta: The home side went ahead on 37 minutes when Darren Debono put through his own net. Ermin Siljak made it 2-0 in the second half before Slovenian skipper Sebastjan Cimerotic found the net in the last minute. Romania scored three times in the first 28 minutes to ensure they began their qualifying campaign with a win. In front of just 4,500 in Sarajevo, Cristian Chivu opened the scoring after eight minutes. Dorinel Munteanu then doubled the visitors' lead two minutes later before Ionel Ganea added a third before the half-hour mark. Norway 2-2 Denmark: John Carew scored with only three seconds left in injury time to salvage a hard-fought point for Norway. Jon Dahl Tomasson had twice put Denmark in front with a brace either side of John Arne Riise's 53rd-minute goal. Austrian captain Andreas Herzog scored two penalties to give his team a winning start. Austria Vienna midfielder Thomas Floegel won both spotkicks after being fouled in the fourth and 30th minutes. Holland 3-0 Belarus: Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were all on target as Holland beat 10-man Belarus. Davids opened the scoring with a long-range shot on 35 minutes before Kluivert headed home Boudewijn Zenden's cross two minutes later for his 35th international goal. Substitute Hasselbaink took just three minutes to make an impact, rounding off a fine move involving Kluivert and Rafael van der Vaart to make it 3-0 on 72 minutes. Sweden were missing five World Cup players as they failed to break the deadlock in Riga. San Marino 0-2 Poland: Late goals by Maciej Kaczorowski and Mariusz Kukielka gave the Poles victory in their second match under new coach Zbigniew Boniek. Kaczorowski broke the deadlock on 76 minutes before Kukielka headed home a corner two minutes from time. Scotland were forced to come from two goals down against the plucky Faroe Islands, who stormed into an early lead through John Petersen. The same player doubled the home side's lead with a left-foot volley before Berti Vogts' side hit back with goals from Paul Lambert and Barry Ferguson. Lithuania 0-2 Germany: The World Cup runners-up failed to sparkle but still came away with all three points. Michael Ballack scored with a powerful left-foot shot on 27 minutes before Marius Stankevicius put through his own net just before the hour mark. Armenia claimed a point as 10-man Ukraine wasted a two-goal lead. Artur Petrosyan halved the deficit before Albert Sarkisyan equalised two minutes after Anatoly Tymoshchyuk was sent off. Greece 0-2 Spain: Juan Carlos Valeron set up Raul for Spain's first goal after just eight minutes before adding the second himself with 14 minutes left. Arif Erdim scored twice and set up a third for Serhat Akin as Turkey, who finished third in this summer's World Cup, recorded a comfortable win. Liechtenstein 1-1 Macedonia: Michael Stocklasa scored a last-minute equaliser to earn Liechtenstein a point and demonstrate their improvement to Macedonia. A couple of years ago Macedonia beat Liechtenstein 11-1, and when the visitors opened the scoring in the eight minute through Georgi Hristov, memories must have come flooding back. However, the home side created a shock when they restored parity in the closing stages. Goals from Zoran Jankovic and Stilian Petrov inflicted defeat on Belgium and new coach Aime Antheunis. Jankovic scored after 16 minutes before Petrov added a second on 63 minutes. The visitors also saw a shot from Georgi Peev come back off a post. Croatia 0-0 Estonia: The Croatians controlled the match for long periods but lacked power up front without injured Middlesbrough striker Alen Boksic and a host of first-team regulars. The Italians needed an own goal from Tarlan Ahmadov after 33 minutes to settle their nerves in front of a crowd of 35,000. Alessandro Del Piero then put the game beyond doubt with his 19th international goal midway through the second half. Finland 0-2 Wales: John Hartson and Simon Davies scored the goals which gave Wales the perfect start to qualification. The visitors fully deserved their victory after producing an excellent performance, which was capped by Davies' breakaway goal. Mick McCarthy's side went in 2-0 down at half-time and never recovered as their campaign got off to a terrible start. Ireland pulled to within a goal of the Russians on two occasions in the second half. But Phil Babb's unfortunate own goal three minutes from time sealed Ireland's fate. Switzerland 4-1 Georgia: Switzerland recovered from Shota Arveladze's shock equaliser for Georgia after the home side had dominated and taken the lead through Alex Frei. The Swiss were not held for long and goals from Hakan Yakan, Patrick Mueller and Stephane Chapuisat seled victory. 13 Feb 03 | Europe 07 Sep 02 | England 07 Sep 02 | Scotland 07 Sep 02 | Wales 07 Sep 02 | Republic of Ireland Top Europe stories now: Links to more Europe stories are at the foot of the page. |E-mail this story to a friend| Links to more Europe stories BBC News >> | BBC Weather >> © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/8295998.stm

England captain Strauss led his side to an Ashes victory this year England's scheduled defence of their Ashes crown in 2010-2011 has been revealed - with the New Year Test in Sydney delayed by a day. Traditionally, it would begin on 2 January, but this time the players will get an extra day off to recover from the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The series will feature the usual five matches, starting at the Gabba in Brisbane on 25 November. As in 2006-07, Adelaide and Perth will host the second and third Tests. England will play three warm-up games against first-class opponents before the start of the series and one in between the second and third Tests. In-depth - Andrew Strauss on 'incredible' year When England were thrashed 5-0 last time, they had only one first-class game before the first Test, although they did also play less competitive warm-up games against a President's XI and New South Wales. England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said: "The recent Ashes Test series between the two sides was the sporting highlight of the summer and has really whetted the appetite of all cricket supporters as England seek to retain the Ashes next winter." Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland added: "I know we have only just finished an Ashes series in England but I also know that the Aussie players - and Australian cricket in general - are already thinking about the Ashes series down under which starts in just over 12 months. "Australia has a very good Ashes record at home and I'm hopeful that will continue next summer and we can bring the urn back to Australia." 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/sport2/hi/golf/9143219.stm

Andalucia Masters final leaderboard: -3 G McDowell (NI) -1 S Kjeldsen (Den), D McGrane (Ire), G Maybin (NI) Selected others:+7 M Kaymer (Ger) Westwood is the first European since Nick Faldo to be world number one England's Lee Westwood has become world number one for the first time, ending American Tiger Woods's 281-week reign at the top of the golf rankings. German Martin Kaymer needed a top-two finish at Valderrama to become number one himself but ended Sunday's fourth round well off the lead at seven over. Kaymer fired a final-round 75 to finish 10 shots behind winner Graeme McDowell. Westwood, 37, becomes Europe's first number one golfer since compatriot Nick Faldo achieved the feat in 1994. A calf problem has ruled Westwood out of action for the last three weeks but, despite not being able to influence Sunday's result in Spain, he was clearly delighted by his accomplishment. Lee deserves it. He's one of the greatest guys on the European Tour Asked if it was the most satisfying moment in his career, Westwood said: "Yes, I think so. It's a dream everyone has to say there is nobody better than me at the moment. You have to say it's a highlight. It's a great honour and a big responsibility." And Westwood is confident his latest career milestone is evidence he is on his way to ending the wait for a first major championship title. "Becoming number one is confirmation that I'm working on the right things more than anything," he said. "This is nothing but a positive thing. "Winning majors is something you learn to do. You get into position as often as possible and try not to make the same mistakes again. I have seen most things by now and hopefully I will know what to do." Kaymer, the USPGA champion, had started the day nine shots adrift of leader Graeme McDowell in Spain after opening with a 72 on Thursday and following that with a 75 and a third-round 70. Most weeks at world number one Tiger Woods (USA) 623 weeks Greg Norman (AUS) 331 weeks Nick Faldo (ENG) 98 weeks Seve Ballesteros (ESP) 61 weeks Ian Woosnam (WAL) 50 weeks Nick Price (ZIM) 44 weeks Vijay Singh (FIJ) 32 weeks Fred Couples (USA) 16 weeks David Duval (USA) 15 weeks Ernie Els (SA) 9 weeks Bernhard Langer (GER) 3 weeks Tom Lehman (USA) 1 week The 25-year-old German therefore required a sensational effort on Sunday to move up the leaderboard and claim top spot, but despite a birdie on the third he showed little of his recent fine form and ended the day four over par. "Of course I'm disappointed," said Kaymer. "I thought if I had a fast weekend I could still play a role but I missed too many putts. You have to accept it isn't your week. I don't think trying to get to number one played any part. "It was in the back of my mind but I didn't play differently, any more aggressively or defensively. I liked the challenge and I think I'll have another chance in the next few weeks. "Lee deserves it, he's one of the greatest guys on the European Tour." McDowell's victory sees him close the gap on Kaymer in the Race To Dubai, the European Tour's money list. The Northern Irishman also moves up to 10th in the world rankings, becoming the sixth European in the top 10 alongside four Americans. For 14-time major champion Woods it is a remarkable fall from grace, having at one time seemed unstoppable in his assault on Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major wins. He has faltered badly after a knee injury and revelations about his personal life that saw him take an extended break from the game. Westwood intends to return at next week's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, where he will face Woods as well as Kaymer and Phil Mickelson. "I have a great relationship with Tiger," added Westwood. "We have mutual respect and have always got on well, on and off the course. I give him a little bit of stick and he gives me a little. "When Tiger was in his pomp everyone thought it [the number one spot] was unattainable. But form comes and goes - I'm a perfect example of that - and when we started to get a bit nearer the top of the rankings we started to think it was obtainable." Westwood's career trajectory has been through two phases. He spent 180 weeks in the top 10 between 1998 and 2001, winning the Order of Merit in 2000 and reaching world number four, but took a break from the game after the birth of his first child and rather lost his way, dropping outside the top 250 in the rankings. His next victory was not until the BMW International Open in 2003, but when he won the Andalucia Open and British Masters in 2007 he moved back into the top 50 and by the end of the 2008 season he was back in the top 10. The Worksop golfer won the inaugural Race To Dubai in 2009, when he was one shot away from being in a play-off for the Open Championship with Tom Watson and Stewart Cink. At this year's Masters he was one stroke ahead going into the final day but was denied by Mickelson's magnificent final round of 67, and he was runner-up to Louis Oosthuizen, seven shots adrift, at the Open at St Andrews before the calf injury hampered the remainder of his season. Westwood turned professional in 1993 after becoming British youths champion and has won 20 times on the European Tour and twice on the USPGA Tour, with four triumphs on the Japan Tour and six in other tour events. The father of two has made seven Ryder Cup appearances, featuring in the winning side five times including the most recent success at Celtic Manor in September. Lee Westwood holes 30-foot putt at Ryder Cup (UK users only)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3578976.stm

Documentary maker Michael Moore is to release a book of letters sent by US troops in Iraq. Moore's film is seen as a polemic against Bush Moore also plans to release the Official Fahrenheit 9-11 Reader, a companion to the DVD of his film attacking President George Bush. Publisher Simon & Schuster said they hoped both would be in shops in time for the US elections on 2 November. Moore's collection of soldiers' letters will be entitled Will They Ever Trust Us Again?. The documentary has made $115m (£62.5m) in US cinemas since it opened in June. Moore has also written bestsellers including Dude, Where's My Country, Stupid White Men and Downsize This. But Fahrenheit 9/11 has generated the most controversy of any of his work to date. Miramax's parent firm Disney refused to distribute the film, which also criticises President Bush's response to the 11 September attacks on the US. And despite being a documentary, it was given an R rating, meaning those under the age of 17 cannot see it in US cinemas without an accompanying adult. But some political analysts believe it may have an influence on the US elections and it is well known Moore intend to have the documentary released on video and DVD close to election day, in the hope of damaging President Bush. The DVD and video will feature a number of extras, including deleted footage from outside Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where seven US soldiers have been charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/your_game/6903401.stm

I had to get my dad who lives in Nottingham to pick the team up from the train station Young People founder Latifah Bailey "I can't believe they've chipped without us," said Latifah Bailey, manager of Young People United, on discovering the coach bound for Manchester had left without her team. However one hastily made phone call and the coach was on its way back to pick up the Leicester-based team to take them to the Your Game finals at Manchester's Sportscity complex. Young People qualified for the national finals of the UK's biggest street football tournament when they were named Fair Play winners of the Nottingham leg in May. Their achievement is made the more remarkable considering the team had never even played together before. "We received an e-mail about a week before the event," said team captain Faz, who quickly assembled his team of young hopefuls aged between 17 and 23. "We had zero training." However getting a team together was just the first hurdle. "We couldn't afford the transport up to Nottingham," explained Bailey. "I had to get my dad who lives there to pick the team up from the train station." Having received a sound drubbing during the Nottingham competition - they lost every game - it's fair to say they were not expecting to reach the final by conventional means. "We decided to wait around after getting knocked out," said Faz. "We were surprised when they announced we'd won the Fair Play award." Since then they have been training hard at their local park in anticipation. Bailey and her friend Abida Hussain run the Race Equality and Refugee Centre in Leicester. Keeper Abdihamid brought along the team's biggest supporter - his mother They support newly arrived refugees who have received a positive decision on their asylum applications, helping them to find employment and housing, getting them into education and giving them support during their resettlement. They use sport to inspire these young people in the community. "We try to normalise lives. These groups are being excluded within the community, we try and show these young people that they can join in and have fun," said Bailey. Aboard the coach, they get the first glimpse of their competition, another Leicestershire based team Score 4 Sport. Likewise, their road to the final has been far from straightforward. "We turned up in Nottingham, only to find we were two days early and no-one was there," said player Daniel Johnson. Undeterred, they managed to grab the last place at the Birmingham event, narrowly losing out in the final on penalties, but booking their place in Manchester via the Fair Play Award. Their captain Wayde had even cancelled his holiday to play in the finals - that is how much the tournament means to him. Daniel works for Nacro, an organisation to reduce antisocial behaviour and give young people something positive to focus on. Despite their best intentions, Young People FC didn't have too much success in Manchester "Name a sport and we play it - even dodgeball. We've become like an after-school club," Dan explained. "We also help young people find employment, giving them advice on job applications and interviews. "In fact one of our players is actually coming back to work for the agency during the summer," he said proudly. Despite their best intentions, neither Young People United or Score 4 Sport managed to reach the latter stages of the event after getting knocked out in the group stages. Despite the disappointment on the pitch, I realised Your Game has been a catalyst for good things for both teams. For example, Young People United have received funding for tutor training as a direct result of their involvement in Your Game. Team captain Faz summed up Your Game succinctly: "It's not about winning, it's just the whole experience." Your Game is a partnership between the BBC and Football Foundation supported by Barclays Spaces for Sports.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-21016084

Man who filmed rape attack on an iPad is jailed - 14 January 2013 - From the section Manchester A man who filmed himself raping a woman at knifepoint on his iPad has been jailed at Manchester Crown Court. Hesam Khosravi, 24, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to six years in prison for the attack at a flat in the Trafford area on 12 April. Khosravi, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, had an argument with the woman then dragged her into a bedroom and raped her twice. On his release, the Iranian immigrant faces a deportation application. He has also been ordered to register on the sex offenders' list. Judge Adrian Smith said Khosravi was a well-educated man from a "decent, supportive family" who turned "violent and frighteningly menacing" during the attack. He said filming the rape was an aggravating factor in a "degrading and humiliating" assault. "She was sobbing and crying throughout and clearly frightened that you might use the knife that you had to injure her. Her fear is obvious." The victim's two-year-old son was in the flat at the time but did not witness it. Manchester's Minshull Street Court heard the footage was found by police during a search of Khosravi's car after the victim reported the attack. The half-hour video was shown in court after Judge Smith warned those in court that the footage was "very distressing". He told the public gallery it was time to leave if anyone did not want to watch the video. Khosravi could be heard laughing and commentating on the assault in Farsi as the woman cried throughout. Khosravi tried to claim the attack was consensual "role-play". Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting, said Khosravi rested his iPad on a windowsill, lit the room with a halogen lamp and deliberately recorded the assault. After raping the woman, Khosravi "strikes her hard on the head, then stands up and kicks her with considerable force on a number of occasions", Mr Dickinson said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/7712927.stm

All five Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Academies are in action and preparing for the big night on Friday, 21 November when the Academy Shield will be up for grabs at Kendal Rugby Club. A hundred years ago Academy Wrestling was an important part of the weekly entertainment in Carlisle when there was wrestling each Saturday night on the Mary Street 'carpet'. At a special match between the academies of Carlisle and Newcastle in 1908, my Uncle Geordie was the only Northumbrian winner from 32 couples in the 11 stones. The winners were then put in the hat for an individual competition and he survived a broken nose on a ringside spectator's boot, and a tough bout with Nichol of Knightslodge in the semi-final before reaching the final with Davis. Geordie was exhausted, but luckily for him Davis's favourite chip was the hank, a trip that Geordie was adept at countering with the back-heel. He duly did that to win the first fall, but the second 'went to Davis with a very clever buttock'. According to The Carlisle Journal: "Both men were wary in the third hold, Davis again assaying the hank and failing to turn his man, both falling to the carpet. "The umpires disagreeing, the referee decided in favour of Robson, his opponent having touched the carpet first. "Robson was loudly cheered on receiving the prize - a handsome silver cup." After the Second World War, a great resurgence of wrestling took place, both at the summer sports meetings and indoors with an unprecedented number of new academies. In 1949 there were academies at Gilsland, Carlisle, Kirkbride, Wearhead, Alwinton, Gosforth, Egremont and Bootle, and others being planned for Penrith and Appleby. From then until the late 1950s wrestling reached its highest intensity when the Academy Shield was the prize for the winning the Academy League when clubs wrestled each other, home and away. Then the balloon burst: academies closed, with Kendal Academy the only one left alive in the sixties. On my arrival in Carlisle during the early seventies, Carlisle Wrestling Club was set up in the Strand Road Sports Centre by Tom Harrington, Ted Dunglinson and me, and inter-academy wrestling resumed. The first fixtures were more like social gatherings with wrestlers from the two Academies casually matched against each other on the mat, and any gaps plugged by spare wrestlers from the home academy. Female wrestling has become more common in recent years, and for the first time this year, there will be two categories for females Then, in 1983, the Academy Shield was retrieved from somebody's cupboard, and put up for competition again under a new set of rules devised by me. These rules reflected the change in the Academies for they valued young wrestlers as much as the seniors, with nine weights from 6st to 14st and an All Weights section. Each weight was wrestled in a round-robin with one wrestler representing each academy. In the 'good old days' matches were won by all sorts of ploys. The home team could match the wrestlers in such a way to gain advantages, and a single brilliant wrestler could wrestle and win several times, whilst less talented club-mates sat and watched. Under the new rules each wrestler could compete only once and always in weight order. The basic format remains the same, with slight alterations which reflect changes in the academies. Smaller academies such as Minthorpe, were obviously unable to find 10 wrestlers to fill all categories, so wrestlers were allowed to compete twice if no-one else was available. The general population has become heavier, so an extra weight, the 15 stones was added to the list. Female wrestling has become more common in recent years, and for the first time this year, there will be two categories for females (10st and All Weights) Five Academies are expected to take part at Kendal on the 21st: Carlisle, Kendal, Milnthorpe, Rothbury and Waberthwaite, a healthy number when compared with the lean times of the sixties and seventies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8115108.stm

Result: Emerging Springboks 13-13 Lions SCORES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST) To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111. (Not all contributions can be used) 2016: Right, the arguments will rage long into the evening, late into the week, and won't stop until the Lions squad is named on Thursday. Who knows, or dares to dream, what names will turn up on Ian McGeechan's team sheet? My wildcard is Simon Shaw... and on that bombshell, I'll say good night and thanks for reading... Tinoflyer on 606 "Shane Williams was not good enough. The big one tonight will be Fitzgerald v Monye. Simon Shaw in for Alun Wyn Jones, hopefully, and Hook for Stephen Jones. Ellis did alright, but not enough to unsettle Phillips." wheezie on 606 "Fitz is not within a country mile of making the Test team (barring injury). Promising player and I look forward to seeing him play during what I'm sure will be a long and successful career, but needs another 10 Tests under his belt to be a serious contender." andrewmallan on 606 "Thought Hines did enough to at least get on the bench, if not on from the start. We need an enforcer and someone who won't take a backward step, and he is the man." munsterchris on 606 "There were very few positives to take from the game, but O'Gara, Ford, Flutey and O'Callaghan can't have done their chances any harm." smurfs on 606 "ROG being taken off after half-time despite playing very well presumably is indicating that he'll be starting in the second Test?" hunterlevi on 606 "Shaw in the Test team maybe, Vickery seems to have made amends. Still very up in the air on the wing - Bowe stays in (although he was poor in the first Test) but Fitz may just scrape in ahead of Monye. However, I feel that would not be quite right." FULL-TIME: You probably have to say the Emerging Springboks deserved that, they were the better, more cohesive side in the second half. And you can see what that means to them, they go wild on the siren. Bit sloppy from the Lions, and it's difficult to know if anyone has enhanced their chances of a Test call-up - Martyn Williams maybe... Ronan O'Gara? Luke Fitzgerald? Shane Williams had a decent little period... so many questions unanswered... 79 mins - TRY Emerging Springboks 13-13 Lions The Boks have snatched a late one! A few phases strung together - first Vermuelen almost burrows over, before Adams sends it right and Danwell Demas dives over unopposed in the corner... they're not leaving this kick to the flaky Earl Rose, and what a kick that is from De Waal from out on the touch-line, the ball arcing between the uprights as the siren screams across the ground. 78 mins: Bit of humpty from Vickery, putting in a big hit on Potgieter, and if this is his last game in a Lions jersey, he's done himself proud with this eye-catching cameo. 76 mins - PENALTY - Emerging Springboks 6-13 Lions Hook with a clutch kick, and he makes no mistakes from just right of the posts. 75 mins: Mears is on now for Ford... penalty for the Lions at scrum-time, with Vickery making life uncomfortable for his opposite number. Simon Shaw also making his presence felt there... 73 mins: Alain Rolland has a schoolmasterly word with the boys in the front row - "everything was OK before you came on" - before Newman makes some hard yards. Earls' clearance hasn't got much about it, and the Boks run it back... but that's better from Earls, collecting another kick from De Waal and sending it back with interest. 71 mins: Ford (apologies, Mears isn't on) goes too long at the line-out, Martyn Williams clawing at thin air at the back, before James Hook tries to force something, stepping outside his man and scurrying clear. But there's another knock-on... 70 mins: De Waal again with a naughty little prod over the top, but Basson is bundled into touch. Ellis wriggles clear, before Shaw shows gossamer hands for a big man, scooping up a stray ball, and the Lions make fully 50 metres. 67 mins: The Boks steal the ball at the breakdown, and the human wrecking ball that is Tiaan Liebenberg brings it clear. Mears on for Ford at hooker, and, interestingly, Wallace has replaced Powell in the back-row, with Martyn Williams remaining on the field. 65 mins: Interestingly, Monye is on for Luke Fitzgerald. Not sure what that means, I'll leave you to work it out. Good take from Ellis, and here's James Hook with a doozy of a clearance kick, the ball curling across the field and bobbling into touch just five metres out. Vickery on for Hayes in the front row... 64 mins: A raft of changes by the Boks, and here's Heini Adams marmalising it 60 metres into the Lions half. Hook goes on the burst... but Ellis knocks on... 63 mins: The Boks look like they really fancy this, with De Waal now pulling the strings at fly-half. The Lions shovelling down the line when they need somebody to take the ball on, before Shane Williams shows off his footballing skills once again, poking through another sweet little kick. 60 mins: Hook's howitzer rolls and ends up resting on the Boks dead-ball line, and the referee brings back play deep into the Lions half. The Boks then spurn a penalty chance, Deysel going on the charge - they're looking for a try and a win here - but Rose doesn't turn down the opportunity twice... maybe De Waal should have stepped up there, that was a horrible connection from Rose. 57 mins: Simon Shaw on for Donncha O'Callaghan... wait, bit of confusion, it's Nathan Hines coming off instead... Powell with a typically wild man pick-up and go from the back of the scrum, before Hook slices a high ball. Difficult for Hook to shine in these conditions. decent crowd, by the way, just shy of 40,000... 55 mins: Bit of class from Shane Williams, tapping and going and letting fly with a pin-point clearance. And here he is again, collecting another De Waal bomb in the Lions 22 before bringing it clear. Another turnover, and De Waal pins the Lions deep into their own half once again. 53 mins: Ellis holding his shoulder as fine rain turns to stair rods once again. We could see Blair in a minute. Here's a rare sighting of Shane Williams, collecting a decent clearance from sub fly-half Willem de Waal, but Keith Earls' attempted clearance is off the outside of his boot. 51 mins: Martyn Williams steering a Lions rolling maul 10 metres into Boks territory, but it rather disintegrates and Hook is forced to take the hit. The Lions regroup, and now Worsley has a go... Hook on the switch with D'Arcy, but there's a turnover... loose from Newman, slinging a pass forward on the counter... 48 mins - PENALTY - Emerging Springboks 6-10 Lions The Lions engage with vigour, wheel the scrum, before the scrum is reset. Earl Rose tries to pull a rabbit out of his hat from the set-piece, but Flutey's got no time for that nonsense, upending the Boks fly-half a few metres out. Hines getting punchy, not sure what that's all about... PENALTY FOR OFF-SIDE! Rose makes no mistake, the Lions in deep... 47 mins: The Boks trying to get their rolling maul going, before Vermaak, who's having more and more influence on this game, sends up another teasing bomb, which Keith Earls is unable to deal with. Five metre scrum... 45 mins: It looks like O'Callaghan may have scored after hacking the ball through, but that's some fine cover defence from Potgieter, diving across, Superman style, and just touching down ahead of the Munster lock. 44 mins: The Lions driving the Boks back again, before Vermaak puts up an impeccably-weighted kick for right-wing Basson. The Lions win it back, however, and O'Gara threads a smart kick into the Boks half. On comes James Hook for Ronan O'Gara, a switch that is open to interpretation... 42 mins: Rose and Newman look for the switch in midfield, but Newman knocks on... big rumble from the Lions pack, and neat from Ellis with the kick to touch. 41 mins: No changes on either side, here's Earl Rose kicking off... Ellis goes to collect, comes up short and the ball ricochets off his knees. The mercurial Earl Rose goes for the drop, and slices it well right... Rick S on 606 "I don't think either of the half-backs have done anything to threaten the incumbents - Ellis has been OK apart from the error at the back of the scrum, but there's always something a bit clumsy about him, while O'Gara has kicked well but shown up his defensive weakness." Wilmo on 606 "Can't help feeling that O'Gara is not the player the Lions need against the Boks. I rate him very highly and his kicking is exemplary, but does he play the game in the manner that the Lions need in order to defeat the Boks?" Givitalash on 606 "Powell is atrocious. So much talent going to waste because of his woolly brain. What's the point in swatting a tackler aside and then running into touch? Fitzgerald is looking very sharp. A good break, strong defence and great mobility around the field in general." RFU Minder on 606 "Powell and Williams have been all over the place. Plain to see. Ellis has been average not good. ROG has been average not good. Fitzgerald has just won a place on the plane back home and only Earls is doing OK so far in the backs." HALF-TIME: Fine clearance from Harry Ellis, and there goes the siren. Decent enough half from the tourists, although there were signs that the hosts were clawing their way back in it in the last 10 minutes. Martyn Williams has been eye-catching, and it's not ideal conditions for catching eyes... 38 mins: Earls does pretty well there, leaving the ball in play, stepping into touch, before bringing the ball out of his 22 and hammering clear. The Boks run it back however, and here's Kirchner with the grubber... but Basson is beaten by the skidding ball. 35 mins - PENALTY - Emerging Springboks 3-10 Lions The Boks steal a scrum, and thrust to within 10 metres of the Lions line. Sharp work from scrum-half Vermaak, nicking the ball from under Ellis's nose and scurrying clear. Penalty to the Boks, and Rose clips over the three points to make it interesting. 34 mins: Martyn Williams with a quick tap and go, and the Lions put a few phases together. But Earl Rose counters after another turnover, only for Luke Fitzgerald to make a crucial tackle Bjorn Basson on the right wing. 32 mins: Powell with a ramrod hand-off on Deysel, but eventually he's dragged into touch by a gaggle of Boks defenders. The Boks ship it right, but there's not much quarter being given by the Lions back-line, and there's another turnover... 30 mins: Martyn Williams with a neat touch-down to Ellis from the line-out, and the England scrum-half goes snaking through the Boks defence before falling on his backside. The ball ends up in the hands of Hines... and then out again and the Boks bring the ball clear. 27 mins: The Lions are off-side as Rose is charged down by Worsley and Flutey pounces on the loose ball. Vermaak with a wild pass, the Boks knock on, and O'Gara finds touch. O'Gara's been pretty handy with the leather in some pretty horrendous conditions. 26 mins: Earls under another bomb from Rose, and he looks to counter. But there's another turnover, before the Boks are whistled for a questionable forward pass when looking to snipe down the right flank. 25 mins: Williams under the Garryowen from Rose, but he's unable to keep those twinkle-toes in play. Rose finds half a metre, but the ball plops out like a bar of soap in the tackle. 21 mins: Shane Williams standing out on the right wing, looking distinctly unimpressed with this weather, as O'Gara puts up a bomb, which Zane Kirchner takes comfortably. Andy Powell comes charging back, before Flutey makes the half-break... and knocks on. The mistakes coming thick and fast as the rain cascades on Newlands... 19 mins: Tim Payne is pinged for not binding, and the Boks have a chance of a penalty... oh my word, just as Earl Rose puts the ball down, a squall of hailstones blows across the ground and the fly-half yanks his effort well left. 17 mins: Six phases of play from the Boks, but they're turned over again and D'Arcy brings it clear. Muscular hit from Flutey, but Earls spills the ball under a hefty hit from Dewald Potgieter and the Boks have the scrum. 14 mins - TRY - Emerging Springboks 0-10 Lions Andy Powell collects the box kick from Vermaak and comes barrelling back into the Boks forwards. Bit of Aussie Rules, before full-back Kirchner tries to be too clever, chipping the ball into the hands of Martyn Williams. Williams off-loads, Flutey is pointed to the corner, but cuts back inside. And there's Keith Earls, stepping off his left, sliding past Vermaak and touching down under the sticks. O'Gara slots the extras... 11 mins: Springboks off their feet again, this time Cheetah loose-head Du Preez, and O'Gara is able to relieve the pressure. 9 mins: Fitzgerald with a poor kick for territory when under little pressure, and here's the powerful Duane Vermeulen on the rumble... Rose grubbers through, Earls slides and collects, and the Munster man is hustled into touch a few metres from the Lions try-line. 8 mins - PENALTY - Emerging Springboks 0-3 Lions O'Gara makes no mistake this time, slotting three points from bang in front... 7 mins: Here's Shane Williams with his first touch, and he does well, spinning and pirouetting out of trouble and breaking two or three tackles. And here's Luke Fitzgerald, another rival for the left wing spot, punching through the Boks midfield before being hauled down with no-one to off-load to. O'Gara with a penalty attempt... 5 mins: That's better from O'Gara, pinning the Boks right back in their own half with a drilled penalty kick to touch... O'Callaghan at the line-out, and the Lions still keeping it tight... but they're shoved off the ball five metres out and the Boks clear their lines. 3 mins: O'Callaghan goes for a rumble, but is knocked backwards. The Lions playing it tight, and they get some reward for their patience with a penalty under the posts - Boks off their feet at the breakdown... that's not great from O'Gara, who's snatched it left of the uprights... 1 min: Ireland's Alain Rolland is the first Irishman to referee a Lions games since the 1800s, apparently... here's skipper O'Gara with the kick-off... turnover for the Lions, Flutey releases D'Arcy, but the Irish centre is forced out. 1809: Excellent, already been accused of racism on 606 for pointing out that it rains a lot in Munster. That Ray Mears, what a racist he is - he was on the telly the other night saying it hardly ever rains in parts of Australia. Players are out, we'll have some play in a minute... Bryn Palmer, BBC Sport in Cape Town "Delightful scene of veteran journos singing along to 'Daydream Believer' booming round the stadium at the moment. Lions fans who have braved the elements in good spirits. Plenty of Wales flags as usual." 1806: Two new faces in the boiler room, with Tim Payne and John Hayes sandwiching hooker Ross Ford. And we've got the fourth Irish skipper of the tour, with Ronan O'Gara leading the side tonight. 1800: Ten minutes until kick-off, and news reaches me from Bryn Palmer in Cape Town that, as well as tipping it down, it's "ruddy freezing". Still, at least the British and Irish lads should be used to this. In fact, the Munster boys will be lapping it up, it should be right up their alley. 1754: It really does look filthy at Newlands, and we haven't got many fans in yet. Last time out, in 1997, the Lions gave this mob a 22-51 tonking, with John Bentley running it from all parts, but I'm not sure anyone's expecting the same tonight. Expect this to be an attritional, 15-rounder. 1745: Ronan O'Gara still believes he's got a chance of nicking the number 10 shirt from Stephen Jones, but good luck trying to show off your Swiss Army Knife of skills in these conditions. But what about Martyn Williams at open-side? Not sure David Wallace did enough to cement his place last Saturday, a big showing from Williams tonight will give the Lions coaching staff plenty of food for thought... mikeyphil1 on 606 "The Emerging Boks have been training with the senior squad in the run up to the Tests, and nine of their players have already played the Lions. "With the Lions fielding two veteran stodgy old props who have only just arrived off the plane, and a comparatively lightweight back division, it's not going too far to suggest they might take a real hiding this evening - 30 or 40 points!" Simon Austin, BBC Sport in Cape Town "Deja vu at Newlands, with the same driving rain and fierce winds we saw here on 13 June, when the Lions beat Western Province. This time the tourists face the Emerging Springboks, who are likely to be quite tasty. "Ian McGeechan thinks they will be the stiffest opposition his Lions side have faced outside of the Tests. Zane Kirchner is rated by many as the best full-back in South Africa and Earl Rose was South Africa's fly-half when they played Namibia last month." 1730: Good day. I know, I know, Andy Murray's on the other side, but he's going to stroll that one, surely? Far more pressing questions to be answered in Cape Town, where the Lions are playing their final 'dirt-track' game of the tour against Emerging Springboks, with kick-off at 1810 BST. The problem is, it's more likely to be a mud bath than a dirt track at Newlands, with Bryn Palmer - our man in South Africa - reporting of "severe weather warnings, seven-metre waves and 85kph winds". Shane Williams, looking to bump Ugo Monye from the left wing for Saturday's second Test, would have preferred it hard under foot, as might Luke Fitzgerald... but the chaps up front might welcome a puddle or two...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/506213.stm

Friday, November 5, 1999 Published at 17:48 GMT Government role mooted for Kenya army President Moi: No role for army in politics A Kenyan opposition grouping has caused a political storm by saying the government should step down in favour of a caretaker administration which would include the armed forces. The executive of the National Convention Assembly - a coalition of politicians and non-political associations - made the demand in a manifesto for sweeping reform. But the military has dismissed the suggestion of any participation in government. The NCA called for the setting up of a broad-based government of national unity to complete a democratic review of the constitution and to tackle the most urgent social and economic problems. Architect Davinder Lamba, a member of the executive, said the plan was necessary to save Kenya from "catastrophe". "Decades of mismanagement have made Kenya's problems too large to be tackled by anything less than a sweeping programme of reforms," Mr Lamba said at the document's launch in Nairobi on Thursday. The NCA proposed that the transitional government be made up of representatives of the ruling Kenyan African National Union (Kanu) party, opposition parties, the armed forces, the private sector and secular and religious civil society. But it was the proposed inclusion of the military in the plan which has caused the most consternation. "That is not our role. We cannot be dragged into politics," Defence Department spokesman Ongeri Bogita said. President Daniel arap Moi said that "any person trying to politicise the forces was committing a very serious offence". He called the NCA's plan "a contravention of the existing constitution that showed grave irresponsibility and political bankruptcy". President Moi is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces. A leader page article in the Daily Nation said the proposal to bring the military into politics was "likely to frighten a lot of Kenyans". "Kenyans, who have seen some neighbouring states collapse or turn chaotic due to the involvement of the military in politics, are unlikely to support proposals which may seem to lend credence to military adventurism in the country," the article said. It suggested that Kanu would seize on the military aspect of the proposal to try and scare Kenyans away from supporting the NCA's plan as a whole. The NCA was set up to before the 1997 general elections, and had some success in securing constitutional changes which would make it easier for opposition parties to operate. The constitutional review process is currently stalled over disagreements between Kanu and the opposition over the allocation of places on the constitutional review body. The NCA's executive members include the chairman of the Law Society of Kenya, Dr Gibson Kamau Kuria.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/182830.stm

Tuesday, September 29, 1998 Published at 13:54 GMT 14:54 UK 'Weak eyes helped me beat stage fright' - Kidman Kidman: Rave reviews for sexy role in The Blue Room Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman has admitted her poor eyesight helped her combat stage fright during her West End debut because she could not see the audience. The star, who has to strip regularly for her acclaimed performance in The Blue Room, said she had an attack of first night jitters half an hour before going on stage. "I couldn't believe I was doing this! So I thought, `Well, if I fall on my face, I fall on my face'," she said. "I've never worked so hard in my life - six weeks in rehearsal - but it is exhilarating. Of course, it was nerve-wracking. But the great thing about theatre as opposed to movies, is every night you can do something new." "Physically and mentally, everything was taken out of me leading up to the opening of the play - a lot of stress. But it's now one of the best times for me," she said. The actress has spent most of the past two years living in the UK with husband Tom Cruise and their two small children while working on the film Eyes Wide Shut with reclusive movie maker Stanley Kubrick. The director of A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket is planning to see the show. "He is coming in this week. I'll be very nervous," said Kidman. TV and Radio

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/6321829.stm

The number six is the guy who cleans out the rucks and is primarily a defensive player on the blind-side, shutting down the opposition number eight or number nine. He needs to be someone who likes that confrontation and physically robust approach, and of the three back-row positions he needs to be the absolute bedrock. The role hasn't changed much over the years, a blind-side flanker still has to make sure that the opposition doesn't get over the advantage line - it's his job to smash them back. If it has changed at all it's in the ball-carrying, not necessarily the off-load, but you have to be able to carry the ball to defensive lines and through defensive lines. The All Blacks, for example, play a high-risk level of rugby these days, punching holes and then using short interplay to get in behind the opposition. For this, the blindside and the rest of the back-row are often used more as three-quarters to punch holes because they're bigger and can draw two defensive players, and if you can do that you've created a hole somewhere else. My idea of world-class number sixes would be New Zealand's Jerry Collins or the old All Blacks legend Michael Jones.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-26215768

Hundreds join Cornwall beaches litter pick after storms Hundreds of people are clearing rubbish and debris from beaches around Cornwall. The "Great Cornish Beach Litter Pick" has been organised by Volunteer Cornwall and Clean Cornwall. They said following the storms which have pounded Cornwall, the aim was to "show the world that we are open for business". There are organised events at around the county, including Newquay, St Ives, Looe and Falmouth. "We're organising 10 simultaneous beach cleans around the county," Volunteer Cornwall's Andy Brelsford told BBC News. "It is sending the message out to the rest of the country and the world that Cornwall is definitely open for business." People living near beaches not included in the organised cleans are being encouraged to arrange their own event and Clean Cornwall has put a guide on its website.. Volunteer Cornwall said people should pick up only "small-scale litter" and should not attempt to remove anything that cannot be identified.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-13301560

King's College Hospital doctor charged in Dubai car row A doctor from London is being held by authorities in Dubai after allegedly making a rude gesture at a motorist. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, a consultant colorectal surgeon at King's College Hospital, had his passport confiscated after the confrontation. He was charged with "public indecency" in the Middle Eastern city, last week. Mr Nunoo-Mensah, whose family have since flown home, denies wrongdoing, saying he merely raised his hands. The consultant was in the United Arab Emirates with his wife and three children, and was expected to return by 1 May. The Foreign Office said: "We were made aware of the case of the British national in Dubai on April 27. "We are in touch with the family and are providing appropriate consular assistance to them and the British national involved." A spokesman said the laws and customs in the UAE were "very different" to those in the UK. "There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK and we cannot interfere in another country's legal procedures, just as they cannot interfere in ours," he explained. Mr Nunoo-Mensah studied at the University of Nottingham before training in the US. A King's College Hospital spokeswoman said: "Mr Nunoo-Mensah has kept us informed of events and we are in regular contact with him. "We have a large colorectal team at King's, which includes three other colorectal surgeons. "We did have to cancel a small number of clinic appointments for non-urgent, non-cancer patients this week. These have been re-scheduled." There have been numerous high-profile cases of British people running into trouble with the law in Dubai, where Islam is the official religion and customs can be conservative. In 2008 a UK couple were jailed for three months for having sex on a beach. Other British women have been jailed for alleged adultery in the country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-43085594

Judicial review into £250m Rimrose Valley bypass Plans to build a new £250m bypass through a country park in Merseyside are to face a legal challenge. Highways England (HE) wants to build the road through Rimrose Valley in Litherland to ease congestion to the Port of Liverpool. Sefton Council accused HE of failing to consult on a tunnel option and has been granted a High Court judicial review. HE said it was "disappointed" at the ruling but campaigners say it is vital that local people "get a proper say". Campaigners said a road tunnel should be considered to ease traffic on the congested A5036 instead of routing traffic through "valuable" green space. But HE said a tunnel would cost £1.5bn and was not a "viable option". Sefton Council's leader Ian Maher criticised HE's failure to consult on the tunnel option. 'On the cheap' Cllr Maher said: "They completely disregarded this approach and ploughed on with a flawed consultation which is why we had no alternative but to apply for a judicial review." Stuart Bennett, 40, of the Friends of Rimrose Valley said: "We feel it's all been done on the cheap. "Rimrose Valley is valuable countryside for local residents and building a bypass would have health implications with petrol fumes and hundreds of kids having to cross it every day. "Now at least local people will get a proper say." HE said the bypass would improve access to the existing port as well as the £300m deep water container terminal Liverpool2 at Seaforth. A spokesperson said: "We are obviously disappointed that this issue will now proceed to the High Court, not least because of the inevitable delay this will mean in delivering this vital investment in the Port of Liverpool route and the benefits we believe it will deliver for people in the area as well as the local and regional economy."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4505222.stm

The average first-time buyer in Scotland is now taking four-and-a-half years to save for a 5% deposit on a home, according to research. First time buyers are finding it harder to get on the property ladder A study found the rise is on average 12 months longer than last year. National Savings and Investment also found the average price of a first home had risen by 12% to more than £106,000. But despite the long wait, people still fare better than in other parts of the UK. The Scottish Executive said it was acting to help first-time buyers. The NS&I findings suggested Scotland had experienced a particularly strong growth in property prices over the past year. The 12% average price rise in first time buyer property was one of the highest percentage growths recorded across all UK regions. It was also almost twice the UK average of 6.5%. However, it was found that house buyers elsewhere in the UK were paying on average £40,000 more for their first property. The report showed that average first-time buyer incomes had also risen over the same period, but at a slower rate of 9.3%, leaving a widening gap between prices and affordability. Dax Harkins, senior savings strategist at NS&I, said first-time buyers were finding it more difficult than ever to get a foot on the property ladder. He added: "Traditionally, Scottish first-time buyers have benefited from relatively low house prices. "However, the cost of purchasing a first home has been steadily creeping up and our data shows that Scotland had the highest annual increase in the time it takes to save for a 5% deposit. "While it is unlikely that prices in Scotland will ever reach the same highs as areas such as London, lower incomes in this region mean that first-time buyers find it just as difficult to get their foot on the property ladder and need to save harder than ever to achieve this goal." A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "Homestake, the executive's scheme to help first-time buyers and other people on low incomes get their foot on the property ladder was launched earlier this year. "Administered by the housing agency Communities Scotland, we expect when fully up and running to help 1,000 people a year, who otherwise couldn't afford it, get the keys to their own home." Scottish Socialist Party leader Colin Fox said he was not surprised by the predicament of first-time buyers. He said: "Many first-time buyers are burdened with massive student debts, and face several years paying inflated private rents or living with their parents before finding a place on the property ladder. "Tens of thousands of Scots of all ages live in inadequate housing, excluded from the property ladder and unable to secure good quality social housing which meets their needs. "Over 400,000 homes in Scotland have been taken out of the public sector by right to buy. Isn't it about time the executive listened to this, and started funding good quality public housing?"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53473616

The UK economy has "clawed back" about half the fall in output it saw during the peak of the coronavirus lockdown in March and April, according to the Bank of England's chief economist. Andy Haldane told MPs there had been a "V" shaped "bounceback". Last month, Mr Haldane said the economy was "on track for a quick recovery" - the so-called "V" shape. However, other economists have expressed doubts about the potential for such a swift recovery in activity. "Roughly half of the roughly 25% fall in activity during March and April has been clawed back over the period since," Mr Haldane told members of the Treasury Select Committee. The economy had grown by about 1% per week, he said. "We have seen a bounceback. So far, it has been a 'V'. That of course doesn't tell us about where we might go next," he added. The latest economic growth figures for May indicated an increase of 1.8%, but Mr Haldane is known to take into account unofficial real-time data, such as Google searches and credit card receipts. Commenting on those figures at the time, Thomas Pugh, UK economist at Capital Economics, said the data showed the recovery was "maybe not so V-shaped after all" and that "hopes of a rapid rebound from the lockdown are wide of the mark". "Indeed, the path to full economic recovery will probably be much longer than most people anticipate," he added. Mr Haldane was speaking at a hearing to reconfirm him as a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). He was the only member of the nine-strong MPC who last month voted against an expansion of quantitative easing - expanding the asset purchase programme aimed at boosting the economy. However, he told MPs unemployment was rising fast and was probably about 6% now, compared with 3.9% in the most recent official figures. He also repeated his fear that unemployment could hit its highest level since the mid-1980s as the long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic hit demand for staff in retail and hospitality. Dharshini David, BBC business correspondent A speedy bounceback to activity, livelihoods and incomes is what we all hope for. But most economists doubt it'll be that straightforward or painless to get back to business as usual. So far the official data hasn't been encouraging. After losing a quarter of its output in the first six weeks of lockdown, output - or GDP - recouped only 1.8% in May. Mr Haldane is known to be fond of more up-to-date unofficial data - Google searches, credit card transactions for example. That's why he's hopeful we're halfway back to the previous level of activity. But even if it is so far so good, the real issue is what happens next. The Bank of England expects unemployment to jump to 9% - but it's unusual in assuming that will fall back quickly, with no long-term fallout, or scarring, on prospects and incomes. It is that risk that most other analysts worry will derail confidence and spending - the underpinnings of any recovery. So the hoped-for V could look quite different. And that's even before the possibility of a second wave and shutdown is considered.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-23436075

Challenges await new Stormont ministers Durkan and Hamilton Buckingham Palace isn't the only place where they are changing the guard. The fresh faces at Stormont may not be quite as wrinkle-free as the baby prince, but how they cope with the challenges ahead should liven up the autumn when MLAs return to the blue benches. Mark H Durkan has already stepped into Alex Atwood's shoes at the environment department. Next week the DUP is expected to confirm Simon Hamilton's appointment at finance. The current incumbent Sammy Wilson has already acknowledged that this week's proposal to scrap relief payments to thousands of low income ratepayers will probably be his final act as Finance Minister. Sammy Wilson joked that, unlike Labour's Liam Byrne, he isn't going to leave a note for Simon Hamilton telling him there's no money left. After an eventful period as the environment minister who didn't believe in man-made climate change, the East Antrim MP is proud of his period in charge of Stormont's finances and insists his successor will inherit a healthy position from which to negotiate the 2015/16 budget. The looming ban on double jobbing at Westminster and Stormont made Sammy Wilson's replacement inevitable. It will be interesting to see whether he opts in the future to hold on to his Westminster seat or to concentrate on Stormont.Knockabout humour Being an MP may be officially a rung up the political ladder from being an MLA. But for someone - like Mr Wilson - who wants to keep busy, Stormont increasingly appears to look like the place to be. Simon Hamilton won't match Mr Wilson for knockabout humour. However, anyone who has watched him in the assembly chamber will appreciate his cool competence. The SDLP's Mark H Durkan is also well liked at Stormont. Whether he can match Alex Attwood's eye for detail is more open to doubt. Sometimes under attack from his colleagues, Mr Atwood could always hold his own. Mark H Durkan has proved himself as a pugilist in a charity boxing ring, but will the Foyle MLA be as quick on his feet when the verbal fisticuffs are flying around the executive table? Decisions to watch include whether the new environment minister decides not to pull the Planning Bill after the DUP and Sinn Fein ambushed Alex Attwood with their proposal to take control of new special economic zones. Mark Durkan also has to handle the local government reorganisation bill with the clock ticking down to the elections for new "super councils" pencilled in for next year. Besides his budget negotiations and handling of public sector pension changes, there are fewer specific items which jump out of Simon Hamilton's in-tray, in part because any new phase in the debate over corporation tax will have to await the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum. But at finance, you are the minister with a finger in everyone else's pie. So it's certain the Strangford MLA will be kept busy - particularly if the assembly parties fail to resolve their differences over welfare reform and the Treasury starts to levy multi-million pound fines on Stormont from the turn of the year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11102558

Paul Bremer: 'US must not walk away from Iraq' Paul Bremer was the top civil administrator in Iraq until transferring sovereignty back to the Iraqi interim government in 2004. He argues that, despite the good work done in Iraq, a continued role for US government officials in the country is vital to ensure an open, democratic nation. As American troops end their combat role in Iraq, Americans, and citizens of countries that fought alongside us liberating Iraq, can take a certain measure of satisfaction with the progress there. To be sure, anti-democratic extremists continue their attacks. Iraqis still struggle to establish a new government and to provide essential services, like electric power. Today for the first time in the country's history, Iraqis are citizens, not subjects, of their government” But amidst the fevered commentary, a bit of perspective seems appropriate. Having lost many American and Iraqi friends in this war, I'm fully aware that every casualty is painful. But it's worth remembering that Iraqi and American casualties are 95% lower than three years ago. And while still below demand, electricity production is 40% above pre-war levels. We Americans, in particular, might moderate our criticism of the lengthy efforts to establish representative government. Remember: it took us seven years to win our independence, 12 years to write our constitution and 20 years before we even had political parties. Establishing democratic rule in Iraq will not be easy, certainly no easier than it was in America. But to say that something is difficult is not to say that it's undesirable or impossible. The bigger picture confirms that the vast majority of Iraqis want their country to be ruled by a government chosen by its citizens, not by a tyrant which, until liberation in 2003, had been Iraq's sad history. End Quote Paul Bremer Former US Administrator to Iraq America must not walk away from the still-limited success in Iraq” Over the past five years, millions of Iraqis have braved terrorist threats to vote in four elections and in one referendum, in which they approved the most progressive constitution in any Arab country in history. That revolutionary document acknowledges fundamental human rights, the equality of the sexes and freedom of religion. It establishes the rule of law, the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. Of course, the constitution is only a document and must be respected in practice. Still, the bottom line: today for the first time in the country's history, Iraqis are citizens, not subjects, of their government. The delay in forming a government is frustrating, even disappointing. But the lively Iraqi debate about establishing a government is itself refreshing and, ironically, a measure of how far Iraq has come. Under Saddam, such talk would have resulted in torture or death. Today, nowhere else in the Arab Muslim world is this kind of open discussion encouraged or even tolerated. This underscores the stakes in Iraq. For if the ancient land of Mesopotamia can establish a representative government, guided by modern constitutional principles, the example shows that other Arab Muslim countries, too, can be ruled by their people. Democracy in a major Arab nation also refutes the claim by Islamic extremists that Islam is in fundamental discord with the modern world and must wage war on it. America must not walk away from the still-limited success in Iraq. Iraq lives in a dangerous neighbourhood. The ancient pre-Islamic frontier between Arab and Persian civilisations runs along its eastern border. With a population of only 30 million, Iraq will never be able to generate conventional forces alone able to balance Iran with twice the population base. And a nuclear-armed Iran, which the American government rightly declares "unacceptable", would threaten Iraq, the entire region and broader American interests. So America has ongoing interests in Iraq's success and stability. Our security agreement calls for the withdrawal of all American forces by the end of next year. But that agreement also provides that the two countries can undertake "strategic deliberations" about defending Iraq against internal and external threats. The American government should soon begin quiet discussions with the Iraqis about how, after next year, we can continue to support Iraq as it moves along the difficult road to an open, democratic society.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6450367.stm

By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News Europe's proposed satellite-navigation system, Galileo, faces big delays and cost overruns unless major obstacles to its development are removed - and fast. So far, only test spacecraft for Galileo have been launched A large order for spacecraft must be placed in the coming months if the project is to keep to a 2011-12 target for full operational deployment. But negotiations to set up the private framework that will implement and run the system have now been suspended. It has fallen to the German government to try to break the impasse. The Germans currently hold the European Presidency, and its Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee is set to chair a number of critical meetings. One of these is the gathering of his EU counterparts in Brussels next week. On the agenda will be a report about the glacial progress that has been made towards establishing the private company which will buy most of Galileo's infrastructure and sell its services. This is supposed to be a "merged consortium" comprising some of the biggest names in the European aerospace industry: EADS, Thales, Inmarsat, Alcatel-Lucent, Finmeccanica, AENA, Hispasat, and an eighth partner that includes Deutsche Telekom and the German Aerospace Centre. Since June 2005, public officials have been negotiating with this group to put in place the details of a 20-year concession. GALILEO UNDER CONSTRUCTION A European Commission and European Space Agency project 30 satellites to be launched in batches by end of 2011-12 Will work alongside US GPS and Russian Glonass systems Promises real-time positioning down to less than a metre Guaranteed under all but most extreme circumstances Suitable for safety-critical roles where lives depend on service But these discussions are now on hold because the consortium itself cannot agree a common commercial position. And in addition to these differences, there are also complaints of political meddling, with EU member states still pushing for their interests to be made paramount. Arguments continue over where control centres should be sited and where industrial contracts should be placed. "There is a minority of shareholders inside the consortium who are strongly advocating what they feel are their national and commercial interests, to the detriment, quite frankly, of the overall project," explained Ruy Pinto, director of satellite operations and navigation at Inmarsat. "I can say that comfortably because Inmarsat has constantly advocated that we move forward and treat this as a European project. We are advocating a compromise that makes business sense and does not delay the project further," he told BBC News. The intention behind Galileo was that taxpayers in the EU would inject more than one billion euros (£0.7bn) into the early development of the project. The deployment phase - the launch of the satellites and the construction of ground stations - was expected to cost at least two billion more, with two-thirds of the investment being borne by the private sector. The latter was also expected to pick up all the running costs in the long term. The first demonstrator spacecraft, Giove-A, is already in orbit. A second, Giove-B, which has had some technical problems, should be in orbit by the year's end. And a third test platform, Giove-A2, has also just been ordered from manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in the UK. These demonstrators are being lofted to secure the radio frequencies allocated by the international community to Galileo and to allow in-orbit testing of key technologies, such as the atomic clocks that are essential to the operation of a sat-nav system. The contract for the first four satellites proper in the final constellation was awarded at the end of 2004, but the time has now come to order the remaining 26. If some of this order is not placed in the next few months, a major gap will develop in the deployment phase, leading to a big delay in the completion and operation of Galileo. It should be the private concession making the spacecraft order - but it does not formally exist yet. Pedro Pedreira runs the GSA (GNSS Supervisory Authority), the agency tasked by the EU with trying to seal the public-private partnership (PPP) and then act as watchdog to the newly formed Galileo operations company. He told BBC News that to date there had simply not been enough communication and flexibility on the part of many involved in the discussions. And he warned that unless matters changed soon, the whole PPP approach might have to be reviewed. "We have given an opportunity to this model of partnership and if it doesn't work - and we will continue to try to make it work and we believe we can make it work - then we have to move on because it is too important for Europe to lose this chance," he said. "We are in danger of delaying the full operational capability (FOC) of the system because we are discussing details that will not impact on FOC but will only be relevant many years afterwards. "We have to break down this agreement into phases and start with what is very urgent; and urgent is everything that has an impact on the FOC of the system." Timeline slippage has been a constant feature of Galileo. When the project was given its final go-ahead by European ministers in 2004, the date of 2008 was still being touted for FOC. This was later moved to 2010; it has now gone out to 2011-12. When the system does finally get into orbit, it is expected to drive a multi-billion euro industry in which receivers find their way into many more markets - from consumer mobile devices, such as phones, to safety-critical applications, such as guided trains and buses. Its next-generation technologies promise performance improvements that should see sat-nav receivers get a fix in even the deepest "urban canyons". Satellite navigation systems determine a position by measuring the distances to a number of known locations - the Galileo satellites The distance to one satellite defines a sphere of possible solutions; the distances to four satellites defines a single, common area The accuracy of the distance measurements determines how small the common area is and thus the accuracy of the final location In practice, a receiver captures atomic-clock time signals sent from the satellites and converts them into the respective distances The whole system is monitored from the ground to ensure satellite clocks do not drift and give out misleading timings

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4478824.stm

Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has appeared in a Baghdad court as his trial on charges of murder and torture resumes after six weeks. Here are some of the key comments made in court. FORMER IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN "They brought me here to the door and I was handcuffed. They cannot bring in the defendant in handcuffs." "How can a defendant defend himself if his pen was taken. Saddam Hussein's pen and papers were taken. I don't mean a white paper. There are papers downstairs that include my remarks in which I express my opinion." "I don't want you to alert them! I want you to order them. They are in our country. You are an Iraqi, you are sovereign and they are foreigners, invaders, and occupiers." [speaking after hearing Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin would speak to Saddam's guards about his complaints] WADAH ISMAEL AL-SHEIKH, FORMER IRAQI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER AND WITNESS "They rounded up 400 people from the town - women, children and old men. Saddam's personal bodyguards took part in killing people." "I don't know why so many people were arrested. [Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti] "was the one directly giving the orders." BARZAN IBRAHIM AL-TIKRITI, SADDAM'S HALF BROTHER AND CO-ACCUSED "This is indirect murder. I was examined three months ago and diagnosed with cancer. The trial and the care for the accused are two separate affairs." (complaining of a lack of medical care in custody)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15403124

SNP's John Swinney allays church fears on gay marriage Scottish cabinet member John Swinney has allayed fears that churches refusing to hold gay marriages could be open to court action. The Scottish government, which favours the move, is consulting on the issue. In a BBC news website interview, SNP Finance Secretary Mr Swinney said he did not think there would be "a danger" of court test cases. Meanwhile, party members debated gay marriage at a busy fringe meeting at the SNP conference in Inverness. Same-sex couples in Scotland currently have the option to enter into civil partnerships, but the SNP promised in its manifesto to consult on new legislation allowing gay marriages in churches. But a parliamentary motion tabled by SNP MSP John Mason, stating no person or organisation should be forced to be involved in or to approve of same-sex marriage, sparked a row within the party, with some of his colleagues saying his action encouraged discrimination. Speaking in a live webcast at the SNP conference in Inverness, Mr Swinney said he was personally in support of gay marriage, but insisted no part of the religious community would be forced to hold gay weddings. He added: "I acknowledge this has divided opinion across Scotland. End Quote John Swinney SNP Finance Secretary The protection is also there so that no individual within the religious community is in no way obliged to do this” "I think the government's right to go into consultation. The protection is also there so that no individual within the religious community is in no way obliged to do this." And, when asked about possible test cases against churches refusing to hold same-sex ceremonies, Mr Swinney said: "I don't think that's a danger at all. "I think this is an issue of clear sensitivity and, if we are making the provision available, we have to make it available on the basis that the commitments and the protections that we put in place are commitments and protections that we can fully honour." The finance secretary went on: "You have to look at the way in which issues and debates develop within your country. "The government must be responsive to the aspirations and attitudes of people within our country. Equally, we must also be responsive to the concerns and anxieties that exist on particular issues." The fringe meeting debate on gay marriage - which is not being discussed at the conference itself - was hosted by MEP Alyn Smith. He said: "I'm proud of our party - even more than I usually am. "We've taken on a real issue of real importance to the future of our nation about what sort of society we want to be. "We are having that discussion in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect and mutual affection." Most contributors spoke in support of gay marriage, although there were several dissenting voices, including SNP member Ann Cameron, who told the meeting: "I'm very sad to see that young people are being given the sort of ideas that they are apparently accepting. "There's a saying that, when your son asks for bread, he's being given a stone, and I think that's the stage that the SNP has reached. I just can't say how sad I am about it." Borders delegate Sue Carroll, added: "I'm a believer in the bible. I have personally read it from cover to cover, so I know what the bible says. "We are at the threshold of independence, and we are here because God has blessed this nation." She added: "Independence depends on what the SNP does with this issue, and whether we will be blessed. God's blessing will fall from us if we allow gay marriage rather than partnership." SNP Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart said he believed gay marriage will happen in Scotland. And, in reference to the row over scrapping the ban on teaching homosexuality in schools at the start of devolution, he said: "They're trying to say it's our 'Section 28 moment'. "It's not our party's 'Section 28 moment' - this is a debate that will be held with mutual respect, that will listen to the other side." Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Fiona McLeod called for a more secular society, saying: "I've been married for 32 years and I've never understood why my marriage had anything to do with a church and not to do with the state. "I would like to propose that, in an independent Scotland, marriage is something that is recognised by the state and, thereafter, can be blessed by a church, if that's what the two people want."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/i/inverness_ct/6972993.stm

Inverness Caledonian Thistle have signed goalkeeper Zibi Malkowski on a season-long loan from Hibernian. Zibi Malkowski fell out of favour at Hibs last season And new boss Craig Brewster is hopeful of adding a central defender before the transfer window closes on Friday. The 29-year-old Malkowski had spent the end of last season on loan with Gretna, helping them win promotion to the SPL. Gretna had considered re-signing the Pole this season, but he will instead join Caley Thistle as competition for Michael Fraser. Ally Ridgers, who had been second choice, has joined Elgin City along with midfielder Zander Sutherland. The 27-year-old goalkeeper will remain with the Third Division outfit for the season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2850295.stm

A campaign to keep foreign tourists safe from abduction is to be launched in the Indian state of Rajasthan. By Narayan Bareth BBC correspondent in Jaipur The move follows the recent kidnapping of a Danish man, Thomas Jenson. Police rescued Mr Jenson on Wednesday from a gang of criminals after he was held captive for over five days. Around 500,000 foreign tourists visit Rajasthan each year. The director of tourism in Rajasthan, Rajiv Sawroop told the BBC his department has formulated an awareness campaign to reduce the possibility of such incidents. "We would warn the tourists adequately otherwise such incidents can affect the tourism industry in the state," Mr Sawroop said. He said notices would be but up in hotels and important tourist destinations across the state. The police rescued Mr Jenson after a car chase on a highway in Rajasthan. Nine men were arrested in connection with the abduction. A senior police officer, Rohit Mahajan, said the police hope to arrest more people in relation to the case. The gang was demanding $15,000 for his release. Jaipur is popular with tourists According to police, the group lured Mr Jenson by offering to help him shop and then transport home some precious stones and jewellery. Mr Jenson's family had contacted some friends in Delhi about the abduction saying he was making frantic calls requesting money. Tourists are often lured by criminals who offer to export jewellery at much cheaper rates than mainstream organisations. The state government already introduced a special tourist police force to help provide safety to visitors. Police also asked Mr Jenson if he still needed additional security and requested that he continue with his holiday in Rajasthan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/4596338.stm

A Coventry flooring firm has been fined after a worker was burned using machinery with no protective guard. The Amtico Company Limited, based in Kingfield Road, was fined £40,000 after admitting a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Warwick Crown Court heard machine operative Liaquat Ali Khan was burned by a laminator machine as he threaded a piece of PVC in between two rollers. A fixed guard for the machine had never been put in place, the court was told. This was the second time the flooring company has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Jenny Skeldon, prosecuting HSE inspector, said the firm failed to make sure there were "adequate measures" to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the pre-embossing machine. "At the time of the accident involving Mr Khan there was no guard in place and access to the dangerous parts was easily accessible," she said. "It is the employers' duty to ensure that risks to safety within the workplace are adequately assessed and that adequate control measures are implemented to avoid injury." The firm was order to pay £8,567 costs.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-20465065

University Campus Suffolk's union to close Kai Bar - 23 November 2012 - From the section Suffolk A university bar and restaurant in Suffolk is to close after posting continued "significant losses" since it opened two years ago. Kai Bar & Bistro is run by the students' union at University Campus Suffolk and is based at the £21m James Hehir building on Ipswich Waterfront. Eighteen staff work at the 300-capacity venue, which also hosts live music. Matthew Ensor, chief executive of the union, said "financial challenges" had forced the closure. A consultation process had begun with the staff members, Mr Ensor said. "UCS Union has faced challenging trading conditions in operating Kai for the last two years, leading to Kai posting significant losses in every year of operation," he said. "It is clear the trends that underpin these financial challenges are continuing and UCS Union has taken the difficult decision to close Kai on 22 December 2012." He said the union would work with UCS to "establish an alternative, viable use for Kai that benefits students and their developing needs".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7622644.stm

Norman Whitfield won two Grammy awards in his career Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, whose credits include hits I Heard It Through The Grapevine and War, has died in Los Angeles. Whitfield - believed to be 67 - worked at the legendary label in the '60s and '70s, adding a rock edge to soul music. Many of his hits were co-written with Barrett Strong, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The pair won a Grammy in 1972 for Papa Was A Rolling Stone by The Temptations. The Temptations' chart hits were all Whitfield's work, and he was their chief producer from 1966-74. The songwriter also co-wrote and produced songs for Gladys Knights and The Pips. He scooped another Grammy award in 1976 for the theme tune to Car Wash, which went on to become a chart hit for Rose Royce. The 1970 politically-charged War, performed by Edwin Starr and produced by Whitfield, reached number one in the US and number three in the UK. Whitfield's only UK number one was I Heard It Through The Grapevine - in 1969 - which also topped the charts in the US. The classic track, sung by Marvin Gaye, was recently ranked at 65 in Billboard's 100 most successful tracks of the last 50 years. Singer Smokey Robinson, one of Motown's best-known artists, hailed Whitfield as "one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers of our time". "He will live forever through his great music," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7710731.stm

Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriology expert, explains what C.diff is and how hands are the bugs "best friends". What is Clostridium difficile (C.diff)? Clostridium difficile is a member of a large group of bacteria, the clostridia, that grow in the absence of oxygen and are able to form heat-resistant spores. C.diff is a very tough bug that lives in people's intestines. It is common in young children and in people over the age of 75. When does it occur? It becomes a problem when a person's normal gut flora is disturbed, for example during antibiotic treatment. As well as doing its job to get rid of harmful bugs in the body, antibiotics also zap away the "friendly bacteria". Why is C.diff such a problem? There are very few antibiotics that are effective against C.diff and relapses are common after antibiotic treatment. Without the aid of "friendly bacteria", the C.diff grows and produces poison. How does it spread? C.diff is very clever in that it makes spores which are very tough. They can last in the environment for years. Spores can be spread in the wind, but C.diff's most efficient means of transport are the hands. It is very easy for the bug to get on the hands and once the hands touch the mouth, it is then very easy for it to travel to the gut. What is it resistant to? The bug can withstand heat. It can survive disinfectant and it does not mind alcohol. What are the symptoms of C.diff? Symptoms of the bug include mild to severe diarrhoea, blood-stained stools, fever and abdominal cramps. These symptoms are usually caused by an inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. In rare cases, C.diff can cause peritonitis, an infection of the lining in the abdomen, blood poisoning and tears in the large intestine. In very rare cases, a C.diff infection can be fatal. The risk of this is higher in elderly people and people who have other very serious health conditions. Who is Professor Hugh Pennington? Hugh Pennington is an emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen. Professor Hugh Pennington He chaired a Scottish Executive established expert group following the E.coli O157 outbreak in central Scotland in 1996. Prof Pennington also headed a public inquiry into the 2005 E.coli outbreak in Wales in which a five-year-old boy died. He has also been credited with having made a significant contribution to the science and practice of medical microbiology, to the health of the nation and to public understanding of science. 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/sport1/hi/cricket/4660393.stm

Vikram Solanki made cricket history at 1302 BST on Thursday by becoming the first super substitute as England took on Australia at Headingley. The batsman replaced Simon Jones, who bowled his 10 overs for 28 runs, and left the field at the end of the 31st over with Australia on 118-4. Under the new rules, Jones cannot play any more part in the first match of the NatWest Challenge. Umpire Rudi Koertzen made a "T" signal to announce the substitution. Jones said afterwards it was not pre-planned who would be substituted but it was clear it would be a tailender. He told Sky Sports: "I think Steve Harmison's quite jealous that I'm the lucky one. "I didn't bat well at Lord's when I was yorked so I think I was a prime candidate to be chosen. "I'll hang around and watch the boys now!" Australia brought their supersub Brad Hogg on in the 22nd over to replace batsman Matthew Hayden. Hogg, a spinner, would have been allowed to bowl a full 10 overs if he wanted to because Hayden had not bowled a ball. In the event he bowled six, taking 1-30. He made an immediate impact by dismissing Andrew Strauss, caught behind for 41, with his third delivery. In a further twist Hayden stayed on the field of play but as the 12th man after Shane Watson strained his left thigh.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-22698393/thai-central-bank-meets-to-decide-on-interest-rates

Thai central bank meets to decide on interest rates The Bank of Thailand is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss monetary policy. The decision to reduce interest rates or not has been the subject of intense debate, causing a rift between the government and the central bank. Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong has called on the central bank to cut the borrowing rate by at least 0.5%, but Thailand's central bank governor has argued that any decision will be guided by economic data and will not yield to outside pressure. Thailand's economy has recently lost steam, with exports and growth falling in the first quarter. This is due in part to do the strength of the Thai baht against other currencies, which has hurt exports. The government supports higher spending - giving subsidies for car and rice purchases - in a bid to kick-start demand. But the central government has taken the opposite view on the need to maintain fiscal discipline. The BBC's Jonathan Head reports. 29 May 2013 - From the section Business

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-16334132

Pagans attend winter solstice at Avebury stone circle The winter solstice has been celebrated at a Neolithic monument in Wiltshire. Seven people from the local Pagan community gathered at the Avebury standing stone circle earlier to mark the event. Keeper of the stones and archdruid Terry Dobney said the occasion was marked four days later than elsewhere because of geographical differences. He said: "It's complicated to work out, but at Avebury we celebrated the birth of the new sun this morning." Mr Dobney added: "People will argue and say the solstice was on the 22nd [of December] but at Avebury it was today." "We were staring at a clump of tees on the horizon through the grey clouds and suddenly [the sky] went pink," he said. "That was the moment."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/carlisle_united/5174094.stm

Darlington have had a club record £250,000 bid for Carlisle striker Michael Bridges turned down. Bridges joined Carlisle from Bristol City The offer came after manager David Hodgson received the financial backing of chairman George Houghton. But their advance was not enough to tempt the Cumbrian club to sell their biggest star. The 27-year-old forward began his career at Sunderland, before spending spells at Leeds, Newcastle, Bolton, Sunderland and Bristol City.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7134154.stm

Yakubu scored at Upton Park for the second time in a week Everton proved too good for West Ham for the second time in three days to remain unbeaten in 12 games. Yakubu, who sealed Everton's midweek Carling Cup win, headed home after good work from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta in the dying moments of the first half. West Ham missed a host of chances with Dean Ashton volleying wide and Freddie Ljungberg seeing a shot blocked. And Andy Johnson sealed the win deep in injury time, catching keeper Robert Green off his line. West Ham were eager to avenge Wednesday's 2-1 Carling Cup quarter-final defeat and driven forward by Scott Parker, they created plenty of goalscoring opportunities before Yakubu broke the deadlock moments before the half-time whistle. Parker was at the centre of all West Ham's moves going forward, most notably setting up Ashton's looping volley which drifted just wide of Tim Howard's goal midway through the first half. Ljungberg should have also done better but had his shot blocked after failing to make the most of a one-on-one with keeper Howard. But against the run of play, Everton gained a crucial edge when Arteta picked out Cahill in the Hammers box and the Australian headed back across the goal to leave the unmarked Yakubu with an easy nod past Green. It was only Everton's second clear chance of the half - the first came when Leon Osman found space on the edge of the Hammers box but slipped as he struck the ball and it sailed harmlessly over. West Ham were forced into a change at the start of the second half with Henri Camara on for the injured Carlton Cole. Parker continued to provide the spark in midfield but Everton, buoyed by their lead, showed more attacking intent and Lee Carsley unleashed a dangerous long-range effort towards the top right-hand corner of the goal, only to see it deflected wide. Osman was left to rue a missed opportunity when he was sent through into a one-on-one with Green but knocked the ball wide, while a drive from Yakubu from the edge of the box was parried away. Everton were forced to weather a late barrage, with West Ham keeper Green moving towards the halfway line to help hoist the ball into the box. But the Toffees regained possession and took advantage of a defenceless goal as substitute Johnson lofted a shot over the retreating Green to secure victory. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley: "Where we were left wanting is that we needed to take that first chance - we had a glorious couple of chances and didn't take them. "We've had two tight games with Everton but they've been closer than the scores suggest. I think Everton's first goal on the stroke of half-time was a blow. "But the second half, we gave it our best shot but didn't have the quality to break them down." Everton boss David Moyes on Yakubu: "It probably shouldn't be a surprise to him that he's a leading goalscorer. "He scores goals, he gets in the right position and his play has been really good - he's linking the team up and his work-rate is excellent. "We think we've got good players, a great football club, and we're trying to make strides in the Premier League." West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Noble 59), Parker, Mullins (Reid 79), Ljungberg, Ashton, Cole (Camara 46). Subs Not Used: Wright, Spector. Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Osman, Carsley, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu (Johnson 87). Subs Not Used: Wessels, Hibbert, Gravesen, McFadden. Booked: Yakubu, Johnson. Goals: Yakubu 45, Johnson 90. Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40348639

Scottish MEP made a Lord to take Scotland Office job Scottish Conservative MEP Ian Duncan has been appointed as a Scotland Office minister. Mr Duncan is to be given a peerage so that he can serve in the government as a member of the House of Lords. He will work alongside Scottish Secretary David Mundell, with a particular focus on the Brexit talks. Opposition politicians were critical of the move, as Mr Duncan failed to win election in Perth and North Perthshire but still entered the government. He lost out to the SNP's Pete Wishart by 21 votes, after a recount. However, with the announcement of his peerage, it was confirmed that Mr Duncan will serve as parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Scotland Office. Mr Duncan, who will step down as an MEP, said it was a "crucial time for Scotland" as the Brexit negotiations get under way. He has already said the Scottish government should have a seat at the table to "see exactly what is going on". On his appointment he said: "Having worked in Brussels for many years as an MEP, and previously as an EU advisor to the Scottish Parliament, I understand how important it is that we build a new partnership with the EU, while making sure that whole of the UK gets the best possible deal, especially around crucial issues for Scotland such as fisheries, agriculture and energy. "Working alongside Scottish Secretary David Mundell, and in close collaboration with the Scottish government, I look forward to playing a key role in helping build Scotland's economy and strengthen the union. We are in a strong position to deliver for Scotland." Mr Wishart said the appointment of Mr Duncan was "so wrong" and "an insult to my constituents who recently rejected him", adding: "The abuse of the undemocratic House of Lords as a receptacle for cronies, donors and the defeated should no longer be accepted".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-39030786

In pictures: Saving Zanzibar’s heritage Situated off the coast of Tanzania, the island of Zanzibar features many examples of Swahili architecture. However, after years of neglect, many of the buildings are crumbling. Now, a small group of local artisans is fighting to bring back the traditional skills and knowledge needed to preserve these buildings. Stone Town, the historical part of Zanzibar's capital, was listed as a cultural World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 2000. However, its buildings have been affected by a growing population, increased traffic and the tropical climate of the island. The use of concrete for repairs, instead of traditional sand and lime mortar, has exacerbated the decline of many buildings such as the palace of Mtoni. Students of the Zanzibar Built Heritage Job Creation project, which aims to resurrect the traditional skills needed to restore the buildings, have been trained in carpentry and masonry. Omar Yussuf Abdallah, 38, says: "This training will give me a salary and help my life. "It will help me to teach others how to protect our culture and Stone Town's doors." A mix of old lime-washed, coralline ragstone and more modern, concrete buildings, Stone Town's skyline now has a more certain future. Photographs by Aurelie Marrier d'Unienville

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/4512995.stm

A five-year-old Shropshire boy discovered a live two-foot snake in his box of breakfast cereal. Corn snakes can grow up to 6ft long Jordan Willett, from Dawley, found the corn snake inside the packet of Golden Puffs on Bank Holiday Monday. His mother Theresa, 23, said he was still in shock and not eating. The cereal was bought at a Netto store on the Wrekin Retail Park. The supermarket's trading director said it was a "bizarre" incident that was being taken very seriously. Ms Willett, who was eating breakfast with her son at the time, said she first thought the snake was a free gift. Describing the incident, she said: "My lad, he went to open his cereal and luckily enough I was behind him because a snake popped out. "I just screamed. I grabbed the box off him and found some Sellotape." She added: "Jordan's still in shock today. He's not eating. Neither am I." The family, who bought the 89p packet of cereal on Saturday, said they would be taking things further. Netto trading director Clive Cooper said: "This does seem to be a bizarre incident but we are taking it very seriously. "Netto is in discussions with its supplier to ensure that all procedures are reviewed and we will be making checks on our stock." An expert called in to examine the corn snake, which is non-venomous and feeds on mice and birds, said he was sure the animal had been kept as a pet in England and had been well looked after.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6677635.stm

Hundreds gathered in Beirut to watch a funeral procession for soldiers who were killed in fighting with Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. The soldiers' relatives comforted each other during the ceremony. Fighting began when security forces tried to arrest bank robbery suspects in the Nahr al-Bared camp. The army has continued to pound the refugee camp, where militants from the Fatah al-Islam group are thought to be holed up. Soldiers have tightened the siege around the Nahr al-Bared, after more than 50 people died in Lebanon's bloodiest internal fighting since the country's civil war ended 17 years ago. Some wounded Palestinians have been taken to the nearby Badawi refugee camp to receive treatment from the Palestinian Red Crescent. Palestinian youths took to the streets in Badawi to protest against Lebanon's bombardment of Nahr al-Bared.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7380064.stm

Ibuprofen was the most commonly used painkiller in the study Long-term use of ibuprofen may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a large US study reports. Data from almost 250,000 veterans showed those who used the painkiller for more than five years were more than 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer's. The study in Neurology reported that some other similar painkillers may also have a protective effect. Dementia experts said the results were interesting but warned against people taking ibuprofen to reduce their risk. It is not the first time an association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, and Alzheimer's disease has been reported but results have been conflicting. The researchers from Boston University School of Medicine said one possible reason for inconsistent reports may be that different NSAIDs have different effects. They looked at five years of data in 49,300 people over the age of 55 years who had developed Alzheimer's disease and almost 200,000 controls. Overall, use of NSAIDs for five years was associated with a 24% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's. But the effects of ibuprofen were the most profound and some other NSAIDs, such as celecoxib, had no effect. Study leader Dr Steven Vlad said: "There are theoretical reasons to think that not all NSAIDs would behave the same way in terms of Alzheimer's disease." He said ibuprofen had been shown in animal models and the laboratory to reduce levels of protein deposits associated with Alzheimer's in the brain. The results are probably partly due to direct effects of the drug and partly due to the fact ibuprofen is the most commonly used NSAID so the finding would be picked up more easily, he added. But he added: "All NSAIDs have well known side-effects that can be very serious and we still need trials to make sure the risks and benefits are very clear." Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "This interesting research builds on evidence of the protective effects of long-term use of NSAIDs against Alzheimer's disease. "Whilst this is important research it does not mean that people should start taking ibuprofen to reduce their risk of developing dementia. "Long-term use of NSAIDs is associated with a number of very significant side-effects." He added it was now up to researchers to use the results in the development of future treatments for the condition. Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said the results were promising. "The apparent connection between ibuprofen and a reduced risk of dementia is no silver bullet, but indicates an exciting direction for future research," she said. A separate study also published in Neurology showed people with shorter arms and legs may be at a higher risk for developing dementia later in life. The US researchers said poor nutrition in early life may be the link between the two.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7794708.stm

Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. See Murphy fluke pink to seal UK crown Shaun Murphy clinched a dramatic 10-9 victory over Marco Fu to win the UK Championship in Telford. Murphy had led 5-3 at the interval but his opponent from Hong Kong battled back to level at 6-6 and was within sight of the title when 9-8 in front. But Englishman Murphy held his nerve in a tense and scrappy finish, levelling at 9-9 before clinching the decider thanks to a fluke on the pink. Murphy, 26, adds the UK crown to the World Championship he won in 2005. He had been the more consistent of the two finalists, recording breaks of 73, 77, 87 and 99 on the way to victory, but he came up against a resilient opponent. That was the worst match we've both played this tournament but that just shows the pressure we were under "It's been a while and I've never felt pressure like that," Murphy told BBC Sport. "That was worse than the world title in 2005 because it has been such a long time since I was competing for a title. "That was the worst match we've both played this tournament but that just goes to show the pressure we were under." Fu, 30, said: "I never really settled and Shaun was winning frames in one visit and I wasn't really scoring enough. "I was surprised to win nine frames because I didn't play well under pressure and Shaun did." Winning the title was a superb achievement for Murphy, given his previous form this season. He arrived in Telford not having won a tournament match all season but beat Martin Gould, Mark Allen, Stephen Lee and Stephen Maguire to reach the final. His success makes him only the 10th player to have won both the UK and World crowns. The evening session resulted in Murphy increasing his lead to 6-3 in the opening frame and after both players missed chances of match-winning breaks in the next, Fu finally potted brown, blue and pink to take it and stay in touch. Fu cut the deficit further in the 11th frame after Murphy failed to escape a snooker on the brown and then he levelled the match after Murphy potted the cue ball after sinking a red. Three big breaks helped Murphy win the first two frames after the mid-session interval to go 8-6 up but once again Fu hit back - making the score 8-8 after taking three chances to get out of a snooker in frame 16. Fu finally went ahead for the first time in the match in the next frame but Murphy was not to be denied and won the last two frames to take the title and move back up to third in the world rankings, having slipped to sixth. Fu, who began the season ranked 14th, climbs to number six. Shaun Murphy (Eng) 10-9 Marco Fu (HK) 74-38 48-56 99-0 (99) 17-103 (102) 70-4 73-0 (73) 0-143 (69, 74) 66-31 77-1 (77) 51-66 52-74 (47 59) 45-58 109-0 (54) 87-0 (87) 39-73 40-73 23-93 69-1 (69) 69-24

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-23326094

Portsmouth park-and-sail service launched A new park-and-sail service is to launch in Portsmouth to allow shoppers to get to Portsmouth Harbour. The initiative, run by Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth International Port and Gunwharf Quays, is aimed at reducing congestion in the city. Last month, the council apologised after roadworks on the M275 caused gridlock and forced some drivers to abandon their cars. The service, costing £5 per vehicle, will run at weekends from 27 July. Visitors will be able to park at a multi-storey car park off the M275 at Portsmouth International Port where a shuttle bus will take them to a waiting boat. The 25-minute boat trip passes the Royal Navy ships before arriving underneath the Spinnaker Tower. It will operate from 10:00 to 18:30 BST until 26 August. Transport councillor Jason Fazackarley said: "As Portsmouth is an island and there are only three strategic routes to the mainland, congestion is a very real issue, especially at weekends. "The aim of the park and sail service is to reduce congestion on the roads, attract more visitors to the area and improve connectivity between the motorway, port and Gunwharf Quays."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3251024.stm

What has firewood got to do with the information superhighway? Three years ago the United Nations adopted an ambitious blueprint considered a defining moment for global cooperation in the 21st century. By Steve Buckley World Association of Community Radio The Millennium Declaration set out a vision for peace, security and disarmament, protecting the environment, development and poverty eradication, human rights, democracy and good governance, protecting the vulnerable and meeting the special needs of Africa. It was agreed unanimously by all 189 UN member states. A year later the United Nations agreed to hold a World Summit on the Information Society in recognition of "the urgent need to harness the potential of knowledge and technology for promoting the goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration." As the summit rapidly approaches, such admirable ambitions look set to be dashed on the rocks of old style political wrangling in which vision is a scarce commodity indeed. Early drafts for the summit declaration spoke enthusiastically of the information society as "a new and higher form of social organisation". There has been very little sign of that. Civil society activists invited to work alongside governments and the private sector in a new and participatory "multi-stakeholder" approach have found themselves pushed into the margins, ignored and excluded from meetings, while governments tussle over issues such as media freedom, intellectual property, control of the internet and funding. Behind the obvious conflicts are more fundamental differences that coalesce around two main areas, human rights and development. Governments have been unable to agree even a commitment to basic human rights standards as underpinning the information society, even less have they acknowledged the real challenges for development. While governments debate the "digital divide" in Geneva, hundreds of millions of people in the poorest countries and communities of the world, women and girls in particular, spend much of their waking lives gathering firewood and water in order to prepare a basic meal for the day. A third of the world's population has no access to electricity and the world's population is growing faster than the rate of electrification. The prospects for the poorest people in the world to increase their prosperity through access to new information technologies looks remote in the face of such basic obstacles as electricity supply, access to education and the cost of equipment. With the lack of political will of many states to allow democratic expression and to give voice to the most marginalised groups the summit is now more or less guaranteed to fail in its objectives. Civil society groups believe another information society is possible, one in which knowledge is shared as part of the common good, communication technologies, old and new, are used to enable communities to speak for themselves, and unfettered access to the means of communication is guaranteed as an essential human right. Another information society is possible but any hope of achieving it will require governments at the World Summit to spend less time talking and more time listening. Steve Buckley is president of World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters and director of the UK Community Media Association.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2959264.stm

The first Asian family to be cast in EastEnders for 10 years has made its debut in Albert Square on BBC One. The Ferreiras threw a big party when they arrived in the Square The show's executive producer, Louise Berridge, said: "We didn't set out to look for an Asian family. We wanted a new family as there were various elements missing from the show. I thought we were short on males and needed a surge of testosterone," she said. Producers hope the family will have a big impact on the rest of the characters in the soap. What do you think? This debate is now closed. Please see below for a selection of your comments. Why is "Asian" such a narrow definition in Britain? Asia is a huge continent, yet here the term seems to restrict to India/Pakistan. What about Chinese? It's about time TV producers recognised the contribution of other "Asian" groups to British society too. Yes, let's have an Indian family, but yes, let's have a Chinese family too! And please, don't make them own a restaurant!! Yan Huang, UK I have watched EastEnders for years and Tuesday's episode was the end for me. How many families move in and have a party the same night? How many people invite a whole street to a party when they don't even know them and how many people would actually go to a new neighbour's party anyway?! What a load of rubbish! EastEnders storylines in every aspect are so lame, it's like they are trying to accommodate the Neighbours audience. If the same is applied to this new family then they will look as stupid as the rest of them. And how come there are no Chinese or Greek people on the show? EastEnders bears no resemblance to the EastEnd demographic I know. Apart from perhaps, in the pub. If you try and give the family any ethnic tradition that will be classed as crude stereotyping but without this there will surely be uproar that the family have been over-anglicised Simon Soaper, England Don't restrict the storylines to "Asian" stories. I have always thought that the problem soap writers had is they didn't realise that in the Asian community there are characters like Phil, Mark, Pauline, Ian etc. Their race shouldn't restrict the storylines. Speaking from experience, Asian familes have the same problems that other familes have. There are problems with drug addicts, crooks, adulterers, conmen, unemployment etc. out there, so use them as you would any family. Then the Asian family would be truly integrated into the EastEnders familes. Don't go the East is East, Corrie St route and get all clichéd on us. Be brave. Give them a few years and get them running the Queen Vic. I am so fed up about hearing how "finally we have a minority ethnic group" making the show more representative. I thought that everyone should be treated equally and that we are all the same. Highlighting that a new "Asian" family has arrived separates them straight away. From what I've read the producers weren't specifically looking for an Asian influence, they just liked them. All I hope is that they are all great actors so that they don't let the side down. Sorry EastEnders but you just aren't going to win this one. If you try and give the family any ethnic tradition that will be classed as crude stereotyping but without this there will surely be uproar that the family have been over-anglicised. We all know that every single family in this country is different in some way so whichever way they choose to write in this family, surely it will be plausible to some extent. It is good that an Asian family is in EastEnders because the soap needs some new and fresh talent but I hope the producers don't get carried away and start portraying Asians as how they were in the 60s and 70s with all the aranged marriages, bad English accent etc because we are the 2nd and 3rd generation of Asians in the UK. We are just as intelligent and sophisticated and as well educated as the British, if not better, so please don't look at us as 2nd class citizens. People like me along with thousands in the UK were born here and we are British, it wasn't our choice, so don't underestimate us. We are not characters from Goodness Gracious Me!! There's a lot more to Asians than arranged marriages, Bollywood, halal meat, saris and joss sticks and terrorists. Taz Hussain, England Another Asian family, another arrange marriage steroetype. The father is either a cabbie or a shop owner and one of the guys probably is in love with someone of a different race. All change then! Why can't they cast some Chinese members into the script? I think most Afro Caribbean folk watch EastEnders so it will be a challenge to see how they fare over the next coming months. I'm happy to see that the producers of this famous programme are giving the ethnic of colour a chance. There are no black families or programmes that last on the BBC and if they do they will after the watershed. I know I should be talking about EastEnders, but the only programmes that had any meaning was Real McCoy and Babyfather. Edgar Bernard, England What can I say, another Asian family or otherwise known as an Indian family? Why can't they cast some Chinese members into the script? Ming Fai Fan, UK Mark, yawn all you like but Eastenders needs an Asian family! It's surprising that a soap set in 21st century East London wasn't being represented at all in the last eight years, I think it's a step in the right direction and I hope this will bring more interesting and varied storylines to the soap. Just take yesterday's conversation in the Vic, how many times are you going to hear anyone talking about the cow being a holy animal to Hindus? Brilliant! Bring it on!! I'm very pleased to see this new addition to Albert Square. There is a lot of Asian talent around; hopefully this will encourage aspiring Asian actors. Also, this is a small step in the right direction towards racial integration. The dad thinks he's Elvis... come on, that's GOT to be entertaining!! I am glad they are finally going to have an Asian family, but I hope it does not become the usual "arranged marriages etc" plots for them though. Well, we will see how long it takes before the whole family move back to India, after working in a corner shop and a failed mixed relationship. I think it's good news but only if they do something different with the characters than the usual stereotypical portrayal of an Asian family. (Daughters secretly seeing a forbidden guy, at home she must do all the cooking and cleaning, the brothers can do what they want....blah!, blah!) Arranged marriages...forget it! Times are changing and yes, even in British-Asian families. As an Asian I believe this is a breakthrough for the Asian community. All EastEnders needs is to give the family a STRONG storyline which will concrete their precence in the soap. There are a number of issues related to Asians which may not be understood by other ethnic groups, therefore EastEnders can break this barrier. Abbid Hussain, UK Does it matter? They are characters, same as all the others. I don't look at characters on TV and think that a certain race is missing. To me it makes no difference what race the character is. As long as they add something to the story then that's all that matters. I hope EastEnders isn't going to spend the next few weeks preaching to us like it did in Tuesday night's episode. All the locals have pre-conceptions of what the Asian family will be like, until it turns out that - hey, they're just like the rest of us. Oh please!! This sends out the message that ethnic minorities are acceptable so long as they're sufficiently anglicised. I think it's a great idea to perk the soap up with a lively Asian family. Living in the East End as I do, you see a mix of races on the street - white are often in the minority, so it's good to represent this in the soap. But please, no more of Jim Branning's tiresome racist remarks! Flash Wilson, UK I think it's fab news! Since Sanjay and Gita departed our screens in 1998, I don't think EastEnders has been fully representative of a true East End community. Good on ya!! Ben Dobbs, UK I seem to remember EastEnders introducing a variety of "non-white" characters round about the late eighties. Most of them mysteriously returned to their country of origin within a few months because the writers ran out of ideas. More recently, the Italian Di Marcos were axed fairly sharply. Let's hope this new lot fair a bit better. Not to be shallow but it's a nice change to have some good-looking men in the soap for a change. A programme that classed Phil Mitchell as a "hunk" needed some serious help. You've done it before - why should this family be any different? So there's more Bollywood awareness - big deal! Just stick to what you're good at and don't go all musical on us!!! Great news, but let's hope they don't end up depressing like the rest of the cast! Will Dawe, UK The new family could breathe life into Eastenders if the script writers allow for this to happen. In my opinion the script writers do not know how to write for Asian and black characters and have failed miserably throughout the years. This family will be written out of the show within 2-3 years. All I can say is finally! We have a true representation of the Eastend now, because there's an Asian family. Good on yah! All the other British soaps and channels will go into hiding because the BBC are the first to promote such a family and I'm sure you're gonna do it in style. I am not sure if it will bring new life into EastEnders. The series, although great, seems to be going from drama to drama and the producers might be running out of ideas. Let's see what happens and if this new family can bring more and new exciting drama!!! What do I think of the Ferreiras? Nothing yet! We've had a couple of distance glimpses of Kareena and two seconds of Dan dressed as Elvis. Not much to go on, is it? Ask us again when they've actually done something worth commenting on... Any new family in a popular soap like EastEnders will cause some impact on the rest of the characters, but I don't believe this new family will provide the "missing" element for the show. It would take a lot more for the producers to find the "missing" element than introducing a new family. Yawn, EastEnders jumps late onto love affair with India bandwagon. Next.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-21273782

Kharim Rhony: Plymouth boy missing for six days - 31 January 2013 - From the section Devon A teenage boy has been missing from home for six days, police have said. Kharim Rhony was last seen at his foster parents' home in the Stoke area of Plymouth on 25 January. Devon and Cornwall Police said the 15-year-old was intending to go swimming at the city's new Life Centre. He is 5'2" tall (1.5m), of slight build with short dark curly hair and was last seen wearing a blue hooded jumper, jeans, white canvas shoes and gloves. Kharim, who is described as being of Arabic appearance, was carrying a black backpack.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8480538.stm

SmartWater has had a major impact on crime in the city, police have said' Officials have said 50,000 properties being marked with SmartWater has made life harder for burglars. Each container of SmartWater liquid has a unique chemical signature, meaning property can be traced to its owner. It can also be used to prove if a suspected burglar has been in a property or handled stolen items. Officers said SmartWater evidence had a 100% success rate in getting convictions and also protected homes were less likely to be targeted. The substance was first introduced into Nottingham homes in 2001 and since 2006 it has been a central part of the Nottingham Crime & Drugs Partnership's neighbourhood anti-crime Week of Action programmes. The official milestone will be reached at a house in Heathfield, Basford, and more residents are being urged to mark their goods. Alan Given, Crime & Drugs Partnership Chief Executive, said: "As well as the efforts of the Burglary Reduction Team, local tenant and residents groups, Neighbourhood Watch and local neighbourhood teams have been integral to this 50,000 milestone being reached. "Crime continues to fall in the city and the ever-expanding SmartWater footprint that stretches across the city has been pivotal in the huge reductions in burglary. We will continue to work with local people to ensure these reductions continue." 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/talking_point/3681710.stm

Charles Kennedy has given the final speech of the Liberal Democrat convention in Bournemouth. At 26% compared to 13%, Mr Kennedy's party now stands at twice the level in the opinion polls than it did before the last general election. Mr Kennedy believes that his crusade to turn the Liberal Democrats into the "real" party of opposition has been a major success. However his detractors accuse him of producing an economic package that does not add up and of attempting to be all things to all voters. What did you think of Charles Kennedy's speech? Do you think he has achieved his aim of making the Liberal Democrats the "real" party of opposition? This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below. The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far: Lib Dems always show popularity prior to any general election but can never appear to make the breakthrough. I think it is because people perceive them as a high tax party and when it comes to the crunch people would rather stay with the devil they know. The next election will be no different. Scott, B'ham, UK This is a party that can, and do, promise absolutely anything knowing that they will never come to power. They will pick up the discontented Labour and Conservative voters in the next election. It's about time we had a 'None of the above' box on the ballot form to show just how much we all feel for any of the parties. Tony, Horbury, UK If the Liberal Democrats are so 'close to power' why is it that they did so badly in the last round of Euro elections? Could it be that because their views on Europe and the Euro are unacceptable to the majority of people? Don't forget the Lib Dems would have joined the Euro years ago no matter what. All their recent boastful remarks really do remind me of David Steel's hysterically funny 'go back to your constituencies and prepare for Government' speech just before the 1983 election - when they won a pathetic 23 seats. That was really "breaking the mould of British politics" that result. Wake up Kennedy - you've got no chance of becoming PM. The Liberal Democrats could never be judged as a true opposition' to Labour simply because they are (like Labour) another high taxing left wing party and agree with so much that Labour offer (they usually vote with Labour in the end). Like it or not the only real alternative to Labour are the Tories. Interesting times, the Lib Dems are clearly becoming electable and I say that as a traditional labour voter, I think the old 2 party system has smothered real choice with Labour and the Tories offering two shades of bland, maybe it is time to think the unthinkable.... mike f, Chelmsford UK They really are a protest party at the moment. Most people vote for them because of their moral stance against the Iraq war. This probably does make them the real party of opposition, but it doesn't make them fit for government. David, Birmingham, UK Charles Kennedy's optimism is justified. The Lib Dems have finally got their message across and can be expected to make the all important breakthrough within the next decade at least. Their biggest obstacle is the electoral system that disadvantages them- but they definitely have the support. Pete Smith, Bristol, UK The Liberal Democrats are a small party with a worthwhile role as the naive conscience of British politics. But that's not the same thing as being electable, or being trusted with the UK economy. Which is why they will always be a sideshow when it comes to general elections. David, Leicester, UK I have always been a Lib Dem voter and believe that they do stand a good chance of coming to power at the next election - not only for their policies but mainly because the Conservatives are out-dated and Labour have failed us with the Iraq war. The Lib Dems are good for the Conservatives, because they help to take tactical votes away from Blair. But a credible government ... no chance. Ed Johnson, Zurich, Switzerland (ex-UK) I was very nearly a Lib Dem voter. Until they decided that single people like myself who work full time in order to have a half-decent life would have to pay more council tax to make sure that people who have multiple children without any thought as to how they would finance them can have a better life. The Lib Dems will make life an expensive tax-based hell for anyone earning above the minimum wage - they certainly won't be getting MY vote. Mo C, UK Part of what he says makes sense but until he stops his "Europe is good" trip he won't be getting my vote. Give the man a chance...Lib Dems are the only party that listens to the public. Lee Sutcliffe, Bradford, UK I am living in Australia at the moment. It is blissful. These people actually like their country and are proud of their history. The liberal elite of which the lib dems are the head, seem to hate their country and its history and would try to destroy everything of value in Britain in the name of equality. Britain is becoming a horrible place to live and I'm really thinking about emigrating. If the lib dems get in, thankfully unlikely, I'd certainly leave. Rodric Jenkin, England I think that the Liberal Democrat increase in support has been due to the fact the Conservatives are seen by many as offering the same as Labour. However, I fear that question marks over the ability of Charles Kennedy to be PM and how some of the policies are going to work in practice. Until the Party learns to change the way these two things are portrayed in the media I cannot see them coming to power. Matt Webb, UK Charles Kennedy should be telling the public he is ready to be PM and Lib Dems are ready for power. Why does he think the Lib Dems are incapable of wining the election? Instead of telling everyone he wants to be leader of the opposition... he had better be telling the Electorate he could actually become PM. Lionel, Leeds, UK Ready or not, the Liberal Democrats are lacking the consistent high profile media coverage of their two seniors. Until they start to hammer home the core concepts of Liberalism, such as imposing constraints on power and making it accountable, the importance liberty of thought and within reason, action, people will just not realise how relevant their policies are to today's political climate. Dean Close, London, England The problem with the Liberal Democrats is that they remain anonymous - who can name more than three members of their shadow cabinet? Even at the end of their conference, their image is still that of a "me too!" party, without any realistic policies on the important aspects of foreign affairs (not Europe), defence and health. They need a major marketing image upgrade, starting with the selection with a charismatic leader who has Prime Ministerial appeal. However, they do have the right idea on a number of things, particularly environment and Europe. The best of a bad lot? Lenny P, Guildford The Lib Dems are a party of tax, tax and more tax. They intend to destroy rural life with PC policies and leave us to Euro ruin. Nick Strange, Crawley, UK I too as a floating voter watched the LD Conference and they came over generally as a party moving in the right direction all be it not as liberal as many of us would like them to be. The drawback for me over the Lib Dems is their leader; for in Kennedy they have a person who just does not have the credibility or media skills to command respect and support. Yes to the party, no to Kennedy. Go back to your constituencies, and prepare dinner. Peter Moore, Edinburgh We live in a country which has the fourth strongest economy in the world, where unemployment and inflation are at record low levels compared with any time in the last 20 years, where redistribution from the rich to the poor has been taking place apparently without anyone noticing, where there is clear light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS, where there are more teachers, doctors, nurses, than seven years ago, where even the railways are beginning to glimmer, where power has been devolved, where there is now a minimum wage. I could go on. Frankly the Lib Dems are irrelevant. Phil, Market Drayton Kennedy's speech indicates that it is the only party which understands the real problems that British society faces. Not only Iraq but also the problems related to urban poverty, youth, council taxes, police and the streets of Britain and the health services. I do not understand why anyone should think that after the election it will be "real" party of opposition. It will almost certainly be the party to govern as the Tories have lost credibility and Labour has not only regressed in every department of services but spent billions of the nation's hard earned money joining USA invasion of Iraq. Abulkjhair Sarhandi, Bristol UK The real boost for the Lib Dems is their stance on the Iraq war. But it is easy for them to take such a stance, as they are minor opposition party. But were they to ever come to power, could they ever take such a stance then? Could they afford to distance themselves from our Atlantic counterparts, potentially endangering trade relations? OK so the Lib Dems have 26% support. Wow! Looking at the alternatives it's hardly surprising. However we may think we are in a mess with the current Westminster Government but just imagine five years of Kennedy and co at the helm. Reading Liberal history makes me realise that there is zero "liberalism" in their policies merely just knee jerk socialism, with a bit of cloud cuckoo ideas on law and order thrown in for good measure. Ed Hollinshead, UK I did watch the conference and I will watch the other parties as well. It does look as if the Lib Dems are nearly there. As a floating voter I believe the huge Labour majority has been damaging for the country and produced a virtual dictatorship and the Commons has ceased to be democratic and I think the people will benefit if there is a better balance. The gap between the parties has narrowed and so now I believe it will be about who has a credible team, with good principles, that could run the country well. Kennedy gets more confident every year and yes I can now visualise him doing the job and a credible back up team emerging to support him. Keith L, Rayleigh, England Liberal by name illiberal by nature. The Lib Dems are fatuous fantasists whose policies are at best sixth form and contradictory. Amusingly they talk of liberty at the same time wanting to expand the state massively. They are and will be a disaster. Luckily they still aren't a realistic force. Dave, Croydon, Surrey Frankly I don't think that any of the current generation of politicians represent me, and I refuse to choose the least bad of the rest even if its the Lib Dems. Richard Read, London, UK Charles Kennedy and the Lib Dems have jumped upon every passing band wagon over the last twenty years. I cannot believe that anyone believes that they are a credible political party let alone opposition. Anyone considering voting Lib Dem should speak to people who live in areas where they control the Local Authority. Would be voters, would quickly change their minds. John A Turner, Barry UK All Kennedy needs to remember is "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government". This phrase still haunts the party and I don't see what they've done to shake it off. Get real Charlie, you've got no chance of power, you might win a few more seats but that's all. You might offer a different way, but we've already had the Third Way and what did that amount to in the end? Nick Rowe, Manchester UK The Lib Dems cannot be much worse than the other two parties for governing this country and they also have the added bonus of having been consistently opposed to Bush's hasty invasion of Iraq and may thus prove to offer the best hope of being able to sort out the mess in Iraq in cooperation with the rest of the World rather than with those now in charge there. John M, Lyne Meads, UK The Lib Dem top team has a newly developed gravitas which certainly gives it the credibility to be the official opposition. Having said that, this has been helped by the proliferation of lightweights on the Tory front bench. Moray Barclay, Windsor, Berkshire Good Luck to the Lib Dems...at least they have mapped out their policies with honesty, although I am not a big fan of the policies themselves. One thing I am bemused about though, every interview with Kennedy and his team the opportunity is never lost to attack the Tories...not Labour...but the Tories. It is a cynical way of targeting the current opposition rather than the current government. Richard B, Horsham, UK A vote for the Lib Dems is a vote for Labour by another name. Big taxes and a bizarrely liberal and pro-EU agenda will utterly destroy the UK. They will not get my vote. John Atkins, Bridgwater, England In my view, Labour can't be trusted! Howard "has something of the night about him". Kennedy, well why not, at least he hasn't actually lied to me yet. But hold on, why not vote for a true representative and get some independents in. That would shock these politicians and perhaps we as a nation would actually make progress. Steve, Fleet UK I feel the Lib Dems have there best chance in years to become the number 2 party in the UK. Labour will win the next election, but will lose seats to the Lib Dems as will the Tories. The Lib Dems are no longer a joke party or a wasted vote and hold real promise for the next election. Danny Blakeley, Bournemouth, England I implore the British public, just because something is different does not make it better! I have closely watched the coverage of their conference and behind all the 'free-market', 'less regulation' spin they are the same bunch of tax the middle classes till the pips squeak lot of old. James Marriott, London, UK I started voting for them about eight years ago when the priority was to get rid of the local Tory MP and councillors. Our Lib Dem MP and council are now seen to be doing a good job and genuinely cares about the local community. I think its too soon for the Lib Dems to win the next election but they certainly have a fair shout of burying the Tories into third place. Chris Turner, Surbiton, UK It seems to me that there is nothing to lose by voting Lib-Dem. Even with the billions earned by selling off national assets, the Tories made a complete shambles of the country. Labour earns billions by sensible economic policies, and then blows the lot on bombing Iraqis! A plague on both their houses, it's the Lib-Dems for me! I find it fascinating how people in this country are fixated with talking about politics as a two dimensional space, as if a third dimension isn't worth having. We live in three dimensional world and I don't see why three dimensional politics is such a difficult concept to grasp. Could Charles Kennedy make the Lib Dems a party of opposition? Of course he could, but it depends upon the small minded people of this country being prepared for once to think differently Ernie Proctor, Rochdale, UK Whilst, on the face of it, no-one could do a worse job than Labour, and the Tories just do not appeal, the Lib-Dems still have one problem to my mind. They have positioned themselves to the left of Labour (not difficult), but are trying to woo the Conservative vote. John, Selby, UK The day that these opportunists become the official opposition or, heaven forbid, the government of the day will be a sad day for Britain. The shifting sands of Liberal Democrat principles make it very difficult for the public to see this party for what they really are. Left of Labour, high tax, pro mass immigration and Europhile to the core! Ian Jerram, Chesterfield, England Mr Kennedy is deluding himself, just as his predecessors have done in the past. They do make a valuable contribution to politics in this country, but they are not going to come to power. It should also be noted that their past record shows that they will prop up a Labour minority government if they get the chance. A vote for the Liberals is a proxy vote for Labour. Paul, Bracknell, UK Opinion polls and by-elections are one thing, general elections quite another. The Liberal Democrats are very good at generating publicity around certain events, e.g. by-elections, conference time, however I suspect they will not make it when it comes to the general election. A much more worrying factor is the general poor quality of politicians from all parties. We have, in my view, a Government which is arrogant and incompetent beyond belief and there is no one capable of stopping it. The danger is that people will turn to extremist parties or just not bother. Both do not bode well for the future of democracy. Chris Parker, Buckingham, UK Time for a change, I think! The Lib-Dems will certainly bring new eyes, new blood, and fresh enthusiasm compared with Labour or the Conservatives. John, Milton Keynes If the Lib Dem council here in York is anything to go by we are in trouble! They have totally emasculated the roads and hiked taxes beyond all common sense. I see Charles Kennedy as a threat whose promises to be all things to all people will end in trouble. Jake Harlow, York, England Let's face it many of us feel let down by the Labour for a whole host of reasons - the war in Iraq, poor organisation of asylum, Europe of which the problems are many and varied - I'm sure this list could go on. Now look at the opposition party. Instead of giving voters clear ideas on how they intend to tackle the issues we care about, they attempt to score points off Mr Blair, highlighting where he has failed. We know where he failed. What we need now is a way to begin solving our problems. From my point of view the Lib Dems increased popularity is not from any success of theirs but more because Labour and the Tories are failing. Jaki, Swindon, UK The Lib Dems have said nothing about what they're going to do to reduce taxation or regulation (either on businesses or on the individual). To me they're still a party wedded to principles of high taxation which means they'll never get my vote. Roger Price, Nr. Reading, UK In my view, the first Lib Dem MP in my area has made a total hash of things and if that was to be replicated on a grand scale I really fear for this country! The Lib Dems policies are all over the place, and I really don't fancy the 40 new taxes on everything from dogs to plastic bags that they have lined up. Mary Smith, England Why have the Liberal Democrats gained so much credit for opposing the Iraq war? When it comes to opposing wars they are the usual suspects. Their opposition to the war was genuine enough but the way they have exploited the situation has been quite cynical. Alan Brown, Manchester, England If the Lib Dems become the opposition I am emigrating, as this country will have lost all common sense. Has anyone actually read the Lib Dem manifesto plans? It's a terrifying mix of big tax hikes, light sentencing for prisoners and prostrating ourselves before Europe. Not much different from Labour really! I will be voting for Michael Howard, as his tough stance on criminals seems to stand out from the other two parties. Leslie Davis, Cheadle, United Kingdom I hope they do win. The Tories are a mess, Labour cannot be trusted. One major advantage of a Lib Dem government is a change to the voting system to finally make the UK democratic. As it stands today, a government can be formed with a huge majority even if over 60% of the public do not want them in power. Let's hope the UK electorate will see sense and vote for a change Heavens I hope not! I live under a Lib Dem-controlled council in London and its awful! Shambolic incompetence, lip-service paid to local democracy and tax-and-spend out of control. James, London, UK The Lib Dems would be the most pointless opposition ever. They are pro-European, just like Labour and agree with the Government on most other key issues. I will never view the Lib Dems as a credible opposition. After the next election, I would like to see a Conservative Government with a Labour opposition. The Lib Dem conference has showed just how barmy these people are. Go-karting for joy riders? Taxing people with large families who need 4x4s? The Tories newest policies seem far more sensible to me and I will vote for them. Jon Harrison, Hartington, West Derbyshire, England They will do a much better job than Blair and co. I look forward to the day when the Liberals are in power. At least we won't get lied to and that can only be good for us. The self congratulatory communal back patting going on in the Liberal Democratic party is embarrassing and reminiscent of the Kinnock election gaffe a few year back. The Liberals like the other parties have got to understand, this is not about winning power, it is about offering a credible alternative policies. All politicians seem to get wrapped up in their own little world and sometimes forget this. Ian, Bradford UK I see no reason why they could not run the country as well, if not better, as the two main parties. They have had plenty of experience, and success, in local government, with notable success in some major towns and cities. The Conservative and Labour parties have had their chances - both have led us into pointless wars and failed to invest in the country's infrastructure leading to a run down of transport, education and health services in the pursuit of a low tax economy, which we now know doesn't work. The Lib Dems are upfront in telling people that they will have to pay for good quality services, and because of their honesty, I think they should be given a chance to lead the country Pauline Fothergill, Halifax, West Yorkshire Never in this world is this party ready for "power". They do not represent anything like the majority of the people's views concerning Europe and they are generally weak on matters of Law and Order. Chris Green, Hagley, Worcs, England Charles Kennedy's detractors accuse him of nothing that Labour and Conservative are not guilty of themselves. In recent years, the Lib Dems have shown themselves to be a genuine alternative to the other parties rather than a lap-dog to whichever they could latch on to. I no longer see them as a wasted vote, in fact, I feel that I would be wasting my vote more if I gave it to the Conservatives who are no better than they were in the 80s and Labour who seem to have lost all social conscience. Good luck to them. I hope others feel the same. The Lib Dems have become the real opposition because of the behaviour of Labour and the Tories. Their policies are virtually the same so if you want anything different the only option is the Lib Dems. I don't agree with everything the Lib Dems say but faced with the options of right-wing Labour or shambling Tories then the Lib Dems will probably get my vote. Get Real Mr Kennedy! Catherine, 21, Cheshunt, Herts The figure 26% is over a quarter of the electorate. However, if the Lib Dems achieve this share of the vote, they will have much less than a quarter of the MPs due to the crazy "first past the post" system in the UK. The electoral system is long overdue for reform and replacement with a more equitable form of proportional representation. However, I wish the Liberal Democrats every success. Even if I don't agree with all of their policies, I will vote for them as I think they can be trusted and they will do what they genuinely believe is right: a stark contrast to the self-serving, hypocritical, power-crazed politicians in both New Labour and the Conservative party. For the record, I earn over £100k so would be one of the people caught by their proposed 50% tax rate for high-earners. I will certainly wince at the extra tax but admire the Lib Dems for their honesty, another stark contrast to New Labour who promised not to raise income tax but treated the electorate as stupid by introducing so many stealth taxes. Simon Robinson, London Through Iraq, some daft polices and reactionary laws and actions the Labour party has shown itself in my view not fit for government. What is the point in listening to what they have to offer for the next few years, they change their mind all the time? The Conservatives are still out of date, and run by a man who only a few years ago, was one of the most disliked men in politics and for good reasons. The Tories still need some work before they should come back. The Lib Dems however, opposed Iraq and have some fresh policies and ideas. It is a time to give them a chance and believe in them. Instead of moaning about Labour and Conservatives and then staying at home on election day, go and vote for change! Andrew, Aylesbury, UK Tactical voting will probably help them, as before, but until we have Proportional Representation they are unlikely to break through the two-party system. And of course it's now two right-wing parties, so the Lib Dems must position themselves further left. Geoff Kerr, Todmorden, UK I have to say, I agree with many of the things Charles Kennedy says; however, so long as any blighter that nicks my car is rewarded with go-karting lessons, he won't get my vote! Ged Shaw, Rotherham, UK Well, to start with, of you don't believe in yourself, nobody will, and 26% with still more than 6 months to go, is a pretty good stand. Considering the mess Blair has created in Iraq and the volcano called Basra the British soldiers are sitting in, in Iraq, it won't take long from Blair and the New Labour to be "History". Rakesh, London, UK The Lib Dems are ready and are effectively the opposition already, with the conservative and labour sharing the same policies. The only thing they lack is funding, and this may cause them big problems come the election. Nathan Hobbs, Luton, UK No way. The sad fact of life is that the Lib Dems wouldn't know a policy if it walked out in front of them. Everything they do or say is a knee-jerk reaction to something else that has happened. As a habitual Tory voter, I did genuinely believe that the old SDP under David Owen in the 80's would break the mould of British politics as they promised, and give us a true party of the centre. Unfortunately, he was pushed out of the way, and the SDP swallowed up by the left of centre monolithic liberal party, where it remains to this day. A politically correct left of centre party in government under Charles Kennedy? Sounds no different to Blair's New Labour. Yes, I want to see the back of Blair's cronyism, and Brown's stealth taxes, but the Lib Dems? Never! Peter Cane, Reading, UK The real thanks for the rise of the 'Lib Dems' should go to those out of touch Tories who still believe that Mrs Thatcher was a good PM and elected Mr Howard as the current leader. Sorry Mr Kennedy to me you are still the least worse choice. Barry P, Havant England No, I think Charles Kennedy is preying on a perception that most of the general public are frustrated with the alternatives. I think a significant number of people may be disenchanted with the Tory and Labour parties and feel that their offerings provide somewhat of a dilemma. Neither the Tory or Labour party is a particularly attractive choice (perhaps this explains voter apathy during election time), and I believe that the public at large are weary of the political process in general. We see images on our TV screens from the House of Commons, where important political issues are dogged by opportunistic schoolyard bickering. I believe that people want a party and leader who will make a real difference, and provide a clear choice for most of us. I don't believe the Liberal Democrats have achieved this. I for one, am not convinced. Andy, Cheshire, UK Unfortunately despite Mr Kennedy's best efforts to make the Liberal Democrats the 'real opposition', for me the party's policies are unbelievable and impractical. Mr Kennedy doesn't strike me as a man who can handle the pressure of being the main representative for the UK in Europe, the US and beyond. Leanne, Dundee, UK Let's face it they can't be worse than the 17 painful years of Tory rule or the 7 years of Tony Labour. I say give the Lib Dems their chance. Richard Corless, Bridgend, S Wales, UK The Lib Dems can now go back top their constituencies and prepare for government. A Labour government, with a Tory opposition. RC Robjohn, UK The Liberal Democrats will be ready for power when the British public refuse to vote for parties who are funded by foreign tycoons and big businesses. Parties should be supported by ordinary voters, not bribed by others! Simon Richardson, London, UK I would like to see them go from 3rd to 2nd position. I think they would make a very opposition. I think it would be a stretch to see them winning the next election, but I can certainly see them doing even better at the expense of the Tories for sure and Labour to a point. If I didn't vote Labour, I would vote the Lib Dem. Michael Przeniczny, Manchester, UK Ye Gods, I hope not. Tax-heavy Europhile zealots with no sound spending plan? Doesn't sound like a party of Britain to me. Russ, London, UK No one can deny that the Lib-Dems have come a long way in recent years. However it has been a long a torturous route, to travel not so far. The problem is that the Party still has no gravitas and appears to have made progress, due to the appalling nature of the Conservative Party as an alternative, which appears to lurch from one extreme to another. If Mr Kennedy and his colleagues really wants to be the leader of the opposition, then they will have to shed their image, which still prevails, quite unfairly, of amateurism. The image portrayed, and their policy presentation is almost akin to anyone's dreams of what is would do with a large lottery win at the moment. They need to make opposition their own, rather than relying on the Conservative's deservedly bad showing. Chris Ivory, Bristol, England I hope so. I've always fancied karting but couldn't afford it. Now, if the Lib Dems have their way, all I've got to do is nick a car then join the Oaten school of motor racing. And we wonder why the UK is going down the pan! Paul B, Oxford, UK The day that the Lib Dems get into power will be the day I emigrate to Baghdad. Agreed Tony and his cronies are no good, but this lot .... ? They can't be any less ready than the shabby bunch who are in power now! Michael Scott, London Until recently I had thought that the Lib Dems were the party with views closest to my own, but recent announcements about how they are against the use of 4x4 vehicles has left me with no party that I can support at all. There may be an argument against the use of these vehicles within major cities, but they are totally ignoring the fact that some people really do need such vehicles in order to earn a living, so the Lib Dems are effectively saying that their policy is tax such people out of work. Is there a precondition for entering politics that demands the removal of all common sense? Matt, Birmingham, UK It doesn't really matter who wins Tory Lib Dem or Labour they all spout the same tripe and are equally out of touch with reality. Labour have clearly annoyed a lot of voters including students and pensioners with their unfavourable policies. Subsequently, this is where many of their votes will come which could give them a good platform to come the official opposition to Labour. Zak Kahn, Glasgow, Scotland If Blair, who is arguably a war criminal, and who undoubtedly has refused to acknowledge his disgraceful role in the mess that has become Iraq, is elected again I will leave the UK for good. He has misled the public and parliament and trampled on democracy in order to carry out his functions as Bush's hired thug. Charles Kennedy is the only one with anything getting close to moral authority. Thousands dead and billions wasted financially. That is unforgivable. Steve Porter, Reading, England They will never get in power. They are too naive, too high minded, too liberal, too soft, too much like a bunch of busy body interfering old grannies. And they want to tax virtually everything. They want dog tax, plastic bag tax, vat on homes, parking space tax, private pensions tax, 4x4 tax, graduate tax, multinationals tax, pesticide tax, water meters tax, the list just goes on and on and on. Some words for them. Get real and get lost! Geraint Hughes, Birmingham How can we trust any political party in the UK now? They ALL form policies on the basis of gaining votes, not based on their beliefs. With only 55 MPs currently Lib Dems, the turnaround would have to be staggering & record breaking at the next election. I am sorry Charles, even by pandering to the Muslim, Class War & Tax The Rich voters you still have no chance. Anyway, you are a Scot, be proud of that & go sit in Holyrood. Most Englishmen I know would never knowingly vote for a Scot now because of the disastrous Barnett Formula - an openly discriminatory piece of nasty racist legislation against the English - and as we know a policy that you not only support, but wish to expand upon. roger, whitwick England Thinking of emigrating? Not a chance! Your money comes in and goes out because there's not a chance of saving it. At least some people are coming round to realize how bad home-economics is in this country! I don't believe that we're heading for a three-party system, but I think that the Lib Dems would be a more credible second party than the Tories. If the Tories continue down their current route of self-destruction then the Lib Dems are perfectly positioned to take their place. This would have the additional benefit of moving British politics back to the left. Dave Cross, London, UK The Lib Dems attract a protest vote from disillusioned Tories who don't want to vote Labour, and from disillusioned Labour supporters who don't want to vote Tory. Oh yes, and a few who want to see a Lib Dem government. If they ever do get in I'll be emigrating as I'm groaning under the weight of Blair's taxes already without Kennedy piling on even more. I don't want to struggle to pay my own mortgage while paying through the nose in tax so someone who has never worked in their life can live in a house the same as mine. The Lib-Dems can only gain seats by what they now consider the perfect way to run a general election campaign, by asking those that vote labour to vote lib-dem in a Tory seat thus keeping the Tories out and asking Tory voters to vote Lib-Dem in a Labour seat to get Labour out! What kind of win is that, you can't have a government in power on protest votes!!! they have to be able to govern and you can see how hard that is if they only have policies that change for whoever they are speaking to at the time, ask Labour they have been trying to be all things to all people for the last seven years! As a committed LibDem voter, I despair of comments calling them irrelevant and never having a chance of getting into power. As long as Labour and the Tories continue to blur into one party it's refreshing to see that there is a credible alternative to prevent the UK going down the same route as the US 2-party political system. Gordon Jones, Fife, Scotland Kennedy has failed to capitalise on Blair's treason. He should take note of Alex Salmond's recent key note speech at the SNP conference - at last a politician who is prepared to say what needs to be said, that Blair is a war criminal who should be hounded from office and impeached for what he has done. I am not Scottish and live in England but would vote SNP for this reason alone given the chance. Nick B, Reading UK As far as I am concerned the Lib Dems are overwhelming proof that we have a two-party system, Labour and Conservative. The day that Lib Dems get into power I will be packing my bags and taking my education and experience to another country as it would be wasted here. Richard Scott, Iver UK I wish we could have the best politicians from all parties to join together to form a 'real' Government. Sadly, the only "power" Mr Kennedy is capable of handling is that little switch on the wall that gives "power" to his light bulbs. Look, Charles .... MAGIC ..... Wheeeeeeeeee!!!! Ian, Brit in USA The Lib Dems need to find a leader with a better handling of the English language than Kennedy has. How would foreigners people from other nations understand the leader of a nation that claims to have English as its mother tongue if Kennedy was leader? Graham Wright, Aberdeen, UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/millennium_bug/countries/us.stm

Foreign and Commonwealth Office report on Y2k in the US. The United States is reported to be ahead of other countries in its millennium bug preparations - but with its reliance on technology it also has more to lose from computer breakdowns. The US government has been addressing the Y2K issue for about 10 years and has set a federal budget of more than $7.5 billion to fix the bug. The financial services sector is ahead of other industries in tackling the Year 2000 problem because long-term loan and other trade securities agreements forced them to look at the issue much earlier. Confidence or panic? The signs are that public confidence is growing that any Y2K disruption will be minimal. According to a telephone survey carried out by Gallup in May, nearly 79 per cent of people were confident the Y2K problem would have "little or no impact" on their personal finances. The Federal Reserve has estimated each US household will withdraw an average of $500 in the days leading up to 1 January 2000. But there is a risk that the public could panic at the last minute and withdraw hoards of cash from bank accounts. Business contingency plans Companies are having to accept that the millennium bug will cause at least some disruption and are making contingency plans. It is not just failure in internal computer systems that could be a problem, but interruptions to supplies, transport and communication links - disruptions that companies cannot always control. Contingency plans will need to take account of potential local disruptions in power supply, water, and telephone lines - similar to problems experienced during natural disasters. But those plans could run into trouble if too many firms come up with similar solutions. For example, purchasers are visiting suppliers they do not currently use to see if they could step in at short notice. If several companies were to turn to the same back-up plan, there would be obvious problems. A litigious society The problem that is probably causing the most anxiety to US businesses is the threat of lawsuits if things go wrong. Recent polls have suggested managers are confident about dealing with computer glitches - but it could also mean they are not being honest for fear of legal problems later. In June, the White House and Congress agreed on legislation to limit lawsuits that follow from Year 2000 computer problems, but companies are bound to be nervous. The computer industry backed the bill, opposed by trial lawyers and consumer groups. It sets a ceiling on punitive damages against small businesses, gives companies 90 days to fix problems before lawsuits can be filed, and protects big companies from having to take responsibility for the problems caused by smaller companies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6924510.stm

South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar says the region is suffering from its worst floods in decades. Other parts of the country have also been hit by flash floods "What happened this year can only be matched by what happened 40 years ago," Mr Machar told the BBC after touring the flood-affected areas. At least 10,000 people are affected and six of South Sudan's 10 states have been declared a disaster zone. Thousands have been returning to South Sudan after a 2005 peace deal ended a long civil war between north and south. Mr Machar said he had done an aerial survey of counties in Upper Nile and Unity States. "The situation was desperate in Unity State, where I saw a whole county displaced by the floods," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. In Upper Nile's more urbanised Renk county he said the water plant had been polluted and 4,000 people were desperately in need of water and shelter. "We're afraid disease will spread," he said. The United Nations and various aid agencies are distributing food and drugs, but he said there was a need for more aid - especially shelter. "The houses have collapsed because they're weak structures," Mr Machar said. At least two people have died in the floods in the south and at least 41 in flash floods across the country during this rainy season. The capital, Khartoum, where the White and Blue Nile meet, is bracing itself for more rising water. The AP news agency reports that products such as mosquito nets have doubled in priced as city residents fear a malaria outbreak that often comes with floods.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3739684.stm

As an ardent Arsenal supporter, the new head of e-government Ian Watmore is not accustomed to losing. By Jane Wakefield BBC News Online technology staff His football team is enjoying a run of undefeated games and he will be hoping he can emulate their skills as he takes grip of one of the most demanding jobs in government. Ian Watmore has challenges ahead It is a very different post to that of his predecessor, Andrew Pinder. Gone is the title of e-envoy and much of the evangelising that went with it. Instead of overseeing the public take-up of technology, Mr Watmore will instead concentrate on getting Whitehall's house in order as he heads up the government's new e-government Unit. It is a subtle shift and one that critics may argue is long overdue as news of government technology projects going vastly over budget or failing to work properly continue to hit the headlines. Efficiency seems to be the buzzword in the new e-government unit and any projects undertaken in the future will need to have the government's drive to save money in mind. Mr Watmore will now be overseeing all government technology projects, from the systems that calculate benefits and collect taxes to those that support public servants such as police and teachers. It is a move away from his predecessor's preoccupation with pushing services to citizens and making sure all in society had access to technology. No longer will his office concentrate on issues such as the digital divide. Instead there is a back to basics agenda which Mr Watmore sees as crucial. "All of those information technology systems are just as important to government as putting things online," he told BBC News Online. Despite his broad-ranging remit, he will still have responsibility for providing content that citizens want to use. He believes this is entering a new phase, as government departments reach their aim of getting all services online. "The getting 100% of services online target is something I inherited and the job is pretty much achieved. The real question is 'where do we go from here?'" The answer, he says, is moving on from the glut of information currently available to fewer and better targeted services. "Let's make them as good as we can and, most importantly, let's move to the point where most people are using them rather than some people are using them." The starting point for this will be the government's flagship website, DirectGov. The website is seen as being a gateway to citizens and will increasingly be divided into what Mr Watmore dubs "citizen franchises". So motorists or parents will have specific areas of the site where they can go and do business with government. Getting the public engaged with government has been a tricky conundrum for Mr Watmore's predecessors and numbers visiting government websites remain relatively low. Mr Watmore is hoping for millions of users in the future, although anyone expecting new services is going to be disappointed. "I would not say that we are talking about rafts of new things. In some areas, we are just scratching the surface and need to get services up to the first million users," he said. Persuading people to fill in their tax returns online has been one of the government's success stories and already a million people are using the service. "With that service the point is to push it up to second and third million," he said. He is realistic about the role of online services and the complicated relationship between government and the people it serves. "To have a 'one size fits all' approach is not the right thing. There is an element of interacting with government that people want to do online and we want to provide that for them. But there are other areas where people will want to do it a different way," he said. One of the most controversial parts of his job is likely to be government plans for introducing a national ID card. "We would see ourselves at the centre of it, trying to tackle the challenge of citizens having multiple relationships with government and finding the right way for people to identify themselves," he explained. ID cards have provoked controversy For many the ID card itself is not as worrying as the database that the government wants to create to hold information about individuals and possibly be accessed by a variety of government agencies. But that is not currently on Mr Watmore's radar. "It is technologically impossible and is not today's big worry. Plans for how we share information is in the early days," he said. As head of e-government, it is likely that Mr Watmore will be under fire when things do not go to plan, whether that be getting transactions online or the big technology projects which the government undertakes. He has made it clear that he will not be the fall guy for individual failures. "If a particular project were to go wrong the accountability for that would rest very clearly in the department concerned," he said. "My accountability would lie in terms of have we bitten off more than we can chew in terms of overall projects? Are there too many projects of this type for the capacity and capability we have?" These are questions he is likely to be asking himself repeatedly in the coming months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13089758

Libya: Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy vow Gaddafi must go The leaders of the US, the UK and France have said in a joint letter that there can be no peace in Libya while Muammar Gaddafi stays in power. Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy say Nato must maintain military operations to protect civilians and maintain pressure on Col Gaddafi. To allow him to remain in power would "betray" the Libyan people, they write. Signs of division remain within Nato, which is struggling to find additional combat aircraft for its strikes. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague met his US counterpart Hillary Clinton at a Nato summit on Friday, before telling the BBC he was "hopeful" more aircraft could eventually be found. Only a few of Nato's 28 members - including France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway and Denmark - are conducting air strikes. Italy is thought to have been identified as a key potential contributor. In Libya on Friday there were unconfirmed reports of rocket strikes by pro-Gaddafi forces on the western rebel-held city of Misrata. Rebels in Misrata have been holding out against attacks for two months, but Mr Hague stressed that Nato needed to act swiftly to prevent a "massacre" in the city. The BBC's Orla Guerin, who entered Misrata on Thursday, said staff at a hospital there were battling to treat civilians injured by mortars and rocket fire. Signed by US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the letter says Libyans in cities like Misrata and Ajdabiya continue to suffer "terrible horrors at Gaddafi's hands". While the coalition has no mandate to remove Col Gaddafi by force, "it is impossible to imagine a future for Libya with Gaddafi in power", the leaders say. To allow him to remain in power "would be an unconscionable betrayal" of Libya's people, they argue, and would make Libya both "a pariah state [and] a failed state". Nato pilots are enforcing a UN resolution to establish a no-fly zone and to protect civilians in Libya. The country has effectively been split between forces for and against Col Gaddafi since a revolt against his rule began in mid-February. "So long as Gaddafi is in power, Nato and its coalition partners must maintain their operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime builds," the letter continues. "Then a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive constitutional process can really begin, led by a new generation of leaders." The letter holds out the prospect of reconstruction for Libya with the help of the "UN and its members". But French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, speaking on French radio, conceded that ousting Col Gaddafi would be "certainly" beyond the scope of the existing UN resolution, and could require a new Security Council vote. Fighting on the ground, as well as Nato bombing missions, has continued while politicians debate the way forward. Rebels said a rocket attack in Misrata by pro-Gaddafi forces killed 23 people on Thursday, and there were new reports of rocket fire into the city on Friday morning. Neither account could be confirmed. The BBC's Orla Guerin entered the besieged western Libyan city, visiting a hospital and finding the intensive care unit full of people with serious injuries and multiple shrapnel wounds. They including a six-year-old girl, our correspondent says. Doctors say 80% of those killed or injured in Misrata are civilians. The hospital is struggling to keep pace with the attacks, and its emergency ward is a tent in the car park, she reports. Patients are rushed in and out to make way for new arrivals. Medical supplies are coming ashore here but there has been heavy shelling in the port area, raising fears that Col Gaddafi wants to cut this last link to the outside world, she adds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/2954606.stm

Ian Poulter claimed his fourth European Tour title with victory in the £1.5m Wales Open at Celtic Manor. Poulter celebrates his victory The Englishman survived a late stumble for the second day in succession to card a final round 70 for an 18-under par total of 270 and the £250,000 first prize. Jonathan Lomas, Australian Jarrod Moseley and South African Darren Fichardt shared second place three shots behind on 15 under. Moseley's bogey on the 18th cost him outright second and £55,000. The fans hoping to see local favourite Phil Price secure a home victory left disappointed after the Ryder Cup hero faded to a closing 74 to finish six shots adrift. "I'm back," said a delighted Poulter after claiming his prize. "I've missed a few cuts but these things take time. It's all been worthwhile and it definitely paid off today. "I saw what was happening to Jarrod up ahead and I knew what I had to do." Poulter, battling a bout of tonsillitis all week, was in control from the moment he equalled the course record with a 65 in the first round, a record subsequently beaten by Moseley's 63 on Saturday. The victory moves the 27-year-old from Milton Keynes into the top 15 in the Order of Merit and maintains his record of winning a tournament every year since 2000. FINAL ROUND SCORES 18 under: Ian Poulter 15 under: Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Jonathan Lomas, Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 13 under: Mark McNulty Andrew Coltart 12 under: Santiago Luna (Spa), Peter Fowler (Aus), Phillip Price Poulter began the day two shots clear of Price and extended his cushion to three with a birdie on the second after a superb chip from just off the green. Cheered on by the home crowd, Price hit back with birdies on the third and fifth to close the gap to one, but a bogey on the next gave Poulter breathing space again. Price also bogeyed the eighth and was replaced as Poulter's main challenger by Moseley, who picked up shots at the third, fifth and sixth to lie two shots back. Moseley then briefly reduced his deficit to one with a birdie on the 11th only for Poulter to go one better in the group behind with a 60-foot eagle - the only one at the hole all week. Poulter had been six shots clear after 13 holes of the third round only to drop four shots in the next three holes, and he struggled through the same stretch again in his final round. He bogeyed the 15th after finding a greenside bunker and dropped another shot at the next. That cut his lead back to one, but when Moseley found trouble off the tee on the last and could only bogey, Poulter's birdie was simply the icing on the cake.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7208229.stm

A draft UN resolution on new sanctions against Iran will include calls for trade curbs and a travel ban for Iran's nuclear scientists, diplomats say. China and Russia had questioned the need for more sanctions on Iran The US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany have agreed to put the draft measures to the UN security council, the BBC's Laura Trevelyan has learned. Two sets of UN sanctions have already been imposed on Iran, to punish it for continuing to enrich uranium. Iran denies claims that it wants to use the technology to build a nuclear bomb. The proposed sanctions include calls for restrictions on government-backed trade with Iran, and also cargo controls to ensure countries are not selling anything to Iran which would help it make a nuclear bomb. It has taken the five permanent Security Council members and Germany months to agree the measures. "We are hoping for another consensual resolution that makes clear to Iran that its continued disregard for council resolutions is not tolerable," US envoy to the UN Alejandro Wolff told AFP news agency. "We are looking forward to getting this done in a matter of a few weeks," he added. Tehran says its purposes are entirely civilian Nicholas Burns, the US Assistant Secretary of State, told the news agency that the new resolution was intended to punish Tehran. "This is a punitive resolution. I say this because I saw some comments yesterday from Moscow that it wasn't. It is," Mr Burns said. He was responding to comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the agreed draft did not require tough new measures against Tehran. Previous sanctions on Iran included a ban on the sale of any material which might help Iran develop an atomic weapon, and a freeze on the financial assets of people and banks thought to be involved in Iran's nuclear work. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian energy, not military purposes. But it continues to enrich uranium, a process which can lead to the development of a nuclear bomb. Western diplomats admit the agreed draft resolution is a compromise, our correspondent reports. The US and its European allies wanted tougher measures, but Russia and China, who have significant trade links with Iran, did not. The US attempt to push for stronger Security Council sanctions was further undermined by the country's own national intelligence estimate, published in late 2007, which said Iran stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003. It may not be easy for the six powers to get a resolution against Iran through the Security Council, our correspondent adds, as Libya, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Africa could all object.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/3032485.stm

Hearts 0-2 Rangers Ronald de Boer was the key player for Rangers Rangers moved back to the top of the Premier League with a hard-earned win over battling Hearts at Tynecastle. Second-half goals from Ronald de Boer and Peter Lovenkrands put Rangers level on points with Celtic and on the same goal difference but the Ibrox side have scored one more than their Glasgow rivals. Rangers host Dunfermline next Sunday, while Celtic go to Kilmarnock on what promises to be a thrilling final day of the season. Rangers looked anxious until they broke the deadlock against a determined Hearts side and Shota Arveladze was guilty of missing a penalty a few minutes before de Boer struck. Hearts boss Craig Levein opted to field his strongest available team, despite the Edinburgh club being assured of a Uefa Cup place, barring a sequence of freak results. Top scorer Mark de Vries returned for the home side and Steven Boyack and Andy Webster replaced suspended duo Kevin McKenna and Phil Stamp, while Rangers made one change - starting with Arveladze rather than Lovenkrands. Rangers almost snatched the lead after just three minutes when a loose ball broke to Mikel Arteta at the edge of the Hearts penalty area but the Spaniard's shot clipped the top of the crossbar. Hearts were competing well and snapping into tackles all over the park, although there were a few scary moments for the home fans with a couple of woeful back passes putting keeper Tepi Moilanen under pressure. In the seventh minute a long range free-kick from Scott Severin warmed the fingers of Rangers goalie Stefan Klos. As the game progressed Rangers enjoyed lengthy periods of possession but found it difficult to find space behind the well-organised Hearts defence. Levein's side were finding it hard to get out of their own half but Boyack and Robbie Neilson both managed shots from distance, although Klos could afford to watch the efforts sail wide. However, Hearts finished the first half strongly and Klos had to be at his best in the 42nd minute to tip away a low angled shot from de Vries, after the big Dutchman had bundled his way through two challenges in the penalty area. Four minutes into the second period de Vries broke free of the Rangers defence once more but shot straight at Klos from 18 yards. Rangers threw men forward in search of a goal and with the introduction of Lovenkrands for Arteta at the interval, adopted a 4-2-4 formation. Arveladze missed a second half penalty In the 62nd minute Rangers were gifted a penalty when de Vries handled from a corner when jostling with Lorenzo Amoruso. Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson, who missed two spot-kicks against Dundee a fortnight ago, handed the duty to Arveladze but the Georgian saw Moilanen push his effort on to the post before clearing with his feet. Despair turned to joy for the visiting supporters just two minutes later when de Boer was allowed room at the front post to head home a cross from Arveladze. Rangers substitute Steven Thompson pounced on a long ball that Moilanen ventured out of his area for and missed, but Stephen Pressley managed to get back and make a saving tackle in the box. Rangers extended their lead after 72 minutes when Lovenkrands swept home a great cut back from de Boer. The Ibrox side found their stride in the closing stages and Thompson and Arveladze both went close to adding to the goals tally. Hearts: Moilanen, Neilson, Pressley (Simmons 74), Webster, Maybury, Boyack, MacFarlane, Severin, Valois (Kirk 77), Weir (McKenna 64), de Vries. Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Mahe. Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Moore, Amoruso, Numan, Hughes, Ferguson, Arteta (Lovenkrands 45), de Boer, Mols (Thompson 63), Subs Not Used: McGregor, Malcolm, Caniggia. Ref: H Dallas

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-devon-39293414/on-run-devon-fly-tipper-martin-mcdonagh-s-van-crushed

On-run Devon fly-tipper Martin McDonagh's van crushed A notorious fly-tipper who targeted the countryside around Devon with household waste has been given a 20-month prison sentence in his absence. A European arrest warrant has been issued by Plymouth Crown Court for Martin McDonagh, 23. McDonagh, of Pemros Road, St Budeaux, Plymouth, was also given a criminal behaviour order. He was charged after a long investigation involving the Environment Agency, police and several local authorities. McDonagh cold-called householders offering to take their waste to the tip then dumped it in the surrounding countryside including local beauty spots. His Ford Transit van was seized by the Environment Agency during the investigation and crushed. 20 Mar 2017

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5362478.stm

Russian carrier Aeroflot has said it will split an order for long-range jetliners between Boeing and Airbus. Aeroflot already owns Airbus planes The firm's chief executive said it would buy 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners between 2010 and 2012, and 22 Airbus A350 XWBs between 2012 and 2016. He said the state-controlled airline had already agreed a deal with Boeing, but was still in talks with Airbus. An Aeroflot shareholder had earlier paid Boeing a $40m (£21m) retainer to reserve the jets. The National Reserve Corporation, which controls 30% of Aeroflot, had paid the money to ensure that the planes were not sold to another airline. Boeing already has 377 firm orders for its Dreamliner, while Airbus has yet to sign any customers for its rival wide-body version of the A350. A state-owned Russian bank recently bought a 5% stake in Airbus-owner EADS.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23527897

BT launches sports TV channels in battle with Sky Telecoms giant BT has launched its UK sports channels in a challenge to the two-decades-long sports-TV dominance of Sky. Sky has already seen off ITV Digital, Setanta and ESPN, which all temporarily entered the pay-TV football market. Marc Watson, BT's TV chief executive, said the firm was taking the "long-term view" for its sports business. But Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said he "relished the challenge" from BT Sport. The BT channels will be free to everyone on their first day. Sky Sports will later be offering a day of free viewing on 17 August, the first day of the Premier League. BT has spent £738m over three years for the rights to 38 live Premier League matches a season. while Sky has paid £2.3bn for 116 matches a season. Over the past year, BT has also bought up the rights to Premiership Rugby and a host of other sports such as Moto GP, as well as taking over ESPN's UK sports channels. Both BT and Sky have been busy over the summer creating eye-catching broadcasting studios for the forthcoming 2013-14 Premier League season. Last week, BT said it had signed up more than 500,000 subscribers to its television sports channels. But the majority of its subscribers are existing BT broadband customers, who can sign up and stream BT Sport for free on their PC or Mac. BT Television Chief Executive Marc Watson described the launch as an "important strategic move" for the company. Speaking to the BBC News Channel, Mr Watson was unable to say how many new Sky Sports customers had signed up, but said it was "a lot". "The proposition is generating a lot of interest", he continued, "Four in five households have broadband - only one in five takes premium sport". Meanwhile, Sky's Mr Francis said that for more than two decades his firm had been presenting UK and international sport "in an innovative and entertaining way". He added: "We have had plenty of challenges in the past, we relish a challenge, it gets us excited and invigorated for the coming season." Media analyst Steve Hewlett said BT had invested £1bn in the project and was paying £450m to £500m a year on sports contents. That sport outlay would, he said, lead to an annual loss of between £250m to £300m. But he said the move was to prevent it losing its broadband customers to Sky, which could otherwise have cost it up to £700m a year. Mr Hewlett said that the underlying battle between the two firms was for supremacy in the triple-play market - the bundling of television, telephone and broadband. Sky moved into BT's telephony and broadband domain in 2006. Now BT has moved into Sky's sporting territory. The battle has also been fought out on billboards across the UK, with Manchester United's Robin van Persie, Manchester City's Joe Hart and Tottenham's Gareth Bale featuring for BT, while Sky has splashed out on the services of the recently-retired David Beckham.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4456233.stm

Zoe Young of the medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), is keeping a web diary for the BBC News Website from Angola as she helps with the emergency response to an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus. Health teams are covered from head to toe to avoid contamination Here she writes about her work in and around the town of Uige in the north-east of the country, which has so far been the area worst hit by the epidemic. Thursday 14 April Today we went to Songo, a small town 40 minutes' drive to the north of Uige. The hospital has about 100 beds and is freshly painted in blue and white. In front of the maternity ward they have planted flowers and there are pictures of cartoon characters on the walls. However, at the moment there are hardly any patients as they are scared of catching the disease, which they think is coming from the hospital. As soon as we arrived we found out that someone had just died, probably from Marburg. We asked that a family member come to see us so that we could ask questions about the symptoms. She was the sister of the woman who had died and, although she had not touched the body, she had looked after the woman's child and so she was worried that she had caught the disease. She understood perfectly well what that meant. She said she was going to isolate herself to prevent anyone else from catching it. The MSF doctor, Sophie, and I were lucky enough to find a nurse that spoke French to show us around (we are not far from the border with DR Congo here). We spent ages walking around the hospital deciding on a good place to make an isolation ward where patients from Songo can be held before being transferred to Uige. One the way back to base, I stopped by Uige hospital to see what was going on. There was a team just going to collect a suspected case from the maternity ward. They needed someone to come with them with a spray machine full of chlorine, so I volunteered to do it. The patient was in the maternity ward that we had disinfected just two days ago. She was on a bed in the corner, and was very quiet. I wasn't surprised, since it must have been terrifying having five people in full protective gear coming to get her. She stayed absolutely quiet the whole time. She was lying on a piece of plastic sheeting so the team was able to lift her carefully onto the stretcher and carry her into the isolation area. Friday 15 April I found out that the woman that we had taken from the maternity ward yesterday had died in the night. In fact they are now back down to zero patients in the isolation ward. Saturday 16 April First thing this morning at breakfast we all took our temperatures. The alert symptom for Marburg is a high temperature, so now we are all going to take our temperature morning and evening. We are also taking malaria prophylaxis drugs because the symptoms of malaria are quite like those of Marburg so you can get a nasty fright if you suddenly get a fever. So every morning at home it is like a small dispensary as the doctor hands out our drugs. We wash our hands with a fairly strong chlorine solution on the way into the house and all the dishes are rinsed in the same strength chlorine solution after being washed. Zoe is a water and sanitation specialist The skin on my hands is all peeling off and they smell of chlorine all the time. I am sure I am going to get wafts of chlorine for days after getting home. Eau de Chlore. When we arrived in Songo we found out that a woman had died in the hospital during the night. Her baby had been in the hospital about two weeks ago and had died last week. Sophie wanted to take a saliva swab before the burial team arrived so that we could determine whether she had died of Marburg but I was worried about how we would decontaminate ourselves and where we would put all the contaminated material afterwards. I certainly didn't want to put it in the car and travel back to Uige with it. It was frustrating not to know if this was definitely another case. We have now agreed that the burial team will go tomorrow morning so Sophie can go with them and take the swab. Patients are reluctant to come to hospitals This afternoon, I continued training our "spray men" in using chlorine to disinfect areas. Natalie, our logistics expert, wanted the new office building to be disinfected so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them some practical experience. They dressed up first in the protective gear and did quite well - they remembered all the steps and got them more or less in the right order. The room that we disinfected was absolutely soaked, with water running down the walls and forming puddles on the floor. I was quite pleased with their progress and tomorrow morning I hope that they can do the rest of the building before moving on to the real stuff and spraying some of the hospital wards. Monday 18 April Today Sophie, the MSF doctor, and I went to take an oral swab from the woman who died two days ago. We waited in Songo for the army burial team, who came screeching into the hospital compound in their truck. We had lost them on the road on the way from Uige - 11 very bumpy kilometres with the car plunging into deep crevices in the road. The village seemed very empty when we arrived. All the houses seemed to be closed up with corrugated iron doors and shutters. We found what seemed to be most of the population of the village waiting about 50 metres from the house of the woman who had died. We explained to a rather agitated soldier what we wanted to do and then took their spray man with us to disinfect our hands in the house. The spray man was very thorough and sprayed the whole entry before we went in. It was a one-room house decorated with posters, a big one of Jean Claude Van Damme on one wall. Zoe has been training the vital spraying teams The woman was just lying on the floor. I don't think anyone had been in there since she had died. She looked like she was asleep and luckily there was a lot of chlorine in the air so I couldn't smell anything. Sophie took the swab with a cotton bud, which she put into a little pot. She dropped the pot into the plastic glove that I was holding open and I tied a knot in it. There was copious spraying of the glove and my hand. Then into another glove which was not so easy to knot and more spraying. Once outside the house, I sprayed Sophie and the guard with chlorine and then it was my turn. Sophie said: "that went well - we didn't make any mistakes" and at exactly that moment the hose came off the spray machine and a jet of chlorine hit me in the face. I was having problems breathing because my mask was completely soaked with chlorine and I was wondering what would happen if I suddenly keeled over. We went back to the car to undress and disinfect ourselves. Everyone kept a very respectful distance away. I finally got my mask off, which was a relief. Anyway, it was a good test of the protective equipment: I didn't get a drop of chlorine on my face or in my eyes. The driver had been very worried about coming and had been asking for protective equipment. We explained that he would stay in the front of the car for the whole time and that we would be disinfected before getting back in. Anyhow, he was very quiet on the way. On the way back he perked up nicely, he was singing and laughing and smiling. Obviously he thought that he had had a fairly close shave. We have moved our base from Uige to Songo now, and have set ourselves up quite nicely in a house fairly near the hospital. We had electricity for a few hours tonight which was exciting and we were able to charge all the computers and phones. The house is quite scruffy really and has no window panes - only shutters - but rather incongruously there is a brown velvet three piece suite in the sitting room. I am sitting on it now hoping that there are no fleas in it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-53678747

The Mexican state of Oaxaca has banned the sale of junk food and sugary drinks to children in an attempt to reduce high obesity and diabetes levels. Oaxaca is the first state to take the measure in Mexico, which has one of the world's highest rates of childhood obesity. People breaking the law can be fined and have their businesses closed. Re-offenders face jail terms. The move comes as Mexico's number of deaths linked to Covid-19 nears 50,000. Mexico's death toll is the third-highest in the world after the US and Brazil. Experts say being obese or overweight puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from the virus. About 73% of the Mexican population is overweight, compared to one-fifth of the population in 1996, according to a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Mexicans consume more carbonated drinks per person than any other nation. Oaxaca is the Mexican state with the highest child obesity rate and the second-highest rate in adults, according to Oaxaca state health data. The passing of the law was greeted with applause from lawmakers inside the state Congress, but outside shop owners and street sellers were protesting against it. The law forbids the sale, distribution and promotion of sugary drinks and junk food to those under age. It will also apply to vending machines in schools. The lawmaker who introduced the bill, Magaly López Domínguez, said the idea was not to harm shop owners and street sellers. She argued that they could continue selling sugary drinks and junk food, just not to children. Mexico's deputy health minister and the country's coronavirus czar, Hugo López-Gatell, welcomed the move. Mr López-Gatell last month called sugary drinks "bottled poison" and urged people not to drink them. Christian Skoog, the Unicef representative in Mexico, also tweeted his approval (in Spanish), saying that such measures protected children's rights to quality and nutritious food. In 2014, Mexico introduced a tax on sugary drinks and junk food but it had so far stopped short of banning the sale of such items to children. - 24 July

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24378433

A library run by volunteers where donated books do not have to be returned has opened in north London. The Kindness Project on Camden Road, Islington has 100,000 books given by publishers and others diverted from landfill for people to take. The shop has been set up by The Kindness Offensive (TKO) which performs "random acts of kindness". David Goodfellow from TKO said: "We're trying to put the books back into people's hands." He said: "There are books, audio-books and it's in a very large space which means we're going to be able to hold talks and lessons. "As much as the council can do and as much as the government's trying to do, we as people can do quite a lot to put things back into the community and to make positive things happen." The new bookshop has taken over a pub which closed earlier this year with help from local businesses who are paying the rent and contributions of paint to redecorate. Mr Goodfellow said the project had been set up in response to the potential closure of John Barnes Library which it is hoped will undergo a multi-million pound redevelopment. 'We love books' Mr Goodfellow said "We love books. We think they're really important" and added that he believed the project would probably last for a few months. Islington Council said it saw the project as a "complementary service to the council's library service" and said both organisations wanted to "extend opportunities in reading". The council said it hoped to re-develop the current library into a new library, community space and accommodation. A planning application is yet to be submitted but a council spokesman said it was hoped it would open in 2015. If the plans get the go ahead a temporary library would be opened nearby for the duration of the building work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-18884011

Prysmian Cables Wrexham pay dispute settled A pay dispute which led to strikes at a Wrexham cable factory has been settled. About 240 members of the Unite union at Prysmian Cables on Wrexham Industrial Estate voted to accept a two-year deal. Last month, workers held phased six-hour stoppages after rejecting the company's offer of a 1.5% rise. They have now agreed a 2% rise from January, rising to 3% the following year. But Unite said the vote had been narrow and some workers were still "very unhappy". The factory employs more than 400 people, and the dispute involved production and maintenance staff. In 2010 Prysmian Cables won a £15m contract to manufacture and install power cables to the Gwynt y Mor wind farm off the north Wales coast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/athletics/7568077.stm

Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. Video - Isinbayeva breaks pole vault world record Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record on the way to defending her Olympic title. The 26-year-old beat the record by a centimetre with a clearance of 5.05 metres, finishing ahead of American Jennifer Stuczynski, who cleared 4.80m. Russia's Svetlana Feofanova took bronze with a vault of 4.75m. Isinbayeva, who has also won two world titles, has now broken the world record on three occasions this year - in Rome, Monaco, and now in Beijing. "I was trying to do my best for the crowd," she said afterwards. I will still improve and the next goal is London 2012 "It makes me happy, so happy, I felt that I could not go out without the world record because of the support the crowd gave me. "I remember my feelings from Athens 2004 and I wanted to feel that again. "Everyone was so sure that I would win so I felt a lot of pressure." Isinbayeva is now aiming to break set Sergei Bubka's record for consecutive world records. "I will do it. I just have 12 more to go. Life would be boring without records to break so I want to continue on forever. "It is hard to be more perfect than this. I will still improve and the next goal is London 2012." The Russian needed just two jumps in the final to claim her second Olympics gold, electing to begin her defence at 4.70m. He clinched the title with her second vault - 4.85m - having watched rivals Feofanova and Stuczynski bow out of the competition at lower heights. Isinbayeva then raised the bar to 4.95m - a new Olympic record - and cleared it on her third attempt. With only the women's pole vault still running at the Bird's Nest, the Volgograd athlete moved the bar up to the world record height of 5.05m, which she cleared, again, with her third and final attempt. Isinbayeva first broke the world record in 2003 in Gateshead, when she cleared 4.82m. Meanwhile, the women's final was held up for between 10 to15 minutes when Brazilian Fabiana Murer could not find the pole she wanted to jump with.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/teachers/citizenship_11_14/subject_areas/conflict_resolution/newsid_2753000/2753801.stm

Quick quiz on Iraq. Correct answers are marked with* What is the capital of Iraq? B: Baghdad * When was the last war with Iraq? Why did the last war start? A: Saddam invaded Qatar B: Saddam invaded Kuwait* C: Saddam invaded Yemen Who runs the Iraqi youth TV channel? A:Saddam's eldest son* C:Saddam's political opponents What sort of leader is Saddam? The last war against Iraq was backed by the: A: United Nations B: United States C: United Kingdom D: All of these* Saddam has been running Iraq since: In 1980 Iraq invaded its neighbour Iran. The war went on for eight years, how many people died? In 1988 Saddam bombed his Kurdish enemies in the Iraqi city of Halabja. What did he use? A: Nerve gas B: Mustard gas Which country supplied weapons or military equipment to Saddam during his war against Iraq? D: All three* [A] Print off and copy sections from our Iraq special, alternatively if you have class internet access they can research online.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-24395051

India announces state election dates Assembly elections will begin in five Indian states next month, the Election Commission of India has announced. Voting will be held in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said. Polling will be held from 11 November to 4 December. Votes will be counted on 8 December. Correspondents say the polls will give a sense of how the electorate may vote in the general elections due in 2014. Corruption and high inflation are expected to be major factors in these elections. Mr Sampath said a total of 110 million voters will be eligible to cast their votes in the five states. Voting will be held in the central state of Chhattisgarh in two phases on 11 November and 19 November. The capital, Delhi, and the north-eastern state of Mizoram will vote on 4 November. Madhya Pradesh in central India will go to the polls on 25 November, while the western state of Rajasthan will vote on 1 December.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-21974859

Snowdonia rescue: Warning after climber falls 300ft and breaks arm Rescuers have warned people not to go into the mountains of north Wales over Easter unless fully prepared. It follows two falls by experienced climbers on Lliwedd in Snowdonia in 24 hours in icy conditions. One man, in his forties and from Coventry, slid about 300ft (90m) and broke his arm. Phil Benbow, secretary of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, said conditions on many mountains were treacherous. "Both these men were well equipped with crampons and ice axes and they got into difficulties in what are really still very difficult conditions," he said. "Our message is unless you are well-equipped and know what you are doing, please stay away over from high in the mountains over the weekend. The man from Coventry was fell on Lliwedd while descending the Snowdon Horseshoe about 18:20 GMT on Thursday evening. "We deployed two members of the team to help the man who was fully equipped with crampons and ice axe," said Mr Benbow. "They stayed with him until the winchman from the RAF helicopter from Valley came down to help and also flew with him to hospital." The injured climber was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, for treatment. In the earlier rescue, a 53-year-old local man was airlifted to hospital after he fell 100ft while climbing on Snowdon on Wednesday. Rescuers said he was properly equipped and an experienced climber. The man had head and back injuries after the tumble on snow on Lliwedd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/373053.stm

Saturday, June 19, 1999 Published at 10:35 GMT 11:35 UK More refugees injured by mines Refugees are warned of mine danger as they cross the border Medical workers in Albania are treating a growing number of landmine victims, injured in explosions near the border with Kosovo. Among the latest victims are three Albanians, a man and two children, injured when they trod on and detonated a mine in their border village. The man, in his 20s, had both his legs amputated at the small local hospital in Kukes. The 13-year-old boy lost one of his feet, while the other child, a 15-year-old, lost an eye. The American doctor treating them said this incident would not be the last. Warnings stepped up The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is stepping up attempts to warn of the mine danger as streams of Kosovo-Albanian refugees head across the border for home. According to the BBC's Liz McKean in northern Albania, mine-clearing teams are focusing on Kosovo, but the heavily-mined Albanian side of the border is being ignored. And a spokesman for Handicap International, an organisation devoted to helping landmine victims, said its representatives returning from Kosovo had heard a number of reports about booby-traps set intentionally to kill or maim returning refugees. The group said many of the accidents had taken place in the gardens of private homes in the Pristina region. Three French soldiers were wounded on Friday when their light armoured vehicle set off an anti-tank mine on a road near the north Kosovo town of Mitrovica. "None of their injuries was life-threatening and two of the men were driven back to their unit while the third was taken to an aid station by helicopter," said an army spokesman. The vehicle had moved over to the side of the road to allow a convoy through, when it hit the mine and flipped over.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9623000/9623514.stm

Several trade unions are going to court to challenge the government's reform of public sector pensions. Pensions expert Tom McPhail explains how the changes are expected to work. And Mark Serwotka, of the Public and Commercial Services union, explains his opposition to what he describes as "the biggest robbery of a pension scheme this country has ever seen". Get in touch with Today via or text us on 84844.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4441503.stm

Afghanistan's internationally renowned charity for street children, Aschiana, survived the Afghan wars of the 1990s and the Taleban era. Many of Aschiana's children lost their parents in the wars However, the free market economics of Kabul's post-war boom now seem a more potent enemy than rockets and bombs. Aschiana, which means "the nest" and provides support, food, education and a refuge to 10,000 street children, faces the closure of its main centre in Kabul. It is the victim of rocketing rents and land prices rather than artillery. The charity's compound on Char Rahi Malik Asghar, which it has occupied since 1997, has been sold by its owner to an international company. A five-star hotel will be built on the site. Kabul is a city in the grip of a housing boom that has seen the price of real estate soar to levels comparable with Western cities. The three-acre Aschiana plot, close to the main government ministries, is believed to be worth around $5m. A small class of wealthy Afghan entrepreneurs and international companies have been the prime beneficiaries of the boom. Drawings by children are sold to help the youngsters and Aschiana "Our rent for this site was $1,500 a month," says Aschiana's director and founder, Engineer Mohammed Yousef. "We have been looking for alternative sites but rents in the centre of the city are too expensive now." Much smaller sites further from the city centre, where most of the street children gravitate, now cost around $10,000 a month in rent. Kabul has about 50,000 children working on its streets. Many lost their parents during Afghanistan's 24-year conflict and they are often to be seen banded together and scavenging through rubbish. Many make a meagre living polishing shoes or selling water, chewing gum or newspapers to drivers at busy junctions. They often show the tell-tale, disfiguring scars of leishmaniasis, a parasitic skin infection which is transmitted by sandflies and commonly affects those who live on the streets. As well as sexual abuse and domestic violence, children at the centre have often suffered high levels of psychological trauma during the wars. The early lives of many of the street children were dominated by the protracted siege of Kabul in the 1990s when random rocketing and gunfire by various militias killed an estimated 20,000 civilians. Today children at the centre are still engaged in classes in art, music, dance, computing, sport and basic literacy. Dress-making is one of the classes that Aschiana offers "I don't want to tell the children that we are closing," says Engineer Yousef, above the sound of chainsaws. Workmen have arrived to begin felling the trees in the courtyard where the children play games. In a classroom learning mathematics, an 11-year-old boy called Hamed says his ambition is to become a doctor. Previously, he was a refugee in Pakistan where his family fled after the death of his father. Hamed says he makes 50 Afghans a day, the equivalent of $1, selling bottles of water on the street before coming to the Aschiana centre. He hopes to progress enough in his studies to go to a normal school. A total of 661 children from Aschiana's centres were reintegrated into normal schooling last month. In a classroom of 30 girls studying basic literacy, the walls are adorned with posters of different mines and cluster bombs. Next door a class of girls is learning dress-making while in another part of the compound children practise still-life drawing. The children come in during the day in shifts to maximise the number benefiting. The children are the nation's future, says Aschiana Aschiana is famed for its art and music. Many of the pictures painted by the children are sold, with half the money going to the artist and half to help fund the charity. In the centre's music room, professional musicians are taking raucous singing classes with the children before heading off to earn their living at weddings and parties in the evenings. Aschiana's director is certain the main centre for 800 children will close at the end of June. Another of Aschiana's six centres in Kabul, this one for 400 children, is also closing because of rent. The charity relies on a mixture of money from the European Community, World Bank and numerous smaller donors such as the British charity Friends of Aschiana. Last year, Aschiana survived on $3 per child, per month. With Kabul's voracious housing market making it ever harder for such organisations to function, that amount looks likely to drop further. In a rare expression of his frustration, Engineer Yousef says: "Despite the problems that were faced during the Taleban era, Aschiana managed to continue to function. "This will be a shame on the international community and the government of Afghanistan if we have to abandon the children now. "The international community has said it is here to help Afghanistan and its people to a better future. The children of Afghanistan are that future."

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27909301

New chemical iris for tiny phone cameras - 19 June 2014 - From the section Science & Environment A new type of chemical iris designed for smartphone cameras has been created by researchers in Germany. Traditional cameras use mechanical blades to change the size of the aperture through which light enters. The new micro-iris features transparent chemical rings which turn opaque when a small voltage is applied. The ultrathin device could inspire a new generation of tiny cameras for phones and tablets according to a study in the Journal of Optics. As in the human eye, the iris in a camera controls the amount of light that reaches a sensor, affecting the overall focus of the image. Typical mechanical irises feature overlapping blades which open and close around a central aperture. But attempts to miniaturise these have reached a physical limit, according to researchers at the University of Kaiserslautern. Instead, they propose an alternative, chemical design - just 55 micrometres thick. It features concentric rings which can be darkened and lightened to adjust the size of the aperture and thus, the depth of focus. The device consists of two glass substrates sandwiched together, each one carrying a thin film of the electrochromic polymer PEDOT (poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) on an underlying transparent electrode. The chemical can be switched into an opaque state with a low voltage (1.5V) and does not require a continuous current to maintain its state - making it highly suitable for battery-powered devices. "Our results prove that the electrochromic [EC] iris can be utilised in principle to control the transmitted light and the depth of focus," said lead author Tobias Deutschmann. "The potential of the iris in its current state is mostly restricted by the insufficient absorption contrast and relatively long switching time of the commercially available PEDOT material. "However, the synthesis of optimised EC materials is under rapid development. "We will now further investigate the potential of optimised electrochromic materials, with a particular focus on improving the optical contrast and, in particular, the control of the depth of focus - this is the decisive hardware parameter which determines the success of next-generation models in the smartphone business."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7463090.stm

Mani (right) joined Bobby Gillespie (left) and the band in 1996 British rock favourites Primal Scream are returning with their ninth studio album, Beautiful Future. It includes collaborations with CSS singer Lovefoxx, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and folk icon Linda Thompson on a cover of Fleetwood Mac's Over And Over. Bassist Mani - who was also in seminal indie group The Stone Roses - discusses the new album, how the band have kicked drink and drugs, and the prospects of a Roses reunion. What does the title Beautiful Future refer to? I think it's the most pop record we've done to date Bobby [Gillespie, singer] comes up with all that nonsense, I'm just the humble bass player. We've all been in a really good space, we're all healthy, we're all feeling really musical. I think it's the most pop record we've done to date. It's really accessible and diverse - it swings from a bit of Philadelphia soul to punk rock to beautiful ballads to electro. How does the songwriting process work? We've got our studio in Chalk Farm [north London] and we're in there every day, jamming and kicking ideas about. Someone could fart into a microphone with an echo on it and think 'that sounds good', and then build a song around it. We haven't done that as yet, we're saving that for our next album. But there is no formula, the songs come from anywhere. How did you get the collaborators on board? We're always up for collaborations because you never know what you can learn from other people. Primal Scream are aiming to stay sober on their next tour We thought Linda Thompson would be perfect for the Fleetwood Mac cover. The song as Fleetwood Mac did it just sounds like a Primal Scream song. It's got that narcotic, laid back kind of thing. With Lovefoxx, we met the girls from CSS at what turned into an all-night drinking session in Sao Paolo in Brazil a couple of years ago. They were great kids and we got on like a house on fire. And then the mighty, God-like Josh Homme. We absolutely adore Queens of the Stone Age. He was in town so we convened in the studio and had a jam. It was [Scream guitarist] Andrew Innes and Josh shredding against each other with their guitars. We took Josh's guitar out and built a completely new song around it. Josh and Primal Scream are both big party animals... We've all been straight for the past nine months mate so that's the party animal angle blown right out of the water. What I'm enjoying more than anything is the clarity, and getting up at eight o'clock in the morning This is Primal Scream behaving themselves. That's why I sound so jolly. It's been such a focus of ours at the moment. We want to drag a few more years out of the game. When you say straight, does that mean no drugs, drink or both? I've done nowt for nine months mate and I'm really happy about it. I'm getting up, I'm focussed, I've got things to do. I feel like I contribute a lot more. What I'm enjoying more than anything is the clarity, and getting up at eight o'clock in the morning and doing stuff. I think this could herald a really prolific period for the band and we're enjoying it. But then again we're going out on the road and Primal Scream have a great tendency to trip themselves right up. Who knows what's going to happen? You're also part of Mancunian bass supergroup Freebass with New Order's Peter Hook and Andy Rourke of The Smiths. What stage is that at? That goes on the back burner whenever people are doing other stuff, but I think Peter is still working away. We've got a guy singing for us now - Gary Briggs, who used to be in a band called Haven. Gary's been doing some vocals, which are coming out brilliantly. We're working towards doing an album and then doing some gigs. Who knows, the festival circuit might be seeing a bit of Freebass action next year. It would be good to see three Manc bass legends competing with each other to work out who is the king of Manchester on the bass. Loads of bands have reformed recently - is there any prospect of a Stone Roses reunion? The Stone Roses released just two albums before they split I spoke to John [Squire, guitarist] and Reni [drummer] about it a few years ago and they said they'd love to do it at some point in time, but Ian Brown seems dead set against it. Who knows. It's not something that's uppermost in my mind to tell you the truth. I'm in Primal Scream and I think it's quite disrespectful to talk about the Stone Roses reforming when I'm having such a great time with the Scream. People will always be interested but you should ask Ian Brown about that one. If he changes his mind then we'll probably do it, but then I'll be back to Primal Scream after the one year of doing it. What do you think of the current indie scene? I with there was a little bit more danger, people taking a few more risks I think the Arctic Monkeys are brilliant. I love Klaxons and The Horrors. I think British music's quite healthy at the moment, kids have got ideas. I just wish there was a little bit more danger, people taking a few more risks and they weren't so on their knees to the corporate beast. Be like punk rockers, man, and just get out there and change it and make it yours.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-19606623

Bin Laden raid book offers rare insight - 14 September 2012 - From the section US & Canada The killing of Osama Bin Laden affected those who were responsible in different ways. For "Jen", as the CIA analyst who tracked down the al-Qaeda leader is referred to in No Easy Day, a US Navy commando's first-hand account of the raid, it resulted in floods of tears. "She'd spent half a decade tracking this man... now there he was at her feet". For "Mark Owen" the pseudonymous US Navy Seal who has annoyed the Pentagon so much by publishing that expose, it contributed to a decision to "step off the speeding train" of high-end special operations. He had been part of the secret Tier 1 counter-terrorist operations for 10 years, taking part in something like 500 operational raids. Nobody in Washington would have minded if Mr Owen had drifted off quietly into corporate security work or one of the other paths often trodden by former special operators. But he decided to write No Easy Day. I don't imagine he would ever have considered doing so if Bin Laden were still at large, and his decision to publish is a telling indicator of how far the climate for the discussion of the al-Qaeda threat - and the largely secret methods used to combat it - has been changed by the death of the organisation's founding leader. The offensive operations carried out since 9/11 - mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan - have been run by several thousand intelligence people and special operators who have been bound by a vow of silence. In the case of the UK contribution to this, mainly the SAS and SBS, a regime of non-disclosure agreements and official secrecy has been used in an attempt to stifle discussion of such actions. Service to openness When writing Task Force Black, an account of British special operations in Iraq, I was involved in long, difficult and expensive (since they were held under the threat of legal action) discussions with Whitehall. No British operator has yet managed to publish a first-hand account of these raids and the public debate is all the poorer for that fact. In Mr Owen's case the fact that the Bin Laden raid was of such enormous importance, and therefore market potential, along with the perceived vanquishing of al-Qaeda all seem to have combined to propel him towards publication without clearance of his manuscript. What emerges is a vivid portrait of the world in which these people lived, going out on raids so many times to kill or capture suspected terrorists that they all began to merge. In the years before 9/11 a Seal or an SAS trooper would have been lucky to take part in five operational missions during an entire career. Now there is a generation of people like Mr Owen who have done a hundred times that many. The approach has been to mount so many raids against militant networks that they are taken down faster than they can regenerate. The process of "Find-Fix-Finish-Exploit" has been applied to thousands of people. In other words: working out their place in the insurgency; locating them at a particular time and spot; turning up - usually in the middle of the night - to take them; harvesting whatever information they might have through interrogation or the analysis of their laptops, phones or other possessions. Mr Owen appears to think that this last aspect of the Bin Laden operation was the weakest. He says that because the helicopters circling Bin Laden's compound were low on fuel, that the assault force had to leave before a really thorough job had been done hoovering up the al-Qaeda leader's personal archive. He also argues that a growing amount of red tape was hampering their operations in Afghanistan at the time he decided to hang up his silenced assault rifle. Those pressures - from an Afghan government fed up with what it says are the wrong houses being hit, and innocent families being killed - have emerged in the public domain before. But the special operators' reaction to them has not. There are signs that the special operations campaign in Afghanistan, notwithstanding the Bin Laden raid in neighbouring Pakistan, has been markedly less successful in reducing the wider pattern of violence than it was in Iraq. There are many reasons for this, but my own assessment would be that Afghan red tape does not explain it. In writing his book, Mr Owen though has not attempted much strategic analysis. His book, understandably enough, focuses on the door-kickers' view, the dedication of those willing to go up against suicide bombers and extremist leaders, as well as the losses suffered by his comrades. He has done a service to openness and accountability in writing it. The Pentagon, however, is considering legal action. It will be interesting to see, once the election is over (and with it the accusations that the Obama administration has connived with damaging leaks in order to boost its re-election chances) whether it goes through with it.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27791832

Toyota adds to recall over airbags - 11 June 2014 - From the section Business Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has added 650,000 cars - all in Japan - to the recall it issued last year over a defect in passenger airbags. That takes the number of cars recalled over the issue to 2.79 million. The affected vehicles have a defective part which "could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally in a crash". Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, said it had received one report of a seat cover burn due to the issue. It added that it was also modifying the remedy that it was using to address the issue. Toyota said that it had so far been replacing the part in the affected vehicles based on the serial number provided by the parts maker, Takata Corp. However, it added, that the serial number in some of the cases was incomplete and had led to those cars not being serviced, despite receiving the initial recall notice. Toyota said it would now replace the inflator in "all involved vehicles", irrespective of the serial numbers. As a result, it said, it was re-notifying 350,000 owners globally to bring their cars back for servicing. "For vehicles which were inspected and did not receive a replacement inflator, we will re-notify the owners and replace the inflator with a new one," the firm said in a statement. Another 1.24 million owners - who had received the initial recall notice but did not bring their vehicles in - are also being sent a fresh notice. The vehicle models affected by the issues include Corolla, Camry Yaris and Vios.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39489571

South Africa's tough road out of junk status The immediate impact of South Africa's ratings downgrade by Standard & Poor's is largely seen on the screens of financial traders. The country's currency, the rand, has lost ground, bonds and banking shares have fallen and there is a general air of impending doom. Of the big three ratings agencies, only Standard & Poor's has lowered South Africa's sovereign debt to below investment grade. Should Moody's or Fitch follow suit, big international investors like pension funds would be forced, under their own rules, to sell their South African government debt. Those rules require two of the three to move to junk status. South Africa's major banks have been quick to point out that they are financially sound and well-positioned to withstand the impact of sovereign rating downgrades. Nonetheless, banking shares are taking a significant battering. But the turmoil on the currency, bond and equity markets will spread to the wider economy soon enough. As the rand falls, inflation will increase. This is because the price of imported goods rises in local currency terms. The flip side of this is that exports become cheaper and more competitive. As inflation increases, the central bank, the Reserve Bank, will have to increase interest rates as a counter measure. This makes the cost of mortgages, home loans and any other borrowing ordinary South Africans want to do more expensive. It also makes the cost of borrowing for companies more expensive and, as such, plays a role in slowing economic growth. Higher borrowing costs and slowing economic growth can lead to job losses. South Africa's economy grew by just 0.3% last year and is not expected to top 1% this year. In fact, some economists are saying the downgrade to junk has the potential to trigger another recession. Getting out of junk status is difficult. According to Bloomberg, over the past 30 years only six of the 20 countries that have fallen into junk status have managed to claw their way out of it. And the time taken for those who re-acquired an investment grade rating ranges from 13 months to 11 years. The average time is around seven years. So, has the mirror cracked? Are South Africans in line for seven years of bad luck? The initial signs are not good. But up until now the ratings agencies have been pretty patient with South Africa. They warned that political infighting and slow economic growth were the main factors that could lead to a downgrade. And they have been saying that for over a year. What kept the finger off the junk status button was confidence in former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, but also a knowledge that South Africa has strong institutions and a working democracy. It also has a number of sectors which are among some of the best in the world, particularly mining and financial services. If a good degree of political stability can be achieved quickly and sustained going forward, the chances of South Africa pulling itself out of junk status in less than seven years improve dramatically. If not, the country risks falling off the radar of the international investment community. If that happens, times could get tough, and stay tough for millions of South Africans.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/4989956.stm

A new laboratory has opened in Inverness to assist research into the roles played by genes in mental health. The lab will study genes to help mental health research The Ness Foundation has been trying to improve understanding of schizophrenia and autism. Its new lab aims to boost analysis of skin and breath tests to diagnose symptoms of mental health earlier. Eventually it could lead to a kit for GPs to test quickly whether a patient is exhibiting mental problems or is suffering from another illness. It is the first genetics lab to open in Inverness and is housed within the foundation's offices in Dochfour Business Centre. Douglas Mundie, foundation chairman, said: "Diagnosing mental health problems like schizophrenia and autism are still based on the skill and experience of trained psychiatrists. "The skin test we have developed at The Ness Foundation has shown that it is possible to diagnose further the early symptoms of schizophrenia when used in conjunction with existing clinical evaluation. "We believe that we will be able to distinguish between other problems such as depression and drug-induced psychosis, which can often exhibit confusingly similar symptoms." The foundation is an associate partner of UHI Millennium Institute, a further education body trying to set up the Highlands' first university.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35268713

Egypt attack: Three tourists stabbed at Hurghada hotel Three foreign tourists have been stabbed by two suspected Islamic State militants who stormed into a hotel in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The attackers, armed with knives, were shot by police at the Bella Vista hotel after they attacked two Austrian guests and a Swede, officials say. One assailant was killed and the other injured, officials say. The attackers were aiming to kidnap tourists, officials told the BBC. Reports say they raised the IS flag. Security forces are still searching for possible further attackers. Officials earlier reported that both the attackers had been killed. The BBC's Sally Nabil in Cairo says Hurghada remains on high alert with all roads in and out closed off. Egypt is battling Islamist militants based in the nearby Sinai peninsula, including an Islamic State affiliate. That group said it downed a Russian plane which crashed in October 2015, with the loss of 224 lives. A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said they were "urgently investigating" the reports from Hurghada. He did not know whether any Britons might be affected. Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent Sadly for Egypt, this is only the latest incident in a growing list of sporadic terrorist attacks carried out by jihadist fanatics, aimed at harming the government and driving away much-needed foreign investment and tourism. The most potent threat emanates from the Egyptian affiliate of the so-called Islamic State, based in the northern Sinai Peninsula across the Red Sea from where Friday's hotel attack took place. But ever since bombers attacked the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005, the authorities have gone to great lengths to secure the country's Red Sea resorts. Until last October's downing of a Russian passenger plane - which Russia and Britain believe was caused by a bomb - the coastal resorts had remained largely free from terrorism for years. Egypt was able to deal swiftly and effectively with this latest attack in Hurghada, but the authorities will want to establish where it was launched from and what further precautions they now need to take. An attack on a bus at a hotel near the Giza pyramids on Thursday was claimed by IS, which said it was targeting "a tourist bus carrying Jews". Egyptian officials said no-one was hurt in the attack, near Cairo. Arab Israeli tourists were staying at the hotel, reports said. After the loss of the Russian plane in October, the UK and other European countries halted flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, citing security fears. Russia also stopped all flights to Egypt. The departures board on Hurghada airport's website shows foreign tourists travelling to the resort this week have come from Turkey, Germany, Sweden and the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-12049913

Thames Water has reminded people not to pour Christmas dinner fat down the sink to prevent sewers clogging up. The company has said 25% more fat - about 500 tonnes - goes down drains in December than at any other time. Fat should be put in a container and, once cold, put in the bin. To highlight the problem a group of sewer men have posted on You Tube their song 'Bin it - Don't Block It' to the tune of the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas. The new lyrics include the line: "Only what comes out of you, should go into our pipes." Rob Smith, chief Thames Water sewerman and lead chorister, said: "Sewer abuse is a big problem - one well worth making a song and dance about in our view. "And it's not every day you get to see a rough-and-ready performance of a Christmas carol by a bunch of guys knee deep in poo." He added: "Cooking fat, sanitary items and other nasties that are wrongly put down loos and sinks end up blocking sewers, and in some cases cause sewage to back up into people's homes, which is truly horrific." For each hit the carol gets, Thames Water has said it will donate 1p to Water Aid to support the charity's work to improve access to safe water and sanitation to some of the world's poorest people. The company said beef or lamb fat can be mixed with seeds or food scraps to make nutritious bird feed and meat fat also goes well in gravy. - 4 December 2007 - 25 December 2007 - 19 August 2004

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7055636.stm

Ex-Wales captain Mike Hall has called on the likes of Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive Roger Lewis to share the blame for Wales' poor World Cup. WRU chief Roger Lewis should accept responsibility says Mike Hall "The first thing they do to get themselves off the hook is sack the coach," Hall told the Scrum V show. "They made Gareth Jenkins the scapegoat and that left a bad taste in my mouth. "We need to change the structure at the top and it starts with Roger Lewis, some of those boys should have been falling on their swords." He added: "For me it's not about who the next coach is going to be. "We're like a battered-up car - it doesn't matter if (Formula One racing drivers) Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso is driving it, it's still a battered-up car." While accepting that the larger portion of blame had to be shouldered by Jenkins, Hall was also unhappy with the speed with which the former Llanelli Scarlets coach was sacked. Lewis and WRU chairman David Pickering gave Jenkins the news at the team hotel in France on the morning after Wales' loss to Fiji ended their World Cup hopes. "It was dreadful the way they got rid of him, at least allow the man the dignity to travel back to Wales and do it properly," Hall said. "Whatever you say about Gareth Jenkins, he's had a fantastic coaching career in Wales. "Yes, he made mistakes that got us knocked out of the tournament early, but the bloke wore his heart on his sleeve, he was very passionate about Welsh rugby. "So I feel we have lost something there, even though he probably had to go in the end." The WRU is searching for a new Wales coach from abroad although Jenkins' assistant, Nigel Davies, will be caretaker coach for the 24 November Test with new world champions South Africa. Springbok coach Jake White, plus New Zealanders Robbie Deans, Warren Gatland, Steve Hansen and Ian Foster are all understood to have been approached. A new coach would almost certainly bring in his own backroom staff and Hall fears that Jenkins' assistants will pay the price. Jenkins is unlikely to be able to find a coaching job in Wales, while Hall fears that Davies, Neil Jenkins, Robin McBryde and Rowland Phillips will also have to find their next jobs abroad. "If a new coach comes in, say Jake White, and he decides to get rid of all those boys who have been there, then that would be a loss for Wales overall," Hall said. "They would have learnt an awful lot through this World Cup; yes, it's been a massive disappointment but they're all very young men in coaching terms. "All these boys are the next generation of Welsh coaches, so we must find a way of keeping them in the game in Wales. "Whether that is in their specific roles I don't know, that's a job for the hierarchy of the WRU to decide. "If not you're throwing the baby out with the bath water if you do that, because they've just started their coaching careers. "Possibly the mistake was putting them all in there in one group around Gareth. "If you look at South Africa there's Jake White and Eddie Jones alongside him, New Zealand have Graham Henry and Steve Hansen - all very experienced men at the top and that's what Wales needs."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5182472.stm

The Panamanian congress has formally approved a $5bn plan to widen the Panama Canal, its biggest expansion since it opened in 1914. The existing locks are too narrow for many ships Some modern ships are now too wide to go through the canal, and those ships that can pass have to queue for hours. The project will now go to a binding referendum to be held later this year. Opinion polls show that voters in Panama are in favour of the plan, but critics say the completed project will still not meet shipping needs. The 80km (50-mile) Panama Canal, which was controlled by the United States until 1999, handles nearly 5% of global trade. At present, it can only handle ships carrying up to 4,000 containers, known as Panamax vessels. But with wider locks and deeper and wider access canals it could take ships carrying up to 10,000 containers. The canal carries about 5% of world trade The current locks are 33 metres (108 feet) wide, but the new locks would be 50 metres (150 feet). A third lane of traffic would be able to handle the wider loads. Panama says the cost of the upgrades would be met from increased tolls, supplemented by a $2.3bn loan. But opponents say that when the work is finished in 2014-15, the canal will still be inadequate. An alternative plan of new terminals at the Pacific and Atlantic ends of the canal to handle containers in transit is proposed. The canal is mainly used by the US, Japan, China and Chile.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7425400.stm

By Paul Reynolds World affairs correspondent, BBC News website Treatment of detainees is frequently criticised by human rights groups The United States Supreme Court has struck another blow in favour of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. In doing so, it has added a substantial new chapter to the history of the struggle between the executive and judicial branches of government. It has also thrown into doubt the trials planned for about 80 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, as they will take their case to a US civilian court for review. (Update: the US Attorney General Michael Mukasey has said that the trials will proceed, as the court did not rule on the military tribunal process. However, defence lawyers are likely to argue that the ruling undermines even the trials. There are also some 200 other detainees who are not currently facing trial.) The Bush administration's original hopes that the camp could become a zone free from the US courts lies in tatters. It is on land under the indefinite control of the US but not part of American territory. The court was split between liberals and conservatives with the deciding vote coming from the centrist Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the opinion and declared: "The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times." Justice Kennedy acknowledged that references to the history of habeas corpus might not sound relevant to those fighting terrorism but he went on: "Security subsists, too, in fidelity to freedom's first principles. Chief among these are freedom from arbitrary and unlawful restraint and the personal liberty that is secured by adherence to the separation of powers. It is from these principles that the judicial authority to consider petitions for habeas corpus relief It was the third time that the court had struck down the administration's plans for Guantanamo. It ruled first that US law did extend there, then it said that the president lacked authority to set up military trials or commissions. Each time, the administration hit back, getting Congress to authorise the commissions and setting up a system of hearings known as Combatant Status Review Tribunals, which it argued was an effective substitute for a hearing in a US civilian court. But this argument did not convince a majority of the nine justices. The defendants had argued that, despite the fact that Guantanamo Bay is in Cuba, the US exercises total control and the principles of US law should apply there. The court accepted this. Some 270 men are still being held at the camp The key law to be applied is the right of habeas corpus. This is an ancient right under English law, going back to the 14th Century at least - the words are Latin for "You have the body". Under it, a court can order someone holding a prisoner to bring the prisoner to a court to justify their detention. It has for long been seen as a bulwark against the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of the citizen. It was carried over into the US constitution upon American independence. The minority of justices had harsh words to say about the ruling. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote of the "disastrous consequences of what the Court has done today." He said: "Today, for the first time in our Nation's history, the Court confers a constitutional right to habeas corpus on alien enemies detained abroad by our military forces in the course of an ongoing war." "America is at war with radical Islamists," he said. The court's decision "will make the war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed," he stated. The judgment is now being urgently studied for its likely impact on the future of the camp.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2776205.stm

Torrential rains in Pakistan followed by flash floods have killed more than 25 people since Sunday. Most deaths have been in Sindh and Baluchistan More than 100 people have been injured and thousands have been made homeless as rains have continued in most parts of the country for a third day. The BBC's Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad says it is the season's heaviest downpour, ending the dry spell of the last five years. Bad weather has also caused deaths in India and Afghanistan. More rain to come In the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad a 30-year record has been broken with 105 millimetres of rain in 12 hours. The head of Pakistan's meteorology office, Qamaruz Zaman, says reports of heavy downpours have also been received from several other parts of the country. He says more rain is expected in the country's northern region in the next couple of days. While the rain has brought relief to farmers in most parts of the country, the continuous downpour has also caused widespread death and destruction. Most of the deaths and injuries have been in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. The floods have caused transport chaos In the village of Gadab, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Karachi, six people were killed when their mud houses collapsed. Another seven people were killed and 22 injured when a passenger bus was swept away in flash floods near the coastal town of Gwadar in Baluchistan. Reports of death by drowning and electrocution have also come from a number of other cities and towns. Relief and rescue teams have been despatched to some remote areas and officials say details are being collected to assess the real extent of damage to life and property. In Afghanistan, three children were drowned in flood waters near the southern city of Kandahar, Reuters news agency reports. Heavy snowfall has also resulted in the closure of the Salang Tunnel that links the capital, Kabul, to northern Afghanistan. Three people have also died in bad weather in the Indian state of Gujarat. Police say two women and a child were killed in two separate incidents when strong winds caused their houses to collapse.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/2977285.stm

Spacey played for Arsenal for eight seasons before joining Fulham at the start of the season. Now 36, she has won every domestic honour in England and has had a glittering international career, winning 91 England caps and scoring 28 goals before retiring in 2001. She won Top Goal Scorer, Players Player and Sport Relief Special Achievement Award last season. One of three mothers in the team, she cites her best performance to date as childbirth with no pain relief! Her favourite goal came in the 1995 FA Cup final, a 20-yarder into the top corner with eight minutes remaining that won Arsenal the trophy. Spacey scored one of the goals in the 7-2 semi-final win over Bristol Rovers this season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/6537815.stm

Bogeys at the last two holes told the story of a Masters that should have been so much better for Paul Casey. Casey mixed the sublime with the ridiculous all week at Augusta He was three under for his round and three off the lead when he came to 17 but a bogey-bogey finish ruined his hopes of posting a challenging target. The 29-year-old Englishman's seven-over total was scant reward for some superb approach work and brave putting. "There was a lot of good golf in there but too many mistakes. That's been the story pretty much all year," he said. "I was happy with the way I played until the end there. It was a disappointing week. One of those where it could have been or should have been better." Casey, the European Tour's 2006 player of the year, ended with a one-under 71, seven over for the tournament and six shots behind the winner Zach Johnson of America. But it was a mixed bag for the Arizona-based Casey. He opened with a round of 79 before bouncing back with a stunning four-under 68, both in the company of world number one Tiger Woods. He then got himself into a great position on Saturday evening before contriving to lose five shots in four holes from 15th. He chunked his third to the par-five's green into the pond, ran up a triple-bogey and compounded the error with bogeys on 16 and 18 for a round of 77. It was enormously to his credit that he bounced back to card a good final round and ensure his second high placing in three Masters appearances. Another Englishman deserving of praise is Ian Poulter. So often only noticed for his flamboyant dress sense, the 31-year-old from Hitchin carded a battling 70 to reach the clubhouse on eight over for the tournament. Poulter was in the pink in more ways the one thanks to a fine 70 Less happy with his performance at Augusta this weekend was Swindon's David Howell. Tied for third after the first round and just three off the halfway lead, the Ryder Cup star was 15 over for the last two rounds thanks to an 82-77 weekend. His 16-over total left the 31-year-old way down the final leaderboard. "I'm very disappointed. It's been a bad weekend, no fun at all," said Howell. "I got myself somewhat miraculously into position by playing well on the first two days but I'm very disappointed with the way I finished. To be honest, it's been like that all season. "I didn't really come here with any expectations but I've gained some experience, learned a bit more about the course and learned a bit more about myself." Another Englishman who will perhaps be a bit underwhelmed with his finishing position is Lee Westwood - five dropped shots in the first three holes of his inward nine put paid to his hopes of a top-16 finish. The 33-year-old from Worksop had to settle for a 13-over total and a place in the middle of the pack.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28870777

James Foley: Extremists battle with social media Just as Islamic State (IS) has swept across Iraq, so too has it swarmed over social media - using the platform with a sophistication never before witnessed in this way. By sharing shocking images and video showing the killing of US journalist James Foley, IS has brought to the fore an issue many have warned about: that social networks are locked in a continual battle against extremists and the spread of shocking propaganda online. Some experts say the networks are losing this battle, as more and more messages - many purporting to be from news agencies - flood services. Others argue that social networks are doing what they can to protect users, and that measures in place to flag and remove content are effective. Meanwhile, some have criticised social networks for putting more effort into detecting copyright infringement than they have into removing harmful material. Here are the key issues.What is happening? After video of Foley appeared online, users on social networks urged others not to watch or share the clip. But the effectiveness of IS's approach is staggering - mimicking the kind of efforts corporations would invest millions in for marketing purposes. As the graphic video was circulated, some Twitter users started two hashtags - #ISISmediablackout and #DontShare - which sought to drown out messages showing the disturbing content, replacing it with images of Foley taken while he was working. But the reality is that extremists are finding new ways to circumvent the efforts of social networks trying to shut down accounts, a constant cat-and-mouse game that one source close to a major network described to the BBC as being a never-ending "game of whack-a-mole". JM Berger is an analyst specialising in monitoring extremism on social media. He says that the online actions of IS - formerly Isis - rival the efforts of the finest social media marketing experts in the world. Indeed, the swift "brand name" change from Isis to IS has shown the effectiveness of the group's online message. In spreading propaganda, one tactic utilised by the group stood out - a specially created app that, when willingly exposed on a person's phone, would tweet co-ordinated propaganda messages worded by IS, carefully timed not to fall foul of Twitter's spam filter. In one example, 40,000 tweets were sent in this way in just one day. Given the vast number of tweets, and more importantly, the vast number of usernames being used to spread such messages, it was extremely difficult for Twitter to remove the material.What can be done? There is some progress. In the past week, Twitter has been acting to disable dozens of prominent accounts believed to belong to prominent IS members. It is making it harder for IS to spread its message, JM Berger told the BBC. "IS has been struggling with how to respond to suspended accounts on Twitter. "In reality, Twitter is one of the most permissive social media environments for them." But he added: "While several dozen accounts have been suspended over the last few weeks, many more have remained online and many of those who have been suspended come back with new accounts." One further tactic seemingly employed by IS supporters has been to temporarily deactivate their own accounts in an attempt to avoid a ban, although the BBC understands this has no impact on Twitter's ability to suspend inappropriate accounts. Furthermore, noted Mr Berger, Twitter's ability to share links easily meant that while some IS members may be banned from Twitter itself, they were now beginning to appear on smaller social networks posting material that could then be passed on. One network, Diaspora, appears to have emerged as the new network of choice for IS - it provides greater protections because of its decentralised nature.Child abuse images can be blocked with technology - why not extremism? The question of why extremist material cannot simply be blocked by websites is a question that is frequently asked - but has a complex answer. When dealing with images of child sexual abuse, many services use sophisticated technology to automatically check content that is being uploaded against a database of known abusive content. It means that images are, in theory, blocked before they are uploaded to the website in question. PhotoDNA, a Microsoft product, is a market-leading piece of software for carrying out this work. The BBC understands that the same technology could be applied to images known to be spreading extremist propaganda, but that there are currently no plans to do so. For video on YouTube, Google has created ContentID, a system set up to detect when users upload copyrighted material. It checks uploaded content against a known database of footage and audio - most often music videos - and allows the copyright owners to either remove or place advertising on the video. ContentID could be adapted to spot content known to be harmful - but Google is reluctant to put it to use in this way. This is for a variety of reasons, but most significantly it is because while child abuse imagery is easy to categorise - there's no grey area; it's all illegal - violent or shocking material relating to terrorism is harder to define. Often it is social networks that provide the only means of communication for those wanting to spread news of atrocities in hard-to-reach areas. Facebook and Google have both in the past said that shocking images are permitted in cases where they are shown in a "news context", rather than for glorification. Furthermore, the social networks are keen to argue that they should not be the guardians of what should be censored online. But Mr Berger said: "As far as who should decide, Twitter and YouTube and all the rest are businesses, they are not public services or inalienable rights. "Just as a movie theatre or restaurant can eject patrons who are harassing or threatening other patrons or engaging in criminal activity, online services have both the right and an obligation to take care of their customers and do the best they can to provide a safe environment."How can I protect myself, or my children, from seeing this type of content? This is difficult. The very nature of social networks is that it is easy to share content, and the strength of Twitter and others is that information travels extremely quickly. This presents a problem - a teenager browsing Facebook could stumble across the video of Foley's death in their news feed if a friend posted it. More worryingly, many videos posted to Facebook now auto-play, meaning a user does not have to click to start seeing the footage. It's hard to avoid the possibility of seeing something upsetting, suggested security expert Graham Cluley. "If your children are on the internet, it's an impossible task to completely shield them from some of the ghastly things going on in the world," he told the BBC. "You can put your home computer in a shared room rather than a private bedroom, and have some oversight over what they're accessing online. But the proliferation of mobile devices makes it more difficult to oversee what your children are watching. "Consider enabling parental controls that restrict which websites your kids can visit, but realise that it's an imperfect solution - it's perfectly possible that legitimate sites like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook might contain footage that many - young and old - would find harrowing." Mr Cluley added that the best course of action for parents would be to spend time explaining what may have been seen. "Talk to your children about the unpleasant and inappropriate things which can be watched on the net, and help them understand why it isn't cool to seek it out or to share it with their friends." Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6103484.stm

London's mayor has backed down over comments he made about the employment on the Tube of a convicted terrorist. Mostafa was jailed in Yemen in 1999 Ken Livingstone had earlier said he was "happy" for Mohammed Kamel Mostafa, son of jailed Islamic cleric Abu Hamza, to be working on the underground. Mostafa, 25, was jailed for three years in Yemen in 1999 for plotting a bombing campaign. But the mayor said because Mostafa had failed to declare his convictions, his employers "are correct to dismiss him". "Mr Mostafa has convictions in Yemen," he said. "These must be taken into account. "They should have been brought to light by those doing the security checks, the failure to do so must be investigated. "I was not aware of this man's convictions at the time of my press conference this morning, only of his family. "It is clear that anyone who has been involved in terrorism in any form cannot be employed on the London Underground." Earlier, during a press conference at City Hall, Mr Livingstone appeared to back Mostafa's employment on the London Underground. "Has he broken any law here in Britain? [No, so] we are happy to have him working for us," he said. Mostafa was convicted of plotting to sabotage economic and tourist sites in Yemen in August 1999, when he was 17-years-old. He has recently been working as a labourer for a company contracted to Tube Lines, one of London Underground's maintenance firms. It is understood Mostafa's previous convictions were not brought to light during his recruitment and he has since been dismissed. The Tube's vetting procedures were supposed to have been intensified since the 7 July bombings, but Bob Crow, head of the RMT, has called for a review of the Underground's current recruitment procedures. Labour MP Andrew Dismore said applicants with terrorism-related convictions anywhere in the world should not be eligible for employment on the Underground. "The key point here is that terrorism is an international crime," he said. "Bearing in mind what happened on 7/7, he should not have been working on the Underground." Mostafa's father, Abu Hamza, was jailed for seven years in February for incitement to murder and inciting racial hatred.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9569000/9569008.stm

A family in Belfast have been subject to a "tiger kidnapping". There have been four such cases in Northern Ireland this year. What exactly is a '"tiger kidnapping", what is the history and are they becoming more common? John O'Brien, former Irish police officer and security consultant specialising in tiger kidnaps answers these questions. Get in touch with Today via or text us on 84844.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/2856375.stm

By Jonathon Moore Ricky Ponting has long been earmarked as the heir apparent to Australian Test captain Steve Waugh. Ricky Ponting is odds-on to take over the Test captaincy And further confirmation arrived on Monday, with the news he had been awarded the vice-captaincy, in place of Adam Gilchrist. Once regarded as an ambitious, if flawed maverick from Tasmania, Ponting's ability to harness his undoubted talent has been handsomely rewarded. And his success since taking over as one-day captain has proved beyond all doubt he has matured sufficiently to take up the reigns of one of the most high profile jobs in Australia. Ponting's rise through the cricketing ranks was by no means guaranteed. Despite a Test and one-day average of more than 40, his ability to create headlines off the field almost derailed his international career before it had begun. His experienced in a Calcutta nightclub in 1998 and then in similar surroundings on home ground in Sydney a few months later left his reputation badly tarnished. "Ponting is an interesting person. He's from a very working class background and has always had something of the 'knockabout kid' about him," veteran broadcaster Neville Oliver, who has known Ponting since he was a child, told BBC Sport. "He's got into trouble in the past for his many misdemeanours but there aren't too many 23-year-olds who haven't gone on the odd drinking spree." After undergoing counselling Ponting promised to return to the international fold "squeaky clean". Test: Played 64; High score 197; Av 47.91; 100s 14; 50s 17 ODI: Played 166; High score 145; Av 41.21; 100s 12; 50s 31 He was true to his word and has since matured into one of the most respected cricketers in the world. But evidence of his talent existed from an early age. A precociously gifted player who rose to prominence after a brilliant early career, Ponting made his debut for Tasmania at 17. His first appearance for Australia arrived at the age of 20 and he has been a near-permanent fixture in the Test and one-day international teams ever since. At the age of 21 he became the youngest Australian to score a one-day ton and in 1999 grabbed the title of first Aussie to score 1,000 one-day runs in successive years. "My philosophy is to be fairly aggressive and attacking," he announced when he adopted the one-day job. Ponting has adopted Steve Waugh's 'never-say-die' philosophy And he certainly hasn't disappointed, leading by example with the bat and providing a seamless link with the 'never-say-die' philosophy so favoured by his predecessor. As one-day captain Ponting has enjoyed series victories against South Africa, Pakistan, Kenya and Sri Lanka. In securing the recent VB Series, his reputation was further enhanced when his side finished the tournament with only one defeat in nine matches. Ponting's personal tally of 306 runs at an average of 43.71 provided further proof of his devastating form with the bat. But he no longer needs to prove anything to his former captain. "I didn't see Bradman bat," said Waugh after Ponting's match-winning unbeaten second Test century against South Africa last year. "But he couldn't have been much better than that."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21713191

Are Scotland's dairy farmers getting a fair deal yet? Milk is something that most of us drink or consume in some form. Yet dairy farmers have long complained that they have not always got a fair deal when it comes to price. So what is the reality of life as a Scottish dairy farmer at the moment? This is one farmer's view. Light filters through wooden-slatted walls into a shed housing bull calves which are now nearing six months old. Some are munching busily on straw, others are drinking with great gusto. This is Nether Affleck Farm, near Lanark. It has 320 cows split between two units. Although it is a dairy farm these calves will be sold for beef. It is a useful sideline.Outdoor living "This is the farm I was brought up on and we've another farm nearby," says Jim Baird, the farmer here. "I enjoy the outdoor life, enjoy working with animals and that was always where I wanted to be." This has been a family farm. The capital costs involved in setting up a dairy farm mean that it is a difficult business to be able to afford to buy into. The need for economies of scale have also led to changes, with most farms now specialising in a particular area instead of having a bit of beef or cereal as well. Mr Baird thinks back to a time last year when dairy farmers staged a series of protests and blockades against declining payments. "We had a situation where we had two really big price cuts in quick succession," he recalls. "At a time when farmers were feeling the pinch with the weather and they were feeling the pinch with a lot of costs coming on to their businesses and I think that whole frustration just boiled over." End Quote Jim Baird Farmer They were feeling the pinch with a lot of costs coming onto their businesses and I think that whole frustration just boiled over” "Most dairy farmers did take part," he continues, "and there were protests at Lanark near here and there was a huge turnout at these demonstrations."'Early days' The end result was an agreement between dairy farmers and processing firms on a voluntary code of practice for future contracts for milk supplies. Mr Baird says it is "early days" but if the code brings a "bit more transparency and trust to the supply chain that's got to be good". A muddy walk across the farm yard, tailed by a very dirty but enthusiastic farm dog, brings us to the cubicle shed. At this time of day, mid-morning, it is full of cows eating their fill. There are about 190 cubicles in all. Each animal has their own cubicle, their own place where they can lie on a foam mattress. The infrastructure in this shed has represented a major investment over the past five years. The more time the cows can spend lying down, chewing the cud, the more productive they are likely to be. "It's like every other business," says Mr Baird, "some people are able to drive their businesses forwards and other people are struggling." "I think because of the impact of the weather, because feed costs have gone up by something like 25-30%, at the moment I think, probably across the board, most businesses are feeling the pressure on margins more than they've ever done. "I hear that there are more businesses really feeling the pinch and now's not a good time to be going to your bank manager to be looking for an extension to your overdraft because they're not as easy to deal with as they once were."Business first End Quote Jim Baird Farmer I hear that there are more businesses really feeling the pinch and now's not a good time to be going to your bank manager to be looking for an extension to your overdraft” His daughter has expressed an interest in the farm and has already started working in the business. In general he feels the sector needs to attract more young people. He may enjoy the life but it has to make business sense. "My alarm goes at 4 o'clock every morning so you have to be turning a quid at the end of the day. "The whole supply chain's got to work better. "At the moment everyone's taking too short term a perspective, the processors, the retailers and the farmers and we need to realise that this industry's got to be there for the long term and everyone's got to be able to get a reasonable share and a reasonable profit out of it and be able to reinvest in their businesses and that's where a lot of farmers are struggling at the moment."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25315210

Deadly Argentina looting spreads as police go on strike - 10 December 2013 - From the section Latin America & Caribbean At least five people have been killed as looting spreads through Argentina. Hundreds have been injured as people took advantage of a police strike to rob shops and homes. Police have refused to go on patrol until their demands for a salary rise are met. Their move follows a police walkout in Cordoba province last week which also led to lootings, and which was settled after the governor almost doubled officers' pay. Seventeen out of Argentina's 23 provinces have been affected. In 10 provinces police remain on strike, while in another seven, officers say they may have reached a deal. The governor of Buenos Aires, Argentina's most populous province, managed to avert a strike by agreeing to almost double the entry-level salary of the police to 8,500 pesos (£830; $1,360) a month. Nevertheless, thousands of shops closed early for fear of that looting would spread to the capital. On Sunday night, a young man was electrocuted in the city of Concordia, in north-eastern Entre Rios province, when he came in contact with loose cabling in a looted shop. Another man was killed in the north-western province of Jujuy, and three more were shot dead in the city of Resistencia in north-eastern Chaco province. All of the deaths occurred inside stores which were being ransacked. The government said the lootings were being co-ordinated "by political forces" through social media and blamed the opposition for the unrest. Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich described the unrest as "treason" aimed at spreading fear and chaos on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Argentina's return to democracy on 10 December 1983. Justice Minister Julio Alak warned police officers who had walked out that the justice system would "come down hard on those who are not carrying out this essential service". He also said that those who were behind the violence would be charged. Police said entry-level salaries of below 6,000 pesos a month were not sufficient to keep up with Argentina's rising inflation and consumer prices. But Mr Capitanich called on them to resolve their grievances through dialogue rather than "holding governors to ransom". The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has accused Argentina of not providing accurate inflation figures. Some analysts say the rate could be as high as 25%, but the government says it is less than half that. Officials said on Monday that a new consumer price index would be published in February.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-18407363

Indonesia returns 89 'contaminated' containers to Felixstowe - 12 June 2012 - From the section Suffolk Eighty nine freight containers have been sent back to Felixstowe port after officials in Indonesia became concerned about their content. The Environment Agency said the load - labelled scrap metal for recycling - was returned after authorities saw "seepage" from a container. Jeff Warburton, environmental crime officer, said forensic tests were being carried out. Each container is 20ft (6m) long and holds about 25 tonnes of materials. Mr Warburton said: "We've identified things like wood, plastic - there are one or two other substances which we're having subjected to forensic analysis to ensure they are not hazardous. "The goods were declared as scrap metal for recycling and the law is quite clear on this, that it's illegal to export any form of waste for disposal from the UK." Mr Warburton said "one or two containers" were occasionally returned but that having 89 sent back was "an unusual event". "It's a very large amount of waste that we need to sift through to see what they contain," he said. "If it's a chemical it obviously has a detrimental effect to humans and the environment and we're very, very strong on enforcing legislation in respect of those offences." Waste Watch, which is part of Keep Britain Tidy, said it was a positive sign the containers had been returned. Tim Burns, head of the group, said: "In a funny kind of way it's good news. "We know that unfortunately an illegal trade has built up in this area as a result of less regulation overseas." "Often it's young people who don't earn much who are picking through the waste and potentially coming into contact with carcinogens." A Port of Felixstowe spokesperson said: "The shipment of illegal consignments of hazardous waste places everyone in the transport chain at potential risk. "The Port of Felixstowe provides examination facilities and works closely with all relevant government agencies to help detect and deter illegal shipments."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/irish/6950657.stm

Brian O'Driscoll will miss Ireland's opening World Cup match after suffering a fractured sinus in a 42-6 warm-up win over French side Bayonne on Thursday. Irish skipper Brian O'Driscoll receives treatment for the injury The 28-year-old captain was taken to hospital with a suspected broken right cheekbone after an apparent punch by Mikaera Tewhata in the second half. But X-rays have revealed the injury is not as bad as first feared. He will miss Ireland's final warm-up match against Italy and their World Cup opener against Namibia on 9 September. "Following an X-ray and scan of Brian O'Driscoll's injury, it has been confirmed that he has sustained a fracture to his sinus and a deep laceration under his right eye," said an Irish Rugby Union statement. I haven't the words to describe what I feel, I want to know what happened French Rugby Federation president Bernard Lapasset "This is not as serious as initially feared and the injury will not require any surgery. "The recovery period for the injury is three to four weeks which will rule O'Driscoll out of the warm-up game against Italy next week and the first World Cup pool game against Namibia." The loss of Ireland's inspirational leader against minnows Namibia should not be a major problem, while their second match, against Georgia on 15 September, should also be won with some comfort. But coach Eddie O'Sullivan will be desperate to have O'Driscoll fully fit for the crunch pool games against France on 21 September and Argentina nine days later. There was better news for O'Sullivan concerning number eight Denis Leamy, who suffered a shoulder injury in the match but it is not serious. The injuries came in a bad-tempered game in France, which saw five players sin-binned. Cedric Bergez and Ireland's Neil Best were yellow-carded in the first half while Bayonne full-back Daniel Larrachea and South African lock Robe Linde followed after the break along with Gordon D'Arcy. O'Sullivan said that the physical nature of Bayonne's game sometimes went too far. "I don't mind physicality, but it was more than physical," he said. "There were some cheap shots, that's the pity, but that's the way they want to play it. We can't control that, we can only play our game." And the French Rugby Federation (FFR) has vowed to open an inquiry following the incidents during the game. "I haven't the words to describe what I feel," said FFR president Bernard Lapasset. "This should have been a festival of rugby in a full stadium. Paul O'Connell on his way to scoring a try in the warm-up game "Happily we sent an official delegate, a foreign referee. I want to know what happened. I will open an inquiry." Ronan O'Gara set the tone for the match with a first-minute penalty and the Irish went further ahead seven minutes later when Paul O'Connell went over in the corner. Hickie then gathered the ball on his own 10-metre line and evaded two challenges on his way to a brilliant try which O'Gara converted for a 15-0 advantage. Ulster wing Andrew Trimble scored Ireland's third try on the stroke of half-time while Hickie went over after the break. O'Connell held off Larrechea's challenge to claim Ireland's fifth try before Hickie completed his hat-trick. Ireland: Dempsey; Trimble, O'Driscoll (capt), D'Arcy, Hickie; O'Gara, Stringer; Horan, R Best, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Easterby, N Best, Leamy. Replacements: Sheahan, Young, O'Kelly, Quinlan, Reddan, P Wallace, Murphy.