Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Scottish independence: MPs in 'unanswered questions' call

The Scottish government intends to hold a ballot on Scottish independence in autumn 2014

Scotland's Future

A Westminster committee has called for clarity on the "unanswered questions" of Scottish independence.

A report by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee said details were needed on issues such as bank regulation, pension payments and the national currency.
It also asked about Scotland's share of the national debt and whether Scots would need passports.
The SNP dismissed the report as "shoddy" and as an "embarrassment to the authors".
The committee's inquiry began in October last year, looking at the potential impact of independence following a ballot, which the Scottish government wants to hold in autumn 2014.
The report, called the Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Unanswered Questions, has set out six areas where the Scottish Affairs Committee believe information is needed.
They include issues such as Scotland's defences and the costs of independence.
'Divorce settlement' The committee called on Scottish Secretary Michael Moore to work with it to provide "a joint provision of factual and unbiased information to the people of Scotland".

“Start Quote

This shoddy report from the anti-independence parties has been totally overtaken by events”

End Quote Stewart Hosie SNP Westminster chief whip

Committee chairman, Labour MP Ian Davidson, said: "The big question about such an unknown quantity as separation is the terms of the 'divorce settlement' - how resources, rights and responsibilities will be broken up.

"The responses we've had clearly show that there is confusion and concern about this, but also that you only need to scratch the surface to reveal how many complex questions there are across banking, pensions, currency, national defences - but also many more personal things."
He added: "The purpose of this inquiry is to set out from the start some of those questions and begin to explore their answers, with the aim of helping to make this process as clear and fair as possible.
"You cannot ask a big question about separation - however you construct it - without first asking and answering all these questions about how it will affect every aspect of every life, in Scotland and the UK as a whole."
'Not separation' SNP Westminster chief whip Stewart Hosie said the committee's inquiry had been overtaken by events and the report was "an embarrassment to its authors".

Report: Areas 'requiring clarity'

Bank regulation
Pension payments
National currency
Membership of international organisations
Scotland's defences
Costs of separation

He continued: "Firstly, it talks about 'separation for Scotland', when Scottish government policy is for independence, not separation.

"But apart from its predictably pejorative approach to the issue of Scotland's constitutional future, this shoddy report from the anti-independence parties has been totally overtaken by events.
"It raises questions which have been dealt with in detail by the Scottish government's white paper published way back in 2009.
"The issues it raises include the currency of an independent Scotland, which is now widely accepted will be sterling, with even Scottish Secretary Michael Moore accepting that Scotland will keep the pound after independence."
Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran said the committee was asking questions "the people of Scotland need answers to".
She added: "This is an important analysis of the questions that need to be answered about separation, and I expect it to play a big part in the debate ahead."
Scottish Tory constitution spokesman David McLetchie said the onus was now on the Scottish government to fully co-operate with the inquiry to ensure the Scottish people had "all the information they need" before the referendum was held.
The SNP government is currently running a public consultation into the independence issue.
The UK government, which had said it wanted the poll sooner rather than later, is also conducting a consultation.

Teenage girl murdered in Doncaster

A 13-year-old girl who was stabbed in South Yorkshire has died of her wounds and police have launched a murder investigation.

Emergency services were called to the Elmfield Park area of Doncaster just after 13:00 GMT on Tuesday.
The girl, who has not been named, was treated by police and paramedics and taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
A 26-year-old woman, who was arrested on suspicion of serious assault, remains in police custody.
Police are appealing for information and trying to establish where the girl was attacked.

Rangers administration: Efforts to secure club's future

Comments (113)

Paul Clark, Duff and Phelps: Administration period "will give stability in order for club to move forward"

Rangers in administration

Administrators have begun efforts to secure the future of Rangers Football Club after the club entered administration.

The club appointed London firm Duff and Phelps after moves by HM Revenue and Customs to appoint its own administrator.
Club owner Craig Whyte insisted Rangers would "come out stronger" and "always be here".
Duff and Phelps said it was seeking to ensure the ongoing survival of Rangers.
A day of drama on Tuesday saw HMRC lodge its petition seeking to appoint an administrator over alleged non-payment of about £9m in PAYE and VAT following Mr Whyte's takeover last year.
Massive debt On Monday, Rangers had signalled its intention to move towards administration, giving it 10 working days to outline an ongoing financial structure.
But after the HMRC response the club confirmed administrators had been appointed on Tuesday afternoon.
This immediately meant the docking of 10 points, effectively ending this season's Scottish Premier League challenge.

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Due to its cost structure, the club has been loss making for many months”

End Quote Craig Whyte Rangers owner

Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, from Duff and Phelps, took over the running of the Glasgow club as joint administrators, while Rangers addresses its massive debt problems.

Rangers is awaiting a tax tribunal decision over a disputed HMRC bill, plus penalties, totalling £49m, dating back to before the Whyte era.
It also has an ongoing operating deficit, as well as the alleged non-payment of £9m.
In a statement on the club's official website, Mr Whyte said: "Due to its cost structure, the club has been loss making for many months.
"This situation has resulted in increasing liabilities and the club has been in discussion with HMRC regarding these liabilities.
"These liabilities combined with the threat of the outcome of the first-tier tax tribunal left the club no option but to formally restructure its financial affairs."
Survival 'risk' Joint administrator Mr Clark said: "We are working together with management and its major creditors, including HMRC, to achieve a solution to the financial problems which will ensure the ongoing survival of the business, which is of paramount importance to all concerned."
Mr Clark said that in the coming days the administrators hoped to get control of the finances of the club and better understand what needs to be done in the coming weeks.

Rangers fans give their reaction to the news the club is in administration

Following Tuesday's legal case, a spokesman for HMRC said: "We can't discuss specific cases for legal reasons but tax that has been deducted at source from the wages of players and support staff such as ground keepers and physios, must be paid over to HMRC.
"Any business that fails to meet that basic legal requirement puts the survival of the business at risk."
If a creditors agreement cannot be reached as part of the administration process - and if the club cannot be sold - it is possible that Rangers could be wound up.
One former Rangers director has said he was willing to discuss a possible takeover of the ailing Glasgow club as part of a consortium.
Paul Murray told BBC Scotland he would consider approaching the administrators now running matters at Ibrox, but would not work with current owner.
Police payment Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray said he was "hugely disappointed" at the club's decision to appoint administrators and expressed surprise at the timing of the decision.
The secretary of the Rangers Supporters Club told the BBC the worst case scenario was liquidation, the loss of the club's name and the loss of its SPL place.
Sport Minister Shona Robison said the club's plight was "a concerning situation for everyone involved in Scottish football".
Meanwhile, Strathclyde Police said it had now resolved issues over payment for policing which may have affected Rangers home game against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

David Cameron vow to tackle binge drinking 'scandal'

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Prime Minister David Cameron will say "innovative solutions" are needed to curb alcohol abuse

Prime Minister David Cameron is set to call for bars, supermarkets and the drinks industry in England to do more to help ensure responsible drinking.

On a visit to a hospital in north-east England, he will promise to tackle the "scandal" of drunkenness and alcohol abuse that costs the NHS £2.7bn a year.
He is set to suggest the use of US-inspired "drunk tanks", cells to house people overnight while they sober up.
The government will publish its alcohol strategy for England later this year.
Ministers are expected to recommend higher "minimum" prices for drink as part of the proposals.
Scotland has already introduced an Alcohol Bill, which could become law before the summer, although ministers have yet to set a minimum price per unit.
But opponents of a minimum unit price say it is unfair because it penalises all drinkers, not just those who cause or have problems, and it is thought any move could be open to legal challenges relating to European competition law.
Meanwhile, industry groups such as the Portman Group, which represents manufacturers, and the British Beer and Pub Association have increasingly promoted their responsible drinking campaigns.
'Innovative' solutions During his hospital visit, the prime minister is expected to criticise the "reckless" behaviour of an "irresponsible" minority and cite figures suggesting the alcohol-related costs to society as a whole may total between £17bn and £22bn a year.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe, who admitted stuggling with alcohol, says young people feel pressured to drink

Meeting doctors, nurses, paramedics and police, Mr Cameron is set to say people in town centres, hospitals and police stations across the UK have to cope with the consequences of alcohol abuse every night and the problem is getting worse.
He will say that the last decade has seen a "frightening growth" in the number of people who think it is "acceptable for people to get drunk in public in ways that wreck lives, spread fear and increase crime", adding that many of those drinking to excess are under the legal drinking age.
Mr Cameron is expected to cite figures that suggest £1bn is spent on accident and emergency services alone dealing with issues related to alcohol abuse.
He is due to outline how the government will set attempt to help emergency services "rise to the challenge" when laying out its forthcoming alcohol strategy.
More police officers on patrol in accident and emergency departments are expected to be among the "innovative" solutions put forward by the prime minister.
'Booze buses' "Whether it's the police officers in A&E that have been deployed in some hospitals, the booze buses in Soho and Norwich, or the drunk tanks used abroad, we need innovative solutions to confront the rising tide of unacceptable behaviour," he is expected to say.

GP Peter Baines: "Right to focus on alcohol and the problems it can cause"

"This isn't just about more rules and regulation. It's about responsibility and a sense of respect for others," he will say, calling on the drinks industry, supermarkets, pubs and clubs to work with government to ensure that "responsible drinking becomes a reality and not just a slogan".
Labour has already indicated it also backs minimum pricing.
Last December, shadow public health minister Diane Abbott said "all the medical evidence points to the need for a minimum price per unit of alcohol. Alcohol abuse is not just a health issue, it is a public order issue".
According to Downing Street, there were 200,000 hospital admissions in 2010-11 with alcohol as the primary factor, which was 40% than in 2002-03.
The £2.7bn which alcohol abuse is estimated to cost the NHS each year equates to £90 for every taxpayer.

Colombia priests 'hired own killers' in suicide pact

Colombian churchgoers mourn the two killed priests, 27 January 2011

The two priests were mourned by their parishioners in Bogota

Two Colombian priests who were found shot dead in the capital Bogota a year ago themselves hired the assassins who killed them, prosecutors say.

They said the priests had agreed a suicide pact after one of them was diagnosed with Aids, but contracted hitmen because they could not bring themselves to carry it out.
Relatives of the dead priests insist they were victims of an armed robbery.
They have denied reports that they were involved in a gay relationship.
Two of the alleged killers are being prosecuted after being traced from calls made from the priests' phones.
'Pray for me' Father Richard Piffano, 37, and Father Rafael Reatiga, 35, were found shot dead in a car in southern Bogota in January 2011.
Prosecutors allege they paid the suspected hitmen around $8,500 (£5,440) to kill them and make it look like a robbery attempt.
The two priests had been friends since their training and often celebrated Mass and other religious services together, Colombia's El Tiempo newspaper reported.
In his final church service, Father Reatiga asked parishioners to pray to Santa Marta, the patron saint of lost causes, the paper reported, while Father Piffano asked his to "pray for me".
Suicide - like homosexual acts - is forbidden in the Catholic Church.

Bahrain restricts protests on uprising anniversary

Bill Law reports for Newsnight on fresh clashes between police and protesters

Bahrain Protests

There have been clashes on the outskirts of Bahrain's capital, Manama, as the opposition marked the first anniversary of pro-democracy protests.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at youths in several villages, who hurled back petrol bombs and stones.
Large parts of Manama were also sealed off to prevent people reaching the site of the now-demolished Pearl Roundabout - the focus of last year's unrest.
A BBC correspondent said the city centre was largely quiet.
Most of the demonstrators were from the Gulf kingdom's Shia Muslim majority, which has long complained of discrimination at the hands of the Sunni royal family, the Al Khalifa, and wants democratic reforms.

Scuba honeymoon death man goes on trial in Alabama

Gabe Watson waits for jury selection to begin on 13 February 2012

Gabe Watson's family, including his second wife Kim (left), sat in court during opening statements

An American man accused of killing his wife on their honeymoon by shutting off her oxygen tank while scuba diving in Australia has gone on trial in Alabama.

During opening statements in the trial of Gabe Watson, 34, defence lawyers argued that "bumbling" Australian police turned an accident into a crime.
Watson served 18 months in jail in Australia after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
He was extradited after Alabama agreed to waive the death penalty.
Watson is accused of drowning his wife Tina shortly after their wedding in 2003.
'Murder and gain' Assistant Alabama Attorney General Andrew Arrington told jurors that the newlywed stood to gain more than $200,000 (£127,300) in insurance money if his wife died.
It was that motive, Mr Arrington said, that drove Watson to allegedly turn off the flow of oxygen to Tina Watson's scuba mask and held her until she drowned.
"The whole case is not just about murder, but murder and gain," Mr Arrington said. "He took her engagement ring as his last act of contact with her on this earth."
As part of the opening statements, the prosecution showed the jurors an underwater photo snapped by a nearby diver, showing Watson swimming to the surface as his wife was sprawled in the water.
Defence lawyers say Tina Watson's death was misinterpreted by the Australian authorities, who took a problem with Watson's dive computer as evidence of possible guilt, and proceeded to view new evidence with that in mind.
Brett Bloomston, Watson's lawyer, sketched out a completely different scenario of what happened during the dive on the Great Barrier Reef, saying Tina Watson panicked and knocked off her husband's diving mask, forcing him to swim to the surface without her.
Mr Bloomston also denied that his client had a financial motive for killing his new wife, arguing that her life insurance policy was worth $33,000, not $165,000 and a separate travel policy had only been taken out to cover the cost of the honeymoon.
"This is a tragic case. What's even more tragic is the blame Gabe has had to live with this last number of years," he said.
Both sides agree that the dive instructor failed to follow his own rules, allowing Tina to proceed to the reef without orientation dive.
She waived the test-run and, according to Mr Arrington, Watson assured the instructor that his rescue certification would provide ample protection.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito murder acquittals challenged

The former couple were cleared of murder on appeal after spending almost four years in jail

Italian prosecutors have launched an appeal against the acquittals of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of Briton Meredith Kercher.

The pair's convictions for murdering Miss Kercher in Perugia were overturned in appeal court last year.
A jury cleared American Miss Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend after doubts about the gathering of DNA evidence.
Miss Kercher, 21, from Croydon, south London, had been found semi-naked in her bedroom and with her throat cut.
She had also been sexually assaulted, leading prosecutors to believe she was killed in a brutal sex game that went wrong.
Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede was convicted in a separate trial of sexually assaulting and stabbing Kercher and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito had been facing 26-year and 25-year jail terms respectively following their initial convictions in 2009.
They had spent nearly four years in jail when they were cleared and released last October.
Much of the case in the appeal court centred on DNA evidence on a knife, thought to be the murder weapon, which a review suggested could be flawed.

Meredith Kercher was only two months into a year studying abroad when she was killed

Prosecution evidence of Miss Knox's DNA on the handle, and Miss Kercher's DNA on the blade of the kitchen knife, which was found at Mr Sollecito's flat, had been key to the original convictions.
But the independent review cast doubt over those DNA traces due to concerns about poor procedures in evidence collection and forensic testing and the possibility of contamination.
An eight-member appeal court jury, comprising two judges and six members of the public, overturned the original verdicts.
Prosecutors said at the time that they would appeal against the acquittals.
Miss Kercher had been on a year abroad from Leeds University and was sharing a cottage in the central Italian hilltop town of Perugia with Miss Knox, who is originally from Seattle.

Uganda gay workshop raided by ethics minister Lokodo

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera (Photo: Karen Veldkamp/Amnesty International )

Prominent campaigner Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera fled the workshop to avoid arrest

A Uganda cabinet minister has raided a workshop for gay activists and tried to arrest the organiser, a Ugandan paper and UK-based rights group have said.

Minister for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo said the gathering was "illegal" and ordered delegates out of the hotel near the capital.
It comes days after an MP retabled a controversial anti-gay bill.
It proposes increasing the penalties in Uganda for homosexual acts, which are illegal, from 14 years in jail to life.
David Bahati, the MP behind the proposed legislation, says a clause proposing the death penalty will be dropped.
The bill was first introduced in 2009 but never debated.
It originally said those found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender" - would face the death penalty.
In a statement last week, the government defended its right to debate the anti-gay bill but said the draft legislation did not have official backing.
'Outrageous'

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The Ugandan government must allow legitimate, peaceful gatherings of human rights defenders”

End Quote Salil Shetty Amnesty

The workshop was organised by Freedom and Roam Uganda, an organisation founded by prominent Uganda gay rights activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, at a hotel in Entebbe 40km (25 miles) from the capital, Kampala, Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper reports.

"I have closed this conference because it's illegal. We do not accept homosexuality in Uganda. So go back home," the paper quotes Mr Lokodo as saying.
According to UK-based rights group Amnesty International, Mr Lokodo said if the activists did not leave immediately he would use force against them.
The minister also ordered the arrest of Ms Nabagesera , who was given the prestigious Martin Ennals rights award last year for her work fighting homophobia in Uganda, but she fled the hotel.
"This is an outrageous attempt to prevent lawful and peaceful activities of human rights defenders in Uganda," Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's secretary general, said in a statement.
"The government's claimed opposition to the bill needs to be supported through their actions. The Ugandan government must allow legitimate, peaceful gatherings of human rights defenders, including those working on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] rights," Mr Shetty said.
Both the US and UK have recently urged developing countries to respect gay rights or risk losing aid.
Since the bill was retabled there have been reports of increased harassment against homosexuals, gay rights groups say.
In January 2011, gay rights activist David Kato was killed in what some said was a hate crime - the police said it was linked to a robbery.
At his funeral, the priest condemned gay people.

Giant Kim Jong-il statue unveiled for his 70th birthday

Handout picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency shows the statues of former North Korean President Kim Il Sung, left, and late leader Kim Jong Il, right, riding on horses at the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on 14 February, 2012

The late Kim Jong-il (right) is also awarded the highest title of Generalissimo, the same rank held by his late father, Kim Il-sung (left)

A giant statue of Kim Jong-il has been unveiled ahead of Thursday's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of his birthday.

This is the first bronze sculpture of the late North Korean leader.
The 6-metre bronze statue depicts him riding a horse next to his late father, Kim Il-sung, also on horseback.
The statues were unveiled in a ceremony attended by top military and political officials on Tuesday in the capital, Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un, Mr Kim's youngest son and heir to the leadership position, was not present, although he reportedly initiated the building of the statue.
A series of commemorative items and tributes have been released since his death on 17 December of a heart attack at the age of 69.
These included a giant slogan carved into a mountainside, postage stamps, medals and gold and silver coins bearing his image.
He reportedly shunned the idea of the bronze statue in his lifetime, said the BBC's correspondent in Seoul, Lucy Williamson.
According to various accounts, Mr Kim reportedly told state officials in 1999 that he was not ready for the adulation before fulfilling his promise of building an affluent society, the Associated Press reports.
North Korea said on Wednesday it has awarded the highest title of Generalissimo to Mr Kim, the same rank as that held by his father, the country's founding leader.
The country is believed to be planning widespread celebrations on Thursday, also dubbed "the day of the shining star", even as worries continue over food shortages in the country, our correspondent said.

Mormons baptise parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal

LDS' Mormon Temple in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah 27 January 2012

Changes in the Mormon genealogical database in 2010 were designed to prevent proxy baptisms

The Mormon Church has apologised for posthumously baptising the parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.

Asher and Rosa Rapp Wiesenthal were baptised in proxy ceremonies by church members in the US states of Arizona and Utah in January, records show.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesman Michael Purdy said the Church' s leaders "sincerely regret" the actions of "an individual member".
The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced the news.
"We are outraged that such insensitive actions continue in the Mormon temples," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, a spokesman at the centre.
The Mormon religion allows baptism after death, and believes the departed soul can then accept or reject the baptismal rites.
An agreement in 1995 was supposed to ban the practice of baptising by proxy Holocaust victims, after it was discovered the names of hundreds of thousands of those who died had been entered into Mormon records.
Simon Wiesenthal's parents are long since deceased, with his father dying in World War I and his mother perishing in the Holocaust.
Wiesenthal himself died in 2005 after surviving the Holocaust and dedicating his life to documenting Nazi crimes and hunting down perpetrators.
'Serious breach' Mr Purdy told the Associated Press news agency that the church considered the act "a serious breach of our protocol".
According to Mr Purdy, the names of the Wiesenthal family were simply entered into a genealogical database by one person.
"We have suspended indefinitely this person's ability to access our genealogy records," he said.
The name of that individual or the individuals who performed the rite were not released.
Evidence that Wiesenthal's parents had been baptised was found by Helen Radkey, a researcher and former Mormon, AP reported.
She regularly checks the Church' s database, and also recently found the names of Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and several family members on the Mormon list.
"None of the three names were submitted for baptism and they would not have been under the Church' s guidelines and procedures," said Mr Purdy, the Mormon Church spokesman said.
Rabbi Cooper said any further discussion of the problem was useless.
"The only way such insensitive practices would finally stop is if church leaders finally decided to change their practices and policies on posthumous baptisms, a move which this latest outrage proves that they are unwilling to do," he said.
The Catholic Church has also objected to posthumous baptisms of its members.

Venezuela opposition: Row erupts over voter list

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles

Henrique Capriles faces a tough political battle with President Chavez in the months ahead

Venezuela's opposition says it has destroyed the list of voters in Sunday's primary election, despite a court order that they be preserved.

The Democratic Unity coalition said the records had been burned in accordance with a promise to ensure confidentiality.
There were also fears that those who voted could face government reprisals.
The primary saw Henrique Capriles Radonski picked to challenge President Hugo Chavez in October's election.
Voters also selected opposition candidates for local and state-level elections across the country.
Venezuela's Supreme Court intervened after a complaint from a local mayoral candidate who wanted to challenge the result.
It said the voters lists from across the country should be handed to the electoral authorities within 24 hours.
But the executive secretary of the Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition, Ramon Aveledo, dismissed the ruling as "absurd, unconstitutional and disproportionate".
'Absolute secrecy' Hours later, other opposition officials said the voting records had all been destroyed.
"We gave our word to all Venezuelans who turned out to vote on 12 February that the process would be absolutely secret, both the vote and the names of the people who took part," MUD youth leader Edinson Ferrer said.
The issue of voter secrecy was of particular concern to the opposition following an unsuccessful recall referendum against President Chavez in 2004.
A list of people who backed that initiative was made public, and many afterwards complained that they had suffered discrimination as a result, losing out on jobs in the public sector.
Supporters of President Chavez have questioned the opposition claim that more than three million people took part in Sunday's primaries.
They have also stepped up personal attacks on Mr Capriles.
The 39-year-old governor of Miranda state will face Mr Chavez in the election set for 7 October

Jet Airways suspends pilot for 'trainee landing'

Jet Airways is one of India's leading private airlines

India's private airline Jet Airways has suspended a pilot and a crew member for allowing a trainee pilot to land a plane in the western city of Mumbai.

The two apparently allowed a trainee pilot to take over from the co-pilot and land the plane about four months ago, reports say.
Jet Airways said action had been taken based on "appropriate investigations and a confidential report".
Jet Airways is one of India's best-known and oldest private airlines.
Reports say that the pilot was suspended for two-and-a-half months following the incident, and had resumed flying again.
A spokesman for the airline told the Press Trust Of India news agency that they had been in talks with the aviation regulator DGCA over the incident.
"They are completely satisfied with the steps taken. In line with international practises on enforcing safety, a voluntary and confidential reporting system exists in Jet Airways for all its employees," the spokesman said.
Last month a consumer court in Delhi ordered Jet Airways to compensate a female passenger who was refused an alcoholic drink because of her gender.

German economy shrinks 0.2% in fourth quarter

Europe's debt crisis has hit demand for German exports

The German economy shrank 0.2% in the final three months of last year.

Germany saw exports slow down as the debt crisis hit its European neighbours and their demand for German goods.
There was worse news for the Netherlands, where the economy sank into recession after a sharp 0.7% contraction from the previous quarter.
But in France there was surprise growth at the end of last year, with the economy expanding by 0.2% in the last three months of the year.
The economy was boosted by healthy growth in exports and business investment, which will come as a boost to President Nicolas Sarkozy.
If he chooses to run again, Mr Sarkozy faces a national election in April.
'Better than feared' For 2011 as a whole, the French economy grew by 1.7% and Germany 1.5%.

“Start Quote

Greece may be burning. Growth may be slowing. But the recognised German barometer of hope over fear shows far more Germans looking on the bright side than those down in the dumps”

End Quote

Stephen Evans BBC News, Berlin

Germany looks on the bright side

Europe's debt crisis has already pushed Greece, Portugal and Belgium into recession, defined by two consecutive quarters of contraction.

Economists forecast that Germany is likely to avoid that scenario and say the latest growth figures could have been worse.
"This is better than feared after retail sales and industrial production turned out badly in December. The decline is due to the euro crisis. It caused a drastic loss in confidence among companies and consumers." said Christian Schulz, an economist at Berenberg Bank.
"Action from the ECB and the government has restored confidence. There is hope that we will emerge quickly from the economic dip. We expect growth again in the second quarter at the latest, provided that the euro crisis remains under control." he said.
The French growth figures were better than forecast, with many analysts having expected the economy to have contracted in the fourth quarter.
"Each of the three main components of the economy - foreign trade, household consumption and investment - had a positive contribution in the last quarter of 2011." said Finance Minister Francois Baroin in a statement.
"This strengthens the government's forecast for 0.5% [growth] this year."
Confidence in France was undermined in January when it lost its top-notch AAA credit rating, after one of the leading ratings agencies, Standard and Poor's, downgraded the nation's debt.
At the time the agency blamed Europe's debt crisis and the failure of Europe's leaders to tackle the region's problems.

Thailand blasts suspects were 'targeting individuals'

The three explosions took place in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon

Thai officials say they believe two suspects arrested in Bangkok after a series of blasts were planning to attack individuals.

Thailand's National Security Council chief said possible links to blasts targeting Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia were being investigated.
Israel's envoy to Thailand said the explosives found in Bangkok were similar to those used in the attacks.
Two suspects arrested on Tuesday are said to be Iranian.
One suspect was injured when one of the devices went off and another was arrested at Bangkok's international airport. A third man is said to be at large.
'Still investigating' "From the investigation, we found the type of explosives indicated that the prepared targets were individuals,'' NSC chief Wichean Potephosree told a news conference.
"Based on the equipment and materials we found, they were aimed at individuals and the destruction capacity was not intended for large crowds or big buildings.''
Of possible links to attacks on Israeli diplomats, he said: "We haven't found any links but we are still investigating.''
But Itzhak Shoham, Israeli ambassador to Thailand, was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that the explosives used in the Bangkok blasts were similar to those in India and Georgia.
"From that we can assume that there is the same network of terror," he said.
Police also said magnets were found at the rented house. The devices used in Delhi and Georgia were attached to vehicles using magnets.

Police inspect the wrecked Israeli embassy vehicle, 13 Feb

Monday's attack in Delhi injured an Israeli diplomat

The two attacks took place on Monday. An Israeli diplomat was injured in the Delhi attack, after a motorcycle rider attached an explosive device to the back door of the car.
Around the same time a bomb beneath an Israeli diplomat's car in Tbilisi, Georgia, was found and defused.
Israel has blamed Iran for the attacks - Tehran has denied any role. A foreign ministry spokesman also denied any role in the Bangkok blasts, AFP reported.
Travel warnings The three small blasts took place in the Ekamai area in central Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon.
Police told the BBC the first explosion happened at a house which the three suspects were believed to have rented for a month.
Two men managed to escape the explosion that severely damaged the house, but a third man who suffered minor injuries tried to hail a taxi. When the taxi refused to stop for him, he threw at least one bomb at it.
There was a third explosion when the same man then attempted to throw another bomb at police, but missed. The man lost his legs when the device blew up.
Four other people were injured in the incident. The US and UK have issued new travel advisories for Thailand in the wake of the blasts.
They come a month after Thailand arrested a Lebanese man with suspected links to Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shia Islamist movement backed by Syria and Iran. Police found large quantities of bomb-making materials after the man's detention.
It is not clear if his case is related to this incident.

India village in Rajasthan relocates to protect tigers

India's tiger numbers have shrunk from 100,000 to 1,700 in a little over a century

An entire village has been relocated in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan to protect tigers, officials say.

More than 350 people from 82 families in Umri village, in the Sariska tiger reserve, moved to a new location.
The number of tigers in Sariska had dwindled to zero before growing to five over the last three years.
Tiger numbers have shrunk alarmingly in India in recent decades. A 2011 census counted about 1,700 tigers in the wild.
A century ago there were estimated to be 100,000 tigers in India.
Compensation Umri is the second village in Sariska to be relocated to help secure a proper habitat for tigers to increase their numbers. The villagers moved last week.
There are 11 villages with a population of nearly 2,500 people located in the heart of the tiger reserve which need to be relocated to improve the habitat, Rajasthan's chief conservator of forests, PS Somasekhar, told the BBC.
People living in these villages mostly belong to pastoral tribes.
Mr Somasekhar said efforts were being made to relocate four more villages over the next few years.
"It is a long-drawn process because the villagers have to agree to move out. We can't force them to leave. We can only persuade," he said.
The villagers are compensated with land, cash and livestock worth up to 1 million rupees ($20,000) and relocated to the nearest cultivable plots outside the reserve, Rajasthan's chief wildlife warden AC Chaubey told the BBC.
The number of tigers in the 886-sq-km Sariska reserve dropped to zero from a high of 16 in 2002.
"To maintain a reserve of this size, we need a minimum of 20 female tigers to help with the breeding and a viable population of 80 to 100 tigers," Mr Somasekhar said.
There have been a number of incidents involving conflicts between local villagers and tigers in the reserve - a few years ago, the villagers allegedly poisoned a tiger after it attacked one of their buffaloes.
India's most recent tiger census, held last year, indicated that numbers had increased to 1,706 from 1,411 at the last count in 2007.
Officials say conservation efforts by the government and wildlife organisations have helped tiger populations increase.
But poaching and conflicts between the tigers and people living in and on the periphery of the tiger reserves remains a threat

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Tax credit change could cost families £4k a year - Labour

Rachel Reeves: 'This is the wrong policy at the wrong time for thousands of families'

Low income families with parents in part-time work could lose nearly £4,000 per year because of a change in tax credits, the Labour Party says.

Families can currently qualify for Working Tax Credit if one parent works at least 16 hours a week.
About 212,000 families could be hit from April when the threshold is raised to 24 hours per week, the official data highlighted by Labour shows.
The Treasury said new measures to help working families were being introduced.
Couples can apply for the credit as long as they make a joint claim. However the money will be paid to the person who works part-time.
There is a basic amount available for each application, and then additional elements depending on whether you have applied as a couple or as a lone parent.
Treasury Minister Chloe Smith said the policy was part of "what we have to do as a country to get out of the enormous deficit mess left by Labour".
She told BBC News the policy was not unfair because it "levels two parent households with what lone parents have to do", adding that Labour would have to decide whether or not they agree with that.
Figures obtained by Labour's Treasury spokeswoman Cathy Jamieson show 212,000 households - with a total of 470,000 children between them - could lose the £3,870-a-year credit because of the change.
The region with the most households likely to be affected is said to be London (46,205), followed by the North West (26,845), West Midlands (22,675) and Yorkshire and the Humber (20,225).
BBC political correspondent Naomi Grimley reports that shadow ministers are suggesting it might be difficult for parents to increase the amount of time they work as many companies were cutting employees' hours because of the tough economic climate.
'Nothing fair' Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves told the BBC it had taken Labour some time to go through the figures and talk to people who would be affected by the changes.
She said: "So many families have no idea this is coming.
"It's something now that's gaining traction as people realise what impact these government policies will have on them.

“Start Quote

This is the wrong policy at the wrong time for thousands of families”

End Quote Rachel Reeves Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury

"In normal circumstances you might think these people will be able to take extra hours on but we know, at the moment, businesses and the public sector aren't taking on workers or giving extra hours' work either."

But a Treasury spokesperson said Labour's figures ignored the other measures it had taken.
These include increasing working age benefits by 5.2% in April and the child element of Child Tax Credit by inflation.
The spokesperson added that fuel duty had been cut and council tax was frozen.
"When it is introduced, the Universal Credit will give nearly three million households a higher level of entitlement and enable more parents to get into work by helping 80,000 families with childcare support."
The spokesperson added: "Ultimately there is nothing fair about running huge budget deficits and burdening future generations with debts we cannot afford to pay."
Ms Reeves denied Labour was being disingenuous saying: "The government's own figures show that they expect 82,000 families will lose the full amount of their tax credit."

“Start Quote

We need to leave more money in the pockets of people who earn the money in the first place”

End Quote John O'Connell Taxpayers' Alliance

She said the coalition was choosing to "hit women and families particularly hard with the cuts they are introducing".

She added: "In an environment where we know that there are many people working part time because there aren't the full time jobs available, this is the wrong policy at the wrong time for thousands of families."
Imran Hussain, from Child Poverty Action Group charity, told the BBC that many families were going to struggle, especially in the current economic climate.
He added: "The bizarre thing about this is the government's fundamental policies around welfare reform are about abolishing this kind of qualifying period of hours."
John O'Connell from the pressure group Taxpayers' Alliance called the tax system "complicated and too burdensome".
He said it encouraged a culture of dependency for both those out of work and working families penalised by having too much taxed in the first place.
"We need to leave more money in the pockets of people who earn the money in the first place," he said.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt warns on football racism

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said 'huge strides' had been made tackling racism in football

Football should avoid complacency when it comes to tackling racism in sport, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

He said huge strides had been taken on the issue but David Cameron was concerned the situation did not "go back to the bad old days".
The culture secretary told the BBC he is due to meet the prime minister to discuss racism and behaviour in football.
Mr Cameron plans a summit on racism in football later this month.
The prime minister will hold talks with governing bodies and players' representatives after a series of high-profile incidents.
'On our mettle' On Saturday, Liverpool forward Luis Suarez was criticised for refusing to shake hands with Manchester United's Patrice Evra before the match between the teams.
Suarez was banned for eight matches after racially abusing Evra in October. He later apologised for not shaking hands in a statement released on the Liverpool website on Sunday.
On racism, Mr Hunt told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "We have made huge strides, in fact I would say as a society one of the reasons we have made huge strides in changing attitudes to racial discrimination is because of the changes in football."
But he said the lesson of the last couple of months was that there was no room for complacency.
The cutural secretary said they needed to be "on our mettle at making sure the football authorities and the government continue to do everything we can to stamp out this problem".
He said the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy was one for the Football Association, but he supported this.
'Unsporting behaviour' "A principle is more important than any one person and it's incredibly important for the future of the game that the FA deal decisively and clearly with these issues as they did with [Luis] Suarez," he said.
"But John Terry is innocent until proven guilty and we must wait to see what the courts decide."
Mr Hunt said headlines from Saturday's match between Manchester United and Liverpool were "incredibly depressing".
He said: "It was very unsporting behaviour. I'm sure the FA will look into whether any rules were broken. I thought the referee handled it brilliantly, it was an incredibly tense and difficult situation."
Mr Hunt also defended doubling the budget for the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics in times of austerity.
The culture secretary said: "This will be the biggest, longest ad for our country in our history. This is the time to bang the drum for all that's brilliant about our country."
'Kick it out' At a charity reception last month, Mr Cameron said: "My message is clear. We will not tolerate racism in Britain.
"It has absolutely no place in our society. And where it exists, we will kick it out.
"Our football governing bodies, clubs and footballers themselves have a vital role to play as role models in this respect.
"It's vital too that more coaches and managers from black and minority ethnic groups make it to the top of the game and I know the Premier League among others are working hard to try and make this happen."
In an FA Cup match a fortnight ago, QPR defender Anton Ferdinand was spared having to decide whether to shake the hand of John Terry when the Football Association allowed the teams to forego the ritual.
That match was the first meeting of the London clubs since Terry was alleged to have racially abused Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October - a charge he denies.

Bonuses in public sector under review

RBS group chief executive Stephen Hester

RBS chief executive Stephen Hester waived his £963,000 bonus following public pressure

The government has ordered a review of bonuses in the public sector to ensure they are "fit for purpose", amid public anger over the size of some payments.

Downing Street said this would focus on so-called arm's-length bodies like Royal Mail and the Met Office and ensure "value for money".
It comes as the largely taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland prepares to pay more than £500m in bonuses.
Up to 25% of officials automatically qualify for payments.
Although Stephen Hester, chief executive of RBS, which is 82% taxpayer-owned, voluntarily waived his £963,000 bonus, other bankers will still receive large payments.
Letters Network Rail bosses have also given up payments.
A Downing Street spokesman said the government had ordered a review of bonuses in the public sector to ensure they were "fit for purpose", as it was important to provide "value for money for taxpayers" and ensure the right people were in post.

Nick Clegg insists that all public-funded organisations must follow remuneration systems that are "up to the highest standards"

He added that different organisations would have different arrangements for bonuses and that it would be up to individual secretaries of state to decide what action to take.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude have written to all government departments asking them to review their bonus structures.
Bodies with some element of public ownership, such as Royal Mail, the Met Office and Channel Four, could see fewer and smaller payments as a result.
BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said the government was sensitive to charges of being anti-business, but wanted to show it was prepared to act to prevent rewards for failure.
It could also, potentially, affect the BBC, which is seeking to appoint a new director-general.
Labour's Owen Smith, shadow secretary to the Treasury, said: "Labour has been arguing for months that we need to tackle the culture of excessive bonuses at the top that are paid regardless of performance.
"The government must be judged on its actions rather than its words. Last week they voted against Labour's motion on the bonus culture, greater transparency on top pay and the need for a new tax on bank bonuses to fund 100,000 jobs for young people."

Bideford Town Council prayers ruled unlawful

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Clive Bone: "Religious freedom is an absolute right, and so is freedom from religion"

A Devon town council acted unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said at meetings, the High Court has ruled.

Action was brought against Bideford Town Council by the National Secular Society (NSS) after atheist councillor Clive Bone complained.
Mr Justice Ouseley ruled the prayers were not lawful under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972.
However, he said prayers could be said as long as councillors were not formally summoned to attend.
The judgement was being seen as a test case which could affect local councils across England and Wales.
Mr Justice Ouseley ruled the prayers as practised by Bideford Town Council had been unlawful because there was no statutory power permitting them to continue.
The NSS, which said prayers had no place in "a secular environment concerned with civic business", argued the "inappropriate" ritual breached articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect an individual's right to freedom of conscience and not to face discrimination.
'Bizarre ruling' However, the case was not won on human rights grounds but on a point of statutory construction of local government legislation.

Analysis

Robert Pigott BBC News religious affairs correspondent

By and large, judges have been unsympathetic to the Christian case when people have argued that they don't want to do things like advising homosexual couples.
The tide has been flowing pretty firmly against Christianity in public life and it's caused huge concerns for the churches. They say it's being driven out of public life.
There is a lot of concern that this is not just about pure religion but this is about some of the values that underpin the British way of life.
Of course, from the other side, people like the National Secular Society say the Church and Christianity should not have undue privileges in having their values and their way of doing things upheld.
So there's an argument on both sides but certainly it's been very noticeable in the last few years that the tide's been turning against Christian practices which we've just taken for granted for centuries.

Mr Justice Ouseley said: "A local authority has no power under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972, or otherwise, to hold prayers as part of a formal local authority meeting, or to summon councillors to such a meeting at which prayers are on the agenda."

He told the court: "There is no specific power to say prayers or to have any period of quiet reflection as part of the business of the council."
Referring to Bideford, he said: "The council has on two occasions by a majority voted to retain public prayers at its full meetings.
"But that does not give it power to do what it has no power to do."
The judge acknowledged the case raised issues of general public importance and gave the council permission to appeal.
Speaking after Friday's outcome, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said the ruling was "surprising and disappointing".
He said: "Public authorities - be it Parliament or a parish council - should have the right to say prayers before meetings if they wish."
Anthony Inch, a Bideford town councillor and Torridge district councillor, said he hoped there would be an appeal leading to the ruling being overturned.
"I'm disgusted, surprised and saddened by the decision," he said.
Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said: "We are pleased that the court has said the saying of prayers at meetings does not breach human rights laws.
"But it is bizarre that they should be declared unlawful because of the 1972 Local Government Act."

Simon Calvert: "We feel rather sad the court has given the National Secular Society some encouragement in their campaign"

He added: "The judge's finding that the Local Government Act doesn't give local authorities power to include prayers as part of their formal meetings - we think that's extraordinary.
"I mean we're talking about a practice that goes back to the Elizabethan era.
"And the logic of the judge's ruling may be that it could also be unlawful for a council to start its meeting with the beginning of the national anthem. It may even throw local authorities' Diamond Jubilee celebrations up in the air."
Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society said: "This judgment is an important victory for everyone who wants a secular society, one that neither advantages nor disadvantages people because of their religion or lack of it."
He added: "Acts of worship in council meetings are key to the separation of religion from politics, so we're very pleased with the judgment, and the clear secular message it sends - particularly the statement made about the 1972 Act."
'Great pity' The Bishop of Exeter, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, said he would encourage councils in his area to continue holding prayers before the start of their statutory business.
He added: "I think it's a great pity that a tiny minority are seeking to ban the majority, many of whom find prayers very, very helpful, from continuing with a process in which no-one actually has to participate."
The legal challenge was launched in 2010 after the NSS was contacted by Mr Bone, who was a Bideford town councillor at the time.
Mr Bone, who ended up leaving the council because of its "refusal to adjust" its prayers policy, said on Friday: "Quite frankly delighted. I'm not surprised, I expected to win.
"The law is the law and local authorities have to obey the law."
He added: "Local government is for everybody, it should be equally welcoming to everybody, whatever they believe.
"This has got nothing to do with intolerance towards religion.
"Religious freedom is an absolute right and so is freedom from religion an absolute right, in my view."

Turkish football match-fixing trial gets under way

Fenerbahce fans outside the courthouse, 14 Feb 2012

Fenerbahce fans protested outside the court

Some of the top names in Turkish football are set to face judges near Istanbul as nearly 100 people go on trial accused of match-fixing.

Aziz Yildirim, the president of Fenerbahce, one of Turkey's leading clubs, and 92 other suspects are charged in the scandal.
Nineteen of last season's league matches are said to have been affected.
Hundreds of Fenerbahce fans protested outside the court against any penalty the club might face.
"The government might collapse, inflation might go down, but Fenerbahce can never be relegated," the fans chanted, according to AP.
The Istanbul club won the league title last year but were barred from the European Champions League because of the alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal.
The suspects in the trial include players and managers from several major clubs as well as Fenerbahce.
Twenty-three of them are currently in prison, including Mr Yildirim.

Man injured in Thai capital blast

A foreign man has been seriously wounded in Bangkok after explosives he was said to be carrying went off, local media report.

His legs were blown off, according to police and a government spokesman.
An explosion was also reported at the house he had been renting in central Bangkok, the government spokesman said.
Last month the US embassy warned of possible attacks in Bangkok. A Lebanese man was later arrested and bomb-making materials found.
Police told the Reuters news agency that based on initial reports, they believed that the man was Iranian. Thai media also said that an identity card found nearby indicated the man could be of Iranian origin.
"The police have control of the situation. It is thought that the suspect might be storing more explosives inside his house," a police spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The man is said to be receiving emergency treatment in hospital.
The blasts in Bangkok come a day after two bomb attacks targeting Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia. Israel has accused Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah of orchestrating the attacks. Iran denies the claims.

Monday, 13 February 2012

Athens clashes in Greece over Greece Eurozone austerity deal

Protesters threw petrol bombs at police in the Greek capital

Global Economy

Protesters have clashed with police in the Greek capital Athens, amid anger over fresh austerity measures approved under pressure from Eurozone ministers.

Demonstrators threw rocks and petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas. The clashes came after trade unions began a 48-hour strike.
Parliament is expected to vote on a package of cuts and reforms on Sunday.
Eurozone ministers say MPs must approve it before Greece receives 130bn euros ($170bn; £110bn) in bailout funds.
They are also demanding further budget cuts of 325m euros.

Analysis

Mark Lowen BBC News, Athens

And so it wasn't enough. Days of political horse trading to agree on a package of cuts and still Brussels has said "do more". The frustration here in Athens is palpable.
Parliamentary approval should be the least of the problems. The coalition controls a large majority of MPs so even a backbench rebellion shouldn't sink the package. The 325m euros in extra savings are possibly feasible too - there is talk that defence could be further cut.
But written commitment to the cuts from the party leaders could be the sticking point. It's a tactic that Brussels has tried before and it faced stiff resistance from politicians who talk of national humiliation.
But the price of failure is too high for Greece's government, which fears bankruptcy and a potential exit from the euro. And Eurozone leaders are unlikely to cut Greece loose either. Germany's Angela Merkel has said "if the Euro fails, Europe fails."

A third condition set by the Eurozone ministers is that the Greek coalition gives "strong political assurances" on the implementation of the programme".

The ministers - who met in Brussels on Thursday - said the conditions must be fulfilled by next Wednesday, when they are due to meet again to consider releasing the bailout funds.
Greece cannot service its huge debt, and there are fears that a default could endanger Europe's financial stability and even lead to a break-up of the Eurozone.
The country is already reeling from the effects of an earlier round of austerity that followed a previous bailout. Those cuts triggered widespread unrest and violent protests.
Greece is deep in recession, with unemployment rising above 20%.
The unions have condemned the latest proposed cuts as "painful measures" that would create misery.

Fisrt moving of northen lights from space..

New images of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, have been captured by Nasa using a new time-lapse photographic technique.
By combining hundreds of stills taken from the International Space Station, they have produced the first 'moving' images of the spectacle.
Nasa Earth Scientist Melissa Dawson explains how she happened on the technique almost by accident, when looking over other material from the ISS.

Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi cheered by crowds in Kawhmu

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has begun campaigning for the first time in the constituency where she is standing for election to parliament.

Burma: Battle for Democracy

Crowds of cheering supporters in rural Burma have turned out to welcome opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on her first campaign stop ahead of by-elections scheduled for April.

Ms Suu Kyi, who is standing in the constituency of Kawhmu, was released from house arrest shortly after parliamentary elections in 2010.
Her party won a landslide victory in elections in 1990 but was never allowed by the military junta to take power.
In all, 48 seats are being contested.
Meanwhile, an activist monk who led an uprising in 2007 has been released after briefly being detained by the authorities.
Shin Gambira had been taken from a monastery in Rangoon early on Friday morning, his brother told the BBC.
He was jailed in December 2007 for 68 years but freed last month as part of an amnesty for political prisoners.
Symbolic importance

REFORM IN BURMA

7 Nov 2010: First polls in 20 years
13 Nov: Aung San Suu Kyi freed from house arrest
30 Mar 2011: Transfer of power to new government complete
19 Aug: Aung San Suu Kyi meets Burmese President Thein Sein
12 Oct: More than 200 political prisoners freed
13 Oct: New labour laws allowing unions passed
17 Nov: Burma granted Asean chair in 2014
23 Dec: NLD registers as political party
12 Jan: Karen ceasefire signed
13 Jan: Highest-profile political prisoners freed

Timeline: Reforms in Burma

Since the military formally handed power to a civilian administration last year, Burma has made significant changes. It has released hundreds of prisoners, signed a ceasefire in a long-running insurgency, and eased restrictions on freedom of expression and trade unions.

Supporters waved the flag of the National League for Democracy (NLD) as Ms Suu Kyi arrived in Kawhmu on Saturday.
"We warmly welcome mother Suu!" and "Long live Daw [Aunt] Aung San Suu Kyi!" they shouted.
Ms Suu Kyi spent most of the two decades from 1990 to 2010 under house arrest.
Even if the NLD wins all 48 seats, it cannot threaten the military-backed government's hold on power. The party boycotted the 2010 elections.
However, April's vote has enormous symbolic importance.
As a result of the changes taking place in Burma, the US has lifted one of its sanctions to allow the delivery of limited technical assistance from international financial institutions.

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Scottish independence: MPs in 'unanswered questions' call

Scotland's Future

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Report: Areas 'requiring clarity'

Teenage girl murdered in Doncaster

Rangers administration: Efforts to secure club's future

Rangers in administration

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David Cameron vow to tackle binge drinking 'scandal'

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Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Tax credit change could cost families £4k a year - Labour

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Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt warns on football racism

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Monday, 13 February 2012

Athens clashes in Greece over Greece Eurozone austerity deal

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Fisrt moving of northen lights from space..

Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi cheered by crowds in Kawhmu

Burma: Battle for Democracy

REFORM IN BURMA

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