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Drop in number migrants leaving UK causes rise in net immigration Video: Is this the worst parking manoeuvre in history? Transport police hunt hopeless driver who smashed into vehicles in station car park Vigilante being sentenced for murdering innocent victim Bijan Ebrahimi

Vigilante being sentenced for murdering innocent victim Bijan Ebrahimi In pictures: PDSA Pet Fit Club helps UK's fattest pets Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Vote online the Speakers plan to revive politics Cigarettes due to be sold in plain packaging after U-turn by David Cameron Nigella Lawson's ex-husband Charles Saatchi due to give evidence in trial Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' Charles Saatchi believes his ex-wife Nigella Lawson is a habitual criminal, court hears David Cameron to lobby for support on migration restrictions at EU summit in Lithuania Spending cuts hit poorest parts of England and Scotland much harder than affluent areas Experts confirm that money does buy happiness but only up to 22,100 Bored MPs fiddled their expenses as a 'displacement activity' because Parliament had become irrelevant, says John Bercow Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Mutiny over Gibraltar after David Camerons Ed Miliband dig sinks fast Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall urges Britain along path at heart of Europe Carole Waugh murder: 'Mad Indian gambler' Rakesh Bhayani killed rich, lonely escort to pay off his debts Is 12m EuroMillions winner just leaving it roll over to charity? Puppy power: MPs forced to debate plight of factory pets in 'battery farms for dogs' Barton Moss: The latest front line in Britains unconventional energy revolution against fracking UKIP MEP: 'Women don't have the ambition to get to the top because babies get in the way' Chinese businessman Anxiang Du convicted of murdering family of four Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double 60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey Former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko: William Hague wins secrecy fight over inquest Foreign Office apologises and agrees 1,000 compensation for woman who was raped by a soldier in Egypt DVLA reveals list of banned number plates censoring combinations including OM63 WTF, SL14 AGS and BU63 GER Video: Documentary footage shows 'slaves' Eric Pickles: I didnt spend 10,000 extra on biscuits Ian Watkins: South Wales Police face questions after singer's ex-girlfriend says she warned officers he was a paedophile four years ago London slavery case: Maoist sect leader Comrade Bala claimed he was 'Jesus Christ' Christian guest house owners lose court fight over turning away gay couple Most wanted criminal Brian Thexton arrested in Cumbria Birmingham hit-and-run: Wolverhampton man charged with causing death of elderly cyclist by dangerous driving and failing to stop at scene Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala Spokes, lies and videotape: Police 'still not telling truth over Plebgate,' says Andrew

Mitchell as officer Pc Keith Wallis to be charged with misconduct in public office Millions of workers in Britain snared by low-pay trap David Cameron announces tough measures for new Eastern European migrants seeking benefits Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Andrew Mitchell - the former Tank Regiment officer takes aim and fires Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup Ed Miliband to target 106 seats for outright election win in 2015 Use of riot squads in jails has soared amid overcrowding crisis Winter freeze led to 31,000 extra deaths last year - against a backdrop of soaring energy prices Justice costs: Fury as lawyers fees top 850 an hour Video: Andrew Mitchell on 'Plebgate' In pictures: Somerset basks in autumn sun 'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth Alex Salmond has not answered any of the 'big questions' on Scottish independence says Alistair Darling Pauline Wallace pleads guilty after RSPCA finds over 140 snakes in her home Nigella Lawson took cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs every day for 10 years, court hears Two arrested in connection with Paul Flowers allegations Wolf on the loose in Essex after escaping from Colchester Zoo Neurosurgeon Emmanuel Labram struck off for lying about removing brain tumour Plebgate: Crown Prosecution Service's full statement on charges against Pc Keith Wallis 'What we could be': Alex Salmond launches blueprint for independent Scotland Fraudster canoeist John Darwin caught out in Ukraine Bob Crow: 'I have no moral duty' to move out of council house despite receiving sixfigure salary as RMT boss National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex

Drop in number migrants leaving UK causes rise in net immigration - Home News - UK - The Independent
A net flow of 182,000 long-term migrants came to the UK in the year to June, up from 167,000 in the year to June 2012, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The increase was driven by a drop in the number of migrants leaving Britain as emigration fell to its lowest level since 2001, the ONS said. Some 503,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year ending June, compared with the 517,000 people who arrived during the previous year, while 320,000 emigrants left the country, down from the 349,000 the previous year. Immigration from the European Union (EU) increased to 183,000 in the year ending June, the ONS said, up from 158,000 the previous year.

158,000 the previous year. There was a "statistically significant" increase in citizens arriving for work-related reasons from the so-called EU15, which includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Immigration from outside the European Union (EU) saw a "statistically significant" drop to 242,000 in the year to June, from 282,000 the previous year.Immigration from the European Union (EU) increased to 183,000 in the year ending June, the ONS said, up from 158,000 the previous year. Work was the most common reason for immigration into the UK in the year to June, with 202,000 people arriving to seek employment, overtaking study as the most popular reason for the first time since 2009. A total of 176,000 immigrants arrived for study, the ONS added. The number of visas issued, excluding visitor and transit visas, was 526,736 in the year to September, up 4 per cent, or 18,536, on the previous year. Work visas increased by 5 per cent to 152,139 in the period, while study visas were up 3 per cent to 216,895, where university-sponsored applications rose 7 per cent. Home Secretary Theresa May and Prime Minister David Cameron want to reduce net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before the next election in 2015. The figures come amid growing concern that Britain will face a new wave of eastern European immigration when access restrictions to the UK labour market for Romania and Bulgaria are lifted on January 1 next year. Yesterday, the Prime Minister was warned Britain is at risk of being seen as the "nasty country" of Europe as he unveiled further tough measures to clamp down on immigration to the UK. New EU arrivals will not be able to claim benefits for three months when they land in the UK and once that period is up will only be able to claim out-of-work benefits for a maximum of six months unless they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment. In addition, those found begging or sleeping rough could be deported and barred from re-entry for 12 months unless they can show they have a proper reason to be in the UK, such as a job. Other proposals previously announced will see migrant access to the NHS restricted, while landlords, employers, bankers and DVLA staff will all be expected to take part in checks for illegal immigrants under tough reforms. Immigration minister Mark Harper said: "Our reforms are working and immigration continues to fall. We have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, but are still encouraging the brightest and best to come here to study and work. "Net migration has fallen by nearly a third since its peak in 2010 and across government we are working hard to bring it down further." A Conservative MEP called for fairness and proportionality from the Government after the figures showed a drop in immigration. Nirj Deva, MEP for South East England, said: "It is crucial that the debate on immigration into Britain remains balanced and proportionate. "A Britain without immigrants would be a poorer place. We must recognise the contribution immigrant communities - new and old - make to entrepreneurship, innovation and economic growth in our country. The UK needs controlled

immigration, not a 'fortress Britain'." Immigration minister Mark Harper said: "Our reforms are working and immigration continues to fall. We have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, but are still encouraging the brightest and best to come here to study and work. "Net migration has fallen by nearly a third since its peak in 2010 and across government we are working hard to bring it down further." A Conservative MEP called for fairness and proportionality from the Government after the figures showed a drop in immigration. Nirj Deva, MEP for South East England, said: "It is crucial that the debate on immigration into Britain remains balanced and proportionate. "A Britain without immigrants would be a poorer place. We must recognise the contribution immigrant communities - new and old - make to entrepreneurship, innovation and economic growth in our country. The UK needs controlled immigration, not a 'fortress Britain'." PA

Video: Is this the worst parking manoeuvre in history? Transport police hunt hopeless driver who smashed into vehicles in station car park - Home News UK - The Independent
CCTV footage, published on YouTube by police, shows the driver of a silver Ford Fiesta slowly reversing from a parking space before seemingly losing control of the vehicle and accelerating into two parked cars. Police are now hunting the driver involved in the accident, which took place at Olton railway station, Solihull, earlier this month. PC Ali Jama, the officer responsible for investigating the incident said: "We are now two months on from this incident taking place shortly after 1.20pm on Friday, 27 September. "Despite extensive enquiries, officers have yet to trace the driver of the silver Ford which collided with three parked cars before the driver left the scene. "So far, the driver has not reported the incident to police. I am today hoping that someone will recognise the car and/or the driver, and come forward with information which can assist the investigation. "Unfortunately, the CCTV camera did not capture any part of the vehicles registration." Police urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016.

Vigilante being sentenced for murdering innocent victim Bijan Ebrahimi Crime - UK - The Independent
Lee James, 24, killed neighbour Bijan Ebrahimi and then set his body alight during the attack in Brislington, Bristol on July 14 this year. Mr Ebrahimi, an Iranian national who was in his 40s, died from head injuries and his burnt body was found in Whitmore Avenue, just 100 yards from his maisonette home in Capgrave Crescent, Brislington.

Residents have spoken of the "anger" and "hostility" that was in the air locally when rumours circulated Mr Ebrahimi was a paedophile. Following complaints that he had been taking pictures of children in the area, he was arrested on July 11 but released. Later James barged into Mr Ebrahimi's home and told him "he would take the law into his own hands", an earlier court hearing was told. "Lee James was the instigator and the perpetrator of what the Crown say was a vigilante attack," prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC said. Neighbours believe it was Mr Ebrahimi's determination to gather evidence of anti-social behaviour, damage to his garden and harassment that, through the false allegations it sparked, ultimately led to his death. James, of Capgrave Crescent, pleaded guilty to murder while Stephen Norley, also 24 and of Capgrave Crescent, admitted assisting an offender. Prosecutors say Norley helped James drag Mr Ebrahimi's body away from the scene of the attack and had assisted in setting fire to his body by obtaining white spirit. Mr Ebrahimi's death came just days after he had been arrested and released by Avon and Somerset Police following an alleged breach of the peace after an angry mob had reportedly confronted him outside his home in Bristol when they wrongly believed he was a paedophile. An Independent Police Complaints Commission Investigation has led to four constables, a sergeant and an inspector being served with notices of gross misconduct. Mr Ebrahimi's family said last month: "It should not be forgotten that Bijan had been the victim of hate crimes for a number of years before his death, both due to his race and his physical disability. "It was for this reason that the police should have taken especially seriously his calls for help in the days before he was murdered." The force referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission because of the contact it had with Mr Ebrahimi between July 11 and 13. Chief Constable Nick Gargan said: "Mr Ebrahimi was someone who deserved the protection of all of us and we are very sorry about what happened to him. "The IPCC are carrying out a thorough investigation into the events that led to his death and we await their findings. "Even before we hear their final conclusions, it's clear there are steps that we can collectively take to keep vulnerable people in our communities safe from harm. "This is a tragedy that should never be repeated." Sue Mountstevens, Avon and Somerset's police and crime commissioner, said: "I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Ebrahimi. "The pain of losing a loved one is unimaginable and my heartfelt thoughts go out to them. "The tragic murder of Mr Ebrahimi has shocked and saddened me and I have critical questions for the police and other agencies about the events leading up to Mr Ebrahimi's death.

"While I am not going to draw any conclusions before the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation and any other reviews are complete I am determined to look publicly at what could or should have been done differently. "I will be holding a public meeting involving the police, Bristol City Council and any other organisations involved so that questions can be asked and any lessons learnt in order to prevent anything like this from happening again. "Along with the mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson I believe Bristol is a friendly, tolerant city and the two men sentenced today do not represent the wider community or its attitudes. "This abominable behaviour will not be tolerated in Bristol or indeed the whole of Avon and Somerset." James and Norley will be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court by Mr Justice Simon. PA

In pictures: PDSA Pet Fit Club helps UK's fattest pets - UK - News - The Independent
PDSA Pet Fit Club helps tackle the troubling issue of overweight pets in the UK. PDSA has launched its annual pet slimming competition to find the UKs fattest pets and help them get fit. The charity aims to transform them from obese and unhappy into happier, healthier animals.

Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband - Crime - UK - The Independent

The 43-year-old spent a night in custody before admitting to the offence and accepting a caution, police said. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: Police were called approximately 9.45pm on Tuesday 26 November to a residential address in Hampstead following reports of an assault. A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to a north London police station. She has since been given a caution for common assault. Sykes husband, Jack Cockings, 27, did not require hospital treatment, police said. A spokesman for Sykes declined to comment. The television presenter, who found fame in adverts for Boddingtons beer in the mid-nineties, married Cockings in May.

Melanie Sykes with husband Jack Cockings (@MsMelanieSykes) The couple met on Twitter in early 2012, and raised eyebrows with their flirty public exchanges. Sykes, a former model, has hosted shows including The Big Breakfast, Today with Des and Mel and Lunch with Gino and Mel. She served as a guest panellist on ITVs Loose Women in 2005 and returned to host the show in 2008. The presenter has two sons aged 11 and nine from her marriage to Italian actor Daniel Caltagirone, which ended in 2009.

Vote online - the Speakers plan to revive politics - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Mr Bercow will call in bosses from Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Google and Microsoft to advise him how technology can assist the expansion of e-democracy over the coming years. He will chair the first-ever Speakers commission on digital democracy, which will examine ways to modernise the system and ensure that Parliament reaches out to the electorate. In a speech on Wednesday night to the Hansard Society, a charity that promotes parliamentary democracy, Mr Bercow said: What we are talking about here is nothing less than a Parliament version 2.0. He said elements might include online voting, e-dialogue between MPs and constituents, and greater scrutiny of laws and government over the web. The Speaker said Britain should learn from Estonia, the first nation to use internet voting. A quarter of Estonians cast online ballots in a national election in 2011 and about half are expected to do so in 2015. He said Estonia was the market leader and its system was well worth investigating.

Speaker John Bercow sees 'e-democracy' as the future (Getty) Estonians can vote on a computer using their national identity card to ensure security, or via mobile phone with a Pin

code. Analysis by the London School of Economics found that between 10 and 15 per cent of online voters would probably not have cast ballots without this option, because it made voting faster and cheaper. However, it also concluded that the change had not necessarily boosted turnout. Party officials in Britain reacted cautiously to the idea. One said: It may happen one day, but not yet. There would be big questions about security. Our system is one of the least corrupt, but there have been a few problems with postal voting and that highlights the potential danger of moving to online. The Speakers commission will start work early next year and draw up a blueprint for action by early 2015 the 750th anniversary of the year Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, founded Parliament, and 800 years since the Magna Carta. Any changes would not be in place for the May 2015 election but Mr Bercow wants the Commons elected in two years time to consider the radical shift. Like the digital world itself, it will be unpredictable, potentially anarchic, he said. It should even be quite fun. The commissions remit will be to embrace the opportunities afforded by the digital world to become more effective in representing the people, making laws and scrutinising the work and performance of government. It should also consider how Parliament can become more relevant to the increasingly diverse population it seeks to serve.

A woman casts her vote in the 2011 Estonian general election (Getty) Mr Bercow admitted that measures such as online voting would require moves to end the digital divide in which 20 per cent of British households do not have internet access. The Berlin wall which undoubtedly exists in this terrain is no longer about age but relates to affluence or the lack of it, he said. A digital democracy should not re-invent the divide in franchise of the 19th century in a new, high-technology form. It has to be universally inclusive and not a narrow geeks nirvana. He said digital democracy could not be a conversation between interest groups and political parties and pledged that his commission would take evidence from outside Zone One of the London Underground network. Mr Bercow said a 21st-century democracy could no longer be about people voting once every four or five years. He argued that e-democracy could help to repair the damage and lack of trust in politicians caused by the scandal over MPs expenses in 2009.

Cigarettes due to be sold in plain packaging after U-turn by David Cameron UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The policy designed to make smoking less appealing to young people appeared to have been put on hold four months ago. But government sources indicated tonight that ministers had decided to implement the scheme after an outcry from doctors and the Opposition. The apparent U-turn reversing one in July when David Cameron shelved the idea is expected to be announced in the next few days. The Times newspaper said it understood the Government will set up a review of a similar move in Australia and that its findings were expected to back plain packaging. At the same time, the Government will introduce enabling legislation so that the packaging can be changed quickly, possibly before the 2015 election. There was uproar in the Commons in July this year when it was revealed that Conservative election strategist Lynton Crosby was a partner in a company that has advised a tobacco firm. Labour leader Ed Miliband taunted Mr Cameron as the Prime Minister for Benson and Hedge Funds during Prime Ministers Questions. However a Government source told The Times that the new review would nail Labours ridiculous smears. Now the pressure will be on Labour to get behind this amendment [to the Children and Families Bill] to enable the introduction of standardised packaging, the source said. Labours Shadow Public Health Minister Luciana Berger said tonight that the Government should simply bring in a law now. We need immediate legislation for standard cigarette packaging, not another review. The Government needs to stand up to the tobacco industrys vested interests, she said. The evidence to support standardised packaging is clear. The consensus is overwhelming. We dont need any further delay while 570 children are lighting up for the first time every day. A study in Australia of 500 smokers showed that they found cigarettes in plain packs less appealing, and had become 80 per cent more likely to think about quitting at least once a day since the packs, which are a drab olive green and carry large health warnings, were brought in. Australian health minister Tanya Pilbersek said in July that smokers also seemed to enjoy cigarettes less. While tobacco companies haven't changed the formula of their products, she said. We've had feedback from smokers saying their cigarettes taste worse since the government's required packaging to be plain. Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: "This could potentially be a very disappointing U-turn by the Government. "Plain packaging will have a negligible impact on health, will boost the black market, and do enormous harm to small businesses. "In the words of David Cameron, let's treat adults like adults and give them more responsibility over their own lives. "It's about time the Government looked towards education rather than even heavier regulation of a legal product enjoyed by millions of ordinary consumers."

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said: "The Government with the number of its recent U-turns must be getting mighty dizzy, but this is one very much to be welcomed, since it finally points it in the right direction. "Back in July there were concerns about the role of Lynton Crosby, tobacco industry lobbyist, in the Government's decision-making about plain packets for cigarettes. "We can definitely see the influence of Lynton Crosby, election adviser, in this reversal. "Now we can only hope for a related U-turn, on another important public health issue - the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol."

Charles Saatchi due to give evidence in trial of his and Nigella Lawson's personal assistants - Crime - UK - The Independent
Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo are accused of using credit cards loaned to them by the family to spend more than 685,000 on themselves. Yesterday, prosecutor Jane Carpenter told jurors that the sisters spent the money on luxury goods and lived the "high life" like that "portrayed in glossy magazines". But referring to allegations made by Saatchi ahead of the trial that the TV chef has a serious drug habit, Ms Carpenter said the case is "not about other issues of matrimonial discord or drug taking". "This case is a case about fraud," she said. Yesterday defence lawyers for the sisters argued that the trial should not go ahead due to the "manipulation of the court process" by Saatchi and Lawson, who had a high-profile and acrimonious divorce earlier this year. Saatchi and Lawson broke up after pictures were published in a newspaper in June showing him holding his wife by the throat. The court previously heard that Saatchi alleges that Lawson was so high on drugs that she was unaware of what she had or had not permitted the sisters to spend money on. But Judge Robin Johnson refused the application and the case opened yesterday afternoon at Isleworth Crown Court in west London. Jurors heard the defendants, who were employed by Lawson before her 10-year marriage to Saatchi, were each given credit cards to buy items for the household and family members. The balance was paid off each month by direct debit without being closely scrutinised and with an understanding that they would not use it for themselves, jurors were told. The court heard that Francesca Grillo, 35, spent the most money on the credit card, which was registered to Conarco Partnership - one of Mr Saatchi's companies. She was estimated to have used it to buy goods for herself worth in excess of 580,000 while her 41-year-old sister's total spend was estimated to be around 105,000, it is alleged. The Grillos, both of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, deny the charge against them. It is alleged that between January 1 2008 and December 31 2012, they committed fraud by abusing their positions as PAs by using a company credit card for personal gain.

PAs by using a company credit card for personal gain. Lawson is expected to give evidence in the trial at a later date. PA

Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

The Mayor of London, giving the annual Margaret Thatcher lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, staked a claim to being the political heir of the late prime minister and said restaurant queues, traffic jams and cranes around London made him feel like he was back in the 1980s. I hope there is no return to that spirit of Loadsamoney heartlessness figuratively riffling banknotes under the noses of the homeless and I hope that this time the Gordon Gekkos of London are conspicuous not just for their greed valid motivator though greed may be for economic progress as for what they give and do for the rest of the population, many of whom have experienced real falls in their incomes. And if there is to be a boom I hope it is one that is marked by a genuine sense of community and acts of prodigious philanthropy, and I wish the snob value and prestige that the Americans attach to acts of giving would somehow manifest itself here. Mr Johnson said he and the late Mrs Thatcher would probably agree over ways to tackle a range of issues such as housing, taxation and education.

English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Three current footballers and a former Premier League player were among those detained on suspicion of fixing games in England, according to a report tonight. A spokesman for the NCA said: "Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing. The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. "The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association. This is an active investigation and we are unable to provide further detail at this time." A Football Association spokesman said it was aware of a number of arrests and had been working closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The men were held after an undercover investigation by The Daily Telegraph newspaper. It filmed a meeting in Manchester with an alleged fixer from Singapore who claimed gamblers could make hundreds of thousands of pounds placing bets with companies in Asia. The man reportedly planned to target two matches this month. Explaining how he would ensure players deliver a particular score line, he told an undercover reporter: "In England the cost is very high... usually for the players it is 70,000. "So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell ... this [is] what I want ... Because simple, I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals ... Give me at least five... either 3-2, 4-0 or zero, ... for me four is enough."

It is not believed that any Premier League sides are involved in the scandal, but the identities of the clubs affected cannot be disclosed for legal reasons. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that it has liaised with the NCA during their investigation. In one of the Manchester meetings, the alleged fixer explained that the syndicate would use a yellow card at the beginning of the game as signal that the match was fixed. He said: "For example, within the first 10 minutes, I will ask them to take one yellow card. So, one yellow card is about 5,000. "So I say [to the player], okay, in the first 10 minutes I need to see the yellow. If there's no yellow, that's it, I will not pay you anything."

Charles Saatchi believes his ex-wife Nigella Lawson is a habitual criminal, court hears - Crime - UK - The Independent
Anthony Metzer, QC, defending Elisabetta Grillo, claimed the defendants could not receive a fair trial because the celebrity chef and Mr Saatchi, the two main prosecution witnesses, were at such loggerheads and were trying to manipulate the legal process. He suggested that a criminal court was a convenient forum to continue their high-profile dispute where, of course, the possibility of libel is not an issue. Mr Metzer also spoke of a culture of secrecy within their marriage, which ended after Mr Saatchi was pictured with his hand around Ms Lawsons throat during an argument outside Scotts restaurant in Mayfair, central London, in June this year. In a statement by Mr Saatchi read out at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday, the millionaire art dealer said he first became aware that Ms Lawson was taking illegal drugs at about the same time as their very public falling out. Meanwhile, Ms Lawson tweeted a recipe for holiday hot cake with eggnog cream to thank people who have been using the hashtag #TeamNigella to show their support for her. Elisabetta Grillo, 41, and Francesca Grillo, 35, both Italians, are alleged to have used a company credit card to buy flights, stay in top hotels and treat themselves to designer fashions by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada while working as personal assistants to Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi. Before the start of the trial, Mr Metzer tried unsuccessfully to argue that it should not go ahead. He said Ms Lawsons credibility as an honest witness had been damaged by the claims of drug use. The defendants case is that Nigella Lawson lied to her ex-husband about her drug use and about the expenditure that was incurred by the defendants, both expressly and implicitly, because she was fearful of Mr Saatchis reaction if he knew about the extent of the expenditure and drug use, he said. There was a culture of secrecy within Nigella Lawsons marriage. He added: Mr Saatchi is saying that Miss Lawson is a criminal because she has been partaking of Class A drugs at her home, and Class B drugs. But Jane Carpenter, for the prosecution, argued against dropping the case. She told jurors: This case is a case about fraud fraud motivated by greed not about other issues of matrimonial discord or drug-taking. The Grillos, both of Kensington, west London, deny charges of committing fraud by abusing their positions as personal assistants by using a company credit card for personal gain between January 2008 and December 2012. The

trial continues.

David Cameron to lobby for support on migration restrictions at EU summit in Lithuania - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The Prime Minister set out moves to overhaul welfare rules, including stopping new EU arrivals from receiving outof-work benefits for their first three months in Britain and making it harder for them to qualify for state support. He also pledged that rough sleepers from the EU would be deported and banned from returning to Britain within 12 months. The moves follow concerns fuelled by the UK Independence Party, and shared by many on the Tory right, that tens of thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians would head to Britain after restrictions on working in the UK are lifted on 1 January 2014. Mr Cameron said the clampdown would send a clear signal to potential migrants that Britain was not a soft touch. But his proposals were condemned as an unfortunate over-reaction by Laszlo Andor, the European Employment Commissioner, who warned that the move risked presenting the UK as the kind of nasty country in the European Union. Viviane Reding, the Justice Commissioner, said she did not understand the political logic of the moves, given that the Government has been a keen supporter of EU enlargement and British citizens take full advantage of freedom of movement, setting up homes and businesses overseas. Free movement is a fundamental pillar of the single market and the single market is something Britain has signed up to and is very dear to the heart of Great Britain, she said. Britain insisted the plans were legally water-tight within EU law, although the European Commission said it would reserve judgement until it had studied the proposals in greater detail. The Government was buoyed up last night by the disclosure that the new governing coalition formed by Angela Merkel in Germany had committed itself to reducing incentives for migration by amending its domestic laws on welfare. Downing Street said the development proved that Mr Camerons initiative was gaining wide support across the EU. President Franois Hollandes government in France also called for tighter restrictions on EU migrants and Britain says its stance is also being backed by the Netherlands and Austria. At an EU summit in Lithuania today, Mr Cameron will lobby other leaders for their support in limiting the right to freedom of movement, to prevent huge shifts of population across the union in future. His plans were not enough to stop a succession of Conservative MPs calling for controls on Romanian and Bulgarian migrants to be extended for another five years. Any such move would fall foul of courts both in Britain and Europe, but Eurosceptics urged ministers to defy EU law and maintain the controls. More than 40 Tory MPs have publicly backed the move. Philip Hollobone, MP for Kettering, said: My constituents take the view that this country is full and we should not open our borders to Romania and Bulgaria. Yes, this country will be taken to court, but it will be a signal of firm intent about our renegotiation of the EU treaties and by the time it comes to court hopefully we will have had our referendum and left this wretched organisation altogether.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, claimed last night that Baroness Thatcher would have supported Britain remaining in the EU if she were still in office. I dont think she would pull out of the single market that she helped to create, he argued in the third Margaret Thatcher lecture. I think she would recognise there is a chance to get a better deal. Its time to sort out the immigration system so that we end the madness.

Spending cuts hit poorest parts of England and Scotland much harder than affluent areas - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), which analysed the 30 per cent real terms cut in local government spending between 2008 and 2015, said the North and Midlands are suffering more than the south, with deprived areas left about 100 per person worse off. Researchers warned that cash-strapped councils will end up serving only the neediest fraction of the population. "As a result, the willingness of those who do not rely on council services for the majority of their needs to pay for council services relied on almost exclusively by the poor could be undermined," the report added. John Low, the JRFs policy and research manager, said: "Unless we can muster the national will to correct or mitigate the unacceptable divergence of resources between more and less affluent authorities, we are slowly but inexorably creating a more divided society." The largest factor was the reduction, scrapping or merging of many specific central government grants, which targeted deprived areas. Councils in poor areas saw their spending power drop by 21 per cent, while in affluent areas it fell by 16 per cent. Town hall spending on education fell in England because money was channelled into the Governments flagship academies policy. Culture, the environment and planning saw larger cuts, along with transport and housing. The divide was confirmed in a separate report by the Audit Commission spending watchdog published on Thursday, which said that almost half (49 per cent ) of councils covering the 20 per cent most deprived areas faced cuts of more than 15 per cent since 2010. Fewer than one in ten local authorities (eight per cent) of authorities in the best-off areas suffered reductions on such a scale, it said. Brandon Lewis, the Local Government Minister, insisted that deprived areas continue to receive and spend far more money per household than other parts of the country. Rather than the doom and gloom peddled by the JRF, the latest independent polling shows that the public are more satisfied with town hall services than ever before, he said.

Experts confirm that money does buy happiness - but only up to 22,100 Home News - UK - The Independent
National happiness rises as a countrys gross domestic product (GDP) per capita climbs, but tails off when the rising wealth creates higher aspirations which often lead to a sense of disappointment, according to the study from the University of Warwick. In wealthy countries this sweet spot is found at around 22,100, after which, happiness decreases as our aspirations for better-quality housing, a higher standard of education and consumer goods lead to increased levels of anxiety and stress. The paper, published with the University of Minnesota, found that in poor countries life satisfaction rises as GDP climbs, as one might expect.

climbs, as one might expect. However, it also found that once average GDP per capita reaches around 22,100, life-satisfaction levels peak and actually dip slightly in very rich countries. As countries get richer, higher levels of GDP lead to higher aspiration. There is a sense of keeping up with Mr Jones next door as people see higher levels of wealth and opportunity all around them and aspire to having more, Dr Eugenio Proto, one of the reports co-authors, told The Independent. Any economy which gives its citizens lots of aspiration cannot truly be a bad economy, but this aspiration gap the difference between actual income and our desire for things like nicer homes and consumers goods eats away at levels of life satisfaction. According to the most recent figures, the UK had a GDP per capita of roughly 22,700, which is above the level at which satisfaction appears to dip. Dr Proto said: There is also a question of inequality to consider here. It could be possible that our hypothetical Mr Jones is way richer than you, and your aspiration of keeping up with him is totally unrealistic. So its no surprise that the happiest countries are Denmark, Sweden and Finland those that are most equal. In developing countries with a GDP per capita below 4,100, people were 12 per cent less likely to report the highest level of life satisfaction than those in countries with a GDP per capita of around 11,000. Happiness studies are increasingly important to policy-makers, and Dr Proto says the World Bank is interested in his research.

Bored MPs fiddled their expenses as a 'displacement activity' because Parliament had become irrelevant, says John Bercow - Crime - UK - The Independent
Mr Bercow suggested the 2009 scandal was as much a symptom of decades of decline as "malice or corruption" as he urged action to ensure Westminster kept up with the modern world in a speech to the Hansard Society. He said after becoming Speaker in June 2009 he feared for the future of parliament, describing it as a "virtual corpse". "The blunt truth is that the expenses debacle was a particularly embarrassing layer of icing on an especially unappetising cake," he said. "The reality in 2009 is that the House of Commons as a meaningful political institution, an effective legislature, had been in decline for some decades and was close to reaching the point where it had become, to distort [19th century journalist] Walter Bagehot slightly, a dignified part of our constitution without much actual dignity. "The House appeared to be little more than a cross between a rubber stamp and a talking shop which had taken to collective activity such as the imaginative interpretation of what might be a legitimate expense claim as much as an odd form of displacement activity as out of any shared sense of malice or corruption." But an influx of new MPs in 2010, the novelty of coalition, and procedural changes such as forcing ministers to answer more urgent questions had sparked a revival. "Far from being in the final twitches of our mortal life, the virtual corpse has staged an unexpected recovery," he said.

"It turns out that in the spirit of Dr Who, the parliament elected in 2010 has not been about death but about regeneration." He used the speech to announce the creation of a Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy. PA

Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Even when questions are not planted, a minister usually knows in advance what he or she is going to be asked by those on the government side. Though all this is known, hard evidence is usually difficult to find. However, I have on my screen a copy of an email sent to selected Tory MPs by the executive assistant to the special advisers at the Department of Health five days before Jeremy Hunt and other Health ministers were due to face the Commons. Good Morning, it says, I have received notice that you will be posing a question at the upcoming session of Health Orals. If it would be helpful for you to send the supplementary question that you intend to ask beforehand, then please send them over to me. This will, of course, ensure that the answer given in the House is as substantive as possible. With thanks and very best wishes The first supplementary question that Hunt had to answer came from a Tory MP, Alec Shelbrooke. I thank you for highlighting this important issue, Hunt replied. He added that so concerned was he about this very issue that just the other day ordered the NHS director of patient safety to look into it. What a coincidence! Blairs lost chance for war South Africas Thabo Mbeki has revived an old and odd story that Tony Blair once had visions of British and South Africans marching shoulder to shoulder to overthrow Robert Mugabe. In an interview with Al Jazeera over the weekend, Mbeki cited a retired chief of the British forces who had to ward off pressure from Blair to start planning an invasion of Zimbabwe. That tale, often retold in the African press, originated with an interview that General Sir Charles Guthrie gave The Independent on Sunday in November 2007, in which Lord Guthrie said that people were always trying to get me to look at military action in southern Africa, but he advised them to hold hard, youll make it worse. Mbeki now claims that he also told Blair where to get off. We said no Why does it become a British responsibility to decide who leads Zimbabwe? There is no doubt that after British troops successfully intervened in Sierra Leone, in 2000, people in government hoped that it would serve as a warning to Mugabe. It didnt. The rest was probably chatter. Abominable namesake

Commiserations to Ian H Watkins, the Welsh singer who formed part of the 1990s group Steps, who has had to come off Twitter to avoid drawing any more abuse from people who mix him up with that vile pervert, Ian Watkins, formerly of Lostprophets. A faraway country... It is good to see that the World Bank is not there just to help the big boys. Tuvalu, far away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the smallest country on the World Banks books and the fourth-smallest in the world, being just slightly bigger than Monaco. The islands have suffered badly from the recession, and the Bank has granted them $3m (1.8m) to put their economy back together. The Queen is Tuvalus head of state. She has not been there for more than 30 years, and although Prince William and Mrs Kate Windsor made a well-received visit last year, I do wonder how closely Her Majestys office is following the affairs of this little corner of her dominion. On Her Majestys official website, it states that the Governor General of Tuvalu is the Rev Filomeia Telito. According to the Tuvalu Newsletter of 25 July 2011, Telito retired in March 2010, died on 11 July 2011 and received a state funeral on 14 July. Maams website is nearly four years out of date.

Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Mutiny over Gibraltar after David Camerons Ed Miliband dig sinks fast - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
This time, unlike the incident which sparked the conflict in 1739, Spanish coastguards had not mutilated a British sea captain. Instead, the Guardia Civil had done something just as taboo: violating hallowed protocol by opening one of our diplomatic pouches at the Spain-Gibraltar border. There is nothing like Gibraltar to expose the inner jingoist in MPs of every party. Yesterday they raised each other as in some crazed form of martial poker. May I put it to the minister that if anything like this ever happens again, the Spanish ambassador should be expelled from this country? asked Labours Sir Gerald Kaufman only to be outdone by the Tories Andrew Rosindell, who wanted him sent home now. But this was just the warm-up. Which Royal Navy warships are in the waters around Gibraltar? asked Edward Leigh ominously. But he, too, was trumped by fellow Tory Peter Bone who suggested the Navy make a goodwill visit to Gibraltar preferably a couple of gunboats. The former Labour Foreign Office minister Peter Hain bravely suggested that Britain needed a diplomatic strategy which respects the paramount rights of Gibraltarians but recognises that Spain... has an historic grievance. This provoked patriotic chuntering. Robert Neill said Madrid was stooping to the level of Francos government, while his fellow Tory Nigel Evans pointed out that the last foreign regime to open a UK diplomatic bag had been Robert Mugabes Zimbabwe not the best of company to be associated with. Earlier, David Cameron had made a joke arising out Ed Milibands choice of Robbie Williams Angels on Desert Island Discs. Its fair to say hes no longer a follower of Marx, hes loving Engels instead. As puns go this was forgive me as laboured as they come. But unusually for the Wednesday banter the PMs own euphemism between the party leaders, it was also

harmless, maybe because it was so terrible. Which is why Cameron seemed irritated that Miliband didnt laugh. So could this presage a new, amicable approach to Prime Ministers Questions? In your dreams.

Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall urges Britain along path at heart of Europe UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Dan Mulhall said Ireland, which sells a fifth of its exports to Britain, was worried by the unwelcome element of insecurity caused by debate over the UKs place in Europe. In an interview with The Independent, Mr Mulhall also spoke of his pride over how immigrant workers from eastern and central Europe have integrated into Irish society. His comments reflect the dismay in Dublin over the impact of the continuing political turmoil in Britain over the EU on the Irish economy. Mr Mulhall, who arrived in London last month, said: The debate here simply introduces an unwelcome element of uncertainty in a situation where we have been partners in Europe for the last 40 years. We in Ireland cant be indifferent to this debate. We cannot ignore it and say its simply a matter for Britain because it will have implications outside of Britain and particularly for Ireland. Mr Mulhall said any change in the nature of Britains engagement with the European Union would have an immediate effect on Ireland. We have a stake in the outcome of this British debate, he said. What I have been saying, what Irish ministers have been saying, is we hope Britain will remain fully engaged in the European Union. We think its good for British-Irish relations, good for Europe and ultimately good for Britain. Ahead of Romanians and Bulgarians receiving unrestricted rights in January to work anywhere in the EU, Mr Mulhall compared the ease with which workers from new EU states have been assimilated in Ireland without the hostility they have faced elsewhere. There are proportionately more people from the member states that joined in 2004 in Ireland than there are in Britain, he said. Im proud of the fact that this has worked extremely well, even in a country like Ireland, where there is no tradition whatsoever of immigration. Theres a lot of populism around at the moment in Europe and Im happy to say that in Ireland we have retained a strong, pragmatic political debate which has not drifted towards that kind of populism. Mr Mulhall said relations between Britain and Ireland were better than they had ever been. He mainly attributed this to the continuing peace in Northern Ireland. He said the Troubles had cast a pall over Northern Ireland and further afield and did clearly complicate relations between Britain and Ireland. He said the Queens visit to the Republic in May 2011 was an extraordinary success and a landmark moment.

Carole Waugh murder: 'Mad Indian gambler' Rakesh Bhayani killed rich, lonely escort to pay off his debts - Crime - UK - The Independent
Bhayani, 41, plunged a knife into the neck of his former lover Carole Waugh, 49, in her 600,000 central London flat in April last year, and planned to sell her home, empty her bank accounts and steal her shares, an Old Bailey jury found on Wednesday.

found on Wednesday. Ms Waughs body was stuffed into a holdall, dumped in the boot of a car and left in a south London lock-up after Bhayani recruited Nicholas Kutner, 48, a career conman, to join his plot. While Ms Waughs family appealed for help to find the former accounts executive, the men recruited women to pretend to be Ms Waugh and siphoned money from her accounts and cards. Her body was finally found three and a half months later but by then the two men had already been arrested for fraud. After a life of using charm to ensnare their victims, the pair of conmen turned on each other. In a final desperate gamble, Bhayani and Kutner accused each other of killing Ms Waugh. But Bhayani faced life in prison on Wednesday night after a jury found him guilty of the murder. Kutner, a swindler who specialised in stealing jewellery and fine wine, was cleared of murder but found guilty of perverting the course of justice over the disposal of Ms Waughs body. He had earlier admitted fraud. The scam was just the latest in a long list for the two men, who between them have racked up 27 court appearances and nearly 200 offences.Bhayani, who has a young daughter, groomed Ms Waugh after making contact online; she had been operating under the name poshtottyfun and using the name Sarah. She had returned to live in London from Libya where she had worked for an oil company, but lived on the proceeds of her sex work. They embarked on an affair and the conman was so successful at making her believe he was one of the good guys that she lent him large sums and supported him even when he was sent to prison. When Ms Waugh demanded her loans back and threatened to expose his double life to his family, his crimes tipped into murderous action. In the last of a series of stories to explain his role in her death, Bhayani claimed that Kutner was alone in Ms Waughs flat when she was killed. Meanwhile Kutner claimed that an unnamed Prisoner X had witnessed Bhayani re-enacting the killing of Ms Waugh while he was held at Wandsworth jail. Bhayani had a long history of scams dating back 20 years and claimed that he started gambling from the age of eight, using slot machines at fairgrounds. He was forced to quit his job at a firm of accountants when he was caught fiddling his expenses. Twice he mortgaged his parents home and spent the proceeds on gambling. In the grip of a hopeless obsession, he bought a petrol station and started gambling the proceeds until he had no petrol to sell and the game was up, he told the court. He tried to persuade the manager of a betting shop to let him lay 100,000 (in fake cash) on the result of a Premiership football match. When the bet was refused, he put all the counterfeit money on the American golfer Phil Mickelson to win in the final round of the 2012 US Masters and lost the lot. It can also be revealed today that police and prosecutors are set to review evidence raised in the case after Bhayani claimed that two Barclays Bank employees colluded in a plan to trick Ms Waugh into believing that he was repaying tens of thousands of pounds that he borrowed from her. Bhayani claimed at his trial that two men at the banks Kingsland branch in east London were involved a complicated money-swapping and fake documents scam. Detective Chief Inspector Justin Davies, of Scotland Yard, said: Carole Waughs murder was the senseless killing of a woman who put her trust in people she thought were her friends. Both men are compulsive liars who have deceived and defrauded their own families, friends and acquaintances throughout their entire adult lives. They went to extreme lengths to defraud Carole.

Is 12m EuroMillions winner just leaving it roll over to charity? - Home News - UK - The Independent
The winning ticket, which has the code JRG437445, was bought in Birmingham's Ladywood district on 31 May this year. And jealous lottery punters are wondering if the owner is chickening out. It was revealed on 20 November that Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Haverhill, Suffolk, are set to divorce after scooping 148m last August. Then it was reported this week that Dave and Angela Dawes of Surrey hit problems after their 101m EuruoMillions win two years ago. The Birmingham puzzle may never be solved - whether it's someone fearing that they'll be unlucky in love, or someone just unlucky with a hole in the pocket. A claim for the cash must be made by 11pm, otherwise it will be donated to charity. But last night saw another UK winner for the EuroMillions jackpot - this time for 26.8m. The winning numbers were 19, 23, 27, 42 and 44 and the lucky stars were 3 and 5.

Puppy power: MPs forced to debate plight of factory pets in 'battery farms for dogs' - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The plight of hundreds of thousands of puppies and kittens bred in the pet equivalent of battery farms is a national pet crisis campaigners warned tonight. There are no official statistics for what is a largely hidden problem, with many puppy farms not bothering to have a licence to breed animals. Yet the factory farming of pets for profit requires urgent action, according to experts. Young animals are not vaccinated against diseases or given basic vet care, resulting in a time bomb of future health problems. Thousands of animals are dying each year from poor health due to the terrible conditions in which they have been kept and bred, suffering diseases such as parvovirus and canine distemper, claim campaigners. In a bid to crack down on the trade, more than a hundred thousand people have signed a petition calling on the government to end the cruel practice of puppy/kitten farming and ban the sale of young pets where the mother is not present and interacting with her litter. Factory farmed puppies and kittens are separated from their mothers too early and go on to suffer weakened immune systems and shorter life spans, the petition claims. Launched by TV vet Marc Abraham earlier this year, it has now passed the 100,000 threshold needed to see the issue debated in the House of Commons. Puppy farming is an animal welfare crisis happening right under our noses and in my opinion its only the public now, through awareness and education, that have the power to stop this cruelty. This is a vile industry totally driven by disgusting greed and profit so if theres no demand for these animals it will stop, said Mr Abraham, founder of Pup Aid. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of puppy farms, across the country, many battery farms for dogs according to the vet. A single shed, with 200 breeding bitches, can breed 4,000 puppies a year. And the profits can be vast with puppies often sold on to dealers for around 30 a time, but sold on by dealers for hundreds of pounds each.

While informal breeding of dogs and cats is as old as the keeping of them as pets, industrial-scale farms are a modern day phenomenon in part the legacy of past foot and mouth epidemics which saw farmers encouraged to switch to alternative ways of making money, such as breeding dogs. And while kitten farms do exist, the main problem is in puppies driven by a demand which can see a single puppy fetching more than 500. The RSPCA receives more than 1,500 complaints about puppy farms each year. A spokesman for the charity said: We receive a huge number of calls from people who complain that puppies they have brought have then become extremely sick, or even died, shortly after purchase. But they added: The stark reality is that while people continue to fuel the demand for such puppies, these rogue sellers will continue to operate. Hundreds of thousands [425,000] of people who have bought puppies online or in pets shops have failed to experience overall good health of their pet, according to the Kennel Club. And some 85,000 puppies bought via social media or over the internet die before they reach six months old, it claims. We have an extremely serious consumer protection and puppy welfare crisis on our hands, commented Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary. A spokesperson for the Dogs Trust, who are backing calls for a ban on the sale of puppies and kittens without their mother being present, warned that people should look particularly at the interaction between the mother and its puppy, rather than simply being satisfied with a viewing of the mother which may not be the pups mother at all. The demands for action over puppy farming have cross-party support. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: I will do all I can to promote a debate in the Chamber about it as soon as possible. Puppy and kitten farming is an inhumane practice, which the Government should ban immediately. Labour Rob Flello MP confirmed tonight he is to request a debate in the Commons likely to take place in March next year. Puppy farming is industrial in scale and he warned that many places are not registered and local authorities dont have resources to inspect those that are. And Conservative MP Simon Kirby MP said: As a dog owner myself this particular issue struck a chord. I signed this petition as puppy farming is an increasing problem, I understand that as many as one in three puppies are bought through outlets often used by puppy farmers. I therefore hope that time will be found for a debate on this important issue. In a statement, a Defra spokesperson said: Anyone buying a puppy has a responsibility to ensure it is coming from a reputable place with high animal welfare standards. They added: They should also be able to see the puppy interacting with its mother.

Barton Moss: The latest front line in Britains unconventional energy revolution against fracking - Home News - UK - The Independent
During the pushing and shoving three men and a woman were arrested for obstruction. Yet for those that have spent the past two weeks camping on the side of the muddy lane in thundering earshot of the M62, it was just another day in Britains unconventional energy revolution. Many of those that are here on the outskirts of Eccles at a spot best known as one of the original stops on the worlds first inter-city railway between Liverpool to Manchester are veterans of this summers clash between protesters and drillers down in Balcombe, West Sussex. A two month blockade there saw energy company Cuadrilla eventually pack up its equipment and withdraw although it has since signed a new 30 year lease on the site. Policing the protest cost nearly 3m. The south of England in glorious summer is a different proposition to windswept Salford in November but opponents

The south of England in glorious summer is a different proposition to windswept Salford in November but opponents of fracking say this is only the latest frontline in the bid to stop the exploitation of onshore energy across Britain. This is only day one. This is going to happen anywhere they try to drill, said Rachel Thompson of Frack Free Greater Manchester, one of the groups that declared today the opening of the Northern Gas Gala mirroring tactics used at Balcombe.

A protester lets her feelings known (Jon Super) IGas, partly owned by the Chinese state oil company, has been granted planning permission by Salford Council to conduct exploratory drilling for natural gas in two sites on land owned by Peel Holdings, part of a vast property to transport group which includes among its many assets the BBCs 400m new rented home at MediaCity, the Manchester Ship Canal, numerous ports and airports and, until it was sold in 2011 for 1.65bn, the Trafford Centre. The deal with Peel allows IGas unlimited access to its portfolio of holdings in the North West of England allowing it to identify sites suitable for drilling operations with the option to permanently lease them once panning permission has been granted. When exploratory drilling finally starts at Barton Moss, an agricultural field now enclosed behind huge steel gates and razor wire, exploration is set to begin at nearby Davyhulme, also owned by Peel. Both are close to the companys 138m Port Salford project itself part of the gargantuan Atlantic Gateway development which includes the 10bn regeneration of Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks. Peel Group, which is majority owned by the Isle of Man-registered family trust of its founder, the 71-year-old tycoon John Whittaker, was criticised by MP Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee in June over what she claimed were its unfair tax arrangements a claim denied by the company.

Protesters pitched tents on Barton Moss Road (Jon Super) IGas meanwhile believes there could be up to 170 trillion cubic feet of gas beneath the North West of England the equivalent of more than 50 years of UK consumption. But the company, which has also been granted a licence to drill in the Chancellor George Osbornes Tatton constituency, says no one yet knows how much may ultimately be recoverable. IGas has yet to be granted a licence to frack in Salford, the controversial process where gas is liberated from rock by being blasted with water and sand. Barton Moss is its first foray into coal bed or shale drilling and the company operates 100 conventional wells in Lincolnshire and Sussex. Opponents say that based on just a four per cent extraction rate the current government licence blocks granted to IGas could eventually see it operate nearly 8,000 wells in the region half of them engaged in fracking. An IGas spokeswoman said the company was saddened by todays attempts to block the lorry. We are working with the relevant authorities to minimise the disruption to local residents and business and continue to operate in accordance with all the necessary regulation and permitting, she added. Meanwhile, activists prepared for another damp and cold night in the camp. Maggie Hartley, a grandmother of six, had travelled from her home at Longridge, near Preston where locals are also fighting fracking plans. I wanted a nice quiet retirement but I cant let this go on and Im not going to stop. It will take a long time but her are here for the long term, she said.

UKIP MEP: 'Women don't have the ambition to get to the top because babies get in the way' - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Who could forget Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom's reference to "bongo-bongo land", or his 'women who do not clean behind fridges are sluts' joke, which went down like a lead balloon? Now Ukip MEP Stuart Agnew has become the next member to cause a stir by saying women do not have the ambition to get all the way to the top because babies "get in the way". His remarks that babies get in the way of female ambition drew a flurry of attempted blue-card interventions during European Parliament on Tuesday. He said: "The point is we have absolute gender balancing in the education system. In fact, if you look at the people who get degrees more, women get them and they are getting the jobs in the work place, but for various reasons, they don't have the ambition to go right to the top because something gets in the way. It's called a baby. "I've never had a baby, but I understand if you do have a baby it can change your life - it changes your ambitions. So, the route is there. Those females who really want to get to the top do so."

Chinese businessman Anxiang Du convicted of murdering family of four Crime - UK - The Independent

Anxiang Du, 54, was convicted by a jury at Northampton Crown Court of murdering Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer Jifeng Ding, his wife, Helen, and their two daughters, Nancy, 18, and Alice, 12, on 29 April, 2011. Jurors rejected the claim that Du, from Coventry, should be convicted of manslaughter on the basis of either diminished responsibility or loss of control. Judge Mr Justice Flaux said: Anxiang Du, you have been found guilty of four counts of murder. No doubt your counsel will have explained that there is only one sentence I can pass for this and I will sentence you tomorrow. The judge, addressing members of the Ding family, said: I have observed the dignified way in which you have conducted yourselves throughout a trial which must have truly horrendous for you. I know nothing I can say can assuage the pain of the deaths of your sister and daughter but I just hope at least the fact that the man responsible for the deaths has been brought to justice will provide you with some comfort. During the trial, the jury heard how Du massacred his former business partners Mr and Mrs Ding in revenge after he lost a 10-year legal battle over a Chinese herbal medicine business. Du and his wife Can Chen had set up the business with their friends the Dings but civil proceedings commenced after that relationship turned sour. Losing the case left Du angry, humiliated and facing financial ruin as he owed some 88,000 in court costs, jurors were told. Du made a plan and carried it out with ruthless efficiency, the court heard. On 29 April, Du left his home and went to his shop in Birmingham where he wrote a farewell note to his wife in Mandarin. The note read: Best wishes/Eternal Blessing. Qian Qian (pet name for their son) will care about Mum forever! Everyone has to say farewell one day! Armed with a knife, a quantity of cash and his passport, he travelled to the home of the Dings in Wootton, Northamptonshire, like a man on a mission, to exact revenge. He knived Mr and Mrs Ding multiple times, leaving them for dead in the kitchen, then, with their blood on his hands, he went upstairs and slaughtered their two daughters Alice, 12, and Nancy, 18, who he found cowering in a bedroom. Post mortem tests showed that Mr Ding had been stabbed 23 times, Mrs Ding 13 times, Nancy had 11 stab wounds, and Alice had four.

An undated photograph of the Ding family (AFP/Getty) Opening his case, prosecutor William Harbage QC told jurors: This was a considered act of revenge executed in an unbelievably calm and cold-blooded manner. He planned to kill, he intended to kill; he did kill - four times. This is murder nothing less. Du elected not to give evidence during the trial but his barrister claimed he should only be convicted of manslaughter on the basis of either diminished responsibility or loss of control. It was claimed that Du had been suffering a severe depressive illness at the time of the killings. Mr Harbage dismissed the claims and told jurors the killings had been a premeditated plan formed overnight. The bodies were only discovered after a concerned neighbour contacted police to say he had seen a body laid on the floor through a back window. A psychiatrist who visited Du in prison earlier this year told the court the businessman had given him a version of events that took place on the day of the killings. Professor Nigel Eastman, a forensic psychiatrist, told jurors Du had told him he had gone to the Dings to get money back from them. He admitted to the psychiatrist that he had thought about harming the Dings and told Mr Eastman: If the Dings had apologised to me I probably would not have done that (harmed them). Throughout they never apologised. He told Mr Eastman he stabbed Mr and Mrs Ding before going upstairs and killing their two children. I also killed them (the children), I don't know why, Du told him. Mr Eastman asked him whether he had any hatred for the two children. Du replied: I did not hate them at all. I don't know why. I am so sorry. He said Du then told him he lay down and slept before waking up and stealing the Dings' car. Following the verdict, Steve Chappell, chief crown prosecutor, CPS East Midlands, said: This was a brutal, shocking crime. Anxiang Du travelled to the Dings' home armed with a knife and killed the whole family in their own home. The evidence was clear that this was an act of pre-meditated revenge and Du knew what he was doing. The jury had the option to consider a verdict of manslaughter, but has delivered a verdict that he was fully responsible for his actions and is guilty of murder. The Ding family were honest, hard-working and well-liked people. It is a tragedy that their lives were cut short in this way. Our thoughts and condolences are with their family and friends.

this way. Our thoughts and condolences are with their family and friends. Speaking after the verdicts, Helen Ding's father, Zuyao Cui, said on behalf of the family: Anxiang Du coldbloodedly killed the whole of the Ding family and took away four lives. During the whole trial we listened with deep sorrow and pain. Finally today the verdict is murder. Anxiang Du deserves what he receives, justice has been served. PA

Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The Business Secretary survived a grilling by MPs on the day that Royal Mail announced that its operating profits almost doubled to 283m for the six months to the end of September 29 from 144m a year earlier. Its first set of results as a listed company were boosted by 95m after a VAT credit and lower-than-expected costs of its shake-up. The spate of gas and electricity price hikes in recent weeks helped its letter business as energy firms send out mailings to millions of customers. However, Royal Mails parcels business was hit by the summer heatwave slowing online purchases, and the company said the threat of strike action had cost it business parcel customers in its key Christmas quarter. An unrepentant Mr Cable dismissed as froth claims by critics that the Royal Mail was undervalued, even though its share price soared from its opening level of 330p within minutes of trading last month and broke through the 500p barrier within a week. The Liberal Democrat minister told the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee he "categorically" rejected claims that taxpayers had lost out, insisting it would take time for the share price to settle down. "This has been a very professional, well organised and successful operation," he said. He insisted there would have been "considerable risks" in setting the initial share price higher, given the Government's intention of attracting long-term investors. But Adrian Bailey, the committees Labour chairman, said it was now clear the Government was given advice that the shares could have opened 20p higher. "What is the point of paying money to get advice, and then ignoring the advice?" asked the chairman, adding that the Government's assessment was "detrimental" to the interests of taxpayers. Mr Cable said no decision had been made on whether to pay a multimillion-pound performance bonus to banks which advised the Government on the sell-off, adding it could take years before a judgment is made. William Rucker, chief executive of Lazard, said the bank received a 1.5m fee for advising the Government on the privatisation. Mr Cable added that he asked "very tough questions" of the advisers as the launch approached, asking if things could have been done differently. "We interrogated them very closely about whether they were making the correct call," he said. Michael Fallon, the Conservative Business minister who oversaw the sell-off, said people would look back on it as a success. "We could not have got a higher price for the 600m shares. That was made clear to us by our advisers, he said. "It became clear there was a point at which institutional investors would not invest ... and would walk away." Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said yesterdays results were based on Royal Mails performance when it was still in public ownership. The rise in profits is further proof that there was no need to privatise this successful company. A profitable, successful and well-loved institution was flogged on the cheap when these latest figures show it was healthy and in good hands. The Government's arguments continue to crumble,

when these latest figures show it was healthy and in good hands. The Government's arguments continue to crumble, he said.

60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey - Science News - The Independent
Unearthed in the US, assembled in the Netherlands and on sale in the UK, the dinosaur is one of only six relatively complete diplodocus skeletons and was estimated to be worth between 400,000 and 600,000. The 56-ft long skeleton was discovered by the sons of German palaeontologist Raimund Albersdoerfer during a dig in 2009. Hoping to keep his listless offspring busy, Albersdoerfer had suggested that they dig for bones in a neighbouring site, not thinking that they would find anything notable. When they reported back to their father that theyd discovered a colossal leg bone all work on the main dig halted and Albersdoerfer spent the next nine weeks unearthing what remained of the gigantic creature.

The diplodocus in the process of being excavated in Wyoming. Image credit: SummersPlaceAuctions/BNPS Errol Fuller, the curator at the Evolution Sale auction, said: "You are talking about a very rare item indeed. Even if you were lucky enough to find one in the first place, the digging out and the preparation then involved is an enormous undertaking. The rock that it was embedded in would have been extremely hard to break away from the bones, and you couldn't go at it with a sledge-hammer because the bones were vulnerable to breaking." After being dug out from the site in Wyoming, the skeleton was sent to Rotterdam to be fitted in its metal frame by Aart Walen, an expert dinosaur builder. Luckily for Albersdoerfer the find was made on private land, allowing them to transport it out of the US.

Kate Diment from Summer Place Auctions in Billingshurst West Sussex dusts off the enormous Diplodocus longus skeleton. Image credit: PhilYeomans/BNPS The skeleton is made up of 100 bones and is 40 per cent original, with the other 60 per cent copied from previous specimens. There are probably about six of these in the great museums of the world, including in Pittsburg and Washington, said Fuller. Speaking to Sky News before the sale, auctioneer James Rylands said "I think we will see a lot of interest from the Far East and possibly the Middle East. You could easily see this dinosaur forming the centrepiece or a big shopping centre or in the atrium of an amazing hotel."

Former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko: William Hague wins secrecy fight over inquest - Home News - UK - The Independent
Sir Robert Owen, the coroner presiding over the inquest into Mr Litvinenko's murder, ruled earlier this year that a cache of Government papers concerning matters of relating to the death could not be withheld on grounds of national security. But the High Court yesterday overturned Sir Robert's ruling that the documents should not be the subject of a Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificate and said the coroner had failed to give sufficient weighting to the decision by the Foreign Office to keep the information secret. The inquest into Mr Litvinenko's death by poisoning with radioactive polonium in a London hotel in November 2006 is the subject of an ongoing wrangle over whether it will be able to fully consider any role played by the Russian state in the killing. The Government earlier this year ruled out a full public inquiry into the death after Sir Robert ruled that his inquest had been granted insufficient access to information to explore the full circumstances of Mr Litvinenko's poisoning. Ministers said the inquest could still provide a satisfactory inquiry. Sir Robert has subsequently argued that the secret material held by the Foreign Office is necessary for a "fair and meaningful" inquest. But lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Hague used judicial review proceedings to argue that the documents are "sensitive to the highest degree" and public disclosure would damage the national interest. Lord Justice Goldring, sitting with two other judges, yesterday sided with the Foreign Office and declared the material must remain secret. Quashing the coroner's decision to reveal it, the judge said: "I am driven to the conclusion that the weight the coroner gave to the views of the Secretary of State was insufficient and amounted to an error of law."

gave to the views of the Secretary of State was insufficient and amounted to an error of law." The judge, sitting with Lord Justice Treacy and Mr Justice Mitting, said the issues raised by the case "concerned the risk of significant damage to national security" and added: "Nothing we have decided reduces the importance of open justice." The coroner is considering whether to appeal. Mr Litvinenko, 43, a Russian dissident and former KGB agent, was poisoned polonium-210 while drinking tea during a meeting with former Russian security service colleagues at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London. He died three weeks later. Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina and his son Anatoly have alleged that he was killed by the Russian state and was also an agent with Britain's MI6 at the time of his death. Russia has denied any involvement in the killing. Mrs Litvinenko said through her lawyers that she was "disappointed but not surprised" by today's ruling and she was "gathering her strength" for what might be her last attempt "to see the truth emerge about the Russian state's responsibility" for her husband's death. This will take the form of another application for judicial review - this time brought by her, challenging the Government's refusal to grant the coroner powers "to take account of secret closed material and convert the inquest into a public inquiry". Ben Emmerson QC, for Mrs Litvinenko, told the judges that every stage of the legal process so far had left her "with increasing concern that the truth of the position about the Russian state's responsibility may not in due course be established by these proceedings". The widow took "considerable comfort" from the fact that the closed material had been considered "by three senior judges wholly independent of the Government" who had put their conclusions in an open judgment for all to see. A spokesman for the coroner said Sir Robert would now "reflect carefully" on the court's PII decision.

Foreign Office apologises and agrees 1,000 compensation for woman who was raped by a soldier in Egypt - Home News - UK - The Independent
An investigation by the Parliamentary ombudsman Dame Julie Mellor has found the FCO was guilty of maladministration and injustice after the woman turned to it for help when she was assaulted in May 2011. Simon Fraser, the permanent under-secretary and head of the diplomatic service, said they had unreservedly apologised to the woman and taken steps to ensure there was no repeat of her treatment. In her report, Dame Julie said that although the woman - referred to only as Ms M - had clearly been frightened and vulnerable, officials at the British Embassy in Cairo failed to explain clearly how they could help her. They did not arrange a medical examination or offer to accompany her to a hospital and had no knowledge of postexposure prophylaxis - a treatment which can prevent HIV infection after the virus has entered the body. In particular, the report said officials did not accompany her to report the attack, and failed to appreciate her fears that she could be arrested or even killed if she made a complaint against a military officer to the police who were themselves under the control of the military. Ms M was far away from home, she had been through a terrifying ordeal, and the FCO were the only authority she could approach for help. She should have been able to rely on them to fulfil their role and assist her when she was at her most vulnerable, the report said.

Ms M's ordeal began when she was stopped at a checkpoint while travelling in the Sinai region, three months after the revolution which overthrew President Hosni Mubarak. A man in plain clothes, who she believed to be a military officer, told her she would not be able to continue her journey until the next day. He took her to a place where he said she could sleep and then raped her. The following day, with the help of a friend, she contacted the FCO - initially through its Global Response Centre in London - appealing for advice on what to do and help in getting a medical examination. However when she went to a hospital, on a list supplied by the Global Response Centre, she was told by the doctor that she did not need an HIV test as there was no HIV in Egypt. Later that morning when she went to report the attack to the tourist police she found herself in a room with a number of armed plain-clothes officers - a situation she described as extremely intimidating. She was told that in order to complete her complaint she would have to go to military headquarters, something she felt she had no choice but to comply with despite being reluctant to go. Ms M said she was finally allowed out shortly before 3am so that she could try to obtain antiretroviral drugs, on the understanding she would return at 9am to complete her statement. When she failed to do so an officer was sent to interview her at her friend's apartment where he required her to reenact what happened when she was assaulted, including demonstrating the positions she had been forced into. While Ms M was in telephone contact with the embassy while she was at the police station and the military headquarters, she said it would have made a huge difference it she had be told that an official could actually have been with her. On a return to the UK she complained to the FCO about the way she had been treated with impatience, rudeness and a serious lack of sensitivity by its staff. Her complaint was initially rejected, but after first the human rights charity Redress and then the ombudsman became involved, the FCO agreed to apologise and pay 1,000 in compensation. Mr Fraser said: 'We apologise unreservedly to Ms M for the mistakes we made in her case and fully accept the recommendations in the ombudsman's report. We have taken a number of actions to ensure that this does not happen again and we will give Ms M a comprehensive update on the steps we have taken in December. We remain committed to delivering a high-quality consular service to British nationals overseas, particularly to those who are most vulnerable. Dame Julie said: This is a prime example of how one individual coming forward to complain can lead to significant changes. PA

DVLA's banned number plates - including OM63 WTF, SL14 AGS and BU63 GER - Home News - UK - The Independent
Staff sorted through thousands of possible combinations from the most recent 63 plate to come up with the list. The resulting troublesome combinations will be banned from March next year, when the DVLAs 14 plates come into use.

Personalised plates beginning with the letters PR, SH and SL have proved the most problematic for the 14 plates, with variants including PR14 CCK, SH14 TTY, SL14 AGS, SK14 NKY and SP14 STK among the first to be barred. The fact the number 14 in the new plate can be made to look like the letters I, A or H is the root of the problem as a large number of potentially controversial terms or phrases feature these letters. Other 14 plates that will be blocked before ever coming in to use include, J14 HAD, TR14 DDS, AL14 LAH, CR14 PLE and BU14 SHT. The DVLA has taken the opportunity to take a look back at plates from the current 63 registration period, which began in September. The numbers 6 and 3 can, of course, be made to look like a G and B, which also opens up the potential for offensive combinations. Among the 63 plates to be banned by the DVLA in March are: FA63 HAG, HU63 NOB, BU63 GER, FA63 GTT, and NO63 END. Other barred combinations include PU63 RTY, OR63 ASM, , OR63 YYY, SO63 OMY, LU63 FER and a large number of plates beginning VA63. A DVLA Spokesperson said: The vast majority of registration numbers are made available but we have a responsibility to ensure that the combinations used do not cause offence. We try to identify combinations that may cause offence and having considered the appropriateness of these registration numbers we have withdrawn them as they could cause offence or embarrassment on the grounds of political or racial sensitivities or are in poor taste.

Video: Documentary footage shows 'slaves' - Crime - UK - The Independent

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Eric Pickles: I didnt spend 10,000 extra on biscuits - UK Politics - UK The Independent
Figures released at the end of last year suggested Mr Pickles Department for Communities and Local Government had forked out 40,000 on serving custard creams, ginger nuts and digestives at meetings. This was up from 30,000 in 2011, and led Labour minister Diane Abbot to remark: Nobody begrudges Eric the odd digestive but he needs to cut his biscuit bill. Thanks to his policies councils all over the country are having to cut vital facilities like libraries. According to local newspaper reports, the Brentwood and Ongar MP has now appeared on Londons LBC Radio to defend himself, saying he isnt playing a jammie dodger here. Mr Pickles said the huge increase was the result of an administrative error, and added that the biscuit budget was still lower than when Labour was in power. He told LBCs Iain Dale: The figure was for part of our hospitality budget. When we have meetings, if people come from a long distance well give them tea and biscuits.

The rise comes down to one of my fine civil servants putting the wrong thing in the wrong column. It is still a 94 per cent reduction though compared to Labours spending in the department. Im not playing a jammie dodger here. I even bring in my own tea bags to work. I wouldnt accept anything from another person.

Ian Watkins: South Wales Police face questions after singer's ex-girlfriend says she warned officers he was a paedophile four years ago - Crime - UK The Independent
Following the Independent Police Complaints Commissions admission that it will investigate whether the police service acted quickly after being tipped off about Watkins, Joanna Majic came forward to say that that she repeatedly contacted South Wales Police after the former Lostprophets frontman confessed to her that he was a paedophile. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the 38-year-old said: Everything changed for us when he confided in me that he wanted to abuse children in 2008... I went straight to South Wales Police then and made a complaint but they ignored me and said I needed evidence. Ms Majic added: I warned them this man was a danger to young kids but I think they thought I was just a trouble maker I couldnt believe how indifferent the police were, it was like they were taking his side and dismissing me as some stalker. It has also emerged that, from 2010 onwards, a number of fans went online to request help after discovering sickening child abuse images on the 36-year-olds computer. Friends reportedly claim that the fans contacted police over the discovery, but officers failed to take any action. The Daily Mail reported one message posted online before Watkins arrest as reading: His on-off girlfriend reported him to police twice for being a paedophile He sent pornographic pictures of a little girl to a few girls telling them it was a five-year-old girl hed raped. He also watches child porn constantly. Sick, sick man. The newspaper also alleges that, in another message posted in August 2010, a fan claimed Watkins had been grooming underage girls online. Five months later, Watkins set up a profile on a hardcore porn site, uploading 27 images showing him involved in depraved sex acts. The images are believed to have been viewed more than 43,000 times by users of the unidentified site. Yesterday Watkins pleaded guilty to a string of sexual offences, including two charges of attempting to rape a baby. The 36-year-old former Lostprophets frontman made a series of admissions in a last-minute change of plea ahead of what would have been his trial at Cardiff Crown Court. Watkins, from Pontypridd, south Wales, insists he has no memory of what would have been key video evidence at the trial showing the abuse of his one-year-old victim, the court heard. He pleaded guilty to a string of sex offences he had previously furiously denied. The charges included sexually touching a one-year-old and encouraging a fan to abuse her own child during a webcam chat. Watkins also admitted possessing and making child porn as well as launching the plot to rape a baby. He was originally charged with rape but insisted sex with the child did not take place during a drug-fuelled binge he

He was originally charged with rape but insisted sex with the child did not take place during a drug-fuelled binge he says he was on at the time. Watkins originally faced 24 separate charges - all sex offence related. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges today, nine of which were unchanged and two of attempted baby rape, as opposed to rape. Prosecutor Christopher Clee QC told the judge that both of the attempted rape admissions were accepted.

London slavery case: Maoist sect leader Comrade Bala claimed he was 'Jesus Christ' - Crime - UK - The Independent
As police began the sensitive task of interviewing the three victims more than a month after they were freed from the south London commune, further details emerged of the strict life inside the collective headed by a charismatic leader known as Comrade Bala. Dudley Heslop, a community worker, said that Aravindan Balakrishnan persuaded a former follower to hand over 10,000 to pay for the running of the Maoist groups headquarters in Brixton, south London. The follower, Sian Davies, died in 1997 after she fell in mysterious circumstances from a window of a house where the group stayed. Mr Balakrishnan was a well-known figure on the fringes of extreme left-wing activity in the early 1970s and ran his group, the Workers Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought, with a steely discipline.

A still from a 1997 ITV documentary shows Aravindan Balakrishnan (right) arriving at an inquest (ITV News) Mr Heslop, 59, who said he attended lectures at the centre for more than a year some four decades ago, said that Mr Balakrishnan would say I am the Christ, follow me and people would. He was never violent, he was too selfcontrolled. But women abandoned their careers and their futures for him. They would have to put him and the collective before their families, he told the London Evening Standard. Mr Heslops account of activities at the centre chimed with the accounts of other activists, including one who described Mr Balakrishnan as a pope-like figure.

accounts of other activists, including one who described Mr Balakrishnan as a pope-like figure. Police said that brainwashing would be the simplest term to describe how the women indicated they had been held for more than three decades at a series of addresses in London. Commander Steve Rodhouse of the Metropolitan Police said details remained scant, as they had agreed not to interview them until Wednesday. The women are a 30-year-old Briton named in reports as Rosie Davies, a 57-year-old Irishwoman believed to be Josephine Herivel, and a 69-year-old Malaysian, confirmed by that countrys police to be Siti Aishah Wahab. They were being interviewed at an undisclosed location after spending a month in the care of specialist trauma experts. The 69-year-old woman was wanted by Malaysian police in the 1970s for participating in communist activities, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar was reported as saying. As the United Kingdom practised freedom of expression, Siti Aishah mingled with student activists there, he told The Malaysian Insider. Her sister arrived in Britain on Wednesday in an attempt to speak with the one-time highflying student to whom she has apparently not spoken for decades. Scotland Yard said the three women had all agreed to speak to police, despite one being caught on camera railing against the fascist state during a doorstep encounter with a television crew following the death of Sian Davies.

ITV News believes this is Josephine, one of the women freed from a commune after living there for three decades (ITV News) Ms Herivel was identified as the Belfast-born daughter of the mathematician John Herivel, who was recruited from Cambridge University to help in the breaking of German military code at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Mr Balakrishnan and his wife were held on suspicion of crimes including assault and slavery, but doubts have been raised over the prospect of future prosecutions. The law introduced against domestic servitude was only enacted three years ago. Police said they had so far identified 50 witnesses whom they would speak to during the inquiry. Mr Rodehouse said: The crucial issue for us is that, on the basis of the information that weve had indirectly from victims, clearly criminal offences have been committed. What we need to do now is to understand that in much more detail.

Christian guest house owners lose court fight over turning away gay couple Home News - UK - The Independent
Peter and Hazelmary Bull had asked the Supreme Court to decide whether their decision to refuse to let Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy stay at their Cornwall guest house constituted sexual discrimination. Five Supreme Court justices ruled against them today after analysing the case at a hearing in London in October. The couple have previously lost fights in a County Court and the Court of Appeal. In 2011 a judge at Bristol County Court concluded that the Bulls acted unlawfully and ordered them to pay a total of 3,600 damages. In 2012 the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Bulls following a hearing in London. The couple had asked the Supreme Court to overrule the Court of Appeal. The Bulls said they thought that any sex outside marriage was "a sin" - and denied discriminating against Mr Hall and Mr Preddy. They said their decision was founded on a "religiously-informed judgment of conscience". Mr Hall and Mr Preddy said they were victims of discrimination. After the ruling, Mrs Bull said: "We are deeply disappointed and saddened by the outcome." Dismissing the appeal, Lady Hale, deputy president of the Supreme Court, said: "Sexual orientation is a core component of a person's identity which requires fulfilment through relationships with others of the same orientation." Homosexuals "were long denied the possibility of fulfilling themselves through relationships with others", she said, adding: "This was an affront to their dignity as human beings which our law has now (some would say belatedly) recognised. "Homosexuals can enjoy the same freedom and the same relationships as any others. But we should not underestimate the continuing legacy of those centuries of discrimination, persecution even, which is still going on in many parts of the world. "It is no doubt for that reason that Strasbourg requires 'very weighty reasons' to justify discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. "It is for that reason that we should be slow to accept that prohibiting hotel-keepers from discriminating against homosexuals is a disproportionate limitation on their right to manifest their religion." If Mr Preddy and Mr Hall ran a hotel which denied a double room to Mr and Mrs Bull, whether on the grounds of their Christian beliefs or on the grounds of their sexual orientation, they would find themselves in the same situation that Mr and Mrs Bull find themselves today. Christian Institute spokesman Mike Judge said: "What this case shows is that the powers of political correctness have reached all the way to the top of the judicial tree. So much so that even the Supreme Court dare not say anything against gay rights. "Writing the main opinion in the ruling, Lady Hale effectively said gay rights are almost untouchable because of the rulings by European judges. "Combine that with gay marriage, and it's a recipe for all sorts of threats to people who believe in traditional marriage. "This ruling is another slap in the face to Christians, and shows that the elite institutions are saturated with a liberal mindset which cares little about religious freedom.

"It should be noted that the one-sided laws which paved the way for this case, the Sexual Orientation Regulations 2007, were voted for by the now Prime Minister David Cameron. "Parliament needs to reform the law to allow a more reasonable approach which balances competing rights. Otherwise, Christianity will become the belief that dare not speak its name." Mrs Bull, speaking outside the Supreme Court after the ruling was handed down, said: "Obviously, we are deeply disappointed and saddened by the outcome. "We are just ordinary Christians who believe in the importance of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. "Our B&B is not just our business, it's our home. All we have ever tried to do is live according to our own values, under our own roof. "These beliefs are not based on hostility to anyone - we certainly bear no ill will to Steven and Martyn. Our policy is based on our sincere beliefs about marriage. "Britain ought to be a country of freedom and tolerance, but it seems religious beliefs must play second fiddle to the new orthodoxy of political correctness. "We appealed to the Supreme Court to introduce a bit more balance when dealing with competing rights of sexual orientation and religious liberty. "Somehow, we have got to find a way of allowing different beliefs to coexist in our society. "But the judges have sidestepped that big issue, and reinforced the notion that gay rights must trump everything else. "In particular, we are deeply troubled by the remarks of Lady Hale, who says rulings by European judges means gay rights are almost untouchable. "What does this mean for other people in Britain who believe in traditional marriage - not just Christians, but Muslims, Jews, people of all faiths and none? "We ask Parliament to take a serious look at how Christians with traditional beliefs are being left out in the cold. "We have no regrets about contesting this case, nor will we ever be ashamed of our beliefs. "We are not perfect people, but we are trying to do our best to live out our faith with honesty and consistency. And we will continue to do that, come what may." Welcoming the ruling, Wendy Hewitt, deputy legal director at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "The courts have been very clear throughout this long-running case that same-sex couples should not be subjected to discrimination when accessing services. "This is what Parliament intended when it approved the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations and then passed the Equality Act 2010, well aware that gay men and lesbians have long suffered discrimination when seeking to stay away from home as a couple." If Mr Preddy and Mr Hall were hotel keepers who had refused a room to Mr and Mrs Bull, because they were Christians, or because they were an opposite sex couple, the commission "would have been just as ready to support Mr and Mrs Bull in their claim". She added: "Each of these parties has the same right to be protected against discrimination by the other." Additional reporting PA

Additional reporting PA Video: Terminally lesbian woman allowed to we partner early

Most wanted criminal Brian Thexton arrested in Cumbria - Crime - UK The Independent
Brian Thexton, 37, had been named in the National Crime Agencys rogues gallery of 13 high priority suspects thought to be hiding out in Spain. He was wanted for a string of alleged offences, including robbery and conspiracy to supply cocaine. Mr Thexton, from Durham, has been sought by police in the UK since he evaded capture in Lancashire on 15 November at which point he also injured an officer. Cumbria Police confirmed he was detained without incident at a property in the countryside near Kirkby Stephen, shortly before 8pm last night. When the NCA released the most wanted list earlier this month, Mr Thexton was accused of being involved in a gang which would break into peoples homes, tie them up and force them to reveal the location and access codes to valuables. In one incident, the gang impersonated police officers in order to gain access to a home, at which point they brandished a pick axe handle and baseball bat. He has previously admitted conspiring to steal cars and machinery, and is also awaiting trial for claims he was a middleman in the sale of half a kilo of cocaine. Police have been hunting for Mr Thexton in Lancashire since they found him in a car on Aberdeen Road, Lancaster, two weeks ago. An officer tried to stop the wanted man by reaching through the open window and pulling the keys out of the ignition, but was dragged along the road and injured when Mr Thexton drove off before he could do so. Speaking last night, Detective Superintendent Andrew Slattery said: Detectives from Cumbria Constabulary have worked hard with other police forces in the North of England over recent weeks to track down and arrest Mr Thexton. After a uniformed policing operation tonight he was detained without incident at an isolated rural property. We would like to thank the community of North Cumbria for their support.

Birmingham hit-and-run: Wolverhampton man charged with causing death of elderly cyclist by dangerous driving and failing to stop at scene - Crime - UK The Independent
West Midlands Police said, Kile Straker was also charged with other traffic offences and will appear in court in Wolverhampton next month The 23-year-old is accused of causing the death of 74-year-old George Searle, who was pronounced dead on the city's Stafford Road in July. A police spokesman said Straker, of Armstrong Drive, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton, had been bailed to appear before magistrates on December 13.

Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace

Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala - News - Music - The Independent
Providing backing vocals to Bon Jovis karaoke favourite "Living On A Prayer", Prince William seemed a touch awkward at first. He soon got into the swing of things, and at the end of the song helped Swift off the stage to cheers and applause. It was the finale of an event at Kensington Palace to support homeless charity Centrepoint, which works to support hundreds of young people by preempting and tackling problems that could force them onto the streets. The duke has been a patron of the charity since 2005 and, throughout the Winter Whites Gala, met some of the people Centrepoint has helped through housing and other opportunities. Swift and Bon Jovi both performed individually at the event. The former, who sang "Trouble", "Love Story" and "15", said she was honoured by her invite to the palace. This is my first time playing at Kensington Palace, or any palace for that matter, she said. I want to thank you for having me Prince William, this is just amazing. Swift said it was important the gala concert was supporting at-risk youth, given they were dealing with more than most people were at what was already a difficult age. Other guests at the event included Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt and Tinie Tempah. Prince William presented the Centrepoint Great Britain Youth Inspiration Award to Bon Jovi for his humanitarian work. The singer founded Soul Foundation in the United States in 2006, which aims to break the cycle of people falling into poverty and homelessness by helping them gain access to food and affordable housing along with job training programmes. Bon Jovi said: Nights like this happen once in a lifetime but the chance to affect change can last a lifetime. Each one of you tonight have that chance to affect change. Video: On the red carpet at Winter Whites charity gala

Spokes, lies and videotape: Police 'still not telling truth over Plebgate,' says Andrew Mitchell as officer Pc Keith Wallis to be charged with misconduct in public office - Crime - UK - The Independent
Mr Mitchell condemned the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for what he said had been a failure thoroughly to investigate the officer, who first accused him of using the word pleb in an altercation outside Downing Street last year. And he claimed that he had been shocked by the sheer number of people who had contacted him making similar accusations of police misconduct of which he feared many were true. If the police can do this in such a casual way in one of the safest areas in Britain and get away with it, then they can do it to anyone, anywhere and at any time, he said. Mr Mitchell was reacting to a decision by the CPS and the Independent Police Complaints Commission not to take

either criminal or disciplinary action against PC Toby Rowland the officer at the heart of the controversy. PC Rowland alleged Mr Mitchell called the police f**king plebs who should learn their f**king place when diplomatic protection officers refused to let him cycle through the main gates of Downing Street. When PC Rowlands log of the incident was leaked to the media it led eventually to Mr Mitchells forced resignation as the Governments Chief Whip. However, three months later CCTV footage emerged casting doubt over the police evidence and a criminal investigation was launched. Mr Mitchell said it was extraordinary the investigation had meandered for over a year but had at no stage interviewed PC Rowland under criminal caution or arrested him. The important issue is who invented the three lying phrases about plebs and people knowing their place, he said. These three phrases attributed to me are completely untrue; they were made up and disseminated by a police officer. Earlier in the day the CPS announced that one Downing Street Protection Group officer, PC Keith Wallis, would face charges for misconduct in public office over allegations that he had written to his MP and falsely claimed that he witnessed the incident. Four other officers will face charges of gross misconduct two for their claimed involvement in leaking the story to The Sun and two for allegedly providing false evidence to the police investigation. All could potentially lose their jobs. Three others will also face less severe internal disciplinary action. However, the CPS said it had not seen any evidence to justify claims that PC Rowland had lied in his account on the police log. Much of the press reporting to date has assumed that the CCTV recordings show that the gate officer lied about the words used during the incident, said the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders. The CCTV footage that has been aired publicly was edited and did not show the full picture. We have been supplied with previously unseen and unedited footage of the incident from five different cameras. The CCTV footage does not determine the issue completely as it could be consistent with either the accounts of the officer on the gate or Mr Mitchell. It is clear from the footage that there was sufficient time for the words to have been said either as described by the gate officer or as described by Mr Mitchell, and this has been confirmed by an expert. Ms Saunders added that the new footage also appeared to back up claims made by PC Rowland that there were witnesses to the incident. [The footage] does show that there are a small number of members of the public present immediately in front of the gate at the relevant time, but what cannot be seen is how many people were off-camera but in the vicinity, at least some of whom then quickly came into view. This is consistent with the officers account that several members of the public were present. No officer ever mentioned crowds being present. But Mr Mitchells lawyer Stephen Parkinson, who was given access to the new unseen footage, disputed the CPSs interpretation of the film. The film simply does not back up PC Rowlands assertion that there were several members of the public witnessing the scene who looked visibly shocked at the foul language, he said. This is important because once you conclude that PC Rowland embellished his account how is it possible to believe the rest? Michael Crick, the Channel 4 News journalist who originally aired the footage, also reacted angrily to the CPS

statement. C4 did not edit CCTV footage to change or alter sequence of events. Our three CCTV streams were image-matched frame-by-frame to confirm veracity, he wrote on Twitter. He added: C4 News has tonight submitted FOI [Freedom of Information] request to CPS to provide any evidence to justify their claim the Plebgate CCTV we showed was edited. Mr Mitchells close political ally David Davis claimed that PC Rowland would have had to have said 40 words in five seconds if the officers account was to be believed. He told journalists: According to Rowland, 40 words were spoken, excluding the last response from Mitchell, in that last five seconds. Most people speak at two to three words per second. No one speaks at eight words per second. Mr Mitchell, who is suing The Sun for defamation, said he expected PC Rowland to come to court and swear to his account under oath. But the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, insisted the police investigation had been a ruthless search for the truth. I believe that public trust and confidence in the integrity of the police is fundamental to us providing an effective service for the public, he said. I expect my officers to serve the public without fear or favour. But Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, admitted the case could still damage the police. I think any event of such significance and such publicity has the potential to damage police public relations, he said. I think whats important is when they are discovered they are faced up to and dealt with in a transparent and open way. In a statement, PC Rowland said, I stand by my account of events in Downing Street on 19 September 2012. This has now been thoroughly investigated and the CPS has confirmed there is insufficient evidence to take any criminal proceedings against me. In addition, neither am I subject to any disciplinary proceedings. I confirm that I am prepared to give evidence under oath if required.

Millions of workers in Britain snared by low-pay trap - UK Politics - UK The Independent

According to Resolution Foundation think-tank, 1.3 million (27 per cent) of the 4.7 million workers on low pay in 2002 remained in the bottom bracket for the next 10 years. A further 2.2 million (46 per cent) moved in and out of low wages but failed to break free of them for good by the end of the decade. The findings will fuel the growing concern about the lack of social mobility in the UK and the heated political debate about the cost of living crisis. In a Commons debate today, Labour will highlight figures showing that average earnings have fallen in real terms in

In a Commons debate today, Labour will highlight figures showing that average earnings have fallen in real terms in every part of the UK since 2010. Labour will claim that the Coalition has failed to meet the goals it set itself on living standards, economic growth and the deficit. Only 800,000 (18 per cent) moved up the earnings ladder for a sustained period without slipping back into low pay. A further 400,000 (9 per cent) retired or left the labour market. Low pay was defined as two-thirds of median hourly earnings 7.32 and 10.98 respectively at todays prices. Alex Hurrell, senior analyst at the foundation and author of the report, said: For many people, low pay is not a first rung on the ladder its a long-term or even permanent reality. Identifying those who are least likely to escape low pay is the first step in targeting policies to help them get on. Researchers found women were much more likely to be stuck on low pay than men. Some 900,000 women (33 per cent) on low wages in 2012 had been there for the previous 10 years, compared to 400,000 men (21 per cent). The North-east was the region where workers were most likely to be trapped on low earnings. One in three (34 per cent) in this category in 2012 had been there for a decade. The East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and Wales (31 per cent) were the next worst affected. London and the South-east were the least affected, although 23 per cent of the low paid in 2012 had been stuck for 10 years. Half of all the workers trapped for the decade were aged between 41 and 60, which means they spent up to 10 of their peak earning years on low pay. Some may remain stuck for their entire careers, the foundation said. Public-sector workers were more likely to escape low pay than those in the private sector. Women, manual workers, administrators and staff of firms with fewer than 10 staff were least likely to escape. The sectors where people were most likely to be stuck included retail, hospitality, sales, customer services, manufacturing and care. The foundation said more must be done to help workers progress. Only one in six women (15 per cent) working in the retail sector in 2002 escaped low pay during the decade. Gavin Kelly, the think-tanks chief executive, said: Living on low pay in 2013 is tough, but being stuck on it for years on end is harder still. This report shines a light on the persistent nature of low pay for millions of workers and shows that women, those in regions such as the North-east, the East Midlands and Wales, and people working in sectors like administration are far likelier to be stuck in low pay than others. It also highlights the large numbers who cycle in and out of low pay over time. Limited earnings mobility is a long-running problem in our economy which spans a number of decades and has occurred under governments of different complexions. Chris Leslie, the shadow Chief Treasury Secretary, said: On every economic test David Cameron and George Osborne set themselves three years ago they have failed. Far from delivering rising living standards, working people are now over 1,600 a year worse off under this Government. In the debate today, ministers will point out that the problems of low pay pre-date the Coalition coming to power in

2010 and will accuse the previous Labour government of failing to tackle it.

David Cameron announces tough measures for new Eastern European migrants seeking benefits - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
His intervention follows pressure from Tory right-wingers to defy the European Commission and retain transitional controls on the right of people from the two countries to work in Britain. The Prime Minister set out a series of measures, supported by the Liberal Democrats, designed to deter benefit tourism from Romania and Bulgaria when the controls are lifted on January 1. The rule that incomers can receive out-of-work benefits indefinitely once they have been in the country for between one and three months will be swept away. Under the new rules, they will not be eligible for benefits until after three months residence. They will then only be able to claim for a maximum of six months and only if they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment. Claimants will have to prove they are earning a certain amount before they can receive benefits such as income support and newly-arrived jobseekers will be barred from receiving housing benefit. Writing in the Financial Times , Mr Cameron also raised the prospect of EU nationals without a permanent address being deported and prevented for a year from returning. He said: If people are not here to work if they are begging or sleeping rough they will be removed. They will then be barred from re-entry for 12 months, unless they can prove they have a proper reason to be here, such as a job. The measures threaten to put the Government on a collision course with the Commission, which forbids member states from discriminating between its citizens and other EU nationals over benefits. Mr Cameron, who said he shared public concerns what will happen when the controls on Romania and Bulgaria are removed, also set out some of his priorities for renegotiating Britains place in the EU ahead of the membership referendum he has promised if the Conservatives win the next election. He said he wanted the concept of complete free movement across the EU to be returned to a more sensible basis. The Prime Minister added: We need to do the same with welfare. For example, free movement shouldnt be about exporting child benefit. I want to work with our European partners to address this. He suggested that people from future EU member states should only be allowed full free movement when their nations gross domestic product reached a certain level.

Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Dr Cliff Mann, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, which represents A&E doctors, said earlier this month: Its not chaos in emergency departments, but it is a crisis. The Commons Health Committee, under a Tory chairman, has warned that the pressures on A&E departments are unsustainable, and the Royal College of Nursing has described them as dangerously overburdened. It emerged last week that in the six months to the end of October, 87,186 NHS patients were waiting on trolleys for between four and 12 hours, an increase of nearly 40,000 on the previous period of 2011.

four and 12 hours, an increase of nearly 40,000 on the previous period of 2011. But there is no cause for concern, to judge by what Jeremy Hunt and his Liberal Democrat Deputy Norman Lamb said as they answered MPs questions in the Commons yesterday. Labour is always desperately in search of a crisis, even if there is none to be found, Mr Lamb said. Mr Hunt told his Labour shadow, Andy Burnham: We are hitting our A&E target, and we are hitting our ambulance standard. You are trying to talk up a crisis that is not happening. It takes you back to when James Callaghan flew back to a crisis-ridden country looking suntanned, and inspired the headline: Crisis? What crisis? The difference was that Callaghan did not actually say that. Mr Hunt has. Shutting the stable door Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi, a very busy man, has one fewer constituency engagement cluttering his diary. The Citizens Advice Bureau in his Stratford constituency had asked him to chair the launch of a report they have compiled on the unfairness of making vulnerable families have pre-payment gas or electricity meters in their home. Then it emerged that Mr Zahawi had claimed more than 4,800 worth of heating bills off the taxpayers to which he was not entitled, and has paid back. Faced with the prospect that their meeting could be taken over by hacks wanting to know how a rich man failed to notice that he has been heating his stables at taxpayers expense, the CAB have uninvited Mr Zahawi. Drop the dead bank For those who wonder whether people who run the BBC behind the scenes have a nose for news, Robert Peston, the business editor, told this story during a talk at City University: There were times when I wondered whether they quite understood what was happening and what I was doing. One of my, ahem, favourite memories was of September 13 2007, sitting next to Huw Edwards on the Ten OClock News desk, shortly before going on air to flesh out the news I had broken earlier that evening, that Northern Rock had failed and was being bailed out by the Bank of England. It was literally two minutes before going live when a senior BBC editor came up to me and asked are you sure this is a story?. Nigellas line on drug use It appears to be the case that the desire for intoxication is innate in humans Just because something is innate doesnt make it good, but whatever, prohibition can never be the answer. So said Nigella Lawson, one of the celebrity supporters of Transform, an organisation campaigning for reform of drug laws. Its slogan is Getting drugs under control. Wise men dont use satnav I have never trusted satnavs since the car that was supposed to be taking me from Doncaster station to Hatfield Colliery nearby took the motorway towards Hatfield, Hertfordshire. So I feel deeply for the parents and children of Brampton, near Carlisle, who were looking forward to seeing three wise women riding through town on camels. After months of planning by the parish council, come the moment, there were no camels. The driver delivering them from Warwickshire followed his satnav to Brampton, near Appleby, more than 30 miles away from their Brampton. The camels arrived in the end, but really that driver should have followed yonder star.

Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Andrew Mitchell - the former Tank Regiment

officer takes aim and fires - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

But thats what made todays press conference so electric. Sitting on a platform with his wife, his lawyer and his best friend in politics, David Davis himself once a credible candidate to lead his party Mr Mitchell insisted that while personally confident of eventual justice, he was speaking on behalf of all those who may not have been able to fight back against police misconduct and have not had the support that I have had. The man who freely admits that he told officers who had refused to open the main gates of Downing Street to him and his bicycle: I thought you guys were supposed to fucking help us (for which I subsequently apologised) was pretty direct. The incendiary fact was that armed police officers guarding officials in Downing Street have stitched up one of those they were supposed to be protecting. Rarely have words been less minced by a politician. He is prepared to give his version on oath in open court: our intention, he said, is to get PC Toby Rowland the man who is supposed to have heard him use the word pleb to do the same. At first sight the blurry images in the CCTV film of the 49 seconds Mr Mitchell took to get through the gate only confuse matters. Was this the Plebgate equivalent of the Zapruder film and the grassy knoll detonating half a century of unprovable speculation? But as Mr Davis explained the images, there seemed at least to be a case to answer. Where were the several passersby supposed to have witnessed the altercation? And how did he manage to say so much in such a short space of time? On reflection perhaps only someone with Mr Mitchells credentials would have been prepared to confront the police and the CPS as he did yesterday. He insisted he was speaking in deep sorrow not in anger. But his anger at the decision not only not to arrest PC Rowland, but not to interview him under caution, was palpable. The police will have learned at least one thing from yesterdays press conference Andrew Mitchell is not, in the well-worn phrase, going quietly.

Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup - Home News - UK The Independent
Yet the giant US investment bank has proved remarkable adept at deciding when to cash in shares in the historic institution on behalf of its clients. A new analysis of Royal Mails official share register by The Independent has found that Goldman Sachs offloaded around 4.5 million Royal Mail shares worth at least 25m between 31 October and 11 November at the top of the market. The decision by the bank, which received millions of pounds from the Department of Business to price the Royal Mail at 3.30-a-share when it floated last month, would have made its clients up to 12m if the shares were sold at the 5.87 peak. Senior sources at Goldman Sachs stressed the fluctuations were not solely down to selling shares and claimed some would have resulted from stock-lending transactions and movements of collateral which do not relate to changes in the share price. The news has fuelled fresh criticism of the Government and its banking advisers over the Royal Mail float, as the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, prepares to face questions over the scandal by a committee of MPs today. Adrian Bailey, chair of the Business Select Committee, which is due to question Mr Cable on Wednesday, said: Its totally unacceptable. I dont see how you can act as adviser to the Government and then profit from the advice you have given them. It is a conflict of interest.

The shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna, said: Vince Cable has serious questions to answer on the Royal Mail fire sale amid concerns that this was botched. Goldman Sachs and UBS valued Royal Mail at just 3.3bn, while its rival, JP Morgan, priced it at between 6.8bn and 8.5bn. The Department for Business, Skills and Innovation, headed by Mr Cable, opted for the lower valuation. The shares soared in value as City firms scrambled to apply for the shares. A Goldman Sachs spokesperson said: Shares that appear in our name are either shares that we hold on behalf of our clients or shares that relate to trading activity with clients.

Ed Miliband to target 106 seats for outright election win in 2015 - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Labour is anxious to avoid any impression that it is making contingency plans for another hung parliament, even though it emerged after the 2010 election that the Conservatives and Lib Dems were much better prepared for such an outcome than Labour. Although the latest opinion polls point to a Labour overall majority, some of its MPs believe privately that Labours best hope is to be the largest party in a hung parliament. But Thursdays strategy session, Changing to win: preparing for 2015, will be told that Labour is aiming to win 106 target seats and secure more than 40 per cent of the vote. Officials believe that Mr Milibands campaign on the cost of living crisis dovetails with the election plan. Figures show that the English regions where the fall in average hourly earnings is highest the South West, East Midlands and West Midlandsare where the Tories have the highest number of marginal seats. Campaigning on the cost of living is about seeking a national majority which includes Tory switchers, said a Labour source. Labour staff will be addressed by Mr Miliband; Douglas Alexander, the shadow Foreign Secretary in charge of election strategy; Michael Dugher, the shadow Cabinet member responsible for communications; Spencer Livermore, a former Gordon Brown aide who returned last week from the private sector to oversee the election war room at party HQ; Harriet Harman, the deputy leader; Gloria de Piero, the partys spokeswoman on equality issues and Iain McNichol, the general secretary. The guest speaker will be Jackie Brock-Doyle, who was communications director for the London 2012 Olympics. Mr Dugher argues that the only coalition Labour should seek is one built by winning the votes of former Labour supporters; people who have not voted before; first-time voters; floating voters and those who backed the Tories or Lib Dems in 2010. He believes that Labour must avoid being drawn into a debate on which parts of its 2015 manifesto would be non-negotiable in any coalition talks. The Lib Dems have urged the other parties to set out such red lines. Mr Dugher told the Labour modernisers magazine Progress that preparing for a coalition would be complete defeatism and said there is no evidence that Britain is now in an era of coalition government. He said: The biggest blow to coalition government has happened in the last three and a half years once people have seen what coalition government is like: that horse-trading behind closed doors and the routine breaking of promises..I think people want to see strong and clear government that they can hold to account. Mr Dugher insisted that Labour had changed and learnt lessons since losing power. A former spin doctor to Mr Brown, he said of his former boss: Our candidate for prime minister in 2010 referred to a working class woman

from the north of England [Gillian Duffy] as bigoted because she raised issues about immigration. Our candidate for prime minister in 2013 makes lots of speeches about immigration and has changed our policy.

Use of riot squads in jails has soared amid overcrowding crisis - Crime - UK The Independent
The rapidly growing use of the prison services National Tactical Response Group (NRTG) prompted warnings of an imminent crisis behind bars in England and Wales. Penal reformers blamed the surge on a toxic mix of a growing prison population, inmates being locked up for longer periods and cuts to staff levels. Numbers of call-outs have grown by more than 50 per cent between 2012 and 2103. The MoJ said the squad was drafted in 151 times in the first nine months of the year, compared with 129 during the whole of 2012. They were called in earlier this month when prisoners went on the rampage at Maidstone prison in Kent, as well as at Full Sutton in North Yorkshire in May when an officer was taken hostage. The squad has also been deployed in a succession of other lower-level incidents with the task of stopping simmering disputes escalating into violence. Nearly half of all prisons have had call-outs in the last three years. The former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Lord Ramsbotham, raised fears the situation could be as serious as in 1990 when a riot at Strangeways in Manchester triggered trouble in jails across the country. It there is a major riot, it will be copycatted. This is an alarm call, he told the Independent. There is definite overcrowding. Matched with that, there is no increase in activities prisoners can undertake. Therefore far too many are left with absolutely nothing to do. Sadiq Khan, the shadow Justice Secretary, who obtained the statistics, said the figures spotlighted the true scale of the growing crisis in our prisons. He said: All this governments talk of a rehabilitation revolution is but a distant memory. Instead prisons are more overcrowded and dangerous than in May 2010, with prisoners spending as much time festering in their cells as they did three years ago. This means not working or attending training courses which in turn means less chance of being rehabilitated or paying something back to society. Juliet Lyon, the director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: Drastic cuts to prison staff and budgets, a far-reaching reorganisation of the secure estate and a steep rise in prison numbers driven by tough political talk could prove to be a toxic mix. Frances Crook, the chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: We are concerned there is creeping pressure on the prison system and this will create more disturbances and disorder. At a time when the number in custody is rising, the Ministry of Justice is facing a dilemma either use police cells or cram ever more people into combustible prisons. Either approach is a waste of money and risks lives. The Justice Minister, Jeremy Wright, said there had been a recent slight rise in callouts. But he added. This is mainly due to minor incidents such as prisoners protesting by climbing onto the netting

But he added. This is mainly due to minor incidents such as prisoners protesting by climbing onto the netting between landings. NTRG staff have the specialist skills required to deal with such incidents which accounted for 68 per cent of all the callouts in the past year and they are frequently called to attend as a precautionary measure. Not all callouts result in engagement by NTRG staff, with a number of situations being resolved locally. Of the 151 incidents NTRG attended up to September 2013, 75 per cent were resolved by surrender.

Winter freeze led to 31,000 extra deaths last year - against a backdrop of soaring energy prices - Home News - UK - The Independent
About 10,000 of the deaths are estimated to be the result of cold houses, as people struggled to heat their homes in the coldest winter for nearly 50 years, against a backdrop of soaring energy prices. The vast majority of those who perished were over 75. The number of excess deaths was up 29 per cent on the previous year. Britains biggest pensioners organisation, the National Pensioners Convention, said the figures were a national scandal. Referring to the dismissive language reportedly used by David Cameron to describe the bill levies used to fund home insulation, the NPCs national secretary Dot Gibson said: Making sure older people have got a well-insulated warm home and the income to pay the fuel bills isnt green crap. Its what a decent society should do. The shadow Public Health minister Luciana Berger called for urgent action to ease pressure on A&E wards and to help people pay their energy bills. She said: A third of these excess deaths are caused by people living in homes that are too cold. This winter, David Camerons failure to stand up to the energy companies will leave too many people forced to choose between heating and eating. Age UKs charity director, Caroline Abrahams, said: It should be a cause of national shame that last years cold weather claimed so many lives unnecessarily. Excess winter deaths are preventable and todays figures are a damning indictment of our failure to address the scandal of cold homes in this country. The jump in winter deaths intensifies the spotlight on the Big Six energy providers, whom many accuse of profiteering at the expense of their cash-strapped customers after imposing a series of inflation-busting price hikes in recent years. Andrew Wright, head of the Ofgem energy regulator, told politicians yesterday there was a deep mistrust of anything the energy companies do or say. He said: Its not surprising consumers jump to the conclusion that prices are being driven by profiteering. Customers are not convinced that the price increases are either fair or justified. Mr Wright was speaking a day after Ofgem revealed that the combined profit the Big Six make from selling gas and electricity to UK households has increased more than tenfold in the past four years, from 8 a year to 105.

Justice costs: Fury as lawyers fees top 850 an hour - Home News - UK - The Independent
For the rates charged by partners at top law firms have doubled in the past decade, according to new figures produced by legal costs expert Jim Diamond. The amounts demanded by some of the countrys top lawyers are more than 20 times the 40 average hourly rate of a criminal barrister. And its not just senior partners who are reaping the rewards of a recession-driven "fear factor" resulting in people

paying the biggest, and most expensive, law firms to help fight courtroom battles where billions can be at stake. Newly qualified lawyers are now charged out at up to 425 an hour more than double the 185 hourly rate in 2003. The costs are higher than the average charged by top American firms, according to the data which shows the top rate charged by partners in US companies as being 700 an hour. These figures are off the Richter Scale and expose a shocking rise in fees over recent years, commented Mr Diamond. The explosion of hourly rates can in some ways be blamed on the utter ignorance and arrogance of buyers of legal services, he added. Whilst there is no official cartel with top magic circle firms, I can confirm in my survey over a decade that top rates range about five per cent of each other. News of the rates charged by the five "magic circle" firms (Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Slaughter & May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Linklaters) provoked outrage on Tuesday. The shadow justice minister, Andy Slaughter MP, said: Is this Camerons Big Society, where City lawyers can earn in an hour what someone on minimum wage earns in a month? He added: Under this Government we not only see an obscene widening of incomes and living standards but a spiv culture where those at the top charge whatever they like and operate outside the normal rules of society. There is no value to the client where the big City firms feel able to set their own rates and competition hardly exists. And Sir Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrat chair of the commons justice select committee, commented: This rate of increase in hourly rates is pretty amazing at a time when public and private sector organisations are having to cut costs. This comes just weeks after Britains top judge accused slow and ignorant" lawyers of using hourly rates to inflate bills. Speaking during a lecture in London last month, Lord Neuberger, the president of the Supreme Court, commented: The hourly rate rewards the slow and the ignorant lawyer at the expense of the speedy and knowledgeable lawyer." Partners at magic circle firms have shared in rewards of more than 2 billion this year alone, according to the latest annual results. The rewards shared by top lawyers are part of a bigger picture of success at the top end of the legal profession, with Britains 100 largest law firms making combined profits of 5.8bn in 2012-13 up eight per cent on last year. The contrast in fortunes between big firms able to pay whatever fees are demanded and those dependent on legal aid to get justice could not be greater, with the government set to cut hundreds of millions from the legal aid budget. Many of the top firms are used by government departments. Some 80m was spent by the government on lawyers fees 12-13. High hourly rates represent the price you pay for the best lawyers in the UK market working on the biggest and most important work, claimed Chris Bull, from legal consultancy firm Kingsmead Square. But fear is prompting payment of such fees, according to Nick Rowles-Davies, a consultant for Vannin Capital, a litigation funding company. Counsel want to cover their own backs and would rather take a hiding on costs than gambling with their jobs. Its the fear factor.

As one posting on www.thelawyer.com put it yesterday: It's called cover your ass - everybody does it. If you go to a cheaper firm, they screw up, you will get the blame for not choosing magic circle. If a magic circle firm you chose screws up, you just say it's not your fault because you've chosen the best. Another posting on the site stated: If we could just lose the idea that you have to be in a "top" city firm and make huge profits to be "good" and "sucessful" then some of us would happily join firms that didn't charge so much without being regarded as second rate or losing work within their area to less good but more expensive competition. The extraordinary amounts being charged are confined to a very small number of individuals with with globally sought-after corporate expertise, argued a spokesperson for the Law Society. They added that the average salary in a very diverse market is 53,000 and that large parts of the profession are struggling to survive in the face of Legal Aid fee cuts and increasing competition. None of the five magic circle firms responded to a request for comment. A profitable year It has been a profitable year for the magic circle, with profits translating into big payouts for equity partners. William Lawes, senior partner at Freshfields, was one of more than 400 partners who shared in profits of 548m working out to an average individual package of 1.4m. At Linklaters, senior partner Robert Elliott was among those sharing in profits of 522m with average individual packages of 1.3m. David Morley, senior partner at Allen & Overy, was one of around 360 partners who shared profits of 497m this year. Another to benefit from the high fees culture is Christopher Saul, senior partner at Slaughter & May, who is understood to have made more than 2.5m this year alone. And Malcolm Sweeting, senior partner at Clifford Chance, was another millionaire this year one of almost 400 partners sharing profits of more than 400m.

Video: Andrew Mitchell on 'Plebgate' - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Former Tory party whip Andrew Mitchell thanks those who supported him and stuck by him "throughout a very bleak period", saying he "was vilified relentlessly" following the Plebgate affair.

Neela Debnath
Neela Debnath is a member of the Independent's Online editorial team. She has an MA in Journalism (NCTJ accredited) from Brunel University. She is interested in current affairs, media and dipping into other areas of journalism.

'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth - Home News - UK - The Independent
In an 84-page document, he called for global leaders to fight poverty and inequality, attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny" and called upon politicians to share their wealth and guarantee all members of the public "dignified work, education and healthcare". He said: "Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills". He asked how it is a new story when a stock market loses two points, "but not when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure".

In the 'apostolic exhortation', Pope Francis said he preferred a Church that was bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets", as opposed to "a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. The pope said renewal of the church could not be put off and the Vatican and its entrenched hierarchy "also need to hear the call to pastoral conversion". The document touched upon inter-faith relations, urging Christians to embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. However, despite advocating change, he reasserted the Church's opposition to ordaining female priests and the issue of abortion. He said the ordination of female priests was "not a question open to discussion". Earlier this month, the pontiff launched a survey asking Christians to explain how they feel on the current official total ban on the use of contraceptives, "in any circumstance", the ban on gay or lesbian Catholics having "intimate sexual relationships" and the prohibition on divorced Catholics who have remarried to receive holy communion. Before the release of the survey, he conceded that in terms of abortion "it is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations,... especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty". "Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations?" he asked.

Alex Salmond has not answered any of the 'big questions' on Scottish independence says Alistair Darling - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Alistair Darling, who leads the Better Together Campaign, says First Minister Alex Salmond has not answered any of the "big questions" on Scottish independence.

Pauline Wallace pleads guilty after RSPCA finds over 140 snakes in her home - Crime - UK - The Independent
Pauline Wallace, 64, from Osbaldwick Lane in York, admitted she did not provide an appropriate environment for the snakes and did not protect them from pain, injury or suffering. RSPCA inspectors discovered the animals when they went to check the house after a tip-off. They found reptiles in plastic containers and vivariums stacked floor to ceiling in her semi-detached home, ITV News reported. At York Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty to seven offences of failing to ensure the welfare of snakes and reptiles. She had previously admitted two charges of animal cruelty involving her pet border collie Alf, by failing to provide him with veterinary care when he fell ill. The court also heard that inspectors found 20 snakes and a dead cat in a freezer at the house which Ms Wallace shares with her elderly mother. The womans barrister David Ward said she was a pensioner waiting to see a medical specialist because of health problems, and had some issues within the family, according to the York Press. Mr Ward asked for more time to prepare a medical report and other mitigation in her favour. Ms Wallace was released on unconditional bail to appear again in court on 16 January.

Nigella Lawson took cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs every day for 10 years, court hears - Crime - UK - The Independent
As the very public disintegration of her marriage to the tycoon Charles Saatchi returned to the spotlight, the allegations were made by lawyers defending two Italian sisters, Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who worked as assistants to the couple in their London family home. The pair are accused of defrauding Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi who divorced in July, ending a 10-year marriage of more more than 300,000 while working as their assistants. But according to the assistants testimony, Ms Lawson had a verbal understanding with the Grillos that they could use Mr Saatchis company credit card for their personal use in return for keeping quiet about her drug use. The drug claims first emerged in a pre-court trial hearing on the 15 November when Anthony Metzer, representing Elisabetta Grillo, took the unusual step of lodging a bad character application in order to question Ms Lawsons reliability as a witness for the prosecution. Mr Metzer told Isleworth Crown Court in west London the application relates to Miss Lawsons alleged taking of class A and class B drugs and her unauthorised use of prescription drugs and that it was kept as a guilty secret from her husband. She did not want him to know about her use, particularly of cocaine. Because the defendants were fully aware of her illicit drug use, she consented to their expenditure on the understanding there would be no disclosure to her husband of her drug usage, he said. Jane Carpenter, for the prosecution, said: This is a totally scurrilous account which has been raised by the defence, and the timing is no coincidence at all. She said that despite being arrested more than a year ago and charged in March, the sisters only made the drug allegations to the court earlier this month. The claims were made public yesterday, however, when Judge Robin Johnson decided they were admissible in court. The judge read out an email sent from Mr Saatchi to his former wife in which he described her as "Higella" and claimed Ms Lawson was so off [her] head on drugs that she failed to monitor their spending patterns. Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you [and] Mimi [her daughter] were so off your heads on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word they have said, the email read. The judge told the court that Mr Saatchi said: At the time of sending the email I was completely astounded by the scale of drug use set out in the statements [from the defendants]. Nevertheless I did believe the allegations that Im referring to in the email. Judge Johnson said the allegations by Mr Saatchi were some of the many communications since the unhappy events surrounding the witnesses divorce this summer. The pair broke up after pictures were published in a newspaper in June showing the art dealer holding his wife by the throat. The incident, was dismissed by Mr Saatchi as nothing more than a playful tiff but he later accepted a police caution for assault. The trial starts on Wednesday.

Two arrested in connection with Paul Flowers allegations - Crime - UK - The Independent
West Yorkshire Police said the suspects, aged 26 and 34, were detained at addresses in the Thornton area of

Bradford and the Armley area of Leeds. They are being questioned at separate West Yorkshire Police stations, the force said in a statement. Mr Flowers, 63, was arrested by officers from the same force last week in the Liverpool area in connection with the same inquiry and later released on bail. The police statement said: "As part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of drug supply offences made in a national newspaper, West Yorkshire Police have today arrested two men aged 26 and 34. "The 26-year-old was arrested at an address in the Thornton area of Bradford and the 34-year-old detained at an address in the Armley area of Leeds. They are being questioned at separate West Yorkshire police stations." Flowers was released from a police station in Leeds on Friday - the same day that an independent investigation into the near collapse of the Co-op Bank was announced. The Methodist minister stepped down as the bank's chairman in June and questions have since been asked about his competence in the role amid claims of illegal drug use, inappropriate expenses, drink-driving and pornographic material found on a council computer. He was suspended by both the Methodist Church and the Labour Party following allegations that he bought and used illegal drugs. The fall-out from Mr Flowers' demise has provoked a storm of questions for a range of institutions, from City regulators and the Government through to the Labour Party, which has close links to the Co-operative movement. Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused Prime Minister David Cameron of "desperate" smears over Labour's links to Mr Flowers. The probe into the Co-op announced by Chancellor George Osborne last week will cover "the appointment of senior staff" and examine events from at least 2008. City regulators the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have also announced they are considering whether to launch formal enforcement investigations into the bank. Earlier this week, Business Secretary Vince Cable has Treasury ministers held a "fairly substantial number" of meetings with the Co-op Bank over a plan for it to take over branches of Lloyds. PA

Wolf on the loose in Essex after escaping from Colchester Zoo - UK - News The Independent
The animal was reported missing at 8am this morning, The Essex County Standard has reported. A police helicopter is assisting a team currently searching for the animal in fields near the zoo. Essex police have since reported a positive sighting of the animal near the enclosure and the area is being contained. Colchester Zoo said they were "devastated" by the loss of two other Timber wolves who were shot when five of the animals escaped from their enclosure. They said: "At 7.30am on Tuesday 26 November, it was discovered that the perimeter fence to Colchester Zoos wolf enclosure had been damaged and five of the six timber wolves had left the enclosure.

One of the wolves returned immediately of its own accord and one was darted and recaptured. Unfortunately, as they were further away and an anaesthetic dart takes 15 minutes to take effect, two had to be shot." The remaining wolf is believed to be sheltering in thick undergrowth. In a statement, police said: Police are assisting staff at Colchester Zoo in the search for a wolf which escaped. The helicopter and ground units are searching Maldon Road and the fields surrounding. Officials at the zoo said Wolves are naturally timid but should not be cornered in any way.

Neurosurgeon Emmanuel Labram struck off for lying about removing brain tumour - Home News - UK - The Independent
Emmanuel Labram conducted surgery on a woman in 2008 at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, but despite only removing a few tiny fragments of a lesion told her and her husband he had removed 100 per cent of the tumour. An investigation by NHS Grampian found that Mr Labram proceeded to cover up his mistake, forging documents to send to her GPs and lying to colleagues. When he told the woman, known only as Patient A, that her lesions had recurred in 2010, she was forced to seek private medical care. Surgeons then told her that the tumour was inoperable. At this point an inquiry was launched into Mr Labrams actions, yet he was allowed to continue practising until 2012, when he took early retirement. Yesterday a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel ruled the surgeon may genuinely have believed he had removed the tumour, but found him guilty of misleading and dishonest conduct for trying to cover his tracks when he realised this was not the case. According to reports in BBC News, panel chairman Dr Howard Freeman said: The panel considers that Mr Labram's misconduct put Patient A at serious risk of harm, he abused his position of trust and he violated Patient A's rights. Whilst the panel accepts that Mr Labram's misconduct relates to a single episode, it is concerned that his dishonest behaviour was persistent and covered up. The panel is also concerned that Mr Labram denied any wrong-doing and he maintained throughout the NHS Grampian investigation that his operative management and probity were not deficient. The panel considers that Mr Labram has displayed a reckless disregard for the principles set out in good medical practice. Mr Labram will be struck off the medical register in 28 days, subject to his right to appeal. STV News reported a letter from Mr Labrams solicitor, read out to the panel, said: He has made a grave error of judgment with the best of intentions. He did not intend to be dishonest, but to lessen the anxiety of his patient.

Plebgate: Crown Prosecution Service's full statement on charges against Pc Keith Wallis - Crime - UK - The Independent
Here is the statement from Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions, in full:

Here is the statement from Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions, in full: We have considered all of the evidence in this case, including previously unseen, unedited CCTV footage from Downing Street, not referred to by the media. Taking it all into account, including the accounts of the officer at the gate of Downing Street and that of Andrew Mitchell MP before, during and after the incident, we have found that there is insufficient evidence to show that the officer at the gate lied in his account. The CPS has also found that there is insufficient evidence to show that Mr Mitchell was the victim of a conspiracy of misinformation. With insufficient evidence to show that the officer at the gate lied in his account, we must consider other matters, as set out below, on that basis. I have, however, authorised one officer to be charged with one count of misconduct in public office. I will set out the decision making below. The evidence. The evidence has been reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors by a Specialist Prosecutor in the Special Crime & Counter Terrorism Division under the personal supervision of Malcolm McHaffie, the Deputy Head of Division. I have in addition sought the advice of an experienced Queen's Counsel. The allegations made by Mr Mitchell led to an extensive police investigation involving hundreds of witness statements from police and from staff at Downing Street. Previously unseen and unedited CCTV evidence has been considered very carefully. In addition there has been a detailed enquiry into emails, text messages, social messaging and telephone contact between numerous police officers and members of the public. The locations of mobile telephones have been analysed using cell site technology. We have considered evidence in relation to 14 individuals including 10 police officers, a member of the media and three members of the public. Downing Street is a high-risk target that is guarded at all times by armed police officers and protected by two pairs of main security gates. A legal order made in 2008 because of the fear of terrorist attack means that no-one may use the street unless they are authorised or directed by a police officer. Officers were instructed only to open the main gates for motor vehicles and there was a publicised policy to that effect. The evidence shows that on 19 September 2012 there was an incident at the gates of Downing Street between Mr Mitchell and an armed police officer who, in accordance with his instructions, declined to allow Mr Mitchell to exit on his bicycle via the two pairs of main security gates, which were closed. The officer instead directed Mr Mitchell to a nearby large pedestrian gate which he opened for Mr Mitchell. Both Mr Mitchell and the gate officer describe bad language from Mr Mitchell. The officer describes the following words from Mr Mitchell: You should know your f***ing place, you don't run this f***ing government, you're f***ing plebs. Mr Mitchell describes it as follows: I thought you guys were supposed to f***ing help us. Although the exact wording of what was said is disputed, both the officer and Mr Mitchell say that the officer warned Mr Mitchell for swearing and Mr Mitchell said he would pursue the matter the next day. There are no independent accounts of what was said. The evidence shows that after the incident at the gate the officer immediately told other officers there what had

The evidence shows that after the incident at the gate the officer immediately told other officers there what had happened; he then made a written note and telephoned a superior officer to inform him. About an hour and a half later, once back at base, he compiled an email about the incident which he sent to his managers and colleagues. The email is what has previously been described as the police 'log'. Much of the press reporting to date has assumed that the CCTV recordings show that the gate officer lied about the words used during the incident. The CCTV footage that has been aired publicly was edited and did not show the full picture. We have been supplied with previously unseen and unedited footage of the incident from five different cameras. The CCTV footage does not determine the issue completely as it could be consistent with either the accounts of the officer on the gate or Mr Mitchell. It is clear from the footage that there was sufficient time for the words to have been said either as described by the gate officer or as described by Mr Mitchell, and this has been confirmed by an expert. The fact that an expert has confirmed what is possible does not of itself determine the issue. Both the officer and Mr Mitchell agree that the officer warned him about swearing and that Mr Mitchell made a further remark on leaving. There is no sound recording and the faces of the officer and Mr Mitchell cannot be seen sufficiently clearly. It does show that there are a small number of members of the public present immediately in front of the gate at the relevant time, but what cannot be seen is how many people were immediately off camera but in the vicinity, at least some of whom then quickly came into view. This is consistent with the officer's account that several members of the public were present. No officer ever mentioned crowds being present - this was first mentioned in Channel 4 News/Dispatches programmes in December 2012 and February 2013 - which showed edited footage that was less than clear in a number of regards. Our determination in relation to the incident also involved careful consideration of evidence concerning conduct and communications by officers and Mr Mitchell both before and after the incident, including the fact that Mr Mitchell's account has varied since the incident. The claims made in the Sunday Times about a whistle-blower were first made to the police by David Davis MP and Mr Mitchell. They have declined to assist the police by naming them. Our conclusions Having carefully considered the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors we have reached the following conclusions: 1) Events at the gate There is insufficient evidence to say that the police officer on the gate lied (offence considered: misconduct in public office). There is insufficient evidence to prove that any officer, alone or with any other officer(s), fabricated a false allegation against Mr Mitchell (offence considered: misconduct in public office). There is insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy (offence considered: conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office). 2) Information leaks a) It is clear that information was leaked when an officer, who was unconnected to the incident, sent a copy of the gate officer's email to the media. There is no evidence that this officer requested or received any payment or reward. We have carefully considered all the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the CPS Guidance for prosecutors on assessing the public interest in cases affecting the media. We considered whether there is sufficient evidence to give rise to a realistic prospect of conviction for either a breach

We considered whether there is sufficient evidence to give rise to a realistic prospect of conviction for either a breach of the Data Protection Act s55 or misconduct in public office. This type of conduct raises issues in relation to the right to freedom of expression, including the right to freely impart and receive information, and these are important rights enshrined in our law. In all the circumstances of this case we have concluded that a jury is likely to decide that it was in the public interest for the events at the gate to be made public and it therefore follows that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute any suspect in relation to this leak. b) In two instances there is evidence to show that false information was sent, but not by police officers. There is information, but no admissible evidence, which suggests that an officer's partner contacted the media, introducing the word morons into the press. However, that person is not a public officer and therefore cannot be considered for an offence of misconduct in public office. There is no evidence that any officer has ever claimed that Mr Mitchell used the word moron. In the second instance an unconnected member of the public sent an email to the chairman of the Conservative Party and this was later passed to Mr Mitchell. The email was sent six days after the incident, on 25 September, when the matter was already public. The correspondent claimed to have witnessed and filmed the incident and said that the word pleb was not used. The evidence is clear that this email is a fabrication and was in fact based on media coverage, but again, that person is not a public officer and cannot be considered for an offence of misconduct in public office. c) In addition, two officers were considered for offences of perverting the course of justice in terms of the statements they provided to this investigation, but there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. The conclusions we have reached do not in any way condone the actions of those involved in this case. The question of whether proceedings under police regulations should follow against any officer is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Metropolitan Police Service. The fact that an individual has not been charged with a criminal offence does not prevent such proceedings. 3) Criminal proceedings We have also received evidence in relation to PC Keith Wallis who sent an email to the deputy chief whip, John Randall who was his MP, saying that he had witnessed the incident. We have decided, having carefully considered the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, that there is sufficient evidence to charge PC Wallis with misconduct in a public office and that it is in the public interest to do so. I should make it clear the misconduct allegation relates to evidence that PC Wallis falsely claimed to have witnessed the incident, not to how the incident was described in his account. PC Keith Wallis has been charged and is required to attend Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 December 2013. PC Keith Wallis now stands accused of a criminal offence and is entitled to a fair trial. Care should be taken that nothing is reported which may prejudice his trial. STATEMENT OF OFFENCE MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE, contrary to Common Law. PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE Keith Wallis between the 19th day of September 2012 and 16th December 2012 wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted himself when the holder of a public office, namely a police constable in the Metropolitan Police Service, in that he falsely claimed to have witnessed an incident dated 19th September 2012 and

Metropolitan Police Service, in that he falsely claimed to have witnessed an incident dated 19th September 2012 and arranged for his nephew to support his false claims.

'What we could be': Alex Salmond launches blueprint for independent Scotland - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
But on a damp Glasgow morning, inside a spartan steel building resembling a cardboard box factory, Alex Salmond presented a wish-list and a tame marketing manifesto. The birth-of-a-nation moment or a new Bannockburn it wasnt. A rainbow was faintly visible over Govan and the River Clyde when the First Minister said the 670-page document he held in his hand showed what we could be if next years referendum was won. But the weighty tome, on examination, was like a reverse of Dr Whos Tardis big on the outside, but with little of substance inside. Nevertheless, Mr Salmond warned that Scotland would stand still if it remained part of the United Kingdom, and forecast his new state would create a revolution in employment and social policy and deliver an economy with Scotland rather than Westminster at its centre. Without deviance, hesitation, though with much repetition, he offered serial assurances that Scotland would become part of a new Sterling Zone with Westminsters full backing, and would enjoy guaranteed continuing membership of the EU. The White Paper was headlined Scotlands Future and claimed to comprehensively answer a list of 650 key questions on independence. After an hour of direct interrogation by international and domestic journalists, the documents merits felt thinner and thinner. Although unable to go beyond aspiration and assumption, Mr Salmond and his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, both claimed an independent Scotland would be unquestioningly welcomed and given what it wanted by a range of institutions including Westminster, the Bank of England, the EU and Nato. Regardless of the fact-limited White Paper, Mr Salmond remained confident that Scotland after the referendum next September would regain its place as an equal member of the family of nations". He urged Scotland's four million voters to seize a "once-in-a-generation" chance to create a fairer, more prosperous country by voting to leave the UK and taking control of their own destiny. He promised to cut corporation tax - initially by three per cent, to honour current pensions with a triple-lock, extend free childcare and to increase the minimum wage. The childcare changes would mean 30 hours per week in school term times for all three- and four-year-olds. Although seeking a divorce, he sounded like someone still wanting live-in and visitation rights for the kids. Scotland and the remainder of the UK would, he said, still have close economic ties with each other, and both would still be using the same pound. Buckingham Palace, though in the centre of London, would still be home to Scotlands head of state. A free Scotland would take 90 per cent of North Sea oil revenue; within the first term of a fully independent Holyrood, Trident nuclear weapons would vanish from Scottish territory; the assets and staff of the BBC would to a new state broadcaster, the Scottish Broadcasting Service. The scale of Scotlands share of the current UK national debt was straightforward. The document simply stated this will be negotiated and agreed within 18 months before Scotland becomes officially independent in March 2016.

Without any obligation to adopt UK tax policies, the document nevertheless listed the Westminster pain it would dump. The bedroom tax "rejected at the ballot box in Scotland" would go. The Royal Mail would be renationalised. The minimum wage would rise; air passenger duty would be reduced. And in advance of independence day, the UK government would be asked, nicely, to immediately cancel the rollout of universal credit in Scotland. On defence, the new independent state would create a Scottish military force of 15,000 regulars, with a security and intelligence agency directed to work closely with Police Scotland. Scotlands diplomatic representation overseas would see the creation of 70 to 90 embassies estimated to cost 120m to run. In his preface to Scotlands Future , the First Minister said: "It will no longer be possible for governments to be elected and pursue policies against the wishes of the Scottish people. Independence will put the people of Scotland in charge of our destiny." He added "If we vote no, Scotland stands still. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to follow a different path, and choose a new and better direction for our nation, is lost. The response to the "promised land" document was predictable. The Scottish Secretary, Alistair Carmichael, said what had been offered fell short of its billing and said huge questions remained. Mr Carmichael said it was "highly unlikely" the Scottish government's plan to keep the pound and retain the services of the Bank of England as part of a "currency union" with the rest of the UK would work. The former chancellor, Alistair Darling, in charge of pro-union "Better Together campaign, said the White Paper had ducked answering the big questions He said the promise it contained rendered it a non-starter, adding: How can they guarantee the pound? And whats plan B if they cant get that? Attacking the White Papers scattered assumptions and assertions, Mr Darling said: We waited months for this. And it has failed to give credible answers on fundamentally important questions. He branded it a fantasy" and a work of fiction, insisting that Scotland could not leave the UK and simultaneously keep all the benefits of UK membership. Scotlands Future: the White Papers conditional claims An Independent Scotland would retain the pound A free Scotland would decide which currency it used. The Fiscal Commission (in Scotland) looked at the continued use of Sterling, a new currency, and the Euro. Monetary union with the remainder of the UK, using the pound, was considered the best option. Salmond said this would be in the best interests of Scotland and the UK, therefore neither Westminster nor the Bank of England would object to a "Sterling Zone" with Scotland as a participatory member. The Scotland Office threw cold water on the SNPs assumption, saying currency unions need close political and fiscal co-operation, and that Scottish independence is about disintegration". An independent Scotland will continue as member of the EU This is described as a natural position with Scotland not taken out of the EU against our wishes". The document however notes the current uncertainty over the UKs position in the EU and the coming referendum on EU

however notes the current uncertainty over the UKs position in the EU and the coming referendum on EU membership. What are the joining terms? Would the UKs opt-outs continue? The document doesnt say, other than that a full and constructive role as a member would follow after discussions with Westminster, EU states and the EUs institutions. It points to EU treaty law as the basis that Scotland wouldnt need to re-apply. The apportionment of the UK national debt will be negotiated and agreed The UKs debt level is currently 1.3 trillion. The document mentions Scotlands historic contribution to UK public finances, and the offsetting of its share of the value of the UKs assets against our inherited debt. The document predicts this to be a realistic calculation". It wont be. For lawyers north and south of the border, sorting this out will mean a bonaza of expensive cases. Scotland will negotiate the transition from being a member of NATO as part of the UK, to becoming an independent member of the alliance NATO will be notified about Scotlands membership. That is as detailed as it gets. As other members of NATO are non-nuclear states, no problem is envisaged with the parallel decision to fast-track the removal of the UK's nuclear weapons. Trident, says the document, will be gone within the first term of the Scottish Parliament following independence". Faslane will be retained as a conventional naval base and joint HQ for a Scottish Defence Force. A single GB-wide market for electricity and gas will continue The document claims taxation revenue from oil and gas will support Scottish public services. It claims Scotlands energy assets will help the rest of the UK secure its supply and meet its renewables obligations. How UK energy markets are working at the moment, and whether state interventon is needed, is a contentious issue. The White Paper however assumes the current UK-wide market continuing. The White Papers red herrings The Royal Mail would be renationalised What, the entire royal mail, or just the Scottish bit? Westminster took the decision to sell off a state-owned company which is now in private hands. So this wont be the return of the Royal Mail as the document suggests. It will simply be the creation of a new Scottish state-owned mail carrier. Although it signals defiance, and that Scotland can work differently, it is just a conditional promise. Retain the current TV licence fee. But surely not send the cash to London and the BBC? No. This is again about keeping the system of a universal tax that pays for state broadcasting. The UK licence fee cant be retained in Scotland unless it wants to take the unusual step of sending revenue south. Retaining sounds more comforting than creating something new. The document is full of such risk-free red herrings. The Court of Session and the Appeal Court in Edinburgh would become Scotlands Supreme Court. Law was never part of the 1707 union. Independent or not, Scotland can call its law courts what it wants. Just as it can call the Royal Mail the Caledonian Mail, it can choose Supreme Court or Great Court or the Premier Court. Even though there is currently no naming restriction, this sounds like a benefit of independence, instead of the political illusion it is. The minimum wage will be increased in line with inflation.

What happens to the current UK minimum wage is immaterial because how it is legally enforced by Westminster would no longer apply. If an independent Scotland chooses to introduce a minimum wage, in whatever currency is used, it will not be governed by the wage level stipulated by the rest of the UK government. The White Paper could have stated that a free Scotland would adopt a living wage. That would have suggested a Scottish government leading, not following. Reduce air passenger duty by 50 per cent The tax system of a free state is a matter for it alone. Does this mean that whatever air passenger duty is in the rest of the UK, Scotland will have half that rate? Probably not.

Fraudster canoeist John Darwin caught out in Ukraine - Crime - UK - The Independent
Darwin was jailed after pretending to go missing off the coast of Hartlepool in 2002. He secretly spent time living in a bedsit next door to his wife, Anne, while remaining hidden from the authorities for five years, before the couple surfaced in Panama where they planned to open an eco-resort with the proceeds of the 250,000 scam. The Sun newspaper today printed pictures of the 63-year-old, who was released from prison in 2011, apparently enjoying a night out in the mining town of Sumy with a woman it is claimed he met on a foreign brides website. He now faces being recalled to serve the remaining half of his six-year sentence after breaching the terms of his early release licence in 2011. It is believed he is still in Ukraine but is likely to be arrested on his return to the Britain. A Probation Service spokeswoman declined to discuss the specifics of Darwins case, but said: Any offender subject to licence supervision is required to gain permission from probation to travel outside of the UK; permission is only granted in exceptional circumstances. Any offender who travels without this permission will be subject to recall to custody. It was reported that Darwin spent Saturday evening with the woman named Anna at a restaurant where they enjoyed a two-hour meal assisted by a translator. However, they were later confronted by a reporter and photographer from the newspaper. The Darwins had been facing financial ruin when they hatched their plot. The couple, from Seaton Carew, Cleveland, were jailed at Teesside Crown Court in 2008 for the fraud, which deceived the police, a coroner, financial institutions and even their sons Mark and Anthony. The Darwins later divorced. In December 2007, Mr Darwin walked into a London police station claiming he had amnesia and was reunited with his stunned sons. His wife, who was by then living in Panama, claimed to be surprised.

Bob Crow: 'I have no moral duty' to move out of council house despite receiving six-figure salary as RMT boss - Home News - UK - The Independent
The general secretary of the rail union RMT was challenged during a radio interview as to why he still lived in social housing instead of a private home when he earned such a generous salary. During the heated discussion, Mr Crow told LBC 97.3 presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer he had no moral duty to move out of the property and purchase his own home, adding: I was born in a council house, as far as Im concerned I will die in one. He said he was being "victimised" even though he is "the only one down my road who pays their rent".

He said he was being "victimised" even though he is "the only one down my road who pays their rent". The comments came as Mr Crow joined the radio programme for a discussion over the legacy of Margaret Thatcher which quickly became centred on Mr Crow living in a council property after he argued that they "are not just for people that are poor". He said it would be unfair on his family to move them out of the home they currently live in north London. Its not just me that lives there, its my family", he said. "Yes I could buy my own place but why dont you ask the rest of my family who live at home with me whether they should have to move as well? he said. Why is it just down to me to buy a house? Why should my family who have lived there for 30 years, with all the friends theyve got, have to move because of the job Ive got? He argued that if he did move he would be seen as having deserted his working class roots. If I moved out of my house tomorrow the first thing youd say is Comrade Crow leaves his roots, he said. "Where was it ever agreed that social housing was for people that are poor? [...] Council houses is [sic] not just for poor people."

National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex Science - News - The Independent
On average, those aged 16 to 44 were having sex less than five times a month. Compare that with figures of more than six times a month in the same studies 10 and 20 years earlier, and researchers say modern life appears to be having a noticeable impact on libidos. The figures come from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), which is carried out once a decade and this year questioned more than 15,000 people aged 16 to 74. Dr Cath Mercer, from University College London, told BBC News: People are worried about their jobs, worried about money. They are not in the mood for sex. But we also think modern technologies are behind the trend too. People have tablets and smartphones and they are taking them into the bedroom, using Twitter and Facebook, answering emails. Lead Natsal author Kaye Wellings, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that the stress of the recession and the need to work when away from the office could be to blame for the decline in sexual frequency, according to reports in The Times. In a recession we find an association between unemployment and a low number of sexual partners, perhaps due to low self-esteem, she said. For men, the average number of sexual partners in a lifetime has also dropped, down from 12.6 to 11.7. It is another story for women, however. The study suggested that they are starting having sex younger, having more partners, and that those are not necessarily men. Meanwhile, the survey also asked people about instances when they had been coerced into having sex. One in 10 women said that they had been made to have sex, compared to one in 71 men. In around 83 per cent of instances for both genders the person responsible for the coercion was someone they knew.

News - World

Arizona couple 'held three sisters captive' in home Frances compromising position: Why a new law to criminalise punters rather than prostitutes is inflaming French passions Fears grow of clash as Japan and US stoke war of the skies with China Ten years after the invasion: Iraq helpless under rain of terror Postcard from... Spain Silvio Berlusconi expelled from parliament Two months after election win in Germany, Angela Merkel forms coalition Nightmare is over for gay Briton Bernard Randall put on trial in Uganda after images of him having sex were stolen by thieves and used against him in 'blackmail plot' Steep thrills: Italy's recession-hit resorts put faith in hair-raising black pistes Video: Sperm whale explodes Gay rights protester stopped by Russian police while posing in Red Square with Love is Love banner In pictures: Central African Republic gripped by violence as conflict between Seleka fighters and forces loyal to ex-President continues US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents Latvian prime minister Valdis Dombrovski resigns over Riga supermarket disaster Video: Two baby baboons born at Brooklyn Zoo American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Up to 30 feared dead as migrants' sailing boat capsizes in Bahamas HIV up by 8% across Europe In pictures: Another day of the 48-hour country wide blockade of transport in Bangladesh Kenya: Two Brits 'arrested over hand grenades' Anti-government protesters in Thailand call for nationwide uprising as unrest enters fourth day China monitors US B-52 bombers over South China Sea German 'grand coalition': Angela Merkel reaches deal with SPD to form new government 'Iran will still make a nuclear bomb': Israels ambassador to the UK Daniel Taub argues the Geneva deal endangers us all Postcard from... Malmo Evicted anti-virus guru John McAfee on the run again 27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report Revealed: Guantanamo suspects were 'turned' into double agents at secret facility France sends in troops to Central African Republic to stop 'another Rwanda' as conflict threatens to explode into Muslim-Christan war Japan cracks down on leaks after scandal of Fukushima nuclear power plant Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem Tiger trainer attacked: Video shows moment attack occurred in Queensland zoo Video: Children escape shelling in Damascus, Syria In pictures: Christmas markets open across Germany

In pictures: Christmas markets open across Germany In pictures: Mass protests in Ukraine US is pumping 50% more methane into atmosphere than government says, scientists warn Fury as Spanish officers search British diplomatic bag at border with Gibraltar Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family In pictures: Chinese fire walking festival 'Lianhuo'

Arizona couple 'held three sisters captive' in home - Americas - World - The Independent
Two of the younger siblings, aged 12 and 13, had managed to climb through a window and run to a neighbour's house on Tuesday. They claimed their stepfather had kicked in their bedroom door and threatened them with a knife. Police officers then searched the property and found a 17-year-old girl locked in her bedroom. In a news conference, Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor said the girls were malnourished and dirty, and told police they had not bathed for up to six months. The house in which the girls were held had been fitted with round-the-clock video security, he said.

The house the girls were allegedly held captive in by their mother and stepfather "Their movements were controlled - when, where and how they went to the bathroom, when they were fed." Tucson police captain Mike Gilooly told reporters: "They were kept in filthy living conditions separately and told patrol officers that they had not seen each other in almost two years." Villasenor said loud music was constantly played in their bedrooms to conceal any noise they made, and towels were stuffed into ducts and around doors. If the girls were well behaved, the music would be replaced by loud static. The girls' mother had a cell phone with a San Diego telephone number to convince their biological fathers and grandmothers that the family was living in California.

Investigators are now examining a journal kept by the eldest sister, detailing more than 18 months of captivity and abuse. Villasenor said the teenager kept the diary in a satchel with a photo of singer Enrique Iglesias throughout her ordeal. She was overjoyed when the photo was returned on Wednesday, which she said was her most prized possession, after police examined the contents of her bag. The girls have been evaluated by doctors and placed under the care of Child Protective Services. Stepfather Fernando Richter, 34, and mother, Sophia Richter, 32, were charged with emotional and physical child abuse and kidnapping. The stepfather is also charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child under 15. The couple have been together for about 10 years and married for three or four years, and there is evidence the girls were held against their will in at least one of the family's former homes, Villasenor said. They made a brief appearance in court on Wednesday. Both parents did not enter a plea. Additional reporting by Reuters

Frances compromising position: Why a new law to criminalise punters rather than prostitutes is inflaming French passions - Europe - World - The Independent
They were mostly French, mostly middle aged or older, luridly dressed or hardly dressed in a style which amounted to a trade uniform. The Rue Saint Denis now consists mostly of sex shops, mobile phone outlets and wholefood groceries. Until a decade ago, while taking the children to school, I would pass every morning a woman in her fifties, or maybe her sixties, who patrolled in a tiny skirt close to the Arc de Triomphe. The children called her Madame Leopardskin. She is long gone. In 2003, Nicolas Sarkozy, then Interior Minister, devised a law which banned racolage or soliciting, even passive soliciting. It was an offence even to look like a prostitute in public. The consequences were perverse. Prostitutes were obliged to dress like other women, which meant that respectable women, in certain parts of Paris, were propositioned if they stood still. Another unintended effect was to drive prostitution underground and push many French women out of the business. Up to 80 per cent of the estimated 40,000 prostitutes in France are now foreign women and girls (or boys), often trafficked by organised gangs, from Eastern Europe, China or Africa. Now an attempt is being made to abolish Mr Sarkozys law. A bill due to go before the National Assembly last night would remove the penalties for soliciting, even active soliciting. France would become the second country in Europe after Sweden to transfer the punishment to the client. If the bill passes, anyone who pays for or seeks to pay for sex could be fined !1,500 (1,250), or !3,000 on a second offence, and ordered to go to re-education classes. The draft law would also provide support to help prostitutes to create other lives and to allow foreign women to remain legally in France, if they abandon prostitution. The bill, though controversial, is expected to win approval when the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) votes on it next week. It may, however, be allowed to die in the upper house, or Snat, with the tacit approval of the government. This would be an appropriately muddled and hypocritical conclusion to the latest in a series of attempts to regulate prostitution in France over the last 67 years.

to regulate prostitution in France over the last 67 years. The social and institutional hypocrisy is not just French. The present French law is similar to that in Britain. Prostitution is illegal in principal but it is not illegal to be a prostitute. Prostitutes in France pay taxes on their earnings. It is illegal to run a brothel or to be a pimp or to solicit in public. It is not illegal to sell your body or to buy one. The approved brothels or maisons closes, for which Paris was once famous, were created by revolutionary law in 1802 and banned in 1946. The 1967 Luis Bunuel movie Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve as a housewife who volunteers to work in a maison close, is misleading. It is set in the 1950s. The Joseph Kessel novel was set in the 1920s. Opponents including groups representing French prostitutes and celebrities, including Deneuve say that the proposed law replaces hypocrisy with more hypocrisy. Soliciting would be permitted. Anyone who accepted an approach by a prostitute could be fined. This is like, they say, allowing drug-trafficking but punishing drug-users. Supporters including feminist groups and associations representing former prostitutes say that the bill would make French law more coherent. Since 1960, when it ratified a 1949 UN convention, France has officially regarded prostitution as a type of slavery and a form of violence. The present law treats prostitutes, as well as their pimps and traffickers, as the wrong-doers. The proposed law, supporters say, correctly regards prostitutes as victims and clients as sexual offenders. The traditional arguments whether for toleration, abolition or prohibition have to deal with a disturbing new reality. In Europe, the industry, whether legal or not, has been largely taken over by international criminal gangs. By discouraging the demand for paid-for sex, the new law would, it is claimed, reduce the trafficking of foreign women. Germany took the opposite course in 2002 and legalised prostitution. Since then the number of prostitutes has quadrupled from 100,000 to 400,000. Almost all of them are foreign. Most have probably been forced into prostitution. In theory, the abolition of the Sarkozy law would allow Madame Leopardskin to patrol once again. It would allow traditional French prostitutes to reclaim the market share lost to foreign gangs. But would it, really? Prostitutes organisations and the police agree for once. Punishing the clients would force prostitution further underground, they say. It would make action against the international networks, now a !2bn-a-year industry in Europe, even tougher. Using these arguments, the Interior Minister, Manuel Valls, is campaigning quietly to have the proposed law parked permanently in the Snat. No prostitution please, were French? Not yet, it seems.

Fears grow of clash as Japan and US stoke war of the skies with China - Asia - World - The Independent
On Saturday, Beijing published a map of its new air defence identification zone, with rules requiring foreign aircraft to notify the Chinese military before entering the area. The zone overlaps with an existing Japanese air defence zone, and takes in the islands known to the Chinese as Diaoyu, and to the Japanese as Senkaku, which are subject to competing claims from the two Pacific nations. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, two unarmed US B-52 bombers from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam entered the new Chinese zone on Monday evening, as part of a long-planned exercise, and flew around 120 miles from the uninhabited islands. Today, the Japanese government ordered its civilian carriers to disregard the new

Chinese rules; planes from the ANA and JAL airlines both passed through the area without incident. Though the defence ministry in Beijing had warned that it would take defensive emergency measures against aircraft that refused to comply with its new strictures, the Chinese military made no attempt to contact the B-52s. The ministry later released a statement saying it had monitored the US bombers. The B-52 flight may have raised tensions with the Chinese, but it also represented a show of US support for the other countries in the region, such as South Korea and Japan. The US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said before the exercise that Washington would not conform to the new rules set by the Chinese. We view this development as a destabilising attempt to alter the status quo in the region, he said. The Chinese foreign ministry described Mr Hagels statement as irresponsible, but the US response was echoed by Chinas neighbours. The Japanese chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told reporters at a Tuesday news conference that the new Chinese measures had no validity. The new US envoy to Tokyo, Caroline Kennedy, in her first speech as ambassador, said the Chinese actions would undermine security in the region. South Koreas deputy defence minister, Yoo Jeh-Seung, said his government would also refuse to recognise the new Chinese zone. In Beijing, the foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang was asked what sort of military action China intended to take against foreign aircraft that entered the air defence identification zone unannounced. The Chinese side will make an appropriate response according to the different circumstances and the threat level that it might face, he replied. Chinese social media users appeared unimpressed with the militarys lack of response to the B-52 flights, with many demanding stronger action. Beijing commonly reacts to such criticism via its proxies in the state-run media, yet even before the US bombers flights became public knowledge, the Peoples Liberation Army Daily warned that without a robust defence of the air defence zone, the newly drawn map would be nothing more than armchair strategy. The competitive waters of the East and South China Seas contain rich natural resources, including fishing stocks and hydrocarbon reserves. The long-standing dispute over the Senkaku archipelago was stoked in 2012, when Japan bought three of the rocky islands from private owners, provoking the Chinese, who stepped up their military activities in the area. At one point the Japanese threatened to shoot down an unidentified Chinese drone close to the islands, which Beijing warned would constitute an act of war. The new zone would have been approved by the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who was appointed the Communist Partys top official in 2012. The word from the White House was that the dispute between China and its regional rival ought to be solved by diplomacy, not force. President Barack Obama was on a visit to California this week, where a White House spokesman told reporters the new Chinese policy was unnecessarily inflammatory.

Ten years after the invasion: Iraq helpless under rain of terror - Middle East - World - The Independent
Even our fathers had not seen such rain, he said of the four-day downpour that hit southern and central Iraq and northern Saudi Arabia, washing away roads and villages in places that seldom see any rain. Villagers outside Najaf, the Shia holy city 100 miles south-west of Baghdad, stood little chance. Government officials came at three in the morning last Friday and told us to get out, said Sami Abdullah, who worked as a brick-maker in a district dominated by the tall smoke-blackened chimneys of brick factories west of Najaf. He said most of the brick-makers escaped, though a woman and three of her children were drowned as houses, built from poor quality bricks, collapsed under the impact of the water. The brickworks are beginning to dry out but, further towards a shallow lake called the Sea of Najaf, the fields on either side of the road have turned into swampland, with deep mud interspersed with ponds. In one village, farmers

either side of the road have turned into swampland, with deep mud interspersed with ponds. In one village, farmers said most of their flocks of sheep had drowned and the body of the occasional animal was rotting beside the road. The mukhtar, or leader, of a farming village said: I have lived here since 1973 and have seen nothing like this. Caught by surprise, villagers had no time to save their possessions, and such vehicles as they owned were submerged by mud as if in some modern Herculaneum. Aside from that first warning from officials of impending disaster, the Iraqi government has remained inert and dysfunctional at all levels. Displaced villagers all say, with varying degrees of anger, that they have received no help from the central or provincial authorities. In Baghdad, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was much derided for blaming the floods in the capital on sabotage of the sewage system by his political enemies. Water and drainage experts say that $7bn (4.3bn) has been spent on new sewage and drainage projects in Baghdad since 2003, but they do not work because of corruption and incompetence. In some districts of the capital last week, people took to makeshift rafts to negotiate streets turned into rivers of diluted sewage and water. It is not that people in the countryside outside Najaf had much to lose in the first place. In Baghdad, the sewers and water pipes may have been badly built but in the provinces they were often never built at all. Today, there is nothing much to distinguish the ruins of houses destroyed last week from the remains of Sumerian villages abandoned 3,000 years ago. One party of refugees said that until a few years ago they had lived in the remains of one of Saddam Husseins abandoned military camps, but they had been moved on by the government to the outskirts of Najaf; they had never had water or electricity. The only people offering help were from the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, which provided tents and distributed meals in plastic containers. I have never seen anything like it, said Ahmed al-Jabouri, in charge of crisis management at Red Crescent. It must be the result of climate change. Much of the relief work was being carried out by staff from the office of the populist Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who were rebuilding roads to link up isolated communities that have been cut off by the flood waters.

Street vendors push their carts as they make their way through a flooded street (AP) Abbas al-Kufi, an official in Mr al-Sadrs office in Najaf, said that on the night of the great storm he desperately telephoned the defence ministry to get helicopters to rescue people, but nobody was answering there, day or night. He added: I borrowed a small boat from the river police but the man in charge of it said the waters were too turbulent for it to be used. The boat later capsized.

turbulent for it to be used. The boat later capsized. Iraqs inability to help its own people when they are hit by natural disasters, despite oil revenues of $100bn a year, underlines the dysfunctional nature of the government 10 years after the fall of Saddam Husseins regime. Such coverage as Iraq receives in the international media these days, when reporting of the Middle East is dominated by Syria and Egypt, is almost exclusively about the bombings that kill 1,000 people a month. But, for most Iraqis, the worst problem in their life is not sudden death but poverty. In Najaf, which is better off than many Iraqi cities, the very poor make up an estimated 40 per cent of the population. The district of Jadaid al-Rabiya in Najaf is at a higher altitude than the ruined villages caught by the heavy rains and it suffered less flood damage but its peoples lives are still a struggle for day-to-day survival. Either you work and eat or you dont work and you dont eat, said Sayid Saad Aziz al-Hilli al-Moussawi, a shopkeeper and community leader. In Saddams time they didnt get anything and they dont get anything now. Their clothes are poor. They work as construction labourers or taxi drivers if they have a car. People think about food, not education. Older people here often do not have any qualifications, because their education was interrupted by long service in the army under Saddam. In most of Iraq the government is the main source of employment, but Mr al-Moussawi says that nobody in Jadaid al-Rabiya has a job working for the state because the two ways of getting a job are paying a bribe or knowing somebody important and were too poor to do either. I asked if it was not strange that in a country like Iraq, with so much oil and money, there was so much poverty? It is not strange, said an old man who had been sitting silently on a chair. It is stranger than strange.

Postcard from... Spain - World - News - The Independent

Written by Italian Costanza Miriano, the publicity for Get Married and Be Submissive on the publishing houses website does not beat about the bush about its content: Now is the moment to learn blind and generous obedience submission. And amongst us [women], we can say, what is most solid and resistant always gets placed underneath. First published in Italy, Get Married and Be Submissive has sold 50,000 copies there. But a womens demonstration in Bilbao on Monday culminated with a mass rip-up of photocopies of the books cover while minister Ana Mato said yesterday that the book lacked respect for women. A press release issued by the Archbishop of Granada has insisted that Get Married and Be Submissive does not justify in any way violence against women unlike, it says, the liberalisation of abortion laws, as well as anything that weakens marriage. Furthermore, the Archbishopric will forge ahead, it says, with the next book in the series, entitled Get Married and Give Your Life for It: Real Men for Fearless Women.

Silvio Berlusconi expelled from parliament - Europe - World - The Independent

Berlusconi has warned that the unprecedented move would embarrass Italy internationally. He maintained his defiance as the Senate voted, declaring Wednesday a day of mourning for democracy before thousands of cheering, flag-waving supporters outside his Roman palazzo. Even though Berlusconi wont hold a seat in parliament, he is expected to remain influential. He has relaunched his Forza Italia party and still commands millions of supporters.

While his lawyers chart possible legal challenges, Berlusconis fans massed in front of his Roman palazzo for a rally that analysts said was essentially the start of Italys next electoral campaign. Today they are toasting because they can take an adversary, they say a friend, in front of the executioners squad, Berlusconi said. It is the day they have been waiting for 20 years. He pledged to continue his role as a political leader. From outside the parliament, we can continue to fight for our liberty, he said. For us he will always be there, said Marilda Antonello as she held a banner reading The law is not equal for everyone. Sick justice. He is our only leader. He is the only man who can take Italy forward, she said. The Senate vote on whether to remove Berlusconi from the chamber stems from a 2012 law that bans anyone sentenced to more than two years in prison from holding or running for public office for six years. His lawyers claim the law is unconstitutional and have questioned the rush to expel him while legal challenges are still pending. Italys high court on 1 August upheld Berlusconis tax fraud conviction and four-year prison term stemming from his Mediaset empires purchase of television rights to US films. The prison term was reduced automatically to one year under a general amnesty; he will serve his time either under house arrest or through public service. Berlusconi claims he didnt receive a fair trial and that the judges were biased and out to eliminate him from public office. AP

Two months after election win in Germany, Angela Merkel forms coalition Europe - World - The Independent
The agreement, spelled out in a 185-page policy document entitled Shaping Germanys Future, was struck two months after Ms Merkels conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) emerged victorious from an election but fell short of a parliamentary majority. Its traditional coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), won no seats, leaving Ms Merkel to look for a new partner in the Bundestag. The 59-year-old pastors daughter from eastern Germany was forced to negotiate with her arch-rivals in the SPD, with whom she ruled in an awkward grand coalition during her first term between 2005 and 2009. The SPD is still smarting from that experience and its leadership has agreed to put the new deal to a vote of the partys 474,000 card-carrying members, adding an element of uncertainty to Ms Merkels goal of having a new government in place by Christmas. We entered negotiations with very different ideas and that is why things took a little time, Ms Merkel told a news conference, sitting between the SPD chairman, Sigmar Gabriel, and Horst Seehofer, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union. Mr Gabriel said he was sure a broad majority of SPD members would back the deal in a postal vote, the results of which are due on 14 December. All three politicians praised the atmosphere in the talks, with Mr Gabriel and Mr Seehofer joking with reporters about whether they could now address each other with the informal du in place of the formal sie. The deal was greeted with a sigh of relief by investors, who pushed the euro to a four-year high against the Japanese

yen and a one-month peak versus the US dollar. It was also welcomed by officials in Brussels and other European capitals. The lengthy talks have delayed movement on major European reforms, including progress on banking union, an ambitious project designed to prevent a recurrence of the eurozones crippling debt crisis. Its positive news, the Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, said in Rome. Theres a need for a German government as soon as possible. Ms Merkel stood firm against SPD demands for tax increases for the rich, but to clinch the deal she agreed to introduce a minimum wage of !8.50 (7) per hour, which some economists have warned could push up unemployment. To reduce that risk, the parties agreed to phase it in over several years, with exceptions allowed until 2017. The SPD also secured concessions from Ms Merkel on pensions and labour market rules, softening elements of reforms introduced a decade ago by Ms Merkels predecessor as Chancellor, Gerhard Schrder of the SPD. In the future, people who have worked for 45 years can earn full pensions from 63, four years earlier than the statutory 67year threshold. The use of temporary workers by German firms will also be restricted to 18 months under the deal. Hopes in France and other eurozone states that the SPD might convince Ms Merkel to adopt bolder measures to stimulate growth and tackle unemployment were dashed in an deal that endorsed her carrot-and-stick approach to the euro crisis. The coalition deal ruled out all forms of debt mutualisation. Reuters

Nightmare is over for gay Briton Bernard Randall put on trial in Uganda after images of him having sex were stolen by thieves and used against him in 'blackmail plot' - Africa - World - The Independent
Mr Randall, who was arrested last month after his laptop was stolen by thieves and pictures from it published in a newspaper, was told this week that he had been refused an extension to his visa - originally demanded of him so he could stand trial - and will be returned to the UK on 6 December. The 65-year-old, from Faversham, Kent, told The Independent that he believed the visa issue was being used by the Ugandan authorities to avoid being seen as persecuting homosexuals and that while he wished for the criminal case against to be formally dropped he was also glad to escape this nightmare. The retired banking industry computer analyst, who lost his wife of nearly 40 years in 2011 and subsequently came out as homosexual, had been facing up to two years in jail after he was charged with trafficking obscene material following the theft of his computer from his holiday home in Entebbe in September. His Ugandan partner, Albert Cheptoyek, 33, faces a more serious charge of up to seven years imprisonment for acts of gross indecency under Ugandan law, which outlaws homosexuality. Both men have denied the charges. But while Mr Cheptoyeks future remains uncertain, it now seems Mr Randall, whose friends and supporters within the gay rights movement have held protests in London, is to be allowed to return - with reluctance and anger - to Britain. His departure date will be the same as he had booked when he arrived in Uganda in September. He told The Independent: For the sake of my family and friends my wish is to be able to leave as originally planned on 6 December to spend Christmas with them. I want no bar on me returning at some time in the future but I see that now as a forlorn hope. I want to escape this nightmare. I want the robbers and blackmailers to be found guilty of their crimes and punished accordingly and I want us to be found not guilty of the false charges against us or for the charges to be struck down. But I see no sign of fair justice in this country.

this country. He added: I also see this as a move by the Ugandan authorities at the highest level to get me deported without it being seen as an anti-homosexuality related action. To add insult to injury, Mr Randall has been told that now his visa extension has been refused he is liable to a fine of 18 per day for every day he remains in Uganda until his planned deportation. It will be a grim end to an adventure born out of grief for the Briton, who first visited Uganda two years ago when a close friend booked a trip to help sort out a visa for his new wife and suggested the retiree accompany him. Mr Randalls friend suggested a trip to Uganda would help with the bereavement process. With its lush countryside and gleaming Lake Victoria, it wasnt long before he had found a home away from home. He said: I was here for a fortnight and I liked the place. Its so green and youve got the lake and friendly people. After spending April this year in the Pearl of Africa Randall returned to Britain and then came back to Uganda in September and it was his intention to spend three months here, have a white Christmas back in Britan and then return to Africa. Now his tropical dreams lie in tatters after his computer, which contained a video of him having sex with another man in Morocco, thousands of miles away, was stolen. Mr Randall said the charges against him had come about after four people stole computers and money from him and Cheptoyek, targeting them because they suspected they were gay. In Uganda homosexual acts are illegal and punishable by incarceration in prison for up to 14 years. Nearly a year ago the countrys Parliamentary speaker vowed to have the kill the gays Bill, introduced in 2009 and seeking the death penalty for some offences, passed by the end of 2012 as a Christmas gift. She failed and the Bill has been shelved, although it's still on the Parliamentary Order Paper. Randall said the robbery occurred on 28 September, just over a week after he had arrived back in Uganda. The intention in the first instance was them to find something incriminating that they could blackmail me with, he said. Having failed he claims the alleged thieves and their associates contacted Pastors Moses Solomon Male, who leads Ugandas anti-homosexuality crusade with one saying Randall wanted to sodomise him. Randall said his charge related to the claim that he was distributing CDs to recruit people into homosexuality. I really cant see how the pictures published or really anything in the videos would lure a young boy into being homosexual but thats why theyre bringing the case, because I bought it in to distribute, in their eyes, he said. He said Pastor Male was an evil person who was whipping up hatred against gays, Speaking at his home on the weekend, Pastor Male alleged Randall had given the video to Wasswa Sentamu Jonadh, who he claimed wanted to travel abroad and get a better job. Randall, Pastor Male claimed, said he would help him however Wasswa and Eric Bugembe, who he said had been a driver for Randall, were charged with theft after they refused sodomy. Male said he was alerted about the matter by a concerned person. Wasswa had kept a second copy of the sex video, which Male admitted to passing onto Red Pepper who hed worked with before on complicated cases which need

investigations. He branded Randall a persona non grata. We have Ugandan homosexuals who we cannot send to any other country, even as they abuse, Pastor Male said. If we have Randall who can be deported, he goes back to his country and continues enjoying sodomoy, then I think well be saving many young lives in this country. However he stressed we are against the practice called homosexuality, not individuals called homosexuals. Bugembe and Wasswa appeared in court last Thursday charged with theft. They are due back on December 2. Randall and Cheptoyek appeared in court last Monday, when their case was adjourned to December 4. A married Ugandan mother of two young boys, who asked not to be identified, turned up to support the pair. She said shed known Cheptoyek for a decade through buying clothes from him through his business. Everybodys (going) crazy about it but this is who they are, she said. Im conflicted a little bit (about homosexuality) but I also understand that there are people who are born like this. With the amount of hate and how theyre treated when somebody finds out that somebodys gay, why would you choose, how can you choose to live that kind of lifestyle? Randall said he appreciated the support from Ugandans and people in Britain including Stephen Fry and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. Its terrific isnt it? When asked how he was feeling Randall said up and down. I havent yet, since the problems started, gone out on my own and gotten a taxi from our place up to town, things like that, he said. But I dont in actual fact think it would be a problem. He said his two adult daughters in the UK were struggling to deal with the situation. The older one is more levelheaded about it but obviously very worried, said Randall. The other one is much more emotional and shes having a difficult time with it. Meanwhile Cheptoyek has been ostracized by some family and may apply for asylum abroad if the case is dropped. The worry (is) can he get a visa to go to the UK, would he want to stay in the UK forever, would he need to go and seek refugee status? He doesnt want to leave Uganda and I want to be able to come back. Speaking himself Cheptoyek said We dont know if we are going to be killed because were already in the newspaper so everyone knows Im gay and were scared for our lives because in Uganda its not allowed. Longjones (alias - not real name), a Ugandan trying to start a travel business specializing in gay safaris, stood as surety for David Cecil, the British theatre producer deported from Uganda in January after staging a play ending with a gay character being killed. Cecil is in the process of appealing his case. This time Longjones stood as surety for Randall. What the police have failed to understand is that people blackmail homosexuals to extort money, he said.

Steep thrills: Italy's recession-hit resorts put faith in hair-raising black pistes -

Steep thrills: Italy's recession-hit resorts put faith in hair-raising black pistes Europe - World - The Independent
And the appeal of the most hair-raising descents is such that Europes ski resorts are now battling to produce steeper and steeper descents. Switzerlands famous St Moritz has increased the maximum steepness of its already petrifying Lagalb piste to a scarcely believable 41 degrees to the horizontal slope on average, in order to claim the crown as Europes steepest black run. The resorts PR people describe it as a sheer delight for adrenaline junkies. The Franco Berthod slope in Italys La Thuile resort is now said to beone degree steeper at 37 degrees. Close behind in third spot in the Italian Dolomites, is the Plan de Corones, at 36 degrees. Officials in Italys top ski villages are in no doubt about the lure of wickedly difficult runs. An agent of the police unit patrolling the slopes at Moena in Italys north-Eastern Trentino region told La Repubblica: All you need to do is put up a notice telling people that the piste is reserved for expert skiers and youll instantly find a queue because theres a huge desire for people to test their limits even among those who should realistically stick to the easier pistes. Some of the most challenging black pistes (colour-coded to denote difficulty, with black being the hardest to ski) are now so steep, that snow-cat vehicles which crawl up the slopes every night to flatten and recondition the snow have to be fastened from a winch to ensure they dont slither down the mountain. But the commercial incentives for maintaining or introducing pistes such as Madonna di Campiglios famous Spinale Direttissima or Mayrhofens appropriately named Harakiri slope in Austria are clear. Renzo Minella, the president of Dolomite Tourism, said the hardest pistes were in huge demand. Its clear that the ambition of every skier is to measure themselves against difficult slopes and therefore the very rapid pistes have an added value, especially for the ski resorts that want to host the competitions at the highest level, he said. Much of the Alps has been struggling to attract skiers in tough economic conditions. According to Ansa news agency, the average cost of a week in the Italian mountains in peak season will be !932 (775) per person this year and !2,240 (1,870) for a family without taking into account spending money. But Mr Minella added that guaranteeing safety and maintaining the super-steep black runs could be very complicated and costly. After a spate of deaths in the Alps in recent years, authorities have sought to introduce more police patrols and even punishments for skiers who behave dangerously or put themselves or others at risk. In Switzerland, fines of SFr1,000 (675) have been handed out to irresponsible skiers, and some have been asked to pay damages and to meet the cost of rescue operations often tens of thousands of Swiss francs. Some offenders have also had their ski passes confiscated and been put on resort blacklists. But most of the dangerous incidents have occurred as a result of skiers ignoring warnings about off-piste activity, Statistics suggest that the rate of serious injuries on the exceptionally steep black runs is lower than average. Mr Minella said their reputation and the sheer challenge they presented meant that even the best skiers approached them with caution. Tone Valeruz, one of Italys best-known extreme skiers told La Repubblica that the piste he considered among the most challenging was the Piculin slope at San Vigilio di Marebbe in the Dolomites. It can scare even a very good skier, not only because of the vertical decline but also because of the lateral slope, he said. If you fall, you fly off the piste, especially when the bottom part is icy.

He noted that on the steepest of descents, staying upright was more about controlling your fears than your technique.

Video: Sperm whale explodes - Europe - World - The Independent

The unfortunate man can be seen trying to slice the belly of the deceased beast only for it to suddenly burst open and the contents of its stomach to spill out. The stomach-churning incident took place in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and was caught on camera. From the footage it appears that the man released a trapped pocket of gas from the sperm whale's stomach. Understandably, the man dashes away to avoid getting hit and seems to be unharmed if a little shaken. He was wearing protective clothing which stopped him getting covered in the whale's innards. According to the video, description the whale dies of natural causes.

Gay rights protester stopped by Russian police while posing in Red Square with Love is Love banner - Europe - World - The Independent
Enrico Procentese, a photographer and travel blogger, was reporting from Red Square on behalf of Conde Nest Traveller at the end of last month when he paid homage to Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swintons July protest against the countrys anti-gay laws. Despite the fact that the Italians poster was only identifiably pro-gay because of a tiny rainbow-coloured heart dotting the i of is, Moscow police officers responded almost instantly, demanding he hand the banner over. Though Mr Procenteses protest only received muted coverage initially, it has now touched a chord with social media users and been shared thousands of times online after it was picked up by La Repubblica, one of Italys largest newspapers. Speaking to Russias English-language Moscow Times, the journalist said: Unfortunately, taking the photograph was not easy, since the police immediately stopped me and asked me to give them the flag I was carrying. The officers made their demands in a torrent of Russian which Procentese did not understand, he said, and spoke no English when he tried to ask for an explanation. People are astonished by the fact that the police intervened to confiscate the flag in such a peaceful situation, he said.

Actress Tilda Swinton posing in Red Square with a rainbow flag in July It remains unclear exactly what drew the attention of the Russian police, when there are thousands of tourists taking photographs outside the Kremlin every day. The Moscow Times nonetheless reported that the authorities have had little patience with anyone openly opposing the new law, signed by President Vladimir Putin in June, which banned so-called gay propaganda. According to the new legislation, a protest like Mr Procenteses or Ms Swintons is punishable by 15 days in prison, a fine and deportation from Russia. The Love is Love campaign started in June after US President Barack Obama tweeted a message in support of gay marriage ending in #LoveIsLove. Within minutes the hashtag became the most popular on Twitter. Procentese said he hoped other people would follow his lead to support gay rights through peaceful means such as posing for a picture on Red Square. I believe promoting awareness through messages like 'Love Is Love' is the only way to change this attitude in Russia as well as in other countries of the world, he said.

In pictures: Central African Republic gripped by violence as conflict between Seleka fighters and forces loyal to ex-President continues - Africa - World The Independent
The land-locked country has been gripped by violence since the mainly Muslim rebels, many of them fighters from neighbouring Sudan and Chad, seized power in the majority Christian country in March. Some 460,000 people around a tenth of the population - have fled the sectarian violence their takeover ignited. Click here or on 'view gallery' to see more images

US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents - News - Gadgets & Tech The Independent
Agents collected information on so-called vulnerabilities which, if required, could be publicly exposed in a way that would limit the influence of prominent Islamists. The surveillance agency targeted six radicalisers whose online activity might be used to make followers question their devotion to the jihadist cause. The spying claims are made in the latest documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, published by the Huffington Post. They identify the six men, all Muslims, as positive examples of cases where electronic surveillance can give security officers valuable information about peoples personal vulnerabilities. The names of the six have not been included in the details published online. The documents list viewing sexually explicit material online and using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls as the sorts of activities which might undermine a radicalisers

authority. According to the Huffington Post, none of the six individuals was accused of being involved in any terrorist plots. They were not identified in any detail, other than the fact that one of the six is either a US citizen or permanent resident. Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the website these revelations raise serious concerns about abuse. It's important to remember that the NSAs surveillance activities are anything but narrowly focused the agency is collecting massive amounts of sensitive information about virtually everyone, he said. Wherever you are, the NSA's databases store information about your political views, your medical history, your intimate relationships and your activities online, he added. The NSA says this personal information won't be abused, but these documents show that the NSA probably defines 'abuse' very narrowly. The documents included details suggesting they were drawn up by the director of the NSA, and listed recipients include the US Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce. Shawn Turner, a spokesman for the US director of national intelligence, told the Huffington Post it was not surprising the government uses all of the lawful tools at our disposal to impede the efforts of valid terrorist targets who seek to harm the nation and radicalise others to violence.

Latvian prime minister Valdis Dombrovski resigns over Riga supermarket disaster - Europe - World - The Independent
Valdis Dombrovski was the longest serving prime minister in Latvia's history. His decision also means his centre right government automatically falls. "Considering the ... tragedy and all the related circumstances, the country needs a government that has a majority support in parliament and can solve the situation that has arisen in the country," Dombrovskis told journalists after meeting President Andris Berzins. President Andris Berzins has accepted his resignation and will begin searching for a candidate who will need to put together a new coalition, the president's office said. Police have since opened a criminal investigation into the cause of last week's tragedy, the worst disaster to occur in the country since it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Dombrovskis came to power in 2009 as Latvia's economy was sinking into a deep recession and was charged with leading harsh budget cuts and tax increases while at the same time implementing tough structural reforms demanded by international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund. Dombrovskis was re-appointed twice as prime minister since then, and is widely credited with preventing the small Baltic nation from going bankrupt. Latvia's economy has been the fastest growing in the European Union over the past two years. Additional reporting by agencies

Video: Two baby baboons born at Brooklyn Zoo - Americas - World - The Independent
Evening Standard and Qatar Tourism Authority are giving readers the chance to win a luxury 4-night holiday to

Evening Standard and Qatar Tourism Authority are giving readers the chance to win a luxury 4-night holiday to Qatar and a range of tour and activities.

American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows - Science - News - The Independent
According to research published in the Psychological Science journal, test subjects were more likely to say they had faith in a higher power after watching jaw-dropping footage of the Grand Canyon, waterfalls and other natural phenomena. Those who were asked to watch extracts from the BBC documentary series fronted by Sir David Attenborough gave markedly different responses to a series of questions than a control group which was shown footage from more neutral news reports. Professor Piercarlo Valdesolo, a psychological scientist from Claremont McKenna College who carried out the studies, said: Many historical accounts of religious epiphanies and revelations seem to involve the experience of being awe-struck by the beauty, strength or size of a divine being, and these experiences change the way people understand and think about the world. We wanted to test the exact opposite prediction: Its not that the presence of the supernatural elicits awe, its that awe elicits the perception of the presence of the supernatural, he said. Professor Valdesolo said participants from both groups were asked how much awe they felt while watching the footage, and whether they believed that worldly events unfold according to some gods or other non-human entitys plan. Overall, those who had watched the awe-inspiring video tended to believe more in supernatural control, and were more likely to believe in God when compared with the news-watching group. The scientists added that they observed similar results when the awe-inspiring video was changed for one which showed amazing but self-evidently impossible events, such as a massive waterfall flowing through city streets. The researchers pointed out that these data could also shed light on why certain individuals seek to explain the world through secular and scientific means. Professor Valdesolo said: The irony in this is that gazing upon things that we know to be formed by natural causes, such as the jaw-dropping expanse of the Grand Canyon, pushes us to explain them as the product of supernatural causes. The experience of awe may simply motivate us to search for explanations, no matter what kinds of explanations they are, he added. In another experiment, the test subjects were given random series of numbers and asked whether or not they thought they had been picked deliberately. Those who had seen the awe-inspiring video were more likely than others to say the numbers had been designed by human hand. Based on these preliminary findings, Professor Valdesolo and his colleague Jesse Graham from the University of Southern California said they are now looking at other factors which change the impact of awe on belief in the supernatural. For example, they are testing whether adopting submissive body postures, which make us feel less powerful, might dispose us to experiences of awe. A link could perhaps explain the presence of such postures in religious practices across the world, such as kneeling, bowing, and gazing up.

The more submissive we act, the more awe we might feel, and perhaps the stronger our beliefs become, Professor Valdesolo said.

Up to 30 feared dead as migrants' sailing boat capsizes in Bahamas Americas - World - The Independent
The exact death toll remained uncertain. Authorities on the scene confirmed at least 20 dead and determined the number could reach 30 based on accounts from survivors, said Lt. Origin Deleveaux, a Royal Bahamas Defense Force spokesman. The remains of five victims had been recovered and the Bahamas military and police were working with the US Coast Guard to recover additional bodies as they pulled survivors from the stranded sailboat. "Right now, we are just trying to recover as many bodies as we possibly can," Deleveaux said. Authorities believe the migrants had been at sea for eight to nine days with limited food and water and no life jackets, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma said. Many were severely dehydrated when the first rescue crews reached them. The boat, in addition to being overloaded, likely encountered rough weather, Deleveaux said. "It was obviously just grossly overloaded, unbalanced, unseaworthy," Somma said. "An incredibly dangerous voyage." The capsizing of overloaded vessels occurs with disturbing frequency in the area, most recently in mid-October when four Haitian women died off Miami. There have also been fatal incidents near the Turks and Caicos Islands, between Haiti and the Bahamas, and in the rough Mona Passage that divides the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. "Unfortunately we see these types of tragedies occur on a monthly basis," Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss said. "Every year we see hundreds of migrants needlessly lose their lives at sea taking part in these dangerous and illegal voyages." It's common enough that the Coast Guard recently developed a public service announcement that will run on TV and radio in Florida, Haiti, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic urging people not to risk the deadly ocean voyages. This latest incident occurred late Monday near Harvey Cays, about 80 miles (125 kilometers) southeast of New Providence, the island that includes the capital of Nassau, and 260 miles (417 kilometers) southeast of Miami. Fishermen spotted the dangerously overloaded sailboat and alerted the Bahamas military, which asked the Coast Guard for assistance in locating the vessel, Somma said. By the time it was spotted, the 40-foot boat had run aground in an area dotted with tiny outcroppings and reefs and then capsized. Photos taken by the Coast Guard showed people clinging to every available space on the overturned vessel. Some were taken to a clinic on nearby Staniel Cay for treatment for dehydration. By late Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities had rescued about 110 people, including 19 women. Deleveaux said there were no children on board. Smugglers will often seek to blend in with the migrants when they are captured and authorities did not announce any arrests. The government of Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe issued a statement Tuesday night offering condolences to families of the victims while also trying to discourage people from taking the dangerous trips. "We are very concerned by the resurgence of these events and are going to take measures to discourage them while working to address the underlying circumstances that provoke the people to take those risks," Lamothe adviser Salim Succar said.

Succar said. Migrants have long traversed the Bahamian archipelago to reach the United States. Thousands have also settled in the Bahamas in recent years. Deleveaux said those rescued from the boat near Harvey Cays would be taken to a military base on New Providence, processed and then repatriated to Haiti. AP

HIV up by 8% across Europe - Europe - World - The Independent

Some 131,000 people contracted HIV in Europe and nearby countries in 2012, marking an eight per cent rise from a year earlier. Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia saw what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has described as a steady increase of nine per cent in infections. More than half of the cases - 76,000 from this region were reported in Russia alone. In the east of the WHO's European Region, which includes many Asian former Soviet republics, the number of people diagnosed with AIDS increased by 113 per cent between 2006 and 2012. Yet countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) saw a rise of less than one per cent. Cases of AIDS across western Europe in the same six year period declined by 48 per cent, which experts claim is closely linked to a lack of prevention measures for people at high risk of contracting the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. Experts are now calling for accelerated action to contain the spread of HIV, such as providing clean needles and syringes for drug users, free condoms and easy access to HIV testing for sex workers and gay men, and early access to treatment with AIDS drugs for those who test positive. We know that providing antiretroviral therapy earlier will allow people with HIV to live longer and healthier lives, and will reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others, says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. While the HIV epidemic in Europe has not ended, our goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV by 2015 is still achievable in many countries. Research by WHO showed almost every second person who tests positive for HIV in the EU/ EEA (49 per cent) is diagnosed later into the course of their infection, meaning they need antiretroviral therapy immediately as their immune system is already starting to fail. ECDC Director Marc Sprengerger said: "This shows that we need to make HIV testing more available across Europe to ensure earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment and care. Cocktails and combinations of AIDS drugs can keep the virus in check for many years, allowing those who are diagnosed and treated early to live full and long lives. Yet even in the relatively wealthy WHO European Region, only one in three people with HIV is getting the ART treatment they need, Wednesday's report said.

In pictures: Another day of the 48-hour country wide blockade of transport in Bangladesh - Asia - World - The Independent
Bangladeshi opposition supporters detonated scores of homemade bombs and removed railway tracks to disrupt train services as a planned nationwide protest against upcoming elections turned violent.

Kenya: Two Brits 'arrested over hand grenades' - Africa - World - The Independent
The pair are thought to have been detained in the beach resort of Diani, on the south coast of the country. Sources suggested to Sky News they were carrying hand grenades at the time of their arrest. A Foreign Office spokesman, who said he could not give further details of the incident, said: We are looking into reports of two British nationals detained in Kenya. "We stand ready to offer consular assistance." Two months ago 67 people died in a siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. Four men appeared in a Nairobi court earlier this month charged with "supporting a terrorist group" in connection with the attack. More to follow

Anti-government protesters in Thailand call for nationwide uprising as unrest enters fourth day - Asia - World - The Independent
The brash threat is the boldest challenge yet to Yingluck's embattled administration, and it has raised fears of fresh political violence in the divided Southeast Asian nation. But in a city of some 10 million people, the demonstrators appeared to number only in the tens of thousands. That's far less than the 100,000-plus mustered when they began on Sunday indicating they are unlikely to bring down the government on their own without more popular support, or judicial or military intervention. Yingluck has repeatedly said she wants to avert violence and offered to negotiate an end to the crisis. So far, security forces have not even fired tear gas to prevent protesters from forcing the closure of multiple government offices. We must not regard this as a win-or-lose situation, Yingluck told reporters at parliament on Wednesday. Today no one is winning or losing, only the country is hurting. Late Tuesday, police issued an arrest warrant for Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy premier leading the protest movement. He camped out overnight at the Finance Ministry, which has been converted into an ad-hoc protest headquarters since crowds stormed it on Monday, closing it down. There appeared to be no attempt to detain Suthep, however, as he led some 6,000 supporters out of the Finance Ministry early today. The crowd eventually grew to 10,000 people, while thousands more marched from another base at the city's Democracy Monument and other smaller groups gathered elsewhere, waving Thai flags and blowing whistles. An army intelligence officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press, estimated the total number of demonstrators at less than 20,000 by midday. But those numbers were likely to grow as supporters joined them on the streets. On Tuesday, Suthep announced for the first time his goal is to replace the government with a non-elected council, a change he said was necessary to eradicate the political machine of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, Yingluck's billionaire older brother, was ousted by a 2006 military coup and fled the country to avoid a two-year prison term on a corruption conviction. He continues to sharply divide the nation, with his supporters and

opponents battling for power. In broad terms, the confrontation pits the Thai elite and the educated middle-class against Thaksin's power base in the countryside, which benefited from populist policies designed to win over the rural poor. The anti-government campaign started last month after Yingluck's ruling Pheu Thai party tried to pass an amnesty bill that critics said was designed to absolve Thaksin and others of politically related offenses and allow him to return home. The Senate rejected the bill in a bid to end the protests, but the rallies have gained momentum. On Tuesday, demonstrators surrounded the Interior Ministry and then cut off the electricity and water to pressure people inside to leave. Security personnel locked themselves behind the ministry's gates, with employees still inside. By Wednesday, just dozens of protesters remained outside, and some employees began returning to work. But several thousand were gathered at the industry and labor ministries. Let the people go to every ministry that remains to make civil servants stop serving the Thaksin regime, Suthep said. Once you take over, civil servants can no longer serve the Thaksin regime. Brothers and sisters, go seize the city hall. Suthep served as deputy prime minister under a previous Democrat Party administration, which faced mass protests led by Thaksin's Red Shirt supporters, who occupied Bangkok's city center for two months in 2010. Those demonstrations ended in an army crackdown which left about 90 people dead and left swathes of downtown in flames. Pro-Thaksin parties have won every election since 2001, and the Democrats were crushed by Yingluck's ruling party during a landslide vote that brought her to power in 2011. Suthep has rejected new elections, which the now-opposition Democrats are certain to lose. If we take down the Thaksin regime tomorrow, we will set up a people's council the day after tomorrow, Suthep said. Let the people's council pick a good man to be the prime minister, good men to be ministers. Make it a dream team, make a Cabinet of your dream and the people's government. Akanat Promphan, a protest spokesman, earlier said the offensive to seize government offices would be extended nationwide today, but the call appeared to be little-heeded. The anti-Thaksin movement is strongest in Bangkok and the south, while Thaksin's many supporters in other areas might challenge the protesters, raising another prospect for violence. Yingluck's government is also fending off sharp criticism during a parliamentary no-confidence debate this week. A vote is expected Thursday, although it would be impossible to unseat Yingluck since her party controls the House of Representatives. AP

China monitors US B-52 bombers over South China Sea - Asia - World - The Independent
Tuesday's flight of the B-52 bombers underscored US assertions that it will not comply with Chinese demands that aircraft flying through its newly declared maritime air defence zone identify themselves and accept Chinese instructions. A Chinese Defensc Ministry statement released today said the planes were detected and monitored as they flew through the zone for two hours and 22 minutes. It said all aircraft flying through the zone would be monitored, but

made no mention of a threat to take defensive emergency measures against noncompliant aircraft that was included in an announcement on Saturday. China has the capability to exercise effective control over the relevant airspace, said the brief statement, attributed to an unidentified ministry spokesman. The US described the flights as a training mission and said they were not flown in response to China's latest move to assert a sovereignty claim over a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. The two B-52 bombers took off from their home base in Guam around midday and were in the zone that encompasses the disputed islands for less than an hour before returning to their base, US officials said, adding the aircraft encountered no problems. The bomber flights came after State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said China's move appeared to be an attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea. This will raise regional tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents, she told reporters. The US, which has hundreds of military aircraft based in the region, has said it has zero intention of complying with the new Chinese demands. Japan likewise has called the zone invalid, unenforceable and dangerous, while Taiwan and South Korea, both close to the US, also rejected it. Australia also said it called in the Chinese ambassador to express concern about the sudden zone declaration. The timing and the manner of China's announcement are unhelpful in light of current regional tensions, and will not contribute to regional stability, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement. Beijing's move fits a pattern of putting teeth behind its territorial claims and is seen as potentially leading to dangerous encounters depending on how vigorously China enforces it and how cautious it is when intercepting aircraft from Japan, the US and other countries. Chinese reaction to the bomber flights was predictably angry, with some recalling the 2001 collision between a Chinese fighter and a U.S. surveillance plane in international airspace off China's southeastern coast the kind of accident some fear China's new policy could make more likely. The Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, was killed in the crash and the US crew forced to make a landing on China's Hainan island, where they were held for 10 days and repeatedly interrogated before being released. Let's not repeat the humiliation of Wang Wei. Make good preparations to counter-attack, wrote Zheng Daojin, a reporter with the official Xinhua News Agency on his Twitter-like Weibo microblog. Businessman Li Pengliang said the islands dispute had heightened anti-Japanese sentiment, but doubted the chances of an open conflict. The public is outraged, but I still believe that the leaders in power are sober minded. They will not act on impulse, Li said. It wasn't clear whether Beijing had anticipated the forceful response from Washington and others, or how well it was prepared to back up its demands. Chinese scholars, who often serve as ad-hoc government spokesmen, criticized yesterday's flights as a crude show of force and said Beijing wasn't looking for a fight. It's not that China didn't want to enforce its demands, but what how do you expect China to react? said Zhu Feng, an international security expert at Peking University. AP

German 'grand coalition': Angela Merkel reaches deal with SPD to form new government - Europe - World - The Independent
Negotiators from Merkel's Union bloc and the Social Democrats concluded their agreement to form a grand coalition of Germany's biggest parties after a final all-night round of talks. Still, a potentially tricky hurdle remains before Merkel can be sworn in for a third term: the Social Democrats are putting the agreement to a ballot of their roughly 470,000 members, some of whom are deeply skeptical about becoming the chancellor's junior partner. The result is expected in mid-December. Merkel won the election on 22 September but her partners in Germany's center-right government of the past four years, the pro-business Free Democrats, lost all their seats in parliament and her conservatives fell short of a majority to govern alone. That left her reaching across the aisle for a new coalition partner. The Social Democrats secured key demands such as the introduction of a mandatory national minimum wage, which Germany is unusual among rich industrial powers in lacking. The !8.50 (7.12) hourly minimum is to be introduced in 2015, but Julia Kloeckner, a deputy leader of Merkel's party, said it won't apply to everyone without exception until the beginning of 2017. In addition, people born and educated in Germany who also hold a passport from a non-European Union country will no longer be obliged to choose one citizenship, a change that will apply largely to the children of Turkish immigrants. Both sides secured changes to the pension system that they had sought, and Kloeckner stressed on ZDF television that we will have no tax increases, and we will run up no new debts from 2015. The conservatives adamantly refused to raise taxes, which the Social Democrats advocated doing during the election campaign. Negotiators said the parties won't determine who gets what job in the new government until the Social Democrats have completed their membership ballot. That could be tricky because the grand coalition, while popular among voters, is disliked by party activists and the Social Democrats suffered a heavy electoral defeat in 2009 after serving as Merkel's junior governing party in her first term. The party finished a distant second in this year's vote. The Social Democratic signature on this coalition agreement is everywhere, senior Social Democratic lawmaker Karl Lauterbach said. He added that we succeeded on the most important points but conceded that party leaders will have to overcome many reservations among members. In the meantime, Merkel's second-term government remains in office on a caretaker basis. AP

'Iran will still make a nuclear bomb': Israels ambassador to the UK Daniel Taub argues the Geneva deal endangers us all - Middle East - World - The Independent
Speaking to The Independent Daniel Taub reasserted Israels firmly held view that the Geneva accord, signed at 4am on Sunday morning, will do little to contain the threat posed by Iran, or to slow its progress towards acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, as well as maintaining pressure on traditional allies an Israeli national security team arrived in Washington for talks with American officials yesterday the situation may call for more radical partnerships that

have hitherto been unthinkable, he says. Speaking of the opposition to Tehran-sponsored Shia alliances in the Middle East, Mr Taub raised to prospect of cooperation between Israel and a number of predominantly Sunni countries, including the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, that are equally concerned about a nuclear Iran. If you look at the region you see this very radical axis that runs from Tehran to Damascus to Beirut and actually on to Gaza, and I think that we are not alone [in being worried] about it, he said. There are many countries that look on these issues and its a reminder that if we can rise above some of our immediate differences and paradigms we actually have an awful lot in common, many of our most fundamental strategic concerns are actually aligned, and of course we would be interested in trying to deepen relationships on that basis. Asked if he was hopeful that such relationships might be possible, despite long-standing disputes regarding the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, Mr Taub said: I think the changes in our region are forcing many parties to make choices that they hadnt had to make before. That creates a moment of opportunity for us. I think that there are elements within countries in the region that now see that Israel can be a partner for some of the things they want. Those parts of the Middle East that are forward looking, that want to develop prosperity there are people that are asking these questions and thats a possibility for thinking about some sort of relationship. One relationship that Mr Taub insists is still healthy, despite Israel adamant opposition to last weekends deal, is that which it shares with its Western allies. Since the deal with Iran was announced, its sponsors have lauded it as the first meaningful breakthrough in diplomacy with the Islamic Republic since 1979. In the House of Commons on Monday, Foreign Secretary William Hague was praised on all sides for the UKs part in the deal, which is initially for six months and will see some sanctions on Iran eased in return for guarantees over uranium enrichment and greater access for UN inspectors. Mr Hague said that Iran has made a number of very significant commitments, and that the deal was the, first step on the long journey to making the Middle East and the whole world safer from nuclear proliferation.

Israel simply does not accept this and is firmly of the opinion that that journey is setting off in the wrong direction. Mr Taub said the deal will not prevent Iran from acquiring the bomb, and may not even slow down its progress. Our concern is that this deal doesnt provide everything thats necessary. We look at the deal and we see that the entire mechanism, the infrastructure thats been established, by deceit, under the nose [of the International Atomic Energy Agency] is really left intact. Not a single centrifuge is dismantled, not a single aspect of the Arak plutonium heavy water reactor, not a single aspect of the military aspect of the programme is actually dismantled. It all remains in place.

The 10,200 centrifuge that were spinning on the eve of the agreement will still be spinning on the day after the agreement. Our fundamental concern is that at the end of this six-month period Iran is not going to be further away from being a nuclear weapons state it might actually be closer to it. Were troubled by whats in the agreement; were troubled by differences. One of the things that is troubling to us is that within less than a day of the signing of this agreement there seemed to be a fairly fundamental difference of interpretation between Iran and the negotiators over the right of enrichment [Iran says the agreement enshrines its right to enrich, the Western powers disagree]. If theres such a fundamental difference on principle, then what are we going to do when it comes to issues of practice? Many in Israel have reacted with anger to the agreement. Naftali Bennett, an Israeli cabinet minister, warned that if a nuclear suitcase blows up five years from now in New York or Madrid, it will be because of the deal that was signed this morning. Mr Taubs analysis may not be too far from Mr Bennetts, but his method of opposing the deal is to dissect it. The P5 +1 the five permanent members of the UN Security Council along with Germany and Iran agreed that Tehran will cease to enrich uranium above 5 per cent and to dilute its stockpile of uranium that is already enriched beyond that level, a key element needed to manufacture a bomb. Were concerned that some of those elements [of agreement] may be being oversold and perhaps they are less significant than they seem, he says. For example, a lot of attention is being given to the fact that there are restrictions on enriching to over 5 per cent, but we were very concerned about that a year, a year and half ago. Were still concerned about it but its less of an issue today because Iran has these high speed centrifuges that enable it to get from 3.5 per cent to weapons grade,] so its less significant [now]. Mr Taubs problem, and that of his government, is that Iran has come in from the cold. The election of Hassan Rouhani as Irans president in the summer, replacing the hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been seized on by the West as an opportunity to do a deal. Mr Ahmadinejad, on the record as a denier of the Holocaust was easy to isolate, but Mr Rouhani is a trickier opponent. He is portrayed by Tehran as a moderate someone the West can do business with, and this has been bought in Western capitals, the Israelis argue. But in many ways, it is even worse than that for Israel. It transpired after the accord was reached at the weekend that the Geneva deal was the result of a year of direct, and secret, talks between Washington and Tehran. And that means that the Americans were dealing directly with the Israel-hating Ahmadinejad regime. In the hours following the agreement, Mr Taubs prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama shared what has been described as an angry phone call. One thing the Israelis know now is that they have closer potential allies than the US when it comes to the question of Irans nuclear ambitions. The fallout: International reaction This agreement has made the world a much more dangerous place Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister The Saudi government has been very concerned about these negotiations with Iran and unhappy at the prospect of a deal with Iran unnamed Saudi official If Iran does not fully meet its commitments during this six-month phase, we will turn off the relief and ratchet up the pressure Barack Obama We should make unremitting efforts to solve Irans nuclear issue in a long-term, comprehensive and solid way Qui Gong, Chinese Foreign Ministry

A breakthrough step has been made, but only the first on a long and difficult path. As the result of talks...we managed to get closer to untying one of the most difficult knots in world politics Vladimir Putin The deal demonstrates how persistent diplomacy and tough sanctions can together help us to advance our national interest David Cameron A victory for the logic of dialogue and political work over the logic of threats, ultimatums, challenges and wars Omran al-Zoubi, Syrian Information Minister Victorian Finan

Postcard from... Malmo - World - News - The Independent

Its a southern Swedish town thats been made famous as a trendy hub of technology start-ups and as one of the locations for Scandinavian Noir thriller The Bridge, but I was there visiting an English friend who commutes across the bridge to Copenhagen every day. Hes gone rather native and insisted we strip naked, sweat in a sauna then plunge into the near freezing Baltic Sea. Jutting out 500 metres or so on a pier into the sea off Malmos main beach are the wooden building, cold baths and saunas of the spa at Riberborg. It isnt an exclusive spa rather it is a spa run for the local municipality. This, it seems, is how saunas are done in Sweden far from the world of private health clubs in Britain. Its the perfect place to learn some simple Swedish sauna rules. Swedes never wear shoes in the home, so take those off too. And dont even think of wearing a swimming suite. You just set down your towel and take a seat with a view of the famous Oresund bridge. The only real test of manhood is whether you are brave enough to plunge into the sea off Sweden in late November.

Evicted anti-virus guru John McAfee on the run again - Americas - World The Independent
The British-American entrepreneur behind the McAfee anti-virus software has been evicted from his apartment in Portland, Oregon, and accused of stalking by the buildings property manager. The news comes almost a year after Mr McAfee, 68, fled his previous home in Belize, in Central America, to escape being questioned by local police about the killing of his American neighbour, Gregory Faull. The stalking complaint was filed by Connor Hyde, the superintendent of the building where Mr McAfee took an apartment earlier this year. Mr Hyde, a property manager for the Riverstone Residential Group, claims Mr McAfee sent him threatening emails and accused him of involvement in a conspiracy with Mr Faulls family. According to The Oregonian, Mr Hyde, who no longer works at the building in question, feared that Mr McAfee had access to firearms and associated with members of a biker gang. In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr McAfee said he had not been evicted and insisted that he never threatened anybody, except with threats of lawsuits. He had a severe problem with Mr Hyde due to wilful lapses of security, Mr McAfee said, adding that Mr Hyde gave keys out to all of his friends and friends of friends People were partying in vacant condos. Its turned into a nightmare ever since the new owners purchased the building four months ago. A Portland judge granted a temporary protective order against Mr McAfee, who dismissed it as meaningless because,

he said, he moved to Montreal in Canada two months ago. The tech guru also said he would not attend the hearing scheduled for 3 January. Mr McAfee founded his anti-virus firm McAfee Associates in 1987 and sold his stake seven years later for an estimated $100m (62m). The company was later sold to Intel for more than $7.6bn (4.7bn), while in 2009 its founder claimed to have lost the majority of his fortune during the financial crisis. Four years ago, Mr McAfee moved to Belize for tax reasons, became an avid yoga practitioner and established a small biotechnology research facility where, he said, he was developing new varieties of antibiotics. In April 2012, police raided the facility and arrested Mr McAfee on suspicion of producing methamphetamine, though the charges were quickly dropped. On 11 November 2012, Mr Faull, a divorced sports bar owner from Florida, was found shot dead at his home nearby. He and Mr McAfee had reportedly argued about several matters, including the level of noise from Mr McAfees compound. The day before the murder, Mr McAfees dogs were poisoned. Mr McAfee, who denies any involvement in Mr Faulls death, dyed his hair as a disguise and fled Belize to avoid being questioned by the local authorities, whom he accused of corruption. While staying in neighbouring Guatemala, he met with a reporter and photographer from Vice who planned to chronicle his life on the lam. But they gave away his location by posting a photo of Mr McAfee online without first wiping its location data. Mr McAfee was accused of crossing the border from Belize illegally and spent a week in jail in Guatemala before flying to the US. In a bid to clear his name, Mr McAfee has offered a $25,000 reward for information about Mr Faulls death. Police in Belize said the entrepreneur remains a person of interest in their investigation into Mr Faulls death. The countrys Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, has described Mr McAfee as extremely paranoid, even bonkers.

27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report - Americas - World - The Independent
But now it seems the slogan no animals were harmed is not always to be believed after the publication of a report claiming animal cruelty is still rife in Hollywood. A number of animals were injured or killed during the production of some of last years biggest blockbusters, including Life of Pi and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, while the HBO horse-racing drama Luck was cancelled after four horses died during filming. The report by The Hollywood Reporter accuses the American Humane Association (AHA) the issuer of the familiar no animals were harmed credit of not only failing to protect animals on set, but also of covering up those lapses. The real-life Bengal tiger that played the circus animal Richard Parker in the director Ang Lees acclaimed Life of Pi was reported to have almost drowned during a sequence that was shot in a water tank in Taiwan; the report claims the animal was snagged with a catch rope and dragged to the side of the tank. The Oscar-winning film was awarded the no animals were harmed stamp, despite an AHA official having witnessed the incident. Gina Johnson, a representative for the AHA, described the tigers mistreatment in an email to a colleague in 2011. This one take with him just went really bad and he got lost trying to swim to the side. Damn near drowned, she wrote. I think this goes without saying but dont mention anything to anyone! Especially the office. Have

wrote. I think this goes without saying but dont mention anything to anyone! Especially the office. Have downplayed the fuck out of it. The report also claims the AHA neglected to investigate animal cruelty that took place on a New Zealand farm during the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2011 , when 27 animals including sheep and goats reportedly perished from dehydration, exhaustion or drowning. An animal trainer working on the film informed an AHA official of the fatalities in 2012, but was told the lack of physical evidence would make it hard to investigate the claim further. When the trainer replied that he had buried the animals himself and knew of their location, the AHA representative told him that because the deaths had taken place off-set, it could not officiate. The film was later given the carefully worded credit that noted it monitored all of the significant animal action. No animals were harmed during such action. These recent incidents of animal neglect are not isolated. According to the report, a husky dog was punched in the diaphragm on Disneys 2006 film Eight Below, a chipmunk was fatally squashed in the 2006 comedy Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, and dozens of dead fish and squid were washed ashore during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003. In a statement, the AHA denied the allegations made in the report and said it could only bear responsibility for an animals welfare while it was on a film set. Far from allowing abuse or neglect to occur, we have a remarkably high safety record of 99.98 per cent on set, the AHA said. Despite our best efforts, there have occasionally been rare accidents, most of them minor and not intentional. Writing to condemn the animal deaths during production on The Hobbit last year, Dr Robin Ganzert, the chief executive of the AHA, said: We do not have either the jurisdiction or funding to extend oversight to activities or conditions off-set or before animals come under our protection. There are too many incidents off the set and this must stop. It is vital that we work with the industry to bring the kind of protection we have for animals during filming to all phases of production. Animal Cruelty: Films recent record The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Twenty seven animals including goats and sheep were said to have perished from dehydration, exhaustion or drowning on a New Zealand farm during filming. Zookeeper (2011) An elderly giraffe died during the movies production run. Eight Below Zero (2006) A huskie was beaten during filming, and given five punches to its diaphragm. Force was also used to break up a dog fight.

Revealed: Guantanamo suspects were 'turned' into double agents at secret facility - Americas - World - The Independent
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The programme, run from a secret facility within Guantanamo Bay which has never been revealed until now, ran from 2002 until 2006 and drew the personal attention of George W Bush who was then in the White House. A number of terror suspects were successfully turned and sent back to their countries in the hope that they would reconnect with the al-Qaida network and feed information back to the CIA to help it locate and kill high-profile targets, according to an investigation by the Associated Press. Only those believed still to have legitimate contacts with the top hierarchies of terror group were considered for the secret programme. Once identified, they were tempted by an assortment of inducements, most notably large sums of cash as well as promises from the CIA that their safety and that of their families would thereafter be assured, including with new false identities. The money for the men, which over time came to millions of dollars, was drawn from a secret CIA fund called the Pledge. More prosaically, these special recruits were offered equally special privileges while they remained at Guantanamo Bay, including being taken out of the main cell blocks and moved to a group of small, relatively cosy bungalows set several hundred yards away beyond a screen of shrub and cactus. The cottages, which went by the codename Penny Lane, had their own patios, kitchens and private showers. Perhaps most tempting of all, they featured proper beds with regular mattresses. The Penny Lane moniker was derived from The Beatles song, in a nod to the fact that the main cell block complex had already become known as Strawberry Fields, because of the next word in the chorus forever. More than 10 years later some of the detainees are still incarcerated in them with little prospect of release. Some also took collectively to calling the hidden cottages the Marriott, because of their relative comfort. Allegedly, the Penny Lane residents were even allowed to access pornography if they so requested. There was no comment today from the CIA. Details of the programme, which came laden with heavy risks, were pieced together by the Associated Press following interviews with numerous current and former US officials who were familiar with it. They, however, spoke on condition of anonymity. Others familiar with Guantanamo Bay did not express particular surprise. Of course that would be an objective, noted Emile Nakhleh, a former top CIA analyst who helped assess detainees, without discussing the programme further. Its the job of intelligence to recruit sources. I do see the irony on the surface of letting some really very bad guys go, David Remes, a lawyer for a group of Yemeni detainees at the facility, told the AP. He too, however, saw what the CIA was hoping to achieve. The men we were sending back as agents were thought to be able to provide value to us. Mr Bush was sufficiently intrigued to speak at the White House directly to one CIA official who was involved in Afghanistan, where the suspects-turned-agents were sent to upon their release from Penny Lane. By contrast, President Barack Obama is said to have raised concerns about any of those who were supposedly still helping the CIA when he took office in 2009 and ordered a review of all such operations. If the programme remained a heavily guarded secret, it was surely because of the rather obvious risks associated with it, notably that the men, once released would immediately take part in new attacks against the US and publicly reveal their journeys through Penny Lane to embarrass Washington. There was also concern that if any of them identified a target for drone attack they might themselves have been killed even while being in the pay of the CIA. While sources said that the programme did result in some successful CIA assassinations of high-priority targets, they conceded that in other cases men simply vanished upon release never to be heard from again. They said there is no evidence, however, that any of them turn around again and killed any Americans.

The treatment of inmates by the US at Guantanamo Bay has repeatedly been condemned by human rights groups. The facility remains a political thorn in the side for President Obama, who has failed to fulfil a pledge made when he was first elected to close it down quickly. He was stymied in particular by resistance on Capitol Hill to any notion of terror suspects being moved to US soil for trial in the regular court system. Public attention will be directed back to Guantanamo Bay next year in particular with the expected start of the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on America.

France sends in troops to Central African Republic to stop 'another Rwanda' as conflict threatens to explode into Muslim-Christan war - Europe - World The Independent
The deployment the second French intervention in Africa this year is likely to win UN Security Council approval in the next few days. The French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves le Drian, spoke of a short mission to allow calm and stability to return after the overthrow of the President eight months ago. The Central African Republic is in a state of collapse and we cannot allow a country to fall apart like that, with the risk of violence, massacres and humanitarian chaos, Mr Le Drian said. Both sides have accused each other of atrocities since a Muslim rebel alliance overthrew a Christian president in March. There have been reports of massacres, rape and the conscription of child soldiers by the rebel forces. Over a million people, in a country of 4.4 million, are facing famine. An estimated 400,000 people have been forced from their homes and 68,000 have fled to neighbouring countries. The UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Security Council on Monday that the CAR was becoming a breeding ground for extremists and armed groups and could descend into a full-scale civil war between Muslim and Christian communities. UN officials have warned of the potential for another Rwanda. Mr Eliasson suggested that the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force of up to 9,000 troops might now be inevitable. The new French force will join the 400 French soldiers on the ground in a six-month bridging operation before a large peacekeeping operation by the African Union begins next month. A draft UN Security Council resolution is expected to call on the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to prepare plans for a possible UN intervention within three months. French interventions in Africa have a tendency to last longer than initially announced, such as that in Mali in January. Mr Le Drian rejected any comparisons between the operations. In Mali there was an attack by jihadists who wanted to transform Mali into a terrorist state, he said. This is a collapse of a country with a potential for religious conflict. France has international responsibilities. The CAR is one the poorest countries in the world There have long been religious and economic tensions between Muslims, who are traditionally livestock farmers, and broadly wealthier Christians, who are mostly crop-growers. In March, President Franois Boziz was overthrown by a coalition of two Muslim groups called Seleka (alliance). Mr Bozizs supporters called for continuing resistance against the rebels whom they accused of being mostly foreign jihadists. Michel Djotodia, the rebel leader, who proclaimed himself to be the countrys first ever Muslim President, has promised to preserve the countrys secular traditions. His Seleka forces have been accused, however, of pillaging churches and massacring Christian communities. Some diplomatic sources estimate that 80 per cent of the Seleka fighters come from Central Africas northern neighbours, Sudan and Chad.

An African Union intervention force, over 3,000 strong, is supposed to begin full-scale operations next month. Senior UN officials have dismissed the force as under-equipped and under-financed. Instead of protecting the civilian population, they say, the soldiers have been selling their services to private companies. Central African Republic in numbers 1 million people are facing famine 400,000 people have fled their homes 68,000 have fled to neighbouring countries

Japan cracks down on leaks after scandal of Fukushima nuclear power plant Asia - World - The Independent
In a car park 25 miles south of the plant, a nervous maintenance worker on a rare break told The Independent that conditions onsite were chaotic and dangerous. Workers were exhausted; nobody at the top seemed to know what they were doing. Nearly three years later, Japans parliament is set to pass a new state secrecy bill that critics warn might make revealing such conversations impossible, even illegal. They say the law dramatically expands state power, giving every government agency and ministry the discretion to label restricted information state secrets. Breaching those secrets will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, denies he is trying to gag the media or restrict the publics right to know. There is a misunderstanding, he told Japans parliament today as the Lower House prepared to pass the bill (to be enacted on 6 December). It is obvious that normal reporting activity of journalists must not be a subject for punishment. Few people outside the government, however, seem to believe him. The legislation has triggered protests from Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Japanese Newspapers Unions, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and many other media watchdogs. Academics have signed a petition demanding it be scrapped. It represents a grave threat to journalism because it covers such a wide and vague range of secrets, said Mizuho Fukushima, a former leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party. She pointed out that the bill casts its net so wide it even includes a clause for miscellaneous secrets. Inevitably, perhaps, debate on the new law has been viewed through the prism of the Fukushima crisis, which revealed disastrous collusion between bureaucrats and the nuclear industry. Critics say journalists attempting to expose such collusion today could fall foul of the new law, which creates three new categories of special secrets: diplomacy, counter-terrorism and counter-espionage, in addition to defence.

Damage caused by the tsunami to the Unit 3 reactor building at Fukushima (AP) During deliberations in November, Masako Mori, the minister in charge of the bill, admitted that security information on nuclear power plants could be designated a state secret because the information might reach terrorists. The designation would mostly be left to elite bureaucrats. The government has attempted to steer debate away from Fukushima and toward rising tensions in Asia. Japans government says the secrecy legislation has been introduced partly to head off pressure from the US, its key military ally. Washington is still struggling to put out its own diplomatic fires started by whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning. One possible application for the new law could be seen in November, when Japan held some of its largest-ever military exercises near the southern prefecture of Okinawa. Opponents of the bill say Japans mainstream media is in any case already largely compliant. The latest (2013) World Press Freedom survey, published by journalism watchdog Reporters Without Borders, ranks Japan just 53rd, behind most advanced democracies and Lithuania and Ghana. Why do we need another law, asks Taro Yamamoto, an independent politician. What the government is truly trying to do is increase the power of the state.

Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem - Health & Families - Life & Style - The Independent
Chris Christie, the straight-talking Governor of New Jersey, won himself a second term in office earlier this month by a crushing majority, in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 700,000. His achievement in attracting a majority of the votes of women, despite his opposition to abortion rights, and Hispanics, and in making inroads into the youth and the black vote makes him the strongest contender for the Republican nomination in 2016. However, though his opinions are, by UK standards, way to the right of centre, they are not right-wing enough for the GOPs strident Tea Party wing, some of whom evidently think they can block his candidature by raising doubts in the public mind about whether a fat man is fit to be President. They do not use direct attacks to make his weight an issue, because that would carry obvious political risks in a country where obesity is sufficiently serious for the polling company Gallup to produce monthly reports on its progress. The current months figures confirm that 2013 will be the worst year for obesity since monthly records began in 2008, with 27.2 per cent of the population classed as obese, 35.5 per cent overweight, and barely a third the right size. Instead, Christies enemies drop hints that draw attention to his ample stomach without actually mentioning it. In the summer, Christie made a barbed comment about his rival from Kentucky, Senator Rand Paul, from the partys Tea Party wing, suggesting that the generous federal aid that goes into Kentucky owed something to pork barrel politics. This is the king of bacon talking about bacon, Senator Paul shot back. Last week, Senator Paul did it again. Asked

This is the king of bacon talking about bacon, Senator Paul shot back. Last week, Senator Paul did it again. Asked whether he would appear on a radio show with his rival, he replied that he would, adding: If theres a State Fair, we could go for a fried Twinkie. A Twinkie is a yellow, sponge-like, cream-filled cake so loved by binge-eaters that in law there is what is known as the Twinkie defence, after a lawyer attempted to get his client off a murder charge by arguing that an excess of junk food had impaired his mental capacity. Senator Paul is not the first to metaphorically prod Christies belly. When Christie stood for the New Jersey governorship in 2009, the Democrat incumbent, Jon Corzine, ran a television advertisement showing him walking in extreme slow motion, with flesh moving in several directions at once. In case anyone missed the point, a narrator remarked that Christie threw his weight around. This year, as Christie ran for re-election, his Democrat challenger Barbara Buono remarked in a speech that surfaced on YouTube: Seeing Chris Christie frolicking on the beach is not going to drive me to go to the shore. It has also been alleged that Mitt Romney rejected having Christie as a running mate in 2012 solely because of his weight. Watching a video of Christie without a suit jacket, he is reported to have exclaimed: Guys! Look at that! John Kasich, Governor of Ohio and another possible Republican contender in 2016, described Christie, rather more respectfully, as a big teddy bear. Journalists, too, have joined the game. Time magazine ran a cover with Christie pictured in silhouette behind the headline The Elephant in the Room. Eugene Robinson, a commentator for the Washington Post, argued that in a country suffering an epidemic of obesity, it is legitimate to attack Christie for being overweight, adding: Id just like to offer him a bit of unsolicited, nonpartisan, sincere advice: eat a salad and take a walk. An opinion piece by a Bloomberg columnist, Michael Kinsley, came straight to the point in its opening sentence: Look, Im sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be President: he is just too fat. In past elections, Christie his risen above these taunts with panache, even turning them to his advantage, just as men in the middle ranks of national politics in the UK made light of their weight if you will pardon the expression. The fattest man seen in the Commons since the war was the former Liberal MP, Cyril Smith. His posthumous reputation is in tatters because of details that emerged about him sexually abusing children, but while he was a practising politician, his immense size made him one of the most easily recognised political figures, and aided his chances of being re-elected. Similarly, the Environment Secretary, Eric Pickles, has never suffered politically because of his larger than average girth, though he finds the jokes that others make about it very tiresome. He exacted revenge on George Osborne for one such joke, by posting a picture of himself on Twitter eating a modest salad after the Chancellor had been pictured devouring a burger from upmarket purveyor Byron. But a British Cabinet minister, or a US state governor, does not have to endure the intense personal scrutiny of a presidential election, when voters will be invited to ask whether the candidate is physically fit enough to be the Commander in Chief, the person with a finger on the nuclear button. Christies progress will doubtless be watched with interest by the Australian ambassador in Washington, Kim Beazley. He aspired to the top job in Australias government as leader of the Labor Party, but with an election looming, his colleagues sacked him in December 2006 and installed Kevin Rudd in his place. One reason that they judged him to be an electoral liability was his weight. In 2005, John Howard, the Liberal Prime Minister, pioneered the tactic now being deployed against Christie, by drawing attention to Beazleys girth without mentioning it directly, taunting Beazley with the phrase: He does not have the ticker. The following year, a Liberal MP, Wilson Tuckey, was not so subtle: during an angry exchange outside Parliament, just before Beazley was ousted, Tuckey shouted at him: You big fat so and so! We do not know how the British electorate would react to being asked to put a fat man or fat woman in Downing Street, because none of the main parties has fielded an overweight leader in the television era. However, when

Street, because none of the main parties has fielded an overweight leader in the television era. However, when Edward Heath lost office in February 1974, he was secretly suffering from a thyroid condition that caused him to balloon while he was Leader of the Opposition. One Tory MP, Airey Neave, who saw him privately, thought that he was not fit to continue as party leader, looking so fat and red-faced. Heath did not resign, so Neave took on the job of managing Margaret Thatchers leadership campaign. The lesson was not lost on Baroness Thatcher, who was obsessively anxious about her own weight, surmising probably correctly that it would be a major problem for someone aspiring to be the UKs first woman Prime Minister to look as if her weight was out of control. Amid the stress of the 1979 general election campaign, she had a self-imposed daily diet sheet designed to make her lose 20lbs, which included a total ban on eating between meals. The only other woman to look like a serious contender for the Tory leadership is Home Secretary Theresa May, who has encountered the opposite problem. In February, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs committee, Keith Vaz, noted that she was looking thin and wondered if the stress of the job was getting to her. To stall any more such speculation, she revealed that her two stone weight loss was brought on by diabetes. The case made against fat leaders has been well made in American newspapers, where it has been written that a candidate looking like Chris Christie is a bad example to children, that a fat persons health is likely to give way under the stress of high office, and that someone who lacks the willpower to lose weight has not the mental strength to lead the country. There is perhaps another unspoken reason: it is fun to be prejudiced, and fat people who take up more room and consume more food than the rest of us are a group we feel we can insult without thinking badly of ourselves. However, there is no universal rule that fat people cannot succeed in politics. Anyone who thinks there is, need only cast their eye over Israels successful politicians, such as Ariel Sharon, whose very ample girth did not prevent him being elected Prime Minister twice, and may even have helped. But Israel has to fight for its very right to exist. To quote Sharons former media adviser, Arnon Perlman: Sharons heaviness conveyed to the public a sense of stability at a time of great inner turmoil. In a wealthy, stable society such as ours, or that of the US, where anyone can get fat but people struggle to stay slim, we prefer our leaders to look lean and fit rather than reassuringly enormous. It was rude of that commentator to tell Christie to eat salad and take a walk: but, realistically, it was not bad advice.

Tiger trainer attacked: Video shows moment attack occurred in Queensland zoo - Australasia - World - The Independent
Staff at the Australia Zoo said the Sumatran tiger became "over-excited" during a play session and bit the 30-year-old zoo worker on the shoulder and neck in front of a crowd of spectators. Colleagues managed to drag the animal off him and pull him to safety, but the man was said to be bleeding heavily. Paramedics who arrived on the scene managed to stem the bleeding. His condition has been described as serious but stable. The zoo, which keeps three Bengali and eight Bengali tigers, has said it will launch a full investigation into the incident.

Video: Children escape shelling in Damascus, Syria - World - News - The Independent
The children were talking to the camera about their experiences of the conflict in Syria when a large explosion knocks them to the ground. They survived and went to find shelter.

They are then caught by the cameras safe and smiling and they gave their account of the moment of the explosion.

Neela Debnath
Neela Debnath is a member of the Independent's Online editorial team. She has an MA in Journalism (NCTJ accredited) from Brunel University. She is interested in current affairs, media and dipping into other areas of journalism.

Neela Debnath
Neela Debnath is a member of the Independent's Online editorial team. She has an MA in Journalism (NCTJ accredited) from Brunel University. She is interested in current affairs, media and dipping into other areas of journalism.

US is pumping 50% more methane into atmosphere than government says, scientists warn - Americas - World - The Independent
The study is one of the most comprehensive attempts to monitor greenhouse gases ever carried out, based on more than 13,000 measurements between 2007 and 2008. It estimates that the US poured nearly 50 million tons of methane into the air during the period compared to the 32 million tons estimated by the US Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), or the 29 million tons registered by the European Commission. The gas is 21 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2, and scientists said the new figures meant methane contributed as much to global warming as all the emissions from the USs cars, trucks and planes in a six-month period. Something is very much off in the inventories, said study co-author Anna Michalak, an Earth scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, California. The total US impact on the world's energy budget is different than we thought, and it's worse. Unlike previous studies, which estimate methane emissions at source outside livestock farms, oil refineries and fracking operations the new research measured the gas once it had reached altitude, with sensors on planes and tall towers. Scientists published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Outside experts praised the study, with Robert Howarth at Cornell University calling it very compelling and quite important. This is the most comprehensive study yet. Britton Stephens of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, said: The atmosphere is this great integrator that records the sum of all emissions. The great thing about it is it doesn't lie, it doesn't make mistakes. Stephens added that methane leaks may have cancelled out the benefits felt from recent pushes to switch from coal to natural gas. Michalak said their methods meant it is hard to say what is putting more methane into the air. But she said by looking at concentrations especially within Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas the scientists have a good idea: Cows, oil and gas.

Nearly one-quarter of the US methane emissions came from those three states, and the measurements were nearly 300 per cent higher than government estimates. Texas is known for its refineries and oil and gas drilling. Oklahoma is another major driller, while Kansas hosts some of the countrys largest livestock farms. Cows seem to be spewing twice the methane that scientists previously thought, Michalak said. While burps and flatulence are part of the methane emission from cattle, University of California Santa Barbara professor Ira Leifer said a bigger factor is manure. If you shovel it into an artificial lagoon you are creating the perfect production for methane, but it cuts down on the smell and your neighbours complain less, he said. A spokesperson for the government's EPA Alisha Johnson said her agency hasn't had time to go through the study yet, but hopes it will help refine our estimates going forward.

Fury as Spanish officers search British diplomatic bag at border with Gibraltar - Europe - World - The Independent
The incident, which occurred on Friday, was described by a Foreign Office spokesman as a "serious infringement" of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. "Diplomatic bags are inviolable," the spokesman said. Officials are now seeking assurances from the Spanish that there will be no repeat of the incident, which follows months of tension between London and Madrid over the British overseas territory. The British embassy in Madrid has also made a "formal diplomatic protest" to Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and and requested that it investigate the incident. The bag was searched when a courier was taking it across the border from Gibraltar into Spain, according to The Gibraltar Chronicle. No explanation has been given as to why it was being carried across the land border or why the Spanish authorities decided to open it. The Foreign Office refused to discuss the contents of the bag. Diplomatic bags, which are used to transport documents and other items between governments and their diplomatic missions abroad are protected by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The incident is the latest spat between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar. Earlier this month, the Spanish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office over what was believed to be an unauthorised incursion into Gibraltarian waters by a Spanish survey vessel. The Foreign Office spokesman said: "This was a serious infringement of the principles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. "There are long-established and internationally-accepted articles concerning official correspondence and the diplomatic bag to which the FCO adheres. We expect other parties to the Convention, including EU and Nato allies, to do the same. "We take very seriously any reported abuse of the protocol surrounding official correspondence and the diplomatic bag. We have asked the Spanish authorities to investigate what occurred and take action to ensure it does not happen again. "As far as we are concerned there is no justification for this infringement of the UK's rights under the Vienna

Convention. Official correspondence and diplomatic bags are inviolable." Additional reporting by Press Association

Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family - Europe World - The Independent
Thomas Kluge spent four years painting Queen Margrethe II and her family, including Prince Christian, who dominates the royal ensemble and has been compared to Damien, the possessed orphan in the 1976 film The Omen. The Queen commissioned the work to mark the passage of 150 years since the House of Glucksburg took the Danish throne. It recalls a renowned 19th century painting that showed earlier generations of the family in a traditional, ballroom setting. Speaking for the first time since the a challenging reception, Mr Klug told The Independent that he was surprised to discover people were looking at his painting in the same way as the original. "I was trying to take out realistic depictions because we live in a democratic world and I think our Queen and her her family are now symbolic," he said. "This is satire." Mr Klug, who is 44 and from Copenhagen, described his depiction of eight-year-old Christian, who is second in line to the throne and played football with the artist during sittings, as like that of a "toy figure". He added: "I have put him in front of a theatre-like scene with light coming from below to show how he has not grown up but that we, the viewer, expect him to bring this kingdom into the future. I wanted to show that weight on his shoulders." A spokesperson for the royal family in Copenhagen said it could not comment on the painting or the reaction to it but Mr Kluge said the Queen had approved the work. "She was very kindly and warm and it was a great pleasure for me so I have a great feeling for that," he said. "I think it is understood that it is important to play with historic symbols and place them in our democracy. We should look at our history and culture in new ways." Queen Margrethe enjoys some of the highest popularity ratings of any European monarch and is herself an accomplished artist. She supplied the illustrations for the Danish language publication of the Lord of The Rings trilogy with the blessing of its author JRR Tolkien.

Neela Debnath
Neela Debnath is a member of the Independent's Online editorial team. She has an MA in Journalism (NCTJ accredited) from Brunel University. She is interested in current affairs, media and dipping into other areas of journalism.

News - Business

Boris Johnson v Gordon Gekko: Guess who said it Npower confirms 1,460 British jobs in outsourcing to India Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson

Its been hard, says sacked Glencore trader Andrew Kearns ahead of ruling Surprise drop in retail sales hits confidence in recovery Hamish McRae: Germany has got itself a new government, but how will it face the social challenges ahead? The Guardian's future... by the paper's guardian Andrew Miller Ex-director of ENRC claims 'leak' meeting with reporter was a bluff L&G claims pension charge cap is not low enough to work UBS Paris headquarters raided by French authorities in tax evasion probe Compass shares rally as catering giant lands Silicon Valley contract HP and boss Whitman to defend class action rule over Autonomy United Utilities refrains from price hike as profits jump Albemarle shares plummet after pawnbroker issues third profit warning Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double Consumer splurge in third quarter fuels fears for "unsustainable" recovery City of London police inquiry adds to RBS investigations 'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece Royal Mail shares rally as profits more than double in first results as private company Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising James Moore: Young and old can take heart at least its not as bad as in Mexico Can De La Rue bank on the Old Lady? It doesnt take a 1m chief to make state fund CDC fly RBS report author had to blow 2.6m on loan fees... mostly from RBS Chris Blackhurst: We should have let banks go to the wall. They dont care about our wellbeing Mark Carney calls for formal powers over bank leverage ratios Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup Banks used to have a duty of care. Perhaps post-RBS scandal, they can rediscover it Hot stuff! Profits double at Nando's Westfield secures planning permission for 1 billion Croydon mega shopping centre Gatwick numbers take off as chief executive calls for new runway 'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth Severn Trent hikes dividend despite profit drop as the company vows to keep water bills down Britvic signs PepsiCo deal to widen Fruit Shoot distribution in the US UK pensions among worst in the developed world, OECD warns De La Rue shares soar as pre-tax profit jumps 19% in first half Osborne offers the Bank of England extra powers to keep the banks in check Mark Carney defends 'dead on arrival' forward guidance policy City standards watchdog is roasted by MPs over ENRC Hugo Boss and Rmy Cointreau hit by luxury slowdown in China

Boris Johnson v Gordon Gekko: Guess who said it - Business - News - The Independent

Boris Johnson has called for a new generation of Brits to embrace greed and snobbery as a "valuable spur to economic activity" during a speech where the London Mayor paid tribute to Thatcherism. The speech bears some striking similarities to Gordon Gekko's infamous "Greed is Good" tirade in the film Wall Street. Can you guess who said it, Johnson or Gekko? Take our quiz:

Npower confirms 1,460 British jobs in outsourcing to India - Business News Business - The Independent
The company confirmed it would cut nearly 1,460 back office jobs in the UK, or 15% of its staff in this country, and move them to India. It is outsourcing a further 540 British call centre jobs to Capita. The move would see npowers offices in Stock on Trent closing, with the loss of about 550 jobs, with a further roles being cut at one of its three offices in Oldbury. Another 430 positions will be axed at its Rainton Bridge office in Sunderland and a further 80 in Leeds. It comes in the week after npower was named the UKs most-complained about energy provider and was immediately denounced as bad for its customers, who are bracing themselves for a 10.4% price hike on Sunday. Ann Robinson, of the uSwitch price comparison website, said: I am a bit concerned about the quality of service that people will get. Years ago, E.ON outsourced jobs to India but they were forced to bring them back because of the poor service. But npower chief executive Paul Massara insisted that customers would benefit from the move. This restructure is necessary if we are to deliver the levels of service our customers deserve. All calls would still be answered in the UK. We would have the flexibility to keep call waiting times down during busy periods, and continue to keep costs down so we can keep bills down, he said. By transferring existing npower staff to Capita, they could use the outsoucing groups extra capacity to handle calls at peak times, Massara said. However, GMB Northern Region Senior Organiser Colin Smith disagreed that the restructuring would be good for customer service. GMB will vigorously campaign against the offshoring of jobs to India because it has absolutely nothing to do with customer service and everything to do with cost, he said. The announcement continues a week in which the big six energy providers have been centre stage. Official figures showed on Tuesday that more than 31,000 people had died needlessly during last winters freeze, of which about 10,00 are estimated to have been due to cold homes. Meanwhile, Andrew Wright, the head of the Ofgem energy regulator, told politicians there was a deep mistrust of anything the energy companies do or say.

Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

The Mayor of London, giving the annual Margaret Thatcher lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, staked a claim to being the political heir of the late prime minister and said restaurant queues, traffic jams and cranes around London made him feel like he was back in the 1980s. I hope there is no return to that spirit of Loadsamoney heartlessness figuratively riffling banknotes under the noses of the homeless and I hope that this time the Gordon Gekkos of London are conspicuous not just for their greed valid motivator though greed may be for economic progress as for what they give and do for the rest of the

greed valid motivator though greed may be for economic progress as for what they give and do for the rest of the population, many of whom have experienced real falls in their incomes. And if there is to be a boom I hope it is one that is marked by a genuine sense of community and acts of prodigious philanthropy, and I wish the snob value and prestige that the Americans attach to acts of giving would somehow manifest itself here. Mr Johnson said he and the late Mrs Thatcher would probably agree over ways to tackle a range of issues such as housing, taxation and education.

Its been hard, says sacked Glencore trader Andrew Kearns ahead of ruling - Business News - Business - The Independent
Glencore sacked Andrew Kearns, now 37, claiming misconduct due to his excessive drinking. But Mr Kearns alleges his drinking did not affect his work in the critical way Glencore claimed, arguing that he had pulled in deals with clients while socialising with them as part of his job. Glencore countered in its summing up, with its barrister, Jonathan Cohen, declaring: The days of the long liquid lunch in the City of London are gone. It might be Mr Kearns way of working but it is not the Glencore way. Mr Kearns said: Should I succeed or fail in the judgment then I look forward to shedding more light on why I was really sacked or fired, and why it was a shambolic dismissal. There is far more to this case than meets the eye. He claimed that a Glencore director who he had met weeks before the trial in a bar in Mayfair for an off-the-record discussion about his case, had pointed him out to paparazzi outside the High Court on the final day of his case last week. He added: Obviously, it has been an extremely difficult time for myself and my family. However, the support we have received generally within the oil industry has been very compelling, and my career is ongoing, although has been seriously handicapped by this case.

Surprise drop in retail sales hits confidence in recovery - Business News Business - The Independent
The Confederation of British Industrys monthly distributive trades survey of the sector dropped to +1 in November, down from +2 in October, defying the expectations of City analysts that the reading would strengthen to +8 as shoppers picked up their spending for the festive season. At this stage last November the surveys reading was +33. A separate quarterly measure from the CBI also showed retailers reporting that the general business environment is as at its weakest since August last year. The recent slowdown in sales may well be causing retailers some edginess as the Christmas shopping season really gets under way, said Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight. Barry Williams, who chairs the CBIs survey panel, speculated that the disappointing recent sales could have been a result of the mild autumn weather. The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that retail sales fell by 0.7 per cent month on month in October. Retail sales account for just six per cent of the economy, but household spending has been the major driving force behind the recovery this year. That was confirmed yesterday by the latest estimate of GDP growth in the third quarter, which showed household spending was responsible for 0.5 per cent of the 0.8 per cent advance recorded over the three months. The ONS also showed that net trade was a significant drag on output over the quarter, with exports sliding by 2.4 per cent.

cent. Total investment was strong, contributing 1.1 per cent to growth but most of this was companies building their stocks according to the ONS. Without this inventory build-up, GDP would have shrunk over the quarter. The numbers show that the recovery has so far failed to broaden out beyond the consumer, said Carl Astorri, the senior economic adviser to the EY Item Club.

Hamish McRae: Germany has got itself a new government, but how will it face the social challenges ahead? - Business Comment - Business - The Independent
The deal is a compromise, as it must be, and one that highlights sharply the tension within the country between the twin objectives of economic growth and social harmony. In these negotiations the CDU has tended to emphasise the first, while the SDP has stressed the second. So the CDUs red lines that there should be no increase in taxation and no softening of fiscal policy have been held. But the SDP has achieved its objectives of a minimum wage, a cut in the pension age for some people, and some less important policies such as certain rent controls. I suppose the big question here is to what extent Germany will retreat from the radical reforms that propelled it from being dubbed the sick man of Europe in the early 2000s to becoming the eurozones powerhouse. The most important single element of this transformation was the labour market reform that took effect in 2004. This introduced short-term contracts, encouraged part-time working and made changes to social security legislation that encouraged job growth at the cost of a reduction in worker rights. It worked. You can see the way the number of employed people turned round in the top graph. But there was resentment. Many young people found they had to take several part-time jobs, or accept insecure ones, rather than enjoy the conditions enjoyed by people who had entered the job market a decade earlier. That resentment has built and shows in the push for a minimum wage, for currently Germany is one of the few countries in the developed world that does not have one. Ironically the SDP has been the party pressing on this, though it was an SDP government that introduced the labour market reforms. It was voted out shortly afterwards, which perhaps colours its current view. So Germany keeps its fiscal orthodoxy. Any increase in social spending will, it is assumed, be funded by the natural increase in tax revenues. The plan is still to maintain a balanced budget and the assumption is that unemployment will continue to decline. Germany also keeps its resistance to the pooling of eurozone debt, and will maintain a stern line against future bailouts. But the prospect of further structural reform has disappeared, so the country will in a sense be using up the progress it has made. On a three or five-year view that probably makes little difference, but on a longer perspective it is more troubling. Hanging over Germany is the prospect of a falling population, while it already has a declining labour force. With an unchanged retirement age and limited immigration, the working population is expected to fall by about 15 per cent over the next 15 years. You can see some projections for this in the bottom graph. This comes from a paper by the economist at the private bank Berenberg, Holger Schmieding, which looks at prospects for Europe to 2020. He is relatively optimistic about the EU in general, arguing that it could become a more dynamic region with an excitingly diverse culture. But he is concerned that Germany might become over-complacent and be outpaced by a reformed France and a resurgent Spain. People will have a variety of views on this. Dr Schmieding is a German national who has spent much of his career abroad he is currently based in London and this doubtless gives him a perspective on Germany that we nonnationals cannot have. Many of us have been surprised and impressed by the German resurgence over the past decade because the country really was in a mess, with over 12 per cent unemployment in 2005. I suppose just as many of us over-emphasised the evident problems of Germany in the early 2000s, so there may be a parallel danger of over-emphasising its apparent strengths now. A countrys economic performance can flip remarkably swiftly, as

of over-emphasising its apparent strengths now. A countrys economic performance can flip remarkably swiftly, as we know here. However, it is not very wise to bet against Germany. Time and time again it has appeared sclerotic, and time and time again it has surprised us by being able to reorient itself. It has been able to bear macro-economic burdens, such as the costs of incorporating East Germany and the entry into the euro at an uncompetitive exchange rate. But what it will find hard to do is cope with a declining population, for it has never faced such an experience in peacetime. So I think what we should be looking for over the life of this new grand coalition will be whether the country acknowledges the demographic mathematics and starts to adapt policy to this, or whether it will mark time and leave coping with this issue to a future government. These are good years for Germany. The re-election of Angela Merkel as Chancellor (and nearly giving her an overall majority) showed the extent to which the voters felt they were being guided safely through the economic downturn and the eurozone crisis. Whatever view you take about the long-term future of the euro, there will be a period now of modest eurozone growth. Germany will benefit from that. The question is whether these good years will be used to prepare for tougher times ahead. At a fiscal level they will. There is not much doubt about that, for Germany is one of the few large economies at or close to running a surplus. But at a structural level it is not so clear that these years will be used wisely, and the first sight of the coalition agreement suggests they will not.

The Guardian's future... by the paper's guardian Andrew Miller - Business Analysis & Features - Business - The Independent
The Guardians editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, has expressed the wish to cut our way out of this perilous financial environment by aggressively expanding into overseas markets. Yet The Guardians plans are challenged by Britains most famous international media brand, the BBC, a traditional editorial ally but a fierce rival when it comes to overseas advertising revenues (which the Corporation may earn from its global output). Andrew Miller, chief executive of parent Guardian Media Group, which spans The Guardian and The Observer newspapers, the guardian.com website and a portfolio that includes GMG Property Services and large stakes in the car-classifieds company Trader Media Group and events company Top Right Group, sounds exasperated. The BBC is a frustrating competitor for us, he says in an interview with The Independent. Its like a very good friend and has the great traits you love, but then several things really annoy you about them. I get frustrated that the BBC is the biggest state-subsidised Internet [operation] in the world. It is a global competitor for us in those different market placesto the advertising revenues that we go for. The least the BBC could do, he argues, is to give a leg up to media companies from back home like The Guardian. Mr Miller believes the BBC should be prepared to do joint advertising deals with his company in foreign markets. The one thing the BBC could do more for UK brands and businesses is to partner with them outside the UK given that the UK is subsidising the build out of the Internet for the BBC, he says. GMG already enjoys advantages over some of its commercial media rivals. Ownership by the Scott Trust means it does not have to answer to shareholders. The group has a cash and investment fund of 254m. Those other assets such as its 50 per cent stake in Trader Media Group and a 33 per cent share in Top Right are security for the lossmaking news business. Mr Miller has already sold GMGs radio business last year for 70m, partly over further frustration with the BBCs disruption of the market. Because of the enshrined nature of the BBCs local radio I took the view that we should be divesting, he says. Two years ago, as he committed GMG to a digital-first strategy, Mr Miller warned staff the newspapers losses were so great it could run out of money in three to five years. The latest losses of 31m for the year to the end of March were an improvement on the 44m of the previous 12 months and he took succour from a 28.9 per cent rise in digital revenues.

digital revenues. But lately he has had to rethink his plans, after a stabilising in daily print circulation at 199,000. The paper has confounded us, he says, adding that there are no plans to close the newspaper. At the same time, Mr Miller is focusing closely on the success of younger news services, such as the entertainmentled BuzzFeed, youth brand Vice and business-based Quartz, which he collectively defines as Wave Two of a process that began with Wave One of newspapers putting content online. The Guardian website has more than 78 million monthly users worldwide, around one-third in America. Mr Miller concedes that attracting advertising dollars is a much more difficult task in a very conservative market. The international audience is critical to The Guardians survival. The financial metrics around digital mean that there isnt enough scale in the UK to survive at the moment maybe in time it will change, he says. Having set up a digital news operation in Australia in May (followed by the Daily Mail this week), he has his sights on India, which has huge potential. But rather than thinking of geographical territories, Mr Miller and Mr Rusbridger have been discussing the themes which will give The Guardian international growth. Asked for examples, the chief executive cites environmental issues, a strong political voice and investigative journalism. The papers coverage of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has raised its global profile. The audience for these themes are the worlds progressives, Mr Miller says. He is against the idea of a hard digital paywall (such as that used by The Times) and considers a freemium soft paywall (as used by The Daily Telegraph ) to be the worst loyalty scheme in the world because regular users are charged. His own preference is a membership, with users signed up to have deeper engagement with the paper. Mr Miller also wants members to be participating in little events which are Guardian-branded. The paper already uses Kings Place, its HQ in Londons Kings Cross, to support various cultural events. Earlier this year it opened a tech-based London caf called #guardiancoffee, which attracted some scorn but Mr Miller says it will live beyond its six-month trial, probably for several years. This week the paper also opened the Guardian Green Room in the Rough Trade record store in New York to showcase its commitment to music. Mr Miller is very keen and more coffee shops may follow. Physical manifestation of The Guardian is something we are actively exploring, he says.

Ex-director of ENRC claims 'leak' meeting with reporter was a bluff Business News - Business - The Independent
Sir Paul, who was a director at ENRC, sued the company for libel after it issued a statement to the Stock Exchange claiming he had been leaking damaging information about the company to the media. But ENRC responded by publishing parts of a transcript of a conversation Sir Paul had with what the company claimed to be a journalist. The transcript had Sir Paul giving ENRC information to the journalist and asking if he could get the stories into the media. On Wednesday, in a formal response, Sir Paul admitted he had met the journalist and discussed ENRC matters including the revelation that the Serious Fraud Office was investigating it and had been extremely tough on the company. However, he claimed he had suspected the meeting was a trap all along and guessed that the journalist was acting on behalf of ENRC. He claimed that, in a sort of double bluff, he spoke to the journalist in the full knowledge that, rather than write it up

He claimed that, in a sort of double bluff, he spoke to the journalist in the full knowledge that, rather than write it up in the media, the journalist would pass the information on to his ENRC-related handlers. The journalist had assured him the conversation was not for publication and therefore the information given was not stock market-sensitive, he claimed. His plan was, he claimed, that when ENRCs employees saw the dirty trick that the company had used on him, they would speak up and expose the methods. Sir Paul added that he was entitled to meet with the journalist and believed he was acting in the best interests of the wider ENRC, even if, as he admitted, the discussion would not be approved of by the company lawyer . Sir Pauls legal filing said the journalist was attempting to entrap the defendant into making statements which could be used against him by the claimant and/or individuals associated with the claimant. He claimed the journalist made a recording of the meetings without his knowledge or permission. The Independent is aware of the identity of the journalist but cannot name him for legal reasons. He advertises himself as a journalist and due diligence adviser, working for companies doing checks on businesses and people. Also in his defence, Sir Paul says he explained to director Richard Burrows that he had only ever discussed ENRC with a person from an economic intelligence organisation, that he was careful about what he said and that no harm had been caused to the company by the meeting. He had also cited in the email concerns that ENRC had tried to hack into his phone calls at around late 2011 around the time of the meeting with the journalist and that he had reported this to the City of London Police. ENRC this week quit the London Stock Exchange but is still being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office and has left behind it a wave of recriminations. MPs this week accused the UK Listing Authority regulator of being asleep on the job when it allowed the mining company to list its shares here.

L&G claims pension charge cap is not low enough to work - Business News Business - The Independent
Legal & General, which has eight million customers in the UK, said Government proposals to cap fees at 0.75 per cent of the funds being managed will be ineffective in driving down costs and will fail to prevent savers getting a raw deal. L&Gs position is at odds with some of its rivals who oppose a cap. John Pollock, the head of Legal & General Assurance, said: A Pension Charge Cap at 0.75 per cent is a poor idea by the Government. Not only will it potentially cost legacy scheme pension savers 4.3bn in lost savings, it will also be ineffective in driving down pension charges for millions of savers. The Office of Fair Trading state typical new auto enrolment schemes actually charge 0.51 per cent. Having a cap at a much higher figure will have no impact on new pension schemes, and will result in legacy savers being treated unfairly compared to new savers. The Coalition has acknowledged that people could be losing thousands of pounds because of high charges across the industry. The Office of Fair Trading estimates that there are more than 186,000 pension pots with 2.65bn worth of assets subject to an annual charge above 1 per cent. Any changes to the law will affect people automatically enrolled into a pension scheme by their employer. Some nine million Britons almost a third of the workforce will be enrolled over the next few years and about 11bn more per year will be saved in work pensions.

year will be saved in work pensions. Mr Pollock added: Legal & General is in favour of having a meaningful cap at 0.5 per cent, not only for new autoenrolment schemes, but for legacy pension schemes as well. Competition is driving down the cost for new auto-enrolment schemes, but is having no real impact on legacy schemes because employers have historically rarely switched suppliers.

UBS Paris headquarters raided by French authorities in tax evasion probe Business News - Business - The Independent
UBS France is currently under formal investigation over allegations it helped wealthy clients evade taxes through undeclared bank accounts. This is the second time police have searched the bank's premises since French prosecutors initiated the investigation in 2012. UBS said it regarded the raid as "normal" and will continue to cooperate with French authorities, which have also visited the bank's offices in Strasbourg and Lyon as part of the ongoing investigation. Regulators fined the French arm of the bank !10 million for failing to implement appropriate controls to avoid illicit activities earlier this year. UBS rejected the "contentious nature" of the decision and reiterated that it does not engage in activities intended to help its clients "circumvent their tax obligations". The probe continues.

Compass shares rally as catering giant lands Silicon Valley contract Business News - Business - The Independent
Chief executive Richard Cousins said: The Americans have a much more economically liberal attitude to outsourcing than the Europeans. They understand that they should concentrate their efforts on what they do well and let others do the rest. Obviously the recent events around Serco and G4S havent helped the case for outsourcing in this country. Compass today announced a further 500 million share buyback as profits for the year to September rose by 9% to 1.19 billion on revenues up 4% at 17.6 billion. That takes the value of share buybacks in the last two years to 1.4 billion and pushed earnings per share up by 12.5% to 47.7p a share. The news came as US rival Aramark gears up for a New York Stock Exchange float which is expected to raise at least $1 billion (620 million). The firm was the subject of an $8.7 billion private equity takeover in 2007. North America now makes up 47% of revenues for Compass, and they grew by 7.3% last year. Europe and Japan which together make up 34% of revenues shrank by 3.3% as it got out of loss-making contracts mainly in the south of the region. In the UK, revenues dropped slightly but Compass enjoyed some good contract wins including Henley Regatta. The rest of the world or fast growing and emerging markets as Compass puts it accounted for 19% of revenues, with 7% growth. Compass also took a 377 million write-down of goodwill in the UK as a result of the 2001 takeover of Granada. Cousins said: Quite frankly Compass grossly overpaid for Granada, paying a huge goodwill premium. It is an accounting not a cash impairment. The dividend for the year goes up 13% to 24p and the shares rose 23.5p to an alltime high of 950p.

time high of 950p. Serco today sold its business which looks after Londons traffic lights and CCTV systems and UK management. Americas Cubic Coporation is paying 43.5 million for the business which Sercos acting chief executive Ed Casey said was non-core to the development of our transportation strategy. Video: Will the equity rally continue in 2014?

HP and boss Whitman to defend class action rule over Autonomy - Business News - Business - The Independent
Whitman first announced in Novemeber 2012 that she was investigating allegations of fraud after the 2010 acquisition of Automony but HP shareholders allege she knew about the claims earlier that year. Her statements in May and June 2012 omitted material information which the complaint alleges she possessed at the time, namely that she was considering accounting fraud at Autonomy as the explanation for its weak performance, US District Judge Charles Breyer said. The judge also found that HPs quarterly results in September 2012, which said the fair value of Autonomy approximated the carrying value, was misleading because the company knew there was a real possibility that HP had substantially overpaid for Autonomy. HP, which denies wrongdoing, did not offer immediate comment. Autonomys British founder and ex-chief executive, Mike Lynch, and ex-HP boss Leo Apotheker will not face legal action as Breyer said the class-action lawsuit failed to show they intentionally misled shareholders. HP bought Autonomy, then a FTSE 100 company, for $11 billion (6.7 billion) in 2010 but took an $8.8 billion hit last November because Autonomy had allegedly overstated its revenue growth and prospects.

United Utilities refrains from price hike as profits jump - Business News Business - The Independent
Industry regulator Ofwat allowed United Utilities to put through a 1.2 per cent real price rise for 2014-15, but it instead said it will use a 75 million tax rebate to cut the bills increase to no more than inflation. United said it had been repaid 75 million from HMRC from a long-running dispute over corporation tax, and will use 20 million of that to cut about 5 per household from its planned increase to bills. Another 17 million will be used to help customers struggling to stay afloat, and the remaining 38 million will be used for future sharing with customers. We are discounting prices next year so that customers do not pay the full allowed price increase, meaning that, on average, bills will go up by no more than inflation, Uniteds chief executive officer Steve Mogford said. The utility, which has seven million customers in north-west England, posted a 9 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to 135.6 million for the six months to October. The companys share price increased by 9.5p to 666.5p in early trade.

Albemarle shares plummet after pawnbroker issues third profit warning Business News - Business - The Independent
The latest warning sent shares plummeting a further 41% to 23.8p. They were trading at 140p less than three months earlier.

Bosses revealed they had started a programme of exceptional smelting of retail stocks. All new payday loans have been suspended, along with the closure of its website, and only two pop-up cash-for-gold stores remain, with the rest closing due to their unprofitability. The company also warned: The board believes that market expectations are significantly more optimistic than its own. Albemarle has struggled recently with gold prices falling by around 27% since March, while signs of an economic recovery have seen fewer customers needing to sell their possessions. It has pushed the firm dangerously close to breaching its bank covenants which are linked to earnings. Debt stands at 51.1 million with just 2.4 million available to spend after lenders cut this from 65 million last month. Costs of an aborted rights issue and restructuring continue to weigh on the business, say bosses.

Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The Business Secretary survived a grilling by MPs on the day that Royal Mail announced that its operating profits almost doubled to 283m for the six months to the end of September 29 from 144m a year earlier. Its first set of results as a listed company were boosted by 95m after a VAT credit and lower-than-expected costs of its shake-up. The spate of gas and electricity price hikes in recent weeks helped its letter business as energy firms send out mailings to millions of customers. However, Royal Mails parcels business was hit by the summer heatwave slowing online purchases, and the company said the threat of strike action had cost it business parcel customers in its key Christmas quarter. An unrepentant Mr Cable dismissed as froth claims by critics that the Royal Mail was undervalued, even though its share price soared from its opening level of 330p within minutes of trading last month and broke through the 500p barrier within a week. The Liberal Democrat minister told the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee he "categorically" rejected claims that taxpayers had lost out, insisting it would take time for the share price to settle down. "This has been a very professional, well organised and successful operation," he said. He insisted there would have been "considerable risks" in setting the initial share price higher, given the Government's intention of attracting long-term investors. But Adrian Bailey, the committees Labour chairman, said it was now clear the Government was given advice that the shares could have opened 20p higher. "What is the point of paying money to get advice, and then ignoring the advice?" asked the chairman, adding that the Government's assessment was "detrimental" to the interests of taxpayers. Mr Cable said no decision had been made on whether to pay a multimillion-pound performance bonus to banks which advised the Government on the sell-off, adding it could take years before a judgment is made. William Rucker, chief executive of Lazard, said the bank received a 1.5m fee for advising the Government on the privatisation. Mr Cable added that he asked "very tough questions" of the advisers as the launch approached, asking if things could have been done differently. "We interrogated them very closely about whether they were making the correct call," he said. Michael Fallon, the Conservative Business minister who oversaw the sell-off, said people would look back on it as a success. "We could not have got a higher price for the 600m shares. That was made clear to us by our advisers, he said. "It became clear there was a point at which institutional investors would not invest ... and would walk away."

said. "It became clear there was a point at which institutional investors would not invest ... and would walk away." Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said yesterdays results were based on Royal Mails performance when it was still in public ownership. The rise in profits is further proof that there was no need to privatise this successful company. A profitable, successful and well-loved institution was flogged on the cheap when these latest figures show it was healthy and in good hands. The Government's arguments continue to crumble, he said.

Consumer splurge in third quarter fuels fears for "unsustainable" recovery Business News - Business - The Independent
The Office for National Statistics left overall growth unchanged at 0.8 per cent for the third quarter. But its more detailed second estimate showed household spending, which accounts for two thirds of the economy, rising 0.8 per cent, the fastest pace since early 2010. A feel-good summer of sporting success and hot weather lifted spending, fanned by improving consumer credit conditions. Growth in business investment has, however, been far more muted, rising a weak 1.4 per cent after a 3 per cent decline between April and June. Exports also sank 2.4 per cent and imports increased 0.4 per cent, worsening the countrys trade balance. Former monetary policy committee member Adam Posen tweeted: Growth thats half credit fuelled is unsustainable. The huge share of consumer spending in the economy meant that it accounted for 0.5 percentage points of the economys 0.8 per cent advance, overshadowing a 0.1 percentage point contribution from both business investment spending and government spending and a big drag from net trade. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney told MPs this week he did not expect a strong upturn in business spending before next year. Consumer Prices Index inflation, at 2.2 per cent, is still running well ahead of growth in wages.

City of London police inquiry adds to RBS investigations - Business News Business - The Independent
The financial capitals economic crimes department has been examining the banks behaviour following at least one complaint from an alleged victim who contacted The Independent. The businessman is in a civil court dispute with the bank over the alleged seizing of his assets and has presented the City of London police with a large dossier of paperwork supporting his case. News of the widening examination of RBSs practices came as its chief executive pledged to fully investigate what he said were serious allegations that the bank defrauded companies that were its clients by forcing them to go bust. Ross McEwan spoke as it emerged that the case is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. The allegations were levelled in a sharply critical report by the government adviser Lawrence Tomlinson. Mr McEwan, who replaced Stephen Hester as chief executive, pledged to share the findings of a review he has commissioned into the banks business practices which will be led by a regulatory partner at City law firm Clifford Chance. It could cost RBS more than 1m. A spokesperson from the SFO said: We are aware of the issue and are monitoring the situation. As far as any criminal investigation is concerned we can neither confirm nor deny this. The SFO has received a dossier from and interviewed Neil Mitchell, a former chief executive of Torex Retail. He was the whistleblower at the former AIM-listed software company which resulted in the jail sentences for two of its

former directors for duping shareholders by using false invoices to boost its profits. At the time, RBS led its syndicate of lenders. Mr Mitchell said that he had been in regular contact with a senior intelligence officer at the SFO over the behaviour of RBS towards the then reeling company since November last year. Recently he made a two-hour presentation to SFO officials. He believes the squad has broadened its investigation to look at the alleged wider system of abuse by RBS. He aired concerns at the banks AGM last year and held talks with chairman Sir Philip Hampton. Mr McEwan said the Clifford Chance review would be shared with regulatory agencies including the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority: It is important to note that the most serious allegation that has been made is that RBS conducted a systematic effort to profit on the back of our customers when they were in financial distress. We do not believe that this is the case, but it has nonetheless done serious damage to RBSs reputation. No evidence has been provided for that allegation to the bank. The review will investigate the claim fully and I will report back on its findings. Mr Tomlinson said RBS had been unnecessarily engineering a default at ailing companies to move them to its Global Reconstruction Group where the bank charged punitive fees, increased its interest rates and seized assets at prices well below their market value.

'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece - Gadgets & Tech Life & Style - The Independent
Sony suggests that the SmartWig could fulfil a number of functions, from acting as a health care device that monitors users vital signs (including blood pressure, temperature and heart-rate) to acting as a navigation wig to assist the blind in finding their way around. This latter implementation would include an onboard GPS system that would be used to locate the wearer whilst built-in vibration motors could provide feedback; notifying the user of the direction they need to take or when they arrive at their destination. For corporate buyers Sony suggests that the device could be used to control presentations in the boardroom, with wearers able to "move to the next presentation slide or back to the preceding presentation slide by simply raising his/her eyebrows".

Sony say that the wig could be "very

Sony say that the wig could be "very popular" as a "technically intelligent item and fashion item at the same time". Image credit: Sony/US Patent Office Compared to other wearable devices Sony claim that the wig format would offer significantly increased user comfort and improved handling of the wearable computing device. They suggest that the SmartWig could be made out of a number of materials including horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material. The wig itself may have a fancy or funny appearance, but may also have an inconspicuous appearance so that other people in the surrounding of the user may not even take notice of the wearable computing device. Locating wearable devices on the head (as opposed to, they suggest, the foot, hand or waist) is that our fondness for our heads means that users would instinctively protect their heads more than other body parts, so more sensitive components could be used without fear of damaging them. Sony is not the only company to jump onboard the bandwagon for fantastical wearable devices - Motorola recently filed a patent for an electronic throat tattoo that could replace the smartphone, whilst students at MIT recently created a thermoelectric wristband to cool or heat users.

Another part of the patent mentions buttons hidden within sideburns. Image credit: Sony/US Patent Office

Royal Mail shares rally as profits more than double in first results as private company - Business News - Business - The Independent
But chief executive Moya Greene used the results to warn that Royal Mail was being hampered by union strike threats. She said: Parcel customers have lots of options, and online retailers desperately need a reliable service in the lead-up to Christmas. Even the threat of a strike is going to cause some people to look to other options. She added that potential new customers were holding off from signing deals, and said: The threat of a strike in any business is a very big concern, and in our business its horrible we are the distribution arm for much of online retail in the UK.

Overall Royal Mails pre-tax profits hit 1.6 billion for the year to October but, stripping out the windfall from new pension accounting, profits jumped from 94 million last year to 233 million. Revenues inched up 2% to 4.5 billion, as a 4% decline in earnings from letters was offset by a 9% rise in parcel revenues. The number of posted letters fell 6% although Royal Mail said it was boosted by the Big Six energy firms price hikes as they sent letters to customers warning them of the rise. Todays results saw shares rise 31p to 563.5p 71% higher than the 3.30-per-share float price. But asked whether Royal Mail was now overvalued, Greene said: Its not for me to comment on the share price. All I can say is that this was the most complex transaction of my career, and I think the Government did a good job. She also couldnt comment on whether she would personally invest in Royal Mail at the current price. As part of an agreement with industry regulator Ofcom, Royal Mail can decide its own first-class stamp prices until 2019, although second-class stamp prices can only rise with inflation. Asked whether the profit boom meant Britons would be spared another price hike next year, Greene said: Im not going to say anything about prices. [But] we didnt raise prices last year. Sunday deliveries will be introduced during the run up to Christmas and households may also have an extra daily delivery round of parcels to cope with demand. The company has opened 10 temporary parcel sorting centres and hired an extra 21,000 temporary staff for Christmas mail.

Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising Business News - Business - The Independent
In the dock this time is Peachy, owned by Cash On The Go, which has had a TV ad banned by the Advertising Standards Authority because it misled viewers and failed to display the interest rate charged prominently enough. The Authority has banned the ad from being broadcast again. It was forced to act against Britains biggest payday lender Wonga in September after it branded one of its radio ads irresponsible and earlier this year it banned a payday loan ad by Cash Lady, featuring two-times bankrupt Kerry Katona. Meanwhile the Office of Fair Trading has revealed that is has doubled the number of payday lenders it has put under investigation. It has now opened individual probes into six firms and is also reviewing detailed evidence on another 15 lenders. On Monday the government announced it will introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans after intervention by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

James Moore: Young and old can take heart - at least its not as bad as in Mexico - Business Comment - Business - The Independent
In this case its pensions that are in focus: apparently our state offering is among the worst in the developed world. Only Mexico fares worse. Ouch. Actually, theres a little more to it than that. The OECD recognises that while public spending on pensions is low here, those on lower incomes are proportionately better served than in some other countries while the better off tend to have their meagre state rations supplemented by private schemes. These used to be some of the worlds best until successive governments wreaked vandalism upon them. Previous Conservative administrations allowed firms with well-funded schemes to take payment holidays when the stock market was booming, which contributed to the problem of funding deficits that will be with them for years. They also

market was booming, which contributed to the problem of funding deficits that will be with them for years. They also dreamt up the opt-out, which the pension industry gleefully used to indulge in an orgy of mis-selling. Then Gordon Brown launched his smash-and-grab raid on pension funds by abolishing the dividend tax credit. The Coalition has, at least haltingly, sought to address the very real fears of the country ending up with a vast number of poverty-stricken pensioners in the future. Some of its proposals make sense, such as auto-enrolment into workplace schemes. Some, not so much. The defined ambition pension, for example, is a silly name for a lot of woolly ideas. In fact, the only way of being certain of a retirement in relative comfort is to join the public sector. Beyond a bit of tinkering, its unfunded but guaranteed pensions remain in place, despite the rapidly rising cost of providing them. The benefit that the Governments private sector reforms will offer is open to question. As the independent pensions consultant John Ralfe has pointed out, auto-enrolment isnt a magic bullet. You can opt out. With PricewaterhouseCoopers projecting that the average student debt will be 40,000-50,000 by the time the 2012 university intake graduates, and the need for people to start saving for a deposit as early as they can if they ever want to buy their own home, a sizeable group of young people may very well decide to take that route. Its actually worth sparing a thought for the young in the wake of that OECD report because it isnt just those in higher education who have taken a kicking. A million young people are classified as Neets, Not in Education, Employment or Training. Assistance and benefits to this group has been squeezed and squeezed again. Perhaps it is the young, rather than the old, who should consider jumping on a plane. Even one bound for Mexico. At least its warm there. Online gambling firms could have their goose cooked The United States has long been viewed as the goose that will lay golden eggs by Britains online gambling companies. If only they could nip up the beanstalk and spirit it away from puritanical conservative Republicans and the Department of Justice with its liberal interpretation of the wire act. Well now the beanstalk is falling, bringing the goose to them. Yesterday Betfair announced the launch of betfaircasino.com in New Jersey, the state that has been wielding the chainsaw. Sensibly its working with Trump Plaza Associates, which holds a New Jersey gaming licence. Others have made similar announcements in recent weeks. Gambling may be seen as a social ill, but it does provide a lot of tax and the lure of the dollar always eventually holds sway Stateside. Time to pile into gaming stocks before the goose starts to lay then? Have a care. Just because the US is opening up for business doesnt mean every British gambling company is going to back a winner. Just getting the internet right here, where its legal, has proved decidedly difficult for some very big names. Just ask Ladbrokes. Before you join the gold rush, follow the golden rules of gambling: study the form and dont bet what you cant afford to lose. If Lawton still doesnt get it then we have a big problem More red faces in City regulation with MPs putting the boot in over the decision to allow miner ENRC to list in London. Its clear now the sort of laissez faire attitude among regulators that allowed bankers to inflict so much damage also infected the UK Listing Authority that allowed this unlovely lot to secure a premium listing.

infected the UK Listing Authority that allowed this unlovely lot to secure a premium listing. It almost beggars belief that David Lawton, who heads the UKLA, was not aware lawyers from Herbert Smith had carried out a critical audit on ENRC months before it joined the market. Instead he was content to rely on information supplied by the sponsors of thefloat. His response to the MPs outrage was instructive. He said the UKLA regulated markets, not companies corporate governance or tax or employment practices. ENRC ticked his box, and he passed the buck. The result? A mess that has seriously damaged Londons reputation as a financial centre. If this sort of thinking is still prevalent across the Financial Conduct Authority then, Houston, we have a problem.

Can De La Rue bank on the Old Lady? - Business Analysis & Features Business - The Independent
Mauritius is particularly pleasing, it seems. They are the oldest currency customer we have, says Mr Cobbold proudly, as he rattles through a company update. Theirs was the first bank note we supplied 150 years ago. De La Rue, which has a history of printing playing cards and stamps as well as cash, hopes its investment in the next big thing will catch the eye of one of its most important customers. Mr Cobbold would never admit it, but Fiji and Mauritius matter a lot less than the Bank of England, whose contract to print banknotes is up for grabs. The original licence to print money, which runs until 2015, is worth up to 40m in annual revenues. De La Rue has held it since 2003, when the Bank decided to contract out production. The company took over a factory in Debden, Essex, which at the time was producing one billion sterling notes a year. It is a very important contract for us, in absolute value and as a reference point for all the export work that we do, says Mr Cobbold. Retaining that piece of business took on an extra importance last month when De La Rue suffered a profits warning in a setback to Mr Cobbolds three-year recovery plan. Yesterday he steadied the ship by announcing a 19 per cent increase in first-half pre-tax profits to 28.4m, which spent the shares north again. So how confident is he of retaining the Bank of England work? In the high-security world of bank-note production, it doesnt pay to go overboard with his thoughts. You can be assured that as the incumbent we will be professional, commercial and competitive, he said, speaking before the profits warning. I just dont want any sense of complacency or sense of entitlement. If I get sucked into using words like that about the contract, I dont think that is helpful. Mr Cobbold expects a decision by next September at the latest, to give the Bank the chance to switch supplier if that is what the Old Lady chooses to do. What has been thrown into the mix is a decision by Threadneedle Street to examine whether plastic notes can work in Britain too. A consultation closed in mid-November, with a decision to press ahead with their introduction expected next month. Rather than funny money, polymer is deadly serious. Not quite the flexible friend credit cards promised to be, the notes bend rather than rip so easily. They cost more to make, but are harder to counterfeit and promise longer wear and tear. Some 30 countries have at least one denomination of polymer banknote in circulation. The only places to have gone totally polymer are Australia, Romania and Canada perhaps not surprising, given where the Banks Governor, Mark Carney, was imported from. Its not the only change to Britains currency, after Jane Austen was announced as the new face on the tenner, replacing Charles Darwin. The move was a victory for equality campaigners angry that the sole historical female on our bank notes, Elizabeth Fry, was being phased out in favour of Winston Churchill.

There has been plenty of change too at De La Rue, which marked its 200th anniversary in February. The business might not have made the landmark after nearly being taken over by French rival Oberthur. De La Rue was left vulnerable when it was found to be supplying faulty notes to the Reserve Bank of India, one of its largest clients. Brought in to steady the ship was Mr Cobbold, fresh from the takeover of his last business, Chloride, which designs, installs and maintains uninterruptable power systems. Just the kind of niche, but world-beating technology Britain has been gradually ceding to foreign investors, it was bought by Emerson Electric. At De La Rue he has tried to help the business get its mojo back, investing 100m in research and development over the past three years, tightening up costs and aiming to grow the top line of what is by necessity quite a lumpy business. Mr Cobbolds warning that this years profits will fall 10m short of his 100m target was down to lower printing volumes, but his long-term prognosis for the folding stuff is good. Cash is still growing, contrary to all talk about mobile money, he says. Over the long term what you find is it is essentially being driven by GDP growth. But with the shares still trading a tad below Oberthurs indicative 935p offer, Mr Cobbold knows he has to show impatient investors progress can be made. For that he might point to De La Rues non-cash operations, including the cash-processing sorters it supplies to retailers that count and check up to 3,000 notes a minute. Then it has a security division, which provides the blue labels under laptops or tax stamps for liquor bottles. We are moving away from a clever secure stamp that ensures duty has been paid to more of track and trace solution, Mr Cobbold says. The company also produces passports for more than 30 countries a year. Just like the Bank of England notes, its flagship contract in this area is local too, producing some 5 million UK passports a year. It is a complex task for the father of three who relaxes by cycling. He began his career training as a chartered accountant at Price Waterhouse but gained expertise in industry at TI Group, which later folded into the engineer Smiths. Chloride came calling in 2007, where he took up the chief executives reins a year later. If you move across industries, you see very similar challenges, he said. A lot of it is how you deal with people. I like working in business, getting involved in customers and our own team. So can De La Rue succeed? The message is clear: plastic could be fantastic, but cash of all types remains king. Correct currency 28m First-half pre-tax profits 30 Countries use polymer banknotes 40m Value of BoE deal each year

It doesnt take a 1m chief to make state fund CDC fly - Business News Business - The Independent
CDCs critics say the fund should be spun off from taxpayer ownership and put on a commercial footing. Figures out last night showed its assets jumped by 200m to 2.8bn in the year to December 2012 as its investment portfolio leaped 17.4 per cent in value. The period marked the first year of the tenure of its new chief executive Diana Noble. She replaced Richard Laing, who was criticised for one year receiving salary and bonuses totalling 1m. Amid attacks by ministers of inflated

who was criticised for one year receiving salary and bonuses totalling 1m. Amid attacks by ministers of inflated remuneration at CDC at the time, Ms Noble was hired on 250,000 salary plus a potential 40,000 bonus, for which she is likely to qualify this year. Current CDC projects include a scrap metal plant in Kenya, a textile business in Bangladesh and an engineering business in India. CDCs success was reported by the Government body that looks after 20 state-owned businesses, including wholly owned or partial stakes in Channel 4, Eurostar, the Land Registry and the Met Office. Many are regularly touted as potential privatisation candidates. Their combinedannual turnover rose 4 per cent to 12.6bn but most of that was thanks to the now-privatised Royal Mail. Shareholder Executive (Shex), whose other public assets include the Royal Mint, Ordnance Survey and Companies House, said more than two thirds of the increase was accounted for by the performance of Royal Mail. The Royal Mint had the largest downturn in revenues, falling 19 per cent, but Shex claimed this was following an exceptionally successful year for the Commemorative Coin division in 2011-12, the Queens Diamond Jubilee year. Companies House and the Land Registry had a better year, increasing operating margins by more than 3 percentage points. A total of eight businesses in the public portfolio declared dividends in the year to March, with the Governments share adding up to 145m, a 26.4 per cent increase on last year. Both the Land Registry and Urenco, the uranium enrichment group which is also up for a 3bn privatisation, posted strong dividends. The taxpayers divi was up by more than 85 per cent in the 12 months.

RBS report author had to blow 2.6m on loan fees... mostly from RBS Business News - Business - The Independent
Mr Tomlinsons LNT holding company, which has a diverse range of businesses including the Ginetta GT racing series, chemical de-icers and old peoples homes, show the refinancing process cost him 2.6m in advisory costs. The high price of renegotiating its 73.7m credit facilities with RBSs NatWest arm, Santander, Clydesdale and Bank Leumi, helped to push LNT into a 7.7m loss. While his business appears healthier than the firms RBS put into its Global Recovery Group, whose plight he highlighted in his report, his own loan costs chime with his description of the outlandish external audit fees banks levy on their customers. Mr Tomlinsons accounts also highlight how the reluctance of banks to lend to entrepreneurs was hitting his construction arm, stating: Purchasers of our finished product are finding it difficult to raise finance to purchase the asset. As well as bank facilities, LNT is also reliant on loans from Mr Tomlinson himself. It owes 27.6m to businesses controlled by or related to him. He has previously stated that he had to front 15m of his own money in 2009 after RBS refused to increase his credit facilities. A number of LNTs loans are up for renewal again next March, the accounts state Revenues at LNT in the year to 31 March 2013 jumped to 76.2m from 36.8m thanks to the lucrative sale of a number of care homes during the year, while losses improved from 10.5m to 8.5m. Meanwhile, experts predicted yesterday that the RBS-commissioned investigation into Mr Tomlinsons allegations, being led by City legal giant Clifford Chance, could easily end up costing taxpayers a further 1m or more. Tony Willams of advisory group Jomati, who spent 20 years at Clifford Chance, said the investigation would probably be in two phases: stage one would to investigate the specific cases and allegations, with phase two being an inquiry into

in two phases: stage one would to investigate the specific cases and allegations, with phase two being an inquiry into any proof of systemic wrongdoing. If they stick to just the first stage it could be less than 1m but a second stage process could be considerably more, he said. Clifford Chance refused to comment on how much they would be billing the taxpayer-owned bank for its services while RBS said it was too soon to comment but that the inquiry would report in the new year. Meanwhile, it emerged that RBS had offloaded its Special Opportunities Fund to its management team. The bank retains a 13.5 per cent stake in the division that takes equity stakes in businesses, but the fund has moved out of RBS HQ and is awaiting a licence to trade independently. News of the deal came a day after one investee business, Arrow Global, backed a takeover of 1990s student loans.

Chris Blackhurst: We should have let banks go to the wall. They dont care about our wellbeing - Business Comment - Business - The Independent
They seem to raise it in hope, more than anything else. The answer I give is yes and no. That may seem typically fudge-like but it also happens to be accurate. On some levels, the City is different: banks are weighed down with compliance and procedure: theres far greater attention being paid to recruitment at the top level; bonuses are increasingly being paid in shares; firms are anxious to be seen to be doing the right thing. Theyre pursuing pretty much zero tolerance to anyone caught crossing a line. Humility and maintaining a low profile are the orders of the day. So far so good. But deep down, have attitudes really shifted, has the culture altered? Here, I have to report a resounding no. Weve had numerous examples of bad practice, including instances of mis-selling and manipulation of rates. Right now, the Co-op Bank debacle continues and there are claims that RBS pushed struggling businesses to the wall so it could take over their properties on the cheap. Meanwhile, no less a figure than Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has felt moved to intervene, and join with Lord Lawson, the former Tory chancellor, and other senior peers, to try to toughen up the Governments banking reform bill. Heres another scandal to add to the mix. A friend contacted me. He was outraged by the behaviour of an investment bank. Hed approached it with a proposal I cant go into detail but, suffice to say, he was setting up a new business and was looking to forge a lasting relationship with a bank. My friend and his partners are not slouches they come with established records, of the sort that would cause anyone in finance to nod in recognition and want them as clients. My pal and the bank got on well. Then they quoted how much they would charge for their services. When he gasped, and queried the price, he was told: Were too big to fail. In other words, by dealing with them, his money was safe they were guaranteed by dint of relying on a future government bail-out not to go under and therefore he should pay more. Its unclear how much the bank is imbursing the Government for this explicit insurance policy presumably nothing, but theres no doubt if they hit a crisis, they expect the taxpayer to cough up. I confess to not believing him. I was so shocked as to assume he was having me on. But when I quizzed him, he remained solid. I played a bit of a guessing game as to the identity of the bank, but he was having none of that he did not want people thinking their conversations with him would be relayed to the press. There was no doubt in my mind it was true. He had no reason to call me; he was gaining nothing by making up such

There was no doubt in my mind it was true. He had no reason to call me; he was gaining nothing by making up such a tale. In which case, I must put up my hand to naivety. When Mervyn King banged on about moral hazard I tended to scoff at the Bank of England Governor. I thought the cerebral, unworldly academic in him had won through, that Mervyn was finding conspiracy and deliberate, cynical, calculated action when there was none. I did not suppose that banks felt able to chase greater profits because they knew the authorities would not let them collapse. I know, I know. I was a fool, a total innocent where bankers and morality are concerned. I should have realised: that to give a bank even a sniff of making extra profit is enough; that pretty much everything that is put in their way can be turned on its head and made into an opportunity. Mervyn was right all along. We should have let banks go to the wall, rather than save them. In our desire to shore up the system weve created monsters that now feel able to exploit our goodwill, which do not care two hoots for us or the overall well-being of society. The arrogance is breath-taking. Unfortunately, its all too indicative of a City that in the past has behaved as if its a separate country, aloof from events that affect the rest of us, unable to see beyond securing the next quarterly earnings rise and that all-important bonus. It seems that stance still prevails. So yes, coupled, sadly, with a resounding no is the right answer.

Mark Carney calls for formal powers over bank leverage ratios - Business News - Business - The Independent
We see that this power is necessary to implement a robust capital framework in the UK, the Governor told the Treasury Select Committee. My personal view is we should have those powers. While the Bank already has de facto control over the amount of debt individual banks can take on in their funding mix, Threadneedle Street presently lacks a formal power of direction over total leverage throughout the sector. The hearing followed the publication of a letter from George Osborne to Mr Carney asking the Bank to begin an immediate review into whether and when it required such formal powers. The Chancellor had previously ruled out examining the subject until 2017. Mr Osborne stipulated that he wanted to see clear evidence that imposing a tougher leverage ratio on British banks would improve financial stability and that he would wish to understand the impact on the ability of banks to fund the real economy. But Mr Carneys comments signalled that he expects the review to conclude that the Bank should indeed take on the new power. Bank executives have argued in the past that curbs to their leverage ratios by regulators would harm the wider economy, although regulators have long insisted that banks can easily raise more equity and continue to lend to businesses. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the committee, who has repeatedly pushed for the Bank to be given an immediate control over banks borrowing levels, said it was pretty clear where Mr Carney stood on the issue. The Banks review will be about how the FPC [Financial Policy Committee] will exercise that power, not whether it should request it, he said after the hearing. The Banks review will begin early next year and last for 12 months. Mr Carney said he expected the new formal power to be in place by early 2015. Later in his testimony Mr Carney questioned the reliability of some of the output of the Office for National Statistics, particularly on the level of private investment. Were not putting full weight on that data, and it has to be said that it doesnt entirely feel right that investment is, as measured, falling at a time when we see continued strengthening investment intention he said.

He said he was more comfortable with official statistics in his native Canada. His deputy, Charlie Bean, said while the ONS once had a high reputation among its peers abroad, maybe its not quite such a strong performer today.

Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup - Home News - UK The Independent
Yet the giant US investment bank has proved remarkable adept at deciding when to cash in shares in the historic institution on behalf of its clients. A new analysis of Royal Mails official share register by The Independent has found that Goldman Sachs offloaded around 4.5 million Royal Mail shares worth at least 25m between 31 October and 11 November at the top of the market. The decision by the bank, which received millions of pounds from the Department of Business to price the Royal Mail at 3.30-a-share when it floated last month, would have made its clients up to 12m if the shares were sold at the 5.87 peak. Senior sources at Goldman Sachs stressed the fluctuations were not solely down to selling shares and claimed some would have resulted from stock-lending transactions and movements of collateral which do not relate to changes in the share price. The news has fuelled fresh criticism of the Government and its banking advisers over the Royal Mail float, as the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, prepares to face questions over the scandal by a committee of MPs today. Adrian Bailey, chair of the Business Select Committee, which is due to question Mr Cable on Wednesday, said: Its totally unacceptable. I dont see how you can act as adviser to the Government and then profit from the advice you have given them. It is a conflict of interest. The shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna, said: Vince Cable has serious questions to answer on the Royal Mail fire sale amid concerns that this was botched. Goldman Sachs and UBS valued Royal Mail at just 3.3bn, while its rival, JP Morgan, priced it at between 6.8bn and 8.5bn. The Department for Business, Skills and Innovation, headed by Mr Cable, opted for the lower valuation. The shares soared in value as City firms scrambled to apply for the shares. A Goldman Sachs spokesperson said: Shares that appear in our name are either shares that we hold on behalf of our clients or shares that relate to trading activity with clients. The first of the two charges is extremely serious about as bad as you get. As for the second, the bank has commissioned its own report on the failure to lend to smaller businesses from the lawyers Clifford Chance, and we will see what that says. But it is a common complaint, and the fact that lending to business as a whole has been falling ever since the 2008 crisis does support the argument that shortage of funding has been holding the recovery back. How have things come to this? It is a huge subject and all sorts of accusations get thrown around, so the first thing to be clear about is that this is not just an RBS issue. It happens to be our largest business bank, but if other banks were able and willing to step in, the business community would have options. In a properly functioning banking system, if RBS wanted its money back and the customer was indeed a viable proposition, there would be a competitor only too happy to take over. Nor is it a casino banking issue - the charge levelled at banks in general and their investment banking divisions in particular that they gamble with other peoples money. This is about the most basic failure in commercial banking: failure to support viable business customers. There is a case for separating commercial banking from investment banking, just as there is a case for keeping the two together, with the right capital backing for each one of the issues the House of Lords is considering now. But that is not the problem here. So what is?

the House of Lords is considering now. But that is not the problem here. So what is? One way to frame what RBS and the other banks have done is to look at the sea-change that has taken place in banking over the past 30 years. There has always been a tension between two roles. One is to carry out a duty of care over their customers. The other is to flog them products. A generation ago banks acted as wise advisers to their customers. People would joke: My bank manager wouldnt like it when they made some extravagant purchase, and company owners would make sure they had their bank manager on side when they made major decisions. Then, gradually, the mood shifted. Banks wanted to sell products: straightforward loans but also complex hedging products that the people selling them barely understood, let alone were able to explain. By the boom times of six years ago, the duty of care had gone out of the window. Instead bank managers were incentivised to sell, and whether or not what they were selling was in the interest of the purchaser was irrelevant. If one bank said no, there were plenty of others that would say yes. Part of the trouble was that many customers still, at some level, assumed that the banks still felt a duty of care: that they would not make a loan or sell a product if it were not in the true long-term interest of the customer. But in boom times, even potentially duff loans came good, which reinforced the careless mood. A bank that said no was fuddyduddy. Bankers, being human beings, were nudged towards ever!laxer standards of scrutiny. Then it flipped. Embedded deep in any senior bankers psyche is the nightmare that depositors suddenly want their money back and there is not enough in the tills to pay them. The slow-motion crash that started in Britain with Northern Rock and progressed to the freezing of the inter-bank market and the near-collapse of the two Scottish banks has spun the mood of bankers back to the caution of a generation ago: it is safer to say no. You could even persuade yourself that it might be safer for your customer if you say no. That explains the reluctance to lend money to small business. Small businesses are statistically risky customers. Allow for the ones that will go under and it is not particularly profitable business either. It also explains the confusion that many borrowers feel when they are unable to repay on time and find the bank forecloses on the debt. They thought the bank had their best interests in mind and would be helpful if they got into trouble, then found the bank was frightened and simply wanted to enforce its contract. RBS may have gone beyond acceptable practice here, and if so that is disgraceful. So what is to be done? What will happen, indeed is happening, is a move back towards cautious banking. I just hope that a true revival of duty of care will be part of that condition.

Can the Celtic Tiger roar again?

Ireland is escaping from the bail-out it returns to the markets next month. It is not quite a with one bound and its free situation, as it now has to rely on the financial markets to fund itself. But submitting to their judgement, rather than of that of Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington, shows confidence. A visit to Dublin yesterday convinced me that a turning point has been reached. The numbers are better. The country is no longer in recession; retail sales volume is up; job growth is quite strong; total government debt should start to fall as a percentage of GDP next year; the property market in Dublin has picked up; and as a PwC survey of chief executives shows, business is now more confident than at any time since 2007. Phew. But if Ireland has become the poster-boy for EU bailouts, there are three causes for caution. One is that the recovery is both uneven and fragile. Dublin is coming up but the gap between the capital and the rest of the country is growing. There is a huge problem of mortgage arrears, some 15 per cent of the total loan book. Second, the banking system is gummed up, with hardly any competition between Bank of Ireland, now recovering, and Allied Irish Banks, further down the track. Third, the social cost is huge and is carried most unevenly by people who have lost their jobs and/or emigrated, and people in their 30s who bought homes at the top of the market and can

who have lost their jobs and/or emigrated, and people in their 30s who bought homes at the top of the market and can never hope to repay. If you are a small country it is a harsh world if you make a mistake.

Hot stuff! Profits double at Nando's - Business News - Business - The Independent
The UK arm which also owns posh burger chain Gourmet Burger Kitchen of the South African-founded giant posted pre-tax profits of 33.4m for the 12 months ending in February, up from 14.7m the year before. Turnover rose to 485.2m from 419.6m according to accounts filed at Companies House, although Nandos Group Holdings said it has faced a continuing difficult trading environment. Over the year its restaurant count rose to 343 thanks to 30 openings, 5 of which were new GBK sites, which Nandos got hold of in 2010 with the 30.4m purchase of its owner Clapham House. The dividend paid by the business - which is owned by investment firm Yellowwoods - rose from 10m to 14.2m.

Westfield secures planning permission for 1 billion Croydon mega shopping centre - Business News - Business - The Independent
The retail centre, due to open in 2018, would be Westfields third in the capital after Stratford and Shepherds Bush. Hammerson meanwhile owns north Londons main shopping centre destination at Brent Cross. The plans will create 1.4 million sq ft of shopping, leisure and office space in Croydon, and are at the centre of London Mayor Boris Johnsons vision to help the town recover from devastation caused by the 2011 riots. The centre will also lead to the creation of 600 homes and could receive more than 40 million visits a year. The developers have yet to decide on a name for the project, which will see Croydons existing Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres overhauled. John Burton, Westfields director of development, said In terms of scale, what were delivering here is in total larger than what we currently have at either Stratford or west London. The intention is to be a pace setter here and more widely in Europe. This will be the absolute top of the tree. Westfield and Hammerson buried the hatchet last year after plans to develop the two centres descended into a row. Westfield struck a deal with the Whitgift Foundation, which owned the freehold to the Whitgift centre and 25 per cent of the leasehold, to redevelop the shopping centre but the foundations leasehold partners preferred proposals from Hammerson. The Whitgift was the largest covered shopping centre in central London until the opening of Westfields Shepherds Bush centre in 2008 Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell said the proposed investment was a once in a generation opportunity to transform Croydons fortunes while making it one of the top retail destinations in the country.

Gatwick numbers take off as chief executive calls for new runway - Business News - Business - The Independent
The Sussex airport saw 20.8 million passengers pass through its arrival and departure halls in the six months to October, 4.4 per cent more than the same time a year ago, as expanding airline Norwegian launched 12 new routes and Vietnam Airlines ramped up the frequency of its flights. That helped turnover to jump 10.7 per cent to 360.6 million, and pre-tax profit soar 18.75 per cent to 127.3 million. This growth made Gatwicks chief executive Stewart Wingate adamant that a new runway here would deliver the routes that passengers actually want at a better price.

But rival voices in the South-Easts aviation expansion debate disagree and some claim that only Heathrow which is a hub airport with feeder short haul flights helping to fill up long-haul planes would benefit from another runway. Gatwick has grown since December 2009, when the Competition Commission ordered it to be sold by its then owner, the former BAA. The Sussex airport is now owned by private equity fund consortium Global Infrastructure Partners, which also owns London City airport. Wingate said the consortiums ownership had helped turn around decades of under-investment. He said the airports 1 billion investment programme had continued, including spending 45" million on new shops in the South Terminal. But capital expenditure actually fell 12 per cent to 104.8 million in the six months. Carriers easyJet and Turkish Airlines have put on more business routes from Gatwick, which claims it now serves 45 of the top 50 EU business destinations. We now serve routes as diverse and strategically important for the UK as Moscow, Beijing, Istanbul and cities in Vietnam, Wingate added.

'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth - Home News - UK - The Independent
In an 84-page document, he called for global leaders to fight poverty and inequality, attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny" and called upon politicians to share their wealth and guarantee all members of the public "dignified work, education and healthcare". He said: "Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills". He asked how it is a new story when a stock market loses two points, "but not when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure". In the 'apostolic exhortation', Pope Francis said he preferred a Church that was bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets", as opposed to "a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. The pope said renewal of the church could not be put off and the Vatican and its entrenched hierarchy "also need to hear the call to pastoral conversion". The document touched upon inter-faith relations, urging Christians to embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. However, despite advocating change, he reasserted the Church's opposition to ordaining female priests and the issue of abortion. He said the ordination of female priests was "not a question open to discussion". Earlier this month, the pontiff launched a survey asking Christians to explain how they feel on the current official total ban on the use of contraceptives, "in any circumstance", the ban on gay or lesbian Catholics having "intimate sexual relationships" and the prohibition on divorced Catholics who have remarried to receive holy communion. Before the release of the survey, he conceded that in terms of abortion "it is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations,... especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty". "Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations?" he asked.

"Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations?" he asked.

Severn Trent hikes dividend despite profit drop as the company vows to keep water bills down - Business News - Business - The Independent
Amid soaring energy bills and a raging row about the cost of living in Britain, Severn Trents chief executive Tony Wray said: We set out with a deliberate strategy to have the lowest charges in the UK, and thats what weve done. This year our prices are 1 per cent below inflation, next year they will be 1.1 per cent below inflation. Were committed to keeping our prices as low as we can, as well as keeping on investing. We can do that because we constantly work on becoming more efficient. Trents own profits fell after the cost of maintaining a raft of private drains and sewers became its responsibility. The Midlands-focused utility, which last week hired BTs Liv Garfield as its new chief executive, saw underlying pre-tax profits drop 5.8 per cent to 141.3 million for the six months to October. The interim dividend was still raised 6 per cent to 32.16p. Industry regulator Ofwat has praised Trent and others for swallowing extra costs and passing on the benefits of continual record low interest rates which were not predicted at the start of the current regulatory period in 2010 to customers. Trent has spent an extra 150 million on investing in the water network. By contrast, London supplier Thames Water wanted to hike customers water bills by an extra 29 next year to spend more on sewerage, a request that was denied by Ofwat. Wray said Trents low bills supported its campaign to open up the industry to competition. We firmly believe those that can perform well should have the opportunity to do that on a wider basis, he added. We look forward to there being greater competition in this sector. And well play our part. He said he was very conscious of the furore around energy bills: Our customer base has seen their average earnings rise less than rate of inflation. Its difficult out there for everybody, so the responsible thing to do is to keep our prices down.

Britvic signs PepsiCo deal to widen Fruit Shoot distribution in the US Business News - Business - The Independent
It follows a strong year for the Robinsons Squash and Tango-maker, after the hot summer and the recovery of Fruit Shoot after the cap recall saw Britvic post an 18.8 per cent rise in operating profit to 135 million in the year to October. The company left rival AG Barr at the altar this year, walking away from a deal after the two titans of soft drinks had agreed a 1.4 billion all-share merger. At the time, Britvic said it was confident of driving 30 million of cost savings over the next three years plus international expansion. Today it said it was on track to hit that savings target by 2016. Chief executive Simon Litherland added: While we anticipate that the consumer environment will remain challenging in 2014, trading in the new financial year is slightly ahead of a strong first-quarter performance last year.

UK pensions among worst in the developed world, OECD warns - Business News - The Independent
The bloc, which represents 34 of the worlds biggest economies, said UK workers taking home average pay can expect a pension worth just 32.6 per cent of final pay when they retire, compared to a 54.4 per cent average across the rest of the OECD.

Lower earners fare slightly better with a so-called replacement rate of 55.8 per cent, compared to the OECD average of 71 per cent, ranking the UK sixth from bottom. With the legislated increases in retirement age to 67 for both men and women, expenditure is only expected to increase by 0.5 per cent over the next year 40 years to 8.2 per cent of GDP, well below the OECD average of 11.7 per cent, the OECD said. However, it added: This low level of [public] expenditure reflects the structure of the system which has a low public element in comparison with other OECD countries supplemented by a well-established voluntary private pension component. The picture was not all bleak for the UK with the OECD welcoming plans to automatically enrol employees onto workplace pensions over the next few years. The OECD assumes that workers will contribute 8 per cent of their salaries under auto-enrolment, although experts also warned however of the unrealistic assumptions of investment returns on auto-enrolment pots by the think-tank and the Department for Work and Pensions. Pensions consultant John Ralfe said: We should not be at all complacent. In some ways it lulls people into a false sense of security. There is no magic money tree here. We are not consuming today while we are working so we can consume while we are retired. There is no question that over time the level of opt-outs will increase.

De La Rue shares soar as pre-tax profit jumps 19% in first half - Business News - Business - The Independent
BANK note printer De La Rue got investors and analysts back on side today with a Steady Eddie set of results that boosted its shares by almost 10 per cent. The 200-year-old company spooked the markets in October when it issued its second profit warning in less than a year, saying operating profits would fall 10 million short of expectations because of overcapacity in the market. However, shares in the company climbed by 78.2p to 915.2p today as the company grew its pre-tax profits 19 per cent to 28.4 million during the first half of the year. The bounce was because there were no [nasty] surprises in the results, as one analyst put it. De La Rue has supplied banknotes to the Bank of England for 10 years and is now in the process of rebidding for the UK contract, which could include plastic notes. Chief executive Tim Cobbold hopes to improve the companys fortunes by investing 100 million in research and development and tightening up on costs. He admitted conditions were likely to remain tough but said De La Rue was well positioned to take on rival companies in Germany, France and Australia.

Osborne offers the Bank of England extra powers to keep the banks in check Business News - Business - The Independent
The so-called leverage ratio is currently set at 3 per cent under international rules. In the UK the FPC can recommend what level of leverage should be set for the whole industry and the Prudential Regulation Authority can set the level for individual firms and the system as a whole. Today Osborne suggested that the FPC could be given greater powers to set the leverage ratio if this would improve

its tool-kit ahead of international agreements which are not expected until 2015. He said: I am open to the review making recommendations that the FPC may need the power to implement a leverage ratio ahead of this timetable or to set a higher baseline ratio in some circumstances for UK banks. Carney, in his letter back to the Chancellor, welcomed the review. But he pointed out that the precise definition of leverage had not been set by the Basel regulators. That is due to happen early next year and the Governor said he expected the FPC could conduct its review within 12 months. He said: Minimum leverage ratio is a vital component of the overall capital framework. Carney told MPs at a Treasury Select Committee hearing that his experience as Governor of the Bank of Canada had been important. He said: If I could pick one element that was essential to the performance of the Canadian banking system during the crisis it was the presence of a leverage ratio. Osborne told Carney that while the FPCs primary objective remained financial stability in the UK, he would need to be shown that granting it extra powers would not hinder banks ability to grow lending to consumers and business. The Chancellors letter to the Governor came as political pressure grows on the Government to further tighten up control of banks in the wake of the Co-op crisis and revelations about Royal Bank of Scotlands lending policies. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and former Chancellor Lord Lawson, both members of the Commission on Banking Standards, have backed amendments to the banking reform bill which started a two-day reading in the House of Lords today. These include a licensing system for traders who work in controversial areas such as Libor and derivatives, a reserve power to enable regulators to force the split of investment and retail banks rather than mere ring-fencing, and forcing bankers to wait longer to get bonuses. A Treasury spokesman said that if the Lords came up with clearer ways to achieve Government aims it would consider accepting them.

Mark Carney defends 'dead on arrival' forward guidance policy - Business News - The Independent
Treasury Select Committee MP Brooks Newmark said the policys credibility had been hit by sharper growth and bigger falls in unemployment since the Bank unveiled the policy in August, prompting it to bring forward its forecast of when the jobless rate will hit its 7 per cent threshold for potential rate rises by 18 months. But the Canadian accused Newmark of a total failure of logic and pointedly added: What the guidance is doing is giving businesses, households, financial market participants, parliamentarians perspective on the conditions necessary to exist in the economy before raising interest rates. He also denied confusion over the policy among the 200 businesses he has met, adding: When we survey businesses, we dont see confusion.

City standards watchdog is roasted by MPs over ENRC - Business News Business - The Independent
ENRC this week delisted from London but is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office amid allegations of corruption after an unhappy few years on the LSE.

corruption after an unhappy few years on the LSE. David Lawton, the head of the FCAs UK Listing Authority, admitted to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee that he was not aware lawyers Herbert Smith had, three months before ENRC was admitted to the London market in 2007, written a detailed audit criticising its probity. The report appears to be one which reportedly cited evidence of documents being falsified or destroyed. The Conservative MP Brian Binley demanded: You were not aware of it? An issue of that importance? Mr Lawton repeated that he was not, to which Mr Binley responded: But you are the protector of the probity of our Stock Exchange. That is your role. Someone comes in and goes straight into the FTSE at your say-so when three months before a report details concerns about their operations? He added: They [allegations] were right under your nose. An auditor had presented its report. Mr Binley said: You are the protector of the probity of our stock exchange. That is your role. You protect investors Would you be desperately sorry and apologise that these people got through your net? Mr Lawton, who was not working for the regulator at the time, said, given the information he got from ENRCs sponsors, it did meet admission criteria. He said: We are a regulator of capital markets, not a regulator of companies corporate, tax, employment laws. He added that regulators such as the Financial Reporting Council and the Takeover Panel carried out other duties. The committees chairman, Adrian Bailey, questioned whether Financial Conduct Authority was the right name for Mr Lawtons regulator: Perhaps you do not really do what it says on the tin. It seems there is either a case for changing the name or extending the rights and responsibilities. Mr Lawton said: There are some areas where the regime needs to be strengthened given the experience of the last two or three years. The FCA recently unveiled plans to strengthen the listing rules for companies with large individual shareholders to protect smaller investors. The MPs went on to question in depth the legal liability of the sponsors who recommend firms to be allowed to list their shares in London. Again, Mr Lawton said he was unaware who the financial sponsors were that brought ENRC to market. The sponsor was Deutsche Bank. The committee went on to interrogate representatives of Glencore, Shell and Rio Tinto, who admitted their operations overseas, mainly in poor countries, employ few locals. However, they said, they do contribute significant tax revenues and investment.

Hugo Boss and Rmy Cointreau hit by luxury slowdown in China - Business News - Business - The Independent
Boss said it would miss its !750 million (630 million) operating profit target for 2015 as chief executive ClausDietrich Lahrs said China came down to a rather disappointing growth rate for the luxury industry in 2013. But it said it was sticking to its target of reaching !3 billion sales in 2015. Meanwhile liqueurs, spirits, champagne and cognac owner Rmy Cointreau said it expected a substantial drop in annual profit caused by weaker sales in Europe and Asia, as first-half operating profits fell 7.3 per cent to !132.7 million (110 million).

The Hugo Boss warning comes only a month after private equity group Permira which backs the fashion label through London-listed SVG Capital recapitalised the group and took out 110.9 million in cash as its value grew.

News - People

Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E

Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband - Crime - UK - The Independent

The 43-year-old spent a night in custody before admitting to the offence and accepting a caution, police said. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: Police were called approximately 9.45pm on Tuesday 26 November to a residential address in Hampstead following reports of an assault. A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to a north London police station. She has since been given a caution for common assault. Sykes husband, Jack Cockings, 27, did not require hospital treatment, police said. A spokesman for Sykes declined to comment. The television presenter, who found fame in adverts for Boddingtons beer in the mid-nineties, married Cockings in May.

Melanie Sykes with husband Jack Cockings (@MsMelanieSykes) The couple met on Twitter in early 2012, and raised eyebrows with their flirty public exchanges.

on Twitter in early 2012, and raised eyebrows with their flirty public exchanges. Sykes, a former model, has hosted shows including The Big Breakfast, Today with Des and Mel and Lunch with Gino and Mel. She served as a guest panellist on ITVs Loose Women in 2005 and returned to host the show in 2008. The presenter has two sons aged 11 and nine from her marriage to Italian actor Daniel Caltagirone, which ended in 2009.

Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Even when questions are not planted, a minister usually knows in advance what he or she is going to be asked by those on the government side. Though all this is known, hard evidence is usually difficult to find. However, I have on my screen a copy of an email sent to selected Tory MPs by the executive assistant to the special advisers at the Department of Health five days before Jeremy Hunt and other Health ministers were due to face the Commons. Good Morning, it says, I have received notice that you will be posing a question at the upcoming session of Health Orals. If it would be helpful for you to send the supplementary question that you intend to ask beforehand, then please send them over to me. This will, of course, ensure that the answer given in the House is as substantive as possible. With thanks and very best wishes The first supplementary question that Hunt had to answer came from a Tory MP, Alec Shelbrooke. I thank you for highlighting this important issue, Hunt replied. He added that so concerned was he about this very issue that just the other day ordered the NHS director of patient safety to look into it. What a coincidence! Blairs lost chance for war South Africas Thabo Mbeki has revived an old and odd story that Tony Blair once had visions of British and South Africans marching shoulder to shoulder to overthrow Robert Mugabe. In an interview with Al Jazeera over the weekend, Mbeki cited a retired chief of the British forces who had to ward off pressure from Blair to start planning an invasion of Zimbabwe. That tale, often retold in the African press, originated with an interview that General Sir Charles Guthrie gave The Independent on Sunday in November 2007, in which Lord Guthrie said that people were always trying to get me to look at military action in southern Africa, but he advised them to hold hard, youll make it worse. Mbeki now claims that he also told Blair where to get off. We said no Why does it become a British responsibility to decide who leads Zimbabwe? There is no doubt that after British troops successfully intervened in Sierra Leone, in 2000, people in government hoped that it would serve as a warning to Mugabe. It didnt.

The rest was probably chatter. Abominable namesake Commiserations to Ian H Watkins, the Welsh singer who formed part of the 1990s group Steps, who has had to come off Twitter to avoid drawing any more abuse from people who mix him up with that vile pervert, Ian Watkins, formerly of Lostprophets. A faraway country... It is good to see that the World Bank is not there just to help the big boys. Tuvalu, far away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the smallest country on the World Banks books and the fourth-smallest in the world, being just slightly bigger than Monaco. The islands have suffered badly from the recession, and the Bank has granted them $3m (1.8m) to put their economy back together. The Queen is Tuvalus head of state. She has not been there for more than 30 years, and although Prince William and Mrs Kate Windsor made a well-received visit last year, I do wonder how closely Her Majestys office is following the affairs of this little corner of her dominion. On Her Majestys official website, it states that the Governor General of Tuvalu is the Rev Filomeia Telito. According to the Tuvalu Newsletter of 25 July 2011, Telito retired in March 2010, died on 11 July 2011 and received a state funeral on 14 July. Maams website is nearly four years out of date.

One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party - News - Music - The Independent
The Bangerz star was celebrating her milestone at Beacher's Madhouse nightclub in Los Angeles after performing at the MTV American Music Awards. She sung "Wrecking Ball" wearing a skimpy cat-printed leotard in front of a giant kitten earlier that night. But she forgot to warn guests of hazardous party entertainment that nearly saw the Scottish DJ knocked out. Harris tweeted his gratitude to the "Best Song Ever" singer on Sunday. Big thank you to @Real_Liam_Payne for saving me from getting KO'd by a flying "person of unusually short stature" tonight Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) November 25, 2013 Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus reportedly presented his daughter with a personalised three-wheeled motorbike at a party featuring dancing pandas, twerking girls doing the splits and Miley-themed cocktails. Other guests included Payne's One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, rapper Wiz Khalifa and Kelly Osbourne. Cyrus rented out the whole club for her first night as a legal alcohol drinker and enjoyed a birthday cake decorated with her naked body covered in marijuana leaves.

Following her performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam earlier this month her love for the illegal drug has been widely-known. The singer lit a joint on stage when accepting the award for Best Video. She is also a fan of dwarves after twerking and spanking with 'Little Britney' during a performance of "We Can't Stop" at the same November event.

Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
The 27-year-old actor revealed on Twitter he was miserable after experiencing another lapse. Almost a year to the day, I experienced another mini stroke. Hopefully that will be the last. Miserable, he wrote on 25 November. Muniz suffered his first mini stroke in December last year when he was taken ill in Arizona after losing vision in one eye while riding his motorbike. He wrote at the time: Have to start taking care of my body! Getting old! A mini-stroke, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. Symptoms can be similar to a stroke, for example problems with speech and vision, but only last for a few minutes and are usually gone within 24 hours. Muniz put his acting career on hold seven years ago to race cars for a living. He also plays the drums in an American band called Kingsfoil. The actors career since 2006 has not matched the success of Malcolm in the Middle, a sit-com that ran for 150 episodes in which Muniz played title character Malcolm, a genius middle child who finds it hard to fit in. Earlier this year, Muniz openly criticised the launch of Obamacare, which saw thousands of Americans unable to access its website healthcare.gov. This Obamacare launch is an embarrassment to the American people. How many more promises have to be broken? he tweeted.

Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala - News - Music - The Independent
Providing backing vocals to Bon Jovis karaoke favourite "Living On A Prayer", Prince William seemed a touch awkward at first. He soon got into the swing of things, and at the end of the song helped Swift off the stage to cheers and applause. It was the finale of an event at Kensington Palace to support homeless charity Centrepoint, which works to support hundreds of young people by preempting and tackling problems that could force them onto the streets. The duke has been a patron of the charity since 2005 and, throughout the Winter Whites Gala, met some of the people Centrepoint has helped through housing and other opportunities. Swift and Bon Jovi both performed individually at the event. The former, who sang "Trouble", "Love Story" and "15", said she was honoured by her invite to the palace.

This is my first time playing at Kensington Palace, or any palace for that matter, she said. I want to thank you for having me Prince William, this is just amazing. Swift said it was important the gala concert was supporting at-risk youth, given they were dealing with more than most people were at what was already a difficult age. Other guests at the event included Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt and Tinie Tempah. Prince William presented the Centrepoint Great Britain Youth Inspiration Award to Bon Jovi for his humanitarian work. The singer founded Soul Foundation in the United States in 2006, which aims to break the cycle of people falling into poverty and homelessness by helping them gain access to food and affordable housing along with job training programmes. Bon Jovi said: Nights like this happen once in a lifetime but the chance to affect change can last a lifetime. Each one of you tonight have that chance to affect change. Video: On the red carpet at Winter Whites charity gala

Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Dr Cliff Mann, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, which represents A&E doctors, said earlier this month: Its not chaos in emergency departments, but it is a crisis. The Commons Health Committee, under a Tory chairman, has warned that the pressures on A&E departments are unsustainable, and the Royal College of Nursing has described them as dangerously overburdened. It emerged last week that in the six months to the end of October, 87,186 NHS patients were waiting on trolleys for between four and 12 hours, an increase of nearly 40,000 on the previous period of 2011. But there is no cause for concern, to judge by what Jeremy Hunt and his Liberal Democrat Deputy Norman Lamb said as they answered MPs questions in the Commons yesterday. Labour is always desperately in search of a crisis, even if there is none to be found, Mr Lamb said. Mr Hunt told his Labour shadow, Andy Burnham: We are hitting our A&E target, and we are hitting our ambulance standard. You are trying to talk up a crisis that is not happening. It takes you back to when James Callaghan flew back to a crisis-ridden country looking suntanned, and inspired the headline: Crisis? What crisis? The difference was that Callaghan did not actually say that. Mr Hunt has. Shutting the stable door Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi, a very busy man, has one fewer constituency engagement cluttering his diary. The Citizens Advice Bureau in his Stratford constituency had asked him to chair the launch of a report they have compiled on the unfairness of making vulnerable families have pre-payment gas or electricity meters in their home. Then it emerged that Mr Zahawi had claimed more than 4,800 worth of heating bills off the taxpayers to which he was not entitled, and has paid back. Faced with the prospect that their meeting could be taken over by hacks wanting to know how a rich man failed to notice that he has been heating his stables at taxpayers expense, the CAB have uninvited Mr Zahawi.

uninvited Mr Zahawi. Drop the dead bank For those who wonder whether people who run the BBC behind the scenes have a nose for news, Robert Peston, the business editor, told this story during a talk at City University: There were times when I wondered whether they quite understood what was happening and what I was doing. One of my, ahem, favourite memories was of September 13 2007, sitting next to Huw Edwards on the Ten OClock News desk, shortly before going on air to flesh out the news I had broken earlier that evening, that Northern Rock had failed and was being bailed out by the Bank of England. It was literally two minutes before going live when a senior BBC editor came up to me and asked are you sure this is a story?. Nigellas line on drug use It appears to be the case that the desire for intoxication is innate in humans Just because something is innate doesnt make it good, but whatever, prohibition can never be the answer. So said Nigella Lawson, one of the celebrity supporters of Transform, an organisation campaigning for reform of drug laws. Its slogan is Getting drugs under control. Wise men dont use satnav I have never trusted satnavs since the car that was supposed to be taking me from Doncaster station to Hatfield Colliery nearby took the motorway towards Hatfield, Hertfordshire. So I feel deeply for the parents and children of Brampton, near Carlisle, who were looking forward to seeing three wise women riding through town on camels. After months of planning by the parish council, come the moment, there were no camels. The driver delivering them from Warwickshire followed his satnav to Brampton, near Appleby, more than 30 miles away from their Brampton. The camels arrived in the end, but really that driver should have followed yonder star.

News - Science

Comet Ison: Can 'comet of the century' survive close encounter with the Sun? Revealed: David Cameron's radical plan to burn up UKs mountain of plutonium Video: Great Barrier Reef spawning NHS failed to sterilise surgical instruments contaminated with 'mad cow' disease New wonder material 'stanene' could replace graphene with 100% electrical conductivity 60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey The spotless mind? Scientists have begun testing chemicals that can 'delete' memories Cats recognise their owners' voices but never evolved to care, says study American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows 'Single fault' in one gene can lead to alcohol addiction in laboratory mice Chinese and American space agencies butt heads over competing moon landers National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex

Comet Ison: Can 'comet of the century' survive close encounter with the Sun?

- Science - News - The Independent

Comet Ison is due to pass just 730,000 miles (1.2 million km) from the surface of the sun at 6.37pm GMT today. Relatively recently, Ison was knocked out of the distant Oort cloud and began its journey towards the Sun. That light-year-long trip is now drawing to a close, and it remains to be seen if it will survive its journey. The sun's gravity could rip the comet apart, breaking it into several chunks. If the comet has already broken apart, it should disintegrate completely before making a slingshot around our star. Click here for a gallery of images and essential facts about Comet Ison, including tips on how to see it for yourself Scientists are now watching through observatories to see if it has already been pulled into pieces by the gravitational forces of the Sun. Another option for the comet is that it may not be destroyed completely as it will move past the sun so quickly. It has been hurtling towards the Earth at more than a million kilometres an hour. Donald Yeomans, manager of Nasas Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California said: It could be tough enough to survive the passage of the sun and be a fairly bright, nakedeye object. Nasa said if the comet does break up, this would provide a good opportunity for scientists to look at the insides of a comet and gain a better understanding of its composition. Their observations over the last few days have at times suggested Ison was getting dimmer and might already be in pieces. However the comet brightened again over Tuesday and Wednesday. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the comet appeared in the view of the European Space Agency/NASA mission the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph instrument. As long as there are pieces there, we'll see something, Carey Lisse, senior research scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory said on Tuesday. If the comet is very weak, it could also break up into a cloud of dust and be a complete bust for viewing. This comet is giving us quite a ride. It's going to be hard to predict exactly what's going on, Lisse said. As a betting man, I think it's not going to survive solar passage, he added. Scientists estimate that Ison needs to be about 219 yards (200 meters) to survive its close encounter with the sun. The most recent measurements indicate the comet is more than twice that size, and perhaps as big as 0.75 miles (1.2 km). It helps that Ison will not be staying in the solar furnace for long. When it zips around the sun, it will be moving at about 217 miles per second (349 km per second.) The comet was discovered last year by two amateur astronomers using Russia's International Scientific Optical Network, or Ison. It was extraordinarily bright at the time, considering its great distance beyond Jupiter's orbit, raising the prospect of a truly cosmic spectacle as it approached the sun. Heat from the sun causes ices in a comet's body to vaporize, creating bright distinctive tails and fuzzy looking, glowing bodies. The closer comets come to the sun, the brighter they shine, depending on how much ice they contain.

contain. Comets are believed to be frozen remains left over from the formation of the solar system some 4.5 billion years ago.

Revealed: David Cameron's radical plan to burn up UKs mountain of plutonium - Science - News - The Independent
However, further delays have hit attempts to make a final decision on what to do with the growing plutonium stockpile which has been a recurring headache for successive governments over the past three decades. The stock of plutonium, one of the most dangerous radioactive substances and the element of nuclear bombs, has already exceeded 100 tonnes and is likely to grow to as much as 140 tonnes by 2020, bolstered by a recent decision to include foreign plutonium from imported nuclear waste. Ministers had pledged to resolve the plutonium problem in a public consultation but are sitting on a secret report by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) which is believed to confirm that there are now three "credible options" for dealing with the plutonium stored at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria. The original "preferred option" was to convert the plutonium into a form of nuclear fuel called mixed oxide (Mox) and then to burn this in conventional nuclear reactors. However, serious questions have been raised about this proposal in the light of the expensive failure of a previous 1.4bn Mox plant at Sellafield, which had to be closed in 2011. Two other options are now on the table, according to the NDA report. One involves a Canadian nuclear power plant called a Candu reactor which will burn a simpler form of Mox fuel. The other more radical proposal is to burn the plutonium directly in a fast reactor built by GE-Hitachi. The NDA report, which is classified as commercially confidentially, was itself delayed by several months before being submitted in August to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The Government's response to it was supposed to have been published within weeks but has now been delayed until next year - to the consternation of the companies involved in the consultation process. The plutonium stockpile poses enormous problems for the government. Not only is it highly radioactive and an immense potential danger to health, it is also a target for terrorist attacks and for anyone interested in stealing nuclear weapons-grade material. A previous public consultation process led the NDA to recommend the conversion of the plutonium into Mox fuel, which would in itself make it less attractive to terrorists. However, Sellafield has a poor record of producing viable Mox fuel and there are no power stations in the UK willing to burn it given that uranium fuel is much cheaper. However, over the past two years the NDA has performed a U-turn over another option, which is to burn the plutonium directly in a purpose-built fast reactor. Ironically this was the original intention 40 years ago and the reason for building up a plutonium stockpile in the first place, but Britain's own fast-reactor programme was abandoned in the 1990s. It is understood that the NDA has been impressed by proposals from GE-Hitachi to build a pair of its Prism fast reactors on the Sellafield site, which could in theory burn the plutonium stockpile for up to 60 years, making it safe as well as generating carbon-free electricity. The NDA's report to DECC is understood to conclude that the Prism fast reactor is as credible as the two other options based on Mox fuel, even though GE-Hitachi has not yet built a commercial-scale plant for burning plutonium waste. DECC, however, has refused to release the report under a Freedom of Information request, saying that publishing its contents could jeopardise future commercial negotiations.

The Independent also understands that DECC is seeking the views of the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minster David Cameron, before it releases its public position statement on what should be done with the plutonium stockpile - such is the sensitivity of the issue. One industry insider said that the delay by DECC may in part be due to the intense negotiations over the strike price for electricity generated by the new nuclear power station at Hinckley Point in Somerset. But another reason is the undoubted sensitivity of any future decision over which option to go for when dealing with the growing plutonium problem. Although the final contract is unlikely to be signed before 2015, both Candu and GE-Hitachi are keen to know whether they are still in the race for tendering against the French company Areva, which was originally hoping win the contract to build a 3bn Mox plant for plutonium disposal without running up against any competitors.

Video: Great Barrier Reef spawning - Science - News - The Independent

Divers from around the world hit the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland to watch the spectacular annual coral spawning season.

NHS failed to sterilise surgical instruments contaminated with 'mad cow' disease - Science - News - The Independent
The result is that hundreds of people have had their lives blighted by surgery performed with instruments possibly contaminated the prion protein responsible for vCJD said Professor John Collinge, director of the Medical Research Councils Prion Unit at University College London. Professor Collinge led one of a number of research groups that came up with novel ways of destroying the lethal prion protein, which sticks to the stainless steel of surgical instruments like superglue and can survive the high temperatures of hospital autoclaves. However, in evidence to the House of Commons science and technology committee, Professor Collinge said that he was astonished and disappointed that the Department of Health and the NHS failed to adopt any of the suggestions for decontaminating surgical instruments. The solution we developed was a combination of enzymes and detergents, if you like a sort of bespoke biological washing powder which very effectively prion-decontaminated metal surfaces, Professor Collinge said. It was one of several decontamination procedures developed by a number of research groups sponsored by the health department over a decade ago to find ways of making surgical instruments safe, he said. Neither this nor the other products that were available I think there were three have ever been taken up by the NHS. They simply havent been used. These issues have been bounced around various committees to my and other peoples great frustration, Professor Collinge said. Its perhaps not surprising given that the NHS is notoriously resistant to change and to introducing new methodologies, he said. Absolutely nothing has happened despite all this research and all this effort. Currently several hundred people have been notified that they have been exposed to [potentially contaminated] surgical instruments, he told the committee. Were blighting these peoples lives and all this has been avoidable for some years by applying this research. I find it quite extraordinary that the system just does not work, he said. Theyve had to be notified that theyve had a significant exposure to prions because they are expected to take

Theyve had to be notified that theyve had a significant exposure to prions because they are expected to take precautions. They are not allowed to be blood donors and if they go on to have surgery they have to notify the surgeons that they are high risk individuals. Needless to say this has a major effect on their lives and needless to say it makes me very angry because all of this was avoidable, he added. DuPont, an American chemicals company, worked out a way of manufacturing Professor Collinges product as a 50C pre-soak for surgical instruments, but because this would involve changing the standard procedures for how medical devices were sterilised, NHS hospitals refused to adopt it, Professor Collinge claimed. What we had developed was seen to be inconvenientThe NHS didnt buy a single unit of the product so was it surprising that the manufacturer just walked away? he said. It was extraordinary [that] it was discussed in I dont know how many committees and subcommittees when patients are being put in this position and having their lives blighted. Its disgraceful, he told the committee. About 200 hospital patients have been told that they have been exposed to the vCJD prion through instruments that were used on other patients who subsequently died of the brain disease. Three out of the 177 people in the UK who have died of vCJD received contaminated blood, and the rest are assumed to have been infected by meat or meat products contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A spokesman for the Department of Health said that Professor Collinges research group has received 18m for various research projects and that DuPonts prion inactivation product has been reviewed twice by Public Health Englands Rapid Review Panel, which established gaps in DuPonts application. Roland Salmon, the joint chairman of the governments advisory sub-committee on dangerous pathogens, defended the Department of Healths stance on introducing new ways of sterilising surgical instruments. I dont think its fair on the department [of health] to say that nothing was donethey did institute a number of improvements, Dr Salmon said. Its perfectly true they havent introduced specific productsthe barrier had been Ive told with having a product composed in such a way that it can be introduced into what is an industrialised process in a cycle, he said. How vCJD can be contracted Almost all of the 177 cases of vCJD the human form of mad cow disease have been contracted through eating contaminated meat or meat products before the introduction of controls to limit the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from cattle to people. Three of these deaths, however, are believed to have resulted from blood donors infected with vCJD, but showing no clinical symptoms. There is one further case of a person who died of something else but who was shown at postmortem to be infected following a blood transfusion. There are fears of secondary infections from asymptomatic carriers in the population. Latest estimates suggest that up to one in 2,000 people in Britain could be carriers of vCJD. Because the prion protein responsible for vCJD is found in a wide range of tissues, such as spleen, tonsils and appendix, the fear is that asymptomatic carriers may spread the infection to others through contaminated surgical instruments and blood donations. The new material has not yet been fabricated but has been christened stanene, a combination of the Latin word for tin (stannum) and the suffix found in the word graphene.

Click here to find out more about the possibilities of graphene Stanene was discovered by researchers from the US Department of Energys (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University and could revolutionize computing by replacing the copper wires still used in modern computer chips. "Stanene could increase the speed and lower the power needs of future generations of computer chips, if our prediction is confirmed by experiments that are underway in several laboratories around the world," Shoucheng Zhang told Phys.org, a physics professor at Stanford and a team leader on the project.

How could stanene help make faster computers?

Up until now we've relied on copper to relay electricity in various forms, and for good reason. As well as being cheap and ductile (this means it can be easily drawn into strips) copper is also very conductive. However, modern computer chips deploy the metal on a scale that would be unimaginable to past generations. Technology site Extremetech has noted that in a modern chip the size of your thumbnail there can be up to sixty miles of copper wiring, with some of the strands just atoms thick. At this point scientists are pushing the limits of the material, channelling so much electricity through it that the material's electrical resistance causes the wires to heats, potentially setting it on fire. If stanene fulfils on scientists promises then chips could get smaller and faster without running this risk of overheating.

As we continue to scale down computer chips we begin to strain the limits of what copper can handle.

How does stanene work?

Stanene is what is known as a topological insulator, meaning its interior is an insulator but it conducts electrons along its surface. By making the material only a single atom thick, the stanene is essentially all surface, allowing it to conduct electricity with 100 per cent efficiency. "The magic of topological insulators is that by their very nature, they force electrons to move in defined lanes without any speed limit, like the German autobahn," said Zhang. "As long as they're on the freeway the edges or surfaces the electrons will travel without resistance." By adding fluorine atoms to the mix, the scientist claim they can retain this level of efficiency at temperatures of up to

100 degrees Celsius, allowing the material to be used in computers, where processors typically run at temperatures of between 40 and 90 degrees Celsius. However, there are many obstacles standing between stanene and mainstream use (not limited to the difficulties of manufacturing one-atom thick wires on an industrial scale) and without working samples of the material available it is perhaps a little early to get excited. Click here to read more about stanene

60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey - Science News - The Independent
Unearthed in the US, assembled in the Netherlands and on sale in the UK, the dinosaur is one of only six relatively complete diplodocus skeletons and was estimated to be worth between 400,000 and 600,000. The 56-ft long skeleton was discovered by the sons of German palaeontologist Raimund Albersdoerfer during a dig in 2009. Hoping to keep his listless offspring busy, Albersdoerfer had suggested that they dig for bones in a neighbouring site, not thinking that they would find anything notable. When they reported back to their father that theyd discovered a colossal leg bone all work on the main dig halted and Albersdoerfer spent the next nine weeks unearthing what remained of the gigantic creature.

The diplodocus in the process of being excavated in Wyoming. Image credit: SummersPlaceAuctions/BNPS Errol Fuller, the curator at the Evolution Sale auction, said: "You are talking about a very rare item indeed. Even if you were lucky enough to find one in the first place, the digging out and the preparation then involved is an enormous undertaking. The rock that it was embedded in would have been extremely hard to break away from the bones, and you couldn't go at it with a sledge-hammer because the bones were vulnerable to breaking." After being dug out from the site in Wyoming, the skeleton was sent to Rotterdam to be fitted in its metal frame by Aart Walen, an expert dinosaur builder. Luckily for Albersdoerfer the find was made on private land, allowing them to transport it out of the US.

Kate Diment from Summer Place Auctions in Billingshurst West Sussex dusts off the enormous Diplodocus longus skeleton. Image credit: PhilYeomans/BNPS The skeleton is made up of 100 bones and is 40 per cent original, with the other 60 per cent copied from previous specimens. There are probably about six of these in the great museums of the world, including in Pittsburg and Washington, said Fuller. Speaking to Sky News before the sale, auctioneer James Rylands said "I think we will see a lot of interest from the Far East and possibly the Middle East. You could easily see this dinosaur forming the centrepiece or a big shopping centre or in the atrium of an amazing hotel."

The spotless mind? Scientists have begun testing chemicals that can 'delete' memories - Science - News - The Independent
Potentially damaging memories of traumatic incidents can form memories that shape a person's life. Scientists are hoping this research could one day help form medical treatments for people suffering with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or battling addictions. To demonstrate the unreliability of memory, researchers at the University of Washington asked adult volunteers to respond to a survey about their eating or drinking habits before the age of 16. After a week, the respondents were handed an analysis of their answers that falsely stated they had been ill after drinking rum or vodka as a teenager. One in five participants not only did not spot that a lie had been inserted, but also recalled false memories about the 'incident' and said they were less keen on drinking the alcohol since being sick from it. Studies such as this can help to look at other possible treatments for mental health issues, according to Popular Science. PTSD and addiction disorders hang onto memories which can trigger problematic behaviours, they report, such as cravings induced just by seeing drug paraphernalia or the feeling of terrifying fear from hearing loud noises. Studies have since discovered chemical compounds that have been effective in subduing and deleting memories of mice, leading researchers to wonder if the same compounds would be effective on humans. In June, research by Emory University in Georgia found a drug used to treat PTSD, SR-8993, actually worked to

In June, research by Emory University in Georgia found a drug used to treat PTSD, SR-8993, actually worked to prevent fear memories forming in mice. The rodents were strapped to a wooden board for two hours where they were unable to move. The stress of the experience created a heightened sense of fear like that experienced by people with PTSD, but mice given SR-8993 were less likely to feel an increased sense of fear after the event. In a separate study, researchers found the drug Latrunculin A could 'erase' memories of an event days after it occurred. Mice were trained to consume methamphetamine in a visually distinctive sensory room filled with various scents. Rodents that were injected with Latrunculin A two days later did not seek out the methamphetamine when they were returned to the same environment, but the other rodents did. In July, a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a study that found the individual memories of mice leave recognisable molecular signatures in the brains hippocampus region. The team genetically engineered a mouse so that its hippocampal cells would be tagged with a protein when activated which the researchers could switch on later. The mouse was placed in an unfamiliar cage for a day, before being moved into a noticeably different cage which was scented and had black walls. At the same time, they gave it an uncomfortable shock and switched on the tagging protein to briefly activate cells that had been active in the old cage. When they put the mouse back in the old cage, it froze as if afraid, suggesting a false memory had been 'shocked' there. Scientists are now hoping that continued research will explain how the brain's neurons encode each memory and thus provide better treatments for people plagued by traumatic memories.

Cats recognise their owners' voices but never evolved to care, says study Science - News - The Independent
A new study from the University of Japan has confirmed this, showing that although pet cats are more than capable of recognising their owners voice they choose to ignore them - for reasons that are perhaps rooted in the evolutionary history of the animal. Carried out by Atsuko Saito and Kazutaka Shinozuka, the study tested twenty housecats in their own homes; waiting until the owner was out of sight and then playing them recordings of three strangers calling their names, followed by their owner, followed by another stranger. The researchers then analysed the cats responses to each call by measuring a number of factors including ear, tail and head movement, vocalization, eye dilation and displacement shifting their paws to move. When hearing their names being called the cats displayed orientating behaviour (moving their heads and ears about to locate where the sound was coming from) and although they showed a greater response to their owners voices than strangers, they declined to move when called by any of the volunteers. These results indicate that cats do not actively respond with communicative behavior to owners who are calling them from out of sight, even though they can distinguish their owners voices, write Saito and Shinozuka. This catowner relationship is in contrast to that with dogs. The study, published by Springer in the Animal Cognition journal, suggests that the reason for cats unresponsive behaviour might be traced back to the early domestication of the species, contrasting this with the relationship of humans to dogs. Recent genetic analysis has revealed that the common ancestor of the modern housecat was Felis silvestris, a species of wildcat that first came into contact with humans around 9,000 years ago. As early societies developed agriculture, these cats moved in to prey on the rodents that were attracted to stores of grain. In the words of the papers authors,

these cats moved in to prey on the rodents that were attracted to stores of grain. In the words of the papers authors, they effectively domesticated themselves. Historically speaking, cats, unlike dogs, have not been domesticated to obey humans orders. Rather, they seem to take the initiative in humancat interaction. This is in contrast to the history of dogs and humans, where the former has been bred over thousands of years to respond to orders and commands. Cats, it seems, never needed to learn. However, it's unlikely that this will dismay cat owners (or indeed, be of any surprise) and the paper notes that although dogs are perceived by their owners as being more affectionate than cats [] dog owners and cat owners do not differ significantly in their reported attachment level to their pets. The study concludes by observing that the behavioural aspect of cats that cause their owners to become attached to them are still undetermined.

American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows - Science - News - The Independent
According to research published in the Psychological Science journal, test subjects were more likely to say they had faith in a higher power after watching jaw-dropping footage of the Grand Canyon, waterfalls and other natural phenomena. Those who were asked to watch extracts from the BBC documentary series fronted by Sir David Attenborough gave markedly different responses to a series of questions than a control group which was shown footage from more neutral news reports. Professor Piercarlo Valdesolo, a psychological scientist from Claremont McKenna College who carried out the studies, said: Many historical accounts of religious epiphanies and revelations seem to involve the experience of being awe-struck by the beauty, strength or size of a divine being, and these experiences change the way people understand and think about the world. We wanted to test the exact opposite prediction: Its not that the presence of the supernatural elicits awe, its that awe elicits the perception of the presence of the supernatural, he said. Professor Valdesolo said participants from both groups were asked how much awe they felt while watching the footage, and whether they believed that worldly events unfold according to some gods or other non-human entitys plan. Overall, those who had watched the awe-inspiring video tended to believe more in supernatural control, and were more likely to believe in God when compared with the news-watching group. The scientists added that they observed similar results when the awe-inspiring video was changed for one which showed amazing but self-evidently impossible events, such as a massive waterfall flowing through city streets. The researchers pointed out that these data could also shed light on why certain individuals seek to explain the world through secular and scientific means. Professor Valdesolo said: The irony in this is that gazing upon things that we know to be formed by natural causes, such as the jaw-dropping expanse of the Grand Canyon, pushes us to explain them as the product of supernatural causes. The experience of awe may simply motivate us to search for explanations, no matter what kinds of explanations they are, he added. In another experiment, the test subjects were given random series of numbers and asked whether or not they thought

In another experiment, the test subjects were given random series of numbers and asked whether or not they thought they had been picked deliberately. Those who had seen the awe-inspiring video were more likely than others to say the numbers had been designed by human hand. Based on these preliminary findings, Professor Valdesolo and his colleague Jesse Graham from the University of Southern California said they are now looking at other factors which change the impact of awe on belief in the supernatural. For example, they are testing whether adopting submissive body postures, which make us feel less powerful, might dispose us to experiences of awe. A link could perhaps explain the presence of such postures in religious practices across the world, such as kneeling, bowing, and gazing up. The more submissive we act, the more awe we might feel, and perhaps the stronger our beliefs become, Professor Valdesolo said.

'Single fault' in one gene can lead to alcohol addiction in laboratory mice Science - News - The Independent
Scientists believe that similar variations in the same gene in people could significantly increase the risk of someone becoming an alcoholic when exposed to excessive drinking. Previous studies have already established a link between genes and alcoholism but the latest research is the first to demonstrate a causal association between a specific genetic mutation and alcohol addiction, said Quentin Anstee, a consultant hepatologist at Newcastle University. Theres not previously been a demonstration of causality. Thats the key difference in our study with previous research, Dr Anstee said. Laboratory mice with a small change to a gene that is active in the brain, in particular the pleasure centre known as the nucleus accumbens, actively seek out and prefer water laced with 10 per cent alcohol, equivalent to the strength of wine. Ordinary mice without the mutation shun alcohol and prefer pure water. The mutated mice, however, drink alcohol to excess and continue to crave it even when already intoxicated with its effects, Dr Anstee said. Its amazing to think that a small change in the code for just one gene can have such profound effects on complex behaviours like alcohol consumption, he said. They are clearly getting a significant pleasure effect from it. They dont habituate and they will keep pressing a button for more alcohol even when inebriated. They dont get fed up, they keep on going and going, he added. The mutation occurred in a protein receptor found in the synapses of brain cells, where one nerve communicates with another. This receptor binds to a neurotransmitter called GABA and the mutation causes the receptor to be leaky as if it is being constantly stimulated by the GABA messenger molecule. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that the effect was particularly pronounced in the nucleus accumbens, which controls pleasurable emotions and the feeling of reward in both mice and humans. The implication is that mice with the mutated gene got a bigger reward stimulus from the alcohol compared to ordinary mice which may also be true in humans. The mutation of the [GABA receptor] is altering its structure and creating spontaneous electrical activity in the brain of this pleasure zone, the nucleus accumbens. As the electrical signal from these receptors increases, so does the desire to drink to such an extent that mice will actually work to get the alcohol, for much longer than we would have expected, Dr Anstee said.

expected, Dr Anstee said. Roughly 50 per cent of a persons risk of becoming an alcoholic is down to genes, so the GABA receptor proteins in humans may be a good target for potential new treatments, Dr Anstee said. This really is potentially a fantastic drug target, but we are some way off that yet. Weve shown that this simple mutation causes alcohol dependency in mice. In humans it is likely to be more complicated, he said. The 10-year research project was carried out jointly by the universities of Newcastle, Sussex, London and Dundee, along with the Mammalian Genetics Unit at Harwell, and funded by the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

Chinese and American space agencies butt heads over competing moon landers - Science - News - The Independent
But a political blow-up may be on the cards, after NASA has warned that the lander could jeopardise its own lunar mission. The Chinese unmanned Change 3 moon lander is set to lift-off from Sichuan province in early December, and will orbit the moon before propelling down to a landing site and releasing a solar-powered rover, named Jade Rabbit (Yutu in Chinese). However, NASAs Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is already orbiting, and a NASA scientist has warned that the Chinese mission could throw off the careful measurements of the amount of lunar dust in the atmosphere. One of LADEEs key aims of its mission is to establish a baseline evaluation of the moons exosphere, so accuracy is vital. Jeff Plescia, a scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told SPACE.com that "the arrival of the Change 3 spacecraft into lunar orbit and then its descent to the surface will result in a significant contamination of the lunar exosphere by its propellant". However, he was also quick to point out that the Chinese mission could benefit LADEE by showing its potential to measure dust that might be lofted above the moon surface by the Change 3 touchdown. Clive Neal, a scientist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana criticised a lack of communication between China and Nasa. "With some sort of communication between the missions, talk between countries could enhance both LADEE and Change 3s investigations," he said. "We have a situation where politics is certainly inhibiting good scientific cooperation and discovery because the NASA mission people are not allowed to communicate bilaterally with their Chinese counterparts." The Chang'e 3 will most likely land on "Sinus Iridum", a part of lunar territory close to a fresh crater, "Laplace A". The crater has a drop of 5,200 feet, which may be possible for Change 3 to photograph. It will then traverse down the crater, and will be able to characterise rocks from deeper below the surface. Mark Robinson, a scientist at Arizona State University said that no humans or robots had ever "visited a fresh crater anywhere near this size". "The return from this mission has great potential for advancing our knowledge of the moon," he added. It is not the first time that relations have been strained between Chinese space scientists and Nasa. In October, Nasa

came under fire for banning Chinese scientists from its astronomy conference in California. However, the ban was later overturned and was blamed on a "misinterpretation of policy on foreign nationals".

National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex Science - News - The Independent
On average, those aged 16 to 44 were having sex less than five times a month. Compare that with figures of more than six times a month in the same studies 10 and 20 years earlier, and researchers say modern life appears to be having a noticeable impact on libidos. The figures come from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), which is carried out once a decade and this year questioned more than 15,000 people aged 16 to 74. Dr Cath Mercer, from University College London, told BBC News: People are worried about their jobs, worried about money. They are not in the mood for sex. But we also think modern technologies are behind the trend too. People have tablets and smartphones and they are taking them into the bedroom, using Twitter and Facebook, answering emails. Lead Natsal author Kaye Wellings, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that the stress of the recession and the need to work when away from the office could be to blame for the decline in sexual frequency, according to reports in The Times. In a recession we find an association between unemployment and a low number of sexual partners, perhaps due to low self-esteem, she said. For men, the average number of sexual partners in a lifetime has also dropped, down from 12.6 to 11.7. It is another story for women, however. The study suggested that they are starting having sex younger, having more partners, and that those are not necessarily men. Meanwhile, the survey also asked people about instances when they had been coerced into having sex. One in 10 women said that they had been made to have sex, compared to one in 71 men. In around 83 per cent of instances for both genders the person responsible for the coercion was someone they knew.

News - Media

Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Robert Peston berates Daily Mail for revealing late wifes cancer Guardian crossword editor John Graham dies of cancer aged 92 after announcing illness in puzzle clues Patrick Cockburn is Foreign Commentator of the Year

Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky - News - TV & Radio - The Independent

In a speech in London, Lord Hall expressed admiration for the on-camera skills of the former Manchester United player, who has been credited for bringing fresh insight into expert football analysis since joining Sky two years ago. The Director Generals praise was given in the context of showing that the BBC is willing to learn from the creative successes of its rivals and to claim that the Corporation deserves credit for maintaining a high bar of quality across the television sector. The BBC is part of a virtuous circle. We do well. Others have to compete. They raise their game. We respond. Competition spurs us all on. And the creative strength of the whole industry rises, from Downton (Abbey) to Broadchurch, The Inbetweeners to Channel 4 News, Moone Boy to Gary Neville, he said. Lord Halls lauding of broadcasting rivals, came in an address to the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Conference. The Director General said the BBC needed to cast aside its humility in arguing that the licence fee was good value for money. We need to be less British about saying what you get for 40p a day, he said. We have got to get aggressive about making this case to people. MOTD is under pressure to respond to a fast changing market in televised football. Pay television companies BT Sport and Sky have invested vast sums in football rights and made the Premier League a key battlefield in their fight for broadband and TV subscribers. Each of these commercial giants has spent heavily on improving their coverage, expanding studios and hiring recently-retired players as star pundits. BT Sport, which recently spent 900m for right to broadcast Champions League football, has hired a string of recent England players as expert analysts, including Michael Owen, David James and the current Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Sky brought in former England defender Jamie Carragher to form a punditry double act with Neville this season. Some fans believe that MOTD, which relies heavily on an established presenting line-up of Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer, is at risk of appearing out-of-touch with the fast-moving modern game. Andy Lyons, editor of the When Saturday Comes fanzine, said the long-running show could not afford to be complacent. The BBC has got a captive audience on a Saturday evening and thats part of the problem. Theyve not felt such a need to change the format. A BBC source said Lord Hall was not trying to put pressure on BBC Sport but merely tipping his hat to the Sky Sports presenter. But within the BBC there is an awareness of the need to refresh. Hansen (who retired from football in 1991) will stand down after next summers World Cup and his former Liverpool colleague Mark Lawrenson has, to his chagrin, had a lesser role this season as new pundits, including a more contemporary Liverpool player Danny Murphy, have been given airtime. Gary Parkinson, editor of fourfourtwo.com, said some of the MOTD presenting team appeared to reject attempts to introduce deeper tactical analysis into the show. There was almost an anti-intellectualism that grew up around MOTD punditry. It became a sneering 19th hole old boys club. He detected attempts to modernise the programme this season, with greater use of graphics, but warned that the growth of on-demand television viewing meant that pundits on a highlights show like MOTD were at risk of being ignored anyway. These days, people often just fast forward through the analysis, he said. A BBC spokesperson said: " MOTD continues to evolve and has featured a wide range of studio experts this season. Our pundits consistently lead the way in audience research and we have exciting plans in place for the World Cup and throughout the 2014-15 season. "

Robert Peston berates Daily Mail for revealing late wifes cancer - Press Media - The Independent

Mr Peston launched an impassioned attack on the paper on Monday night, saying that its conduct in 2008 went beyond what he regarded [as] acceptable when it reported that his late wife, the novelist Sian Busby, was in high spirits at a Royal Academy party as she was celebrating her all-clear from lung cancer. The journalist, who was delivering the James Cameron Memorial lecture at City University, said that there were a number of things wrong with the report in January 2008, specifically that his wife tragically had not had the allclear. Ms Busby went on to die in September 2012 at the age of 51, five years after she was first diagnosed. Mr Peston, who rose to prominence during the financial crisis of 2008, said there was no public interest justification to the story. He also said it contained several inaccuracies and he and his wife were not warned about its publication in advance. The BBC journalist, who spent 23 years in newspapers including The Independent before joining the BBC, added: [The] really maddening thing about that piece was that the Mail ran the story without bothering to give us any advance warning, or to check whether it was appropriate We had gone out of our way to keep out of the public domain that Sian was suffering from such a serious cancer, because we wanted our children to have as normal and untroubled a life as possible. In particular we didnt want our youngest boy who was still at primary school to be badgered by kids in the playground about his mum. Admitting he accepted he was a fair target because of his prominent position, he explained how the paper had for years regarded him as a pompous ... egomaniac who had to be cut down to size. Since the death of his wife, he continued, the Mail had laid off, presumably because the importance of cutting me down to size was rather lessened by a personal tragedy that might elicit public sympathy. My instinct was to complain to the Mail and its editors. Sian asked me not to, because she was frail and did not want the added stress of seeing me go to war with a powerful newspaper. So the Mail got away with it. As it often does. A spokesman for the Daily Mail said: We very much regret the distress clearly caused by our 2008 diary piece, but it is important to understand the background. "This was a positive and upbeat three-paragraph item published after our diary reporter John McEntee was introduced as a Mail diary journalist to Mrs Peston by a well-known freelance celebrity press photographer who is also the late Mrs Pestons cousin - at a book launch in January 2008. "McEntee had a friendly conversation with Mrs Peston during which she volunteered information about her forthcoming book and her illness, which he quoted in his story. She also posed for a picture with her husband, which we published alongside the story. No complaint was made to the Daily Mail at the time or since. "We are sorry to learn some six years later that the story was not accurate and offer our sincere apologies.

Guardian crossword editor John Graham dies of cancer aged 92 - after announcing illness in puzzle clues - Press - Media - The Independent
Graham, who was known by his pen-name Araucaria, passed away this morning among friends. Graham revealed in January via his crossword that he was being treated for cancer. In a set of special instructions he said: "Araucaria has 18 down of the 19 which is being treated by 13 15." The clues, when solved, stated that Graham had cancer of the oesophagus which was being treated by palliative care.

His first crossword for The Guardian was published in 1958. He chose the pen-name Araucaria as it is the Latin for Monkey Puzzle tree. Crossword enthusiasts today paid tribute to Graham. Colin Beveridge, a member of crossword forum Fifteensquared said: "We were lucky to have him for as long as we did, and Ill turn to Monkey Puzzles whenever I feel like a dose of wit and pleasant frustration." The Independents crossword editor Mike Hutchinson said: "It was his puzzles in The Guardian as Araucaria that got me hooked on crosswords back in the 1980s. I dont think theres a single crossword setter who generated as much affection among solvers as John. He was very much one of a kind. I paid my own tribute to John on his 90th birthday in February 2011 by setting an alphabetical jigsaw puzzle [puzzle that Graham invented] for The Independent and you can probably guess the answer that began with A." In his last interview with The Guardian, Graham said of the crossword: "It's a voyage of discovery. I love the way the word invention both means discovering something and producing something new. That's how it works. Clues are not something you've invented in the sense that they're completely new they're something you discover, about words and about connections. And that's exciting."

Patrick Cockburn is Foreign Commentator of the Year - Press - Media - The Independent
Since 1990, Patrick Cockburn has been contributing clear-sighted comment and rigorous reporting for The Independent titles. His weekly dispatch in The Independent on Sunday, whether from Egypt, Iraq or from his own desk in the UK drawing on his decades of experience, is fearless, unspun and unmissable. Cockburn was Middle East Correspondent of the Financial Times before he joined The Independent in 1990 to cover the Gulf War and was then, successively, Washington, Jerusalem and Moscow Correspondent up to 2002. He has written two current affairs books and The Occupation was recently listed for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Broken Boy, a memoir, was published by Jonathan Cape and Vintage. Muqtada Al-Sadr and the Fall of Iraq was published in 2008, and in 2011 Simon and Schuster published Henrys Demons. Unable to pick up his award in person, because he is (of course) on the road this time in Iraq he asked Independent on Sunday editor Lisa Markwell to accept on his behalf and thank the judges and his esteemed fellow shortlisted commentators. One of the judges, Claire Fox, director of The Institute of Ideas, said that when she reads Patrick Cockburns columns in The Independent on Sunday, it always changes the way I think about the subject. [He is] brilliantly insightful with critical edge.

News - Education

'Lost' student loans worth 5bn are written off State comprehensive boarding school Royal Alexandra & Albert offers best of both worlds Elite universities 'as socially exclusive as ever' Lost in translation: Why British ambassadors are on the back foot

'Lost' student loans worth 5bn are written off - News - Student - The Independent
The Business Department has lost the employment records, and therefore the earnings, of 368,000 students who took the loans, the study found. It means the Government does not have enough information to determine if these students should be making repayments - under the current system students only repay their loans when they are earning a salary of 21,000. Any outstanding debts are written off after 30 years. The NAO said that in total this group has a debt of 5.3 billion, worth about one sixth of the national. It is probable some of the students are unemployed or have moved overseas or are EU students who have returned home, the study by the spending watchdog said. But the NAO warned that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Student Loans Company, which helps collect payments, are not doing enough to track down the payments. There are around 14,000 former students - with a total debt of 100 million - living overseas who are behind on their repayments. Just 71.5 per cent of those who have left the UK are making regular payments. According to BIS forecasts the total value of outstanding student loans will quadruple from 46 billion to about 200 billion by 2042. The NAO concluded that as the size of the student loan book is expanding, the BIS needs to take a "More energetic and considered approach to ... achieving a high level of collection performance". A BIS spokesperson said: "We are continually improving the collection process for borrowers and we will carefully consider the NAO's recommendations as part of this programme." Shadow Higher Education Minister Liam Byrne said: "Labour has warned ministers time and time again that tripling fees overnight would create huge new debts that lots of students, facing a cost-of-living crisis, couldn't afford to pay back."

State comprehensive boarding school Royal Alexandra & Albert offers best of both worlds - Schools - Education - The Independent
Best of all, though, the Royal Alexandra & Albert is a state comprehensive boarding school one of only 36 in the UK, the mere mention of which is usually greeted by surprise from most people. "This looks like an independent school," says its headteacher, Paul Spencer Ellis. "It looks wealthy but we're not. We're a state school and a comprehensive. I find I have to spend my time explaining that every time a new reporter from the local paper comes to interview me." Royal Alexandra & Albert School, in Reigate, was originally a private orphanage established in the 1750s which morphed into a state school just after the Second World War. For years, though, it failed to reach its full potential, leading to it being put into "special measures" education standards watchdog Ofsted's remedy for failing schools 12 years ago when Mr Spencer Ellis took over as headteacher. Now the school is thriving and testament to a growing demand for state boarding- school places, particularly for sixth-formers. It has bucked the trend that has seen three state schools drop their boarding provision in recent years because of a cash squeeze.

According to Roy Page, the chairman of the State Boarding Schools Association, speaking to his annual conference at the weekend, others are "desperately anxious about the survival of their boarding houses" because of inadequate funding to repair crumbling buildings. The association has launched a fightback, though, writing to the heads of all the country's prep schools under the theme "secret no more", saying: We're here and we're much cheaper than independent schools. Mr Spencer Ellis is convinced in the long run that his school will expand as "the economy is playing into our hands", with many parents reluctant to meet the cost of private-school provision following the recession. The fees these parents will pay albeit lower than those of comparable independent schools will help fund the expansion. However, growth would not have been on the cards 12 years ago when there were just 530 pupils and the school only offered education for seven- to 16-year-olds. The school community is mixed: many pupils are from the families of armed services personnel abroad, others are "foundationers" who are entitled to a free education and considered likely to benefit from boarding because of difficult home circumstances. "I thought to myself, 'If we're going to bring in young people who we are giving a fine boarding-school education to because of their home circumstances, then why would you stop at 16?'" says Mr Spencer Ellis.

Head of house: headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis with sixth-formers Antonia Johnstone, 16, and head boy Jacob Sayers, 18, in the spectacular school grounds in Reigate, Surrey (Susannah Ireland) The school opened a sixth-form in 2010 with 24 pupils in the first cohort of which nine went on to university. This summer, there were 58 in the upper sixth and 39.8 per cent of their papers were graded B or better. In the current year, there are 55 pupils in the upper sixth, and 85 in the lower sixth. The school intends to expand its sixth form until it takes in 100 pupils in the lower sixth. "We would be well advised to go to 125," says Mr Spencer Ellis. "Sixth-form provision is not funded as generously per pupil [compared with the years of compulsory schooling from five to 16]." He is convinced that there is the demand for more state boarding-school places, citing research he commissioned for the State Boarding Schools Association which found that there were 5.5 applicants for every boarding-school place. "There has always been a big demand for sixth-form boarding in the state sector," he says. "Parents see it as a good preparation for going away to the world of university. It's a preparation for independent living, a sort of half-way house. I think the young people see it as a step away from the parental nest and, in some cases, it gives them a better

house. I think the young people see it as a step away from the parental nest and, in some cases, it gives them a better working environment. There are some young people who see going to boarding school, where the staff are available evenings and Saturdays, as a good base from which to attack going to university." Jacob Sayers, who at 18 is in his fourth year at the school and in his second year of boarding hopes to study medicine at university. He was previously enrolled at a local day comprehensive near his home in Crawley when he made the decision to switch to the Royal Alexandra & Albert. "I really just wanted to change," he says. "I'd heard of this school and I'd heard some very good things about it. I only started boarding in the lower sixth. The change is that you're always there with your friends. They are like a second family. I only live just the other side of Crawley so I can always go home at the weekend. I do a lot of sports football and cross-country and I've joined societies such as debating. I don't think you would do so much at a day school, because when the bell goes at 3pm everyone goes home." Jacob, who has become head boy, also believes it helps his A-level studies to have his teachers on hand all the time. His father, Gary, adds: "To be honest, it was Jacob's idea. He didn't feel that the school he was going to was challenging enough and, as far as his results are concerned, we haven't looked back at all." Mr Sayers says the decision to switch to boarding was made because Jacob had been leaving at 6am to get to the school and wasn't getting home until 9pm by the time he had finished all his work and extra-curricular activities. "I'm so glad we did," he says. "Since he has been boarding, he has fitted in a little spare time. We've noticed a big difference in him because he's not having to get up at 5am." He adds that it was a shame that the awareness of these types of schools wasn't higher. "If it was publicised a little bit, I think a lot of parents would be interested in what the school's got to offer. Jacob's getting a good education as good an education as he would at an independent school and it's half the cost." Another pupil, Antonia Johnstone, 16, whose mother lives and works in Belgium, has just started at Royal Alexandra & Albert. "I was at school in Belgium but I wanted to do some A levels and thought I would be better off doing them in England," she says.

Royal Alexandra & Albert's riding stables (Susannah Ireland) Antonia, who is studying drama, psychology, business, French and Dutch, hopes to pursue a degree that will further her acting ambitions and is eyeing up a place at Manchester Metropolitan University which has a degree combining

her acting ambitions and is eyeing up a place at Manchester Metropolitan University which has a degree combining acting with psychology. She is also considering more specialised drama schools. Her mother, Lesley, says: "There should be more places like this in my view if they're along the same lines. I'm extremely pleased with what they're offering Antonia. They encourage the work ethic." The school now has 970 pupils and still takes in the children of armed-services families while also offering free places to 50 foundation students whose parents would not be able to afford the 4,483-a-term fees, about a third of the cost of a place at many of the country's leading independent boarding school. There are 445 boarders and under the school's "boarders without beds" policy another 40 local pupils come in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, do games in the afternoon and finish their homework at school, again benefiting those whose home circumstances might make it more difficult to study there. "I've got parents here who could afford any independent school in the country," says Mr Spencer Ellis, "but they think this place is a bit more grounded. We have a wide social mix but the interesting thing is that it's not a topic of conversation or worry among the pupils as to what backgrounds they come from." The novelty of the extensive riding stables means that students can study for a wide range of qualifications, including a GCSE-equivalent BTec in horse care and an A level equivalent BTec in horse management. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has axed the qualification from inclusion in school exam league tables, instead encouraging take-up of subjects with more academic rigour. But Mr Spencer Ellis stands by it, relating how one girl received her qualification in horse management on the Friday and started work as an assistant stable manager at the school the following Monday. Alongside the country's 36 state boarding schools, a recent development has seen three new flagship academies adding boarding to their portfolios. Mr Spencer Ellis is adamant that the demand will be there if the spaces are provided. And, of course, if the secret of the Royal Alexandra & Albert's success gets out.

Elite universities 'as socially exclusive as ever' - News - Student - The Independent
Figures show that - despite a major increase in students from disadvantaged backgrounds opting for university - the numbers obtaining places at leading Russell Group universities has actually fallen by, one percentage point since 2002. Bahram Bekhradnia, the director general of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said in a farewell lecture tonight: Unfortunately, here, there is little if any progress to report. The recent increases in participation by students from poor backgrounds - up 40 per cent in six years - have almost entirely been to the less prestigious universities. The Russell Group, which represents 24 of the countrys most elite research-driven higher education institutions, has always maintained the problem lies with the qualifications of students from poor backgrounds. They claim that too many of them just do not opt for the academic subjects that are likely to win them a place at a top university. Posh students go to posh universities because they do better at school and less posh students to less posh universities because they do less well at school, said Dr Bekhradnia. The social gap, he said, was illustrated at a rugby match between Manchester University students (posh) when they turned en masse to face their opponents from Manchester Metropolitan University (not posh) and chanted Your dad works for my dad". Manchester University lost. He said the differences between social groups was a major disparity in the UKs claim to have a world-class

He said the differences between social groups was a major disparity in the UKs claim to have a world-class university system. On fees, he added that the present loans system was philosophically, economically and socially untenable. Nonrepayment of loans could be as high as 40 per cent. The only possible solutions were a rise in fees from 9,000 a year, a cut in student numbers or cuts to other parts of the higher education budget - such as research.

Lost in translation: Why British ambassadors are on the back foot Education News - Education - The Independent
The ambassador from the Arab country goes on the Radio 4 Today programme to cross swords with John Humphreys to explain its position. Its not fanciful, is it? Youve heard it happen before. No interpreters are necessary. The ambassador speaks fluent English. What, though, would happen if it were the other way round? Would the British ambassador be able to go on the Arab nations equivalent of the Today programme and discuss the UKs position in fluent foreign tongue? Unlikely - since, according to figures cited today, only three of the 16 UK ambassadors in the Arab world have a high level of fluency in an Arab language. Without the ability to appear on radio or TV defending or promoting the British Governments point of view, their impact in a country will be very limited, said Sir Ivor Roberts, president of Trinity College, Oxford and a member of a panel set up by the British Academy to investigate the impact of our language skills shortage on the diplomatic, defence and security services. The paucity of language skills amongst our ambassadors in the Arab world is also widely credited with the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices failure to appreciate significance of various developments leading to the Arab Spring. There was an inability to interpret postings on Twitter and other social media - leading to the UK being slow off the mark in reacting to situations. Contrast this to 24 years ago in Russia, when our man in Moscow, Simon Lister, woke up to hear tanks on the streets and knew enough Russian to blag his way through three Army command posts and get a briefing from the general in charge - which was promptly communicated to Prime Minister John Major, enabling him to react to the fall of the Gorbachev government. A matter of life or death The consequences can be much starker than that, according to the report the panel published yesterday. It can quite literally be a matter of life or death. Take the instance cited by Richard Ottaway, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee. A truck full of Iraqi citizens is driving towards an Army check point. Stop the truck - or we shoot, yells a soldier. The Iraqis dont understand a word theyre saying, said Mr Ottaway. You can imagine what could happen next. The ability of military officers and patrols to communicate with local communities during ground operations can help not only with local engagement but might also mean the difference between life and death, says the report. According to the report, entitled Lost For Words, the UKs language skills crisis is embarrassing for the diplomatic and security services and can have tragic consequences, a claim echoed by Mr Ottaway.

Consider another scenario; recall the success of the Bletchley code-breaking centre during the Second World War. Dramas about its achievements concentrate on the technological skills of the agents employed there - but the truth is they would have been nearly so successful if they had not also had language skills. As Lord Stern, president of the British Academy, put it: You can have all the code-breaking skills in the world but if you dont have the language, you cant understand it. Persistent deficits The report concludes that persistent deficits in foreign language skills threaten our future capacity for influence. The current situation is quite literally embarrassing in terms of the UK maintaining its position in todays global world, it said. Ultimately, if no action is taken, language skills within government will continue to erode until there are neither the skills within government nor enough new linguists coming through the education system to rebuild its capacity and meet the security, defence and diplomacy requirements of the UK, it adds. During the course of the panels investigations, the Security and Intelligence Agencies expressed grave concern at the continuing decline in the take-up of foreign languages and in particular at the steep decline in lesser-taught and minority languages. The need for advanced specialist language skills has traditionally been strongest within the SIA, said the report. In addition to the growing need for greater language capacity, the range of languages sought has changed greatly from Eastern European languages to Mandarin, Farsi, Korean, Somali, West African languages and the many widely divergent regional Arabic dialects. The report acknowledges that the crisis began with the decision to scrap compulsory language lessons for 14 to 16 made by the Labour government in 2002. It praises recent efforts from the Coalition to bring in compulsory languages for seven-year-olds and to include languages as a necessary qualification for the English Baccalaureate on which schools are ranked in exam league tables. However, according to Baroness Jean Coussins, who chairs the all-parliamentary modern languages group, more needs to be done. Are top A-level grades too hard to come by? Teachers, she said, were urging their pupils not to do languages at A-level because it was considered more difficult to gain a top grade pass - thus bolstering the schools position in exam league tables. Marking is harsher and more unpredictable, she said. The result is theyre too nervous to take languages. The Government needs to make sure that Ofqual - the exams regulator - sorts this out and gets a credible system in place before the next round of public examinations. An investigation is under way. Another suggestion put forward in the report is that the civil service should make more use of native speakers - living in the UK for whom English is a second language. While there are currently no explicit attempts to recruit more native speakers to the Civil Service as a whole specifically for their language skills, the SIA is increasingly recruiting native speakers for their language analyst roles, says the report. GCHQ now targets universities with ethnically diverse student bodies for their recruitment drives in order to attract native speakers that are non-language graduates - as long as they have degree level competency."

One of the benefits highlighted with recruiting native language speakers is that they are less likely to forget their language skills if they are not used for a few years - while language graduates may need regular refresher courses. Whatever the source of the new diplomats and security personnel recruited, there is no doubt that without them, according to Dr Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House who chaired the panel who produced it, Britain may indeed be lost for words in international diplomacy - as the title of the report suggests. 10 most vital languages for the UK* / % of UK citizens speaking them 1. Spanish 2. Arabic 3. French 4. Mandarin 5. German 6. Portuguese 7. Italian 8. Russian 9. Turkish 10. Japanese *Source: British Council 1 4 1 15 1 6 Less than 1 2 1 Less than 1

News - Obituaries

Stan Stennett: Actor, comedian and musician whose varied career took in working with Max Miller and appearing in 'Crossroads' Reverend John Graham: 'Araucaria', whose prolific puzzle output foxed and delighted enthusiasts for nearly half a century Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Saxophonist and composer who fought drug problems to forge an acclaimed career in jazz's black avant-garde Georges Lautner: Director acclaimed for his crime comedies who worked with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo

Stan Stennett: Actor, comedian and musician whose varied career took in working with Max Miller and appearing in 'Crossroads' - Obituaries - News The Independent
His first appearances as a comedian were with Max Miller in the late 1940s. Over the next two decades he worked

with most of the famous names of British and American showbiz, including Billy Daniels, Johnny Ray, Chico Marx, James Cagney, Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Ronnie Corbett and Jon Pertwee. This was a boom time for variety shows as the rigours of the war gave way to comparative affluence and a more relaxed attitude to popular entertainment, and he was rarely out of work thereafter. By 1970 he had appeared with the Minstrels seven times, helping to win the Golden Rose award at the Montreux Festival, and had worked with comedians such as George Chisholm and Leslie Crowther. It was in this way he learned his craft as a stage comedian with a talent for playing the fool, in particular for making children laugh. His first appearance in pantomime was at the Grand Theatre, Swansea, in Little Red Riding Hood. With a humour that was broad, warm and clean, he went through the traditional routines of which children never tire, and his singalongs and rhyming ditties brought smiles to the faces of their parents and teachers as well. One of his most popular acts was as Billy and Bonzo, in which he played both the gormless Billy and his rascal pooch Bonzo. By this simple device he was able to make comedy that was spellbinding, surreal and sometimes moving. He held the record of having appeared in pantomime for five consecutive years at Cardiff's New Theatre. Stan Stennett was born in Cardiff in 1925 and lived there for most of his life. His mother died in childbirth and he was brought up by his grandmother in Gorseinon, near Swansea, a city which was to hold a warm place in his affections. His ambition to work on the stage was first fired by listening to radio programmes on the Welsh Home Service, particularly shows like Mai Jones's Welsh Rarebit. Like so many of his generation, he was shaped by the war and its aftermath and always took the view that the pictures were much better on the wireless. His one-man show Bless 'Em All, a compendium of wartime nostalgia, was a huge success among those who could remember the Blitz, the black-out and rationing. But it was television that gave him his break as an actor. He appeared in Coronation Street in 1960 and in several broadcasts of Play for Today. In 1971 he had a part as an American GI on the run from the military police who holds up Tish Hope at her cottage in Crossroads; it was among the more gripping episodes of that soap opera and showed him capable of playing more serious parts than he had hitherto been given. Unfortunately, the gunman was sentenced to 20 years in jail and so he never appeared in the part again. He made a return to Coronation Street in 1976 as Hilda Ogden's brother, Archie Crabtree, and in 1982 he returned to Crossroads as the garage mechanic Sid Hooper. It was not intended to last long but, in the event he played Sid until 1987. He also played Cyril Fuller in Heartbeat in 1999 and Wally Brindle in Casualty in 2002. In 2007 he played alongside Lee Evans in the television adaptation of Mr Polly. At various times Stennett managed theatres in Tewkesbury, Hereford, Caerffili and Porthcawl. In 1984 he was at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, where he was interviewing his friend Eric Morecambe about his career. The idea was to get Morecambe to sit quietly on stage at the end of the show; instead he rushed about pretending to play all the instruments in the band, after which he suffered a heart attack, his third, and collapsed in the wings as the curtain came down, dying later in hospital. His hobby was aviation: he held a private pilot's licence and was named Flyer of the Year by the Royal Aeronautical Club in 1955. He was the subject of This Is Your Life and in 1979 was awarded the MBE for his services to the entertainment industry and his patronage of many charities in south Wales. He was particularly proud of his association with the Grand Order of Water Rats and with the Cardiff College of Music and Drama, where he was given a Fellowship. In 1998 his house was partly destroyed by fire and his huge collection of memorabilia lost, which seemed to dash his fans' hopes of a memoir. In 2010, however, he published his autobiography, Fully Booked. The last time I saw him was in a queue at a chip shop in north Cardiff where, extrovert as ever before an audience, however small, he was making customers grin at his wisecracks. MEIC STEPHENS Stanley Stennett, musician, comedian and actor: born Cardiff 30 July 1925; MBE 1979; married Elizabeth

(two sons); died Cardiff 26 November 2013.

Reverend John Graham: 'Araucaria', whose prolific puzzle output foxed and delighted enthusiasts for nearly half a century - Obituaries - News - The Independent
Throughout a compiling career that only properly began in 1958 he enlightened the whole of the crossword community, young and old, novice and expert, student and professional. Finding the byline "Araucaria" beside the day's grid evoked joy among his innumerable fans. To get an idea of this charming man's relationship with his public, you only have to read the comments at thefifteensquared.net website. To those who only met him through solving his puzzles, they have lost a close friend. Those who did have the good fortune to meet him saw how kind, gentle and self-effacing he was. To younger setters he was inspirational. As a language-loving schoolboy who had been taught the eccentricities of cryptic clues by my parents, I happened upon the great man in 1976 on a rainy family holiday in Herefordshire. Local newsagents had sold out of mum and dad's newspapers of crossword choice, so we opted for The Guardian, and a wonderful experience followed. A puzzle, themed on the rhyme "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor", tantalised and amazed. So began a long correspondence with John Graham. It was typical of the man that he responded so quickly to each of the letters and amateurish crossword puzzles that "Enigmatist" sent him, and with patience, kindness and warmth. At about the same time he was in correspondence with Mark Goodliffe, six times crossword champion of the Times Crossword Championship. Later he was largely responsible for kick-starting the Guardian careers of John Young ("Shed") and John Halpern ("Paul"). John Galbraith Graham was born in Oxford in 1921 to Eric, Dean of Oriel College, and Phyllis. A feature of the early family life of he and his five younger siblings was setting and solving word puzzles, and learning to solve the Times crossword from their parents. After St Edward's School in Oxford, his years at King's College, Cambridge (reading classics, and then theology) were interrupted by the War: he joined the RAF in 1942, and flew as an observer/navigator with 55 Squadron. Shot down behind enemy lines, he was "mentioned in despatches" (John used to say that the phrase simply meant that you were "hiding" as he was, with an Italian farming family) until being "found" in 1945. He was ordained in 1948 and followed his vocation through a variety of placements in London, later taking up the chaplaincy at St Chad's College, Durham, which he held until 1952. In that year, he married his first wife and moved south: for 10 years, he was Chaplain of Reading University, moving to Cambridgeshire to take up a rectorship in the early 1970s. By then crosswords had become a significant part of his life. He had won an Observer compiling competition for two years in succession in the late 1950s, and set his first puzzle for The Manchester Guardian in summer 1958. His sideline was to become his main source of income: he and his wife divorced at the end of the 1970s, with the result that he was forced to leave the priesthood. He moved to a cottage in Long Preston, near Skipton, North Yorkshire with his new partner Margaret, whom he married in 1983. He began a monthly crossword subscription service based in Settle, later to become 1Across magazine, which he and I launched in 1984, and to which he contributed two puzzles per issue until recently. By then, each month he was setting eight puzzles for The Guardian, and six (as "Cinephile" anagram of "Chile Pine", another word for the Araucaria tree) for the Financial Times. All his puzzles were original, sometimes mischievous, regularly thematic, and often featuring his popular Alphabetical Jigsaws, numberless inventions of his own where each answer was clued by its unique initial letter and had to be fitted into the grid "jigsaw-wise, wherever it will fit". By the time Margaret died in 1993, he had returned to Cambridgeshire and had resumed many of his church duties. He worked indefatigably on behalf of his parishioners, while maintaining his output as a compiler. In 2005 he

He worked indefatigably on behalf of his parishioners, while maintaining his output as a compiler. In 2005 he became the second compiler to be recognised in the Honours List, receiving an MBE. At the end of 2012, in the solutions to a puzzle for 1 Across republished in The Guardian, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. His last Guardian puzzle was published two weeks ago. The answer to 18 down was TIME TO GO. The last time I visited him this summer, we realised we had something else in common: chess. "Do you fancy a game?" he asked. Mindful of limited time (I'd a cab booked), I hesitated, but agreed. Three-quarters of an hour later, a pawn down and entering the endgame, I was lost. The taxi pulled up. "Let's call it a draw", he said. How typical. JOHN HENDERSON John Galbraith Graham, crossword compiler and priest: born Oxford 16 February 1921; MBE 2005; married 1952 Ernesta Davies (marriage dissolved; deceased), 1983 Margaret Entwistle (died 1993); died Somersham, Cambridgeshire 26 November 2013.

Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Saxophonist and composer who fought drug problems to forge an acclaimed career in jazz's black avant-garde Obituaries - News - The Independent
He described the AACM's mission, and his own, in strikingly dramatic terms. The new black avant-garde, he said, was "the stranded particle, the isolated island of the whole", at war with, but also to some degree still dependent on, the confused normality of the mainstream political and cultural system. It was this vision that fuelled his work. McIntyre was born into a well-educated family in Clarksville, Arkansas, in 1936 and was raised in Chicago, where he attended Roosevelt University. He took up the saxophone in childhood but seems to have set it aside for a time. He was jailed for drug offences and served his sentence in Lexington, Kentucky, alongside the pianist and composer Tadd Dameron, a major figure in bebop. On his release McIntyre made contact with the tutelary co-founder of AACM, Muhal Richard Abrams, and began to experiment with a form of jazz that was always at least part-ritual. His record Humility In The Light of the Creator was released on the Delmark label in 1969, followed by the fine Forces and Blessings. He adopted the name Kalaparush Ahra Difda, but later reverted an extended version of his birth name. He worked at Karl Berger's Creative Music Studio for a time in the 1970s, recording further material for the European Black Saint label, but it was as a teacher, guru and community-based musician that McIntyre made his greatest impact. Intermittent drug use harmed his career, but McIntyre returned strongly in the first decade of the new century with further explorations that combined avant-garde saxophone playing and roots music. Some of his later work demands a sympathetic ear to extract much pleasure, but McIntyre was not primarily interested in the commodification of music as entertainment. Recent sightings had him working as a street musician, preparing new material in the midst of the community, which is where he felt most comfortable. He is survived by his partner Antoinette Bell, by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. BRIAN MORTON Maurice Benford McIntyre (Kalaparush Ahrah Difda and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre), saxophonist and composer: born Clarksville, Arkansas 24 March 1936; partner to Antoinette Bell (one daughter); died Bronx, New York 9 November 2013.

Georges Lautner: Director acclaimed for his crime comedies who worked with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo - Obituaries - News -

The Independent
However, Les Tontons Flingueurs (known as Crooks In Clover or Monsieur Gangster, with all the aforementioned talent, 1963) outshone them all and grew from attracting half a million Parisian cinema-goers in its first six months into a cross-generational cult movie still pulling a 20 per cent audience share in December 2012. It was shown by France 2 on Sunday as a tribute to the director, who also worked with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Adapted by Lautner, Michel Audiard and Albert Simonin from his own thriller Grisbi Or Not Grisbi a Shakespearean pun on one of the many French slang words for money Les Tontons Flingueurs transcended its standard plot of a "retired" hoodlum coming to the aid of a dying former accomplice and fighting off various factions to reach a level of surrealism and irreverence unusual for the genre at the time. Lautner's trademark technique of close-ups and tight edits, combined with Audiard's riff-fuelled, ratatatat dialogue, gave his films a manic quality and frantic energy and influenced directors like Quentin Tarantino. Born in Nice in 1926, he was the son of the actress and singer Rene Saint-Cyr who would go on to portray a succession of upper crust ladies in his films and a jeweller and daredevil plane pilot who died in an airshow crash in 1938. His mother continued acting during the Second World War, and the teenage Lautner accompanied her on film lots and became enthralled by the medium. He did odd film jobs, including set design, and spent much of his military service as a cinema projectionist in Austria and then working for the French army documentary unit. This grounding stood him in good stead and he became second assistant-director to Sacha Guitry when the monstre sacr of French theatre and cinema needed an all-rounder in 1949 while he starred in and directed the redemptive Le Trsor De Cantenac. Lautner appeared with his mother in the Foreign Legion epic Capitaine Ardant but realised he was too shy to persevere with acting and decided to concentrate on the technical side of film-making. He became adept at working with a tight budget and developed a lasting rapport with extras and supporting actors, traits which proved helpful in his transition to directing and screenwriting. His first film, La Mme Aux Boutons (1958), was a flop but he redeemed himself with the spy thriller Marche Ou Crve (literally "Walk Or Die"), starring Bernard Blier, an actor he directed time and again, including in the procedural thriller Le Septime Jur and Lautner's first popular success, the spy comedy Le Monocle Noir (1961). Blier recommended Lautner to Alain Poir, boss of the French production power house Gaumont International, who entrusted him with Les Tontons Flingueurs. Gabin was attached to the production but didn't see eye to eye with Lautner who decided to proceed with Ventura taking over. The different dynamic and brooding intensity Ventura brought to the film contributed to the enduring popularity of Les Tontons Flingueurs, which has become a cornerstone of French popular culture, spawning books and references galore on websites and in everyday parlance. Lautner worked with Gabin on Le Pacha (Pasha, 1968) and introduced the veteran actor to a different approach to film-making while still allowing him the occasional trademark screen outburst. Lautner had a knack for discovering new talent and helped launch Mireille Darc to a career as one of France's biggest sex symbols of the late 1960s and '70s as she graduated from decorative roles in his crime comedies like Ne Nous Fchons Pas (Let's Not Get Angry, 1966) to sexually-charged and seductive performances in Galia (1966), La Grande Sauterelle (1967) and Les Seins De Glace (Icy Breasts, 1974). He also cast the French stand-up comic Coluche his first film role in Laisse Aller, C'est Une Valse (Troubleshooters, 1974). Lautner was critical of the Nouvelle Vague cinema of Franois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard saying it was "more vague than nouvelle." His sole English-language film, the intriguing Road To Salina, starring Rita Hayworth and filmed in Lanzarote, failed to grab audiences outside France. He directed Alain Delon in the tense police drama Mort D'un Pourri (Death Of A Corrupt Man, 1977) and Jean-Paul Belmondo in several of his more successful action films, Flic Ou Voyou (1979), Le Guignolo (1980), Le Professionel (1981) and Joyeuses Pques (1984). Lautner made the last of his more than 40 films, the gritty crime drama L'Inconnu Dans La Maison (Stranger In The House) with

Belmondo in 1992. He published his autobiography, On Aura Tout Vu ("We Have Seen Everything") in 2005. Georges Lautner, film director and screenwriter: born Nice 24 January 1926; married; died Paris 22 November 2013.

Voices

i Editor's Letter: Immigration - the wind of change is blowing The Daily Cartoon Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi were a strangely matched pair. But their public meltdown is in every way unpalatable Voices in Danger: The journalists working under constant fear of harassment in Honduras Letters: Lost opportunities for renewable energy Lead, dont follow: Cameron should not be stoking fears about immigration Turbulent waters: The escalating row between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands has implications for us all Nick Clegg's scapegoating of immigrants is his most unforgiveable Tory collaboration yet Why erase memories that make us wince or cringe? Lessons to take from the greatest film flops Bob Dylan proves my times are achangin Unpaid internships: selling our graduates short Debate: Does the new Harvey Nichols advert spoil the spirit of Christmas? PMQs: Ed Miliband is striding onto centre ground A smoking ban on NHS hospital grounds is a good idea. It's the last thing patients - and staff - should be doing Martyrs? Guest-house owners who turned away gay couple on religious grounds are nothing of the kind Political Takeout Podcast: Tory modernisation, the Guardian versus the NSA, and Ed Miliband's pub problem Letters: Time for the state to rescue public services Lostprophets' Ian Watkins: The powerful men who abuse - and lie about it Michael Clarke and the Ashes: The shocking thing about sledging is not the damage it causes but how witless it is We will never know who said what in Plebgate Salmond fishing: The SNP leader's blueprint for an independent Scotland leaves all the big questions unanswered i Editor's Letter: Hand power to the Competition Commission Maoism is still alive in India, where inequality flourishes Banks used to have a duty of care. Perhaps post-RBS scandal, they can rediscover it Dont be a grinch just squinch Want to have more sex? Leave your smartphones out of the bedroom The rise in legal highs: this generations drugs are truly lethal Godfrey Bloom is wrong about speed not causing accidents, but he is right about road fines In defence of pubic hair: the mighty bush

In defence of pubic hair: the mighty bush Minister for Sport is a tricky job but Helen Grant hasnt made it any easier for herself I'm a Celebrity: Rebecca Adlington earned her amazing talent - but that doesn't mean we have to put down Amy Willerton

i Editor's Letter: Immigration - the wind of change is blowing - Comment Voices - The Independent
Earlier this year, i sent one of its reporters to Romania to try to find out if there really would be a new wave of immigrants from eastern Europe when entry is relaxed in January. Most people we interviewed said they wouldnt come to the UK. Some noted that our health service compared extremely favourably with the Romanian system... And others, like Elena Greta, A Roma mother who lives on a landfill dump outside the second-largest city, ClujNapoca, answered honestly: If I could provide a better life and condition for my children, I would think about getting away. While our correspondent was there, he also wrote a more flippant piece, interviewing Brits who had chosen to move to Romania - an increasingly attractive proposition for several of you, judging by my morning inbox. The British reported corruption and bureacracy, but also low cost of living, 25 a year council tax, beer for 1 a pint, flat income tax of 16 per cent and successful dating. They were warmly received by their hosts, albeit occasionally taken advantage of. Over here, the Romanian ambassador claimed (a little hyperbolically), Romanian people are used as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in Britain at the moment. The case for much greater immigration was made by the Treasurys official watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, in July. Britain, it said, must welcome hundreds of thousands of new migrant workers every year in order to stabilise public finances over the next half-century and to help pay the growing bills for the NHS, pensions and care. Migrants to the UK tend (at the moment) to be young, they pay a third more in tax than they receive in benefits, and fill some pretty tough jobs. But the wind is changing across Europe. Germany and France followed David Cameron yesterday in curbing new EU migration. All of them fear a boost for right-wing parties in next springs European parliament elections. The debate is so poisonous now because of successive governments failures to hold honest, dispassionate debates about the merits and challenges of immigration. Fact: we live in a relatively prosperous nation and more people will move here. Challenge: build enough homes, create enough jobs and public services that can cope. i@independent.co.uk

The Daily Cartoon - Voices - The Independent

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Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi were a strangely matched pair. But their public meltdown is in every way unpalatable - Commentators - Voices - The Independent
This was a place where you could order prawn cocktail, steak and chips followed by Black Forest gateau. Oslo Court achieved notoriety of sorts 18 months ago when the Prime Minister and his wife, keeping it real, visited

the restaurant on one of their scheduled date nights. It was also where I had dinner with Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi, and where I happened upon the title of my never-to-be-written autobiography. On my plate was a latke, a highly calorific fried potato pancake that is a staple of kosher cuisine. Before I had a chance to decide whether I was going to foreshorten my life by a few minutes and eat it, Nigella leaned across me, stabbed the latke and devoured it herself. Thats it, I thought. Nigella Stole My Latke! the title of my life story. A combination of celebrity, ethnic food and errant behaviour thats bound to be a winner. I know this trivial little story adds very little to the Charles and Nigella drama that is being played out in courtrooms and on newspaper front pages, but, as far as the allegations of Nigellas cocaine habit are concerned, I have been advised to tread a careful line, so to speak. At Oslo Court, and at a couple of subsequent dinners, I found them to be an odd couple, he distracted and she intense, he always on some faddish diet eating only eggs, or peas or artichoke hearts, or whatever and she betraying the healthy appetite of the omnivore. They may each have their own food issues, and it is bleakly fitting that the final scenes of their marriage took place against the backdrop of a famous London restaurant: Charles appearing to throttle Nigella, and soon afterwards Charles, at what seemed to be the very same table, having a nice time with his new girlfriend. This must have piled insult upon injury for Nigella, and whatever else, it was not gentlemanly behaviour. Couldnt he have gone somewhere else for his Dover sole? Not least, this betrayed a surprising lack of imagination for a man as inventive as Saatchi. There is something hugely dismaying - not to mention distasteful - about a couple as clever and interesting as Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson being involved in such a public spat, even if the dirt-chucking has been almost exclusively going in one direction. Is he treating it like a piece of performance art, installed on a tabloid canvas? Is she starring in a weird, silent production in which she maintains a sphinx-like countenance, on instruction from her PR guru? Either way, it is a sorry old tale of our times, involving armies of lawyers, advisers, paparazzi and tabloid journalists, compromising friends and family, and feeding the base, prurient instincts of a public happy to revel in a gilded couples agony because it takes their minds off their own troubles. It all leaves a shocking taste in my mouth.

Voices in Danger: The journalists working under constant fear of harassment in Honduras - Voices in Danger - Campaigns - The Independent
The question therefore is: Who will the Honduran people vote in on 24 November 2013 to save them? Incumbent President and National Party member, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, has served as leader since 2010. Since President Lobo took power, at least 23 journalists have been murdered, the Honduras National Commissioner for Human Rights says. The most dangerous subjects for reporters to cover include the police and disputes between mining companies and local peasants. Lobo must now stand aside to allow eight other candidates from the various Parties to vie for the leadership position. One such newly formed party is called, quite literally, The Anti-Corruption Party. Despite the amount of work to be done, Hondurans seem to be undecided on how best to tackle the many issues the country faces. According to the polls, no one candidate will win so it is highly likely that a coalition government will be formed. Whomever enters the highest office of the land, the challenge will be to see Honduras become a safer place for its people to live.

the highest office of the land, the challenge will be to see Honduras become a safer place for its people to live. In the meantime, fighting the good fight for Hondurans, have been the Honduran journalists. Despite the dangerous atmosphere, they have worked to expose government corruption despite the threats, intimidation and, in some cases, the loss of their lives. Gilda Silvestrucci is one such journalist. At 40 years old, with a family of three and her mother to support, she works as a radio journalist in Honduras, as a programme director on Radio Globo, and as a correspondent for Telesur and Radio Progreso covering human rights issues. She was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, and therefore knows the terrain well. From a young age, she always had a desire to help people, and, for her, journalism was the most profound and consistent way she could do so on a broad scale. For the last 16 years she has worked tirelessly to highlight the plight of others, often at great risk to herself. Gilda says: Today, I sometimes feel like isolating myself a bit when anxiety overcomes me. I worry about my health and my children but I cannot allow myself to dwell too much because my children and my mother depend on me. I felt and still feel afraid for my children, but I press on. And, the commitment to the cause of others spurs me on even further. Though Gilda had heard rumours about the dangers of being a journalist in her homeland, one series of events finally pushed her to near breaking point. In January 2012 she began to receive threatening phone calls from anonymous callers. At the time, Gilda was reporting on controversial subjects such as mining, police corruption, and the issue of violence against peasants of Lower Agun. It was to be a 10-day campaign of terror that Gilda and her family endured. Strangers started calling my house and my mother would answer the phone, Gilda recalls. They would ask for me, where I was, where they could find me, and insisted that they wanted to give me a package. The frequency of the calls escalated, and they started to call her mobile phone. Gilda recalls the first time they actually spoke to her. One morning, after leaving a programme in which we addressed the issue of mining concessions, they called me and they also called my older daughter at the same time. She was with the baby in the house. To me, the caller told me he knew where I was, that I was walking with my son at the time, and that my daughter was alone in the house with the baby and that they were going to kill me. Immediately, I cut the call. Then I contacted my daughter, and she said the men were calling her telling her that I was alone, and that I was not in the house. There was also a vehicle that followed me from my home to the radio station. It was terrifying. Gilda had to find a way to place a barrier between her family and the threatening calls. Gilda recalls, Later on, they kept calling but I did not answer. After that, I began to not answer any unknown calls. At one point, my eight year old son answered the phone, and they told him that a taxi was coming for me. For this reason, I disconnected my home landline. The dangerous atmosphere in which Gilda works does not make it easy but her work spurs her on. Since then, I started to suffer anxiety and panic attacks, for which I had to seek treatment. The doctors told me that it is posttraumatic stress. I hadnt realised the connection before because when all this was happening, my father was very ill and that was also having an impact on me. Eventually, Gilda registered a complaint with the Human Rights Committee, and the Committee of Families of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (Cofadeh), who started an investigation. The people who work for Cofadeh gave me support. We made a public complaint, and the Director advised me to take measures to protect myself. I declined police protection because on the day of the mining concessions programme, there was a person dressed as a police officer outside the station, taking pictures. On that day, I could have been attacked, so I did not leave the station immediately.

The investigation did not uncover the perpetrator of the calls, nor the possible motive. investigators found was that the calls were made nearby the radio station itself.

The only thing the

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime rank Honduras as the number one homicide capital of the world. Ruth Dawson, Amnesty International UK's human rights defender programme campaigner, said, The human rights situation in Honduras is dire and the future of the country hangs in the balance. Journalists who cover human rights abuses, criticise the government or investigate big business face terrifying risks every day. Ruth further states, We hope that the [upcoming] presidential candidates will respond with the urgency that this situation merits. Human rights must be at the core of these elections and reflected in the plans proposed by all eight candidates. Gilda and her familys harassment is no isolated case. The Independent reported on a number of Honduran journalists including Dina Meza, Fidelina Sandoval, and Karla Zelaya. These are but a few. Amnesty International and other NGOs receive regular complaints from journalists about harassment, particularly by threats through text messages or mobile phone calls. Gilda Silvestrucci continues to work fighting for justice on human rights issues in Honduras. The Honduras Embassy in London was contacted to comment on points raised in this article. There was no response. You can read other Voices in Danger stories on the campaign page, here.

Letters: Lost opportunities for renewable energy - Letters - Voices - The Independent
Safer and cleaner than coal is not the same as safe and clean. What he describes as grown-up technologies are simply those which use unsustainable resources and are highly polluting (coal and gas) or nuclear, which is incomplete in that as yet there is no solution to the waste issue. How refreshing it would be to hear Nigel Farage place some enthusiastic faith in British innovation, and Britains ability to commercially exploit such innovation, by backing the origination and development of energy technologies which are not hazardous or harmful in production nor in their legacy, rather than emulating, highly selectively, our neighbours. It is a great pity that he continues apparently to believe that climate science is wrong and that he is right. It is irresponsible to leave future generations to take the risk. William Dale Amersham, Buckinghamshire Yet another sustainable energy generation project the Atlantic Array wind farm has been cancelled. I am shocked and saddened. Low-cost, clean energy for several hundred thousand people and jobs for thousands have been lost. Any economy and community needs cheap and plentiful energy. Renewables can deliver those benefits and a cut of the price that nuclear and more traditional forms of energy generation can deliver. Its not surprising therefore that in the recent election in Germany neither the Conservatives nor any other established parties wanted to reverse the countrys commitment to renewables. Germany has implemented a long-term strategy to

generate at least 60 per cent of all energy needs from renewables by 2050, so far exceeding every target. Germany was able to generate enough electricity from renewable energy to meet 37 per cent of Britains energy needs in 2012. In Britain our government is missing every opportunity to encourage the generation of renewable energy supplies and instead sending us down the dead-end of fossil fuel reliance. Jurgen Huber Co-Chair, West Central London Green Party, London, SE23 No one can criticise The Independent for devoting half its letter columns to the subject of global warming (20 November) but we have been having this same debate since the previous report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. It is pointless arguing with the likes of Lord Lawson and Nigel Farage, because they will never change their view on the subject, no matter what evidence is presented. It really is time to move the debate forward. Why is Saudi Arabia investing so heavily in non-fossil fuels if oil supplies are secure for the foreseeable future? Why is the world price of gas continuing to rise if shale gas from America is the bonanza that the drilling companies claim? How come Germany managed to supply 30 per cent of its electricity from renewables when the received wisdom is that renewables cannot substitute for nuclear, let alone gas? And finally why does the media mainstream not promulgate the advantages to local communities of microgeneration from renewables sources? When these issues get discussed properly then the Governments energy and environmental policies will self-destruct. Dr Robin Russell-Jones Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire Plebgate erodes public trust Whether you like Andrew Mitchell or not, the closing of establishment ranks and disingenuous denial, so evident in the Plebgate row, have eroded trust in all our public institutions. Whether it is police, NHS, or other publicly funded organisations, leadership and integrity are woefully absent today, just as institutionalised and shameless self-interest among public officials is as blatant as it is shocking. Unless the man on the street can trust the powers that rule over him to act justly and in the public interest, he cannot truly enjoy his liberty. James Anderson Geneva What does it matter whether Andrew Mitchell called the police plebs or not? He swore at them, using the F-word, in a way that implied this is what he thought of them how much more arrogant could a member of HM Government be? This whole affair has been blown way out of proportion. Either he was right to step down in view of his arrogant and abusive behaviour or he wasnt. Either way, he only has himself to blame, so lets have an end to his bleating. Francis Kirkham Crediton, Devon If we really want to know what was said at Plebgate why dont we ask the Americans? Theyre bound to have been

If we really want to know what was said at Plebgate why dont we ask the Americans? Theyre bound to have been listening. Morris Graham Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands Pay for your own footpaths At a time when councils around the country are having to make real cuts to essential services for the vulnerable young and elderly, I am astonished that, as regular as Christmas, The Ramblers are yet again whingeing that their hobby (which is after all what rambling is) has been affected (Access denied: ramblers restricted by council cutbacks, 25 November). If they love footpaths so much, maybe its about time we gifted all existing footpaths to the Ramblers, together with an annual sum for upkeep. If more needed spending, then, like the National Trust, they could raise it from their members, the people who use the footpaths. Or would the prospect of paying for their hobby be too much for them? Andrew Whyte Shrewsbury Barbed wire, missing bridges, overgrowth block Britains so-called rights of way but how much of that is really new? Every complaint listed in your blocked footpaths story was true in 1980 when my wife and I moved to a country where, without vaunted rights of way, even the farmers kept tracks open where they were marked on the map. Thats Germany. It was still all true 12 years ago when we moved from the UK to France, and pretty much the same applies here. In the UK, rights of way always have been blocked with barbed wire, broken bridges and any other obstacle (such as a parked JCB here and there) that a cantankerous farmer can dream up. It never took council spending cuts to ruin a walk. But no doubt it helps. David Boggis Matignon, France Robert Peston and the Daily Mail By omitting key elements of our press statement, your report (27 November) on Robert Pestons City University journalism lecture gives a completely misleading account of the circumstances in which in 2008 the Daily Mail ran a three-paragraph diary item on his late wifes illness. As our statement made clear, our diary reporter was introduced to Mrs Peston as a Mail diary journalist by a wellknown freelance celebrity press photographer who is also the late Mrs Pestons cousin at a book launch in January 2008. The reporter had a friendly conversation with Mrs Peston during which she volunteered information about her forthcoming book and her illness, which he quoted in his story. She also posed for a picture with her husband, which we published alongside the diary item, which itself was positive and upbeat. No complaint was made to the Daily Mail at the time or since. Peter Wright Editor Emeritus, Associated Newspapers, London W8

They all hated Thatcher Sir Bernard Ingham (Monday Interview, 25 November) seems to have forgotten that the North of England, as well as Scotland, Wales and the Midlands, were so ill-served by his erstwhile mistress in government that they can neither forget nor forgive. I was a young teacher in North Yorkshire in the early 1980s, and well remember pupils striking in my school because there were no jobs for them to go to, so no point in doing schoolwork. Robert Carlin London W10 This spock was no doctor Leonard Nimoy is not, as your caption said, Star Treks Dr Spock (Great company, 26 November). Nimoy in fact played Star Treks Mr Spock. Youve confused the Vulcan first officer of the starship Enterprise with the late American paediatrician Dr Benjamin Spock. Martyn P Jackson Cramlington, Northumberland Forgotten victory for the Navy In your interesting obituary of Mavis Batey (25 November), you describe Matapan as the Navys first fleet action since Trafalgar. Does Jutland not count? Gordon Elliot Burford, Oxfordshire

Lead, dont follow: Cameron should not be stoking fears about immigration Editorials - Voices - The Independent
What is troubling, though, is that the changes are being presented as a response to the possible influx from Bulgaria and Romania in January, when transitional restrictions imposed when the two countries joined the EU are lifted. The Prime Ministers agenda is clear. With immigration replacing the NHS as Britains central neurosis, and with the UK Independence Party increasingly rampant on the political right, Mr Cameron hopes for a quick win with the public. But his job is to lead, not merely to follow. Not only is there, for every analysis anticipating a flood of migrants in the new year, another predicting the merest trickle; the Coalitions newly toughened stance can only be effective at the margins in any event. The overwhelming majority of migrants come to Britain in order to work, and do so. They will rightly be unaffected. Add to that the fact that only a few of the new rules will be in place by January, while others may yet prove contrary to EU law, and it is difficult to avoid the sense of a strategy rushed through to counter todays headlines. With feelings running high, and real concern about everything from cultural integration to the pressure on public services, there is a debate to be had about immigration. But it must be one that is informed by fact rather than hysteria. For all the scaremongering over benefits tourism (of which there is little), consistent evidence that migration has been a net positive for Britain is being drowned out. Mr Camerons reforms are no bad thing in themselves. But by setting them so firmly in the context of Bulgaria and Romania, he is fanning the flames of misconception when he should be dampening them.

Turbulent waters: The escalating row between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands has implications for us all - Editorials - Voices - The Independent
Beijing maintains that the islands were claimed by China in the 1300s; Tokyo says they were an international no mans land until Japan took them over in 1895. The row has been rumbling since the 1970s, but the pressure has steadily increased in recent years as a newly rich China has sought to flex its regional muscles and extend its influence in the US-dominated Pacific. Japan must bear responsibility for many recent flashpoints. Last years announcement by the Governor of Tokyo of plans to use public money to buy the islands from their private owner hardly aimed to defuse the tension. This time, though, it is China that has upped the ante and how. Last weekend, Beijing declared a new air defence identification zone covering a swathe of the South China Sea, including the islands, requiring all aircraft entering the sector to submit flight plans or face defensive emergency measures. Even more provocatively, the area overlaps with one of Japans own air defence zones. Sure enough, Tokyos response was swift and uncompromising. The Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, derided the plan as unenforceable and of no validity whatsoever; and the two Japanese long-haul airlines which initially complied with Beijings demands were soon persuaded to withdraw their co-operation. But it is the reaction of the US that is crucial here. Indeed, in the context not only of Washingtons post-war commitment to the defence of Japanese territory (which includes the Senkaku Islands), but also the recent foreign policy pivot to Asia (prompted by rising Chinese power), Beijings move looks like as much of a test of Barack Obama as of Mr Abe. The answer was unequivocal. On Tuesday, the US flew two unarmed B52s through the zone without notifying the Chinese. The Pentagon claims that the flight was a long-planned training mission but the message is clear particularly given that it came just days after the Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel, branded Beijings move a destabilising attempt to alter the status quo in the region and stated explicitly that American military operations would not change. Washingtons move was the right one. China cannot be allowed to throw its weight around; if Beijing has a case then it must be legally proven, not administered unilaterally at the point of a metaphorical bayonet. Equally, however, Japan has shown itself too ready to indulge in chest-beating of its own and Mr Abe at times exhibits disturbingly nationalist leanings. The US must be sure that, while maintaining regional balance, it does not endorse such posturing. Chinas economic rise inevitably brings disruption with it. And with both Beijing and Tokyo under growing domestic pressure for a show of strength abroad, the diplomatic task facing the US in Asia is as difficult and perilous as any. The Senkaku/Diaoyu are just a few distant rocks, but they may also be the fulcrum upon which one of the greatest challenges of 21st-century geopolitics will turn.

Nick Clegg's scapegoating of immigrants is his most unforgiveable Tory collaboration yet - Comment - Voices - The Independent
There was the whole thing of inspiring hundreds of thousands of young people who were alienated from politics and then going on to treble the tuition fees that the Lib Dems pledged to abolish. Many of those young people will never trust a politician again, leaving bitterness as their first taste of democracy. So well played there. Then there was campaigning against Tory proposals for harsh first-year cuts before making biting austerity a condition of a coalition with Labour in the post-election stitch-up. There was a Lib Dem-led poster campaign against a Tory VAT tax bombshell which the party then voted for. All of these instances are well-covered, of course.

tax bombshell which the party then voted for. All of these instances are well-covered, of course. But it is the Lib Dem capitulation on immigration that really sums up what a wretched waste of political space this party is. In the 2010 general election campaign, Clegg spoke of an amnesty for illegal immigrants, a suggestion endorsed by London Mayor Boris Johnson. It was a pragmatic commitment: given they are unlikely to be deported, why not get them to pay tax and fully integrate instead? It helped inject some common sense into what is an increasingly hysterical debate. But Clegg has now swung to indulge the Tories ever-more hysterical campaign on immigration, backing a crusade devised by the Australian spinmeister Lynton Crosby. The Tories know they are unable to win the next election on the basis of hope, of actually lifting the living standards of an ever-poorer electorate. So, instead, they will fight on the basis of fear and despair. Blame the immigrant, rather than the bankers, the tax-dodgers, the low-paying bosses and the politicians who have plunged this country into this mess. It is clever, it is cynical and it is grim. The Tory crackdown on benefits for EU immigrants is a ruse to redirect anger, to toxify political debate, to make sure the real villains are protected. It aims to inflame the idea that those pesky foreigners are invading our shores to leech at public expense. The evidence isnt there, of course. According to a study by University College London, immigrants who have arrived since the end of the last century are 45 per cent less likely to claim either in-work or out-of-work benefits than native Brits, and less likely to live in social housing. European immigrants have actually paid 34 per cent more in tax than they received in benefits. The OECD reckon immigrants throw in about 16.27bn to Britains Exchequer each year. Immigrants are basically a deficit-reduction programme. Immigrants come over here and flood our public services all right: in the case of the NHS, they make up around 30 per cent of our doctors and 40 per cent of our nurses. They help deliver, yes, native-born Brits into the world; they tend to us when we are sick, from birth to our final moments. But immigrants remain a convenient scapegoat for all the ills of British society. Successive governments, both New Labour and the Tories, have allowed a housing crisis to fester, partly because they will not let councils build homes. Some 5 million people languish on social housing waiting lists, many at the mercy of rip-off private landlords, and forcing the taxpayer to splash out billions to subsidise extortionate rents. How convenient for politicians to let themselves off the hook by blaming immigrants. The same goes for low pay. The research does not back up the oft-repeated assertion that immigrants depress the pay of the British-born worker. There is evidence they can have a small impact on the pay of those right at the bottom: ironically, in fact many are ex-immigrants competing for jobs that dont need a high level of spoken or written English. Introducing a living wage and forcing bosses to hire workers on the same terms and conditions is the obvious solution. Instead of pointing the finger at weak trade unions, free market globalisation, and a minimum wage that is falling in real terms, immigrants are blamed for a fall in living standards that set in around a decade ago. Driving back this poison is hard. I remember at the last election struggling to understand a middle-aged woman with a strong Punjabi accent: she was berating immigrants for her son being unemployed. This grand deflection of blame is endemic indeed. And the job is made all the harder by the Lib Dems capitulation, and Labours counterproductive indulgence of anti-immigration sentiment, which merely helps drive it up the agenda. A rival populism that blames the real targets the booming wealthy and our political elite has to be built. It will need courage, principle and determination: everything, in short, that Nick Clegg lacks. More from Owen Jones this week here: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/martyrs-guesthouse-ownerswho-turned-away-gay-couple-on-religious-grounds-are-nothing-of-the-kind-8967077.html

Why erase memories that make us wince or cringe? - Comment - Voices - The Independent

The time you told your grandmother that joke about incontinence because everyone else had found it funny? The excruciating hour-and-a-half of root-canal treatment last Friday? Those memories? Well, things are looking up. Popular Science magazine says were on the verge of erasing and even rewriting memories. The hope is that this research will lead to medical treatments, especially for addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. Oh, come on, guys. This isnt something youll use just for the serious stuff like un-remembering scenes of war and carnage. There will be a massive commercial demand for the technology which will rid you at last of the memory of trying to demonstrate your Bruce Lee spin-and-flying-kung-fu-drop-kick to impress a girl called Susannah outside a pub in Oxford in 1975. Or thats what I thought at first. But no sooner do you summon up nasty memories, and wish there were a sonic device to flush them away for ever, as seen in Men in Black, you realise they were bruising but somehow defining moments in your life: when, aged five, I watched my mothers car, come to collect me from school, pulling away as if shed forgotten me; when, aged 28, I looked through my camera lens to take an immemorial photo of all my uncles and aunts, standing at a funeral, reassembled, in old age, from all over the globe for their last time together, and the shutter jammed; when, aged 49, I briefly lost my daughter on Manhattans Fifth Avenue outside a department store whose name I can never hear without my heart freezing. These are ghastly memories that the brain tries to wink out of sight. They haunt my life. But I know I wouldnt be myself without them. Theyre the ochre shades in your portrait, the fleck of darkness in your imagination, the knowledge of the closeness of ungovernable sorrow without having ever drowned in it. And yes, if you press me, I wouldnt erase the memory of the polite young lady either; hindsight cringing is good for you. But the root-canal stuff I could probably live without. Hand me that Sonic Obliterator would you? More from John Walsh this week here: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/lessons-to-take-from-thegreatest-film-flops-8967618.html Flop means that a film doesnt earn back its budget; the Assange movie made only 3.7m worldwide after costing 17m. But you cant blame just poor advance accounting. Reviews can sometimes sink a film (or so critics believe, conveniently ignoring the No 1 box office success of About Time ) word-of-mouth can be as crushing as it can be ecstatic, and sometimes there are factors involved that the producer just didnt see, or see coming. Take The Fifth Estate. I suspect that not enough people were keen to spend two hours in the company of the Aussie super-hacker, even impersonated by Benedict Cumberbatch in a seriously horrible, ratty blonde wig. Was it something to do with the great mans year-long sojourn in the Ecuadorian embassy? With the fact that a documentary about WikiLeaks, called We Steal Secrets , came out only weeks earlier? With Ed Snowdens eclipsing of Julian as the focus for debate about freedom of speech vs. national security? With memories that the book on which the film was based (by Daniel Berg) brought to light Julians unsavoury house-guest habits? With the still-pending Swedish sexual assault allegations? Given the number of negative factors, its surprising so many people went to see it at all. But one should try to draw lessons from films that have done badly, or been judged turkeys by the critics. Lessons like these, for instance:

Bullet to the Head

Unbelievably, the viewing public do grow tired of septuagenarian lummoxes still trying to play tough guys, when they cant stand upright without a spinal brace, and whose dire lines of script (When I get to this guy, its gonna be bad) emerge as through a mouthful of wet Polyfilla. See also Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand, Bruce Willis in Die Hard 5.

Paranoia
Nobody, on either side of the Atlantic, wanted to see Harrison Ford as an elderly, bald, specky Rupert Murdochalike, or Gary Oldman as his hated rival, the Alfred Doolittle-channelling, Cockernee techno-boss (Oi own you, moi son)

Parker
Sorry, weve had enough of Jason Stathams signature gesture, that full-arm gun-brandish. And the name is hopeless. Nothing is gained by naming a hitman after Lady Penelopes chauffeur in Thunderbirds. (See also John Carter, below)

Broken City
Incredible though it may seem, and despite the presence of Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe with another vile haircut, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, potential viewers could tell from the trailer this would a morass of predictability (corrupt politician has people killed) and script clich (I own you again!)

Only God Forgives

We learned from the terrible reviews that, however much the leading man wants to help out his friend the director (Nicolas Winding Refn), Ryan Gosling needs to be given things to express on-screen, not just have him stare into the distance or people will start to think he cant actually act at all.

The Lone Ranger

We learned it helps if the ideal demographic for a summer blockbuster 12 to 24-year-olds knows the subject thats been blockbustered. They will have seen superheroes many times, even if they never read the 1930s DC comics. But werent they too young to know anything about the 1950s TV Lone Ranger? And was it wise to cast Johnny Depp as Tonto (the original was a real Mohawk Indian) as a wacky Red Indian who betrays no emotion when his old tribe is wiped out?

Diana
We learned you can outrage critics by being too careful, wary and determinedly inoffensive; that you cant make a lightweight romance from a tragic story; that you shouldnt employ a German director, whose last film subject was Hitler, for such a British subject, and that even a fine actress as Naomi Watts can seem miscast when, while standing at 5ft 4in, shes playing a woman of 5ft 10in. More from John Walsh this week here: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/why-erase-memories-thatmake-us-wince-or-cringe-8967830.html

Bob Dylan proves my times are achangin - Comment - Voices - The Independent
On Tuesday evening, the fourth day of my forties (yes I am counting), I went to see Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall. On my way to the concert, I was feeling much cheerier about my age nothing to make you feel more youthful than watching a sprightly 72-year-old bang out a two-hour set with the same energy he had 50 years ago (OK, so Dylan may have done a bit of leaning and his voice these days is not so much gravelly as the sound of a tractor crunching over a country drive). But sitting down in my seat in the upper circle as the lights dimmed, I had a very

ageing experience: I realised I had forgotten my glasses. So I couldnt really see Dylan very well. But I could hear him. And he was wonderful. I have thrown myself into the moshpit at a Nirvana gig, tried to get backstage to see countless dodgy indie bands, and once had a lost weekend at Glastonbury. In the end, though, as Dylan can testify, we have to bend a little to age. Click here to read more from Jane Merrick

Unpaid internships: selling our graduates short - Comment - Voices - The Independent
Every day we are bombarded with emails. MASTER OF ARTS: APPLY NOW. GRADUATE SCHEME: CLOSING IN TWO DAYS. And every day, we get a little bit closer to G-Day, graduation, where we will be extremely ceremoniously turfed from our campuses into the big, bad world with little idea of what to do when we get there. Its not a welcome prospect for many of the nations soon-to-be graduates. With graduate-level employment at a disastrous low, and with the average salary being as low as 18,000, they can be forgiven for not wanting to escape the comfort of academia just yet. However, for many, the prospect of working in an unskilled role is far more palatable than the alternative- working for free. Unpaid internships used to be seen as supplementary to a degree, a little extra perk that one could stick on the CV to prove that you did more with your life than downing cheap bottles of wine at the student union. Now, increasingly, in many career paths they are seen as mandatory to even get your big toe in the door. And despite some claiming that they are all graduate deserves - they are an insult to graduates in a world which owes them far more than many will admit. There is, of course, a difference between a two-week work experience placement and a true unpaid internship. Work experience roles are beneficial - they are long enough that you get a real idea of what a career in respective industries might be like, but short enough that you wont be too out of pocket. However, some internships can last up to six months. Six months of, at best, being paid your Tube fare and maybe getting a soggy sandwich. Six months, running a debt of thousands of pounds doing a job that, according to the law, you should be paid for. And yet we have writers like Lauren Razavi who insist that these internships are not a class issue. Its not a case of not working hard enough for many students. Some students cant always be expected to take on part-time work alongside an unpaid internship, nor can they be expected to fund it. Unless youre from a well-to-do background, or have family living within a commutable distance, your chances are stacked against you from the start. Yet we clamour over them greedily, feeding on the scraps of the promise of a glittering career. Hundreds of people apply for each internship, because we are told we have to. We are told, by our universities, by employers and by the media, that if we havent decided what exactly we want to do with our lives by the time were 21 then our prospects are worthless. Take journalism for example. Most MA courses and graduate schemes expect a full CV of internships at local and national papers as well as being editor of a student rag - nigh on impossible if you've only decided journalism is for you in your final year. Unpaid interns arent thick. They are highly skilled graduates who have slogged for three years to get a good degree. They are young people, accomplished in their academic fields, ready to enrich the job market. Yet the pressure of unpaid work is holding them back from achieving the heights of which they are capable. Its creating a world in which bright young things become downtrodden, impoverished and used. In the end, the ones who say graduates dont deserve internships are right. We deserve so much more.

In the end, the ones who say graduates dont deserve internships are right. We deserve so much more. But are they ruining the spirit of Christmas? Or simply breaking the mould in Christmas advertising? (Scroll down to watch the ad)

Case for
Sarcastically fluttering its eyelashes, the implied message in the Harvey Nichols ad is: Oh, we know, were all about money and lux and self-indulgence. But at least we arent hypocrites like all those other schmaltzy stores. Yet flaunting selfishness like its a stylish accessory is so hideously wrong, it should make you want to weep. Its offensive that a spoilt teenager would spend all his money on himself instead of his grandma. Or that a mother would rather buy herself a dress than her son a toy. Adverts sell products by selling ideas, and this idea makes for an awful world. Its also worth remembering how eye-wateringly expensive Harvey Nichols is too. Youd be hard pressed to buy anything for under 100, while bags sell for as much as 5,000. The real reason Granny has never had anything from Harvey Nicks is because shes always been too poor. Christmas is a time for giving, not just presents, but love. This advert mocks us for wanting the world to be a better place for a few weeks. Oh and by the way, 1 is too much to pay for three elastic bands. @Felicity Morse

Case against
Christmas is a big business, and getting your advert noticed in this crowded market means spending big bucks, or taking a risk. John Lewis took the soppy route, spending 7 million on their Bear & The Hare cartoon, but Harvey Nichols have gone the other way offering a selfish alternative to all this do-gooding. Scrooge is famous for a reason, and they've taken a tip from him in this example of extremely clever marketing. Their Sorry I spent it on myself range is inspired. Its a tongue-hanging-out-by-their-cheek nod to the part they play in Christmas consumerism and selling of high-end products. While its unlikely people will get their grandma a mere packet of paper clips or their son a simple sink plug, as a festive starter, it would make for an excellent prank. Especially for those who expect a little too much as a Christmas gift. So good on Harvey Nicks for making us chuckle. Plus, why not treat yourself a little? Bah humbug! Which do you agree with? Leave your comments below

PMQs: Ed Miliband is striding onto centre ground - Comment - Voices - The Independent
David Cameron fell straight into the Labour leaders intellectual trap, pointing out that for 13 years Labour did absolutely nothing about payday lending. Quite an emphatic rebuttal, to a normal person. But the Prime Minister

absolutely nothing about payday lending. Quite an emphatic rebuttal, to a normal person. But the Prime Minister does not realise the scale of the intellectual collapse that was happening around him. Miliband is striding onto a new centre ground, which lies further to the left than old people such as Cameron and me think. The last Labour government, in which Miliband was such an unhappy and unwilling prisoner - he nearly resigned over the third runway, you know - was part of the Thatcher-Blair consensus of which Cameron is a part. Actually, the Prime Minister had an answer to that, too, although it was probably accidental. He pointed out that Miliband had not asked a question about payday lending for the past three years, while he has been Prime Minister and Miliband has been liberated from the Blair-Brown correctional facility. The only person asking questions about payday lending, Cameron was too polite to mention, had been Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow conspicuously unpromoted by Miliband in last months reshuffle. Her campaign against what she calls legal loan sharks has been so successful that she is almost as well known as the Labour leader and often speculated about as a possible successor of his. Miliband didnt want to give Creasy the credit for the Governments intellectual collapse either. He put it down to an imminent vote in the House of Lords, which the coalition was likely to lose. Still, it was mildly interesting to hear the Prime Minister say: It is right to intervene when markets arent working and people are being hurt. And mildly depressing to hear George Mudie, a Labour MP, say that the energy companies make a 77 per cent profit, and to know that profit is such a dirty word that the Prime Minister didnt even dare point out that this was an absurd exaggeration. Fair to say my colleagues in the press gallery were deeply unimpressed by todays celebration of democracy in its highest and most accountable form. No story there, they muttered. No story? The collapse of the Blairo-Thatcher consensus? In front of their very eyes? What bigger story is there? Fortunately, Stewart Wood, Milibands intellectual custodian-general, had the answer. Lord Wood tweeted: The MP for Rugby asked a question about rugby. Looking forward to future questions from MPs for Bath, Barking, Mole Valley, Redcar and Tooting.

A smoking ban on NHS hospital grounds is a good idea. It's the last thing patients - and staff - should be doing - Comment - Voices - The Independent
As you walk into the hospital, with the stress and worry of your own illness or that of a member of your family uppermost in your mind, it is a truly depressing sight. If advice by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to ban smoking on hospital premises is followed, these sad shelters will be gone. No patients - or staff should be allowed to smoke anywhere on site, even in a far-flung outpost in the car park, Nice says. As a former smoker, and as someone instinctively wary about the state becoming too much of a nanny, I should be in favour of allowing patients to do what they want, as long as it doesnt affect others. But when Professor Mike Kelly, public health chief of Nice, says the NHS needs a culture shift to end the terrible spectacle of people on drips in hospital gowns smoking outside hospital entrances, I am afraid he is right. It is one thing to not stop a smoker satisfying his or her addiction if they are fit enough to walk off site, then let them do that. But if the patient is not able to walk that far, the last thing they should be doing is smoking. The NHS should not act as an enabler for their addictions, either by permitting nurses or healthcare assistants to help the patient down the stairs, or by providing the shelter in the first place. From my smoking days, I know there is nothing like seeing a group of people puffing away on cigarettes to make

you also want a fag. Like banning smoking in pubs (instrumental in helping me quit several years ago), removing it from the NHS will indeed encourage an out-of-sight-out-of-mind cultural shift and improve patients lives. For nurses, doctors and other staff who want to smoke in their breaks, trusts should be even tougher: dont smoke when youre on duty. I will never forget the moment a midwife, on a home visit to my week-old baby, put her finger in my daughters mouth to demonstrate latching-on. As my baby clamped her lips around the midwifes finger, the smell of fresh cigarette smoke wafted around her hands, and I recoiled in horror. Any who comes into contact with patients nurses who have hands-on contact - should not be doing their jobs smelling of smoke. Staff will say they need a cigarette to relieve stress, but the long-term effects of smoking do more harm. Nices new advice underlines the mixed messages we are given on public health. The Government, after the election, promised to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes, acknowledging the evidence that it would curb smoking, but then caved into pressure from the tobacco industry by shelving the plans. Ministers should back Nice on smoking in hospitals but they should also look again at plain packaging to wean us off this habit altogether.

Martyrs? Guest-house owners who turned away gay couple on religious grounds are nothing of the kind - Comment - Voices - The Independent
If people choose to be homophobic, they should do it in their own homes and not inflict it on the rest of us. Which is the point, really, because it's not as though The Big Gay Menace body-pumped its way into a window the Bulls had left open, made their living room FAB-U-LOUS while twerking to Lady Gaga. No, the Bulls ran a business which made money by allowing members of the public to stay in their bed and breakfast. And in doing so, they are compelled to abide by rules like, say, paying tax, complying with health and safety requirements, and not turning away guests because they are black, disabled or gay. Persecutors and the prejudiced whether they are US segregationists or sexists almost always posture as the real victims, claiming that their way of life is under attack from the state. Unfortunately, history didn't judge kindly the American Southern cafe owners who turfed out African-Americans sitting in seats reserved for whites. The Bulls are more than entitled to run their lives as Leviticus laid down, though the political correctness do-gooder brigade may get uppity again if, say, Hazelmary stones Peter to death for blaspheming. But the rest of us have moved on from the Middle Ages, and sadly for people like the Bulls the law no longer allows gays to be treated like lepers.

Background
Political Takeout is a funny but informed review of the weeks news and politics. Presented by Bobby Friedman and Rupert Myers, it takes a wry look at events in Westminster and beyond. The show ran its first series in early 2013, when it quickly became the highest rated independent news and politics podcast on the iTunes store in the UK. In late 2013, Political Takeout transferred to its new home at Independent Voices. Bobby & Rupert are both writers and broadcasters and they first hosted a radio show together in 2005. Bobby has been a producer and presenter for the BBC and is the author of two political books. He is also a regular on TV and radio and has written for a number of national publications. Ruperts writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Times, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph Blogs & the Spectator Coffee House, and has also been interviewed on TV and radio. Few (beyond right-wing think tanks) weep for the failed property company that was Railtrack, so why not liquidate the Big Six, along with the water companies and rail operators, and replace them with not-for-profit trusts charged,

the Big Six, along with the water companies and rail operators, and replace them with not-for-profit trusts charged, by law, with the task of supplying services at the lowest possible cost to the customer? The not-for-profit Network Rail has transformed the rail network from the shambles presided over by shareholder-run Railtrack, so surely this is a strong paradigm for the reform of the household utilities? Ownership issues aside, the current corporate structure of the utilities must also be addressed to skew benefits to the bill-payer, not the shareholder. Gas and electricity interests should be separated out, with so-called "dual-fuel" deals abolished. The gas supply network should be divested from the National Grid, which should revert to public ownership under perhaps a single British Electricity Trust for England and Wales. If in 2015 the electorate deny the Conservatives their first majority in 23 years, Labour must wipe the slate clean and rebuild our dysfunctional utilities and public services to favour the consumer, not the man with a fat cigar. Anthony Rodriguez, Staines, Middlesex

The theme of Conservative market intervention that Steve Richards identifies in his column (26 November) is most advanced in the areas of industrial policy and higher education. In industrial policy, David Willetts could not mention the Technology Strategy Board, a Labour invention, in the early months. Now he is a big supporter and has mounted a comprehensive assault on Thatcherite ideas. In a series of substantive speeches he has slaughtered the sacred cow of "no picking winners". The actual industrial policy we now have remains weak. There is for example still no money for industry sectors. But the intellectual case for that spending has been made from the Conservative side of the Cabinet table with nods from George Osborne. And in higher education, Willetts' early rhetoric of a free market has been heavily tempered by the need for strong regulation to control public spending. In both cases, Conservatives have not chosen either markets or intervention, but both. William Cullerne Bown, Executive Chairman, Research Research Ltd, London EC2 Who's snooping on my tuna sandwich? Andreas Whittam Smith (22 November) highlights the use of mass surveillance to recognise patterns of behaviour. I fly from Edinburgh to Bristol most Monday mornings and I am now required to show my boarding pass to buy The Independent from WH Smith. The same when I buy my bottle of orange juice and tuna sandwich from Boots. I have asked why they need this information: no one has yet given me any sensible answer. I can only assume that some zombie in GCHQ has noticed that every Monday at 7.30am, a grey-haired person travelling to Bristol always purchases an Independent plus orange juice plus tuna sandwich. This is definitely a "pattern", and patterns are suspicious are they not? Should I be worried about my door being kicked in some morning at 6am? Why on earth is this vast store of useless information being gathered; where is it stored; who looks at it, never mind analyses it? Why do we meekly put up with such nonsense? I now refuse to show my boarding pass - even The Independent is not worth the risk! Tom Simpson, Bristol

Throughout several years of foam-flecked ranting about the completely unfounded threat to the liberty of British citizens posed by our membership of the European Union, it is gloriously ironic that the supposed "Land of the Free" has been secretly spying on all of us. I do hope they have been keeping particularly close tabs on our dangerously irrational scare-mongering extremists in Ukip and on the right of the Conservative Party, who must presumably be all in favour of such intrusion. Aidan Harrison, Rothbury, Nothumberland

Ukip's policy: get rid of unpopular things

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown suggests (25 November) that Ukip knows what it wants. I appreciate that the point of the article was to highlight the shortcomings of the Tory party - a very respectable aim - but I think that giving Ukip this kind of credit may be a touch misleading. I had a quick look on its website. Out of the EU and an end to immigration; no surprise there. They don't believe in climate change - but the main reason seems to be that the EU does. Lots of fracking and a mass programme of nuclear power stations - hmm. Tax cuts of 77bn and a flat 25 per cent tax rate; the wealthy should be OK, then. Bring back selective grammar schools - bang goes the education of 80 per cent of the population. No restructuring of the NHS but control to be handed to County Boards - no contradiction there. No gay marriage; double the number of people in prison; no HS2; the hunting ban repealed; smoking in pubs allowed. Oh, and an end to "political correctness" and "multiculturalism". The Ukip agenda is very clearly based on picking out all the things that people say they don't like, putting them on a list and simmering them with a generous sprinkle of xenophobia. This (it seems to me) is not to be confused with a policy. Nigel Farage may be a nice guy, but what he represents is potentially much worse than the Tories ever were. Yasmin, can I lend you my long spoon? Derek Chapman, Warnford, Hampshire

Church of England without a God

Ian Quayle (letter, 26 November) suggests that church members who agreed with Chris Beney (letter, 25 November) could no longer call themselves "Christians". Members of the Sea of Faith network have for more than 20 years been exploring and promoting religious faith as a human creation. I accept the label of Christian as well as Humanist and see no contradiction. It is perfectly possible to follow the teachings of Jesus, who taught about bringing God's Kingdom on Earth, without my having any belief in an interventionist God or an afterlife. To me, God is a metaphor for the sum of my highest values and their creative power, and Jesus a man who personified these values. The idea of God is real, even if (s)he is not. I find it perfectly logical that I attend my local church with my fellow Christians, each exploring the consequences of their belief in their own way. I am glad that the CofE is still broad enough to find room for me and those who think as I do. Peter Stribblehill, Trustee, Sea of Faith, Melton Mowbray Church of Humanism (letter, 26 November)? Ethics without dogma? Quakers, perhaps? Lyn Atterbury, Pila, Poland

Lyn Atterbury, Pila, Poland

Let's have a go at languages

Alexander McGeoch is half right with his comments on the British Council's Languages for the Future report (letter, 25 November). Our report agrees with him that Spanish, French and German are still languages the UK needs. But his own argument only reinforces the importance of Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. As he says, he has "only come across a handful of British nationals who spoke Arabic with any degree of fluency, or indeed at all". As to difficulty, non-European languages with different scripts are considered "harder", but 230 million native and 200 million second language speakers of Arabic suggest many people succeed. Add 1.2 billion Mandarin Chinese and 120 million Japanese speakers, and the total suggests it's not impossible, and well worth us having a try. John Worne, Director of Strategy, British Council, London SW1

Whale of a time in Hull

As an exiled native of Hull, I was as pleased as anyone that the City's cultural heritage has been recognised. However, the photograph accompanying your article (21 November) shows not the City Hall, as labelled, but the Dock Company Offices, which are now a museum of Hull's whaling history. It seems that a wider recognition of the city that Larkin once described as a place "where only salesmen and relations come" is long overdue. Stan Broadwell, Bristol

All power to Margaret Hodge

Any idea how we can get Margaret Hodge to become Prime Minister? It wouldn't matter much (to me) which of the current awful parties she would lead - or maybe she can be persuaded to do a Borgen and start her own political party? Paul Wallace, Telford, Shropshire

Lostprophets' Ian Watkins: The powerful men who abuse - and lie about it Comment - Voices - The Independent
It is notable that until his guilty plea, Watkins furiously denied the allegations. This is hardly a surprising to anyone familiar with rape culture. The most common lie about rape is denial that it happened. This lie is readily lapped up and believed: a Facebook page titled Ian Watkins is innocent has over 200 likes, and the only evidence these people had to go on was Watkinss word that he didnt do it. Even when a man has been convicted of rape, we still see a denial of guilt, as was the case when footballer Ched Evans was convicted. I wrote before about how there was nothing remarkable in the allegations against paedophile and rapist Jimmy Savile, nor in the cover-up surrounding the episode. While what Ian Watkins did was horrifying, the same is true. At its core, what we have is a powerful man abusing his power over the weak and vulnerable. Indeed, it has been suggested that he used his position as a celebrity to gain access to children. Powerful men rape and abuse, and they lie about it. Its the same story with a different cast. Public reaction has attempted to elide this structural violence, and pretend that the culture which allows people like

Public reaction has attempted to elide this structural violence, and pretend that the culture which allows people like Watkins to abuse does not exist. Some make jokes about what happened, as though rape of a baby is a laughing matter. Others claim their childhood has been ruined because a beloved pop figure has been revealed to be a paedophile. But the only childhoods ruined by Watkins were of the children he abused. Many have tried to derail this talk of rape culture by pointing out that the other two defendants in the Watkins case were women, as though that somehow magically dilutes the main point: that powerful men rape, and then lie about it. It is worth noting here that experts suggest that it is unlikely the women would have abused children without Watkins persuading them to do it through grooming. The Watkins story shows a particularly extreme manifestation of rape culture, but things like this happen every day, and will continue to happen. The whole system needs uprooting, as we see people decrying Watkins yet continuing to perpetuate other myths that make it easier for rapists to get away with it. It chills me to the bone that in the future we will see more cases like this. This is why we must fight rape culture, for every current and past victim.

Michael Clarke and the Ashes: The shocking thing about sledging is not the damage it causes but how witless it is - Comment - Voices - The Independent
For this insight, our thanks go to Australias Channel 9 for mistakenly leaving a stump microphone on during a commercial break, thereby capturing Aussie captain Michael Clarke courteously advising our own Jimmy Anderson to get ready for a broken f arm. The host Ashes broadcaster has since apologised to Clarke for the error. But while admiring the Australian medias refined sensibilities a Sydney newspaper marked the mentally anguished Jonathan Trotts departure with the delicately diarrhoid headline Trott Does A Runner it had no need. The stenciling of the LAffaire Clarke on to the honours board of live mic fiasci, where it sits astride Yo, Blair! and Gordon Browns depiction of Rochdales Mrs Gillian Duffy as a bigoted woman, is a blessing. Sledging the offical cricketese for desperately lame attempts at intimidating wit, as its kissing cousin banter is Australian for moronic sub-playground insults has been confused for too long with one of the higher comedic forms. The first recorded sledge inevitably involved WG Grace, who once responded to being bowled by announcing, Twas the wind which took the bail off, good sir. Indeed, doctor, interjected a Wildean umpire, and let us hope the wind helps thee on thy journey back to the pavilion. From that vaudevillian exchange, it was a downhill sledge ride all the way until the holy trinity of subjects deemed seemliest for manly mirth were closet homosexuality, cuckoldry and girth. The latter pair have often been artfully combined, as in the side-splitter that has a batsman reply to enquiry as to why he is so fat with: Cos your wife gives me a cookie every time I f- her. We could enjoy countless more examples, all exquisitely subtle variations on a theme, but why risk a run on Boots supplies of ribcage repair kits when the genre seems so outmoded? Sledging has finally come of age, with any ambition to replicate the cut-and-thrust that delights fourth-formers when the teacher is out of earshot now replaced by blatant physical threats. This is an excellent development. The compiler of the Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations may be traumatised, but those who prefer George Orwells sober apercus will recall his analysis of international sport as war without weapons. With the Ashes elevated to a plane of honest and exhilarating viciousness, the Orwellian theme is taken up by the England captain Alastair Cook. On the pitch, he said, by way of acknowledging the essentially martial nature of the game, its pretty much a war, isnt it? It is. Despite Test crickets reputation among those who disdain cricket as a languid and mannerly sport, the Ashes is a relentlessly brutal struggle between borderline psychotics, and deserves the poisonous verbals to match. With the accusations and counter-accusations still flowing, the tension approaches a level of intensity unknown since the height of the Cold War. There is even talk of the England manager Andy Flower and his counterpart Darren Lehmann planning a crisis summit, presumably modelled on the SALT negotiations, to discuss some nonproliferation sledging ground rules.

proliferation sledging ground rules. Allow me to propose just one for their consideration. The stump microphones must be live at all times. If the Aussie opening batsman and chief thug David Warner informs Graeme Swann, Im gonna cut out yer liver, put it in the blender, garnish it with one of yer retinae, and force feed it to you via a funnel, I want to hear it. If Kevin Pietersen ratchets up hostilities by pledging to sharpen the end of his bat for use as a makeshift axe with which to castrate the aptly simian banana-addict Peter Siddle, ditto. Should Anglo-Australian relations deteriorate until a Test can be distinguished from a game of ice hockey only by the lack of ice and Michelin Man protective clothing, so much the better. Not since the early 1970s era of Dennis Lillee has the prospect of serious physical violence injected such a powerful shot of adrenaline into the bloodstream of the Ashes. But even if things calm down and the need for a fully equipped field hospital on the square leg boundary abates, there must be no return to the kindergarten sledging. For too long the limp wisecracks were lionised by those who come over all Kriss Akabusi at the drop of a sensationally unfunny quip, and for this I blame the Victorian who inadvertently started the nonsense. If that anonymous bowler had set the tone by telling WG Grace If thou fails to get thy f self out of here within the next 10 seconds, good doctor, I vouchsafe to ignite this Lucifer and set fire to thy f beard, he might have spared us a deal of misery.

We will never know who said what in Plebgate - Editorials - Voices - The Independent
But what actually happened when officers stopped Andrew Mitchell from riding his bicycle through the (pedestrian) gates of Downing Street, one afternoon in September 2012, is still shrouded in mystery and contention. That the Tory Cabinet minister swore at his tormentors has never been disputed. It was the allegation that he branded them plebs that was consistently denied, fuelling talk of a politically motivated stitch-up. After months of inquiry and pots of public money, one constable has now finally been charged with misconduct in public office. But it is not the one who reported the word pleb an officer who has never been arrested and remains without an official stain on his character. Rather, the defendant is PC Keith Wallis, who allegedly sent an email to Mr Mitchells deputy, shortly after the affair, claiming to be a member of the public who witnessed the fracas. Five other officers must also appear before gross misconduct panels and a further three face lesser disciplinary proceedings. But the central riddle remains unsolved. Indeed, where the balance of probability once tilted slightly in favour of Mr Mitchell thanks to video footage that appeared to call into question initial police accounts after scrutinising swathes of previously unseen CCTV footage, the Director of Public Prosecutions has concluded that there is simply not enough evidence either way. How very unsatisfactory. Not least because, murky or not, one question must still be answered and that is whether Mr Mitchell ought to return to the Cabinet or not. It is this newspapers view that he should. Not because we can be any more sure of his word than that of PC Toby Rowlandss. Simply because, in the absence of any conclusive evidence of guilt, he must be presumed innocent.

Salmond fishing: The SNP leader's blueprint for an independent Scotland leaves all the big questions unanswered - Editorials - Voices - The Independent
At its core is the assertion that, freed from the dead weight of Westminster indifference, an independent Scotland would be automatically and unquestionably better able to meet its (barely acknowledged) challenges. There were plenty of sweeteners. The minimum wage will rise, unpopular welfare reforms will be scrapped, the public purse will

bulge with an extra 600 per year per head. Transport will be better, childcare will be universal, there will even be more opportunity to address the under-performance of more deprived schoolchildren. In short, Scotland will at the stroke of a pen be richer, happier and more equal. At the same time, however, the more comforting aspects of union will remain unchanged. The pound will stay, thanks to a re-creation of the longdefunct Sterling Area; so will Strictly Come Dancing, courtesy of a joint venture with the BBC; and so will the Queen, whose sovereignty, via the Union of the Crowns in 1603, is apparently less of an infringement than the 1707 Union of Parliaments. And yet somehow, despite all this, a vote for independence will be the clearest possible declaration of confidence in ourselves and our nation. More emotive still, if we vote no, Scotland stands still. Meanwhile, back in the real world, the old questions remained unanswered. Indeed, the SNPs assumptions are so legion, the only difficulty is in selecting the most egregious examples. Take currency union. The White Paper presumes Scotland can stick with sterling, at the same time retaining the Bank of England as the lender of last resort. Such an arrangement is possible, but it requires more than Mr Salmonds say-so. Yet, as the No campaign has been swift to point out, there is no suggestion of a Plan B. Furthermore, Plan A hardly constitutes the sovereign independence of which Holyrood is so vocal a champion (as the hard lessons from the euro crisis so compellingly attest). Similarly, the SNP talks glibly of a smooth transition into the EU on the day of independence (scheduled for 24 March 2016). Not only do such assurances gloss over a multitude of diplomatic implication; they also overlook the awkward fact that new EU states are required to commit to a future in the eurozone, something that Scotlands Future explicitly rules out. Even the eye-catching pledge on childcare is not what it seems. Given that such matters are already devolved to Holyrood, it hardly requires the unpicking of three centuries of shared history and shared values to put the plan into action. The Independent firmly supports the Scots right to choose. But we also firmly believe that their countrys interests remain firmly within the union. Mr Salmond has not changed the debate, he has merely conjured more castles in the air.

i Editor's Letter: Hand power to the Competition Commission - Comment Voices - The Independent
Call in the Competition Commission and get it over with. The domestic energy market is broken and has lost consumers trust. A competition inquiry would have the powers needed to be taken seriously by the Big Six, including the sanction of breaking up energy companies, as it did with British airports. Ofgems Andrew Wright, the man who runs this chocolate fireguard of an organisation does that metaphor still work if people cant afford to turn on the gas fire? found his voice yesterday, in time for a scheduled appearance before Parliament. What became clear is that the watchdog chief does understand the problem. The question, he correctly identified at one point, is what we do about it. Let me help out Mr Wright: sideline Ofgem, and hand the Competition Commission the power to investigate the Big Six. Dont delay. There were 31,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales last winter - an increase of 30 per cent on the previous year. Next week, George Osborne may reduce bills in the short-term by getting rid of energy suppliers efficiency obligations. But without fundamental reform this uncompetitive market will only rebound to punish the consumer. Ed Milibands energy price freeze was good politics (setting the winter political agenda) but bad policy (energy firms can easily get around it by upping prices before and after).

can easily get around it by upping prices before and after). Meanwhile, the uncertainty over energy policy prevents us finally answering the big question: how do we power Britain for the next 50 years? The combined effect of the Coalitions muddled energy policy and Mr Milibands threatened freeze is stall investment in our energy infrastructure vital, be it renewable, fossil fuel or a mix until the next election brings greater clarity. Something David Cameron will think about on his forthcoming trip to China. i@independent.co.uk

Maoism is still alive in India, where inequality flourishes - Comment - Voices The Independent
It was not far from there that a Maoist rebellion broke out in 1967, which China termed as a peal of spring thunder. India had gained independence 20 years ago. But nothing had changed for its poor. Many young men and women rose to the call of revolution, drawing inspiration from Maoist ideology. Many of them came from middle-class families. One such young man returned to India from London, without completing a course in accountancy. He returned wearing an overcoat that had 24 secret pockets, all stuffed with Maoist literature. Kobad Ghandy came from a wealthy family in Bombay his father was the finance director of Glaxo pharmaceuticals. Kobad had been radicalised in the UK and would become the leading light of the Maoist movement in India, only arrested by the police in 2009. Towards the end of 1969 a young British teacher, Mary Tyler, also came to India along with her Indian husband Amalendu Sen. They joined a Maoist group active on the Bengal-Bihar border in eastern India. But shortly afterwards, they were arrested by the police. Mary spent five years in an Indian jail. Defending the actions of her rebel husband she writes: Amalendus crime is the crime of all those who cannot remain unmoved and inactive in an India where justice is the exception and injustice the rule. The Maoism of Comrade Bala had been a historical footnote until now. But it is that sense of injustice that is still attracting thousands of people mostly tribal people known as the Adivasis to the Maoist movement. The Maoists are active in central and eastern India areas left ungoverned for decades. It is this void that the Maoists have filled. But revolution remains a utopia. The Adivasis are now caught in a vicious war between the Maoists and the state. They continue to suffer. Rahul Pandita is the author of Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of Indias Maoist Movement. The first of the two charges is extremely serious about as bad as you get. As for the second, the bank has commissioned its own report on the failure to lend to smaller businesses from the lawyers Clifford Chance, and we will see what that says. But it is a common complaint, and the fact that lending to business as a whole has been falling ever since the 2008 crisis does support the argument that shortage of funding has been holding the recovery back. How have things come to this? It is a huge subject and all sorts of accusations get thrown around, so the first thing to be clear about is that this is not just an RBS issue. It happens to be our largest business bank, but if other banks were able and willing to step in, the business community would have options. In a properly functioning banking system, if RBS wanted its money back and the customer was indeed a viable proposition, there would be a competitor only too happy to take over. Nor is it a casino banking issue - the charge levelled at banks in general and their investment banking divisions in particular that they gamble with other peoples money. This is about the most basic failure in commercial banking: failure to support viable business customers. There is a case for separating commercial banking from investment

banking, just as there is a case for keeping the two together, with the right capital backing for each one of the issues the House of Lords is considering now. But that is not the problem here. So what is? One way to frame what RBS and the other banks have done is to look at the sea-change that has taken place in banking over the past 30 years. There has always been a tension between two roles. One is to carry out a duty of care over their customers. The other is to flog them products. A generation ago banks acted as wise advisers to their customers. People would joke: My bank manager wouldnt like it when they made some extravagant purchase, and company owners would make sure they had their bank manager on side when they made major decisions. Then, gradually, the mood shifted. Banks wanted to sell products: straightforward loans but also complex hedging products that the people selling them barely understood, let alone were able to explain. By the boom times of six years ago, the duty of care had gone out of the window. Instead bank managers were incentivised to sell, and whether or not what they were selling was in the interest of the purchaser was irrelevant. If one bank said no, there were plenty of others that would say yes. Part of the trouble was that many customers still, at some level, assumed that the banks still felt a duty of care: that they would not make a loan or sell a product if it were not in the true long-term interest of the customer. But in boom times, even potentially duff loans came good, which reinforced the careless mood. A bank that said no was fuddyduddy. Bankers, being human beings, were nudged towards ever!laxer standards of scrutiny. Then it flipped. Embedded deep in any senior bankers psyche is the nightmare that depositors suddenly want their money back and there is not enough in the tills to pay them. The slow-motion crash that started in Britain with Northern Rock and progressed to the freezing of the inter-bank market and the near-collapse of the two Scottish banks has spun the mood of bankers back to the caution of a generation ago: it is safer to say no. You could even persuade yourself that it might be safer for your customer if you say no. That explains the reluctance to lend money to small business. Small businesses are statistically risky customers. Allow for the ones that will go under and it is not particularly profitable business either. It also explains the confusion that many borrowers feel when they are unable to repay on time and find the bank forecloses on the debt. They thought the bank had their best interests in mind and would be helpful if they got into trouble, then found the bank was frightened and simply wanted to enforce its contract. RBS may have gone beyond acceptable practice here, and if so that is disgraceful. So what is to be done? What will happen, indeed is happening, is a move back towards cautious banking. I just hope that a true revival of duty of care will be part of that condition.

Can the Celtic Tiger roar again?

Ireland is escaping from the bail-out it returns to the markets next month. It is not quite a with one bound and its free situation, as it now has to rely on the financial markets to fund itself. But submitting to their judgement, rather than of that of Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington, shows confidence. A visit to Dublin yesterday convinced me that a turning point has been reached. The numbers are better. The country is no longer in recession; retail sales volume is up; job growth is quite strong; total government debt should start to fall as a percentage of GDP next year; the property market in Dublin has picked up; and as a PwC survey of chief executives shows, business is now more confident than at any time since 2007. Phew. But if Ireland has become the poster-boy for EU bailouts, there are three causes for caution. One is that the recovery is both uneven and fragile. Dublin is coming up but the gap between the capital and the rest of the country is growing. There is a huge problem of mortgage arrears, some 15 per cent of the total loan book. Second, the banking system is gummed up, with hardly any competition between Bank of Ireland, now recovering,

Second, the banking system is gummed up, with hardly any competition between Bank of Ireland, now recovering, and Allied Irish Banks, further down the track. Third, the social cost is huge and is carried most unevenly by people who have lost their jobs and/or emigrated, and people in their 30s who bought homes at the top of the market and can never hope to repay. If you are a small country it is a harsh world if you make a mistake. Just squint slightly using your bottom lids watch his video tutorial for details and voila! More like Rose McGowan, less like Rose West! Hurleys last video Its all about the jaw, which taught people how to have more facial definition, was a viral hit. My style tip video Stop tagging photos of me with spam arms on Facebook or Ill burn your car will be on YouTube in December.

Its true: Yahoo Mail still exists

A leaked internal memo at Yahoo HQ following their expensive redesign in October makes glorious reading. This year we asked you to move to Yahoo Mail for your corporate email account. Twenty-five per cent of you made the switch (thank you). But even if we used the most generous of grading curves (say, the one from organic chemistry), we have clearly failed in our goal to move our co-workers to Yahoo Mail. Part of me feels terribly sorry for Yahoo for having their failure exposed. Part of me thinks its brilliant advertising. Its the first time for five years Ive remembered I have a Yahoo account. More from Grace Dent: Want to have more sex? Leave your smartphones out of the bedroom

Want to have more sex? Leave your smartphones out of the bedroom Comment - Voices - The Independent
In the 1990s Damon Albarn told us Modern Life is Rubbish, and he made a salient point, because the 1990s before mobile phones, pre-web, pre-social media, that era where we crackled about in man!made fibres, and the highlight of provincial life was gawping at the new big Asda did indeed flirt with distinct rubbishness. But it was a slower time, with baggy, fritterable time to be bored. A time when the devil could make mucky work for idle hands. It was a pre-selfie, less self-conscious time where our wobbles, pimples and double!chins werent under constant scrutiny. And now it transpires by no coincidence that it was a sexier time where we went to bed and simply did it more. And by did it I mean actually did it with another human being even the person we were married to or were longterm committed to. And sex, not sexual activity. The latter is where one partner sleeps because they are exhausted from doing two shift-jobs and four school-runs and puzzling over the different recycling bins and rotas which the local council have decreed and the other partner stares at an iPad and chats to their newly re-united childhood crush on Facebook who lives 200 miles away, followed by a session of masturbating to free internet porn clips in the downstairs toilet. That sex doesnt count. Not even if Whitney did say loving yourself was the greatest love of all. I wonder how many thirty- and fortysomethings gave reasons for lack of sex that were along the lines of, In the moments when Im not rustling up another pissing themed costume for my child or answering the door to cold-callers hoping Ill swap internet provider, or worrying about the fact theres more month than money, I just like a nice sit down with Eastenders and my knickers on. Of course, the mobile phone on the bedside table, or slid under the pillow as an alarm clock but also to check cricket scores or the laptop in bed on your knee last thing at night screening iPlayer while pruning a fractious e-mail box... these are all the enemies of modern sex. Growingly, we are connected with every corner of the world but not the other corner of the bed. Im not sure how we stop this as a nation, because none of us wants to. In fact, the process of simply spending time NOT staring at a screen connected to the universe, frantically busy yet not expending a kilojoule is such a rarity now that its dressed up in elite circles as a digital detox. You can pay thousands of pounds to sleep in a lumpy bed, be fed chia smoothies, and have your phone removed, with the intention of rediscovering both life and your

bed, be fed chia smoothies, and have your phone removed, with the intention of rediscovering both life and your partners body. I wonder if by the 2023 sex survey, the Government will look at birth rates, peer sadly at our shagging statistics and begin blocking our internet usage like in China. The other enemy of sex is still living with your mother-in-law as you cant afford a home, and having to hear her coughing up phlegm through paper-thin walls after an evening of her explaining the things she saw in TK Maxx. Yet as we are no nearer to building affordable housing or tackling the deficit between pay packets and first-home deposits, hopefully couples will learn to include the travelling noise of their dads bathroom functions into their sexy play. Other findings in the sex survey Im taking with a pinch of salt. Apparently women are closing the gap on men in the number of partners theyve had. Previously it was 3.7 and its now 7.7. I lived through the 1990s and do not remember this great time of female chasteness. I do however remember much less willingness to admit publicly what happened when that bloke slept on your sofa. Similarly theres been a massive rise in women having a same-sex partner. Previously 1.8 per cent, its now 7.9. Either something wondrous in the water has created a legion of British lesbians - both full-time and hobbyist or women are becoming more blas about their sexual truths. Oddly, there has been a much smaller increase in men who have ever had a gay experience up from 3.6 per cent to 4.8 per cent which is weird as Grindr.com is doing a roaring trade. If women stayed awake after the recycling has gone out, they might hear their husbands on it. Twitter: @gracedent

The rise in legal highs: this generations drugs are truly lethal - Comment Voices - The Independent
Now illegal, mephedrone is one of many new psychoactive substances previously known as legal highs which have appeared on the drug landscape in recent years. According to the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction, there are at least 300 new psychoactive substances on the market, and 73 new substances were recorded in 2012 alone. Deaths have correlated with the number of new drugs: UK fatalities from legal highs including mephedrone rose from 29 in 2011 to 52 in 2012, the most recent year accurate data is available. Yesterday the charity DrugScope found that legal highs are becoming increasingly sold over the counter at petrol stations and shops. School children and younger teenagers are buying synthetic cannabis and stimulants while mephedrone-type powders are popular with students and older teens, but what unites both these age groups is that, lacking more cogent advice, they equate legal with safe. In short, the current UK drug scene is a mess, and while policy-makers and law-enforcers lumber after the criminalisation of the latest concoction on the market, the drug synthesisers are always one molecule ahead. But whereas the mass media were excessively hysterical over the ecstasy deaths of the 1990s - Leah Betts was killed by water intoxication, not ecstasy overdose the hyper-vigilance that characterises the British press is lacking at a time when it is most needed. During the opening weekend of Manchesters The Warehouse Project arguably this decades Haienda in September, one person died and 15 others were taken ill, all from suspected para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA) poisoning. This potent drug causes overdose more easily than the MDMA it is often mistaken for by causing a rise in the bodys temperature and a delayed up, meaning the user takes a much higher dose than their body needs. PMA too has seen its fair share of new deaths, up from one in 2011 to 20 in 2012. Compared to ecstasy deaths of the nineties and naughties (averaging at around 20 a year at their peak), the combined deaths of PMA, legal highs and now-illegal highs are cause for serious concern. Martin Barnes, DrugScopes chief executive, says that back in the early 1990s when ecstasy was at the height of its popularity among young people on the club/rave scene, there was a body of public health knowledge that would have helped protect people and

probably saved lives. Much of that knowledgeis less known to many of the current generation of club and festival goers. We need to find ways of reminding young people about this type of information, not only in relation to ecstasy, but also to the many other new drugs now available." Although the age gap between my peers and the current 17-year-olds experimenting with class As for the first time is only five years, the drug scene has changed irrevocably, and is evolving at an exponential rate. Gone are the reasonably-pure ecstasy tablets, MDMA and cocaine with which, on the whole, you knew what you were getting. In their place are pills obtained from faceless online dealers and powders with not for human consumption aliases. Whereas previously it may have been foolish to take drugs, now it is roulette. Drug developers are making fatal narcotics because they know punters will buy them, and for the same price as safer ones. Complacency, from a generation who didnt need to care so much, has been passed down to younger users who really should. Regardless of whether its school children buying colourfully-labelled herbal highs, students on psychoactive stimulants or clubbers in their twenties and thirties being poisoned by PMA, the government needs to get real on the effect drugs are having on young people. The internet is here to stay, along with its hydra-tentacled drug developers, so targeted education and more intelligent criminalisation need to step up a gear. One more death is one too many.

Godfrey Bloom is wrong about speed not causing accidents, but he is right about road fines - Comment - Voices - The Independent
Oh well, I thought, there's at least one vote for Godfrey Bloom. The man who put Bongo Bongo Land on the map, he who was so extreme in his views that he was beyond the pale for Ukip, has declared his intention to stand for Parliament at the next election representing the Drivers' Union, a pressure group which feels that British motorists get a raw deal. They are the most Britain's most oppressed group of people, said Bloom. I wondered who he could have been talking about. Bulgarian immigrants? Single mothers? Businessmen who bank with RBS? But no, the fact that we can't drive our cars at exactly the speed we'd like constitutes, in the eyes of Mr Bloom and his new colleagues, a breach of fundamental human rights. Mr Bloom may not have been born lucky. He chose to make his pronouncement on the very day that reports emerged of a terrible accident in which an 88-year-old couple, married for 54 years, were taking an evening stroll, hand in hand, along a lane in rural Wales and were mown down by a blue hatchback. Both died as a result of their injuries. Speed...has nothing to do with accidents, said Mr Bloom. This is a variation on the guns don't kill, people do argument, and even the most committed petrolhead would struggle to make that idea stick. The Drivers' Union website is uncompromising. Drivers must be more assertive and united to get the treatment they deserve, it states. These are people who have basically converted their road rage into a political manifesto. Nonetheless, there is something in Mr Bloom's complaint that, in their focus on motoring offences, the authorities are motivated more by revenue-raising rather than road safety. I speak with some authority on this subject, having had three parking tickets, my car towed away and two speeding fines in recent weeks. Serves me right, you'll say. And that's correct: I don't have any complaints about the errors I made to suffer this series of highly irritating reversals. As far as my speeding offences were concerned, I was offered the opportunity to attend a one-day speed awareness course, thereby avoiding penalty points and a fine. It would cost me 85 and I'd have had to take a day off work. I don't know of anything else in the British constitution, said Mr Bloom, where the police can suspend prosecutions in exchange for money. I rather agree with him. Do offenders choose a day in the classroom because they want to learn about how to drive safely? Of course not. They want to escape prosecution. What next? Send bankers on an embezzlement awareness course? Oh no. I've just agreed with Godfrey Bloom. Is there no hope for me?

In defence of pubic hair: the mighty bush - Comment - Voices - The

Independent
According to a poll of 2000 women this month, the razor is no longer a romantic necessity, with pubic hair reclaiming its reign atop and amongst our genitalia. In UK Medixs online pharmacy poll, 51 per cent of respondents said they did not style or groom their pubic hair while 45 per cent could no longer be bothered to keep up the grooming and 62 per cent said their partner prefers the natural look. Im surprised by these results. Ive always assumed men prefer no hair down there, not only because porn tells us women are sexiest waxed (hairy women is a fetish category) but from talking to my peers, women recounted unanticipated encounters in which they had rushed into the bathroom to hack it all off. Some admit waxing worries stopped them submitting to their carnal desire. Others say they went out hairy so they wouldnt be tempted to have sex. Some women, it seems, consider their own pubic hair so disgusting that it works like a self-imposed chastity belt. Some friends told me they worried that if he doesnt call, its because they werent shaved. It was if this shameful aberrance was rendering them undesirable. This led me to suspect women are pruning due to peer pressure. Im not against a bit of trimming, its going bare that bothers me. What you look like naturally shouldnt make your beloved gag. Yet we dont want to talk about pubic hair, despite what we look like down there being a source of anxiety for many women. Just look at the recent alarming report into "designer vaginas". More and more women, including adolescents, are seeking out surgery because of a distorted image of what is normal presented in popular culture, pornography, and private clinics' own advertisements, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Ethics Committee. We need to make it clear that normal is whatever you choose it to be. It is your body, and whether it lives up to fad or fashion shouldnt hinder your enjoyment of sex. We need to talk about these issues, because if we are too squeamish, what hope do sex-education campaigners have of teaching our children? So let's make a case for bringing back the bush. Hair is on our most sensitive parts for a reason - it protects us. Not only from the (inevitable and pleasurable) friction of sex but from bacteria. Family physician Emily Gibson has seen pustules, Group A Streptococcus and cellulitiscrop up from shaving, the latter an infection you can pass on to your partner. Being bald looks a lot less attractive now. Yet there are sexier reasons to keep your hair. It is thought to trap pheromones, bodily scents that others can find sexually stimulating. Scientists have speculated we developed pubic hair to signal we are sexually mature. In many ways, hairlessness comes with the unwelcome suggestion of a childish body. The unspoken issue here is oral sex, and some mens reluctance to have to deal with hair. A number of couples I know go halves on Brazilians. Getting rid of hair, after all, is an expensive business. If you do it yourself, instead of that oh so stylish landing strip, you get something that looks like the cat coughed it up. Pubic hair removal is big business - in the US in 2012 it was estimated to be worth as much as 2.1bn. But price isnt really the issue here. If he is so put off by your natural state that he doesnt want to get anywhere near it, then you might want to re-evaluate your relationship. What you do with your own body should always come down to you, and this survey is worth highlighting because it shows that you dont need to prance into the bedroom like a porn star to be considered attractive. If you want to stay natural, you arent alone. Personally, I try not to worry. After all, I figure if youre dating me, this should be the least of your concerns.

Minister for Sport is a tricky job but Helen Grant hasnt made it any easier for herself - Comment - Voices - The Independent

Get your hockey kit on, get down to the local sports centre, ring up the local TV cameras. Simple stuff for a new junior minister. But when Helen Grant, who last month took over as Minister for Sport, was sprung by the local news and given a bit of a sporting pub quiz, things went decidedly pear shaped. All right, so the questions werent that easy, but it was the answers she chose to give, rather than the mere fact of not knowing, that makes it so unwatchable. Who are the current FA Cup holders? I dont know but Im going to say Manchester United because theyre my favourite team. So the new Sports Minister, who has already made pledges to reaffirm the governments commitment to football, is a plastic Man Utd fan who doesnt even know whether her team are current FA Cup Champions (theyre not, Wigan are). Who is the current ladies Wimbledon champion? I dont know but I know Andy Murray won it for us, and hes fantastic, hes fantastic. Yawn. The current winner is of course Marion Bartoli, the subject of John Inverdales rather crass never going to be a looker comments, which turned into a very public row over sexism in which Grants now boss, Culture Secretary Maria Miller, became rather heavily involved. Ms Grants job at the time? Under-secretary of State for Women and Equalities, yet it seems this controversy somehow passed her by. The question on who won the most Paralympic medals wasnt easy. I, a former Paralympic Correspondent, couldnt recall the Australian swimmers name straight away (Jacqueline Freney - eight golds), and Ive met her. But to turn to your aides for help and come back with Dave Weir? as if youve never heard of David Weir, who is almost never known as Dave, is pretty unbelievable. The whole unfortunate imbroglio raises no shortage of questions. Some say she shouldnt be expected to know everything about elite sport. Shes a policy maker, not a pub quizzer. Had she just taken over a junior job at the Department for Climate Change, would it be so embarrassing if she didnt have the latest stats on greenhouse gas emissions at he fingertips? But to know so little in an area where so many know so much is particularly galling. Hugh Robertson, the outgoing, much respected Sports Minister, would, I am almost certain, have scored at least four out of five, and might even have got the one on the history of Maidstone Football Club. But hes been moved on to the Foreign Office, and who knows how he might fare in a cheekily sprung quiz on African Presidents. Interestingly, a lot of Westminster watchers, whove seen this type of thing too many times before, have been criticising her for attempting to answer the questions. Just say youre more of a policy person, claim one. Why engage? others advised. Actually being castigated by political hacks for attempting to answer the questions asked, however awkward, and not just dexterosuly shifting the conversation over to the one she wants to have (although she does briefly attempt this)? Thats unfair. Helen Grant has a difficult job to do. There is much talk already about wasted Olympic legacy - not all of it fair. And never before will a minister have come under so much pressure for once largely ignored matters of sporting participation figures and the like. At least now, people might know who she is, even if she could hardly have got off to a more embarrassing start. Can you do better? Take this quiz

I'm a Celebrity: Rebecca Adlington earned her amazing talent - but that doesn't mean we have to put down Amy Willerton - Comment - Voices - The Independent
Such it was that I found myself at the University of Warwick a few weeks ago being shouted at by two hundred and fifty angry students, all frothing at the mouth and red about the gills, such was their indignation at my calm acceptance of what they perceived to be an inherently sexist and therefore evil institution. One thing I said in

particular riled them to the point that I found myself thinking how pleased I was that no one had bought eggs/tomatoes to lob in my direction : Natural beauty is just a gift, like anything else youre born with, that you can use if you chose to. Now before you screech fetch me my pen of rage! and start lambasting me in snarky comments below the line, let me explain. One of the founding principles of my body confidence campaign is that we do not patronise people and we do not judge their choices. If we acknowledge that conventional beauty is at least 80 per cent socially constructed (amateur anthropologists I refer you to the vastly differing beauty paradigms throughout history and in various cultures - now sssshhhh, and pipe down please) and then further reconcile ourselves to the idea that you are either born with a degree of it or youre not we actuallywait for itdiminish its importance. If we can say yes, thats all very nice and lovely. You are gorgeous and nice to look at. Good for you. Now I shall turn my attention to something truly important, then we make our choices from a headspace unthreatened by other peoples degree of perceived good-looking-ness. We are then free to focus on the things which REALLY make someone beautiful, in the actual,proper sense of the word kindness, talent, dedication, philanthropy, intelligence, humour, uniqueness, quirkiness, resilience all that jazz finally comes to the fore and has its long awaited moment. If only everyone had listened instead of bellowing no! We are ALL beautiful! I WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL TOO! Waaaaah! then perhaps we would not have been subjected to the heart-breaking spectacle of Rebecca Adlington, gold medal winning Olympic athlete, sobbing on our television screens last week because of feelings of inadequacy arising out of the dual factors of being targeted by vile Twitter trolls and being stuck in the confines of a small jungle camp with the reigning Miss Universe, Amy Willerton. If you have been living in a hole and somehow managed to miss the story in an episode of ITVs Im a Celebrity last week, Rebecca Adlington repeatedly broke down in tears after admitting she is very insecure about her looks, for which she is targeted daily on Twitter and that having to look at fellow contestant and model Amy Willerton for several hours a day was exacerbating the issue. Cue mass media outrage and analysis of why someone who has achieved as much as Rebecca in her career could ever be made to feel inferior, which was fair enough and much Twitter indignation which seemed to centre around the idea that in order to support Rebecca it was necessary to slag off Amy, which it wasnt. What we have here is a case of two bodies with two very different functions. One of them is arranged in a way we find attractive. The other one can master incredible feats of human endurance Just Add Water. For the truth is we do not need to metaphorically gouge our own eyes out and deny that Amy Willerton has all the physical traits that make a person beautiful by Western standards in 2013. She very clearly does and uses that in order to earn a living, as is her prerogative. Brilliant, well done. Rebeccas body, on the other hand, is the result of hard graft, of something she wasnt handed at birth and which she has gone on to do amazing things with. Which quite clearly means more, to anyone with any sense. Battle of the bodies put to rest, we can then just watch the programme and decide which of them we like the more, based on what actually comes out of their mouths, like we are supposed to. Whats happened is simply that we have allowed conventional beauty to get too big for its Christian Louboutin boots. Weve secretly valued it above and beyond everything else whilst publically bitching about anyone who happens to possess it, thus validating the idea that were all jealous harridans and perversely increasing the value of beauty even further. Why dont we try turning to face the beauty culture weve created, acknowledging it in all its lunacy and then concluding that, in the scheme of things, it really isnt that important? Let glamour models and Miss Universes do their thing and look nice. Now go and do your thing, whatever that might be, content in the knowledge that you are

their thing and look nice. Now go and do your thing, whatever that might be, content in the knowledge that you are just as amazing. Now, doesnt that feel better?

Environment

American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Plans for Atlantic Array wind turbines pulled by developer

American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows - Science - News - The Independent
According to research published in the Psychological Science journal, test subjects were more likely to say they had faith in a higher power after watching jaw-dropping footage of the Grand Canyon, waterfalls and other natural phenomena. Those who were asked to watch extracts from the BBC documentary series fronted by Sir David Attenborough gave markedly different responses to a series of questions than a control group which was shown footage from more neutral news reports. Professor Piercarlo Valdesolo, a psychological scientist from Claremont McKenna College who carried out the studies, said: Many historical accounts of religious epiphanies and revelations seem to involve the experience of being awe-struck by the beauty, strength or size of a divine being, and these experiences change the way people understand and think about the world. We wanted to test the exact opposite prediction: Its not that the presence of the supernatural elicits awe, its that awe elicits the perception of the presence of the supernatural, he said. Professor Valdesolo said participants from both groups were asked how much awe they felt while watching the footage, and whether they believed that worldly events unfold according to some gods or other non-human entitys plan. Overall, those who had watched the awe-inspiring video tended to believe more in supernatural control, and were more likely to believe in God when compared with the news-watching group. The scientists added that they observed similar results when the awe-inspiring video was changed for one which showed amazing but self-evidently impossible events, such as a massive waterfall flowing through city streets. The researchers pointed out that these data could also shed light on why certain individuals seek to explain the world through secular and scientific means. Professor Valdesolo said: The irony in this is that gazing upon things that we know to be formed by natural causes, such as the jaw-dropping expanse of the Grand Canyon, pushes us to explain them as the product of supernatural causes. The experience of awe may simply motivate us to search for explanations, no matter what kinds of explanations they are, he added.

In another experiment, the test subjects were given random series of numbers and asked whether or not they thought they had been picked deliberately. Those who had seen the awe-inspiring video were more likely than others to say the numbers had been designed by human hand. Based on these preliminary findings, Professor Valdesolo and his colleague Jesse Graham from the University of Southern California said they are now looking at other factors which change the impact of awe on belief in the supernatural. For example, they are testing whether adopting submissive body postures, which make us feel less powerful, might dispose us to experiences of awe. A link could perhaps explain the presence of such postures in religious practices across the world, such as kneeling, bowing, and gazing up. The more submissive we act, the more awe we might feel, and perhaps the stronger our beliefs become, Professor Valdesolo said.

Plans for Atlantic Array wind turbines pulled by developer - Environment The Independent
The German group, which also owns Big Six supplier npower, said the costs of the Atlantic Array project in the Bristol Channel were "prohibitive in current market conditions" and it was not the right time to build the proposed farm. The Government said RWE's decision to shelve plans for the Atlantic Array project, whose cost is reportedly 4 billion, was based "on purely technical grounds". Energy firms are under pressure after steep recent price hikes in gas and electricity tariffs but argue that they need profits to be able to invest in power generation including from renewable sources. Latest figures revealed Big Six profits from household supply multiplied five-fold in three years, sparking further anger. RWE Innogy, which was developing the site, said it presented significant challenges including deep waters and adverse seabed conditions and it would focus instead offshore projects that are more technically and economically viable. It said the challenges had been identified from "intensive research", but said new technologies could open it up again in the future. Paul Cowling, director of offshore wind at RWE Innogy, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly. "However, given the technological challenges and market conditions, now is not the right time for RWE to continue to progress with this project." Mr Cowling said RWE was still backing offshore wind and would be pressing ahead with other projects off Britain's coastline. But he added: "The commercial reality means that, in the current market conditions, overcoming the technical challenges within the Bristol Channel zone would be uneconomic for RWE at this time." The 240-turbine project had drawn criticism from environmentalists concerned about its impact on marine wildlife and campaigners who have branded 720ft (219m) high turbines unsightly.

Trade organisation RenewableUK said the decision was disappointing but not surprising as the project was "always going to be technically challenged" because of its deep-water, seabed location. Chief executive Maria McCaffery told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "When the whole energy sector is under such pressure to reduce costs, they really can't take the chance of deploying in a place where it would be more expensive because ultimately that would have to be translated into fuel bills." A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "The decision not to proceed with the development is a matter for RWE. "It was made on purely technical grounds and reflects the many complex challenges of constructing offshore wind farms. "The UK still expects to deploy significant amounts of offshore wind by 2020 and we remain well placed to meet our 2020 renewable energy target." Additional reporting by Press Association

Sport - Cricket

Ashes 2013-14: Ben Stokes desperate to impress in Alice Springs Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer Ashes 2013-14: Something needs to be done about sledging war says Ian Chappell, who defends England's James Anderson Ashes 2013-14: Stuart Broad calls for big improvement and hopes privacy will get Jonathan Trott on road to recovery Warwicks defend name change to Birmingham for T20 Blast Ashes 2013-14: Memories of Frank Tyson and Indian fightback soothe battered England squad following departure of Jonathan Trott Ashes 2013-14: England and Australia ordered to tone down sledging war following departure of Jonathan Trott The Light Roller: A week is a long time in cricket

Ashes 2013-14: Ben Stokes desperate to impress in Alice Springs - Cricket Sport - The Independent
Jonathan Trott's return home, because of a stress-related illness, means - as one of Joe Root or Ian Bell replace him at number three - a batting position opens up in the middle order for the second Test. Jonny Bairstow, Stokes and Gary Ballance will be the three contenders, all in their early 20s, jostling to join England's Ashes campaign in Adelaide. Stokes, like Ballance uncapped at Test level, has the added advantage of being an all-rounder - a significant factor perhaps, at a venue where the bowlers seem sure to have to work hard for their wickets.

He has the opportunity to demonstrate his all-round talents in the two-day match starting at Traeger Park against a CA Chairman's XI on Friday. "Obviously, there's going to be a place up for grabs, and this game does come at a good time for us for the selection reasons," said the 22-year-old. "There's three guys trying to take the chance to get that spot, and these days are a good chance for one of us to put our hands up and get in there for Adelaide." It is less than 10 months ago that Stokes' England future was beginning to look decidedly dicey, after he and allrounder Matt Coles were sent home from an England Performance Programme tour of Australia for disciplinary reasons. Persistently breaking curfews by staying too long in the bar was the problem then. But Stokes insists he is ready to make the most of his second chance - if it comes in Adelaide. "Definitely - as everyone else will be, who didn't play in the first Test," he said. "Everyone's going to go out there and make sure they put their hand up and prove a point that they want to be out here and be in that second Test match. "Whoever does take that role will definitely have the skills to come in and fill that spot. "If it's not me I'll wish them all the best." England need to put their first-Test defeat behind them to stay in with a realistic chance of winning the Ashes for a fourth successive time. Stokes, meanwhile, is trying to forget his past mistakes too. "I think, when I did get back (from Australia last winter), I set out to put everyone's mind right - making sure that they knew that I did want to play for England and get back into the team. "I think I've done the right things and gone about it the right way. "Here I am today, so it's brilliant." England have yet to announce whether they will rest captain Alastair Cook this week - along with first-choice Test players such as Kevin Pietersen and James Anderson. But they will need to gather as much evidence as possible about who to pick at numbers three and six in Adelaide, as well as working out their best option as third seamer there. Possible England team (v CA Chairman's XI at Traeger Park, starting at 1030, 0100GMT): MA Carberry, IR Bell, JE Root, MJ Prior (Captain), GS Ballance, BA Stokes, JM Bairstow (wkt), GP Swann, ST Finn, MS Panesar, WB Rankin PA

Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
Whatever amendments they make to their plans (and they urgently need a plan B) it seems that they will not be

taking a backward step. Stuart Broad, the man Australia loves to hate, made it plain on Wednesday that the sledging would continue. Having grown up watching Ashes cricket and played in three Ashes series, it is always tough and it is always a battle and you expect it to be a test of you, he said. There is always banter flying out in the middle and I personally dont think it went too far this week. We know there is a huge contest going on in the middle between two countries, but both sides respect each other as well and I dont think it went overboard. I expect it to continue to be competitive, as all Ashes series are. All the players involved seem to echo Broads sentiments and Michael Clarke, Australias captain, is generally considered to have been unlucky that his threatening comments towards Jimmy Anderson were picked up by a stump microphone. The International Cricket Council match referee, Jeff Crowe, felt forced to act and fined Clarke 20 per cent of his match fee. But it seems that participants in these Ashes are at odds with one of the toughest men to have led Australia. Ian Chappell, by common consent as uncompromising a competitor as they come, warned that a physical confrontation was not far off. If the ICC dont stop all the chatter thats going on, the more chatter you allow the more chance that something personal will be said, Chappell claimed in a radio interview. And something personal will be said at the wrong time and youll have fisticuffs. I think were getting close to the fisticuffs. In typically colourful fashion, Chappell spoke out against sledging and supported Anderson, who threatened to punch the Australia short leg, George Bailey, in his second innings at The Gabba. I was delighted that Jimmy pulled away and went over and spoke to George Bailey, said Chappell. The only thing that disappointed me was that it took a No 11 to stand up for his rights. As a batsman you are entitled to peace and quiet out there. I tell you, mate, I would not be putting up with the crap thats going on out there. The idea that it makes you a tough player if youve got plenty to say is the greatest load of bollocks Ive heard in my life. England returned to training on Wednesday after their sojourn to Ayers Rock, where six of the players saw sunset and sunrise over Uluru, the red mountain in the desert which is of immense spiritual importance in Aboriginal culture. It was perfectly appropriate that Englands players (and some of the press party) took the time to see such an important landmark, as Broad pointed out. Youre always going to get people saying you need to spend more time in the nets but we were flying here anyway and it was really good use of our time. Its a very peaceful place, its a great place to relax and enjoy yourself on a tour thats so long in a great country like this. England know they have to move on quickly from the shock departure from the tour of Jonathan Trott with a stressrelated illness. It was clearly as surprising to the dressing room as it was to outsiders. The first thing to say is that the team are heartbroken Trottys had to go home but were very supportive of him and were on the end of a phone when he needs us, Broad said. We all hope he gets home and gets some privacy and the help he needs with his recovery. He is a valuable and integral member of our team. England have yet to conduct a debriefing after the overwhelming defeat by 381 runs at The Gabba last Sunday. Perhaps some time in the tranquillity is lending a false sense of perspective but they appear convinced they have the fortitude to come back. There will be a lot of honesty because we know as players it wasnt good enough, Broad said. To let ourselves

There will be a lot of honesty because we know as players it wasnt good enough, Broad said. To let ourselves down so badly on day two, that is where we lost the Test match. There was no coming back from that. Therell be some guys who know they didnt perform to the level expected of them in international cricket and will have to do better in Adelaide. With the experience in the changing room Im sure there will be a better performance put in. What they have to do is work out a plan to repel Mitchell Johnson and the Australian bouncer barrage in general. It is doubtful that the match at Alice Springs will help in that regard but mental attunement is equally important now. Broad said: I think this team is very good at focusing on the cricket when that time arises and, although the changing rooms thoughts are with Trotty at the moment, we need to get back to training at Alice Springs this week and weve got a huge task on our hands. This squad has a real steely determination and The Gabba result hurt us.

Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
I think its worked for us. I definitely think theyre rattled by it, he said. They dont like it at all. Obviously their coach has come out and wanted a truce, from what Ive heard. Thats not going to change from our end. Johnson, like all the players, made light of the sledging in the first Test at Brisbane, which has exercised attention worldwide. Michael Clarke, Australias captain, was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for suggesting to the England No 11 batsman (and fast bowler) that he was about to have his arm broken. It was pretty quiet the whole match until close to the end, said Johnson. We know there is definitely tension there there always has been. I thought it was really good what Michael did, as a captain. Thats what you want your captain to do stand up for the players and thats what he did. It just happened to be that the stump mic was up at that time. Its nothing unusual, but I was really happy with how he stood up for the team. And so the tittle-tattle goes on. On Friday England may or may not provide a clue to their reshuffled pack for the second Test. Alice Springs is probably the last place on earth (or at least in Australia) that they would have expected to try to refine the starting XI for an Ashes match, The tourists need a new No 3 batsman and therefore almost certainly another player lower down the middle order. It is almost certain too that they are looking for another bowler, probably a seamer, just possibly a second spinner. The side to play the Chairmans XI at Traeger Park is unlikely to be the team that plays the Test. All five members of the squad who did not play in the first Test at The Gabba are likely to be given a run out. In Monty Panesars case it may be his first and only game of the tour.

Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance are nominally competing for one batting place. It is difficult to believe that a strong performance against the Chairmans XI will swing the vote but runs, as they say, are runs. Tim Bresnan returned to action with an unbeaten half-century for the England Performance Programme, on his comeback after a stress fracture of the back. England will be more keenly awaiting a report on Bresnans bowling, once he has the opportunity, against Queensland 2nd XI in Brisbane. It is hoped the 28-year-old can prove his fitness in the four-day match, which got under way on Wednesday, and therefore be added to the full squad before the second Test.

Ashes 2013-14: Something needs to be done about sledging war says Ian Chappell, who defends England's James Anderson - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
In typically colourful fashion, Chappell backed James Anderson, the England No 11 batsman who threatened Australian short-leg fielder George Bailey resulting in Michael Clarkes broken arm claim as the bitterly contested first Test at The Gabba drew to a close. Chappell told an Australian radio station: If the ICC dont stop all the chatter thats going on, the more chatter you allow the more chance that something personal will be said. And something personal will be said at the wrong time and youll have fisticuffs. I think were getting close to the fisticuffs. I was delighted that Jimmy pulled away and went over and spoke to George Bailey, said Chappell. The only thing that disappointed me was that it took a No 11 to stand up for his rights. As a batsman you are entitled to peace and quiet out there. I tell you, mate, I would not be putting up with the crap thats going on out there. The idea that it makes you a tough player if youve got plenty to say is the greatest load of b******* Ive heard in my life.

Ashes 2013-14: Stuart Broad calls for big improvement and hopes privacy will get Jonathan Trott on road to recovery - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
Stuart Broad spoke on Wednesday of the impact of Trott's departure, after England's number three had to fly home because of a stress-related illness. Trott twice fell cheaply to the bowling of Australia's match-winner Mitchell Johnson in England's shocking 381-run defeat in Brisbane. England have since travelled on to Alice Springs, with a stop-off for Broad and five of his team-mates at the tourist attraction and sacred site of Uluru. It is back to Alice, in the heart of Australia's barren 'red centre', for a two-day match against a CA Chairman's XI on Friday and Saturday - and then another flight south to Adelaide for next week's second Test. Broad reflected on England's uncomfortable experiences at the Gabba, and in particular the shock of having to say goodbye so early in the tour to one of their most experienced and reliable batsmen. He said: "It's heartbreaking for us to lose Trotty. "He's been part of the side for four or five years - he's a fantastic guy.

"He's been part of the side for four or five years - he's a fantastic guy. "He gave us a lot of solidity in the number three spot. "But the important thing is he's got the support of the changing room he's played with for 49 Tests. "Everyone's looking out for him, and he gets a bit of privacy at home to get himself right. "We wish him very well from Australia here." Trott's problems aside, England's batting faltered alarmingly in the first Test as Johnson's pace and bounce helped to bowl them out for 136 and then 179. "It was really disappointing from our point of view," said Broad, who took six for 81 in Australia's first innings. "We sat in the changing rooms after the first day, and everyone was buzzing. "We stamped our authority in the way we wanted to, but to follow that up with three really poor days hurt the team." Broad is confident nonetheless England can improve, as they must and often have after poor starts to recent tours. "If we judged the English cricket side on the first match of the series, we'd be the worst side in the world - because we don't have a good record in that. "I can't put my finger on why, but it's something we need to improve. "One thing is that we know we can get better throughout the series." Much will rest, of course, on England's next performance. Defeat would put them in a perilous position heading for the third Test at Perth, where Johnson helped Australia to their only victory in the 2010/11 Ashes. "Adelaide will be a huge Test match, to get back into the series, but we have confidence and experience we can do that," added Broad. "We have a group of players who are strong. "They know when they've made mistakes and (need to) put them right." While not wanting to speak too much of Trott, Broad revealed the squad as a whole had little knowledge of the batsman's issues. He told BBC Radio Five Live: "I don't think the squad were overly aware of the troubles he had but it all turns to making sure he gets right now. "I'm sure everyone over here in Australia is hoping he gets better as soon as he can." He added: "I think it would be wrong of team-mates to talk too much about what Trotty has gone through. "The key now is for him to have a bit of privacy and for him to work out everything himself and get his recovery right. "I think it would be wrong for the media and players to talk about what has gone because that is not going to help him in any way at the moment."

Broad admitted the isolation of touring can take its toll, adding: "One thing is for sure - we are supported very well by the ECB and the PCA. "There is a support network in place and helplines etc. "But there is no doubt we do spend a lot of time away from our families and away from home: we can do 270, 280 nights a year in hotel rooms which can get quite hard especially with guys who miss their families." PA

Warwicks defend name change to Birmingham for T20 Blast - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
The club have been criticised for discarding its county-wide association for the shortest form of the game now to be played largely on Friday nights and spread over the season rather than concentrated in the middle with some members claiming they were alienated by the focus on the city. But Colin Povey, the countys chief executive, believes the switch which has the blessing of the England and Wales Cricket Board is an important step in attracting a wider audience, and stressed the Championship and 50over sides will remain Warwickshire. Birmingham City Council, which has funded much of the re-development of Edgbaston, was a prime mover in pushing for the change. We dont want to alienate those fans, said Povey of any disgruntled members. We know the Twenty20 format and the time of the games means it is most likely that very local people come to those fixtures. We have to be realistic in this day and age. If your primary funding partner says would you like to think about this, we think it might be a good idea, we would be stupid and nave if we ignored that. We know that 70-75 per cent of people who attend T20 matches at Edgbaston live in a B postcode. We want to try and give those members of the local Asian communities that enjoy Edgbaston with India v Pakistan and Champions Trophy fixtures a good enough excuse to come down and associate themselves more closely with their local team. The Twenty20, split into north and south groups, will run from mid-May to the end of July and includes Middlesex playing back-to-back games against Essex and Surrey on one day at Lords. The season will also feature a new 50-over competition, the Royal London One-Day Cup, in two divisions followed by the quarter-finals. The County Championship season opens on 6 April.

Ashes 2013-14: Memories of Frank Tyson and Indian fightback soothe battered England squad following departure of Jonathan Trott - Cricket Sport - The Independent
The rest of the party stayed behind in Alice Springs, the red centre of the country, doubtless seeking a period of rest, recreation and reflection. This unprecedented excursion for a two-day match at Traeger Park feels a little like an expeditionary force to spread the word of cricket, which remains one of the purposes of MCC tours abroad but was long since abandoned by England. It may be precisely what is required to recover from the buffeting of the past week. Englands players were more relaxed than they might have been as they left Queensland. Perhaps they were simply relieved to get the heck out of the place. A town like Alice may be just the ticket. The locals are genuinely excited and sent a welcome committee to the airport. History, as well as the life force that is Mitchell Johnson, is largely against England coming back. England have now

History, as well as the life force that is Mitchell Johnson, is largely against England coming back. England have now lost 11 of the 20 opening Tests they have played at The Gabba in Brisbane and only once on the previous 10 occasions did they manage to go on to win the Ashes. Equally, they proceeded to win the series following three of their four victories at the ground. But that does not mean that all hope should be abandoned before the second Test in Adelaide next week. Far from it. Here is Andy Flower, the England coach, on the subject of comebacks: Lets judge our batsmen at the end of this tour, not after one Test match. We have to overturn what seems predictable at the moment. I am excited about that challenge as I was before the first Test. It will be interesting to see if we are good enough to do that. But this was not Flower post-Brisbane, this was Flower post-Ahmedabad last year on the Indian tour. Then, Englands batsmen had to adjust quickly to Indian spin and managed to win the series 2-1, now they must repel Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, but above all, Johnson. Flower was correct to point out, this time post-Brisbane, that Nathan Lyon, Australias off-spinner took key wickets in the opening Test. It is, however, hard to avoid the thought that, well as Lyon bowled, the batsmen might have taken their eyes off the ball. Sooner or later, they knew, Johnson and his pals would return. England have made a virtue of being loyal to players but now they have to take hard decisions. These concern Ian Bell or Joe Root for Jonathan Trott at No 3, a new No 6, either Jonny Bairstow or Gary Ballance who would be making his debut and another third seamer. Tim Bresnan, soon to become an official member of the touring party, stayed behind in Queensland and will play a three-day match for the England Performance Programme XI this week. The intention is that if he comes through it, he will be available for the Adelaide Test. Bresnan is a solid and skilful all-round cricketer and it is probably no accident that of the 21 Test matches he has played, England have lost only two. But he is probably benefiting at present from the old truth that you always seem a better player when you are out of a losing team that when you are in it. These tourists may take some solace from the fact that in 1954-55, their reversal in the opening Test by an innings and 154 runs was greater than their defeat on Sunday evening, which was by a mere 381 runs. The turnaround 59 years ago was effected because they found in Frank Tyson a fast bowler at his zenith. There is no Tyson in the ranks this time, no-one who can ruffle the opposition at 90mph as Johnson can. Yet less than a year ago, it was only mildly idle talk that Steve Finn might test the speed gun to it limits by reaching 100mph in New Zealand. Finn has lost impetus since and, like Tyson then, he has had a dichotomy over his run-up: short or long. Tyson went short between the first and second Test and Australia reaped the whirlwind as he took 25 wickets in the next three Tests. Tyson, a cerebral chap who became a university lecturer in Australia and still lives on the Gold Coast, kept a diary on that tour. In it he told a lovely story about one of his veteran opponents, Keith Miller, which England may like to think on now. How I admire Miller, he wrote. He saw me looking worried and asked after the cause of my anxiety. He then helped to put matters into perspective by enquiring if I could remember what I was worrying about a year previously. When I answered that I couldnt, he made the wonderfully perspicacious observation which put everything in true proportion: Then why were you worrying then and why are you worrying now? Of course, a year ago, England were worrying about how they might come back from disastrous defeat in India.

Ashes 2013-14: England and Australia ordered to tone down sledging war following departure of Jonathan Trott - Cricket - Sport - The Independent

He will not ban the practice altogether some hope though he may tell the chaps to curb their swearing, especially near the stump microphone. On balance, Crowe, an affable chap, might be better advised reminding Channel Nine either not to forget to turn off the gadget between overs, or pull it out altogether. Clarke was fined 20 per cent of his match fee after the acrimonious first Test in Brisbane when he was overheard saying to Jimmy Anderson: Get ready for a fucking broken arm, with Mitchell Johnson scenting blood at the time from the Vulture Street End at The Gabba. This barely amounted to a slap across the wrist and Clarkes major transgression was being heard. Not that he could be entirely blamed for that. There is a written agreement with the broadcasters Channel Nine that the stump mic is turned off between overs and on this occasion they forgot. The broadcaster has apologised profusely for its oversight and reminded everyone that Anderson was not picked up threatening to punch the short leg George Bailey. It is well known that Anderson, a grumpy fast bowler, is a serial sledger and Peter Siddle, his Australian counterpart, said today that there would be more to come. Throughout the series there will be more of it going on but it will be under control, Siddle said. Anderson brought it on himself. So fairs fair. There was a lot of other stuff going on and James Anderson was in the thick of it and a culprit for it all happening. He is one of the leading wicket-takers in the world so he is happy to have a chirp but as long as Mitchell Johnson keeps bowling them around his ears that will quieten him up pretty quickly. Relations between the sides have plummeted to the lowest ebb. England have become the hapless victims of a bouncer and sledging barrage which saw them stumble to a 381-run defeat in the first Test. To aggravate their misery, Jonathan Trott, one of their most important batsmen, has left the tour with a stress-related illness. By now, he is back home in Birmingham with his family. It is the way of professional sport that matters move on quickly and by today Trott was an ex-member of this touring party, if not an ex-England cricketer. But there was genuine sorrow for his plight in Australia and among Australians. James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia sent a goodwill message and Siddle abandoned hostilities awhile. Everyone knows what a class player he is. For us its a big bonus but for him personally it is disappointing, he said. "I hope he comes back strong after whatever it is. He is a class player and you want to play against the best players in the world.

The Light Roller: A week is a long time in cricket - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
Well, who saw all that coming?! A week ago this Ashes series, beginning so soon after the summer's dampish squib and some desolutory prep, seemed like it might a truly tepid affair. Armchair pundits and pro commentators alike were plumping for England but without enormous enthusiasm. Mitchell Johnson's chat was loud but a tad unconvincing. And Trotty was surely on the brink of reminding everyone how he became a run-God. Then boom! While we were all snoozing under snug duvets, the Aussies well and truly boshed it. England, on the other hand, after one and half encouraging sessions looked unprepared, ill-equipped and ultimately dazed. Coming back from this will take extraordinary skill and grit. At Adelaide, England will line up with three test match novices in their top six, a keeper who can't buy a run and an attack which, bar Broad, is out of sorts, or less kindly, a bit old. They can do it but, by gum, I wouldn't bank on it now.

The English attitude to mental illness is healthy Jonathan Trott's departure from the tour came - as these things generally do - like a bolt from the blue. Given the personal ways in which stress-related illnesses manifest themselves, it is hard to know exactly what he is going through, although the prevalence of mental illness means there is no shortage of empathy for him. Some might wonder that English players seem to suffer from psychological ill-health more than their counterparts from elsewhere. Of course, the reality is they almost certainly don't; but especially since Marcus Trescothick's welldocumented problems, it may well be the case that the English cricketing culture is more accepting of the need to monitor - and be open about - players' mental well-being. Indeed, it may even be something to celebrate that the English game is sufficiently nurturing to enable high quality players like Trott, Trescothick and Mike Yardy to make it to the top in spite of their illnesses. The work of the Professional Cricketers Association in promoting positive messages has been hugely significant in that regard. Cricketers of all sorts can be tough, macho and puerile but mental ill-health is something that few in this country would seek to belittle or poke fun at nowadays. Turn on, tune in, why bother? On Wednesday night I signally failed to stay awake long enough to listen to the start of play. My first 'headphones under the covers moment came at about 3.15am when England were on top, the Aussies struggling at 135 for 6. Tuning in again when the alarm went ping at just after 6 o'clock, all still seemed hunky-dory. After that, it was like noise torture. On Thursday night we were a slightly jittery fifty-odd for two when I first turned on; then eight down at the next waking hour. The score at dawn wasn't worth further investigation. On the third and fourth days I might as well have had some proper sleep but belief in cricketing miracles kept the dial pointing at 5Live Sports Xtra. The burbling of Boycott, Agnew, Marks et al can lead to reveries of youth and happy dozing. But when England are being utterly trounced, genuine white noise would be preferable. Mea culpa please no return to the 90s It is said by a million cliche-coated tongues that you should be careful what you wish for. And I must therefore take some responsibility for this most recent Ashes disaster, having noted last week how much I missed the '90s. England's performance at the Gabba was a clear and hideous reminder of actually how grim that decade was. Waking up to news from overseas tests in those days was to be caught in a Groundhog Day of stoical 40s from Athers, tailend collapses and Warne five-fers. Occasional brilliant hundreds from men like Thorpe and moments of ebulliance by Darren Gough were countered inexorably by a dropped catch, a comedy run-out or the knowledge that Alan Mullaly was coming on first change. Then, what kept us going was an awareness of Australia's complete superiority but a belief that it must one day come to an end. To get back to that state of affairs would be thoroughly depressing.

Sport - Football

Samir Nasri calls for improved Manchester City defence Manchester City 4 Viktoria Plzen 2: Joe Hart impresses in Champions League victory

Ryan Giggs is 'getting better' with age, suggests Manchester United manager David Moyes Cesar Azpilicueta confident of collective improvement at Chelsea following defeat to Basel Mesut Ozil will get better, claims Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker Pat Rice: Former Arsenal assistant admitted to hospital with cancer - reports Bayer Leverkusen players were asking how Ryan Giggs has lasted so long DURING Manchester United's 5-0 win, reveals Wayne Rooney Real Madrid 4 Galatasaray 1: Sergio Ramos and Pepe come under fire from Carlo Ancelotti, despite Champions League victory Denis Irwin latest to pay tribute to Ryan Giggs ahead of the Manchester United midfielder's 40th birthday Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Real Madrid fans following show of support using face masks English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' Chelsea defeat to Basel adds spice to busy December schedule for the Blues World Cup 2014 stadium collapse: Deaths in Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians add to worries ahead of tournament Bayer Leverkusen 0 Man United 5: Ryan Giggs is getting better, claims David Moyes ahead of the midfielder's 40th birthday Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5 match report: Wayne Rooney claims four assists in Champions League victory Manchester City 4 Plzen 2 match report: Joe Hart puts in error-free display in Champions League game vital perhaps only for him Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: Shinji Kagawa has flair, Ryan Giggs remains a man for all seasons and this team cannot do without Wayne Rooney Andre Villas-Boas 'immune' to criticism and claims Tottenham still have total confidence in him Champions League round-up: Gareth Bale fills Cristiano Ronaldo's boots for 10-man Real Madrid Kenny Jackett has halted Wolves 'runaway train' by getting rid of big earners Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker closes on new deal as 'reward' for aiding revival at the Emirates Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: 'We really killed them on the counter-attack,' says Ryan Giggs Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Leigh Griffiths 'RIP BRIAN' celebration: Wolves confirm it was for a family member, not the dog from Family Guy Claudio Nancufil: The 'new' Lionel Messi attracting interest from Barcelona and the Premier League at the age of eight Transfer news round-up: Tottenham move ahead of Chelsea in pursuit of Luke Shaw; Yohan Cabaye opens door to Arsenal and Liverpool; Manchester United want Angel Di Maria

Maria World Cup stadium collapse: Two killed as Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians collapses Liverpool defender Kolo Toure hits out at former club Manchester City and claims they'll be 'kicking themselves' for letting him go Champions League: What Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United need to reach the last 16 Transfer news: Wigan confident of signing Manchester United striker on loan Per Mertesacker would welcome 'reward' of new contract at Arsenal Joe Cole could seek West Ham exit in January after being hauled off early during defeat to Chelsea Sit-down football protest: Players in Brazil take action over demanding schedule Could David Ginola replace Andre Villas-Boas as Tottenham manager? The former Spurs winger seems happy to do so Andre Villas-Boas future: Tottenham to give manager more time to prove himself Qatar relents and releases French footballer Zahir Belounis after outcry Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates refuses to give up hope of playing at the 2014 World Cup Transfer news: Stoke City play down speculation linking Asmir Begovic with move to Manchester City Real Madrid v Galatasaray: 45,000 Real Madrid fans to wear Cristiano Ronaldo face masks in show of Fifa Ballon d'Or support Transfer news: Jermain Defoe agrees 90,000-a-week deal with MLS side Toronto FC paving way for Tottenham exit - reports Gerardo Martino and Carles Puyol demand more intensity from Barcelona following shock defeat to Ajax Ajax 2 Barcelona 1: Fan suffers serious head injuries after falling from stand at the Amsterdam ArenA Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Champions League match preview Real Madrid v Galatasaray: Champions League match preview Manchester City v Viktoria Plzen: Champions League match preview Sunderland manager Gus Poyet delighted with 'fair and just' decision to rescind red card for Wes Brown Celtic 0 AC Milan 3: Mikael Lustig laments week in which World Cup and Champions League hopes evaporated Basle 1 Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho reveals plan to rotate following shock Champions League defeat Mathieu Flamini sleeves row: Arsene Wenger angered after midfielder breaks Arsenal tradition by cutting sleeves for victory over Marseille Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Wayne Rooneys all fired up just the way David Moyes likes him Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: The night the Bundesliga side ruined Roy Keanes European final dream Basel 1 Chelsea 0 match report: Chelsea qualify for Champions League knock-out stage despite dreadful display Arsenal 2 Marseille 0: Jack Wilshere is on the same path as Aaron Ramsey, but Mesut Ozil needs a goal or even a rest? Manchester United plane in landing scare at German airport prior to Champions League

tie against Bayer Leverkusen Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 match report: Jack Wilshere adds vital goals to list of his qualities during Champions League victory Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid: Spains Champions League hopefuls have an easier time than Englands Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 comment: Two-goal Jack Wilshere bowls back into the hearts and minds of Arsenal faithful Ajax 2 Barcelona 1 match report: Dutch champions secure shock win to keep Euro hopes alive Celtic 0 AC Milan 3 match report: Celtic crash out of Champions League following James Forrest arrest Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Nemanja Vidic and Robin van Persie to miss Champions League game Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri admits 'I wasn't feeling myself' following troubles at Euro 2012 Sunderland win appeal over Wes Brown red card Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Stefan Kiessling confident Leverkusen can spring surprise in the Champions League Ryan Giggs admits Arsenal deserve to be top of the Premier League, but claims history shows Manchester United can still win the title Transfer news: Manchester City insist there is 'no chance' Joe Hart could go out on loan Harry Redknapp 'tried to get rid of Gareth Bale' during his time at Tottenham, claims Damien Comolli Sepp Blatter says it is 'time for tougher sanctions' after condemning Real Betis fans who appeared to direct racist monkey chants at their own player Burton Albion plan to put 50-year-old on the bench for League Two match Champions League: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo will miss game against Galatasaray Jose Mourinho enlists the help of Chelsea striker Fernando Torres to become 'The Happy Hairless One' Transfer news: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi admits his interest in Manchester City... sort of

Samir Nasri calls for improved Manchester City defence - European Football - The Independent
Manager Manuel Pellegrini criticised his side's defending after they laboured to a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League. The Czech side caused a number of problems for City at the Etihad Stadium and it took late goals from Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko to secure victory in the Group D encounter. Ultimately it may have mattered little as City had already secured their place in the last 16, but defensive issues - in the continued absence of captain Vincent Kompany - keep recurring. Nasri knows the freescoring attack - which has now rattled in 22 goals in the last four home games - cannot

repeatedly come to the side's rescue. The France international, one of City's four goalscorers, said: "We are scoring a lot of goals but we cannot score four goals every game. "We need to improve how we defend as a team. "We conceded two goals. In the last game in the Champions League we conceded two as well and (against) Bayern Munich three. "We need to improve, as a team, how to defend, especially in the Champions League. "Then, if we can continue this form, it will be amazing." One person who could not be blamed for the goals conceded was Joe Hart, who was restored to the team after games on the bench. The England goalkeeper was dropped earlier this month after a series of errors but made some good saves and, importantly, no mistakes on his return. Pellegrini would not say whether he would keep his place for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash against Swansea or if Costel Pantilimon would come back in. But Nasri feels that competition might be helping Hart. He said: "That's good. In every big club you have competition in your position. "For me Joe Hart had a fine game with fine saves. It is good for him, it is good for his trust and for the whole team." City twice surrendered a lead after a penalty from Sergio Aguero - his 15th goal in 12 appearances - and a Nasri volley had put them ahead. Tomas Horava and Stanislav Tecl scored the Czech side's equalisers but their spirited display was eventually killed off by a tap-in from substitute Negredo and a Dzeko header in the last 12 minutes. Nasri also hit the bar on what was his 100th City appearance, maintaining his superb recent form. The 26-year-old said: "It is good to score, especially as it was my 100th game at Manchester City. "But the most important thing was to win and finish with a win at home in this group stage, and be focused on Sunday's game." The win kept City's hopes of finishing top of their group alive, although they will need to win by at least 3-0 in their last game at Bayern Munich in a fortnight. Key midfielder Yaya Toure will also be suspended for trip after being booked late in the game. Nasri said: "We are going to go there and try to win the game because we want to finish top of the group. "The first objective was to go through the group stage because the last two years we struggled, but now we are going to go there and play without pressure." PA

Manchester City 4 Viktoria Plzen 2: Joe Hart impresses in Champions

League victory - European - Football - The Independent

Goals from Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko in the last 12 minutes finished off the spirited Czech minnows as City won 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium in their latest Group D fixture. Plzen had twice come from behind to level with goals from Tomas Horava and Stanislav Tecl after Sergio Aguero, from the penalty spot, and Samir Nasri put City ahead. Goalkeeper Hart, playing his first City game for a month, was not at fault for either of the goals conceded and impressed with some good saves - but the same could not be said for the rest of the defence. Despite goals flowing at the other end - 22 in the last four home games - questions have recurred about the back line throughout the season, particularly with captain Vincent Kompany out injured. Manager Manuel Pellegrini said: "One of the most important things to be an attacking team is to know how to defend well. Today we did very, very bad. "I am talking about the whole team. I think the whole team must know how to defend." Pellegrini was at least pleased with Hart's performance but would not say whether he would remain in goal for Sunday's Barclays Premier League visit of Swansea. The England number one lost his place earlier this month after a series of errors and had sat out City's previous five games, with Costel Pantilimon playing in his place. Pellegrini said: "I think Joe Hart played very well. "I didn't expect that he would have to work so much during the game but I think this is the match when the other team - including Champions League and Premier League (games) - had the most chances to score. "Today I am not thinking about Premier League. From tomorrow, we will start thinking about who is the best XI to start for the next game, from the goalkeeper to the other players." City's win meant they retained hope of finishing top of Group D, although they will need to beat champions Bayern Munich convincingly in their last game to do so. They made hard work of the victory as, after a bright opening in which Nasri hit the bar, they allowed winless Plzen to ease back into the game. Aguero looked to have banished worries by converting from the spot for his 15th goal in 12 games after a handball by Frantisek Rajtoral, but Horava cancelled it out with a powerful strike. Nasri volleyed City back ahead but again Plzen responded, with a well-worked Tecl goal. Pellegrini said: "I am satisfied because we won the game 4-2 but I don't think we played well. "We didn't play with the intensity and the pace we have been playing with here at home." PA

Ryan Giggs is 'getting better' with age, suggests Manchester United manager David Moyes - European - Football - The Independent

The Manchester United veteran celebrates his 40th birthday on Friday, having made a major contribution to his side's amazing 5-0 Champions League hammering of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday. Already, there is speculation Moyes will be prepared to extend Giggs' career into yet another season. It is not a decision that needs to be made just now - and Moyes is happy to revel in the Welshman's continuing genius. "People mention his age but all you should talk about is his fooball ability," said Moyes. "He is an unbelievable footballer - and you could say he is getting better. "His vision and pass for Nani's goal were fantastic. "He is a wonderful player and I am really fortunate to be working with him. "He will tell us when he has enough, or when he thinks his time is up. But his performances since I came have been excellent." Though Wayne Rooney did not get his name on the scoresheet, his name was stamped all over United's biggest European away win since 1964. Only once have the Red Devils won by a wider margin on their travels in Europe and they were also the first English side to inflict such a heavy defeat on German opposition in their own country since the Champions League was launched in 1992. Remarkable, Rooney collected the first four assists and was off the pitch when Nani scored United's fifth. It was his cross that provided Antonio Valencia with a first half tap-in and Rooney who then curled over the freekick that was headed into his own net by Emir Spahic as United took command before the break. But the striker was not finished. His close-range shot midway through the second period was too hot for Bernd Leno to hold, allowing Jonny Evans to finish off and then he lobbed a pass to Chris Smalling. Little wonder Moyes said prior to the game he had no intention of tempering the 28-year-old's aggressive instincts. And though the Scot feels Rooney may need a break at some point, it is not going to happen any time soon. "Wayne does not need a rest just now but I will be watching for any sign he does," said Moyes. "We need people in form and fit, so I want to keep him as fresh as I can. "He is one of those players who is probably better playing, but I don't want to find myself losing him for five or six games somewhere in the season." United have now confirmed their place in the last 16, although they still require a point against Shakhtar Donetsk at Old Trafford in a fortnight to secure top spot and avoid a potentially hazardous knockout round draw. PA

Cesar Azpilicueta confident of collective improvement at Chelsea following defeat to Basel - Premier League - Football - The Independent

With nine games next month, December is a time when Chelsea can show their Barclays Premier League title credentials as they bid to win the championship for the first time since 2010. Jose Mourinho has described the period as "only for the braves" and is planning to make regular changes to his side to cope with the congestion. Spain right-back Azpilicueta, who has been deployed at left-back in recent weeks, believes every member of the Chelsea squad can play their part. "We have nine games in December and that's a lot," Azpilicueta said. "We need the whole squad, there are a lot of games and if we are to win trophies, we need everyone. "The most important thing is the next game against Southampton, especially after beating West Ham we need to get three points at home." Sunday's Southampton contest carries additional significance as Mourinho will demand a response from the lacklustre loss at Basle, when Chelsea failed to muster a meaningful shot on goal just a few days after a dominant display at West Ham. "Sometimes it happens," Azpilicueta added. "One day you play really well, three days later really bad. "We don't want to have this kind of movement in our performance because it's important to keep your balance, to play well every day. "Sometimes you cannot play very well but the most important thing is to win. "Sometimes we don't keep the level to win every game. For Chelsea that cannot be possible. "Sometimes you can lose for sure, but I think we can play better and have better games." Mourinho was scathing after the 2-0 loss at Newcastle early in November, but refused to criticise his "tired" players following a second defeat to Basle in Champions League Group E. Despite the loss the Blues advanced to the last 16, although they must beat Steaua Bucharest on December 11 to go through as group winners. Azpilicueta was apologetic to the supporters who made the trip to Switzerland. He said: "We didn't want to do this. We tried to do our best and it's true they came from London and a lot of countries to be here and we didn't have our best game. "The only thing I can say is that for the next game we will try to do better and score goals." Azpilicueta believes the mental fatigue must be as carefully managed as the physical tiredness. "It's normal when you play every three days that the players feel a little more tired," he added. "The most important thing is the mental approach, to forget the tiredness of the body." Azpilicueta has impressed since being drafted in at left-back, playing on his 'wrong' flank, in part due to Ashley Cole's niggling rib problem. The Spaniard said: "The most important thing is to think about the team. The manager asked me to play there so I try

to do my best. "Everyone in the squad wants to play and help the team." PA

Mesut Ozil will get better, claims Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker Premier League - Football - The Independent
The 25-year-old, who joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in a club-record deal on transfer deadline day, saw his tame first-half penalty saved against Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but then provided the perfect pass for Jack Wilshere to fire in a second goal which all but sealed a place in the knockout stages. Ozil has returned a number of subdued displays since his high-profile move three months ago. However, Mertesacker - who is now an integral part of the defence after initially struggling for consistency after he joined from Werder Bremen in August 2011 - believes the best is still to come from his fellow Germany international. "Mesut has made good progress. He is in good form and you can see that," Mertesacker said. "He was always a threat (against Marseille) and he never gave up after the penalty that he missed. "We are very delighted with him, especially in the transition from defence to offence, when he is always a threat. "He can play the balls, he is the one who always goes deep all of the time. He is in good form and I think we will see more." Mertesacker added: "Sometimes he looks like his head is going down, but we said at half-time that we do not care (about the missed penalty). We just go on and that is what he did." Ozil's arrival seemed to lift the whole club, with a renewed sense Arsene Wenger's current crop of talent can finally come of age in 2014. The contribution of Ozil within the team, allowing the likes of Wilshere - who scored his first goal against Marseille inside the opening 30 seconds - and Aaron Ramsey more freedom, is not lost on Mertesacker. "Mesut moves well between the lines, so it is always difficult to defend against him," the 6ft 6in defender said. "When the centre-back comes out with him, there is always space for others to go in, so he helps us create more chances. "We are playing well as a team and we should continue that in the Champions League and the Premier League." Arsenal travel to Cardiff on Saturday aiming to consolidate their place at the top of the table. Mertesacker said: "We are on a good run and we are in a good position. We want to keep that." PA

Pat Rice: Former Arsenal assistant admitted to hospital with cancer - reports - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Rice, who was also caretaker manager of the 13-times English champions, joined the club in 1964 before retiring last year from his role as assistant to current boss Arsene Wenger.

year from his role as assistant to current boss Arsene Wenger. "Our thoughts are with Pat and his family. Everyone at Arsenal sends him our best wishes," an Arsenal spokesman told the Daily Mail. Rice, 64, made 528 appearances for the Gunners over 14 seasons after joining the youth team, going on to win the league and FA Cup double in 1971 and captaining the side to further FA Cup success in 1979. He also won 49 caps for Northern Ireland. After a spell with Watford, he joined Arsenal as a youth team coach in 1984 before progressing to further coaching roles and enjoying great success as Wenger's assistant, winning seven trophies.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger poses with Pat Rice after his last match as assistant manager Wenger hailed the work of Rice upon his retirement in 2012. "Pat is a true Arsenal legend and has committed almost his whole life to Arsenal Football Club, which shows huge loyalty and devotion," the Frenchman said at the time. "I will always be indebted to him for his expert insight." Reuters

Bayer Leverkusen players were asking how Ryan Giggs has lasted so long DURING Manchester United's 5-0 win, reveals Wayne Rooney - European Football - The Independent
Wayne Rooney revealed after Manchester United's 5-0 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen that one of their players was asking how the Welshman had managed to defy the years. "I've run out of things to say about Ryan," Rooney said after the game that secured United's place in the last-16 of the tournament. "Actually, during the game, the Bayer centre-half was asking how he is still playing at that age.

"I certainly won't be playing at that age, that's for sure. His composure on the ball is great." Giggs played the full match which turned out to be United's biggest away win in Europe since 1964, and a victory margin they have exceeded only once on their European travels in their entire history. The Welshman did not look out of place in an impressive display, but Rooney was the hero on the night, creating four of the goals. "It's a team game but it's always great when you can help your team-mates score goals," Rooney said. "It was a perfect away match. "We played very well, we defended well, there was some great counter-attacking football, we played with power, pace and composure. "It was really as good an away performance as you can get."

Real Madrid 4 Galatasaray 1: Sergio Ramos and Pepe come under fire from Carlo Ancelotti, despite Champions League victory - European - Football The Independent
While the nine-times European champions have had little trouble finding the net this season, largely thanks to the scintillating form of Cristiano Ronaldo, their defence has been fragile and they have only managed three clean sheets in 15 games in La Liga and one in five Champions League outings. Ramos got himself sent off midway through the first half at the Bernabeu when he allowed Umut Bulut to get in front of him before felling the Galatasaray forward when he was through on goal. Pepe was at fault for the Turkish side's equaliser when he reacted too slowly to a Didier Drogba through ball and Bulut snuck in behind him to finish clinically past Iker Casillas. If Real are to claim the 10th European crown that has eluded them since their last success in 2002 they will need to tighten up at the back as their opponents in the knockout round are likely to offer a much stiffer challenge than tame Galatasaray. "The match was made more difficult by the Sergio Ramos sending off," Ancelotti said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Canal Plus. "I don't think the defenders should be taking risks, all they need to do is cover behind them and nothing more," added the Italian, who was clearly upset with Ramos as the Spain international trudged off the pitch. "We suffered a sending off because of that and also for the Galatasaray goal when we didn't cover our backs properly. "I have told the defenders many times that they have to cover behind them and I don't need to say it again." One bright spot in defence in Wednesday's game was the performance of fullback Alvaro Arbeloa, who scored Real's second goal and set up Angel Di Maria for the third and was named "man of the match" by Ancelotti. The former Liverpool player's performance earned him a huge ovation from the Real fans and his goal was only the second one he has netted in 56 Champions League appearances. "I am happy to be back among the goals," Arbeloa joked in a post-match TV interview.

"Thankfully they don't pay me for scoring but it is always important to help the team," added the Spain international. "I told the president that if (injured) Cristiano was not available I would take care of the goals." Reuters

Denis Irwin latest to pay tribute to Ryan Giggs ahead of the Manchester United midfielder's 40th birthday - Premier League - Football - The Independent
The Manchester United winger reaches the latest milestone of his spectacular career tomorrow, which will be the prelude to him joining a select band of players who have appeared in the Premier League after entering their fifth decade. It goes alongside his 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two Champions Leagues, the stand-out moments from a glittering career that, following his spellbinding appearance in Wednesday night's 5-0 Champions League romp over Bayer Leverkusen, now also extends to 953 United games. The figures are mind boggling. And Irwin, who spent 12 years as a team-mate of Giggs at Old Trafford, is certain they will not be matched. Speaking at Chevrolet retailer Frosts of Shoreham, Irwin said: "That volume of medals will never be broken. "The number of games? That would take some beating as well. "What he has done is unbelievable. That kind of longevity at such a top club. "This is no run of the mill mid-table team or one in the Championship. You are talking the very highest level for the last 23 years. "The amount of games. The number of trophies. The dedication needed to go the distance and challenge yourself every year. "To come back for pre-season training and keep going with the same intensity shows what type of player and person he is." As the man who limped off injured in the game against Everton at Old Trafford on March 2, 1991 to herald Giggs' introduction, Irwin played a unique role in the Welshman's career. For well over a decade, the pair patrolled the left-hand side of the field. Giggs was the flamboyant winger, Irwin Sir Alex Ferguson's Mr Dependable. But the Irishman has a secret. He doesn't believe his own contribution could have been possible without Giggs' assistance. "I was a right-footed full-back," he said. "Throughout all the time we played together, Ryan was my left foot. "He wasn't afraid to do his defensive duties. He would always do the dirty side of things. "I could always trust him to come back and mark the overlapping full-back.

"It was a pleasure to work with him. He made my job a hell of a lot easier." After sharing in so many triumphs, the actual volume of Giggs' medal haul is not something that particularly startles Irwin. He is more impressed by his one-time colleague's ability to keep going. As Irwin acknowledged, once players reach their mid-30s, they tend to get bracketed as veterans and their actual age is forgotten. Yet, in much the same way as they develop from 25 to 30, so the change continues from 35 to 40. Having reached the age of 38 before calling time on his own career, Irwin is acutely aware of the effort Giggs has put into the latter years of his career. "At that age, all you need are two or three indifferent games and the end of the horizon starts to come into view," said Irwin. "To the media you are a veteran and they are ready to pension you off. "Mentally you have to deal with that, just as much as the physical side. "I played a lot the year before but in my final season at Wolves I hardly figured over the last two or three months because I was finding it so tough. "I know Ryan probably doesn't play as many games as he would like but you still have to train the same way. "You can't lighten the workload. You need to do exactly the same to show that you can go the pace of the Premier League. "For him to continue for the past six or seven years, play the amount of games he has and win all those trophies at the very top level is unbelievable." Denis Irwin was presenting Frosts of Shoreham with a Manchester United Chevrolet Trax - for more information go to http://www.chevrolet.co.uk PA

Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Real Madrid fans following show of support using face masks - European - Football - The Independent
The stunt was organised by two supporters' groups who were eager for the club to show their support for Ronaldo in the battle to win the Fifa Ballon d'Or award, which recognises the best player on the planet. Since winning the Ballon d'Or while a Manchester United player in 2008, Ronaldo has come second best to Lionel Messi. However, many think this will be his year, with the Portugal forward installed as the favourite ahead of his rival from Barcelona, as well as Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich. Real Madrid officials sanctioned the face masks and a few banners to allow their hard to please supporters to show who they believe is the best player on the planet. Ronaldo was forced to witness the tributes from the stands after being ruled out of the match with a thigh injury.

Taking to Twitter after the match, he tweeted: "Thanks to the fans for the great support. I wish I was there helping my team."

English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Three current footballers and a former Premier League player were among those detained on suspicion of fixing games in England, according to a report tonight. A spokesman for the NCA said: "Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing. The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. "The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association. This is an active investigation and we are unable to provide further detail at this time." A Football Association spokesman said it was aware of a number of arrests and had been working closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The men were held after an undercover investigation by The Daily Telegraph newspaper. It filmed a meeting in Manchester with an alleged fixer from Singapore who claimed gamblers could make hundreds of thousands of pounds placing bets with companies in Asia. The man reportedly planned to target two matches this month. Explaining how he would ensure players deliver a particular score line, he told an undercover reporter: "In England the cost is very high... usually for the players it is 70,000. "So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell ... this [is] what I want ... Because simple, I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals ... Give me at least five... either 3-2, 4-0 or zero, ... for me four is enough." It is not believed that any Premier League sides are involved in the scandal, but the identities of the clubs affected cannot be disclosed for legal reasons. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that it has liaised with the NCA during their investigation. In one of the Manchester meetings, the alleged fixer explained that the syndicate would use a yellow card at the beginning of the game as signal that the match was fixed. He said: "For example, within the first 10 minutes, I will ask them to take one yellow card. So, one yellow card is about 5,000. "So I say [to the player], okay, in the first 10 minutes I need to see the yellow. If there's no yellow, that's it, I will not pay you anything."

Chelsea defeat to Basel adds spice to busy December schedule for the Blues Premier League - Football - The Independent
Chelseas manager, Jose Mourinho, had targeted a win in Switzerland to render the result in next months final group match with Steaua Bucharest meaningless, but now his side must win to be certain of top spot in the standings. Cechs performance in goal was the one bright aspect of a second defeat to Basel as Chelsea, who failed to muster a

Cechs performance in goal was the one bright aspect of a second defeat to Basel as Chelsea, who failed to muster a meaningful effort on goal, stumbled to qualification for the last 16 only as a result of Schalkes draw in Romania. We couldve made it clear, Cech said. Weve made it a bit more complicated for ourselves. We qualified, thats the main thing. One more game, we want to make sure we win the game and be top. We didnt play the way we wanted, we didnt get the result we wanted but at the same time we got the result we wanted. We wanted to come home from Basel with the qualification in our pocket; we are going home with the qualification, but we want to finish first. Chelsea play nine games next month, beginning with Sundays visit of Southampton in the Premier League, and Mourinho had hoped just eight of them would be fully competitive. Instead, the Steaua match is important despite Chelsea achieving something they failed to do last term, when they became the first Champions League holders to exit in the group phase. When Basel won at Stamford Bridge in September ending Chelseas near 10-year, 29-match unbeaten run at home in the Champions League group stages it appeared Mourinhos side might suffer the same fate they did last season. But they responded by winning 4-0 at Steaua and twice beating Schalke 3-0, leaving many to believe a win at St Jakob Park would be a formality. Mourinho said: In the first match we didnt play well. I dont think we deserved to lose, but we did. [In Basel] they found us in a moment of some relaxation. We were not under pressure like we were when we played in Bucharest or against Schalke. At the same time I think we paid the price.

World Cup 2014 stadium collapse: Deaths in Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians add to worries ahead of tournament - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
A meeting is planned next month with an intervention and acceleration plan prepared in case the country is not ready on time. All the signs are that Fifa will need it, as Brazil once again struggles to prove itself ready for a tournament that is already sparking alarm on many fronts. The accident at the Arena Corinthians is the third involving fatalities at a World Cup stadium, with four workers dead as a result. In June 2012, a construction worker fell 30 metres to his death at the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, and another worker died at the Arena Amazonia in Manaus in March this year. Fifas president, Sepp Blatter, on Wednesday night said he was deeply saddened by the tragic death of workers, insisting that the safety of construction staff was a top priority. But many problems remain. A number of stadiums are unfinished, and some, such as those in Manaus, Cuiaba and Curitiba, are perilously behind schedule. The rains have now started in Manaus, slowing building work to a crawl, and Mauricio Guimaraes, the man in charge of the World Cup project in Cuiaba, has admitted that the stadium there will not be ready until the middle of January two weeks after Fifas final delivery deadline. It is likely to be the same story in Curitiba, where the Arena da Baixada is only 83 per cent ready. Even if all the World Cup venues are fully operational come June next year, it will come at considerably greater expense than forecast, as more and more public money is shelled out on overtime and additional costs. The Brazilian government announced recently that the World Cup stadiums are expected to cost the country around 2.1bn, the vast majority of which will come from public coffers.

Such lateness is particularly hard to fathom, given that Brazil was officially awarded the right to host the World Cup as far back as October 2007. More than 18 months then dragged by before the 12 host cities were announced in May 2009, and political bickering in Sao Paulo meant the site of the World Cup stadium in Brazils biggest city, scene of Wednesdays accident, was only officially confirmed in October 2011. It was this sense of heels being dragged that led the Fifa general secretary, Jrme Valcke, to grumble that the country needed a kick up the backside in 2012. It was not a comment that went down well among the locals but neither was it inaccurate. Worse news for World Cup organisers is that the Brazilian people, who have for so long displayed an almost wilful acceptance of the corruption and sloth that pervade the countrys corridors of power, have finally found their collective voice and an angry voice it is. As the Confederations Cup took place in June this year millions of Brazilians took to the streets in protest rallies that were sparked by bus fare rises in Sao Paulo, but soon grew to include all manner of social ills, from woeful public health and education systems to thuggish police handling of demonstrators. No one knows if the protests, many of which ended in violent confrontations with the police, will return at the World Cup next year. The next potential flashpoint could be the draw, which takes place on 6 December. Former playing great Romario has been an outspoken critic of the World Cup. I am not against the World Cup, but I am against the excessive spending, he has said, and on another, rather more graphic occasion, Brazil has opened its legs to Fifa. Brazil will, in one form or another, be ready for the World Cup. But when it comes to hosting the tournament, those famous Brazilian smiles may already be slipping.

Bayer Leverkusen 0 Man United 5: Ryan Giggs is getting better, claims David Moyes ahead of the midfielder's 40th birthday - European - Football - The Independent
Giggs is 40 on Friday but played the full 90 minutes during Manchester United's 5-0 Champions League rout of Bayer Leverkusen. "People mention his age but all you should mention is his football ability. He is an unbelievable footballer. Ryan will tell us when he has enough, or when he thinks his time is up, but you could say he is getting better seeing his vision, his pass for Nani's goal. "He keeps training day-in, day-out, and keeps playing. I think his performances since I came have been excellent. You wouldn't have said he needed to come off because he is lacking in fitness. All round he is a wonderful player and I am really fortunate to be working with him." Moyes declared the performance as the best of his five-month reign at Old Trafford manager, but promised supporters there was more to come. "It was one of my best days, but the best days are still to come, there will be better days to come. This is the best because we have scored five goals, but I want this to be a regular thing, not just now and again. "We played well with some outstanding performances. To come to Germany, and score five goals somewhere which is renown as a difficult place to come is great. The goals get the headlines keeping a clean sheet is important for me to. "We could have scored more," said Giggs, "but we can't be too greedy. To score five anywhere in Europe is a great result. I think our speed [was the difference]. The first goal was a good example; quick play. It was a pleasure to play

behind our front four." Sami Hyypia, Leverkusen's coach and former Liverpool defender, looked shell-shocked. Five goals is hard to take but these things sometimes happen in football, he said. I thought we were OK until the second goal went in, after that we lost heart. Hyypia said he thought United were capable of winning the competition but Moyes was taking it one step at a time. He added: "We have qualified, the next part is to win the group. United need a draw at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on December 10. Winning the group is likely to mean avoiding Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid. Moyes added: "We are in a good run of form we slipped up late on Sunday but in the main are playing well. The biggest thing is we are improving, progressing, and I hoped that would happen."

Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5 match report: Wayne Rooney claims four assists in Champions League victory - European - Football - The Independent
That was a 6-1 win in another part of the German Ruhr, against Borussia Dortmund, in the long-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs' Cup. In Europe's elite competition it was their best away win since the Busby Babes scored six at Shamrock Rovers in 1957 a few months before they were cut down at Munich. One match does not a season make, but this was an undeniably impressive win against a team that had previously won every home game this season except for one a draw against all-conquering Bayern Munich. What will have particularly impressed the United manager and his predecessor who was in attendance was that this was achieved in the absence of several leading players including Robin van Persie. The Dutchman would strengthen any side, but without him Moyes was able to partner Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa in their favoured positions and the pair dovetailed beautifully being involved in several of the goals without, oddly, either of them scoring. Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Nani did, with, as if to sum up Bayer's night, an own goal being conceded amidst the rout. With several key personnel unavailable, and a testing fixture at White Hart Lane looming, Moyes will have pondered his team selection even more carefully than usual though the back four effectively picked itself once he decided to deploy Phil Jones in a midfield area depleted by the absence of Michael Carrick (injury) and Marouance Fellaini (suspension). Alongside he fielded Ryan Giggs, 40 on Friday. Jones was not even born in 1991 when Giggs made his debuts for both United and Wales. With Danny Welbeck and Persie absent Rooney shouldered the load in attack with Kagawa given a rare opportunity to shine in his preferred No.10 position. The Japanese clearly revelled in the opportunity belying the indolence sometimes associated with the role by covering more ground than anyone else on the pitch, 12.5km..

Antonio Valencia started the rout for United (AP) Running around a lot is one thing, it still has to be effective. Kagawa showed he was more than just a metronome when, midway through the half, he made United's opening goal with a clever, powerful break. The goal was timely as Leverkusen had begun to press after a quiet opening. United had threatened first after 16 minutes. Evans brought down a long ball and swiftly transferred it to Patrice Evra who made ground on the left. Though Evra's pass inside was slightly behind Giggs the veteran recovered to set up Nani, but his shot flew just over. Sami Hyypia had chosen South Korean striker Heung-Min Son to replace Sidney Sam in attack, rather than Australia's Robbie Kruse, and it seemed a good choice when, two minutes later, he dummied Evans to receive a neat pass that Lars Bender had delivered under pressure. Though Son's shot was deflected wide, and from the corner Stefan Reinartz headed over, Bayer were encouraged. Stefan Kiessling, an awkward-looking but useful striker, then shambled his way through an ineffectual tackle by Rio Ferdinand and seemed sure to score, only for Evans to block his shot at the last-ditch. It proved a critical interception. The subsequent corner was punched clear by David De Gea for a throw-in. When Evans headed that away the ball soon fell towards Reinartz but Kagawa hustled him off it then led the counter-attack. Having attacked the space, and opened more up, he fed Giggs who moved the ball onto Rooney. His chip eluded everyone but Valencia who tapped in off the back post.

Emir Spahic guides Wayne Rooneys free kick into Leverkusens net for an own goal (AP) United almost doubled their lead within a minute after a clever free-kick routine on the left involving Rooney, Giggs and Kagawa. Unfortunately it ended with the ball falling to Jones, then Evans, both of whose tame shots were

and Kagawa. Unfortunately it ended with the ball falling to Jones, then Evans, both of whose tame shots were blocked. No matter. On the half-hour Rooney took a free-kick from by the left touchline,30 yards from goal. It dipped dangerously towards the penalty spot and Emir Spahic, trying to prevent Chris Smalling heading the ball, glanced it into his own net. United were now in command and Bernd Leno had to go full-stretch to prevent Valencia adding a third just before the break. United, expecting a post-interval push from Leverkusen, were happy to defend in the opening stages of the second period, hoping to snatch a third goal and kill the tie on the break. This was almost achieved shortly before the hour when Nani intercepted a loose pass, played a one-two with Rooney, and shot just wide of the far post.

Nani rounds the Leverkusen keeper, Bernd Leno, to score United's fifth (Getty) However, the sit-back policy almost handed Bayer a goal back soon after as Reinartz and Spahic hit the post in quick succession from a corner, though there was a possibility offside would have ruled out the latter attempt. In response United stepped up a gear and, after Rooney bent a 20-yard shot just wide of the post, they settled the tie with a goal Sami Hyypia, the former Liverpool centre-half now managing Leverkusen, will be furious about. Giggs' corner was met by Evra whose header fell to Rooney. His shot was saved by Leno, but Evans calmly walked the loose ball around the 'keeper's arms to score. None of the quartet had needed to hold off a defender. United then picked their opponents off at will. Eleven minutes later Kagawa and Rooney combined for Smalling to tap in. Jones and Anderson could each have added a fifth, but for an acrobatic save by Leno and woeful finishing respectively. It was so one-sided Moyes could re-introduce Ashley Young for his first action since the dive at Real Sociedad, and end with Nani at centre-forward. The Portuguese rewarded Moyes' choice by running onto a Giggs through ball, rounding the 'keeper, and scoring the fifth. Like Evans and Smalling it was his first goal of a season that suddenly looks far more promising. Booked: Bayer Leverkusen Kohr. Man of the match Rooney. Match rating 8/10. Possession: BL 48% Man United 52%. Attempts on target: BL 4 Man United 13.

Referee S O Moen (Nor). Attendance 26,000. United's top five European away wins in Europe This was United biggest win in Europe home or away since winning 7-1 against Roma 2006-07 United have played more than 150 away matches in Europe. 6-0 v Shamrock Rovers, European Cup, 1957-58 6-0 v Djurgarden, Inter-Cities' Fairs' Cup, 1964-65 6-1 v Borussia Dortmund, Inter-Cities' Fairs' Cup, 1964-65 5-0 v Strasborg, Inter-Cities' Fairs' Cup, 1964-65 5-0 Bayer Leverkusen, Champions League, 2013-14

Manchester City 4 Plzen 2 match report: Joe Hart puts in error-free display in Champions League game vital perhaps only for him - European - Football The Independent
In a way, his first game for his club exactly a month after the disastrous mix-up with Matija Nastasic at Stamford Bridge was an impossible one. If he played well, it would be dismissed as against only Viktoria Plzen. If he committed another error, the prospect of preparing for a World Cup from the bench would have seemed ever more real. In the event, Plzen proved far tougher than anyone anticipated and were only denied a point by the combination that for Seville had terrorised defenders in La Liga a cross from Jesus Navas converted by Alvaro Negredo. A header from Edin Dzeko gave the scoreline rather more gloss than it deserved. Hart was given precious little protection for either goal, especially Plzens second, which Stanislav Tecl drove precisely into the far corner of his net. In all, Hart made six saves one of them a spectacular tip over the bar from Daniel Kolar. The case against him was not proven and nor was it likely to be. His manager, Manuel Pellegrini, got what he wanted, right down to the booking for Yaya Tour that will see him conveniently suspended for the next dead fixture, a rather more testing one at Bayern Munich. There will be no suspension hanging over him when the knockout phase begins in February. Plzen is one of Europes great brewing centres but, given that the last three teams to come to the Etihad had conceded 18 goals between them, Pavel Vrba and his team might have required something stronger than beer to steady their nerves. David Limbersky, having once been on Tottenhams books, would have known what to expect, but had to pull out during the warm-up. Roman Hubniks reward for stepping into the breach was to receive an elbow in the face from his own player. The Czech champions arrived in Manchester pointless, something that since the Uefa president, Michel Platini opened up the Champions League to smaller clubs that could actually claim to have won their own championship occurs with increasing frequency. In the past four seasons 10 sides have finished the group stages with one point or less and Dinamo Zagreb have managed it twice.

Plzen, however, did not begin like a side that knew they were condemned and Tomas Horavas goal was as good as anything seen in this stadium. The pass from Daniel Kolar cut out three defenders and Horava, running on to the space that should have been covered by Aleksandar Kolarov at left-back, struck his shot right-footed and first time. Joe Hart had not the slightest chance of saving it. Plzen deserved it. They had been neat, inventive and with the match still goalless, Frantisek Rajtoral, who like the vast bulk of Vrbas squad is from either the Czech Republic or Slovakia, drove through a flimsy screen of blue shirts and shot wide. A few moments later, Michal Duris did the same and then, to the disappointments of hopeless romantics everywhere, Manchester City scored and that, briefly, appeared to be that. It was a penalty and it was most definitely handball. Rajtoral raised his arm to Sergio Agueros cross and the Argentine took the penalty in front of the surprisingly large number of fans who had travelled from the city of Pilsner to the birthplace of Boddingtons. Matus Kozacik had as much chance of saving it as Hart would have a few minutes later. Aguero did not reappear for the second half for tactical reasons but, together with Samir Nasri, he had been Manchester Citys most obvious threat. Before the match, Nasri had spoken vividly of how his head had been cleared and his appetite for the game restored and the way he played now was further proof of that. There was a wonderful early shot that clattered against the crossbar and then Aguero delivered a little chip from the byline that was meant for Edin Dzeko and missed. It fell instead to the boy from Marseilles who tried a fancy little side-footed shot that crept wide. Twenty minutes after the interval, a time that had seen Fernandinho denied spectacularly by Kozacik and Joleon Lescott somehow contrive not to stab home Dzekos header at the far post, Nasri struck the dead centre of the net. Yaya Tour had barely been on the pitch for 60 seconds when his cross found Nasri, if not in acres of space then on a small allotment. The Etihad thought further resistance would be useless but the visitors equalised again before City pulled clear at the end. Booked: Man City Milner, Demichelis, Tour. Viktoria Plzen Cisovsky. Man of the match Milner. Match rating 7/10. Possession: Man City 54% V Plzen 46%. Attempts on target: Man City 9 V Plzen 9. Referee F Aydinus (Tur). Attendance 41,000.

Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: Shinji Kagawa has flair, Ryan Giggs remains a man for all seasons and this team cannot do without Wayne Rooney - European - Football - The Independent
Ryan Giggs might not always be the man for the ferocious competition of the Premier League, given David Moyes preference for 4-4-2, but his wonderful nous and skill make him a vital player in Europe. Giggs turns 40 on Friday but tonight he was excellent, with clever movement and passing, clearing up danger when Bayer Leverkusen broke

but also finding Wayne Rooney in the move for the first goal. Bayer make Bayern look in a league all of their own There may not be much of a title race in the Bundesliga this season. Bayer Leverkusen are the second-best team in Germany, four points behind Bayern Munich. But, to judge by this performance, they are a world away from the European champions negligent in defence, lax in possession, and slow to create anything for Stefan Kiessling. Borussia Dortmund are tiring, too. Bayern could have it won by March. Rooney again the man his team cannot do without For all the summer tensions, and the Sir Alex Ferguson fallout, Rooney is Manchester Uniteds indispensable player. With Uniteds core missing Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick and Robin Van Persie are all injured others need to take responsibility for results and that is what Rooney did for the second straight game. On Sunday in Cardiff he tried to win the game by himself, scoring the first goal and making the second before Cardiffs last-minute equaliser. Tonight, in Leverkusen, he was in similar mood. Leading the line, but dropping deep, he made both first-half goals with perfect right-footed deliveries from the left the first for Antonio Valencia, his second an own goal. Then his cleverly weighted pass for Chris Smalling set up the fourth in the second half. Uniteds midfield might not be perfect but for as long as Rooney plays like this the goals will surely keep coming. United have momentum to carry through busy month United have a packed December with a barely possible nine games but they will at least take a good run into some rather testing fixtures. They go to White Hart Lane on Sunday, before hosting the dangerous Everton and Newcastle United. Tonights performance was their 11th consecutive win and most probably their best performance of that run. Everyone knows the problems the lack of control in midfield but Moyes made four midfield changes last night and they looked better, against superior opposition, than they had in Cardiff on Sunday. This was the same back five as started in Wales and, unless Vidic returns, presumably that will face Tottenham on Sunday lunchtime. Spurs are in some turmoil but United will go there with a solid base and some improving form behind them. If they maintain this they will be well set for the rest of the long month. Kagawa has flair as No 10, given a chance to show it It will not always be like this Moyes, as noted, prefers 4-4-2 but Shinji Kagawa played as a No 10 tonight and showed just how good he is at it. From his first perfect through ball to an offside Rooney after 30 seconds, he was excellent, winning the ball to start the break for the first goal and well involved in the move for the fourth. A better performance, certainly, than his forays on the left wing.

Andre Villas-Boas 'immune' to criticism and claims Tottenham still have total confidence in him - Premier League - Football - The Independent
The Portuguese attended a scheduled board meeting on Monday at which the game was discussed, but the former Chelsea manager is adamant the club are fully behind him and his position is not in jeopardy, despite reports to the contrary. Ahead of Thursday nights Europa League game in Tromso, Villas-Boas said he was immune to criticism despite a bruising few days in which both his and his sides reputations have been questioned. The 36-year-old instead launched a defence of his methods, saying they would bear fruit and prove the doubters wrong. Villas-Boas insisted his future had not been discussed with the clubs chairman, Daniel Levy, at the board meeting after the result at the Etihad a defeat the manager believes was a one-off.

I have the confidence of the board. I have the confidence of my players and I have to move on to do a proper job, said Villas-Boas ahead of a game which should result in his side confirming their progress from Europa League Group K in top spot. The only conversation we [he and the board] had recently was two or three days ago, very, very briefly about the game. The board is of the same opinion that everything went wrong and we hope to get some response in the future. It was an ordinary meeting. Will he [Levy] back me in public? No. No. No. Thats not his style, and neither do I ask for things like that. Villas-Boas was also keen to emphasise that he had not been personally affected by stories over his future, pointing out that his brutal 256-day reign at Chelsea had prepared him for any eventuality. He added: I am immune right now. I used to read a lot into situations like this, into pressure points when I was at Chelsea. But not any more. I am very, very indifferent. There is only one quarter that I come under pressure from, which is the press. I was not treated properly [while at Chelsea] by people and I got various opinion-makers and column writers that wrote so many lies that if I had any chance I was liable to sue, that is something that would give me extreme pleasure. But you know. It is part of the job, it is something that I have to take on. The amount of things that I have received when I was Chelsea manager was completely unfair and untrue. It comes with a high-profile job I suppose. At least this evening should offer Villas-Boas respite after a difficult week. Tromso have just been relegated from the Norwegian top flight, and at their picturesque Alfheim Stadium, some 217 miles inside the Arctic Circle, the likes of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela could take their chance to impress. Jermain Defoe has been linked with a move to Toronto and has not travelled he is a fantastic player for us and we are happy to have him on board, was Villas-Boass take on the strikers future but a real improvement is needed after Spurs fell to ninth in the Premier League, although just two points off the top four. Normally to big teams when things like this [a 6-0 defeat] happen they happen once every 10 or 20 years. All people who were involved in this difficult experience, all of us feel sad and shamed for having taken part in it. The only thing now we can do is avoid a slip-up of this nature. Obviously, we want to forget about the result, but for that to happen we need to get into a streak of wins that enables us not only to finish first in the Europa League but also keep pushing forward for those Champions League spots in the Premier League. We are not far off from the Champions League spots. So it can all change dramatically. We just have to be focused on trying to get into winning ways as soon as possible.

Champions League round-up: Gareth Bale fills Cristiano Ronaldo's boots for 10-man Real Madrid - European - Football - The Independent
Missing the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Real had Sergio Ramos sent off in the 26th minute for pulling down Umut Bulut when clear on goal. However, Real still took the lead when, in the absence of the Portuguese forward, Bale stepped up for a free-kick and curled the ball around Galatasarays wall and into the net from 30 yards. Bulut soon equalised after being set up by Didier Drogba yet six minutes into the second half Alvaro Arbeloa ghosted in at the far post to restore Reals lead, then Angel di Maria and Isco made the game safe for the 10 men.

A hat-trick from Arturo Vidal, two of them penalties, propelled Juventus into second place in Reals group as they beat FC Copenhagen 3-1. Juve go to Galatasaray for their final game needing a point to qualify. Big-spending Paris Saint-Germain dramatically booked their place in the knockout rounds with a 90th-minute winner from Edinson Cavani against Olympiakos. Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave PSG an early lead only for the game to turn when midfielder Marco Verratti was sent off just after half-time. Kostas Manolas equalised for the Greek side with 10 minutes to go and, with time running out, Cavani slid in Adrien Rabiots through ball for a goal that not only secured qualification but means PSG top the group. Bayern Munich set a new Champions League record when they chalked up their 10th successive win in the competition by beating CSKA 3-1 in snowy Moscow. Despite missing Franck Ribry, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Mandzukic, the holders took an early lead when Arjen Robben fired home Thomas Mllers cutback. Mario Gtze added a second in the 56th minute with a fine solo effort and though Keisuke Honda cut the deficit with a penalty, Mller made the game safe with a spot-kick of his own. Getting 10 wins in a row is very hard and I am proud of my players, the club and everyone involved, said the Bayern coach, Pep Guardiola, whose former club Barcelona held the previous record of nine straight victories in 2002-03. Bayern play Manchester City next. In the other game in Manchester Uniteds group, Shakhtar Donetsk moved into second place with a 4-0 home win over Real Sociedad thanks to goals from Luiz Adriano, Alex Teixeira and Douglas Costa (2). Victory over United in their final game at Old Trafford would guarantee the Ukrainians top the group.

Kenny Jackett has halted Wolves 'runaway train' by getting rid of big earners - Football League - Football - The Independent
Perhaps those words came to mind last summer when he left The Den and took over a club described by his predecessor Dean Saunders as a runaway train, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Saunders, like Terry Connor and Stale Solbakken before him, had been unable to halt Wolves downward spiral as they tumbled from the Premier League down to League One, yet Jacketts impact has been immediate. The last time Wolves suffered such a fall, in the mid-Eighties, they carried on dropping; now, by contrast, they are on the climb, after making their best start to a season. Beaten just once in 18 games, they returned to the League One summit on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers. So just how has Jackett stopped the rot? The first step, he says, was to rebuild the teams fractured relationship with the supporters encapsulated by images of fans confronting players and punching a hole in the dugout after last seasons final home game against Burnley. I felt the relationship between the fans and the players had broken down, particularly at home, and that needed to change, says Jackett, speaking in his office at the Sir Jack Hayward training ground. We needed to change the players around and the group of players realised they had to earn the supporters respect and backing it is not something that is given. Football clubs generally when they are unsuccessful they implode, he continues. It is very unusual for clubs to go down twice in two seasons, so it was important we drew a line under that and got some freshness and enthusiasm into the group. To do this, he offloaded big earners such as Roger Johnson and Karl Henry and exiled the unpopular Jamie OHara recalled fleetingly this month but now on trial at Blackpool ahead of a possible loan move. In their place he has made some astute signings defender Sam Ricketts, winger James Henry and central midfielder Kevin McDonald

made some astute signings defender Sam Ricketts, winger James Henry and central midfielder Kevin McDonald and reintegrated players overlooked by previous regimes, notably centre-back Danny Batth and forward Leigh Griffiths, both 23. Bringing young players in does give you more enthusiasm, says Jackett. Goals too, in Griffiths case. Last seasons Scottish Football Writers Player of the Year when on loan at Hibernian, he hit his 12th of the campaign against Tranmere and forms a strong partnership with Kevin Doyle who, along with Bakary Sako, has stayed to add some class to the mix. Jackett is not a man for the easy soundbite but is certainly a manager of substance. He won promotions with Swansea and Millwall and his work there and at Watford all clubs rooted in their communities means he appreciates the need for young players with whom fans can connect. There definitely is a thread there and, with the financial fair play coming in, the youth policy becomes even more important, says Jackett, whose team ended the Tranmere game with three academy products on the pitch. Wolves have a Category One academy and have committed around 7m to building new youth development facilities beside their current training ground, an expansion which will put all the playing and coaching operations on one site. Yet ultimately it is the here and now that counts. One of the criteria was the first 30 days, Jackett notes. After the two relegations we didnt [want] any type of hangover. I feel that you cannot get promoted by November but you can be out of it, and there are some big clubs near the bottom of our division. All the teams in this division see Wolves as a cup final and it is a cup-tie atmosphere every time they play us. We have had to overcome that and so far weve been successful but it has not been easy. Not easy maybe but, after almost six years at Millwall, the 51-year-old is enjoying the fresh challenge. I am proud of what I did there but to go to that next stage and take them up was a tough call. I felt it was time for a change. Citing a visit to the Wolves museum, he speaks enthusiastically about the history and tradition and the size of the club, and adds: Walking out down that tunnel at Molineux is exciting. It would be great if one day I could fill it as a manager that is an ambition.

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker closes on new deal as 'reward' for aiding revival at the Emirates - Premier League - Football - The Independent
I am very delighted here with the club, especially after the first year that was tough for me, a very tough challenge, Mertesacker said, revealing he was in talks with the club over a new contract to recognise his recent performances. The boss always trusted me in a special way. So I think it is a little reward that we talk a bit on things, because Ive one and a half years left. Overall theres no rush but it seems to be that some guys are delighted with my performance at the moment. I am pleased with the situation. This has been Mertesackers best season yet at Arsenal since he joined in August 2011, and his partnership with Laurent Koscielny has been crucial to their rise to the top of the Premier League table and their Champions League group. Mertesacker said Arsne Wengers faith had been vital. I missed completely the pre-season [in 2011-12] so it was really hard when the transfer window shut and I had to play straight away, and it took me a while to respond to that level. The manager always trusted me, said you are intelligent enough to cope with problems. It took time to settle down. Mesut zil, Mertesackers team-mate for Germany and previously for Werder Bremen, is now going through his own adjustment process. Despite suggestions that zil is starting to fade, Mertesacker insisted that he is developing well, with more to come. He is making good progress, said the defender. He is in good form, you can see that. Tonight [Tuesdays 2-0 win over Marseilles] he was always a threat in every second. He never gave up, despite the penalty that he missed. We are delighted with him, especially in the transition from defence to offence. He is in good form and I think we will see more.

zil played well on Tuesday but he missed a penalty and another good chance, but Mertsacker had no worries about his dry run in front of goal. He gets himself into good positions so the goals will come for sure. At half-time we said we dont care, we just got on and thats just what he did, especially in the second half when we scored the second goal. He was the threat and he was in the right position to cross the ball to Jack [Wilshere]. Hes always a threat and were delighted with him. Mertesacker believes that zils intelligent movement was helping his team-mates to play better. He moves well between the lines, so its always difficult to defend against him. When the centre-back comes out with him theres always space for others to go into. Overall he is the member of our team who helps us to create more chances, and to make the opposition more vulnerable.

Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
Whatever amendments they make to their plans (and they urgently need a plan B) it seems that they will not be taking a backward step. Stuart Broad, the man Australia loves to hate, made it plain on Wednesday that the sledging would continue. Having grown up watching Ashes cricket and played in three Ashes series, it is always tough and it is always a battle and you expect it to be a test of you, he said. There is always banter flying out in the middle and I personally dont think it went too far this week. We know there is a huge contest going on in the middle between two countries, but both sides respect each other as well and I dont think it went overboard. I expect it to continue to be competitive, as all Ashes series are. All the players involved seem to echo Broads sentiments and Michael Clarke, Australias captain, is generally considered to have been unlucky that his threatening comments towards Jimmy Anderson were picked up by a stump microphone. The International Cricket Council match referee, Jeff Crowe, felt forced to act and fined Clarke 20 per cent of his match fee. But it seems that participants in these Ashes are at odds with one of the toughest men to have led Australia. Ian Chappell, by common consent as uncompromising a competitor as they come, warned that a physical confrontation was not far off. If the ICC dont stop all the chatter thats going on, the more chatter you allow the more chance that something personal will be said, Chappell claimed in a radio interview. And something personal will be said at the wrong time and youll have fisticuffs. I think were getting close to the fisticuffs. In typically colourful fashion, Chappell spoke out against sledging and supported Anderson, who threatened to punch the Australia short leg, George Bailey, in his second innings at The Gabba. I was delighted that Jimmy pulled away and went over and spoke to George Bailey, said Chappell. The only thing that disappointed me was that it took a No 11 to stand up for his rights. As a batsman you are entitled to peace and quiet out there. I tell you, mate, I would not be putting up with the crap thats going on out there. The idea that it makes you a tough player if youve got plenty to say is the greatest load of bollocks Ive heard in my life. England returned to training on Wednesday after their sojourn to Ayers Rock, where six of the players saw sunset and sunrise over Uluru, the red mountain in the desert which is of immense spiritual importance in Aboriginal culture. It was perfectly appropriate that Englands players (and some of the press party) took the time to see such an

important landmark, as Broad pointed out. Youre always going to get people saying you need to spend more time in the nets but we were flying here anyway and it was really good use of our time. Its a very peaceful place, its a great place to relax and enjoy yourself on a tour thats so long in a great country like this. England know they have to move on quickly from the shock departure from the tour of Jonathan Trott with a stressrelated illness. It was clearly as surprising to the dressing room as it was to outsiders. The first thing to say is that the team are heartbroken Trottys had to go home but were very supportive of him and were on the end of a phone when he needs us, Broad said. We all hope he gets home and gets some privacy and the help he needs with his recovery. He is a valuable and integral member of our team. England have yet to conduct a debriefing after the overwhelming defeat by 381 runs at The Gabba last Sunday. Perhaps some time in the tranquillity is lending a false sense of perspective but they appear convinced they have the fortitude to come back. There will be a lot of honesty because we know as players it wasnt good enough, Broad said. To let ourselves down so badly on day two, that is where we lost the Test match. There was no coming back from that. Therell be some guys who know they didnt perform to the level expected of them in international cricket and will have to do better in Adelaide. With the experience in the changing room Im sure there will be a better performance put in. What they have to do is work out a plan to repel Mitchell Johnson and the Australian bouncer barrage in general. It is doubtful that the match at Alice Springs will help in that regard but mental attunement is equally important now. Broad said: I think this team is very good at focusing on the cricket when that time arises and, although the changing rooms thoughts are with Trotty at the moment, we need to get back to training at Alice Springs this week and weve got a huge task on our hands. This squad has a real steely determination and The Gabba result hurt us.

Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer - Cricket - Sport - The Independent
I think its worked for us. I definitely think theyre rattled by it, he said. They dont like it at all. Obviously their coach has come out and wanted a truce, from what Ive heard. Thats not going to change from our end. Johnson, like all the players, made light of the sledging in the first Test at Brisbane, which has exercised attention worldwide. Michael Clarke, Australias captain, was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for suggesting to the England No 11 batsman (and fast bowler) that he was about to have his arm broken. It was pretty quiet the whole match until close to the end, said Johnson. We know there is definitely tension there there always has been.

 there always has been. I thought it was really good what Michael did, as a captain. Thats what you want your captain to do stand up for the players and thats what he did. It just happened to be that the stump mic was up at that time. Its nothing unusual, but I was really happy with how he stood up for the team. And so the tittle-tattle goes on. On Friday England may or may not provide a clue to their reshuffled pack for the second Test. Alice Springs is probably the last place on earth (or at least in Australia) that they would have expected to try to refine the starting XI for an Ashes match, The tourists need a new No 3 batsman and therefore almost certainly another player lower down the middle order. It is almost certain too that they are looking for another bowler, probably a seamer, just possibly a second spinner. The side to play the Chairmans XI at Traeger Park is unlikely to be the team that plays the Test. All five members of the squad who did not play in the first Test at The Gabba are likely to be given a run out. In Monty Panesars case it may be his first and only game of the tour. Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance are nominally competing for one batting place. It is difficult to believe that a strong performance against the Chairmans XI will swing the vote but runs, as they say, are runs. Tim Bresnan returned to action with an unbeaten half-century for the England Performance Programme, on his comeback after a stress fracture of the back. England will be more keenly awaiting a report on Bresnans bowling, once he has the opportunity, against Queensland 2nd XI in Brisbane. It is hoped the 28-year-old can prove his fitness in the four-day match, which got under way on Wednesday, and therefore be added to the full squad before the second Test.

Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: 'We really killed them on the counter-attack,' says Ryan Giggs - European - Football - The Independent
We really killed them on the counter-attack, the Welshman said. The first goal was an example of that and it was pleasure to play behind the front four. It was a night where everything clicked, Giggs, who created the fifth for Nani with a delightful lofted ball, added. Saying that we could have scored more goals but we don't want to be too greedy and to score five goals anywhere in Europe is brilliant. Asked by Sky Sports how he keeps on going as he nears his 40th year, Giggs was quick to praise his team-mates, singling out midfield partner Phil Jones. It's a pleasure [to play with this team]. I enjoy playing with Jona [Phil Jones], he does my running for me.

Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
In a speech in London, Lord Hall expressed admiration for the on-camera skills of the former Manchester United player, who has been credited for bringing fresh insight into expert football analysis since joining Sky two years ago. The Director Generals praise was given in the context of showing that the BBC is willing to learn from the creative successes of its rivals and to claim that the Corporation deserves credit for maintaining a high bar of quality across the television sector. The BBC is part of a virtuous circle. We do well. Others have to compete. They raise their

game. We respond. Competition spurs us all on. And the creative strength of the whole industry rises, from Downton (Abbey) to Broadchurch, The Inbetweeners to Channel 4 News, Moone Boy to Gary Neville, he said. Lord Halls lauding of broadcasting rivals, came in an address to the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Conference. The Director General said the BBC needed to cast aside its humility in arguing that the licence fee was good value for money. We need to be less British about saying what you get for 40p a day, he said. We have got to get aggressive about making this case to people. MOTD is under pressure to respond to a fast changing market in televised football. Pay television companies BT Sport and Sky have invested vast sums in football rights and made the Premier League a key battlefield in their fight for broadband and TV subscribers. Each of these commercial giants has spent heavily on improving their coverage, expanding studios and hiring recently-retired players as star pundits. BT Sport, which recently spent 900m for right to broadcast Champions League football, has hired a string of recent England players as expert analysts, including Michael Owen, David James and the current Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Sky brought in former England defender Jamie Carragher to form a punditry double act with Neville this season. Some fans believe that MOTD, which relies heavily on an established presenting line-up of Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer, is at risk of appearing out-of-touch with the fast-moving modern game. Andy Lyons, editor of the When Saturday Comes fanzine, said the long-running show could not afford to be complacent. The BBC has got a captive audience on a Saturday evening and thats part of the problem. Theyve not felt such a need to change the format. A BBC source said Lord Hall was not trying to put pressure on BBC Sport but merely tipping his hat to the Sky Sports presenter. But within the BBC there is an awareness of the need to refresh. Hansen (who retired from football in 1991) will stand down after next summers World Cup and his former Liverpool colleague Mark Lawrenson has, to his chagrin, had a lesser role this season as new pundits, including a more contemporary Liverpool player Danny Murphy, have been given airtime. Gary Parkinson, editor of fourfourtwo.com, said some of the MOTD presenting team appeared to reject attempts to introduce deeper tactical analysis into the show. There was almost an anti-intellectualism that grew up around MOTD punditry. It became a sneering 19th hole old boys club. He detected attempts to modernise the programme this season, with greater use of graphics, but warned that the growth of on-demand television viewing meant that pundits on a highlights show like MOTD were at risk of being ignored anyway. These days, people often just fast forward through the analysis, he said. A BBC spokesperson said: " MOTD continues to evolve and has featured a wide range of studio experts this season. Our pundits consistently lead the way in audience research and we have exciting plans in place for the World Cup and throughout the 2014-15 season. "

Leigh Griffiths 'RIP BRIAN' celebration: Wolves confirm it was for a family member, not the dog from Family Guy - Football League - Football - The Independent
The 23-year-old opened the scoring in the 2-0 League Cup win at Molineux, and lifted up his shirt to reveal a message reading RIP BRIAN. The dog Brian Griffin from the long-running America cartoon comedy series had been killed off in an episode aired

in America on Sunday night, leading many on Twitter to speculate that the Scottish striker's celebration was in tribute to the much-loved character. Wolves, however, clarified on their official Twitter feed on Tuesday night that Griffiths dedicated his goal to a relative. The club stated: As mentioned, it's a family member of Leigh's who passed away recently and nothing to do with Family Guy.

Brian Griffin (right) during a Family Guy episode

Claudio Nancufil: The 'new' Lionel Messi attracting interest from Barcelona and the Premier League at the age of eight - News & Comment - Football The Independent
Nancufil, who comes from Bariloche in the southern Andes, is set to be hailed as the future of Argentine football, with the BBC ready to include him in a documentary as part of their pre-World Cup build-up, with Diego Maradona as the past and Messi as the present. He belongs to the Martin Guemes club in the ski resort town he lives in and, according to the president Marcelo Ernalz, showed himself to be a special talent from the age of four. As soon as he started to play [aged four] he was already different from all the rest of his playmates with regards to technique, Ernalz, who also coaches one of the age group teams at Martin Guemes, told Reuters. How he takes the ball stuck to his foot, brakes, stops, kicks, scores, shoots on goal, from when he was little he had all these distinct qualities. The unearthing of child prodigies have become part of the four-yearly build-up to World Cups remember the hullabaloo around Freddy Adu before the 2006 tournament in Germany? and for all we know, Nancufil could be another whose 15 minutes of fame are up before his age reaches double figures. Adu represented the United States in 2010 and ever since being hailed as a boy wonder at the age of 10 (he was called the next Pele having signing for DC United at 14 years old), he has often been criticised for failing to live up to his promise. But in his defence, the clamour for Adu to be a world-beater would have suffocated the most

up to his promise. But in his defence, the clamour for Adu to be a world-beater would have suffocated the most talented and level-headed of players. For the record, he is now 24 and a free agent, having just been released from his contract at Bahia, a mid-table side in Brazils Serie A. As far as Nancufil is concerned, there could be something in this boy, who is so small for his age that he is having hormone treatment (again, mirroring the early life of Messi). The Spanish newspaper El Confidencial reports that some large movers and shakers have already invested time in the player, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Lionel Messi moved to Barcelona at the age of 13 Manuel Otero, representing the Barcelona PR agency Suenos Comunicaciones, has visited the boys family and, according to El Confidencial, said: After the Christmas holidays, Claudito [little Claudio] will go to try out with these three Spanish teams and then well see what each of them offers us. Otero, whose agency normally represents musicians and actors, added: Weve had an invitation from River Plate for him to train for a week with them. [The family] are not closing any doors and England could also be a great destination for the player. The BBC is preparing documentaries in the run-up to the World Cup in Brazil and with Argentina they want to unite the past, present and future. For this, they plan to bring together Diego Armando Maradona, Lionel Messi and Claudio and with the participation of World Cup-winning coaches Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo. Nancufils family are understandably excited. His mother Viviana laughs at the fact that her youngest son cant explain how he does what he does with a ball. We asked him, how do you do that? And he said, I dont know. I just get it in my head and my feet move on their own. Its like that, she told Reuters.I dont know how I play like that. My legs just go. Thats what he told us. We would kid him about it, wed say that he ran by remote control. She laughs at this mental image, but she adds that over and above Claudios talent she wanted a good future for her two sons including 11-year-old Braian: Thats my dream, that they will always be good people, [Claudio] as a footballer or in any profession.

Watch Claudio Nancufil in action...

Transfer news round-up: Tottenham move ahead of Chelsea in pursuit of Luke Shaw; Yohan Cabaye opens door to Arsenal and Liverpool; Manchester United want Angel Di Maria - Transfers - Football - The Independent
Luis Suarez, the player hell-bent on leaving Liverpool over the summer, not only remained at Anfield, he's encouraging others to come and join him. The Mirror report that the Uruguay striker wants countryman Kevin Mendez to join him on Merseyside, and has urged Brendan Rodgers to buy him. The Reds have already scouted the 17-year-old and could pick him up for around 3m. Having seen his England place come under threat and Jose Mourinho unable to guarantee a starting role for him at Chelsea, things might get even worse for Ashley Cole. It's reported that the Blues have found the successor to the 33-year-old in Alberto Moreno. The Seville youngster, who is also said to be a target for Manchester United and Real Madrid, will cost around 20m.

Yohan Cabaye runs with the ball His head was turned in the summer by reported interest from Arsenal, and it would seem it hasn't fully turned back to Newcastle in the case of Yohan Cabaye. He's quoted as saying: "I miss the Champions League. I'll finish this season with Newcastle and concentrate on the coming months and then we'll see". That's been interpreted as opening the door to the Gunners, as well as Liverpool. Manchester United are gluttons for punishment. Having been rejected by just about every midfielder in Europe over the summer, they'll be risking further humiliation in January. Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria and Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke are the latest attracting David Moyes.

World Cup stadium collapse: Two killed as Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians collapses - World Cup 2014 - Football - The Independent
The crane believed to be the biggest in Brazil fell on to one stand of the 220m Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, leading part of it to collapse. Fabio Luiz Pereira, 42, and Ronaldo Oliveira dos Santos, 44, both of whom had young children, were killed and last night there were conflicting reports of others being injured. The tragedy came less than a month before the stadium was due to be handed over to Fifa on 31 December, and only nine days before the World Cup draw in Sauipe, near Salvador. Hundreds of workers were rushing to finish the stadium by installing the final 15-metre metal piece of the roof when the ground underneath the crane gave way, according to local media. Footage showed the twisted metal structure on the ground amid debris after the accident.

Workers said the death toll could have been higher as many labourers survived unscathed as the accident happened at about 12.30pm, during their lunch hour. Jose Mario da Silva, 48, a workman, said: I had just walked under that crane to go for lunch. If it hadnt been lunchtime, many more people would have died. I would not be alive. I just heard the noise. They were putting in the last piece of the roof, which was the heaviest. Mr Pereira, a driver, died when the cab of his truck was hit by the falling crane. Another worker, talking anonymously to the Brazilian sports website Lancenet, said labourers had been put under huge pressure to finish the stadium in time. He said: It was the last piece [of the roof] that we had to put in place and one thing we said was how much pressure there was. As it rained all week, generally they put stones on the ground [underneath the crane] here but this time, they didnt. It was a little more hectic. The accident is the latest blow to construction work to finish the final six of the 12 World Cup stadiums across Brazil before the strict deadline of 31 December imposed by Fifa. Many of those stadiums have faced delays, with those in Sao Paulo, Manaus and Cuiaba considered particularly unlikely to meet the deadline by observers. Last week the company that is building the Sao Paulo stadium, Odebrecht, said work was 94 per cent complete.

The Itaquerao Stadium where the 2014 World Cup is due to get underway But now that deadline seems impossible, with work at the stadium stopped for three days and 30 per cent of the site cordoned off so authorities can investigate the accident. During the World Cup, the stadium is scheduled to host six games, including the opening match and one of the semifinals. A Fifa spokesman said they sent their heartfelt condolences and said the safety of workers is the top priority for Fifa and the federal government.

Fifa and the federal government. Fifas secretary general Jrme Valcke tweeted: Extremely shocked by the news from Sao Paulo. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this accident. To see a gallery of the images, CLICK HERE, or click view gallery

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure hits out at former club Manchester City and claims they'll be 'kicking themselves' for letting him go - Premier League Football - The Independent
Toure was not offered a new contract by the club, and left on a free in the summer with Liverpool offering him another crack at the Premier League having spent seven years with Arsenal. He headed to the Etihad in 2009 after then-manager Mark Hughes made a 14m offer for his services as well as naming him the club captain upon his arrival. However, Toure soon fell out of favour under Roberto Mancini and made just 10 starts in the Premier League as well as five substitute appearances last season. With Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasic and Joleon Lescott ahead of him in terms of selection, Toure was allowed to leave for free, but has forced his way into Brendan Rodgers first-team plans after impressing in pre-season. Now, the 32-year-old believes he is a better player than those he was competing with at City, and he hasnt held back in claiming they made a mistake in letting him leave. "I was better than certain players at Manchester City but I was left on the bench," Toure said in an interview with The Sun. "Before I left the club, I told the people in charge that they would regret letting me go. People said I was finished and that I could never get back to my former level. "But now I am at Liverpool - and I am sure that City must be kicking themselves when they see how I am performing." Toure has also likened his situation to the one his brother Yaya faced during his exit from Barcelona, after City paid 22m to bring the midfielder in and join his elder brother at the club. "I have had a similar experience to Yaya," he explained. "Managers come to clubs bringing players with them and they want to pick them at all costs - whether they are any good or not. "Yaya was much better than Sergio Busquets at Barcelona. But he was behind him in the pecking order and he found that hard to accept. "I advised him to come to Manchester City while I was still there. "He listened to his big brother's advice - and now he is the big boss on the field for them."

Kolo and Yaya Toure spent three years together at Manchester City Toure has made 11 appearances for the Reds since his summer move, which includes eight starts in the Premier League, but he is yet to come up against his brother with the first clash between Liverpool and Manchester City on Boxing Day. The two have never faced off against each other during their careers, and the experience could be a strange one for the brothers who had played for the same club and country for the last three years.

Champions League: What Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United need to reach the last 16 - European - Football - The Independent
Arsenal: Arsenal know exactly what they have to do in Naples, although how they go about it remains a concern for Arsene Wenger. Having beaten Marseille on Tuesday night, the Gunners could have clinched their place in the last-16 if it wasnt for Borussia Dortmunds 3-1 victory over Napoli. As a result, should Dortmund clinch the expected win when they travel to the Stade Velodrome to take on the French club, Arsenal will need to avoid a three goal defeat, or face the prospect of dropping down to the Europa League for the first time (theyve progressed from the group stages for the last 13 years, with the third-placed side only dropping down to the Europa League since 2004-05). A point or better will put nothing into doubt, as Arsenal would top the group and avoid being drawn against names such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and probably Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain should they maintain their top spot in their respective groups.

Jack Wilshere scored twice in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Marseille Chelsea: Jose Mourinhos side secured their place in the first knockout round despite suffering a second defeat to Basle on Tuesday evening. Having beaten Steaua Bucharest and Schalke twice, they have booked their place having accumulated just nine points, compared to Arsenal tally of 12 despite their London rivals still not being assured of a spot in the next round. Chelseas job is simple; win when Steaua travel to Stamford Bridge in a fortnight and theyll top Group E. Lose, and they allow the winner of Schalke v Basle to take the spoils, which would then pose a significant problem for the Blues in the last-16 draw as they would face one of the group toppers that doesnt include Premier League sides.

Oscar has been the stand-out player for Chelsea so far this season Manchester City: City secured their place in the first knockout round for the first time in their history thanks to two wins over CSKA Moscow and the opening victory against Viktoria Plzen their opponents tonight. They still stand a chance of beating Bayern Munich to top spot, although they would require the German club to slip up on their travels to Moscow this evening and then beat them when Manuel Pellegrinis side head to the Allianz Arena. The Chilean manager will be in the good books with the clubs Abu Dhabi owners, having experienced the Champions League failings of Roberto Mancini for the past two seasons as they finished bottom of their group last year and third the campaign before.

Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo have been in unstoppable form for Manchester City in recent weeks Manchester United: The Champions League has provided David Moyes with some sort of escape from the pressures of the Premier League, although fans will want a more convincing performance following the goalless draw with Real Sociedad last time out. A win tonight though would see United book their place in the last-16, and Moyes will be keen to do exactly that with a potentially tricky visit of Shakhtar Donestk coming in December. Should they slip up tonight, Leverkusen would leapfrog them into first place and go a long way to booking their own slot in the draw for the next round, while victory for Shakhtar as they host Sociedad would elevate them to eight points alongside United, meaning a winner takes all face-off would await at Old Trafford.

David Moyes has so far acquitted himself well in his first ever Champions League campaign

Transfer news: Wigan confident of signing Manchester United striker on loan - Transfers - Football - The Independent

- Transfers - Football - The Independent

Coyle confirmed last week the two clubs had a verbal agreement and the move would be made once the 20-year-old recovered from a foot injury picked up on England Under-21 duty. Keane made his United debut in December 2011 but missed the whole of last season after rupturing a cruciate ligament. Coyle said: "I'd be very surprised if that's not concluded in the next day. "I spoke again with (United manager) David (Moyes) yesterday just before they were flying off to Germany. We're both happy in terms of how it proceeds from a football perspective. "The paperwork is there to be signed, whether that's today or tomorrow morning. I don't want to get ahead of myself but we're confident that will certainly happen." Coyle also confirmed, though, that Aston Villa have recalled winger Marc Albrighton. The 24-year-old played four matches for the Latics after joining the club a month ago and Wigan had hoped to hang onto him. Coyle said: "We'd hoped to extend his loan until a minimum of January. He's been a great lad, I can't speak highly enough of him, so much so that he actually came in and trained today even though he was leaving - that's how much he enjoyed being part of the group. "If he goes back to Aston Villa and plays in the first team then great; if he's left kicking his heels then I think he'll be as frustrated as the rest of us because he certainly made an impact at Wigan Athletic and would have continued to do so." PA

Per Mertesacker would welcome 'reward' of new contract at Arsenal Premier League - Football - The Independent
The 6ft 6ins centre-back has grown in stature at the heart of the Gunners rearguard alongside Laurent Koscielny this season, the duo helping secure another clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Marseille at the Emirates Stadium which put Arsenal within touching distance of the last 16 of the Champions League. The 29-year-old admits it took him a while to settle following a switch from Werder Bremen on transfer deadline day in August 2011, with an ankle injury later ruling him out of Euro 2012. Now, though, Mertesacker - who has become a cult favourite with Arsenal supporters - intends to make the most of his consistent form to help drive the Gunners on to success both in the Barclays Premier League and in Europe. "The first year was tough for me, a very tough challenge, but the club and the manager always trusted me in a special way," said Mertesacker. "I think it is a little reward that we are talking (about a new contract), because I still have one-and-a-half years left. "There is no rush, but it seems that some people are delighted with my performances at the moment. I am pleased with the situation." Mertesacker, whose headed goal gave Germany a 1-0 friendly win over England at Wembley during the international break, recalled: "I went through a lot of difficulties and a lot of mistakes at the beginning, but the manager always

said I would get through it because I was a good player. "I took my time to settle down completely and there were a lot of reasons. "I missed completely the pre-season (before joining Arsenal), so it was really hard because I had to work straight away to play straight away. "It took me a while to get to that level, but the manager always trusted me and said I was intelligent enough to cope with problems. "Then I got a big injury in my first year and I missed Euro 2012, so I was fit for my second season. "Maybe it was a good thing that I missed the competition with Germany to train and get my body fit." Despite beating whipping boys Marseille to stay top of Group F, Arsenal are not yet mathematically certain of a place in the knockout stages following Borussia Dortmund's win over Napoli. The Gunners head to Italy on matchday six, and anything other than a three-goal defeat would see them progress while a draw would secure top spot and with it seeding for the knockout stages. Arsenal had raced ahead inside 30 seconds against Marseille through a fine run and finish from Jack Wilshere. It should have been 2-0 before half-time, but Mesut Ozil's tame penalty was saved. The German playmaker did, however, put the crucial second goal on a plate for Wilshere, who swept home a perfectly-weighted ball across the six-yard box on 65 minutes. Midfielder Mikel Arteta feels that shows the mental strength of the club's record signing, who has been under some scrutiny in recent weeks following a few indifferent displays. "Penalties are very decisive moments," he said. "Only a detail makes it go in or out. I don't think it's about confidence." Arteta - who is Arsenal's usual penalty taker, but was on the bench until the final 10 minutes - wants the team to quickly refocus on Saturday's Premier League game at Cardiff. "Cardiff will be very tough. That is why we need to get back and prepare well for Saturday to make sure we get the points again," he said. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini, meanwhile, was criticised by Wenger for cutting the sleeves off his shirt, going against club tradition. The 29-year-old has settled quickly since his return to Arsenal on a free transfer this summer. "I am not really surprised (it has gone well) because the philosophy is still the same," said Flamini, who was back from a one-match suspension. "We are still playing the same football. Arsene Wenger is still here with the same conviction, for me on the pitch it is always the same game so it went very naturally." PA

Joe Cole could seek West Ham exit in January after being hauled off early during defeat to Chelsea - Transfers - Football - The Independent

during defeat to Chelsea - Transfers - Football - The Independent

Cole was hauled off after 40 minutes along with Jack Collison after the Hammers went two goals down through strikes form Frank Lampard and Oscar. The former Chelsea midfielder was furious with the decision, ignoring his manager Sam Allardyce as he left the field and tearing off his shirt before disappearing down the tunnel. The match was Coles third start all season due to hamstring troubles and a spell out of the first team, and despite a bright start following his free transfer from Liverpool in January, he has since be besieged by injury a factor that has reared its head throughout his career. Having spent time on loan at Ligue 1 club Lille, Cole was allowed to leave Anfield to return to London after spending seven years with the Blues. Cole spent his entire youth career with the Hammers, before breaking into the first team in 1999, and he spent a further four years with the club before moving to Stamford Bridge. He made his second debut for the club in January this year in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, and scored his first goal since his return two games later in the 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers, although he has only gone on to score twice in 21 appearances. One of those came in the opening day victory over Cardiff City, but he was soon ruled out for six weeks due to a hamstring injury having just recovered from a similar issue in the summer. His current contract runs until the end of the season, with Allardyce suggesting that Cole needs to prove he can maintain a run of regular football without getting injured in order to earn a new deal. Its not about proving his fitness, its about staying fit, said Allardyce. There is a big difference. A proven period of time when the injuries do not reoccur is more what we are trying to look for and evaluate. But it now appears that Cole could look to move when the transfer window reopens in January, although potential suitors could be put off due to his fragility having been taken off in all three of his starts this season.

Sit-down football protest: Players in Brazil take action over demanding schedule - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Unhappy with the demanding schedules, a knock-on effect of hosting next summer's tournament, players across the divisions sat down on the floor and crossed their arms at the beginning of their games. Players have threatened to continue with the protests and may even strike. Watch the video above.

Could David Ginola replace Andre Villas-Boas as Tottenham manager? The former Spurs winger seems happy to do so - Premier League - Football - The Independent
The Frenchman spent three-years with the north London club which saw him become a firm favourite to the fans as he often dazzled in the Premier League, although he has since been working in the media as a pundit since his retirement in 2002. However, Ginola has spoken of his desire to one day lead the Lillywhites, and with Villas-Boas future beginning to come under intense uncertainty, could he be set for a shock return to the club? Unlikely, as he still has eight months to go until he has the required coaching awards to manage in the English top flight.

Speaking on talkSPORTs Alan Brazil Breakfast show, Ginola said: I would love to manage Spurs one day. I will have my Uefa A license in the next eight months. If you become a manager one day the obvious thing is to manage a club you like, you know and you love. The 46-year-old joined Spurs in 1997 from Newcastle United, and went on to score 22 goals in 124 appearances before moving on to Aston Villa and then Everton before bringing the curtain down on his playing career. For Villas-Boas, he will not be too concerned by Ginolas admission, with his attentions currently occupied on how he gets his misfiring squad to reach the potential that they were accredited with in many pre-season predictions. Having spent over 110m on strengthening the squad after the 86m world-record sale of Gareth Bale, Villas-Boas has seen his side struggle to make a consistent run of form so far this season, with the City defeat leaving them eight points of the pace of league leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal. However, Villas-Boas has shown signs of cracking in recent weeks, having hit out at fans for the negative atmosphere at home matches that both he and the players are experiencing. Spurs suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to West Ham at the beginning of October, and fans were deeply unimpressed with the manner of the 1-0 victory over Hull later that month with many becoming disgruntled at Villas-Boas style of football. More recently, they have suffered defeat to Newcastle United before Sundays loss at the Etihad, and bookmakers have slashed the odds on the Portuguese to be the next Premier League manager to leave a club from 33/1 to evens.

Andre Villas-Boas future: Tottenham to give manager more time to prove himself - Premier League - Football - The Independent
There has been widespread speculation over the former Chelsea manager's position following the humiliating loss on Sunday, with some reports claiming Villa-Boas could be fired. However, the Evening Standard report that while there are concerns at the club, they will not be taking imminent action. The London based paper understands there are members of the clubs hierarchy who are questioning Villas-Boass methods. It is believed informal discussions have taken place over his ongoing suitability at the club but they remain prepared to back the 36-year-old for the time being given the significant summer outlay on players and the fact they remain just two points outside the Premier Leagues top four. Villas-Boas will face the media in Norway tonight ahead of Tottenhams Europa League game against Tromso tomorrow but with qualification from Group K assured, it is Sundays home game against Manchester United that takes on added significance. Although the defeat to City was hugely embarrassing, results have not yet sufficiently dipped to force owner Joe Lewis or chairman Daniel Levy into a change of manager. But the manner of that loss has raised questions over whether Villas-Boas is the right man to lead Spurs through a difficult transitional period following Gareth Bales departure to Real Madrid and an influx of seven new signings totalling 110million.

Villas-Boas is thought to have been frustrated in his desire to land a series of targets, including Joao Moutinho, who has since moved from Porto to Monaco, and Willian, who was on the brink of joining Spurs before Chelsea hijacked the deal at the last minute. However, Levy and technical director Franco Baldini have worked hard to offset the loss of Bale and there are some at the club who believe Villas-Boas should be delivering better results and a more expansive style of football with the players he has. There is thought to be some consternation among the board and the squad over Villas-Boass rigid adherence to a 42-3-1 system that has yielded just nine goals in 12 League matches this season; only Crystal Palace and Sunderland have scored fewer. Rumours of discontent over his man-management style echo those that emerged at Chelsea, where he was sacked after just nine months in charge but victory over United would do much to quell the unrest behind the scenes. Villas-Boas is likely to dampen speculation over his future at tonights press conference in the northern Norwegian city, where there has been heavy snowfall. However, officials expect the game to go ahead as planned.

Qatar relents and releases French footballer Zahir Belounis after outcry News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Belouniss plight, picked up by The Independent, became an international cause that threatened to damage Qatars attempts to burnish their international reputation ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals. The Gulf state finally relented on Wednesday and granted the player an exit visa after decisive pressure was brought to bear by FifPro, the international footballers union. Belounis, 33, had been told he could not leave the country unless he dropped a legal action begun in February against his former club El Jaish over what was then 18 months unpaid wages. Campaigners from the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), who have supported Belounis, said that his legal case will continue even after he arrives back in Paris at 7pm on Thursday. The tipping point came this week when the latest round of negotiations to secure Belounis an exit visa, under the controversial kafala system of visa sponsorship, came to nothing. It was then that FifPro opted to make public their concerns and the Qatari authorities decided that they would accede to the request that Belounis and his family could leave the country. The French national, whose case was taken up by his countrys president, Franois Hollande, when he visited Qatar in June, to no avail, admitted in September that his effective captivity in the country had driven him to the brink of suicide. He benefited from high-profile interventions in the football world, including public support from Arsenal manager Arsne Wenger. Belouniss case was also aided by the former Morocco international Abdeslam Ouaddou, who has been highly critical of his own treatment during a spell playing in Qatar. The next challenge for Belounis will be to rebuild his life in France in the knowledge that his career as a footballer is almost certainly over. The ITUC is campaigning for fair conditions for construction workers in Qatar, especially those involved over the next nine years in building the infrastructure for the World Cup finals. Tim Noonan, a director at the ITUC, who has worked closely with Belounis, said that Qatar had still not signed up to the international trade union standards. He said: We remain concerned about the hundreds of thousands of workers in construction and domestic work who are still under the kafala system that has not changed. It has taken two years of immense pressure to get one persons cause resolved. His legal case will continue.

I have spoken to Zahir and he is extremely happy. As to why the system would allow this abuse to happen is beyond any reason. It reinforces the cause that reform is needed. The community in France will have to help Zahir find his feet again in a professional sense but also to overcome the psychological damage done to him. A delegation from FifPro will travel to Qatar on Thursday to speak to the authorities there about the kafala sponsorship system and how it affects footballers. Belouniss brother Mahdi praised the role FifPro had played in the affair. I dont think its just a coincidence that it happens the day after FifPro said they were going to Qatar to get him, he said. But we should not forget that other players are still trapped in Qatar.

Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates refuses to give up hope of playing at the 2014 World Cup - Premier League - Football - The Independent
The Reds' forgotten centre-back has not featured for the club since coming on as a late substitute on the final day of the campaign in May. It looked like he would be on his way out of Anfield, as he was so infrequently used by manager Brendan Rodgers, but a knee injury while on international duty in August meant he faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines. However, the thought of having a chance to make Uruguay's squad for Brazil next summer is spurring him on. "I'm making progress, slowly but surely. It's been going very well," he said. "It's a long recovery process for this injury and I think it's more about how you are psychologically in your head and trying to keep positive in order to be able to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible. "You always think positively - I think that's the most important thing. "In my case, I keep myself going by focusing on getting back as quickly as I can, and with the national team, the World Cup is another goal to help me with my recovery." Team-mate for club and country Luis Suarez scored in last weekend's Merseyside derby to make it nine goals in seven league appearances since his return from suspension. Coates understandably rates his compatriot highly. "In my opinion he's in the world's top three players," he told liverpoolfc.com. "Certainly when it comes to attacking players, he's up there with the best. "He's in some great form at the moment and let's hope it continues as he's very important, not just for his goalscoring but also for his overall contribution to the team." PA

Transfer news: Stoke City play down speculation linking Asmir Begovic with move to Manchester City - Transfers - Football - The Independent
Reports this week had suggested City were keen on signing Begovic, with Joe Hart potentially moving in the other direction on loan.

Begovic has been Stoke's star performer over the last 18 months and was heavily linked with a number of the Premier League's big guns in the summer. Coates told the Stoke Sentinel: "This latest story was certainly news to me and I suspect it is just a bit of speculation. That's my guess, anyway, and we have certainly had no approach. "He is a top goalkeeper, so this kind of thing is going to happen. We are just concerned that he concentrates on playing for us and doing what he has been doing up to now. "It is important we keep him for the rest of the season. It is an important season and he is a key player. He certainly hasn't made any noises." PA

Real Madrid v Galatasaray: 45,000 Real Madrid fans to wear Cristiano Ronaldo face masks in show of Fifa Ballon d'Or support - News & Comment Football - The Independent
The club have accepted the proposal put forward by two of the largest supporters groups of the La Liga side, and they will hand out the lookalike face masks before the start of the Champions League Group B encounter. Officials have also sanctioned a 10-metre wide banner that will read "Our unconditional support for Comandante Cristiano. For the Ballon dOr and La Decima", relating to the upcoming world player of the year award in January as well as Reals constant attempt to land a record tenth European Cup. There will also be a six-metre-high banner draped over one side of the stadium that reads: We are all Cristiano. However, Ronaldo will be unable to look on from the pitch to the show of support, as a thigh injury has ruled him out of the near-redundant match due to Reals current standing at the top of their group. Mathematically, the Spanish club need a point to ensure their progress, but realistically they are already home and dry as group winners. They face FC Copenhagen in their final group match in a fortnight, but the only way they could possibly miss out on progression to the last-16 would be for the Danish club to beat Italian champions Juventus tonight and then knock off Real, while Galatasaray would also need to beat both Real tonight and Juventus in two weeks with a rather hefty goal swing in favour of the two clubs. Its because of this sense of progression that is likely to be confirmed later tonight that has led the supporters groups to order the masks in from Italy, and they met with club officials on Monday to discuss the best way to distribute all 45,000 of them to the fans in attendance. Ronaldos hopes of claiming a second Ballon dOr title were given a major boost last week when Fifa reopened the voting after what they said was a low turnout in the voting they hope that the extra time will see the participation level increase to over 75 per cent. Having originally seen Lionel Messi installed as the early favourite, his subsequent groin injury plus Ronaldos unrivalled goal-scoring record this calendar year has seen him leap ahead of both Messi and Bayern Munichs Franck Ribery in the bookmakers pecking order for the award.

Transfer news: Jermain Defoe agrees 90,000-a-week deal with MLS side Toronto FC paving way for Tottenham exit - reports - Transfers - Football The Independent
The Mirror is claiming that Defoe has already agreed the deal and will complete the 6m switch in January, having

The Mirror is claiming that Defoe has already agreed the deal and will complete the 6m switch in January, having said yes to the four-year offer last week. The striker is believed to want talks with England manager Roy Hodgson to discuss the implications of the move and how his World Cup hopes will be implicated. Defoe has fallen behind summer signing Roberto Soldado under Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas, despite the Spaniard struggling for any kind of form since he arrived at White Hart Lane, and the reintegration of Emmanuel Adebayor into the first team appears to have dented Defoes chances further of securing regular action. The 31-year-old was left on the bench during their dismal 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend, with Villas-Boas choosing to send on Adebayor at half-time in a failed effoprt to change the game. The introduction of the Togolese striker was his first Premier League appearance of the season, and despite Defoe notching nine goals in cup competitions this season compared to Adebayors zero there appears nothing he can do to break into the starting line-up. He also looks set to disappoint a number of English clubs who were in the race for his signature, with Harry Redknapp believed to be leading the way in an effort to bring Defoe to Queens Park Rangers. Redknapp brought Defoe back to the north London club for a second spell during his time in charge, and he has long been a fan of his throughout his Premier League career. But the four-year contract is likely to see Defoe end his career in Canada, although he does hope a clause can be agreed which will see him remain with Spurs until the start of the MLS season in March, with Tottenhams striker crisis worsening as the season progresses. His failure to play regularly has seen him fall behind Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Rickie Lambert in the Three Lions pecking order, and the move across the Atlantic represents a last-ditch move to resurrect any chance of being involved in next summers showcase tournament.

Gerardo Martino and Carles Puyol demand more intensity from Barcelona following shock defeat to Ajax - European - Football - The Independent
The Group H reverse was Barca's first loss this season in all competitions - and their first under Martino - which cost them a chance to seal the top spot, having already secured their place in the last 16. A fired-up Ajax, roared on by their vocal fans, took the game to an injury-hit Barca in the first half, harrying and hassling them before taking a deserved 2-0 lead with goals from Thulani Serero and Danny Hoesen. Although the Spanish champions dominated after Ajax were reduced to 10 men shortly after halftime and pulled a goal back through Xavi's penalty, they struggled against a home defence well drilled by coach and former Barca player Frank de Boer. "Ajax began with more intensity than us and we paid the price," Martino, who took over from the ailing Tito Vilanova in the close season, said at a news conference. "The second half was a different story and we played in a way more in tune with what Barca represents," the Argentine added. "The problems in the first half came more when we had the ball than when we didn't. "We lacked mobility and precision. In a Champions League match against a rival who is fighting to qualify for the next round you need intensity for the full 90 minutes." Barca have another chance to seal the top spot in the group when they host Celtic on Dec. 11. The Scottish champions lost 3-0 at home to AC Milan on Tuesday and are bottom of the group on three points from five games.

champions lost 3-0 at home to AC Milan on Tuesday and are bottom of the group on three points from five games. Barca have 10, Milan are second on eight and Ajax, whose final game is against the Italians at the San Siro, seven. LETHARGIC START Puyol said the team would have no chance of adding to their four European crowns if they started every match so lethargically. "The idea is to have possession of the ball but when you are up against a team that also knows how to play and is full of fight this is what happens," he told reporters. "If you do not have enough intensity they will roll right over you. "You have to gain experience from all your matches and if we want to win titles we have to improve." Puyol's defensive partner Gerard Pique said it was Barca's worst first-half performance of the season. "We played very badly and we were lacking in commitment," added the Spain international. "In the second half, although we improved, we did not create enough chances to get the second goal. "They can score a goal or dominate during certain periods but what happened in the first half cannot be allowed to happen. That is not the image of FC Barcelona." Barca's next match is at La Liga rivals Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, when they will be seeking a 14th win in 15 matches but will again be without World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who are both injured. The Spanish champions, unbeaten in La Liga, have a three-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid. The only points they have dropped were in a 0-0 draw at Osasuna last month. Reuters

Ajax 2 Barcelona 1: Fan suffers serious head injuries after falling from stand at the Amsterdam ArenA - European - Football - The Independent
The man was taken to hospital after falling around five metres from section 126 behind the goal into the moat towards the end of the first half at the Amsterdam ArenA. Ajax tweeted on Tuesday evening: "After 39 minutes in block 126 (south 1st ring) from row 1 a supporter fell in the moat. He was badly injured and taken to hospital." Amsterdam Police added on Twitter: "Man from the first ring fallen into #arena. Injury still unknown, the victim is transported to hospital." That was soon updated with: "Man who fell from first ring #arena (approx 5m) during 1st half #ajabar was transported to hospital with serious head injuries." Pictures soon surfaced of the fall on Twitter along with rumours that the supporter had died - talk which was swiftly quashed by the Amsterdam Police with a post of: "No update yet available on victim #arena during ajabar. Rumors that the victim would be deceased are not correct!" Former Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, now with Schalke, was quick to respond on Twitter, posting "Ban the moats" soon after the incident.

moats" soon after the incident. PA

Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Champions League match preview European - Football - The Independent
United will book their place in the last 16 with a win over Leverkusen with a game to spare. The Red Devils can also qualify if Real Sociedad beat Shakhtar Donetsk. Sami Hypias Leverkusen are in fantastic form domestically this season and are four points behind Bayern Munich in second. Sidney Sam is unavailable for the German side after suffering a thigh injury in Leverkusens 1-0 win against Hertha Berlin on Saturday. Stefan Kiesling will be the danger man for Leverkusen having scored eight goals in the Bundesliga this season. KICK-OFF: Wednesday, 19:45 LAST THREE MEETINGS: Man United 4 (Rooney 2, Van Persie, Valencia) Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Rolfes, Toprak) 17 September, 2013. Man United 2 ( Veron, van Nistelrooy) Bayer Leverkusen 0, 13 November 2002. Man United 2 ( van Nistelrooy 2) Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Berbatov), 24 September 2002. STATS: United are ten games unbeaten in all competitions. Ten wins in the first 13 top-flight games represents Leverkusen's best start to a Bundesliga season. Marouane Fellaini is suspended following his late dismissal on match day four. ODDS: Man United win 2.9 Bayer Leverkusen win 2.45 Draw- 3.25 TV: Live on Sky Sports 2, 19:30.

Real Madrid v Galatasaray: Champions League match preview - European Football - The Independent

After drawing to Juventus earlier this month, where Gareth Bale scored his first Champions League goal for the Spanish side, Madrid are in a dominant position to qualify for the knock-out stages as well as win the group. Galatasaray have only won one game in their Champions League campaign, but the lack of wins from Copenhagen and Juventus have allowed the Turkish side to remain in a positive position going into the final two macthes. Confidence may be low however, as Galatasaray suffered a humiliating 6-1 loss to Madrid at home in September, a defeat that if repeated again, would allow the other teams in group B to catch up in the race for the last 16. KICK-OFF: Wednesday, 7.45pm PAST MEETINGS: Galatasaray 1 (Umut Bulut ) Real Madrid 6 (Isco, Benzema (2), Ronaldo(3)), Champions League, Group Stage, September 2013 Galatasaray 3 (Ebou, Sneijder, Drogba ) Real Madrid 2 (Ronaldo(2)), Champions League, Quarter Finals, 2013 Real Madrid 3 (Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuan ) Galatasaray 0, Champions League, Quarter Finals, 2013 STATS: Real Madrid are unbeaten in 14 Champions League home games. The Spanish side won 12 of those 14 games and drew the other two. Real Madrid have scored a goal in 29 consecutive Champions League games, thus matching Barcelona's record. Galatasaray have gone 15 Champions League away games without a clean sheet. Didier Drogba is the top scoring African in Champions League history (42 goals) and the third highest scorer currently active in the competition (after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo). ODDS: Real Madrid to win: 1.28 Galatasaray to win: 11.0 Draw: 5.5 TV: Live on Sky Sports Red Button at 7.45pm, highlights on Sky Sports 2 at 10PM.

Manchester City v Viktoria Plzen: Champions League match preview European - Football - The Independent
The Shrewsbury born goalkeeper returns to a side that has already qualified for the last 16 of the competition and faces a team that has only scored two goals and conceded 12 in four European games this season. Viktoria Plzen are one of two teams in the Champions league season who have lost every group game. Despite the unbalanced match-up, City will have plenty to play for as the winner of Group D is still up for grabs. They will be

unbalanced match-up, City will have plenty to play for as the winner of Group D is still up for grabs. They will be hoping to regain points on Bayern Munich who play CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, before travelling to face the German side at the Allianz Stadium on the 10th December. KICK-OFF: Wednesday, 7.45pm PAST MEETINGS: Viktoria Plzen 0 Manchester City 3 (D#eko, Tour, Agero), Champions League, Group Stage, September 2013 STATS: Manchester City are only one point shy of their best Champions League outing in 2011/12 (ten points from six games). Viktoria Plzen have conceded eight of their twelve goals against in the second-half, the joint-most of all teams along with Galatasaray. Alongside CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen have conceded the joint-most goals in the Champions League this season (12). City have only ever lost one European home game (excluding qualifiers) to a non-English side but that defeat came this season at the Etihad against Bayern. ODDS: Manchester City to win: 1.15 Viktoria Plzen to win: 19.0 Draw: 7.0 TV: Live on Sky Sports 4 at 7.45pm, highlights on Sky Sports 2 at 10PM.

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet delighted with 'fair and just' decision to rescind red card for Wes Brown - Premier League - Football - The Independent
The FA announced on Tuesday that the Wearside outfit's appeal against their defender's sending-off had been upheld, meaning he is now free to be selected for the Barclays Premier League game at Aston Villa on Saturday. And giving his reaction, Poyet said on Sunderland's official website: "I would like to express my thanks to the panel for giving the matter their consideration. "Naturally, we are delighted with their decision, which is fair and just." Brown was dismissed in the first half of Saturday's top-flight contest at the Britannia Stadium, which Sunderland lost 2-0, for a sliding challenge on Charlie Adam.

The Black Cats man, travelling at speed when he made the one-footed tackle, won the ball and replays suggested any contact between the two players had been minimal. Referee Kevin Friend deemed it worthy of a straight red card - a decision that left Poyet livid and calling for an apology from Mike Riley, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board. Friend has not been given a match for the next two rounds of Premier League games. Poyet added on Tuesday: "I have spoken with Mike Riley and, whilst the details of our conversation will remain private, I am satisfied with the outcome. "Of course it was hugely frustrating to have Wes sent off, but we accept that officials are only human and, like everyone, they can make mistakes. "Having the red card rescinded goes some way to rectifying the error and we are delighted to have Wes available for Saturday's game at Aston Villa." The FA also revealed that Crystal Palace were unsuccessful with their appeal against the red card Eagles midfielder Yannick Bolasie received in their top-flight game at Hull on Saturday. Bolasie will now serve a three-match suspension. His straight red card was issued by referee Anthony Taylor for a challenge on Jake Livermore 12 minutes from the end of the match at the KC Stadium, which Palace won 1-0. A statement from the FA said: "An Independent Regulatory Commission has heard two separate claims of wrongful dismissal involving Sunderland's Wes Brown and Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace. "With regard to Brown, who was dismissed for serious foul play during Saturday's game at Stoke City, the claim was upheld. As a result, his three-match suspension has been withdrawn with immediate effect. "The claim in relation to Bolasie, who was dismissed for serious foul play during his side's match at Hull City on Saturday, was unsuccessful therefore his three-match ban remains with immediate effect." PA

Celtic 0 AC Milan 3: Mikael Lustig laments week in which World Cup and Champions League hopes evaporated - European - Football - The Independent
The Hoops right-back was part of the Sweden squad which crashed out to a 4-2 aggregate play-off defeat against a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal last Monday as they missed out on next year's finals in Brazil. And to make matters worse, Lustig's hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League for the second season running were left in tatters by AC Milan's 3-0 win at Parkhead on Tuesday night. The defeat leave the Hoops bottom of Group H with just three points from five games an unable to even qualify for the Europa League. Lustig said: "I had a really big dream to go to the World Cup but now that's over. "I also know what it's like to play in the last 16 of the Champions League but that's over too, so it's been a bad week.

"But we just need to go home, maybe be a bit sad tomorrow but then start focusing on Sunday." Lustig confirmed he may now bring forward an operation needed to repair a troubling hip injury. But the pain of defeat was still nagging the defender after Neil Lennon's team all but handed the Italians three goals at Celtic Park. Virgil Van Dijk failed to jump with Kaka as the Brazilian headed Milan ahead, while it was from another corner that Cristian Zapata prodded home the second. And Efe Ambrose failed to get to grips with Mario Balotelli as the maverick striker slotted a third past Fraser Forster. "It's the same feeling as last year when we lost to Juventus," said Lustig. "We played pretty well, had most of the ball and created chances - but it's typical, we haven't conceded a goal from a set-play for almost two years and now we've done it twice in one game. "When we conceded those two goals from corners we had to go forward a little bit more but that allowed them to get their third. "I don't think Milan created that many chances but to win games at this level, you need something extra. We needed to be good in our own box and also be good in theirs. We didn't do either today." Van Dijk missed a golden chance to level the game at 1-0 when he shot straight at Christian Abbiati and Lustig admitted that chance could have made all the difference. He said: "Goals change matches and if we could have got that one straight after half-time, you never know what could have happened. We've played well in every game but you also need that bit of luck." PA

Basle 1 Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho reveals plan to rotate following shock Champions League defeat - European - Football - The Independent
The Blues were beaten 1-0 by Basle, who claimed the double over the 2012 European champions, but advanced to the last 16 as Schalke drew 0-0 at Steaua Bucharest. Chelsea play the Romanians on December 11 bidding to confirm top spot in Group E, something which eluded them in Switzerland as Mohamed Salah's strike settled a match in which Mourinho's men failed to muster a meaningful shot. The limp loss was all the more surprising after the impressive display at West Ham, but Mourinho had made just one change from Upton Park. It is likely he will regularly rotate his options next month, with Sunday's Premier League contest with Southampton the first of nine matches in a congested period. "Clearly I got signs of fatigue," Mourinho said. "I got signs of players in trouble to play two consecutive matches in three days. "That will push me, for sure, to make different kinds of decisions. That's obvious. "In some positions we have that situation resolved in a very easy way because we have lots of players to play the

attacking positions on the right, on the left, behind the striker. "We'll make decisions, again not to punish players, because I don't punish players when I'm not upset and when I've found a reason for a not-good performance. "It's not a question of punishment, it's a question of using the squad and the options we have and to make changes when we have so many consecutive matches." Mourinho refused to criticise his players, but took little comfort from the performance. He added: "The only positive thing is that we go through, but we don't go through because we got the result, we go through because Schalke didn't get the result. That, for me, is not the same. "In the end we qualified, which is the first objective, and now we have the last match at home to get the result to finish first. "I want to praise Basle. They won because we were sleeping in the last minutes, but they won also because they were the best team and they deserved to win." Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o was taken off on a stretcher in the first half and faces a scan to determine the full extent of his leg injury. PA

Mathieu Flamini sleeves row: Arsene Wenger angered after midfielder breaks Arsenal tradition by cutting sleeves for victory over Marseille - European Football - The Independent
During the 2-0 home win over Marseilles, Flamini broke the Arsenal tradition of all players wearing the same shirts chosen by the captain - by cutting his sleeves short. Flamini also did this for Arsenals game against Manchester United and Wenger said afterwards he would not be allowed to do it in future. I don't like that and he will not do that again, Wenger said. It is a club tradition and I was surprised. We don't want that. Flamini, though, insisted that he was fully entitled to dress how he liked. I have played at the top level for 10 years, he said. I like to wear short sleeves. Sleeves aside, Wenger was happy with an evenings work that has left Arsenal on the brink of qualification for the last 16. All they need to do is avoid a three-goal defeat in Naples next month and they will progress. Presuming that Borussia Dortmund beat Marseille, if Arsenal win or draw, they will finish top of Group F. It is unbelievable but it's reality, Wenger said of Arsenals position. We have to finish the job. It is not an easy situation - it is a tricky situation because you can think 'OK, let's just not lose big' but I think that would be a mistake. [We need to] go there, play in a positive way and try to win the game. Everything else would be a dangerous gamble. Wenger suggested that he will rotate for the forthcoming Premier League games against Cardiff City, Hull City and Everton to maximise their chances in Naples. We have a big programme - I will have to rotate a little bit until then [Napoli on 11 December]. We have three Premier League games just before we go to Naples so I'll have to use my squad well without dropping points in the league, and go there with a very strong team.

Overall, Wenger was delighted with a 2-0 win that was never in doubt once Jack Wilshere had scored his first goal after just 30 seconds. We were in control of the game and overall we were never really under threat tonight. We had a good control maybe sometimes we were missing the cutting edge to finish the game off early on but we felt so much in control that we just played on, thinking that would come. It came a bit late for my taste but it came.

Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Wayne Rooneys all fired up - just the way David Moyes likes him - European Football - The Independent
Rooney might have been dismissed within the opening 10 minutes at Cardiff City Stadium for kicking out at Jordon Mutch, but after being booked he scored one of Uniteds goals and made the other. Moyes, having arrived in Germany for Uniteds Champions League group match against Bayer Leverkusen, said: I think Waynes form, attitude and temperament have been first-class this season. I couldnt fault any of them. There will always be times when players have little moments [which] dont quite go for them. On [Sunday] Wayne was probably a little bit fortunate but I dont want him to change. I dont want him to be kicking at anybody, but I want him aggressive, challenging and full of running. I want Wayne to have fire in his belly. I think he plays better when hes tough and aggressive. I think at the moment were seeing a really good Wayne Rooney whos in top form and scoring goals as well. Its a big part of his game: hes an aggressive player, he plays with his heart, as well as the skills hes got in abundance. Thats a big part of what he is. Thats the way he was when he was a boy at Everton with me. A lot of people said that might have been missing from his game last season its certainly not missing now. Hes got the hunger back and the desire back and hes committed for everything. Id rather have a Wayne Rooney that way than any other way. Rooney has had mixed fortunes in Germany. He scored on his last appearance in the country against Schalke 04 but in 2010 in Munich he suffered the foot injury which affected his World Cup later that year. With Robin van Persie still absent with a groin injury, United need Rooney in form, and disciplined, tonight, as qualification for the knock-out stages is by no means guaranteed. The three-time European champions remain in command of Group A and will progress with a win or a draw, should Shakhtar Donetsk improbably lose at home to Real Sociedad. However, should they lose tonight and Shakhtar win, United will need at least a draw, and possibly a win, at home to the dangerous Ukrainians on 10 December. Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick are also out injured, while Marouane Fellaini is suspended. Phil Jones has, however, recovered form his groin problem and may well start in midfield. When I first saw the group I thought Shakhtar [away] would be the toughest match, but this is tough because Leverkusen have great home form, Moyes said. We had a great opportunity to pull away in Sociedad [where United missed a late penalty and drew], but we didnt, so we have a big game now. So they do. The chemical giants one-time works team have never won the German title, conceded four at Old Trafford in September, and their leading striker is injured, but they should not be underestimated. As detailed below, they prevented United reaching the 2002 Champions League final, and what would have been an emotional Glasgow night for Alex Ferguson, but it is not just historical precedent United should beware of. With 10 wins from 13 matches Bayer, managed by former Liverpool player Sami Hyypia, lie second only to European champions Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and in all competitions at home they have won eight and drawn one this season.

However, the loss of Sidney Sam, who has scored 11 goals and made several others, is a severe blow, as sports director Rudi Vller recognised, but it does provide the opportunity for Stefan Kiessling to again press his credentials. The stiker scored 27 goals last season and has 12 this, but a fall-out with Germany coach Joachim Lw means he appears not to be in consideration for the nationalmannshaft. In Sams absence Kiessling is likely to be paired with Robbie Kruse, newly crowned Australias players player of the year. We had too much respect for them [in losing 4-2 at Old Trafford] and had a bit of fear, said Kiessling. Since then we have put in several good performances. Were confident. Were a force at home, but we have to beat these big teams.

Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: The night the Bundesliga side ruined Roy Keanes European final dream - European Football - The Independent
In April 2002 United, with Giggs and Neville, played Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Reaching the final that year mattered even more than usual to Sir Alex Ferguson as it was due to be held at Hampden Park in Glasgow, where the United manager grew up. Ferguson wrote in his recent autobiography that he was desperate to get to Hampden. I was so sure we would get there that I had scouted hotels in the city. I tried to play it down but the urge to lead the team out at Hampden Park obsessed me. At the start of the 2001-02 season Ferguson had told his players that Hampden was the target and that he would be stepping down at the end of the year. With the signings of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastian Veron, United looked well set for their fourth consecutive title but their league form was poor. In February, Ferguson announced that he would stay on but despite the subsequent improvement in results they were still behind Arsenal in the Premier League by April. Expectations were still high for the arrival of Leverkusen, however. United had topped their group, including reigning champions Bayern Munich, before beating a Deportivo la Coruna side stronger than Leverkusen in the quarter-finals. Follow, follow, follow, because United are going to Glasgow, sang the fans. Gary Neville subsequently said Leverkusen were there for the taking. Two problems emerged from the Deportivo tie, though, as captain Roy Keane pulled a hamstring in Spain and David Beckham broke a metatarsal in his left foot in the second leg. Keane had to watch from the bench for the first 82 minutes at Old Trafford against Leverkusen. United went ahead with an own goal but the visitors equalised through Michael Ballack. Van Nistelrooy quickly put United back in front, and Veron nearly made it 3-1 before Oliver Neuville took advantage of some penalty-box pinball and turned the ball past goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, scoring the crucial second away goal. The next week, in Germany, Keane started, but he knew during the official anthem before kick-off that something was wrong. One of our players was fucking shaking. He was afraid. Played for his country, won championships, big star, fucking afraid of taking the big step up, he wrote in his autobiography. After 28 minutes in the BayArena, Keane darted into the box to put United ahead. But just before the interval Neuville, again, spun on the edge of the box and found the top corner. There was a siege, with United having three shots cleared off the line, but they could not score. As Daniel Harris wrote in The Promised Land, Keane was let down by his team-mates, first in his absence and then in his presence. Keane, like Paul Scholes, was suspended for the 1999 European Cup final. Scholes would reach

that stage again, in 2008, but this was the closest Keane ever got. Understanding the magnitude of the defeat, Keane was furious. We had failed to take the next step towards greatness, he wrote afterwards. We settled for the now reflected glory of the treble year. Afterwards in the dressing room I looked around. It wasnt hurting some of them enough. Keane let his team-mates know what he thought about the defeat, and there was a row with Veron which saw the Argentine midfielder fly back to Italy. Of all our defeats in the latter rounds in Europe, wrote Gary Neville, perhaps our least forgivable was Bayer Leverkusen.

Basel 1 Chelsea 0 match report: Chelsea qualify for Champions League knock-out stage despite dreadful display - European - Football - The Independent
Mohammed Salah netted the winner Basel deserved three minutes from time to send the home fans into delirium and leave Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho questioning whether his players have the strength to cope with the winter period after all. They have progressed with a game to spare in fortunate fashion because Schalke only drew against Steaua Bucharest and still trail Chelsea by a point, while Basel remain two behind. Chelseas closest rivals play each other in the final group game so Mourinhos side cant be caught by both, although they will need to win at home against Steaua to guarantee top spot. John Obi Mikel boasted confidently 24 hours earlier that the real Chelsea are back, but they actually look to have taken another step backwards in what is proving to be a season of inconsistency. They have suffered the ignominy of losing to Basel home and away now, although the result was not surprising because they struggled from the outset. Given Mourinhos comments on the eve of the match, much attention was paid to the 11 players he believed strong enough to survive the challenge Basel posed. Ashley Cole and Juan Mata were left on the bench for the fourth game in a row, but Willian was given a chance to impress instead of Eden Hazard, who was among the substitutes. The build-up had also seen a lot of discussion about how Mourinho had given his head a close shave, but in the opening stages it was his teams turn to have a few themselves. In complete contrast to the fast, dynamic start they made at West Ham just three days ago, Chelsea were sluggish and allowed Basel to seize the initiative from the outset. As the home side forced seven corners inside the first quarter, Mourinhos men didnt have look like a side trying to avenge the shock 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge in September or get the win needed to secure progression to the last 16 as group winners. Mourinho used the same 4-3-3 formation as he did on Saturday, but Basel exploited the gaps on the flanks time and time again and could have had the three points wrapped by half-time but for keeper Petr Cech. He made his first save inside three minutes when Marco Streller escaped his markers at the near post in a similar fashion to the way he scored the winner two months ago in London to flick on Taulant Xhakas free-kick. He also had to be alert to palm Fabian Freis effort to safety before midfielder John Obi Mikel cleared off the line

from Ivan Ivanov. However, their luckiest escape came when referee Stephane Lannoy declined to give a penalty even though Frank Lampard clearly handled Xhakas cross. The conditions were a lot colder than when these two sides last played at St Jakob-Park in April and Chelsea won 21 in their Europa League semi-final first leg. Mourinhos icy breath was clearly visible as he stood on the touchline, yet there was no doubt he was getting hot under the collar as his players carelessly gave the ball away time and time again. One rare attack saw Samuel Etoo just fail to get on the end of a great cross from Branislav Ivanovic, but that was virtually the only threat they posed in the first half. In contrast, Mohamed Saleh, who was terrorising Chelsea on the right flank yet again, brought another fine save out of Cech. To make matters worse, Etoo was carried off on a stretcher just before the break after falling awkwardly under Serey Dies fair challenge. Fernando Torres, who has been out for three weeks with a knee problem of his own, came on to replace him. Mourinho walked down the tunnel prematurely to clearly give his players the harsh half-time words they deserved but they didnt have the desired effect. Oscar was the next to feel the managers wrath as Chelseas anaemic display continued and he was replaced 11 minutes after the restart by Hazard. The hour mark came and went with Chelsea still to have a shot on goal. Technically their barren streak finally came to an end in the 64th minute when Ivanovics flick from a Lampard freekick was blocked six yards out, but it hardly caused a stir among their frozen travelling support. Cech was the only Chelsea player to come out of the match with real credit. But the team needs more than that if they are to progress through the knockout stages. They still have an awful lot of improving to do.

Arsenal 2 Marseille 0: Jack Wilshere is on the same path as Aaron Ramsey, but Mesut Ozil needs a goal - or even a rest? - News & Comment - Football The Independent
The example of Aaron Ramsey suggests that recoveries are long, but when they are complete, the results are obvious. That advises caution in the case of Jack Wilshere, who had his own long year out and is now on the long and arduous journey back to full fluency. So while there should be a pause before describing last nights performance at the Emirates as the completion of this process Arsne Wenger even said last week that the player is still feeling some pain in his ankle and must be managed until he does not this was certainly a very good sight to see for Gunners fans. Wilshere is not a natural right-midfielder but he played the role perfectly, darting down the line and inside Jeremy Morel before curling in the opener after 30 seconds, before running into the box to receive Mesut Ozils pass and scoring the second. It was the first time in his career he has scored twice. Ozil a treat to watch. But he needs a goal or even a rest? Mesut Ozil is such a joy to watch, with his subtle touch and his ghostly feints, that you almost forget that he is trying to help his team to win a game. But last night, not for the first time recently, he was slightly inefficient when it came to scoring goals. Ozil should have had two in the dominant first half. His first touch to control a chipped pass from

to scoring goals. Ozil should have had two in the dominant first half. His first touch to control a chipped pass from Aaron Ramsey was uncharacteristically clumsy, and when he took a penalty, his soft predictable kick was in no danger of fooling the opposition goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. None of which is to say that Ozil played poorly, because he played very well $ and his pass for Wilsheres second goal was delightful $ but after an intense first three months in English football he seems like he is a player whose scoring instincts have been very slightly dulled. He needs a goal, or maybe even just a rest, but he would surely be better off with either.

Ozil sees his penalty saved by Mandanda (Getty) Rosicky lacks the muscles, but has all the guile Tomas Rosicky might not quite have the muscularity or the profile of some of his midfield colleagues, but for the fourth consecutive Champions League game Wenger selected him, and was again rewarded. Rosicky rivals Ozil as Arsenals most intelligent footballer and his ability to keep the ball, sense space and fill in for others makes him a perfect pick in matches like last nights. Gunners supporters are turning back the clock Wenger spoke before the game about the improved atmosphere at the Emirates, how the old anxieties had been rather neutralised by recent successes. There was even some novel call-and-response work between the designated North Bank and Clock End sections of the ground. Whether it survives the high-stakes spring-time football which Arsenal have in front of them, only time will tell. Marseilles starting line-up left much to be desired This was not the best advertisement for the Champions League group stage. Marseille are the biggest club in France and yet for them this game was so futile that they left their best players on the bench, improving markedly when Mathieu Valbuena and Florian Thauvin came on in the second half. Of course, they have Montpellier on Friday and need to win. But it made you wonder what they thought the point was.

Manchester United plane in landing scare at German airport prior to Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen - European - Football - The

Independent
United were an estimated 400 metres from the ground when the incident occurred. The pilot came onto the intercom to explain what happened and apologise. Rio Ferdinand tweeted "Landed in Germany....just....I've only just recovered after that choppy landing! #TouchedCloth !! #mufc". A passenger said It was quite frightening, we were coming into land when we had to pull up suddenly. The plane, an Airbus 321, landed safely 10 minutes later. There is always a sensitivity about United and flying incidents because of the Munich tragedy in 1958 when eight players died along with staff and media. United will wear black armbands tonight in honour of Bill Foulkes, the Munich survivor, who died on Monday.

Rio Ferdinand expressed his relieve at the eventual safe landing via Twitter

Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 match report: Jack Wilshere adds vital goals to list of his qualities during Champions League victory - European - Football - The Independent
The 21-year-old does not have to be a midfield goalscorer like Frank Lampard or Paul Scholes to be a great player. In fact, after he scored against West Bromwich Albion this season, Arsene Wenger was moved to remark that he did not believe Wilshere would ever be a significant scorer of goals and he did not intend it as a criticism but the player himself sees it differently. Tonight, Wenger joked that he would be happy to be proven wrong by Wilshere if it turned out that the Englishman flourished into a goalscorer in the same way as Aaron Ramsey has already this season. Jack is starting to think, whatever Ramsey can do, I can do too, Wenger said. The eighth and ninth goals in Wilsheres Arsenal career were significant because, while all around him his teammates were trying to pass the ball into the Marseille goal, it was Wilshere who was able to put the decisive touch on events. Indeed, Mesut Ozil even missed a first half penalty along the way. Nine goals in 116 appearances is a slow start to Wilsheres Arsenal career but with ample room for improvement. Certainly, other midfielders in the past have managed the transformation at Arsenal, most notably Cesc Fabregas.

Wilshere curls in Arsenal's opener in the very first minute of the game (Getty) Arsenal are all but through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League having been far too strong for a weakened Marseille side who conceded within the first minute. Only a heavy defeat in Naples on 11 December would endanger their progress and they only need a point against Rafa Benitezs team to win what is arguably the toughest group of this years competition. This is the newly-assured Arsenal capable of picking off the opposition they are expected to beat. Nevertheless, Wenger said that it was unbelievable that his team has amassed 12 points and were still not sure of a place in the second round. But thats the reality and it is the first time I have seen it in 150 Champions League games. He added he will have to play a full-strength team in two weeks time. The Arsenal manager seemed more irritated by Mathieu Flaminis decision to trim the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt in defiance of a club tradition that the captains choice dictates the sleeve-length of the players. I dont like that, Wenger said. He [Flamini] will not do it again.

Ozil sees his penalty saved by Mandanda (Getty) The Marseille coach Elie Baup made six changes to his team which struggled badly before the break. Arsenal, without Kieran Gibbs, taken ill before the match, were in control from the start and might have won much more heavily were it not for the efforts of the Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Stabilised by two substitutions, they played better in the second half. It was impossible to argue with Arsenals dominance, in the first half in particular, although one might quibble with the manner in which they toyed with Marseille, the proverbial mouse under the claws of a very capricious cat. Wilsheres goal after 27 seconds really should have been the prelude to a full-blooded destruction of Group Fs whipping boys, hitherto beaten in all four previous games of the round. The team placed fourth in Ligue 1 looked well out of their depth in those early stages with Arsenal encamped in their half and no obvious way back into the game for their opposition.

Wilshere's second put the game beyond the visitors (Getty) Yet, Arsenal have not completely shaken off the chance-squandering bad habits of the last eight years or so. In fact, they are a very long way from doing so. The possession count was extraordinary, the chances very decent but somehow Marseille, backed into a corner, gloves up, managed to survive to half-time only one goal behind. Arsenal could just not kill them off. Wilsheres third goal of the season was a beauty, starting down in the right back position where Bacary Sagna was sent down the wing and played in the Englishman ahead of him. Wilshere drove at goal, doubled back onto his left foot and placed a very nice curling shot beyond Mandanda into the top corner of the Marseille goal. Of course, he should never have been allowed the space to do it and it was indicative of the away sides naivety that it was not the only time they allowed him to double back onto his left foot in such a dangerous area.

Jack and the beanstalk: Wilshere is congratulated by Mertesacker (Getty) Minutes later, Wilshere made another chance for Aaron Ramsey when he cut the ball back from the left and

Mandanda, his sides best player, managed to get down to block the shot from close range. There was a strong hint that Mesut Ozil was not at his best when he shinned a nicely-timed chip over the defence from Ramsey that, properly controlled, would have put him in on goal. The 36th minute penalty awarded by the Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lopez was a mistake. Ramsey was fouled by Nicolas NKoulou as he turned but was outside the area when contact was made and fell in. Ozils penalty was the kind that look sweetly insouciant if they go in and bloody dreadful if they dont. His onestep hit was not nearly well-placed enough to go past Mandanda who saved. Eventually, somewhat reluctantly, Baup made some changes for Marseille. He sent on the France international Mathieu Valbuena and Florian Thauvin, the 20-year-old midfielder who joined the club in the summer and of whom great things are expected. Perhaps one day he will join the great French tradition at the Emirates this was a crash course in the standards expected. Mandanda kept his team within touching distance for the last time on 55 minutes when he saved a shot from Ozil but eventually the away team could hold out no longer. There was a familiar triangulation of passes: Ramsey through the back four to Ozil, who cut the ball back for Wilshere in the centre to score his second goal of the game. That was the game over as a contest although Thauvin did force a couple of good saves out of Wojciech Szczesny, the first of which required Nacho Monreal, in for the absent Gibbs, to rush back and hook the ball off the goalline. There can be no excuses for substitute Santi Cazorlas wild smash over the bar in the closing stages with the goal at his mercy. Theo Walcott, another substitute, also struck one wide of the post with the outside of his foot in the closing stages. Six wins out of their last nine games is a very decent record for Wengers team, and their safe passage through the Champions League sets them up nicely for the tests that December will bring in the Premier League. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Flamini; Wilshere, Ozil, Rosicky; Giroud. Subs: Rosicky/Cazorla 74; Walcott/Wilshere 74; Ozil/Arteta 80 Marseille (4-2-3-1): Mandanda; Abdallah, NKoulou, Mendes, Morel; Lemina, Romao; Ayew, Imbula, Khalifa; Gignac. Subs: Ayew/Valbuena 57; Imbula/Thauvin 57; Lemina/Cheyrou 80 Booked: NKoulou, Morel Attendance: 59,912 Man of the match: Wilshere Rating: 6

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid: Spains Champions League hopefuls have an easier time than Englands - European - Football - The Independent
Reals injured forward will look down from his private box and see thousands of versions of himself staring back. There will also be a six-metre-high banner draped over one side of the stadium that reads: We are all Cristiano. The club have organised the distribution of the masks at the request of two independent supporter groups and its a

measure of how comfortable they are in the Champions League that, having all but mathematically assured themselves top spot in their group, they can allow so much attention in their penultimate game against Galatasaray to be concentrated on one players pursuit of a personal honour. Early qualification as group winners might not be the only reason to believe Real could go all the way this season, giving Ronaldo a final back on Portuguese soil next May. This is a Real Madrid side saving itself for Europe and able to do so because of a relatively weak league. Xabi Alonso, who turned 32 on Monday, has been able to delay his comeback after five months out following surgery on a groin problem and a broken toe. He will be rested before big European games as the season progresses. As he decides between staying at Real and exercising his right to talk to Premier League clubs in January, the lesser physical demands in Spain may be a deciding factor. Ronaldo could now have three weeks rest if what coach Carlo Ancelotti describes as a very small injury also rules him out of Saturdays league game he misses the following weeks cup game through suspension. Atletico Madrid have turned the title race into a three-team affair but the intensity required domestically does not compare with what the Premier Leagues four Champions League sides face. This season the English teams will need to apply themselves every week just to finish in the top four, never mind win the title. For Real there is no such strain and their 5-0 win over Almeria on Saturday was a case in point. At the end of the first half Gareth Bale was approached by Almeria full-back Sebastian Dubarbier, who wanted his shirt. Slightly bemused by the request, Bale made his way down the tunnel still wearing his No 11. In the second half Dubarbier, perhaps with the shirt still on his mind, failed to clear the ball on the edge of his own six-yard box and allowed Bale to score Real Madrids third goal. After the game, and despite the heavy defeat, Almeria goalkeeper Esteban appeared in the stadium car park in the hope of getting the former Tottenham forward to pose for photos with his two children. The keeper had stopped very little during the match and Bale got past him again. Arsenals Santi Cazorla has recently suggested that the flat track offered up by La Liga hinders Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League. You watch Barcelona and Madrid win 4-0 and 5-0 and they rarely suffer, he said. When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund came along last season I think perhaps they were a bit surprised. But the counter argument is that just as the absence of a midwinter break hinders Englands international tournament chances, the ferocity of this seasons Premier League could give them a problem against La Liga teams whose domestic rivals want signed shirts as much as three points. The one setback for Real could be that competition favourites Bayern Munich are also working themselves into a situation where the league can be played (and in their case won) at a relative canter. Madrid will hope Pep Guardiola makes a mountain out of the Munich mole problem enough to disrupt their campaign. That would really clear Ronaldos path to Porto. Do not put your house on Aguero going back to Madrid In 2011, when Sergio Aguero handed in a transfer request at Atletico Madrid, he did so believing he would be bought by Real Madrid. He spent !5m (4.2m) on a new property near where Ronaldo lives and expected to stay in the Spanish capital. The Premier League top scorer still owns that Madrid home and every transfer window the idea resurfaces that the Manchester City striker might finally be moving in, with Karim Benzema named as the makeweight; but anyone who saw Benzema run into the arms of coach Zinedine Zidane after he scored at the weekend realises he will take some

saw Benzema run into the arms of coach Zinedine Zidane after he scored at the weekend realises he will take some shifting. Reals BBC forward line of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano has contributed 21 of the sides last 24 goals. And the Frenchman, as was demonstrated by that goal celebration, has friends in high places.

Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 comment: Two-goal Jack Wilshere bowls back into the hearts and minds of Arsenal faithful - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Wilshere was identified as the talent around which Arsene Wengers last great push at the Emirates might be built, an academy graduate stepped in the club DNA, and lavishly equipped to deliver the pass and move aesthetic that has come to define the club. Then three things happened. Mathieu Flamini returned, zil arrived and Aaron Ramsey was reacquainted with the kid who arrived from Cardiff. All of this combined to force Wilshere into the margins of Wengers thinking, starting games from the bench or when selected, shunted into unfamiliar wide positions and leaving the action early. He began tonight pegged to the right but within 30 seconds he had bowled right back into the fray and the hearts and minds of the Arsenal faithful with a goal of exquisite vision and execution. And when things were getting sticky midway through the second half, it was Wilshere who settled matters with a more prosaic, though no less meaningful, effort. The focus of this Marseille shadow outfit was clearly elsewhere. Nevertheless, that did not make Wilsheres insane early chip any easier to execute or the space easier to make in order to create the opportunity. That was pure instinct. It cant have been easy watching Ramsey bust the net with unprecedented frequency in the charge to the top of the Premier League or zil bewitch in an area of the pitch he used to call his own. Wilshere never moaned, he said all the right things, believing that his hour, or minute as it turned out, would come. He showed in the second half at Old Trafford how influential he can be with a performance as substitute that changed the whole dynamic of the match. Timid and colourless in the first half, Arsenal were a different proposition in the second courtesy of the 10,000 volts Wilshere sent coursing through the team. It was not enough to save the day but it reminded Wenger of his value. In contrast, zil rarely escaped the margins. Tonight, Wilshere did not wait to be asked. It is remarkable to think he is still only 21. Despite missing 14 months through injury he retains an unhealthy attachment to the crunching challenge. You would hope that Wenger might coach this out of him over time. He is at his best in the final third with his foot on the ball not going through it. Arsenal should have been two up after eight minutes when Wilshere escaped down the right a second time to send a slide rule pass for Ramsey to convert. Uncharacteristically, he failed from six yards. That is almost cause for a public inquiry on current form. The reclamation of Ramsey is arguably one of Wengers finest triumphs as Arsenal manager. Ramsey was Wengers great project when he stole him from the expectant embrace of Manchester United. Never a bad day when you slip one past Fergie, but serious injury not only stalled progress, it set Ramsey back. Like a kid who loses an entire academic year, Ramsey was forced to start his degree all over again with a younger age group, only this time with baggage. The slow return of bio-mechanical function was not matched by progress in the mental space. The instinctive responses that led him automatically into the right field positions was lost. All is well now, of course. Mental and physical horsepower is harnessed to fearsome effect, making Ramsey one of the most potent weapons in the Premier League. A year ago, last nights miss in this house might have carried more significance. Not any more. Ramsey has earned the right to an off-night in this campaign.

significance. Not any more. Ramsey has earned the right to an off-night in this campaign. The coupling of Ramsey with Flamini in the middle of the park has transformed Arsenals passing template, adding a purposeful core around which a new cutting edge has developed. The addition of zil has not hurt in this regard, aiding the emergence of Olivier Giroud as an orthodox centre forward with a serious goal threat, though this wasnt quite his night either. It didnt matter. This was Wilsheres match, his best of the season by a street. With 15 minutes remaining he made way for Theo Walcott. There was no head down exit this time, no introspection as he took his place on the bench. The crowd roared their appreciation. Wenger applauded him of the pitch. Their favourite was back.

Ajax 2 Barcelona 1 match report: Dutch champions secure shock win to keep Euro hopes alive - European - Football - The Independent
The young Amsterdam team dominated the first half against a Barcelona side that had already qualified and took a well-deserved 2-0 lead into the break thanks to goals from Thulani Serero and Danny Hoesen. But Ajax gifted Barcelona a way back into the Group H match almost immediately after the break when Joel Veltman brought down Neymar, earning the central defender a red card and Barcelona a spot kick that Xavi Hernandez calmly converted. Ajax is vying with AC Milan on the last day of group play for the second spot. Milan has eight points to Ajax's seven and the two sides face each other at San Siro on Dec. 11 for a winner-takes-all contest. Barcelona was missing Lionel Messi and three of its defenders Adriano, Jordi Alba and Dani Alves along with goalkeeper Victor Valdes and its makeshift defense could not contain a rampant Ajax before the break. Ajax had an injury crisis of its own, with strikers Siem de Jong and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson out injured along with Bojan Krkic. But their replacements more than made up for the absences in a pulsating first half. Barcelona clearly missed Messi, who scored a hat-trick in his team's 4-0 demolition of Ajax in September. Instead it was the unheralded Ajax attackers who found the net in the first half. South Africa midfielder Serero unmarked in the middle of the penalty area rewarded Ajax for its early pressure by calmly slotting home a cross from the right by Ricardo van Rhijn in the 19th minute for his first Champions League goal. Hoesen doubled the lead three minutes before halftime when he collected the rebound from a powerful Viktor Fischer drive, rounded Carles Puyol and steered the ball into the net off Gerard Pique. "You can only dream about this," Hoesen said. "I had a good feeling before the match. They are probably the best team in the world and to be able to score the winning goal is amazing." Ajax's quick attacking and committed defending meant Barcelona rarely threatened in the first half, but when it did, it was Neymar who came closest. The Brazilian nearly equalized in the 25th when he left Veltman flat-footed in the middle of Ajax's defense but saw his shot roll just wide of Jasper Cillessen's far post. In the dying seconds of the half, Neymar just failed to get a touch on a Xavi Hernandez free kick. It was Van Rhijn who had provided the cross for Ajax's opener who gave away the initiative when he played a

loose back pass that was pounced on by Neymar and Veltman could only bring down the Brazilian leading to Xavi's 49th-minute penalty. With a one-man advantage, Barcelona laid siege to Ajax's goal for the rest of the match, but could find no way through the wall of Ajax's defenders. Tuesday's match at Amsterdam Arena featured a clash of two four-time European Champions, but Ajax's last title dates back to 1995. Barcelona has won Europe's top club title three times since 2006. An Ajax fan was taken away by ambulance after falling into a dry moat surrounding the field late in the first half. Ajax's official Twitter feed reported that the man was hospitalized with serious injuries. AP

Celtic 0 AC Milan 3 match report: Celtic crash out of Champions League following James Forrest arrest - European - Football - The Independent
With Ajax beating Barcelona 2-1 at the Amsterdam Arena, the Scottish champions do not even have the safety net of the Europa League this season. It completed a terrible day for Celtic whose preparations for the game were severely disrupted when it emerged that midfielder James Forrest had been arrested by Police Scotland in connection with an alleged sexual assault. After much speculation the 22-year-old played last night but the upheaval was hardly ideal for manager Neil Lennon. Celtic had actually started the stronger, Beram Kayal missing a good chance in the sixth minute in front of goal, but gifted Milan the opener in the 12th minute. Unmarked at the six-yard box when Valter Birsas corner came over from the right, Kaka had the easiest of tasks heading past Fraser Forster. The home side tried to find a way back into the game yet left themselves vulnerable to Milan counter-attacks, Mario Balotelli and Kaka both going close. The game turned in a minute early in the second period. In the 48th minute, when Charlie Mulgrews free-kick was blocked by the wall, he lobbed the ball into the box to find the unmarked Virgil van Dijk but the Dutchman blasted a volley straight at Christian Abbiati in the Milan goal. A minute later Celtic were two behind and on their way out of Europe. Birsas lofted corner from the right was met by substitute Antonio Nocerino and he steered the ball across goal to the back post where Cristia Zapata was in perfect position to knock it in from a yard out. Celtic looked as if they had got themselves back into the game soon afterwards when Van Dijk headed in a Joe Ledley cross but the offside flag was up. When Balotelli escaped the home defence in the 61st minute to pick up a Riccardo Montolivo pass and steer the ball past Forster from close range it truly was all over for Celtic.

Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Nemanja Vidic and Robin van Persie to miss Champions League game - European - Football - The Independent
Neither flew into Germany from Manchester with the rest of the United squad, even though Vidic did train ahead of departure this morning. "They are both injured," said Moyes.

"Nemanja Vidic had concussion and Robin has a problem with his groin. "Neither of them are long-term but they are not quite ready yet." Happily for Moyes, Phil Jones did travel after recovering from a groin injury that kept him out of Sunday's draw with Cardiff. Nevertheless, with Michael Carrick ruled out by an Achilles injury and Marouane Fellaini suspended, Moyes does have a selection headache ahead of what he conceded is the toughest match of the group. Bayer Leverkusen have only failed to win one match at the BayArena this season - when they drew with Bayern Munich - and much will depend on whether the United boss elects to use Jones in defence or in a midfield holding role. PA

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri admits 'I wasn't feeling myself' following troubles at Euro 2012 - European - Football - The Independent
Roberto Mancini, the man who threatened to lay Nasri out flat, was never one for throwing an arm around anyones shoulder. Had he remained at Manchester City, it is unlikely one of the Premier Leagues most gifted midfielders would be at the Etihad Stadium preparing for his 100th game for the club, against Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday. Depression and stress well up in all sportsmen, not just cricketers. For Nasri it came to the surface in the bowels of the Donbass Arena in Ukraine after France had lost their Euro 2012 quarter-final to Spain. A journalist asked him for a quote. Nasri told him he was looking for shit, looking for trouble. Then he drowned out the conversation with a cannon-fire of expletives. It took him a year to win back his place in the France squad and when he returned to Ukraine for the World Cup play-offs this month, he was given 3/10 by the renowned French sports paper, LEquipe. It was the same mark they had given Laurent Koscielny, who had been sent off. This time, however, Nasri could take it. At the Etihad, his game had blossomed once more. As Newcastle, Manchester United, Norwich and then Tottenham were swept away, the partnership with David Silva appeared everything it once promised to be. In Manuel Pellegrini he has a manager whom he described as a father figure in a way Arsene Wenger once was. During his lost season he found it hard to talk to his real parents. When he scored the equaliser against England, his father, Abdelhamid, rebuked him for putting his fingers to his lips while looking at the press box in Donetsk. Tactless he called it. I wasnt feeling myself, said Nasri. After the European Championship and the beef with the French journalists, I refused to speak to anybody for months and had a lot of bad press in France. It was a little difficult. In my head I wasnt the same. I didnt play well for Manchester City and lost my spot in the squad. At the end of the year, I looked at my season and realised I was not myself. Keeping things to yourself is never good so I decided to talk to the people I love and decided to smile and be happy and do what I do best - play football. I spoke to my parents, my agent; the people that matter. Before, I had refused to speak to them because it was really difficult and it was all inside me. So, you spend your time thinking. Sometimes, when you make mistakes, you dont want to admit it. That was my biggest mistake. As a player, as a person, I grew up a lot. I am not looking for another incident like this to grow up

biggest mistake. As a player, as a person, I grew up a lot. I am not looking for another incident like this to grow up again but I know my mistakes now and I know what to do to make it right. He can smile now at Mancinis comments. It was just a word. Managers have different ways of working. Some like to say things in the press to make their players react and some like to say things face to face. Some players see things in the press, it touches their ego and they react. Last year I just wasnt in a good place. Everything he was saying was difficult for me to accept. It wasnt his fault, it was just me. One of Nasris regrets was the way he left Arsenal. Had he not done so, he would not have won a championship but he wished there had been more time to talk things through with Wenger. Now that Arsenal look once more to be a force in the Premier League what really does he think? Good for them, comes with the smile. I am happy for the players and the manager because he is a good person. But its just the start of the season. I am looking to be on top of them at the end of the year. I want to be a champion.

Sunderland win appeal over Wes Brown red card - Premier League - Football - The Independent
Announcing the news on Tuesday afternoon, the FA also revealed that Crystal Palace had been unsuccessful with their appeal against the red card Eagles midfielder Yannick Bolasie received in their top-flight game at Hull on Saturday. A statement from the FA said: "An Independent Regulatory Commission has today heard two separate claims of wrongful dismissal involving Sunderland's Wes Brown and Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace. "With regard to Brown, who was dismissed for serious foul play during Saturday's game at Stoke City, the claim was upheld. As a result, his three-match suspension has been withdrawn with immediate effect. "The claim in relation to Bolasie, who was dismissed for serious foul play during his side's match at Hull City on Saturday, was unsuccessful therefore his three-match ban remains with immediate effect." Brown was sent off in the first half of the contest at the Britannia Stadium, which Sunderland lost 2-0, for a sliding challenge on Charlie Adam. The Black Cats man, travelling at speed when he made the one-footed tackle, won the ball and replays suggested any contact between the two players had been minimal. Referee Kevin Friend deemed it worthy of a straight red card, a decision that left Sunderland manager Gus Poyet livid and calling for an apology from Mike Riley, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board. Friend has not been given a match for the next two rounds of Premier League games. Bolasie's straight red card was issued by referee Anthony Taylor for a challenge on Jake Livermore 12 minutes from the end of the match at the KC Stadium, which Palace won 1-0. PA

Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Stefan Kiessling confident Leverkusen can spring surprise in the Champions League - European Football - The Independent

The German outfit left Old Trafford with regrets in September, when they lost 4-2 to David Moyes' men. Coach Sami Hyypia felt Leverkusen were too tentative and nervous of their surroundings, and failed to reach the standard he knows they are capable of. Leverkusen have gone on to prove the wisdom of Hyypia's words since. They currently sit second in the Bundesliga table, are a point adrift of United in the Champions League, and know victory on Wednesday would take them into the last 16 with a game to spare. On home soil they have been particularly impressive, failing to win only against Bayern Munich, who escaped with a draw. So, with United's faltering start continuing at Cardiff on Sunday, Kiessling is looking ahead with optimism. "The first time we played them, we showed Manchester United too much respect and were very anxious," said Kiessling, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions this term but has already written off his chances of making Germany's World Cup squad next summer. "Since then we have played a lot of good games and achieved some excellent results. "At home we are a real force and, don't forget, this is not only an important game for us, it is for them as well." PA

Ryan Giggs admits Arsenal deserve to be top of the Premier League, but claims history shows Manchester United can still win the title - Premier League - Football - The Independent
Although the Red Devils have pieced together a 10-match unbeaten run since their shock home defeat by West Brom in September, it does include matches against Southampton and Cardiff, when victory has been thrown away in the final minutes. Even in Europe, where David Moyes' men have been more consistent, nothing has been sealed yet and should United lose against Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow, they could find themselves in a bit of trouble heading into their final game. Such scrapes are nothing new for the Red Devils. Even under Sir Alex Ferguson they tended to muddle their way through until after the Christmas period, when United usually started to pick up. And, though a new man is at the helm now, Giggs, who celebrates his 40th birthday on Friday, sees no reason why the process should not be repeated. "We've got off to a disappointing start," Giggs told talkSPORT. "The last 10 or so games we haven't been too bad, but the game against Cardiff is one we should be winning. "It's a crazy season, everyone seems to be beating each other. Only Arsenal have showed consistent form. They are up there and deservedly so. "But we've been in so many title chases, and from our experience we know we've just got to hang in there while we

are not playing at our brilliant best, and hopefully the form will come at the turn of the year. "As long as we're thereabouts in January and get a run together, history shows we will have a great chance of winning the league." United's chances of achieving Giggs' aim is not being helped by injuries to Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie, both of whom missed the open section of this morning's training session prior to departure for Germany, and look certain to miss out. The good news was the return of Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic, both of whom missed Sunday's draw in south Wales. Vidic will bring solidity to a defence criticised for failing to prevent Cardiff's second equaliser, whilst Jones offers another option in midfield, where Carrick is missing, Marouane Fellaini is suspended and Tom Cleverley was heavily criticised for his performance at the weekend. PA

Transfer news: Manchester City insist there is 'no chance' Joe Hart could go out on loan - Transfers - Football - The Independent
The tittle-tattle has come after the England number one was dropped following a collection of high profile gaffes, with reports that Manchester City could look to sign a new keeper in the mid-season transfer window. However, Pellegrini says the rumours are nonsense. "There is a lot of news about six or seven goalkeepers that we want to buy but it is not true. "There is no chance that Joe Hart could go out of this squad in January." Hart has not played in Manchester City's last five games, although he will line-up in goal for the Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen on Wedneday. Costel Pantilimon has done little wrong since taking Hart's place and could be back in goal for Sunday's clash with Swansea in the Premier League. Pellegrini said: "I think that is a question for next Saturday. "When we start the next game of the Premier League we will talk about who will start playing. "The important thing for Joe is that he will play tomorrow and we hope he will have a very good performance." Manchester City have already qualified for the knock-out stage of the Champions League, however Pellegrini is keen for his side, who beat Tottenham 6-0 at the weekend, to try and supplant Bayern Munich at the top of Group D. "I think it is very important to win the group," he said. "It is not the most important thing, the most important thing is to qualify, but it is very important to play well also. "The most important thing is to win and then we will see what happens." Captain Vincent Kompany trained with the squad ahead of the game but is not yet ready to return to action after a thigh injury.

Pellegrini said: "Vincent started this week on some work with the whole squad. I think next week he could play."

Harry Redknapp 'tried to get rid of Gareth Bale' during his time at Tottenham, claims Damien Comolli - Premier League - Football - The Independent
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Evening Standard, Comolli reveals how he successfully brought Bale in from Southampton. We were looking for a left-sided, left-footed player. I dont know how many times I saw him that season home, away, cold days, windy days, good days his talent was just unbelievable. It was a long chase. I developed a close relationship with his parents. The key was convincing the player. We told him he would have a chance to play, even if he was only 18. He told me there werent any 18-year-old leftbacks in the top four or five in the Premier League. I said, I know, but you can play left midfield. He replied, No, I dont think I can play left midfield. I said, Listen, you can play left midfield. Comolli was long gone before Bale reached his potential and left in an 85m deal to Real Madrid. Considered to be at fault after Spurs' start to the 2008/09 season in which they picked up two points from eight games, he and then manager Juande Ramos were sacked. They were replaced by Redknapp who oversaw a major turnaround at the club and even took the club to the Champions League. Harry needs to get a lot of credit for what he achieved; creating team spirit, playing very good, attacking-minded football and getting the team believing that they could do it," says Comolli. However, Comolli claims Redknapp was not fully aware of the talents that had been left at his disposal. After I went, they even had a discussion with Juventus to sell Modric, because they didnt believe in him. And he [Redknapp] even tried to get rid of Bale.

Harry Redknapp has denied he tried to sell Bale

In his autobiography, Redknapp vigorously denies this. However, Comolli points to such signings as evidence of his talent in the director of football role, and admits he was surprised to be dismissed. I thought I would stay at Spurs for the rest of my life. I probably was too naive because I had such a great relationship with Daniel [Levy, Tottenham chairman]. Probably I needed to tell Daniel at the time, Listen, whatever people are telling you, they are wrong, because weve got fantastic players. Its not working out with this manager, even though, with time, it will probably work out. But I didnt say it.

Sepp Blatter says it is 'time for tougher sanctions' after condemning Real Betis fans who appeared to direct racist monkey chants at their own player News & Comment - Football - The Independent
A group of Betis fans were briefly shown on Spanish TV making what appeared to be monkey chants at Paulao after he was dismissed shortly before halftime at the Sanchez Pizjuan. The incident was not mentioned in the referee's match report. "Sickened to learn of 'fans' racially abusing a Real Betis player," Blatter wrote on his Twitter feed today. "I condemn their actions, which were seen on TV/online by millions," the Swiss added. "Fifa's members approved a resolution at congress in May to tackle discrimination. It's time for tougher sanctions." Soccer's world governing body agreed in May that evidence of racism should be punished with a warning, a fine and/or the playing of a match behind closed doors for "a first or a minor offence". "For reoffenders or for serious incidents, sanctions such as point deductions, expulsion from a competition or relegation should be applied," they said. Any person found guilty of a racist offence would be suspended for at least five matches and slapped with a stadium ban. Betis published a brief statement on their Twitter feed after the match in which they said the club condemned any "violent or racist act", whether directed at an opponent or one of their own players. Brazil-born Paulao said the monkey chanting was "a disgraceful act" and "very ugly". "My family, in Brazil as well as here in Spain, are sad and worried," he was quoted as saying in Spanish media. "When I left the pitch I was only upset about the sending off and I did not notice, although my friends told me about it later. "It's good that this gets a lot of publicity so that action can be taken. We are all the same. Skin colour changes nothing." Reuters

Burton Albion plan to put 50-year-old on the bench for League Two match Football League - Football - The Independent
But that hasn't stopped Burton Albion calling Kevin Poole into their side. The goalkeeper coach, who when he retired at 48 was the oldest player in the Football League, has been turned to amid a goalkeeper crisis at the League Two side.

Two side. Poole will act as cover for Dean Lyness for the game against Mansfield next week after on-loan stopper Jordan Pickford was recalled by Sunderland. Explaining the decision, Burton manager Gary Rowett told the BBC: "Obviously that is not something we want to do long term. "I said to Pooley at the start of the season that if we have to do it for one game, if it saves us wasting money on a loan keeper for a month, then it makes sense for me to do it. "If we had brought someone in for a month before the game on Saturday [against Bristol Rovers] we would have found mid-window, when we can't bring anyone in, that we would have lost someone to their parent club and we would have been left without a keeper again."

Champions League: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo will miss game against Galatasaray - European - Football - The Independent
The Portugal forward limped off at the start of the second half of Saturday's La Liga victory at Almeria and a scan on Monday confirmed he had damaged a hamstring. The injury was not serious and Ronaldo might recover in time to feature in Saturday's La Liga match at home to Real Valladolid, Ancelotti told a news conference. "Cristiano cannot play tomorrow," the Italian said. "He has picked up a very small problem. I think tomorrow he will start to work on his own on the pitch and we'll see if he can be available for Saturday. "It's a muscle strain but the player is very confident he can play on Saturday. "If there is a risk he could injure himself we will not use him. If he is fine then he'll play." Ronaldo has netted 14 goals in his last seven games for club and country and his injury comes after a demanding start to the season during which he has played every match. If Real avoid defeat against Galatasaray, whom they thrashed 6-1 in Istanbul in their opening game in September, they will qualify for the last 16 in first place. The nine-times European champions top the group on 10 points from four of six matches. Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen each have four points and Juventus, who host Copenhagen on Wednesday, have three. Ancelotti said Argentina winger Angel Di Maria or Spain under-21 forward Jese could replace Ronaldo in the starting lineup on Wednesday. "It could be that we can play with Di Maria or Jese who played very well as a replacement for Cristiano against Almeria," he added. "We have two options and I will decide tomorrow." Real's France centre back Raphael Varane was also unavailable for Wednesday as he needed to rest the knee that was operated on earlier this year, Ancelotti added. "We had a meeting with the doctors and the player yesterday and decided that Varane needs a period of rest and recuperation for his knee. "He won't be able to play for 10-12 days. We hope that with this period of recuperation the knee will not become inflamed. He doesn't need another operation, just rest."

Reuters

Jose Mourinho enlists the help of Chelsea striker Fernando Torres to become 'The Happy Hairless One' - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
Mourinho arrived at a press conference last Friday sporting a new short haircut ahead of their 3-0 Premier League victory over West Ham, and the Portuguese has now confirmed that he combined with the striker to take the nice and cheap option of having a trim. Speaking ahead of Tuesdays Champions League Group E clash with Basle, the Special One appeared to claim a sense of follicle victory in his latest hairstyle. Some people cant do what I did, said Mourinho, amidst laughs from himself and those surrounding him. In a couple of months Ill have hair again. Some other people cannot do it. I decided to do it. I asked Fernando to give me his machine and I did it myself in front of the mirror. Its nice and cheap. But a cheerful Mourinho didnt stop there. He explained how he sent a picture to his wife before arriving home in an effort to dampen her predicted shocked reaction. Mrs Mourinho, I sent a picture before I arrived at home to see if I could go in Yes, no problem, Mourinho revealed, to further laughs as the press conference took a whole new direction from what the manager usually chooses to reveal pre-match. The Chelsea boss has already admitted his determination to win in Switzerland this evening to ease up the London clubs December workload, as a point would be enough to see them through to the last-16 of the Champions League with one game still to play, allowing Mourinho to rotate his squad for the final group game with Steaua Bucharest in a fortnight. The Blues face a gruelling schedule of nine matches in the final month of 2013, with fixtures against Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke preceding the Steaua game, before further Premier League encounters against Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Swansea and Liverpool as well as the Capital One Cup fifth round tie with Sunderland.

Mourinho may have chosen the wrong month to have a trim on top, with temperatures plummeting as Winter approaches

Transfer news: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi admits his interest in Manchester City... sort of - Transfers - Football - The Independent
Messis future with the current Spanish champions has come into question this season following reports of a disagreement between the Argentinian forward and Barcelonas medical team, although this was rubbished by the players management team. Furthermore, club president Sandro Rosell was forced to deny that the new deal handed to Cristiano Ronaldo worth 14m a year had caused Messi to demand a renegotiation of his own, with his current contract running until 2016 with a 209m release clause. The speculation regarding the state of his happiness at the Nou Camp has triggered talk of a move away from the club he joined back in 2000 when he became part of the youth set-up, with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and now Manchester City being muted as possible destinations. And Zabaleta, who joined City in 2008 when he was signed from Espanyol, admits that the two are still close friends from their days in Barcelona and that Messi always quizzes him about the club. I remember when we were in Barcelona we were very close friends because we were living in the same city and had known each other for a number of years, admitted Zabaleta. I was just starting out at Espanyol and Lionel was at Bara. When I signed for City I think two days later the news broke that Sheikh Mansour had bought the club and Lionel always recalls that I joined at such a fantastic time. He asked me a lot about City but I couldn't tell him much because I didn't know much myself but it's something we often talk about. Plus the fact that I'm still here. With City already securing their qualification for the Champions league last-16 thanks to the win over CSKA Moscow last time out, Zabaleta admits that a potential draw against Barcelona would be one to relish, and feels his club would have a genuine chance at knocking out the club that has claimed the trophy three times in the last eight seasons. If we have to face Barca in the Champions League, we will be ready and I think it will be a fantastic game but we'll wait and see, he added. I played against Messi for Espanyol against Barca and I recall in my second season at City when we played in the Nou Camp in the Joan Gamper Trophy and we won 1-0 with a goal from Martin Petrov. So I think we are about level at the moment. Following their 6-0 drubbing of Tottenham on Sunday, City sit fourth in the Premier League table, six points off leaders Arsenal, but Zabaleta hasnt ruled out claiming an unprecedented treble of the Premier League, Champions League and World Cup in the same season. I don't know, the good thing is we are in the race for all those trophies and as a player you have to try and win everything you are involved in, Zabaleta said cautiously. There are differences between each competition, of course. The Premier League is over 38 games while the Champions League and World Cup is over fewer games and anything can happen. From my own experience, winning the Premier League was so special because it means everything to the players and the supporters and it is the biggest prize in England. As for the Champions League, we are up against the best teams in Europe and it is a difficult competition to win being realistic. But we will try our best and you never know in football.

being realistic. But we will try our best and you never know in football.

Sport - Golf

Rory McIlroy opens himself up to scrutiny after admitting dismay at growing pressures of sport after Jonathan Trott's Ashes exit

Rory McIlroy opens himself up to scrutiny after admitting dismay at growing pressures of sport after Jonathan Trott's Ashes exit - Golf - Sport - The Independent
Morgan tweeted his empathy with the England batsmen quoting the legendary Australian all-rounder of yore, Keith Miller: Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not. In other words Trotty, get a grip, man up, grow a pair, or whatever the expression is in Morgans macho wonderland. This is not a view shared by McIlroy, who has spent the past 11 months in a similar personal space to Trott, desperately trying to balance expectation and disappointment. Where Trott has gone, more might follow warns McIlroy. The pressure to succeed in sport is pushing more and more athletes towards stress-related illnesses, he said. As sport becomes so big and theres so much pressure and so much on the line, its becoming more and more common that these sorts of illnesses are happening and it just shows how much of a mental toll it takes on you sometimes. Its sad to see something like that happen. Hopefully he gets home and spends some time with his family and recovers and can come back. McIlroy is hoping to sign off a year of frustration and rancour with victory in Australia or at next weeks Tiger Woods World Challenge in California. At least then the conversation might not be about his form following the lucrative switch to Nike clubs, his legal confrontation with former management company Horizon, the status of his relationship with Caroline Wozniacki or the health of his wisdom tooth. Its been a long year, I guess mentally more than physically, he said. Physically, golf doesnt take that much out of you but mentally its quite draining, especially this year for me, not just the golf and being frustrated with my game but having to answer the questions and having to come up with reasons why Im not playing well and all that stuff. Ive said for the last couple of months I just wanted to try and finish this season strongly and get some momentum to go in 2014. This would be the perfect place to get that first win of the year and give me a sort of springboard into the next season. To prevail this week McIlroy must get past local favourites Adam Scott and Jason Day, Both have been on the Australian clock for a couple of weeks as they take advantage of the gaps in the calendar to contest tournaments on home soil. Scott won the Australian Masters a fortnight ago in Melbourne and cleaned up on the same course last week partnering Jason Day to the team title in the World Cup of Golf. Day won the individual event. I know Im going to have to play my best golf to beat them, McIlroy said.

Sport - Motor racing

F1: Ross Brawn to step down as Mercedes team principal

F1: Ross Brawn to step down as Mercedes team principal - Motor Racing Sport - The Independent
Brawn made clear at the start of the year he would only remain in charge if he could be the point of reference. But, after lengthy discussions, the Brackley-based team is now to be run by Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe in their roles as executive director (business) and executive director (technical) respectively. Brawn, who will formally leave the team on December 31, said: "The most important consideration in my decision to step down from the role as team principal was to ensure that the timing was right for the team in order to ensure its future success. "The succession planning process that we have implemented during this year means we are now ready to conduct the transition from my current responsibilities to a new leadership team composed of Toto and Paddy." Non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has tried for months to persuade one of the most successful men in the sport to stay on, especially ahead of the most dramatic change in the regulations for 2014. The V8-powered era came to an end with Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, with Formula One to run turbo-charged 1.6-litre V6 powertrains from next season. Despite that, and on the back of Mercedes' highest finish in the constructors' championship this season since their return to the sport in 2010 with second, Brawn feels compelled to leave.

Believing he departs with the team in good shape, Brawn added: "Mercedes-Benz has invested significantly in both the personnel and infrastructure at Brackley and Brixworth (engines). "Thanks to the one-team approach we have implemented between the two facilities, the team is uniquely positioned to succeed in 2014 and I am proud to have helped lay the foundations for that success. "However, 2014 will mark the beginning of a new era in the sport. "We therefore felt this was the right time to simultaneously begin a new era of team management to ensure the organisation is in the strongest possible competitive position for the years to come. "We can take pride not just in our on-track achievements but also in the organisation we have built at Brackley. "In its different guises over the past six seasons this team has delivered some of the most memorable moments of my career. "Our second place in this season's constructors' championship is an important milestone on the road to championship success. "I am confident the future will hold just as much success for the team and will take real pride in having played my own part in those achievements."

Sport - Olympics

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Zoe Gillings is a hopeful jump ahead

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Zoe Gillings is a hopeful jump ahead - Other events - Olympics - The Independent
Next month Gillings begins a winter campaign designed with intricate care to culminate in triumph in Russia. Barring disaster an ever-present possibility in snowboarding, given the sports painful vagaries the 28-year-old from the Isle of Man will arrive in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in February and journey the 40 miles up into the mountains to the resort of Rosa Khutor, where she will compete in her third Olympic Games. There is unlikely to be a betterprepared athlete in the event, in which snowboarders race each other down a course. Gillingss knowledge of the 1,250m course, with its eight turns and myriad jumps and rollers, is already exhaustive. She rode it at the start of the year at its test event, since when the English Institute of Sport has built her an imitation start gate for her to use in her garden in Leeds. She then spent a chunk of the summer practising over a series of replica jumps she and a couple of other British snowboarders built 3,900m above sea level on the Zermatt glacier in Switzerland. Back home she has spent time training in an altitude chamber at John Moores University in Liverpool. During the test event in February, Gillings used a GPS tracking device to record the course as well as filming it via a miniature camera attached to her helmet. She has viewed the footage hundreds of times and will watch it hundreds more before she steps up to the real start gate next year. It is a first-person view of exactly what I saw and what I will see going down the course, says Gillings, whose

Olympic season begins in the Austrian resort of Montafon on 14 December. It enables you to practise the course without having access to it. It is a fun course to ride. Usually the tougher, faster, scarier ones tend to suit me. The start section is very important. The faster you can get out of the start gate and over the first features then you can get in front and stay out of trouble. Thats the most important area. The specific features that I had a bit of a problem on, I have been working on over the summer. We made replicas of some of the features and practised them so I can get them perfectly.

Zoe Gillings eats, sleeps and dreams the Sochi course (Getty) This is eating, sleeping and dreaming Sochi: The idea of dreaming about [the course] worries me so I try not to watch the footage before I go to bed! But it is implanted in her mind. If you asked me to describe it, I could without any difficulty. Out the start gate, steep down, drop off, another steep, roller, roller, step up, glide, land I could go on. Gillingss career has been as up and down as one of the courses she bounces down at speeds of around 50mph. Hers has never been a conventional life. She and her two brothers were home schooled, spending part of the year on the Isle of Man and the rest in Albertville, France, where she learned to ski aged three. The career advice given to me and my brothers was, Find something you love to do and then find someone to pay you to do it, says Gillings. Thats what weve done. In 2005 she shattered bones in her right foot and was told by the surgeon that that was it for her career. A year later she came 15th at the Turin Winter Games. At the 2010 Games in Vancouver she improved to eighth medal winners in the sport tend to be in their early 30s only to lose her lottery funding as the UK governing body for skiing and snowboarding collapsed. Gillings helped make ends meet by setting up a website that sourced shopping discounts for her fellow Manx. A new governing body, British Ski and Snowboard, was formed and Gillings regained her funding. Now under the guidance of Paddy Mortimer, the BSS performance director, she is back up to No 8 in the world. To qualify for Sochi she must be in the top 24 come January and once in Russia anything is possible just ask Lindsey Jacobellis. The American was cruising towards gold in Turin 2006, tried one trick too many and ended in an embarrassed heap in the Piedmont snow. Eight years later she will be back in Sochi still looking to make amends. You work for four years and says Gillings. It can be right out of your control, another girl could just crash into you and then youre out. No one is ever quite sure what is going to happen. The reality of it is frustrating at times but

it is all part of the sport and what makes it exciting. I want a medal from every competition. Its unpredictable so nobody can be sure of getting one. Over the last couple of seasons I have beaten all the girls who are going to be competing [in Sochi] so its not a certainty but it is a possibility.

Sport - Racing

Puffin seeks to regain perch among top hurdlers

Puffin seeks to regain perch among top hurdlers - Racing - Sport - The Independent
The Listed Gerry Feilden Hurdle was run on Hennessy day as recently as two years ago, when it was won by that seasons Champion Hurdle winner, Rock On Ruby. The weights are headed today on Thursday by the Oliver Sherwood-trained Puffin Billy, who remains in Berkshire rather than make the trip to Newcastle on Saturday for the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle. The five-year-old won his first four starts in his inaugural campaign but endured a spring of underachievement. He finished lame when runner-up to the smart Melodic Rendezvous at Exeter before blundering away his chances when going well two out in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and again being reported lame after a tame fifth at the same course in April. Sherwood plainly senses an opportunity to get his charges career back on track in the eight-runner contest. We expected a hot little race for the money but Im surprised so many have dropped out, to be honest, he said. For a race of this nature eight runners is a pretty small field its usually double figures. They are all entitled to be there, though. It will be good to get him going. I went to Newbury to walk the track on Tuesday and I think it will be dead, tiring ground, but we wont be using that as an excuse. Hes schooled great, his jumping has really come on. Puffin Billy has to give 3lb to Nicky Hendersons Chatterbox, who upstaged his stablemate My Tent Or Yours installed as odds-on favourite for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle over this course and distance 11 months ago and finished a creditable fourth to this seasons Champion Hurdle favourite The New One at the Festival. At the bottom of the handicap is the J P McManus-owned Get Back In Line, in a similar mould to the same connections recent Haydock winner More Of That At Thurles in Ireland, the French Grade One winner Rubi Ball makes his debut for Willie Mullins in the Rock of Cashel Hurdle. The eight-year-old, who won 16 of his 39 starts for Jacques Ortet, including the Prix la Haye Jousselin at Auteuil, is favoured by the weights .

Sport - Rugby Union

Northampton face fine after releasing George North for Wales duty Rugby World Cup 2015: Progressive tickets but some nightmarish late kick-off times

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets, venues, fixtures: Prices start low but will soar at the sharp end Wales v Australia: Warren Gatland calls for 'never-give-in attitude' to spark his side into life against southern-hemisphere sides Wales v Australia: British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland warns: These Aussies are different Wales v Australia: Alex Cuthbert makes a surprise return to Wales team

Northampton face fine after releasing George North for Wales duty - Club Rugby - Rugby Union - The Independent
Though Saints argued that their agreement with North has not contravened any rules, laws or regulations, they are likely to be investigated by Premiership Rugby and could be hit with a five-figure fine. The Australia game falls outside the International Rugby Boards official autumn window and Premiership Rugbys policy states that no non-England players should subsequently be released for matches or training camps. That policy was agreed by all 12 Premiership clubs, with any breaches governed by a code of conduct. Bath prop Paul James has returned to the Recreation Ground this week, while Perpignan players James Hook and Luke Charteris have also left the Wales camp to rejoin their club. North, 21, moved to Northampton from the Scarlets earlier this year. The IRB is also taking steps to avoid a repeat of the scenario where England face New Zealand in the first Test of next years summer tour with a weakened team. Stuart Lancasters side open the series on 7 June, just seven days after the Premiership final is staged at Twickenham. The proximity of the dates means head coach Lancaster is resigned to being unable to field his first-choice starting XV until the second Test on 14 June. The IRB chief executive Brett Gosper said: Its the product of a crowded season. These calendars were decided some years ago. Were looking at the windows at the moment to see if we can find a better balanced calendar. Wales international lock Ian Evans will join Heineken Cup holders Toulon on a three-year contract this summer.

Rugby World Cup 2015: Progressive tickets but some nightmarish late kickoff times - News & Comment - Rugby Union - The Independent
Those same organisers took another positive stride forward by unveiling a progressive ticketing policy that was fairer and more reasonable than it might have been. Not that the Rugby Football Union has turned Marxist overnight: premium viewing at the Twickenham final will cost upwards of 700; the best seats for the quarter-finals and semifinals are hardly a snip at 500-plus; some tickets for the major pool games, including those featuring England, will set you back 41 times the current living wage rate. How on earth will Prince Harry afford it? Yet the provision for children every group match, including such show-stoppers as England-Wales at Twickenham, will offer cheap tickets for kids is a welcome development and it comes as a pleasant surprise that rugger-buggers of the fully grown variety will be able to watch the Wallabies at Villa Park or the Springboks at the Olympic Stadium for 20 a throw. To be able to pop along to Kingsholm and see Tonga against, say, Georgia for the price of a round of beers is quite something in this day and age.

Where the announcement was not fair and reasonable, or anything like it, was in the timing of late kick-offs on major match days. The notion of arriving at Twickenham for an 8pm start on a Saturday night is gruesome enough. The idea of leaving the stadium, along with 82,000 others, some time after 10pm borders on the nightmarish. If you live in the area, you are now officially at risk of being trampled to death in the stampede of railway staff seeking voluntary redundancy. This is a broadcasting call pure and simple, whatever was said to the contrary by the organisers, so praise be to the Great God Television a contradictory beast that somehow achieves the simultaneous feats of giving life to professional sport while killing it at a touch. Not for the first time (and sure as eggs, it wont be the last), the matchday experience for the man, woman and child in the street has been sacrificed on the altar of the small screen. Fancy a convivial drink and a chewing of the fat after paying top dollar to watch England fight it out with Australia? Go for the Sunday lunchtime in the local option, on the basis that you might just have made it home by then. It is tempting to wonder whether these people will ever learn. Back in 2011, some bright spark came up with the idea of scheduling the Six Nations game between Wales and England on a Friday night, thereby ensuring a rush-hour traffic jam that started in one of the competing countries and ended in the other. There was, naturally enough, a delayed kick-off. There was also all manner of fun and games at Cardiff railway station, which, inexplicably, was not designed to handle the sporting equivalent of the Red Army invading its platforms all at once. Friday-night fixtures were dropped thereafter, but only temporarily: soon, they will be back at a stadium near you. The supporters may hate them like poison, but whats it to do with them? Theyre only the public, after all.

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets, venues, fixtures: Prices start low but will soar at the sharp end - News & Comment - Rugby Union - The Independent
The Rugby Football Union and its off-shoot England 2015, the body that will deliver the tournament, see the World Cup as an opportunity to broaden the sports appeal beyond its normal audience but have to balance that with the need to raise a hefty 80million through ticket sales alone in order to pay the International Rugby Board (IRB) its fee for hosting the event. It means top-end tickets will be more expensive than ever 715 is the highest price for the final compared to 545 in New Zealand in 2011 and it also means there will be no concessions once the pool stages are complete, apart from for the third-place play-off at the Olympic Stadium. The organisers insist though they have struck the right balance. Concessions for the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil are 15, while there were pay your age for some 2012 Olympic events but not for the blue-riband ones, such as 100m final night. Our focus is on the pool stages when there are matches across the country, said Debbie Jevans, chief executive of England 2015. Thats where we are going to be family-oriented. When you get to the back-end that is where we dont anticipate there will be as many families and thats where your core rugby fan will be watching. There are very few major sporting events that offer children entry prices of 7 to watch the worlds biggest teams. The price of the knockout stages, with a cheapest ticket for the quarter-finals 95, for the semi-final 125 and the final 150, will certainly narrow the focus to the sports core audience. Brett Gosper, chief executive of the IRB, admitted that the lack of cut-price tickets for the business end of the event is because of the need to raise revenue through which the governing body funds the global game. Those games as you get to the sharp end of the tournament tend to be a slightly different crowd who are willing to pay the higher price, said Gosper. Thats part of the balancing of the economics of putting on a big tournament like this. In order to get accessible tickets you have also got to move ticket prices at the other end.

this. In order to get accessible tickets you have also got to move ticket prices at the other end. Next year 2.3m tickets will go on sale, first through rugby clubs to their members then to the wider public, with a cheapest adult price of 15. Six Nations tickets for Twickenham range from 60 to 90 with no concessions. The cheapest tickets to watch England at Twickenham in the World Cup will be 75 for an adult, 15 for a child, although around three-quarters of the stadiums 82,000 seats will be sold for 160, 215 and 315. For Englands one pool game away from HQ, at Manchester Citys stadium against a qualifier, the cheapest tickets for adults will be 50 but again there will only be around a quarter of the stadiums capacity on offer at that level, the remainder will be sold at between 125 and 250. Away from England there are some strikingly low prices 20 to see South Africa play in Brighton or France at the Olympic Stadium or Australia at Villa Park. The organisers were keen to point out a family of four can go to Villa Park to watch Australia against a qualifier at midday on a Sunday for a total of 70. The lowest prices are for games between qualifiers as well as some matches involving the Pacific Islands sides; it will cost an adult 15 to see Tonga in Gloucester or Samoa in Brighton, an under-16 7. Significantly more expensive will be All Blacks tickets, with a cheapest of 50 to watch them against an African qualifier in the Olympic Stadium. For the knockout stages prices rise across the board. For the quarter-finals tickets will be over 150 for three-quarters of the seats in Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium. For the semi-finals three-quarters of the available seats at Twickenham will cost 215 to 515. For the final, prices range from 150 to 715. In all more than half the tickets will cost more than 100, although the balancing act sought by the organisers means that half a million will be 50 and under. There is another juggling of demands in the distribution of tickets. The IRB expect over 70 per cent to end up with fans, the rest going to hospitality, the different unions and teams and sponsors. In England the number on sale to the general public will be 700,000 after half a million have been sold through clubs. All RFU-affiliated clubs will have access to final tickets. Jevans expects tickets will remain on sale into 2015 but that the venues will be full come kick-off. Our ambition is to sell out every venue, every ticket for the Rugby World Cup 2015, she said. The organisers yesterday also revealed kick-off times with all Englands pool games starting at 8pm, the first three of them at Twickenham. England open the tournament on a Friday evening against the top Oceania qualifier, almost certainly Fiji, and then play Wales and Australia on successive Saturdays before completing the initial stage against a play-off winner in Manchester the following Saturday. How it works The first of the 2.3m tickets go on sale in January as part of travel packages. In May half a million tickets go on sale through RFU member clubs and 700,000 on general sale via Ticketmaster in September. How much it costs Stadiums are divided into four categories, plus two child (under-16) categories in the pool stages. For England games prices range from 315 to 50 for adults and 15 for children. For the other home unions prices range from 250 to 20 and 15 for children. The cheapest tickets for the rest are 15 for adults, 7 for children. For the knock-out stages prices range from 95 to 715. When will it be played England kick-off the World Cup on Friday, 18 September at 8pm at Twickenham. All Englands pool games begin

at 8pm. Other kick off times are midday, 2.30pm and 5pm. The final begins at 5pm on 31 October.

2015 Rugby World Cup schedule and ticket prices How the ticket prices compare to other sports Rugby World Cup final 2015 Price range: 150-715 Rugby World Cup pool match 50-315 Rugby World Cup final 2011 170-545 England v New Zealand at Twickenham this month 40-98 Rugby League World Cup final at Old Trafford on Saturday 30-379 Football World Cup final 2010 106-633 Football World Cup final 2014 270-607 Football World Cup qualifier at Wembley 35-65

First F1 race 2014 (Australia): Weekend 1,050-2,600; Sunday day ticket from 44 Wimbledon mens singles final 2014 148 Second Ashes Test at Adelaide 44-135

Wales v Australia: Warren Gatland calls for 'never-give-in attitude' to spark his side into life against southern-hemisphere sides - International - Rugby Union - The Independent
New Zealand's league side knocked semi-final opponents England out of the World Cup at Wembley with a converted last-minute try, before the All Blacks similarly accounted for crestfallen Ireland in Dublin 24 hours later. Australia are Wales' opponents on Saturday, making a Millennium Stadium return a year after stunning their hosts 14-12 through a Kurtley Beale touchdown in the dying seconds. "It's that never-give-in attitude. We saw it in the rugby league as well (on the weekend)," Gatland said. "I can only talk about my own experiences. You fight until your last breath with everything you've got. That's the mindset. "You try to bring that same attitude into the squads you are dealing with. With the Welsh team we've worked hard and are in great shape physically, and it's about transferring that into the little one per centers that we are now talking about. "The pleasing thing for me as a coach in this autumn campaign is how we fixed for the Argentina game the areas where we were a bit exposed and underdone against South Africa. "There have also been other improvements, and it's just about little fine margins and making sure we keep working on those. Then with a bit of luck you get across the line." The 50-year-old New Zealander knows what it takes to topple Australia, having masterminded the British and Irish Lions' 2-1 Test series triumph Down Under earlier this year. Wales have 11 players from that trip in their starting line-up this weekend, but the recent record against Australia is poor - eight successive defeats since 2008. "I don't think I learnt anything that I didn't already know," Gatland added. "You have to play for 80 minutes and there are periods of the game where they are going to come at you and you are going to have to soak up some pressure. It's going to be physical. "The game at the very highest level is based in certain matches on a lot of emotion, and you have to bring that emotion with you." "Two contrasting levels of emotion were in the Ireland-All Blacks game. You saw a level of emotion from Ireland, while the All Blacks probably weren't at the same level in the first half. They probably brought a bit more in the second half. "That is what I learnt from the Australia experience, that emotionally it's difficult to get the very highest level, and if you can on one or two occasions in a year that potentially makes the difference between winning and losing."

PA

Wales v Australia: British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland warns: These Aussies are different - International - Rugby Union - The Independent
Ewen is trying to put his mark on the Australian team and I respect him for that, said Gatland, now back in the day job with Wales and planning for this weekends meeting between the two countries in Cardiff the final international fling of a long and intense autumn programme. Discipline is a massive factor. I applaud Ewen for doing what he did. What Ewen did was dramatic, to say the least: he slapped a one-match ban on half a dozen front-line players, including the long-serving wing Adam Ashley-Cooper, for hitting the bar late at night during preparations for last weekends Test in Ireland, and issued formal warnings to nine others. He then went public with a detailed explanation of his actions, during which little was left unsaid. If the Wallabies do not know the mind of their coach now, they must be seriously thick. It is a matter of record that the Lions some of them, at least hit the sauce with a vengeance between the Melbourne Test at the end of June and the Sydney Test a week later, but they had the blessing of a tour management keen to release some tension as a bitterly fought series built to a climax. In Ireland, the Wallaby culprits took it upon themselves to act outside team protocols and, by extension, to question McKenzies authority. The answer they received from the World Cup-winning prop was very loud and clear. Saturday evenings curtain-down contest at the Millennium Stadium should prove worthy of its stand-alone status. Gatland, sick to the back teeth of leaks from the team room, named his side yesterday, 48 hours earlier than expected, and included no fewer than 11 Lions tourists. One of them, the wing Alex Cuthbert, was picked after making a surprisingly rapid recovery from an injury that had threatened to wreck his autumn entirely. I took a lot from the summer, said the 23-year-old Cardiff Blues back, who scored a fine try on his Lions Test debut in the Brisbane Test before losing his place to the Irish wing Tommy Bowe. I think I grew up during that trip and I want to prove it by putting on a performance for myself, my family and my supporters this weekend against one of the worlds best teams. All Im thinking about is getting back out there. The Brisbane game was the first time Id beaten a major southern-hemisphere side and to score as well I was pretty happy with that. Ive scored on a regular basis for Wales too, so my confidence is high. When my injury was diagnosed [a hairline fracture of his ankle during a Heineken Cup game in October] it seemed I had no chance of playing in this series. But Im back two weeks ahead of schedule and the adrenaline is pumping. Gatland has been bombarded with questions about the Lions victory and its relevance to this weekends fixture, but as he considers the summers events to be wholly irrelevant, there are no parallels to be drawn. Australia are a completely different side now, the coach argued. He was more interested in discussing his own selection, in which Dan Biggar of Ospreys features at outside-half ahead of his Scarlets rival Rhys Priestland. It was a tight decision, Gatland acknowledged. Both players have their strengths, but Ive gone for the No 10 in form the man with a little more confidence. Apart from centre, where Owen Williams and his namesake Scott will link up in the absence of Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts, and at tight-head prop, where Rhodri Jones fills in for the stricken Adam Jones, the Welsh will be at something close to full strength. Always assuming no one heads for the pub.

Wales v Australia: Alex Cuthbert makes a surprise return to Wales team International - Rugby Union - The Independent

Cuthbert suffered an ankle injury during Cardiff Blues' Heineken Cup victory over holders Toulon last month and missed the opening three November Tests against South Africa, Argentina and Tonga. But his record at the highest level as a proven tryscorer means he is rushed back for Saturday as Wales look to claim their first major southern hemisphere scalp since beating Australia five years ago. Elsewhere flanker Dan Lydiate features in the back row with Justin Tipuric on the bench, while Dan Biggar wins Wales coach Warren Gatland's fly-half vote ahead of Rhys Priestland, who is among the replacements. Cuthbert, who has scored nine tries in his 18 appearances for Wales, will line-up in an experienced back-three with George North (Northampton Saints) and Cardiff Blues' Leigh Halfpenny. Scarlets centre Scott Williams has recovered from a toe injury and will line-up alongside Cardiff Blues centre Owen Williams, who scored on his first outing at the Millennium Stadium against Tonga last Friday. Gethin Jenkins, who became a centurion on his last outing for Wales a fortnight ago, returns with Richard Hibbard to the front-row and Rhodri Jones will start his third consecutive game at tight-head. British and Irish Lions duo Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones, who started all five of Wales' 2013 RBS 6 Nations games together, renew their partnership in the second-row. "It's great to have Alex and Scott available and they bring a lot of experience into the backline," said Gatland. "Alex and the medical teams have worked really hard to ensure he is ready for this weekend and it's great to be able to bring him back into the side. "We thought Owen (Williams) performed well in the centre against Tonga and he gets another opportunity on Saturday. "There is a lot of experience in the pack for what is going to be a very physical game. We are looking to finish the series off well. The last three games against Australia have gone right down to the wire and I don't expect anything different this weekend." On the bench Scarlets scrum-half Rhodri Williams, who made his debut as a second-half replacement against Tonga, keeps his place in the matchday squad. Wales team to face Australia in Saturday's autumn international at the Millennium Stadium: Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), O Williams (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Scarlets), North (Northampton Saints), Biggar (Ospreys), Phillips (unattached), Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Hibbard (Ospreys), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), AW Jones (Ospreys), Evans (Ospreys), Lydiate (Racing Metro), Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons). Replacements: Owens (Scarlets), Bevington (Ospreys), Lee (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Tipuric (Ospreys), R Williams (Scarlets), Priestland (Scarlets), L Williams (Scarlets). PA

Sport - Tennis

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award - Others - More Sports - The Independent
To check out the 10 contenders, click 'VIEW GALLERY' above Last year Bradley Wiggins won the public vote more than 1.6m votes were cast after becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France and adding Olympic time-trial gold, while Farah came only fourth, behind Jess Ennis and Murray, despite his double Olympic gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m. In August Farah mirrored his Olympic achievements at the World Championships in Moscow. Yet after ending the countrys worst sporting drought to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936, Murray is widely regarded as a sure thing for the traditional end-of-year award. The Scot is as short as 50-1 on with some bookmakers. Farah and former winner Tony McCoy, who rode his 4,000th winner this month, are a distant second and third favourite respectively. Murray is one of eight men on the short list the wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft and Christine Ohuruogu are the only women. The BBC have been in the past been criticised for failing to give due recognition to women and surprisingly there is no place for Becky James, who won two gold and two bronze medals at the world track championships. There are eight different sports represented but no footballers, with Gareth Bale a notable absentee. Leigh Halfpenny and Ian Bell are singled out from major team sports, rugby union and cricket respectively 1997 was the last year a tennis player was chosen as Sports Personality when Greg Rusedski was given the honour, which has been running since 1954, for reaching the final of the US Open. In contrast this year, like 2012 in which Murray won the US Open as well as an Olympic gold of his own, will see some stellar achievements fail to even earn a place in the top three Ben Ainslies Americas Cup miracle, Chris Froome winning the Tour de France, Ohuruogu becoming world 400m champion for a second time and Justin Rose seizing the US Open, the first win by an Englishman in a major for 17 years. The list was chosen by a panel that included Sue Barker, Kelly Holmes, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marcus Trescothick and Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, the body that oversees Olympic and Paralympic sport in this country, and a number of BBC sports editors and national newspaper sports editors. Sports Personality of the Year will be broadcast live from Leeds on 15 December.

Sport - Others

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award Boxing: Carl Froch is past his sell-by date and must quit, says Amir Khan following controversial win against George Groves NFL: Tom Brady v Peyton Manning is a rivalry for the ages, and Sunday proved it Sarah Teelow: Leading Australian waterskier dies following endurance race crash near Sydney Quiz: Can you answer the five questions failed by Sports Minister Helen Grant?

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award - Others - More Sports - The Independent
To check out the 10 contenders, click 'VIEW GALLERY' above Last year Bradley Wiggins won the public vote more than 1.6m votes were cast after becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France and adding Olympic time-trial gold, while Farah came only fourth, behind Jess Ennis and Murray, despite his double Olympic gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m. In August Farah mirrored his Olympic achievements at the World Championships in Moscow. Yet after ending the countrys worst sporting drought to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936, Murray is widely regarded as a sure thing for the traditional end-of-year award. The Scot is as short as 50-1 on with some bookmakers. Farah and former winner Tony McCoy, who rode his 4,000th winner this month, are a distant second and third favourite respectively. Murray is one of eight men on the short list the wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft and Christine Ohuruogu are the only women. The BBC have been in the past been criticised for failing to give due recognition to women and surprisingly there is no place for Becky James, who won two gold and two bronze medals at the world track championships. There are eight different sports represented but no footballers, with Gareth Bale a notable absentee. Leigh Halfpenny and Ian Bell are singled out from major team sports, rugby union and cricket respectively 1997 was the last year a tennis player was chosen as Sports Personality when Greg Rusedski was given the honour, which has been running since 1954, for reaching the final of the US Open. In contrast this year, like 2012 in which Murray won the US Open as well as an Olympic gold of his own, will see some stellar achievements fail to even earn a place in the top three Ben Ainslies Americas Cup miracle, Chris Froome winning the Tour de France, Ohuruogu becoming world 400m champion for a second time and Justin Rose seizing the US Open, the first win by an Englishman in a major for 17 years. The list was chosen by a panel that included Sue Barker, Kelly Holmes, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marcus Trescothick and Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, the body that oversees Olympic and Paralympic sport in this country, and a number of BBC sports editors and national newspaper sports editors. Sports Personality of the Year will be broadcast live from Leeds on 15 December.

Boxing: Carl Froch is past his sell-by date and must quit, says Amir Khan following controversial win against George Groves - Others - More Sports The Independent
Khan, the former two-time world light-welterweight champion, said he thought Groves would have beaten Froch if the referee had not stopped the fight. Groves has called for a rematch, but Khan feels Froch is too old. Hes past his best, past his sell-by date, Khan said. Froch should retire. Hes on top at the moment with the belts, I think in his next fight hell lose those belts. He got a very close win against Groves because he was losing almost every round. He was losing the fight. This is not the first time Khan and Froch have clashed. After Khan was beaten by Danny Garcia last year, Froch said if it had been him, he would have retired. Nathan Cleverlys cruiserweight debut on Saturday has been cancelled after he was forced to withdraw from his meeting with Daniel Ammann due to a back injury.

NFL: Tom Brady v Peyton Manning is a rivalry for the ages, and Sunday proved it - Others - More Sports - The Independent
Coincidentally, it was also a classic. Manning, whose struggles in New England are well documented, was efficient but not his best throwing for only 73 yards in the games first three quarters. Conversely Brady put in, arguably, his best performance of the season. Finishing with just shy of 350 passing yards and three touchdowns, the long-time Patriot led his team on scoring drives on each of their first five second-half possessions. With the game on the line, Manning belatedly flashed his brilliance to lead his team to the tying score, before New England clinched the win in overtime courtesy of a special teams gaffe by none other than Wes Welker. The former Patriot was making his first visit to Gillette stadium but was something of a non-factor in comparison to the man whos replaced him in the Patriot offense, Julian Edelman, but his error late on cost his side the game. Waving his hands to warn his team-mates to stay away from a bouncing punt, Tony Carter panicked and when the ball struck him, was slower to react than Nate Ebner, who recovered the ball and set-up the winning field goal. There was more to the game than just the miraculous nature of the Patriot comeback though. Edelman was superb, Rob Gronkowski is looking healthier and faster each week and its beginning to look as though, with the business end of the season approaches, the Patriot offense is finally finding its rhythm. Except for Stevan Ridley. Fumbling for the third time in consecutive games, losing two in the process, saw him label his performance as almost disgusting. Speaking to the Boston Herald, Ridley admitted he was in the doghouse but conceded there was more to it than just him. This night is about the team and how we pulled it out. We fought back. For me, its almost disgusting. Personally, as a player, my team deserves better he said. Hes right though, but Bill Belichick will know how crucial he is to the New England offence and, as we have seen previously, hes not afraid to make an example of those who need to improve. As a result of the win, New England is now 6-0 at home (8-3 for the year) and clearly atop of the AFC East while the Broncos added to the NFL record of scoring 25 points or more, for the 16 straight game. Seattles secondary With Walter Thurmond facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy, the Seahawks were handed another blow on Monday as Brandon Browner, an impending free agent, was suspended for a year. Accordingly, Thurmond is expected to accept his punishment and return in time for the playoffs while Browner will likely never suit up for the Seahawks again.

The former Oregon-State player missed the last four games of last season for violating the same policy and it appears Pete Carroll is ready to cut ties with a player who will be ineligible to play again until next November. With Browners lengthy absence soon to be confirmed, the team are reportedly trying to entice Antione Winfield out of retirement, Perrish Cox and Marcus Trufant are also on the Seahawks radar although, so far, the team havent made any significant moves. Jets woes Statistically, Geno Smiths recent efforts have been woeful. Over the last four games, the New York Jets quarterback hasnt thrown for more than 160 yards, or for a touchdown. Instead he has thrown a staggering seven interceptions and lost the ball twice but Rex Ryan isnt ready to pull the plug just yet. However, sitting on a 5-6 record, the Jets are still in the AFC playoff hunt and it remains to be seen how long their embattled head coach waits before Matt Simms steps into the breach. His caution is understandable though, its not all Smiths fault. Collectively the whole Jets offense is underperforming and their offensive line has been inexplicably poor over the last few weeks. With a three game stretch, that includes homes games with Miami and the Oakland Raiders before they travel to Carolina, Smith is going to have to drastically improve on his 22.3 passer rating if the Jets are to have any hope. More importantly, Sundays match-up is a battle of two teams with a 5-6 record and with second place in the division up for grabs, dont be surprised if Smith gets hauled off if the Jets find themselves in a hole.

Sarah Teelow: Leading Australian waterskier dies following endurance race crash near Sydney - Others - More Sports - The Independent
The 20-year-old fell off her skis soon after the start of the high-speed 75 mile Bridge-to-Bridge race, say police. She was air-lifted to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition with spinal and head injuries but died late Monday. Teelow was the daughter of two-time world waterski champion Tania Teelow and had recently returned from the World Waterski Racing Championships in Spain, where she won the formula 2 category. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that Teelow was the seventh waterskier to die in an accident in Australia in the last five years.

Quiz: Can you answer the five questions failed by Sports Minister Helen Grant? - Others - More Sports - The Independent
In an excruciating couple of minutes, Ms Grant attempted to answer all of them, but answered none correctly. But as much as Ms Grant will be ridiculed for her failure, could you answer the questions? Take part in the quiz below and see if you can beat the Sports Minister...

Life & Style - Fashion

Style File: Fashion revs up - Biker jackets Video: Princess Diana's dress up for sale The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas Style File: Contrasting collars 'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs

Style File: Fashion revs up - Biker jackets - Fashion - Life & Style - The Independent
Perhaps, then, on the surface at least, the jacket thats the most appealing is the most classic: the black leather biker or motorcycle combo. Google it, and be enticed by the constellation of cinematic stars past and present sporting the louche look with rakish aplomb. Probably the most famous image of all is Marlon Brando astride a Harley, sporting a beyond-classic Schott Perfecto in 1953s The Wild One. When his character, Johnny Strabler, was asked what he was actually rebelling against, his disdainful reply of whadda you got? instantly confirmed both attire and actor as talismans of youthful dissent. Theres a catch. Marlon makes it all look all-too easy. Both he and the Schott are a hard act to follow, regrettably leading many a man down the biker jacket route for all the wrong reasons. Remember this; for mere mortals like ourselves, no amount of revving around on a motorcycle looking mean, moody and sweaty in a black leather cap is going to turn you into a modern-day Marlon. Real life just doesnt work like that. Instead, look to labels such as Belstaff or Matchless for a more grown-up take on the leather motorcycle jacket; incredibly versatile, these 21st-century bikers can be dressed up with a shirt and tie, or down with a simple T-shirt and jeans. Still not impressed? Eschew leather entirely and opt for the waxed version from Barbour think Steve McQueen astride a Triumph bike which is actually a damn sight easier to pull off.

Video: Princess Diana's dress up for sale - News - Fashion - The Independent
One of Princess Diana's favourite gowns, the so-called fairytale dress, is going under the hammer on December 3rd.

The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas - Fashion & Beauty IndyBest - The Independent
2. Stacked rings Make a statement with these rings, from the losselliani collection, these clear and black Swarovski crystals are great for mix and matching or wearing individually. 170, Liberty 3. Joomi bracelets This black baroque punk crystal from the Joomi Lim will add some edge to your look this Christmas. 215 each, Liberty 4. Marni flower necklace

For a more feminine if slightly darker look, this short flower necklace may be just the thing. Made from resin, it has five flat flowers threaded onto an adjustable black cotton ribbon. 260, The Corner 5. Eye earrings These glittery eye earrings with drops are fun and quirky, they are also available in pink and black. If eyes are not your thing, get your hands on a pair of lip earrings instead. 50, Jennifer Loiselle 6. La Luna Moon brooch Known for their bold and colourful creations, Tatty Devine have designed this gold silhouette moon brooch that will add a quirky touch to a little black dress. 25, Tatty Devine 7. Anita Ko arrow earring in rose gold Strike lucky with this single arrow earring in Rose Gold with diamonds. We nearly had a heart attack after seeing the price but it could make a nice luxury gift. 1,350, Gift Library 8. Bijules 18k Rose Gold and ruby claw ring Another high end piece, this ring with eight interlocking claws and rubies is absolutely beautiful. It comes in one size and can be the final touch to your party outfit. 3,770, Browns 9. Ileana Makri snake earrings Beautify your ears this season with this pair of snake earrings made from 18ct Rose Gold and green and burgundy diamonds. 3,505, Matches Fashion 10. Bottega Veneta goldplated cherub ring To create a vintage look that will make you stand out we recommend this ring with a cherub - a figure often seen in Renaissance art. Made from gold-plated sterling silver and set with two brown cubic zirconia it can work both for formal and casual occasions. 315, Net-a-Porter

Style File: Contrasting collars - Fashion - Life & Style - The Independent
The white collar, black dress combination is nothing new. One of the most memorable, albeit fictional, proponents of the look is Wednesday Addams, whose strict, puritanical look has retained fashion fans since The Addams Family was broadcast in black-and-white in the 1960s. The original character, and Christina Riccis 1990s cinematic update, are surely perennial inspirations for designers. In recent years the contrast collar has been updated in leather, bright

are surely perennial inspirations for designers. In recent years the contrast collar has been updated in leather, bright hues and even embellished with jewels or studs. But this season, things go back to basics somewhat. You can have any collar as long as its white, with Moschino, Valentino and Giles all showing feminine, youthful styles with accent collars. On the catwalk, collars with crisp, clean edges and sharp points presented a more modern prospect than their softly rounded Peter Pan counterparts, with scalloped edges remaining a romantic touch. While many dresses and tops now come with contrast collars attached or woven in for a trompe loeil effect, its a look just as easily aped by allowing a buttoned-up white shirt to peek out of a round-neck jumper dress. And for a really current take on the trend just in time for party season, there are plenty of collar necklaces that can be used to overlay your existing wardrobe pearl, bead or crystal-encrusted versions are the most obviously party-ready.

'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs - Features - Films - The Independent
Click here or view gallery to see more misquotes t-shirts The Tumblr blog Slightly Wrong Quotes encourages customers to 'irritate pedants" by wearing the shirts that have quotes which are wrong enough to be annoying, or if you got some sense of humour, to make you laugh. The one man behind this work is the Glaswegian @Michaelmphysics, who started doing this to "make my pals laugh", but has now made it a business. He takes submissions and sells the shirts in Red Bubble for a price range of 15-19. His best tip: "Make sure that the quote is 100% correct."

Life & Style -Food & Drink

Grub street: the Borough Market of the North?

Grub street: the Borough Market of the North? - Features - Food & Drink The Independent
Taking pride of place, however, is the celebrated Waterall pork pie. "We sell about 3,000 a week," says Stephen Waterall, who started in the family business aged 11. "It's a hot water crust pastry and the filling is made from the finest cuts out of the shoulder." On Monday, Sheffield opened the first city-centre market in Britain for 10 years. The 18m project at the Moor replaces the decrepit Castle Market, which had seen customer numbers almost halve in recent years. Yet while many local councils are turning their backs on the idea of the traditional mixture of independent stall owners in favour of the glitzy mall, in Sheffield they are returning to an artisan food offering which, it is hoped, will turn the Moor area into the Borough Market of the North. "A lot of markets are now rather tired and old, but there is a huge resurgence of interest in traditional food," says Nick Copland, the market's artisan food adviser. "Five years ago, people wanted to know what the provenance was. Now you have people in Yorkshire making their own chorizo and salami. Markets are a great way of keeping those businesses going and keeping things local," he adds. The opening has been an immediate hit. On the first day, 25,000 shoppers swarmed across the threshold. It's not just

the artisan food that will draw comparisons with London's Borough Market. It is hoped that the market will also boost the whole area, just as Borough transformed a few dirty streets under the railway arches into a thriving gastronomic district. The developers hope the project will renovate the Moor once the city's busiest shopping thoroughfare, but which has been in decline since the 1970s. The council aims to attract 100,000 shoppers a week and the majority of stalls are already let rent-free for the first six months and at half rent for the next six. The average stall will eventually cost 27 a day to hire. Inside the sunlit interior, the majority of stalls are selling food. Opposite the butchers' row, Richard Golland, founder of Street Food Chef, who used to run a vegetarian caf in Oxford, is selling original Sheff-Mex burritos. "All our ingredients are local. The pigs we use could walk here they are from the same postcode where I live," he says. "If you had asked me before what the food culture was in Sheffield, I would have said a chip butty, but now it is an exciting place," he adds. Mother and daughter Julie and Rebecca English are selling blends of speciality teas named in honour of the seven hills of Sheffield. "We are proud of our city and we like to think this is a tribute to the heritage," says Julie. At Moya Sketchley's organic vegetable shop, alongside the cavolo nero kale and purple carrots, they are offering a choice of biodynamic local flours spelt from a watermill in Barnsley and bread flour from a windmill in Nottingham. Yee Kwan Chan, meanwhile, has launched her first retail venture of Oriental ice creams and sorbets, which are already being served at Harvey Nichols. Jonathan and Susannah Youdan gave up their pet-food shop and started a speciality grocers and cheesemongers six months ago. Their bestseller is a local Peakland white cheese that resembles Stilton, but customers are also proving partial to the selection of Curtis cakes, which are still baked by the business's 89-year-old founder each morning in Lincoln. "Yesterday, we took twice as much as we did on our best ever day before that," said Mr Youdan. %

Life & Style - Health and Families

NHS told to ban smoking near hospitals Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem

NHS told to ban smoking near hospitals - Health News - Health & Families The Independent
All hospitals should have an on-site stop-smoking service and staff should be instructed not to assist patients who want to smoke. Measures should be implemented to help patients stop smoking while they are being cared for and preferably help them to stop for good, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said. While individual NHS trusts will have the final say, staff and people using NHS services, including clinics, should be told not to smoke on the hospital grounds, Nice said. Trusts should ensure there are no designated smoking areas, no exceptions for particular groups and no staffsupervised or staff-facilitated smoking breaks for people using secondary care services. Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at Nice, described the guidance as a culture shift as opposed to creating a "penal culture" and said it is needed to end the terrible spectacle of people on drips in hospital gowns smoking outside hospital entrances.

drips in hospital gowns smoking outside hospital entrances. It's clearly absurd that the most lethal set of toxins to the human body are being passively encouraged in hospitals, he said. We've known since the 1950s that smoking kills you and 61 years have passed and we're now tackling the problem in hospitals. That's too long. Smoking is the most important health problem facing the NHS. It's the leading cause of premature death in England: nearly 80,000 lives are lost each year due to smoking." Figures released by Nice suggest continuing to smoke throughout pregnancy has contributed to up to 5,000 miscarriages and still-births and increases the risk of a premature labour. The figures also show patients with mental health issues are more likely to smoke. One in five people in the general population smoke, but this figure rises to one in three among people who have long-term mental health issues. Seventy per cent of patients in psychiatric units smoke. Professor Sue Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: There is a common but mistaken belief among some mental health professionals that it's all right for patients in their care to smoke. This is wrong. Patients with mental health problems are far more likely to smoke than the general population, they suffer disproportionately higher rates of physical illnesses and they die earlier." Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is backing the initiative and said smoking will not be allowed anywhere on its grounds from the New Year. He said: "I have spent a large part of my professional life dealing with the terrible effects of smoking: deaths from cancer, emphysema and lung transplantation. As well as this, smoking costs the NHS and society billions of pounds each year. As a leading healthcare organisation we should be encouraging a healthy lifestyle, and smoking is not part of that. I know how hard it is to quit and I want to do everything I can do to support staff and patients to give up." However, smokers lobbying group forest said banning patients from smoking outside was "heartless and inhumane" and argued it would be impossible to enforce without installing CCTV cameras and wardens to monitor the area. "Many smokers are in hospital for reasons that have nothing to do with smoking. Why should they be told they can't nip outside and have a cigarette in the open air? "Tobacco is a legal product and a lot of people smoke to relieve stress. A cigarette break at work or while they are in hospital is something they look forward to." Additional reporting by Press Association

Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem - Health & Families - Life & Style - The Independent
Chris Christie, the straight-talking Governor of New Jersey, won himself a second term in office earlier this month by a crushing majority, in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 700,000. His achievement in attracting a majority of the votes of women, despite his opposition to abortion rights, and Hispanics, and in making inroads into the youth and the black vote makes him the strongest contender for the Republican nomination in 2016. However, though his opinions are, by UK standards, way to the right of centre, they are not right-wing enough for

However, though his opinions are, by UK standards, way to the right of centre, they are not right-wing enough for the GOPs strident Tea Party wing, some of whom evidently think they can block his candidature by raising doubts in the public mind about whether a fat man is fit to be President. They do not use direct attacks to make his weight an issue, because that would carry obvious political risks in a country where obesity is sufficiently serious for the polling company Gallup to produce monthly reports on its progress. The current months figures confirm that 2013 will be the worst year for obesity since monthly records began in 2008, with 27.2 per cent of the population classed as obese, 35.5 per cent overweight, and barely a third the right size. Instead, Christies enemies drop hints that draw attention to his ample stomach without actually mentioning it. In the summer, Christie made a barbed comment about his rival from Kentucky, Senator Rand Paul, from the partys Tea Party wing, suggesting that the generous federal aid that goes into Kentucky owed something to pork barrel politics. This is the king of bacon talking about bacon, Senator Paul shot back. Last week, Senator Paul did it again. Asked whether he would appear on a radio show with his rival, he replied that he would, adding: If theres a State Fair, we could go for a fried Twinkie. A Twinkie is a yellow, sponge-like, cream-filled cake so loved by binge-eaters that in law there is what is known as the Twinkie defence, after a lawyer attempted to get his client off a murder charge by arguing that an excess of junk food had impaired his mental capacity. Senator Paul is not the first to metaphorically prod Christies belly. When Christie stood for the New Jersey governorship in 2009, the Democrat incumbent, Jon Corzine, ran a television advertisement showing him walking in extreme slow motion, with flesh moving in several directions at once. In case anyone missed the point, a narrator remarked that Christie threw his weight around. This year, as Christie ran for re-election, his Democrat challenger Barbara Buono remarked in a speech that surfaced on YouTube: Seeing Chris Christie frolicking on the beach is not going to drive me to go to the shore. It has also been alleged that Mitt Romney rejected having Christie as a running mate in 2012 solely because of his weight. Watching a video of Christie without a suit jacket, he is reported to have exclaimed: Guys! Look at that! John Kasich, Governor of Ohio and another possible Republican contender in 2016, described Christie, rather more respectfully, as a big teddy bear. Journalists, too, have joined the game. Time magazine ran a cover with Christie pictured in silhouette behind the headline The Elephant in the Room. Eugene Robinson, a commentator for the Washington Post, argued that in a country suffering an epidemic of obesity, it is legitimate to attack Christie for being overweight, adding: Id just like to offer him a bit of unsolicited, nonpartisan, sincere advice: eat a salad and take a walk. An opinion piece by a Bloomberg columnist, Michael Kinsley, came straight to the point in its opening sentence: Look, Im sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be President: he is just too fat. In past elections, Christie his risen above these taunts with panache, even turning them to his advantage, just as men in the middle ranks of national politics in the UK made light of their weight if you will pardon the expression. The fattest man seen in the Commons since the war was the former Liberal MP, Cyril Smith. His posthumous reputation is in tatters because of details that emerged about him sexually abusing children, but while he was a practising politician, his immense size made him one of the most easily recognised political figures, and aided his chances of being re-elected. Similarly, the Environment Secretary, Eric Pickles, has never suffered politically because of his larger than average girth, though he finds the jokes that others make about it very tiresome. He exacted revenge on George Osborne for one such joke, by posting a picture of himself on Twitter eating a modest salad after the Chancellor had been pictured devouring a burger from upmarket purveyor Byron.

But a British Cabinet minister, or a US state governor, does not have to endure the intense personal scrutiny of a presidential election, when voters will be invited to ask whether the candidate is physically fit enough to be the Commander in Chief, the person with a finger on the nuclear button. Christies progress will doubtless be watched with interest by the Australian ambassador in Washington, Kim Beazley. He aspired to the top job in Australias government as leader of the Labor Party, but with an election looming, his colleagues sacked him in December 2006 and installed Kevin Rudd in his place. One reason that they judged him to be an electoral liability was his weight. In 2005, John Howard, the Liberal Prime Minister, pioneered the tactic now being deployed against Christie, by drawing attention to Beazleys girth without mentioning it directly, taunting Beazley with the phrase: He does not have the ticker. The following year, a Liberal MP, Wilson Tuckey, was not so subtle: during an angry exchange outside Parliament, just before Beazley was ousted, Tuckey shouted at him: You big fat so and so! We do not know how the British electorate would react to being asked to put a fat man or fat woman in Downing Street, because none of the main parties has fielded an overweight leader in the television era. However, when Edward Heath lost office in February 1974, he was secretly suffering from a thyroid condition that caused him to balloon while he was Leader of the Opposition. One Tory MP, Airey Neave, who saw him privately, thought that he was not fit to continue as party leader, looking so fat and red-faced. Heath did not resign, so Neave took on the job of managing Margaret Thatchers leadership campaign. The lesson was not lost on Baroness Thatcher, who was obsessively anxious about her own weight, surmising probably correctly that it would be a major problem for someone aspiring to be the UKs first woman Prime Minister to look as if her weight was out of control. Amid the stress of the 1979 general election campaign, she had a self-imposed daily diet sheet designed to make her lose 20lbs, which included a total ban on eating between meals. The only other woman to look like a serious contender for the Tory leadership is Home Secretary Theresa May, who has encountered the opposite problem. In February, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs committee, Keith Vaz, noted that she was looking thin and wondered if the stress of the job was getting to her. To stall any more such speculation, she revealed that her two stone weight loss was brought on by diabetes. The case made against fat leaders has been well made in American newspapers, where it has been written that a candidate looking like Chris Christie is a bad example to children, that a fat persons health is likely to give way under the stress of high office, and that someone who lacks the willpower to lose weight has not the mental strength to lead the country. There is perhaps another unspoken reason: it is fun to be prejudiced, and fat people who take up more room and consume more food than the rest of us are a group we feel we can insult without thinking badly of ourselves. However, there is no universal rule that fat people cannot succeed in politics. Anyone who thinks there is, need only cast their eye over Israels successful politicians, such as Ariel Sharon, whose very ample girth did not prevent him being elected Prime Minister twice, and may even have helped. But Israel has to fight for its very right to exist. To quote Sharons former media adviser, Arnon Perlman: Sharons heaviness conveyed to the public a sense of stability at a time of great inner turmoil. In a wealthy, stable society such as ours, or that of the US, where anyone can get fat but people struggle to stay slim, we prefer our leaders to look lean and fit rather than reassuringly enormous. It was rude of that commentator to tell Christie to eat salad and take a walk: but, realistically, it was not bad advice.

Life & Style - Gadgets & Tech

Vote online the Speakers plan to revive politics

A funny thing happened on the way to the photocopier: Rhodri Marsden's Twitter followers share cringeworthy work screw-ups Ahead of the game: Sony's PlayStation convinced us that video games are more than just child's play Rhodri Marsden: Hacks induce nerdy excitement when they solve small problems Video: CatAcademy - the new app to teach you Spanish Bitcoin value surpasses $1,000 for first time New wonder material 'stanene' could replace graphene with 100% electrical conductivity Arachnophobia app tackles spider phobia US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents Google Street View update helps you find your way through the airport - not just to it Video: The top 10 tablets of 2013 GTA: San Andreas arriving for iOS, Android, Windows Phone devices next month 'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece 3bn: the total price-tag for Christmas gadgets PS4 and Xbox One: Live-streamed nudity and 'excessive profanity' highlights new problems One billion 4G connections expected for 2017

Vote online - the Speakers plan to revive politics - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Mr Bercow will call in bosses from Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Google and Microsoft to advise him how technology can assist the expansion of e-democracy over the coming years. He will chair the first-ever Speakers commission on digital democracy, which will examine ways to modernise the system and ensure that Parliament reaches out to the electorate. In a speech on Wednesday night to the Hansard Society, a charity that promotes parliamentary democracy, Mr Bercow said: What we are talking about here is nothing less than a Parliament version 2.0. He said elements might include online voting, e-dialogue between MPs and constituents, and greater scrutiny of laws and government over the web. The Speaker said Britain should learn from Estonia, the first nation to use internet voting. A quarter of Estonians cast online ballots in a national election in 2011 and about half are expected to do so in 2015. He said Estonia was the market leader and its system was well worth investigating.

Speaker John Bercow sees 'e-democracy' as the future (Getty) Estonians can vote on a computer using their national identity card to ensure security, or via mobile phone with a Pin code. Analysis by the London School of Economics found that between 10 and 15 per cent of online voters would probably not have cast ballots without this option, because it made voting faster and cheaper. However, it also concluded that the change had not necessarily boosted turnout. Party officials in Britain reacted cautiously to the idea. One said: It may happen one day, but not yet. There would be big questions about security. Our system is one of the least corrupt, but there have been a few problems with postal voting and that highlights the potential danger of moving to online. The Speakers commission will start work early next year and draw up a blueprint for action by early 2015 the 750th anniversary of the year Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, founded Parliament, and 800 years since the Magna Carta. Any changes would not be in place for the May 2015 election but Mr Bercow wants the Commons elected in two years time to consider the radical shift. Like the digital world itself, it will be unpredictable, potentially anarchic, he said. It should even be quite fun. The commissions remit will be to embrace the opportunities afforded by the digital world to become more effective in representing the people, making laws and scrutinising the work and performance of government. It should also consider how Parliament can become more relevant to the increasingly diverse population it seeks to serve.

A woman casts her vote in the 2011 Estonian general election (Getty) Mr Bercow admitted that measures such as online voting would require moves to end the digital divide in which 20

per cent of British households do not have internet access. The Berlin wall which undoubtedly exists in this terrain is no longer about age but relates to affluence or the lack of it, he said. A digital democracy should not re-invent the divide in franchise of the 19th century in a new, high-technology form. It has to be universally inclusive and not a narrow geeks nirvana. He said digital democracy could not be a conversation between interest groups and political parties and pledged that his commission would take evidence from outside Zone One of the London Underground network. Mr Bercow said a 21st-century democracy could no longer be about people voting once every four or five years. He argued that e-democracy could help to repair the damage and lack of trust in politicians caused by the scandal over MPs expenses in 2009.

A funny thing happened on the way to the photocopier: Rhodri Marsden's Twitter followers share cringeworthy work screw-ups - Features - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
But we don't just draw the line at sheepish modesty, hell no. Our muted fondness for self-deprecation can extend to joyous celebration of our own glorious failures, whether that's a skewed pride in such historical debacles as Dunkirk or the Charge of the Light Brigade, or recounting a recent story of your failure to fix a lavatory cistern that ends with you unconscious on the lino in a pool of water tinged with the icy blue of a flush freshener. This, according to Debrett's, and contrary to what the rest of the world might think, is behaviour that anthropological research has found to be sexually attractive. I am sporadically useless; feel my sensual power. This is the only reason I can think of for the unbridled enthusiasm with which people can post heartfelt confessions of personal failure on Twitter. It happened on Tuesday. I remembered an incident from my twenties when I worked for a number of eastern European music promoters, with primary responsibility for logistics. We had to transport drum'n' bass star Goldie from London to Sofia, Bulgaria a task which has been made relatively simple thanks to the wonders of aeronautics. But I ballsed up this straightforward operation by sending him in a cab to Heathrow when his flight was leaving from Gatwick. It was a bad day, and a bad memory. But because (according to Debrett's) of my need to appear sexually attractive, I tweeted about it. Now, that may well turn out to be a poor decision when my writing career crashes and burns and I attempt a triumphant return to the world of tour management, but what I lost in future vocational opportunities I gained in short-term laughs. "I once lost an entire South Korean youth orchestra," replied @MargoJMilne, in a bold and attractive display of massive uselessness. She was not alone. @agladheight described the panic-stricken moment at the Rural Payments agency when 5,000 cattle were sent to the wrong end of the country by mistake. @GinBroguesHats, meanwhile, "Got a summer job in construction knocking houses down. 20 minutes later had hit self in the face with a sledgehammer." The tales of ineptitude came thick and fast, whether it was @RoyMcCarthy's graphic description of taking a bend too quickly on the North Circular and emptying a pallet of Bacardi Breezers across the road, or @AllDesignPrint's tale of emailing a client an image of a monkey riding a dog chasing a goat rather than the funeral order of service they were expecting. "I once mistakenly removed someone's right to get to the front door of the house they owned," confessed legal whizz-kid @Beakmoo, while @freethestone's eagerness to do his job conscientiously had the opposite effect: "First job, first week. Blockbuster. I refused to let a 'strange man' into the shop before opening time. He was the regional manager." Patterns of blundering behaviour became quickly apparent. Numerical ineptitude is rife; @jimsyjampots explained how, on the first day of working as a cashier, she put the wrong code in for a voucher, giving the customer 3bn of

how, on the first day of working as a cashier, she put the wrong code in for a voucher, giving the customer 3bn of credit, while @ben_patio "ordered 100 copies of 100 drawings instead of 1 copy. Watched in horror as 10,000 drawings were delivered to my desk in big boxes". Tales involving unhappy celebrities being dragged into the misery felt particularly triumphant, whether it was @TheAzzo's failure to tell an angry Phil Collins that his 9am phone interview was cancelled ("he got up early") or @ironbalsmcginty picking up a confused Billy Connolly at the crack of dawn and mistakenly taking him to an empty set on the wrong day. Failure to master technology was common; @shoutsatcows described how he sent out 10,000 "how to use our system" leaflets which proudly had a screenshot saying "logged in as Testy McF***Nuts", while @DeLes's story of leaving Skype running on a projector laptop, "allowing a friend in the UK to yell 'hiya' to 190 delegates at UN negotiations in Nairobi", made me give thanks for being human and punch the air with glee. These kind of things are clearly happening all over the world every day; most of the time they're hastily covered up in order to save face, but here on Twitter, we're admitting it. Go us.

Wrong directions: one tweeter confessed to sending 5,000 cattle to the opposite end of the country (Getty Images) I had a feeling that such stories might be drawn out of an initially hesitant but thereafter increasingly confident Twitterverse. There has been previous in this regard. I have been sent stories of bad school assemblies ("Three of us were told we could leave the school choir without repercussions, only to be paraded at assembly as traitors. We were nine"); job interviews ("I was asked my biggest weakness, I told them it was a 'vague but common feeling of melancholy'"); Valentine's Day experiences ("Dumped by boyfriend, friends got me drunk, ended the night slowdancing with a tramp in a Chicken Cottage in Oxford"); Christmases ("I got a space hopper and my brother was so jealous he stabbed it with a penknife"); and, pre-eminently, bad dates ("Met a bloke for lunch. He told me he didn't like what I was wearing and said I should go home and change"). The 140-character limit presented by Twitter tends to distil anecdotes down to their most concentrated essence; stripped of extraneous detail they become wonderful haikus, all punchline and no preamble. You wonder whether a statutory limit of 140 characters should be imposed upon all anecdotes, online and off. Sure, some of the stories will inevitably end up posing more questions than they answer ("My sister-in-law got the wrong visas for six directors of Warburgs investment bank and they spent the night in a Mexican jail" thanks @robbingham), but somehow I think it's better that way. When these kind of things happen on Twitter, it feels like a couple of hours of the best phone-in radio show imaginable. But this idea of Twitter as a force for temporary good runs slightly contrary to the way it's often depicted. If your life is sufficiently rich in experience and meaning to keep you away from Twitter, and your only knowledge

of it is the stuff that gets reported in the media, it would be hard to believe that it is anything other than a cauldron of self-serving dross kept at a rolling boil by narcissists, bullies and hyperventilating One Direction fans. It certainly is that. It is also populated by flouncers, by conclusion jumpers, the exceptionally needy, the loud and the deeply confused (five social-media subsets of which I'm a regular member). It is a minefield strewn with unsatisfactory puns, manufactured outrage, risible royal parody accounts (substituting "one is" for "I am" does not a sustainable joke make), corporate embarrassment and people who repeatedly say that they "need coffee". Oh, and failed Apprentice contestant Katie Hopkins. As writer Greg Stekelman said in his final tweet before departing for the relative safety of Facebook: "Twitter is no place for a human being." Yes, Twitter has the capacity to be awful. It continually poses a nagging question to its users: how to avoid as much of the infuriating stuff as possible while still deriving some of its undeniable benefits and there are many, believe it or not. It is a rich resource. It brings information to journalists, readers to writers, cash to fund-raisers, attention to celebrities, viewers to video-makers and a certain amount of diversion and amusement for everyone. But striking that balance as a user by following, unfollowing, filtering and blocking to a point where you can dip into Twitter without immediately wanting to hurl your laptop into a pond that gets more difficult as the service grows. My relentlessly retweeting stories of job screw-ups into people's timelines all day on Tuesday will have proved to be a massive irritant for those who don't share Debrett's view that these anecdotal nuggets wield seductive power. But they do. "I inadvertently forwarded an email chain to our biggest customer with the words 'more from that mad woman' in it" recounted @HellingtonBoot and if you're not feeling gently aroused right now, well, you've failed a primary test of British citizenship.

Ahead of the game: Sony's PlayStation convinced us that video games are more than just child's play - Features - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
"You are about to experience the future!" a booming voice proclaims, reverberating around the chamber as our hero spins through a series of screenshots. "Never before have you had to cope with advanced 3D graphics!" The gamer's head spins 360 degrees. Then he is dressed up as a robot. Then there's "Double Life", an ad which appeared on our screens in 1999 and in which a series of eccentric individuals deliver a kind of monologue relay describing what they get up to in their free time. "I won't deny I've engaged in violence," says a dubious looking hard nut. "You may not think it to look at me," says a battleaxe transvestite; a skinhead woman and bug-eyed child continue: "I have commanded armies, and conquered worlds." Faur's Requiem plays in the background. There are no robots, no Europop, no gameplay footage. This is an ad for the PlayStation. As the PS4 launches, and a new branding battle for gamers' loyalty begins, Double Life still feels bold. In 1999, four years after the PlayStation first launched, gamers were still a species of bedroom-dwelling ne'er-do-wells with no place in adult society, and you might even have called the ad radical. And it pointed to a branding insight that defined a new era, setting the scene for a change in the video games market. "Since then, it has gone from teenage geeks to something that's accessible to everyone," says Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the Superbrands council. In the 1990s, though, the aim was not to appeal to everyone, it was to give the hopelessly lame video-games market some limited flavour of cool. As the Nintendo 64 maintained its focus on the core audience, Sony spotted an opportunity. "They quite cannily noticed that a lot of people in the market were actually in their teens and twenties, not children," says Alex Wiltshire, a video-games writer who used to edit Edge magazine. "They were the people who had played on their Spectrums in the Eighties, and they were still interested." From the very beginning, the PlayStation, which went on sale in December 1994, felt different. "The competitors were skewed towards kids," says David Wilson, head of PR for Sony's UK games division. "Sega and Nintendo had these platform, cartoon-character driven games, and Mario vs Sonic was everything. To begin with, PlayStation

didn't have a mascot in that way." What it did have was Wipeout, a trippily futuristic racing game that chimed more with the era's club culture than it did with anything produced by Disney. A sense of what the developers were on to came in the 1995 cyber thriller Hackers, which featured Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller playing the game at a rave; meanwhile, real clubs were installing consoles for their clientele. Most of Sony's marketing efforts followed the same approach, in a formula the games writer Simon Parkin calls "exciting, provocative and, at times, appropriately transgressive". At Glastonbury one year, they handed out PlayStation postcards with perforated strips that could be torn off and used as roaches. Even cute Crash Bandicoot wasn't safe: David Wilson recalls that cards were printed up with a phone number and the phrase "Randy Bandy new in town" and put up in phone boxes. Such stunts, Parkin says, were "designed to appeal to mainstream players... They are there to convince people who are interested in music or in cinema." The ultimate aim, he concludes, was to "somehow de-stigmatise games to people who might otherwise be suspicious of their cultural, personal or artistic worth". Another milestone that counted, at the time, as subversive came in the only character that would be anything like a mascot for the console: Lara Croft. She represented a significant development: a female character in a game doing something other than being saved. "I was 12 when Tomb Raider came out," says games critic Cara Ellison. "It was an important threshold that said, hey, this is for you as well. I'd never seen a heroine like that before I started to think about consoles as something that grownups would have." Sure enough, in 1997, Ms Croft appeared on the cover of The Face a defining venue for cool of the era. It was in such an atmosphere that ad agency TBWA started work on Double Life. Copywriter James Sinclair recalls working on the commercial with creative director Trevor Beattie: "It was one of the best things we ever did. The brand was so exciting. The idea of 'lives' in games, that you lost one and you got another one, that there were no consequences, was just brilliant."

Game changer: The PlayStation went on sale in December 1994 Interestingly, he suggests that the sophistication of the pitch may partly have been forced by circumstance. "We wanted to do anything we could to avoid having the games in the ad because they looked so fake, they broke the spell. Their power was all about imagination. It's like looking at photos of your holiday or a big night out. It was a great night, a great holiday, but when you look at the pictures and you're not engaged in the experience, they don't work." As the console matured, and was ultimately superseded by the PS2 in 2000, the flow of edgy branding exercises continued; some of the results were appalling. The internet overflows with slideshows of infantile PlayStation ads from across the world sexist, racist, and just plain unpleasant alike. Sometimes, too, the attempts at counterculture have caused a backlash, as when graffiti artists across America took offence at Sony's crass invasion of their territory

have caused a backlash, as when graffiti artists across America took offence at Sony's crass invasion of their territory with some Banksy-inspired versions of the PlayStation Portable. More recently, the PS3 and now PS4 have tried to move the console still further "out of the gaming ghetto", as David Wilson puts it. To do so, they have downplayed the youth culture pitch in favour of a more family-orientated approach that has arguably diminished its brand across the board. "They've followed this trajectory that has led to the console being completely blandified you can't pin any cultural identity on it at all," says Alex Wiltshire. One reason is that the PlayStation has gone from maverick fringe product to one of the key pillars of Sony's strategy, which makes risks harder to justify. Another, Wiltshire points out, may be the inevitable maturation of the wider market. Those Spectrum players are in their late thirties now; they want to play games with their kids. Besides, nobody tries to sell DVD players or televisions by emphasizing their identity instead, they leave that to the content. "Game culture has matured massively," Wiltshire suggests. "You have a far greater gamut of meaning among titles than you ever had before. If you're interested in arty games, you have that. If you want violent games, you have that." Perhaps the console itself doesn't need a persona any more. Despite that reduction in mischief-making, Sony still feels a little bit different. Players are connected to this history, so much so that one of the most widely watched pieces of PlayStation publicity on YouTube this year is a video that shows the console's evolution over the last two decades through a single front room. Meanwhile, launch ads for the PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One have been running online for a while. In Microsoft's ad, the likes of Steven Gerrard and Star Trek's Zachary Quinto invite you to join them in a multimedia paradise, where game-playing is just one of a range of family-friendly activities engaged in by a self-consciously diverse selection of consumers. The PS4 ad, in contrast, features no celebrities just spaceships and car chases and gunfights. "This," the narrator shouts, "is for the players."

Rhodri Marsden: Hacks induce nerdy excitement when they solve small problems - Features - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
The other day I saw something described as a "food hack" that was just a recipe. Gazing into the future, you can imagine rail operators describing essential engineering works as "track hacks", to couch the inevitable journey disruption within a more palatable term. Sadly, I guess that's just the way language develops. Which isn't to say that hacks aren't welcome, particularly online. Weather forecasts, cloud-based photo-sharing, package delivery trackers and music players all make our lives more pleasant or convenient to some degree but there are thousands of them out there, they're used in a dizzying range of combinations that are unique to each person, and they rarely work in tandem in the way we want them to. I mean, I know that I rate highly on the nerd index, but I frequently find myself thinking "Oh, wouldn't it be great if I could do this?" whether that's having new cricket articles by Stephen Brenkley sent to my Kindle, getting a text message when it's going to rain, or have Instagram photos tagged "dad" to be automatically emailed to my dad. But there are now tools, including IFTTT (If This Then That) and Zapier, that stitch services together and help us to create ingenious shortcuts that streamline not only our digital lives, but our real lives, too. Lifehacks, I suppose. A precursor would be something like Yahoo Pipes, a powerful but dauntingly complex way of taking RSS feeds from websites, transforming them and spitting them out in a different place in a different format. But a tool such as IFTTT makes it much easier, and the possibilities much broader. You choose the service that the information is coming from, the specific information you're after, and which service you want it sent to, how and when. Which may not sound particularly exciting, but some of the "recipes" that the users have been concocting are exceptionally neat. For example, getting a text message when something you're looking for pops up on Craigslist. Receiving an automated reminder to contact someone and say "hello" the day after adding them to your address book. Or sending a text that triggers an incoming phone call, helping to get you out of a tedious conversation at a party.

a text that triggers an incoming phone call, helping to get you out of a tedious conversation at a party. Tie in home-automation products, and the potential for hackery becomes even more apparent. Send a tweet to turn on your heating, or keep your pets cool by having a fan turn on when Met Office data shows high temperatures. A motion sensor on your wrist could boil the kettle when it senses you're up and about, while Google Glass could display instantly visible alerts to everything from a West Bromwich goal to the presence of an intruder in your home. Do these hacks needlessly increase the information flow? Maybe. Do they end up bringing us any additional longterm happiness? Debatable. But do they induce nerdy excitement when they solve small problems that were barely there in the first place? Definitely. twitter.com/rhodri

Video: CatAcademy - the new app to teach you Spanish - Features - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
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Bitcoin value surpasses $1,000 for first time - News - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
At 7.25am on the Pacific coast (3.25pm GMT), bitcoins were trading for $1,041 on Mt. Gox, the most high profile exchange for the country in the world, according to reports from Wired. Dan Held, an expert in tracking the bitcoin market, told the website: China is still driving overall demand. However, I think there has been a paradigm shift in how people think about Bitcoin in the US. Over the last few days, my friends, parents friends, and people that I never thought would buy bitcoin have contact me, not asking what is bitcoin, but how do I get bitcoin? Bitcoin has seen a surge in value in recent weeks after it received recognition from a series of major businesses and authorities across the world. It featured in a US Senate hearing last week to consider the possibility it could be placed under American regulation. In a letter written ahead of the congressional hearings US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke states that although the Federal Reserve does not necessarily have authority to directly supervise or regulate virtual currencies, such innovations may hold long-term promise, particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system. In general, writes Bernanke, the Federal Reserve would only have authority to regulate a virtual currency product if it is issued by, or cleared or settled through, a banking organization that we supervise. It was also announced by Sir Richard Branson that his space tourism company Virgin Atlantic will start accepting bitcoins as payment. All of our future astronauts are pioneers in their own right, wrote Sir Richard, and this is one more way to be forward-thinking. The new material has not yet been fabricated but has been christened stanene, a combination of the Latin word for tin (stannum) and the suffix found in the word graphene. Click here to find out more about the possibilities of graphene

Click here to find out more about the possibilities of graphene Stanene was discovered by researchers from the US Department of Energys (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University and could revolutionize computing by replacing the copper wires still used in modern computer chips. "Stanene could increase the speed and lower the power needs of future generations of computer chips, if our prediction is confirmed by experiments that are underway in several laboratories around the world," Shoucheng Zhang told Phys.org, a physics professor at Stanford and a team leader on the project.

How could stanene help make faster computers?

Up until now we've relied on copper to relay electricity in various forms, and for good reason. As well as being cheap and ductile (this means it can be easily drawn into strips) copper is also very conductive. However, modern computer chips deploy the metal on a scale that would be unimaginable to past generations. Technology site Extremetech has noted that in a modern chip the size of your thumbnail there can be up to sixty miles of copper wiring, with some of the strands just atoms thick. At this point scientists are pushing the limits of the material, channelling so much electricity through it that the material's electrical resistance causes the wires to heats, potentially setting it on fire. If stanene fulfils on scientists promises then chips could get smaller and faster without running this risk of overheating.

As we continue to scale down computer chips we begin to strain the limits of what copper can handle.

How does stanene work?

Stanene is what is known as a topological insulator, meaning its interior is an insulator but it conducts electrons along its surface. By making the material only a single atom thick, the stanene is essentially all surface, allowing it to conduct electricity with 100 per cent efficiency. "The magic of topological insulators is that by their very nature, they force electrons to move in defined lanes without any speed limit, like the German autobahn," said Zhang. "As long as they're on the freeway the edges or surfaces the electrons will travel without resistance." By adding fluorine atoms to the mix, the scientist claim they can retain this level of efficiency at temperatures of up to 100 degrees Celsius, allowing the material to be used in computers, where processors typically run at temperatures of between 40 and 90 degrees Celsius.

between 40 and 90 degrees Celsius. However, there are many obstacles standing between stanene and mainstream use (not limited to the difficulties of manufacturing one-atom thick wires on an industrial scale) and without working samples of the material available it is perhaps a little early to get excited. Click here to read more about stanene

Arachnophobia app tackles spider phobia - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style The Independent
Virtually Free's new Phobia Free App aims to help arachnophobes through an interactive 'systematic desensitisation', initially using an unrealistic cartoon of eight-legged 'Itsy'. This is followed by a series of cartoon spiders that steadily become more realistic and therefore 'scary'. Created with the help of a specialist psychiatrist, users begin with desensitisation sessions one to three, before progressing to pictures of a 'low fear spider'. By session seven, the user is faced with an image of a tarantula in augmented reality, "which looks and behaves like the real thing". In the final session, the user is expected to take pictures of real spiders using their phone or iPad. The app also allows users to engage with other people who share their fear. Using cartoons to cure a severe phobia may seem far-fetched, but NHS England have reviewed and endorsed it. The app promises: "Systematic desensitisation deals with your fear of spiders by teaching you to be relaxed and then getting you to progressively closer to the spider until you are able to touch it without fear. "It sounds impossible but this technique has been successfully used in therapy for many, many years now." And for those who find looking at the animated arachnids a tad distressing, the Phobia Free 'Stress app' is thrown in for good measure. Arachnophobia is an acute and persistent fear of spiders and affects approximately one in six people around the world.

US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents - News - Gadgets & Tech The Independent
Agents collected information on so-called vulnerabilities which, if required, could be publicly exposed in a way that would limit the influence of prominent Islamists. The surveillance agency targeted six radicalisers whose online activity might be used to make followers question their devotion to the jihadist cause. The spying claims are made in the latest documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, published by the Huffington Post. They identify the six men, all Muslims, as positive examples of cases where electronic surveillance can give security officers valuable information about peoples personal vulnerabilities. The names of the six have not been included in the details published online. The documents list viewing sexually explicit material online and using sexually explicit persuasive language when

The documents list viewing sexually explicit material online and using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls as the sorts of activities which might undermine a radicalisers authority. According to the Huffington Post, none of the six individuals was accused of being involved in any terrorist plots. They were not identified in any detail, other than the fact that one of the six is either a US citizen or permanent resident. Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the website these revelations raise serious concerns about abuse. It's important to remember that the NSAs surveillance activities are anything but narrowly focused the agency is collecting massive amounts of sensitive information about virtually everyone, he said. Wherever you are, the NSA's databases store information about your political views, your medical history, your intimate relationships and your activities online, he added. The NSA says this personal information won't be abused, but these documents show that the NSA probably defines 'abuse' very narrowly. The documents included details suggesting they were drawn up by the director of the NSA, and listed recipients include the US Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce. Shawn Turner, a spokesman for the US director of national intelligence, told the Huffington Post it was not surprising the government uses all of the lawful tools at our disposal to impede the efforts of valid terrorist targets who seek to harm the nation and radicalise others to violence.

Google Street View update helps you find your way through the airport - not just to it - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent
Now, Google has come in off the streets to visually map some of the worlds busiest indoor transit locations in order to cut down the stress of travelling. Over 50 train and subway stations have been mapped out, and theres also a collection of 16 of the worlds international airports. The majority of the locations are in either North America or Europe. In the UK, 17 locations have been covered including Gatwick Airport, most of Londons national train stations, and other major stations in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Now you can visit the check-in counter of your airline in Madrid, map out the way from baggage claim to the bus at Tokyo International Airport and check out where to pick up your rental car at Eindhoven Airport, blogged Ulf Spitzer, Google Street View program manager. You can even scope out your seat on an Emirates flight from Dubai! This is just the first effort to map out transit locations, and follows similar projects that Google has undertaken in the past. As Spitzer points out on the blog, the canals of Venice and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai have, among others, been documented. Earlier this year, Google even set sail on a 30-mile cruise down the River Thames. Click here to see a map showing all the new locations

Emirates A380 at Dubai Airport. Image credit: Google

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GTA: San Andreas arriving for iOS, Android, Windows Phone devices next month - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent
The console version of the game was released back in 2004, and went on to become the best-selling game for PlayStation 2. Critics loved the title's open-ended feel and it's engaging storyline, praising it as the 'best game in the series' - that is, until, GTA 5 was released. Coming to mobile devices in December, the mobile title will feature Los Santos (the main city in this years GTA 5), San Fierro and Las Venturas. Rockstar has called the game the best-looking version of San Andreas yet, and boasted enhanced graphics including remastered character and car models. Rockstar has said that the game will be available on iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle and Windows Mobile devices. It also comes with full controller support, including compatibility with made-for-iOS controllers. Theres also set to be a new touch control system, along with a reimagined checkpoint system for easier progression. As far, theres no word on the price of the game, although more details in the weeks ahead have been promised. It has been a busy couple of months for Rockstar, what with the release of the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto 5, the rectification of the subsequent online problems, and also the release of the latest downloadable content.

'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece - Gadgets & Tech Life & Style - The Independent
Sony suggests that the SmartWig could fulfil a number of functions, from acting as a health care device that monitors users vital signs (including blood pressure, temperature and heart-rate) to acting as a navigation wig to assist the blind in finding their way around. This latter implementation would include an onboard GPS system that would be used to locate the wearer whilst built-in vibration motors could provide feedback; notifying the user of the direction they need to take or when they arrive at their destination. For corporate buyers Sony suggests that the device could be used to control presentations in the boardroom, with wearers able to "move to the next presentation slide or back to the preceding presentation slide by simply raising his/her eyebrows".

Sony say that the wig could be "very popular" as a "technically intelligent item and fashion item at the same time". Image credit: Sony/US Patent Office Compared to other wearable devices Sony claim that the wig format would offer significantly increased user comfort and improved handling of the wearable computing device. They suggest that the SmartWig could be made out of a number of materials including horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material. The wig itself may have a fancy or funny appearance, but may also have an inconspicuous appearance so that other people in the surrounding of the user may not even take notice of the wearable computing device. Locating wearable devices on the head (as opposed to, they suggest, the foot, hand or waist) is that our fondness for our heads means that users would instinctively protect their heads more than other body parts, so more sensitive components could be used without fear of damaging them. Sony is not the only company to jump onboard the bandwagon for fantastical wearable devices - Motorola recently filed a patent for an electronic throat tattoo that could replace the smartphone, whilst students at MIT recently created a thermoelectric wristband to cool or heat users.

Another part of the patent mentions buttons hidden within sideburns. Image credit: Sony/US Patent Office

3bn: the total price-tag for Christmas gadgets - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent
On average, parents will each splash out 243 on technology, with some even surpassing the 400 mark to fulfil their childrens wishes. In the same survey, which was carried out by price comparison site uSwitch.com, 70 per cent of parents admitted they spend too much on gadgetry during the festive season. Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at uSwitch, said that despite some gadgets costing hundreds of pounds, there are a number of cheaper options available for parents who want to keep both their kids and their bank managers happy. Doku added: Any parents worried about keeping the cost of Christmas gifts down should make sure they get the best deal, and perhaps think outside the big names. Many of the bargain priced smartphones and tablets are actually still relatively high spec. As might be expected, tablets are set to dominate the Christmas market this year. Almost a quarter of all tech presents will be tablets, even more than video games, despite the launch of the next-gen consoles. The smartwatch, which was once touted to be the next big thing, will be languishing this year in the technology market, making up only six per cent of gifts. There is some indication that the huge uptake of tablets this year might lead to disharmony on Christmas day. According to uSwitch, 26 per cent of families will watch television in different rooms, with 12 per cent watching films and TV on a tablet or laptop device. However, for the traditionalists who yearn for a Christmas devoid of all the technology, there is some encouraging news: 52 per cent of families will still be playing board games on Christmas day.

PS4 and Xbox One: Live-streamed nudity and 'excessive profanity' highlights new problems - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent
Unfortunately, for all the talk of providing the future of gaming it seems that neither Microsoft nor Sony thought far enough ahead to consider that users might use these services for less than wholesome purposes - especially when the accessories available for both consoles allow users to turn the cameras on themselves. The most notable incident involving illicit use of this technology involved a user named Darckobra who was streaming live footage of his living room via the PS4. Internet spectators reported how his feed showed him and a woman identified as his wife sitting on their sofa as they drank themselves into a stupor. When the woman apparently passed out the man then lifted up her top and exposed one of her breasts to the camera before the live feed went dark. Fifteen minutes later the picture came back and the woman was still on the sofa, apparently asleep and completely naked. The account involved was quickly banned but there have been many other reports of similar of activity being broadcast over Twitch, a service dedicated to game footage that has been steadily building up audiences over PCs

broadcast over Twitch, a service dedicated to game footage that has been steadily building up audiences over PCs before this years move into console territory.

The PS4's Playroom feature turns a camera onto the gamers to let them interact with characters generated on their TV screen. Image credit: Sony. One Reddit user commented A few minutes ago there was a guy having sex with his partner on the couch. Why didn't they see this coming? whilst users on another game forum reported that they just saw a guy with a horse head motorboat a lady, next gen indeed. Another replied: Same people now have a shotgun out. Although responses to some of these reports have been light-hearted, there have been a number of more offensive incidents, including screenshots showing families with young children playing games whilst users comment with racist and abusive remarks. Twitch have released a statement noting that they are very vigilant about removing content that breaks the TOS guidelines and depending on the severity of the violation we will either ban or suspend accounts. Like any social network from YouTube to Facebook, there will always be a very small minority of users who attempt to circumvent the rules. As such, our advice is to report it right away and our staff will be quick to act on it if they haven't already. In terms of privacy settings, those are up are to the respective devices. Although the Xbox One hasnt been affected by these particular issues (Twitch has yet to launch on Microsofts console) it has been having its own difficulties in managing gamers behaviour. A feature named Upload Studio on the Xbox One allows users to share clips of their gameplay, but already some individuals have been banned for including recordings of excessive profanity. Gamers can upload footage from games that feature swearing and extreme violence but are not allowed to swear themselves in commentaries.

Upload Studio allows gamers to edit together footage of their gameplay and themselves. Image credit: Microsoft. Microsoft has issued an official statement saying: We want a clean, safe and fun environment for all users. Excessive profanity as well as other Code of Conduct violations will be enforced upon and result in suspension of some or all privileges on Xbox Live. We remain committed to preserving and promoting a safe, secure and enjoyable experience for all of our Xbox Live members. Its clear that for both Sony and Microsoft creating safe platforms for sharing content online will be problematic and time-consuming. Although the incidents above are certainly in the minority (consider that both consoles sold more than a million units in 24 hours) they do illustrate the potential difficulties for both consoles. Empowering users to share their content is a fantastic way of creating communities (users have also used the same feature to create their own impromptu talkshows) but it brings with it familiar problems, with the lack of moderation occasionally exposing individuals to unwanted or even abusive content. These difficulties have long been apparent for the online communities that create and stream gaming content, but they are usually dealt with by the players themselves or simply ignored. The mainstream appeal of both the Xbox One and the PS4 mean that these issues, like the gamers themselves, are about to become more visible than ever before.

One billion 4G connections expected for 2017 - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent
As mobile devices continue to take over from regular PCs, becoming for some the primary means of accessing the internet, the demand for better connections will increase, pushing more users to make the switch from 3G to 4G mobile. A new study by GSMA Intelligence predicts that in less than four years time one in every eight mobile connections will be using high-speed LTE services. This will be accompanied by a doubling in the number of networks offering the higher speeds, with 465 providers predicted across 128 countries. Hyunmi Yang, chief strategy officer with GSMA, noted that a number of factors were encouraging this growth:The timely allocation of suitable spectrum to mobile operators; the availability of affordable LTE devices; and the implementation of innovative tariffs that encourage adoption of high-speed data services. GSMAs study calculates that around 20 per cent of the global population is currently within range of an LTE network, with this figure reportedly expanding to half the worlds population by 2017. The US is currently the single largest user of 4G mobile in terms of sheer numbers (46 per cent of global users are based in America) although as a percentage of total population South Korea is far more advanced, with around half of all mobile connections in the country currently connected to LTE. The report also throws up a number of data points that make for encouraging reading for mobile networks. 4G users not only consume twice as much data as regular connections, but they also pay out more to providers, with average revenue per user (ARPU) rising from 10 to 40 per cent per for 4G adopters.

Life & Style - Motoring

Range Rover Hybrid: Motoring review - not so lean, not so green (and avoid any large puddles)

Range Rover Hybrid: Motoring review - not so lean, not so green (and avoid any large puddles) - Road Tests - Motoring - The Independent
Eight years ago, Greenpeace activists broke into Land Rover's plant in Solihull in protest at what they called "climate-wrecking" emissions from the Range Rover. Rather than respond with a crack team of commandos, the Indian-owned car-maker has responded with this. It's a Range Rover Hybrid. The bogey man of the environmental lobby has gone green, installed a battery and taken notice of its emissions. Today, Greenpeace has bigger fish to fry, but the organisation's chief scientist Dr Doug Parr told me recently that it's good to see some progress, "even when the EU process to obtain car efficiency laws, which has been derailed by car industry lobbying and corruption, is failing to deliver." Putting politics aside, the Range Rover Hybrid is a small step in the right direction. You see, the technology isn't revolutionary and while emissions are cut down to the level of a large family car, the fuel economy on my test run at least is still fairly woeful. That's not something Range Rover buyers really care about, I sense, though. Equally, I'm not sure the tax benefits of owning a hybrid are a game-changer for buyers of a 100k luxury SUV, especially when there's a 20k premium over the standard model. It does have acres of leather and all the standard Range Rover luxury, though, and it should manage muddy fields with ease. The firm says it's still a Range Rover first and foremost, and to prove this, it drove one the entire route of the ancient Silk Road from Europe to India. My own test constituted an off-roading circuit closer to home, some serious mud and some light wading. But as soon as the expensively chiselled front end plunged into the water, all hell broke loose and the dashboard lit up. It pinged and ponged away with red and orange warning lights, saying things such as "Hybrid failure" and "Adaptive Damping System Warning". The air conditioning also cut out.Land Rover went quiet when I mentioned this. Was it a pre-production glitch or a computer gremlin? Who knows. Either way, it made my exit rather tricky and only fixed itself when I restarted the engine on dry land. This may be a greenest Range Rover ever, but unless you have 100k to spare, only care about looking green rather than really saving the planet and don't want to take it anywhere wet or muddy, I'm not sure it's the car for you.

Arts & Ents - Art

Video: Kelpies statue unveiled The 10 Best affordable art prints Unseen John Constable oil sketch discovered at Victoria and Albert museum Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family

Video: Kelpies statue unveiled - News - Art - The Independent

Two giant horse head sculptures, named The Kelpies, have been unveiled in Scotland.

The 10 Best affordable art prints - Arts & Books - IndyBest - The Independent
2. Ah! Storm clouds rushed from the Channel coasts by Patrick Caulfield This summers Caulfield retrospective at Tate Britain reignited interest in this great British artist. With its flat block colour, heavy black lines and an architectural subject, this classic example of his work will look striking on plain walls. From 25, tate.org.uk 3. Whistlejacket by Stubbs Hanging in the National Gallery, the original work by the 18th-century painter of horses has fantastic impact. As a print, the neutral background gives it an oddly modern feel. Team with a simple frame and go for the extra-large version really to make a statement. 50 (extra large), nationalgallery.co.uk 4. Fjoluraut Pall Print by Kristjana Williams Inject some colour with this bold design by the talented Icelandic-born illustrator. Her work is inspired by intricate Victorian engravings and brought bang up to date with vivid bright colours. Shes caught the attention of critics, not least for this stunning butterfly. 115, heals.co.uk 5. Nimbus by Berndnaut Smilde The Dutch artist Smildes photograph of his 2010 indoor-cloud installation is as stunning as it is clever. The blue and red contrast with the ethereal cloud made using smoke machines, moisture and dramatic lighting. Signed by the artist, this image is one for budding collectors. 1,100, saatchistore.com 6. The Snail by Matisse In his later years, the Frenchman lost the ability to paint and turned to collage. The Snail is a great print for kids bedrooms: the bright colours and abstract shapes will get little imaginations going. 125, shop.tate.org.uk 7. Walking Around My World by Tracey Emin The Turner Prize nominee Emins scratchy sketching style is as recognisable as her neon signs. Romantic, soft and very pretty, this print is one of 300 and comes signed by the artist. A beautiful image that will rise in value. 350, emininternational.myshopify.com 8. Seven Dollar Party Dress by Ben Lowe

8. Seven Dollar Party Dress by Ben Lowe Many of Ben Lowes cool, often abstract works are inspired by his travels. This, the result of a shopping trip in New York, is an emotive, accessible piece thatll be the star of the show in a light room. 345, loaf.com 9. Picasso by Stephen Davids Who knows what the Spanish master would have made of this simple portrait? Whatever the verdict, Stephen Davidss almost childlike sketch (produced exclusively for Habitat) will add a bit of fun to your walls and make your guests do a double take. 35, habitat.co.uk 10. Death, 1984 by Gilbert and George This iconic 1980s work was part of a series of four the others are Hope, Life and Fear. Created in the midst of the Aids epidemic, then as now, its a bold, divisive piece a guaranteed talking point. From 25, tate.org.uk

Unseen John Constable oil sketch discovered at Victoria and Albert museum News - Art - The Independent
Conservators at the Victoria and Albert museum in London were removing a loose lining from the British artist's "Branch Hill Pond: Hampstead" when the 24.5 x 39.4cm sketch was discovered. The museum will display the woodland sketch of a windy sky and trees from tomorrow. Experts believe it dates from the early 1820s and was likely created in late summer on a canvas pinned to Constable's paintbox. Staff had been made aware of a hidden sketch following an X-ray of the main artwork but assumed that Constable had painted over it many years ago. The English romantic artist died in 1837 but is known for his grand depictions of the Suffolk countryside. His most famous work, "The Hay Wain" resides in the National Gallery. Constable's daughter Isabel donated three of her father's easel paintings, 92 oil sketches, 297 drawings and watercolours and three sketchbooks to the Victoria and Albert in 1888. Constable was thrifty with his artist's resources and produced several double-sided paintings, according to experts. He would use a range of materials from homemade paper and panels to scraps of recycled canvas. A major 2014 exhibition, Constable: The Making of a Master, will display Constable's work alongside the likes of landscape masters Jacob van Ruisdael and Claude Lorrain at the musem next year in September.

Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family - Europe World - The Independent
Thomas Kluge spent four years painting Queen Margrethe II and her family, including Prince Christian, who dominates the royal ensemble and has been compared to Damien, the possessed orphan in the 1976 film The Omen.

The Queen commissioned the work to mark the passage of 150 years since the House of Glucksburg took the Danish throne. It recalls a renowned 19th century painting that showed earlier generations of the family in a traditional, ballroom setting. Speaking for the first time since the a challenging reception, Mr Klug told The Independent that he was surprised to discover people were looking at his painting in the same way as the original. "I was trying to take out realistic depictions because we live in a democratic world and I think our Queen and her her family are now symbolic," he said. "This is satire." Mr Klug, who is 44 and from Copenhagen, described his depiction of eight-year-old Christian, who is second in line to the throne and played football with the artist during sittings, as like that of a "toy figure". He added: "I have put him in front of a theatre-like scene with light coming from below to show how he has not grown up but that we, the viewer, expect him to bring this kingdom into the future. I wanted to show that weight on his shoulders." A spokesperson for the royal family in Copenhagen said it could not comment on the painting or the reaction to it but Mr Kluge said the Queen had approved the work. "She was very kindly and warm and it was a great pleasure for me so I have a great feeling for that," he said. "I think it is understood that it is important to play with historic symbols and place them in our democracy. We should look at our history and culture in new ways." Queen Margrethe enjoys some of the highest popularity ratings of any European monarch and is herself an accomplished artist. She supplied the illustrations for the Danish language publication of the Lord of The Rings trilogy with the blessing of its author JRR Tolkien.

Arts & Ents - Music

Brit Awards 2014: Arctic Monkeys agree to open show with live performance X Factor runner-up Rebecca Ferguson on regrets about dating One Direction's Zayn Malik and her new album One Direction set to score fastest-selling album of 2013 with Midnight Memories The Weeknd, gig review: 'His dark, intense music fills the size of the O2' One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party One Direction Midnight Memories, album review: 'A clumsy attempt at rock' Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall, review: 'A stunning return to form' Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala One Direction graduate to Radio 2 with 'mature sounding' new rock album Robin Thicke and Anchorman's Ron Burgundy set to film music video together

Brit Awards 2014: Arctic Monkeys agree to open show with live performance - News - Music - The Independent

The Sheffield group and Katy Perry were confirmed as the first acts who have agreed to perform at the Brits, broadcast live by ITV, next February. Arctic Monkeys refused to attend the 2006 Brits, where they won the Breakthrough act. In 2007 they sent a mocking video message dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz. When they did accept an award in person in 2008, they dressed as country squires and delivered a sarcastic acceptance speech which was drowned out by the organisers. Their decision to finally make peace with the Brits reflects the bands acceptance that they have become the UKs pre-eminent rock band following a triumphant Glastonbury headlining performance. The chance to play live before a potential audience of 10 million ITV viewers was also too good to refuse. Christian Tattersfield, Brits chairman, said: It took a lot of wining and dining on behalf of the Brits but it was my absolute priority to get Arctic Monkeys to perform. It has been their year. It helps that the Brit Awards is now seen as a credible event and is no longer the shambles it was four or five years ago. Arctic Monkeys are inching towards the music establishment. They made huge inroads in the US with their latest album AM, Tattersfield said, a process which required the indie-rockers to perform industry duties, like meeting and greeting radio executives, without compromising their ideals. Although the UK music industry continues to struggle with the transition to a digital future, the Brits showcase attracted its highest viewing figures for a decade last year. But Tattersfield admitted that whilst the 34 year-old event has attained a new level of slickness, it has been accused of becoming too dull. We needed to stop the mayhem but we want some more excitement this year, he said. Presenter James Corden, in his final year as host, will be let off the leash. When I sat down with James he felt he wanted one more shot. He wanted to go out with a bang. He wants to put in a performance as host that creates the excitement we all talk about. Were saying to James Go for it lets all have some fun. For the first time in almost three decades, it appears that there will be no million-album-selling artist in the UK in 2013. But download singles are thriving, along with views of videos on platforms such as YouTube and Vevo. The Brits committee is considering introducing a new Video of the Year award and raising the profile of the Single of the Year honour. But Mr Tattersfield, the outgoing co-CEO of Warner Music UK, said the album remains the industrys gold standard. You had better make a stunning album these days because its so easy to buy a single track download. But if Adele had released an album in the last three months wed be talking about that. If an album is compelling, people will buy it. The biggest US stars are now open to appearing at the Brits because viewing figures have risen and the show is more professional. Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus are all possibles for next years event. There are a lot of huge superstars available, Mr Tattersfield said, adding that Miley Cyrus is definitely in the mix. The Wrecking Ball star could replicate her controversial twerking performance. Id be very happy for Miley to do whatever performance she sees fit to do. No-ones flagged any twerking controversy with me. Were definitely not in the business of censoring artists, Tattersfield said. The organisers are also promising a very cool collaboration between two leading artists. This year the Brits statues

The organisers are also promising a very cool collaboration between two leading artists. This year the Brits statues have been styled by hat designer to the stars, Philip Treacy. Last year the show was seen by 8 million ITV viewers and the Brits committee wants to increase that figure to 10 million. A decision will be announced on whether the Outstanding Achievement in Music prize, rested last year, will return. The recipient must be a British legend. Not just someone who has had a few hits over 20 years, said the Chairman, who pledged to deliver the biggest and best ever awards.

X Factor runner-up Rebecca Ferguson on regrets about dating One Direction's Zayn Malik and her new album - Features - Music - The Independent
Her new single, "I Hope", for example, begins with the line: "I used to hate you so easily". The smile disappears completely (and necessarily) as she debuts another track from her new album, Freedom, entitled "My Freedom". She looks unambiguously downcast, and with good reason. The song is not a happy one. "Do whatever you gotta do so you can feel like you're winning on me," she sings. "You won't take the freedom out of my life." At its conclusion, with applause rushing up to greet her, the smile, beatific now, returns. "Ah, thank yis," she says in her thick Scouse accent. Then, promptly rearranging her face once more, she adds: "This next one's about bullying and oppression" It is probably fair to suggest that X Factor finalists rarely sing songs about bullying and oppression. But then Ferguson, it transpires, has much to gripe about. Four days earlier, we meet in her PR's office. She is tall and elegant, her fake eyelashes lending an unexpected glamour to what is otherwise an ordinary Friday morning. As she sits and gets comfortable, she admits there is much she cannot talk about, however much she'd like to. She can't, for example, discuss her former management company, Modest!, whom she left last year and who are currently suing her for breach of contract. And neither can she discuss, individually, the people who scammed her out of 100,000 over the past two years. Police enquiries are still pending. "I'm not allowed," the 27-year-old says, hesitantly. "I can't, legally. Let's just say I attracted a lot of erm, false friends, false accountants, false solicitors. Just false people all round, really." To suggest that Ferguson has been through the mill since coming second on The X Factor in 2010 (losing out to Matt Cardle) is to understate matters. On the show, she was a cripplingly shy 23-year-old single mother of two and, in her own words, "such a nice person; that's how everyone saw me. I suppose that's how I attracted these people. I was too giving, too trusting." This is why Freedom is such a stark album. As with much that comes from Simon Cowell's stable, it boasts the rather anonymous high-gloss sheen of any modern soul record, but this doesn't, mercifully, mask her exquisitely husky, oldschool vocal, nor the stinging sentiments that soar in songs like "Fake Smile" and "Hanging On". This is, in its own way, a protest record. "It's pretty much about depression and frustration," she says, summoning up a hollow laugh. "You know, this amazing thing happened to me I actually became a singer but mostly I was just surrounded by vultures and absolute bastards. And I had to deal with it, or go under." Born in Liverpool, Ferguson had always wanted to sing. But by 17, she was unexpectedly pregnant. "I don't think sex education went down very well in my school," she giggles. "I was terribly naive." Two years later, she found

herself the single mother of two. She continued, off and on, to sing, and knocked lucklessly on the doors of every record company in London. She tried out for The X Factor twice before, and also Britain's Got Talent, but with no luck. On these occasions, however, she refused to ply what is expected of all entrants on TV talent shows: a sob story. On the last occasion, the way she tells it now, the sob story was effectively pried out of her. "In the interview, they asked me why this was so important to me, but they thought I was just faffing about when I said I love to sing. So they asked me about my kids, and that was it. I broke down in tears." At this point, she relates, the interviewer was jubilant. "He just said, 'Great! We've got it!'" The rest is so much predictable TV history, Ferguson cast as the broken-down bambi whose overriding wish could only be granted by viewers phoning in and voting for her. Which of course we duly did, in our hundreds and thousands. A year later, her debut album, Heaven, was showered with critical praise, while Matt Cardle's was routinely dismissed. Heaven went on to sell a million copies. "Amazing," she says now."My dream had come true." But it rapidly soured. Things started to go wrong, she believes, during the X Factor tour, when she started dating One Direction's Zayn Malik (the group had come third in X Factor 2010). "That was my first mistake. I was 23, he was 18. Of course, if it was a 23-year-old guy dating an 18-year-old girl, no one would have batted an eyelid, but this way around was a big deal, apparently. I didn't realise that. I was just a hippy, free-loving person, but that's not a good thing to be in this industry. You can't just follow your heart." They parted shortly afterwards, and Ferguson subsequently amassed all sorts of new friends, each of whom, in some or other capacity, offered to work for her. "I was like this energy source being drained by them," she says. Foolishly, she rarely questioned their motives. If one such "fake accountant" suggested they needed money for something, she simply wrote a cheque. I ask her what she thinks of it all now, and in response, she merely blinks, her eyelashes fluttering like nervous spiders across her face. "Legally, I'm tied up, I'm not allowed to say anything," she says. She is now managed by Craig Logan, formerly of Bros who famously had their own financial problems at the height of their success and life, she says, is better these days. She is happy, at last. "The whole experience has toughened me up. Singing for me is a blessing, and I'm not about to waste that blessing just because certain people tried to ruin it for me." She says, with relief, that she is sleeping well at night now. For the longest time, she wasn't. "I still wake up and have a little panic, but I go back to sleep quickly afterwards. That's a good sign, I think." 'Freedom' is released on 2 December by RCA/ Sony Music

One Direction set to score fastest-selling album of 2013 with Midnight Memories - News - Music - The Independent
The boy band's third album Midnight Memories is set to topple Swing Both Ways from the number one spot after selling 145,000 copies in its first three days of sale. According to The Official Charts Company, Midnight Memories is currently out-selling every other artist in the top five combined. Gary Barlow's Since I Saw You Last is in second place and Williams' Swing Both ways is in third. Should the band's album continue to sell at its current pace, Daft Punk' s Random Access Memories could be in danger of losing its 'fastest-selling album of 2013' title.

The French duo's fourth album sold 165,000 copies in its first week of sale when it was released in May earlier this year. One Direction have made multiple TV appearances to promote their new album in the past weeks. Performances at the MTV American Music Awards, Children In Need, and most recently The X Factor, have helped propel the group towards their second number one. Right Place Right Time by Olly Murs has climbed 92 places to fourth place following the release of his new single "Hand On My Heart", and Boyzone's twenty year anniversary album BZ20 is at number five. Susan Boyle's Home For Christmas has debuted mid-week at number seven. In the mid-week singles chart, "Under Control" by Calvin Harris, Alesso and Hurts looks set to knock Lily Allen 's "Somewhere Only We Know" off the number one spot on Sunday.

The Weeknd, gig review: 'His dark, intense music fills the size of the O2' Reviews - Music - The Independent
There he is, crooning 'Pretty' with face pressed up close to the camera, multiplied all over the stage pleading Said you fucked another man he cant make you feel this beautiful. Fortunately, The Weeknd live is nowhere as near as narcotically one-note and oppressive as it can often be on record. Hes really a very charming guy on stage, bouncing around, clutching the mic like hes cradling a lovers head, asking us with the greatest of grace whether he can get sexy with us tonight. (And then more impertinently, if he can make us come four times.) Hed have to have live appeal to be bringing such a dark, singular, intense music to a space the size of the O2. Many purveyors of hipster R&B (and there are many) would struggle to make even its little sister the indigo2 work, and few would get the chance to try. And he does it pretty much through force of personality - apart from the intro of Adaptation/Love In The Sky, sung from within a backlit, cuboid gauze curtain, stagecraft is limited to visuals dominated by Tokyo-style neon lights and (yaaaaawn) tactically cut girl-on-girl porn. At a venue where over the past year Beyonce, Gaga and Girls Aloud have all played, its impressive to see a single guy work the room with just a band, a bounce, and a hell of a voice, all warm and creepy and intimate, intermittently leaping up into soul-wracked effusions. The already dubstep-doomy songs become punchier with the aid of the band The Town and Drake collab Crew Love turning a harsh-beated, rocky cheek. Softer moments are just as appealing, like the liquid acoustic backing of Loft Music, and the chilly, Siouxsie-sampling House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls. He closes with Wicked Game for which the house lights go off, and the phones go up. I know we got some weed smokers in here so let's get some lighters up, bellows Tesfaye. Ah, he can smell it too, then. But tonight proves deftly that, not just for hipsters, caners and those prone to scary, paranoid passions, The Weeknd is something for all.

One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party - News - Music - The Independent
The Bangerz star was celebrating her milestone at Beacher's Madhouse nightclub in Los Angeles after performing at the MTV American Music Awards. She sung "Wrecking Ball" wearing a skimpy cat-printed leotard in front of a giant kitten earlier that night.

She sung "Wrecking Ball" wearing a skimpy cat-printed leotard in front of a giant kitten earlier that night. But she forgot to warn guests of hazardous party entertainment that nearly saw the Scottish DJ knocked out. Harris tweeted his gratitude to the "Best Song Ever" singer on Sunday. Big thank you to @Real_Liam_Payne for saving me from getting KO'd by a flying "person of unusually short stature" tonight Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) November 25, 2013 Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus reportedly presented his daughter with a personalised three-wheeled motorbike at a party featuring dancing pandas, twerking girls doing the splits and Miley-themed cocktails. Other guests included Payne's One Direction bandmate Niall Horan, rapper Wiz Khalifa and Kelly Osbourne. Cyrus rented out the whole club for her first night as a legal alcohol drinker and enjoyed a birthday cake decorated with her naked body covered in marijuana leaves. Following her performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam earlier this month her love for the illegal drug has been widely-known. The singer lit a joint on stage when accepting the award for Best Video. She is also a fan of dwarves after twerking and spanking with 'Little Britney' during a performance of "We Can't Stop" at the same November event.

One Direction Midnight Memories, album review: 'A clumsy attempt at rock' - Reviews - Music - The Independent
Faced with a rapidly maturing pre-teen fanbase that may soon tire of saccharine pop fare, One Direction have released their 'rockiest' album yet, which is soon to be heard on Radio 2's airwaves. Take That successfully managed the process incrementally, but Midnight Memories finds One Direction fumbling the transition with clumsy attempts to adopt ill-fitting rock livery. It's OK on tracks like Best Song Ever, where their pop sound and harmonies are slightly fattened up with powerchords and chunky drums; but the title-track itself is too sharp a turn into Bon Jovi/Def Leppard territory, heavily reminiscent of Pour Some Sugar On Me. Meanwhile, the affectation of big rock guitar and spandex vocal snarl stains Little Black Dress with insincerity. Elsewhere, Something Great applies Springsteen dynamics to routine fluff, while the careering new-wave guitar riff and cycling synth of Why Don't We Go There suggests a fancy for some of that Killers cred. Download this: Best Song Ever; Diana

Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall, review: 'A stunning return to form' Reviews - Music - The Independent
The 72-year-olds past comes with him on this visit via a concurrent release of an eye-watering box set of all 41 studio albums since 1962. But if connections with the past are inevitably an integral part of a performance by this artist at this venue, he must be judged on the present. And certainly for the near hour long first half the present showed a stunning return to form. Where he has gone through the motions in some recent tours, tonight he stood without guitar in front of his band at

Where he has gone through the motions in some recent tours, tonight he stood without guitar in front of his band at the front of the stage, not just reinterpreting his songs, but doing so with care and feeling. The voice that can be a relic of past triumphs was marvellously and unexpectedly once more an instrument, elongating syllables in vintage style in the staccato delivery on the great opener "Things Have Changed". On "Pay In Blood" from his most recent album Tempest he stood legs wide apart and rigid, the voice snarling menace. Throughout there was only a half-light around him, which made his face barely discernible. Perhaps that enabled one to project any decade on to proceedings as he revisited the sixties with "She Belongs To Me", the seventies with a raw and pained "Tangled Up in Blue", and the nineties to equally shattering effect with one his most intense and hauntingly emotional later songs "Love Sick". At the interval this gig had five stars written all over it. But strangely the second half fell a little flat. Dylan, of all people, an artist who in the past has given his record company apoplexy by totally ignoring a current release in concert, decided to use most of the 45 minutes or so to showcase Tempest, with his John Lennon tribute "Roll on John" the last song of the night. Apart from "A Simple Twist of Fate" and an undercooked rendition of "All Along the Watchtower" in the encore, this felt like an overdose of too recent material. One certainly cannot and does not expect every one of "Like A Rolling Stone", "Blowing in the Wind", "Mr Tambourine Man" and "The Times They Are a Changing". But one of them would have been nice. Ignoring both a phenomenal back catalogue and audience desire for a genuine climax is perverse. And then at just after half past nine he was gone. So ended performance 2,500-plus on the never-ending tour that began in 1988. It was in turns stunning, revelatory and downright perplexing. Like the man himself.

Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala - News - Music - The Independent
Providing backing vocals to Bon Jovis karaoke favourite "Living On A Prayer", Prince William seemed a touch awkward at first. He soon got into the swing of things, and at the end of the song helped Swift off the stage to cheers and applause. It was the finale of an event at Kensington Palace to support homeless charity Centrepoint, which works to support hundreds of young people by preempting and tackling problems that could force them onto the streets. The duke has been a patron of the charity since 2005 and, throughout the Winter Whites Gala, met some of the people Centrepoint has helped through housing and other opportunities. Swift and Bon Jovi both performed individually at the event. The former, who sang "Trouble", "Love Story" and "15", said she was honoured by her invite to the palace. This is my first time playing at Kensington Palace, or any palace for that matter, she said. I want to thank you for having me Prince William, this is just amazing. Swift said it was important the gala concert was supporting at-risk youth, given they were dealing with more than most people were at what was already a difficult age. Other guests at the event included Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt and Tinie Tempah. Prince William presented the Centrepoint Great Britain Youth Inspiration Award to Bon Jovi for his humanitarian work.

The singer founded Soul Foundation in the United States in 2006, which aims to break the cycle of people falling into poverty and homelessness by helping them gain access to food and affordable housing along with job training programmes. Bon Jovi said: Nights like this happen once in a lifetime but the chance to affect change can last a lifetime. Each one of you tonight have that chance to affect change. Video: On the red carpet at Winter Whites charity gala

One Direction graduate to Radio 2 with 'mature sounding' new rock album News - Music - The Independent
Yet, in an unlikely turn of events, One Direction are wreaking havoc on such clear delineations, setting the twerkers of Radio 1 against the cardigan-wearing balladeers of its sister station. Their latest single, "Story of my Life", has been picked up by Radio 2 and placed on heavy rotation. The track also sits on Radio 1s A-playlist where it sits alongside the Arctic Monkeys and Eminem. Both stations three-tier playlists are designed to reflect the editorial interest of the station. Tracks that make it on to the A-list can be played up to 20 times a week. Though artists such as Adele and Ed Sheeran have known to cross both stations, such duplication between the two stations is frowned upon by the BBC Trust, which instructed Radio 1 to target teenage listeners and has mandated Radio 2 to ensure that it offers a distinctive service that caters for an older audience. A BBC spokesman said: Both Radio 1 and Radio 2 make decisions to playlist songs with listeners in mind. So while both felt this song would appeal to their audiences, the listening experience would be vastly different, as the stations tone and mix of music means they have unique and utterly distinctive sounds. The tug-of-war over One Direction is indicative of two stations in an aggressive period of transformation. Radio 1 has been under pressure from its commercial rivals and the BBC Trust to make the station younger after it was revealed the average age of its audience had grown from 29 to 32. Radio 2, once home to tunes by Val Doonican and Mantovani, has long since reinvented itself as a modern, mainstream station and overtook Radio 1 at the start of the last decade. Either way, there is one clear beneficiary of the battle for the band, and thats the quintet themselves. Teenagers generally do not respond well to their parents appropriating their musical passions. But One Direction, who have sold 19 million singles and 10 million albums since being manufactured by The X-Factor, may be preparing to wave goodbye to their young fanbase. Midnight Memories contains little of the club-friendly R&B which dominates the single charts. Instead it features guitar-led homages to Def Leppards 80s glam metal, replicas of The Whos power-chords, a nod to The Police and several songs which tap into the current vogue for folk-pop. Click here to read a review of One Direction's new album The songs, written by the band members on their tour bus and recorded in hotel rooms, is a conscious attempt to broaden their audience, said Rob Stringer, chairman of Columbia, One Directions record label. Radio 2 has really jumped on board and played this, and weve never been played on that station before, he enthused. Midnight Memories is on course to become the biggest UK album of the year after it sold 115,000 copies on the day of its release. But the bands change of sound prompted a mixed response in the US, where they hope to break in to the adult contemporary radio stations.

the adult contemporary radio stations. One reviewer wrote: Its reminiscent of when US record executives changed The Beatles Rubber Soul to better position it among the burgeoning folk scene of the mid-1960s. The only difference is that Rubber Soul was a little bit better. But in an article titled Why grown-ups should give One Direction a chance, Andrew Romano of the Daily Beast called Story of My Life one of the best songs of the year a gentle acoustic loper that starts out sounding a lot like Simon and Garfunkels The Boxer before bursting into a big, simple, beautiful hook that gets stuck in your head. The rock direction is credited to member Niall Horan, who plays guitar during their shows. The new songs were designed to deliver anthemic uplift when the band graduate to headlining stadiums, including Wembley next summer. With Lady Gaga veering into art-pop, One Direction remain the best hope for an industry that has suffered another year of decline. Amid relentless touring and brand partnerships, One Direction are due to release another album in November 2014 and will receive a huge payout if they stay together until the end of their three-album Columbia deal. Right at home in the battle of the blands When female pop stars such as Miley Cyrus grow up, they feel required to throw their clothes off; when a boy band such as One Direction go mature, their already slightly tweedy image simply gets more buttoned-up. Thats probably the most depressing message in the video for One Directions new single Story of My Life, as Liam Payne wanders moodily around a darkroom in a waistcoat. Apart from that, the sheer blatancy of the bands cross-over assault is quite funny. Mumfords-style faux-acoustic guitar strums in the first verse are followed by booming pop beats familiar from their other hits; a sequence showing Harry Styles and co looking at family photos in existential contemplation is followed by Zayn Malik cheerily popping up in a girls bedroom. No wonder Radios 1 and 2 are confused. One Direction have come for us all. The blurring of the playlists of the nations most popular stations also seems inevitable, however uncomfortable it may make the BBC Trust. The distinction between them ceased being absolute 20 years ago, as punk fans hit middle age, and pushed fans of Sinatra-style easy listening and swing over the demographic edge. While 6 Music now caters for ageing Peel fans and their descendants, 1 and 2 are more closely linked than ever. The pictures on Radio 2s playlist website are like the ghosts of ideal Christmas futures for One Direction. Theres Gary Barlow, sitting pensively at his piano, waiting for the inspiration for another bland ballad to hit. And theres the one theyd all like to be, Elton once, like Take That, a Radio 1 evergreen. Olly Murs and Ellie Goulding have already made the switch from 1 to 2. Eminem and Arctic Monkeys give 1s playlist a bit of edge; but no more than 2s Manic Street Preachers. What comes across from both lists is that chart pop culture has rarely been more bland. One Direction should be right at home everywhere for some time to come. Nick Hasted

Robin Thicke and Anchorman's Ron Burgundy set to film music video

Robin Thicke and Anchorman's Ron Burgundy set to film music video together - News - Music - The Independent
The "Blurred Lines" singer recorded Christopher Cross' 80s track with actor Will Ferrell for the Anchorman 2 soundtrack, but now the unlikely duo reportedly want to take things further with a music video. Plans to promote the film with a video are said to be underway, with Thicke and Ferrell trying to find time in their busy schedules. A source told the New York Post's Page Six : "Everyone's on board for a proper music video, but Will's concerned about his schedule." The insider said Rob Burgundy would like Thicke to join him on one of his upcoming TV appearances to promote the film. It was hoped Thicke would join the Anchorman actor on late-night talk show Conan last week, but the singer was unable to attend due to previous engagements and the $100,000 cost of flying to LA. Negotiations are thought to be ongoing with Thicke's record label Interscope over the possibility of him joining Ferrell for a December performance of "Ride Like The Wind" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Ferrell has performed several stunts as the moustached 1970s anchorman recently, including riding around on a threeseater bicycle with Daft Punk ahead of the MTV European Music Awards in Amsterdam. Robin Thicke made headlines with his last music video for "Blurred Lines", which was accused of sexism and reenforcing "rape myths". It has since been banned in more than 20 universities in the UK. No further details have been revealed about the direction Thicke and Ferrell's video might take.

Arts & Ents - Classical

Levin, Chuang, OAE, Faultless: Classical review

Levin, Chuang, OAE, Faultless: Classical review - Reviews - Classical - The Independent
Mendelssohns artistry at this tender age was staggering: the soloists parts were deftly knitted together, and equally deftly spliced with the orchestra. And we got a fine sense of complicity between soloists and orchestra, because their respective timbres were so evenly balanced. The piano parts were conceived as equals too, though the soloists musical personalities Levins sinewy forcefulness versus Chuangs delicate grace created a piquant contrast. With support from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Margaret Faultlesss, er, faultless direction, this work proved well worth its airing. The pair then returned to give a beautifully-calibrated account of Schuberts majestic Fantasy in F minor; the concert was book-ended with the most spirited Beethoven (Coriolan and the Eighth Symphony) Ive heard for a long time.

Arts & Ents - Films

Arts & Ents - Films

Video: Tarzan trailer Video: Interview with Kristen Bell on Disney's Frozen Video: Interview with Idina Menzel on Disney's Frozen Quentin Tarantino: I had so much fun with Django, my next film will be a western The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The return of the little man with the big imagination 'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs 27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report

Video: Tarzan trailer - Films - Arts & Entertainment - The Independent

Tarzan and Jane face a mercenary army dispatched by the evil CEO of Greystoke Energies, a man who took over the company from Tarzan's parents, after they died in a plane crash in the African jungle.

Video: Interview with Kristen Bell on Disney's Frozen - Features - Films The Independent
Kristen Bell says girls don't need Prince Charming or any man in their lives and tells women how to be solo legends during an interview for Frozen.

Video: Interview with Idina Menzel on Disney's Frozen - Features - Films The Independent
Idina Menzel, voice of Elsa, talks about new Disney movie, Frozen and wanting the special power of healing.

Quentin Tarantino: I had so much fun with Django, my next film will be a western - News - Films - The Independent
The director confirmed his plans on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno when asked about any upcoming projects. "I haven't told anyone this publicly but I will say the genre: it's a western," he said. "I had so much fun doing Django and I love westerns so much that after I taught myself how to make one, it's like, 'Okay! Let me make another one now that I know what I'm doing." Django Unchained stars Christoph Waltz as a bounty hunter helping freed slave Jamie Foxx rescue his wife from a cruel and violent Mississippi plantation owner. But the filmmaker confirmed that his new project will not be a sequel to Django Unchained. Tarentino told Leno how he writes his award-winning scripts by himself at home. "I sit there and I think about it and all of these ideas come to me," he said. "I kind of work it out a little bit. Then I get out of the pool and I make notes. Then the next day, that's my work." The Inglourious Basterds creator has developed a reputation for putting his own distinct mark on various genres. "I just do it my way," he said in a recent interview. "I make my own little Quentin versions of them. It's almost like I

"I just do it my way," he said in a recent interview. "I make my own little Quentin versions of them. It's almost like I am going for my professorship in cinema and the day I die is the day I graduate." Tarentino first appeared on Jay Leno's chat show as a young unknown in 1992 before his debut film Reservoir Dogs had been released. "I had read about this kid who worked in a video story and he had written a movie," Leno recalled. "I thought 'Let's have him on. This could be interesting'."

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The return of the little man with the big imagination - Features - Films - The Independent
Almost 75 years later, Thurber's creation has become a byword for self-delusion, and his simple premise holds enduring appeal for film-makers: since the story's publication, the snap-cut from heroic fantasy to banal real-life has become a commonplace cinematic trope. Walter Mitty himself first made it to the big screen in 1947, and a new film adaptation is due in cinemas this month. Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, this contemporary version introduces Mitty as a milquetoast magazine employee, whose reveries elide with reality when he sets off across the world to track down a missing photographic negative. However, the project has taken so long to emerge from development hell that at times it must have seemed as fantastical as one of its protagonist's daydreams. The directors who have been tempted to take the helm are among the most celebrated in Hollywood. The list of stars attached is a roster of the defining comic talents of the past 20 years. And all along, one family from the film-industry aristocracy has remained committed to returning Mitty to the movies. Samuel Goldwyn was one of the original Hollywood moguls, a Polish-Jewish immigrant who arrived in the US with nothing at the end of the 19th century, and rose to head his own major production company, Samuel Goldwyn Pictures. No Walter Mitty he. Eight years after it appeared in The New Yorker , Goldwyn produced the first film adaptation of Thurber's story, which he had altered to accommodate the talents of its star, song-and-dance man Danny Kaye. Though Goldwyn consulted the author repeatedly during the writing of the script, Thurber was reportedly dismayed by the result, which he privately described as "The Public Life of Danny Kaye". Half a century later, Goldwyn's son, Samuel Goldwyn Jr, himself a successful movie producer, hit on the idea of a remake featuring the biggest comedy star of the moment: Jim Carrey. Carrey was fresh from a string of hits, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, all released in 1994. Mitty could be tailored to fit his wacky screen persona. Carrey was offered $20m to take the role, and in 1997 Ron Howard came on board as director. Yet their writers struggled to devise a satisfactory modern storyline, and Howard left to pursue other projects including How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), starring Carrey. At least one more director had come and gone by the time Goldwyn Jr filed a lawsuit against New Line, the studio that owned the rights to Thurber's story, in 2001. New Line had acquired Mitty six years beforehand on the understanding that Goldwyn would produce the remake; the studio wanted to pass the rights to another company earlier than the deal stipulated, thus removing Goldwyn's creative control of the project. In 2002, he won the suit and the rights, which he took to Paramount Pictures, where his son, John Goldwyn, was an executive. In Spring 2003, John Goldwyn met with Carrey and Steven Spielberg, who were keen to collaborate, and had at one time considered working together on Meet the Parents (2000) a film that eventually fell to Stiller. Goldwyn later described the meeting to Variety, recalling, "We're sitting there with Steven when Jim asks, 'What ever happened to that Walter Mitty project?' Steven says, 'You mean the old Danny Kaye movie? I'd direct that if you starred in it.' Jim says, 'I'd star in it if you directed it.' And [Paramount studio head] Sherry Lansing says, 'I'd finance it if you directed it and you starred in it.' She turns to me and says, 'John, get the rights.' And I was able to say, 'I already have them.'" Yet again the project stalled, with Spielberg moving on to make War of the Worlds. Samuel Goldwyn Jr hired the

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard LaGravenese to rethink the script, and it was LaGravenese who introduced the love story that survived into the Stiller version, which features Kristen Wiig as Walter's co-worker and the object of his affection. That wasn't enough to avert another disaster: Carrey, who had been with the project since its inception, pulled out in 2005. Owen Wilson, supposedly a fan of Thurber's story, took Carrey's place, but changed his mind months later due to socalled creative differences. Paramount's hold on the remake expired at the end of 2005, John Goldwyn had already left the studio, and two years later his father's long-gestating project surfaced again at 20th Century Fox, with Mike Myers in the title role. A new script was commissioned to match the star of such broad parodies as Wayne's World and Austin Powers, who was still bankable thanks to the Shrek franchise. But then, in 2008, Myers wrote and starred in The Love Guru, which made back just $41m of its $62m budget at the box office. He has not starred in a movie since. In April 2010, it was reported that Sacha Baron Cohen would play Mitty, from yet another script, this time by Peter Morgan, the British screenwriter of The Queen and Frost/Nixon. In Morgan's version, Mitty would be a "timid megastore owner" who puts fantasy aside to deal with a real-life drama. But when Gore Verbinski, director of Pirates of the Caribbean, agreed to direct the film, Cohen's name dropped off the cast list. Verbinksi, too, departed the film, but a screenplay by his collaborator Steve Conrad ended up in the hands of Stiller, who in April 2011 signed on to star, and several months later to direct. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will finally appear in US cinemas on Christmas Day. Among its producers are the Goldwyns: John and Samuel Jr, who is now 87. Mitty marks the latter's first credit for 10 years, since 2003's Master and Commander though it took him almost 20 years to earn it.

'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs - Features - Films - The Independent
Click here or view gallery to see more misquotes t-shirts The Tumblr blog Slightly Wrong Quotes encourages customers to 'irritate pedants" by wearing the shirts that have quotes which are wrong enough to be annoying, or if you got some sense of humour, to make you laugh. The one man behind this work is the Glaswegian @Michaelmphysics, who started doing this to "make my pals laugh", but has now made it a business. He takes submissions and sells the shirts in Red Bubble for a price range of 15-19. His best tip: "Make sure that the quote is 100% correct."

27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report - Americas - World - The Independent
But now it seems the slogan no animals were harmed is not always to be believed after the publication of a report claiming animal cruelty is still rife in Hollywood. A number of animals were injured or killed during the production of some of last years biggest blockbusters, including Life of Pi and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, while the HBO horse-racing drama Luck was cancelled after four horses died during filming. The report by The Hollywood Reporter accuses the American Humane Association (AHA) the issuer of the familiar no animals were harmed credit of not only failing to protect animals on set, but also of covering up those lapses. The real-life Bengal tiger that played the circus animal Richard Parker in the director Ang Lees acclaimed Life of Pi was reported to have almost drowned during a sequence that was shot in a water tank in Taiwan; the report claims the animal was snagged with a catch rope and dragged to the side of the tank.

report claims the animal was snagged with a catch rope and dragged to the side of the tank. The Oscar-winning film was awarded the no animals were harmed stamp, despite an AHA official having witnessed the incident. Gina Johnson, a representative for the AHA, described the tigers mistreatment in an email to a colleague in 2011. This one take with him just went really bad and he got lost trying to swim to the side. Damn near drowned, she wrote. I think this goes without saying but dont mention anything to anyone! Especially the office. Have downplayed the fuck out of it. The report also claims the AHA neglected to investigate animal cruelty that took place on a New Zealand farm during the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2011 , when 27 animals including sheep and goats reportedly perished from dehydration, exhaustion or drowning. An animal trainer working on the film informed an AHA official of the fatalities in 2012, but was told the lack of physical evidence would make it hard to investigate the claim further. When the trainer replied that he had buried the animals himself and knew of their location, the AHA representative told him that because the deaths had taken place off-set, it could not officiate. The film was later given the carefully worded credit that noted it monitored all of the significant animal action. No animals were harmed during such action. These recent incidents of animal neglect are not isolated. According to the report, a husky dog was punched in the diaphragm on Disneys 2006 film Eight Below, a chipmunk was fatally squashed in the 2006 comedy Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, and dozens of dead fish and squid were washed ashore during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003. In a statement, the AHA denied the allegations made in the report and said it could only bear responsibility for an animals welfare while it was on a film set. Far from allowing abuse or neglect to occur, we have a remarkably high safety record of 99.98 per cent on set, the AHA said. Despite our best efforts, there have occasionally been rare accidents, most of them minor and not intentional. Writing to condemn the animal deaths during production on The Hobbit last year, Dr Robin Ganzert, the chief executive of the AHA, said: We do not have either the jurisdiction or funding to extend oversight to activities or conditions off-set or before animals come under our protection. There are too many incidents off the set and this must stop. It is vital that we work with the industry to bring the kind of protection we have for animals during filming to all phases of production. Animal Cruelty: Films recent record The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Twenty seven animals including goats and sheep were said to have perished from dehydration, exhaustion or drowning on a New Zealand farm during filming. Zookeeper (2011) An elderly giraffe died during the movies production run. Eight Below Zero (2006)

A huskie was beaten during filming, and given five punches to its diaphragm. Force was also used to break up a dog fight.

Arts & Ents - TV

Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C S Lewis: TV review - behind closed doors with a man as magical as his classic Chronicles The Week in Radio: A little Britten isn't enough to get hooked on classics Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Brian Griffin death petition attracts 80,000 signatures from Family Guy fans American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke Chris Chibnall on his Broadchurch follow-up, The Great Train Robbery Imagine Hitler, the Tiger and Me, BBC1 - TV review: tea-drinking tigers and fleeing the Nazis in a life story that's stranger than fiction Elementary, Sky Living - TV review Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean wins International Emmy for role in BBC drama I'm A Celebrity 2013: Kian Egan takes on first bushtucker trial as Joey Essex spared Sherlock Series 3 and The Great British Bake Off join Christmas 2013 TV line-up Video: After Brian Griffin dies... Family Guy dog's best moments Brian Griffin death: Family Guy fans launch 'Bring Back Brian' petition

Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband - Crime - UK - The Independent

The 43-year-old spent a night in custody before admitting to the offence and accepting a caution, police said. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: Police were called approximately 9.45pm on Tuesday 26 November to a residential address in Hampstead following reports of an assault. A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to a north London police station. She has since been given a caution for common assault. Sykes husband, Jack Cockings, 27, did not require hospital treatment, police said. A spokesman for Sykes declined to comment. The television presenter, who found fame in adverts for Boddingtons beer in the mid-nineties, married Cockings in May.

Melanie Sykes with husband Jack Cockings (@MsMelanieSykes) The couple met on Twitter in early 2012, and raised eyebrows with their flirty public exchanges. Sykes, a former model, has hosted shows including The Big Breakfast, Today with Des and Mel and Lunch with Gino and Mel. She served as a guest panellist on ITVs Loose Women in 2005 and returned to host the show in 2008. The presenter has two sons aged 11 and nine from her marriage to Italian actor Daniel Caltagirone, which ended in 2009.

Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C S Lewis: TV review behind closed doors with a man as magical as his classic Chronicles - Reviews - TV & Radio - The Independent
While Washington DC's streets filled for the day, Lewis's funeral was attended by almost nobody. His alcoholic brother forgot to tell people when it was and the notices in the newspaper were drowned by news from Dallas. Thankfully, amid the 50th anniversary noise, Lewis hasn't passed unnoticed again. Last week he was honoured with a memorial in Poets' Corner on the 50th anniversary of his death from prostate cancer. That, we learned last night, was an irony of sorts given that Lewis's poetry especially his first big attempt, the narrative poem "Dymer" isn't quite worthy of the pantheon. A N Wilson, a Lewis biographer and the presenter of Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C S Lewis (BBC4), certainly thinks so. His prose, said Wilson, is "electrifyingly readable, but his poetry? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..." Wilson was a thoroughly good host, actually. A man who as you'd hope I suppose knows his subject inside out and used what was a comparatively short hour to tell Lewis's story. We saw him on an old Routemaster, driving through Oxford on the route Lewis took home from Magdalene College to his surrogate mother/possible lover Jane Moore (the mother of a dead friend from the First World War). We saw him pootling around town on a basketed bicycle and aboard a South West Trains carriage talking about Lewis's dicky thumb (which is why he was bad at sports and thus hated boarding school). We even saw him being given a tour of Oxford in a VW people carrier. When the vehicle stopped outside Anstey Villa, where Lewis lived with Moore and her children, an exterior shot of the car as the rear window wound down made Wilson look like a mafia don. Albeit one who looked like Eddie Marsan playing his own stiff uncle. Wilson, once an occupier of the Independent television reviewers' golden chaise longue, was in motion a lot. But so was Lewis's story. Lewis was a genius, by all accounts, and his story is worthy of his brains. Most know him for The Chronicles of Narnia, but we also learnt that he was reading classics at 17 thanks to his mentor W T Kirkpatrick (the inspiration for Narnia's Digory Kirke); that a chat with J R R Tolkien about Plato inspired the world of Narnia; and that he failed his driving test a whopping 17 times. My favourite story was one told by the actress Jill Raymond. Raymond was sent as an evacuee to stay with Moore

My favourite story was one told by the actress Jill Raymond. Raymond was sent as an evacuee to stay with Moore and a kindly man she was introduced to as "Jack" (as Lewis was known). Only after spotting shelves full of works by C S Lewis did she twig. As a fan, Raymond (later Freud, wife of Clement) spent the next few days in awe, unable to speak to him. Lewis later paid her fees at the Royal Academy, allowing her to become an actress. As an Oxford and Cambridge don and the writer of the most famous of Christian allegories, I'd incorrectly assumed Lewis to be stern and didactical. This portrait showed him as a caring, religiously nuanced soul. A man who cared for his brother, a family he inherited from a wartime pact, and a wife who died of cancer. In fact, Wilson barely had to mention the joy brought into the childhoods of millions by the adventures in Narnia. One suspects we'll still be reading them on 22 November 2063.

The Week in Radio: A little Britten isn't enough to get hooked on classics Features - TV & Radio - The Independent
I know, for instance, that he is not the hero of a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald (that would be Benjamin Button), nor a rabbit dreamt up by Beatrix Potter (Benjamin Bunny) but an English composer of monumental importance who also starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the 2000 hit comedy Miss Congeniality. No, wait. That doesn't sound right.... In some ways, I like to think that my ignorance on one of the 20th-century's most famous composers makes me Radio 3's ideal listener. I am a blank canvas in dire need of education. In reality, though, it probably makes me its worst nightmare. Because my ongoing fixation with pop music, through which after several decades of intense study I have still barely scratched the surface, doesn't leave much time for wrestling with 1,000 years of classical music, let alone studying a single composer inside out. I suspect what I need is an idiot's guide and Radio 3, to its credit, does not cater for idiots. There are other commercial classical stations that do that job perfectly well. Radio 3 is also well practised in these intense surveys. In the past, there have been seasons on Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Schubert, all neatly tapping into the obsessiveness that characterises so many music lovers and their love of specific eras and artists. So, Britten. In honour of the centenary of his birth, Radio 3 had relocated the entire operation to Suffolk, home of Aldeburgh Music and the Britten Studio, for its weekend-long tribute. This was, for the most part, a tribute to Britten told not through academics and experts offering lengthy reappraisals but through music performed in the place that he loved. In Tune offered, for these ears at least, a gentle introduction to Britten's works from the famous Hymn to St Cecilia to the more obscure Lone Dog. Broadcasting from the Snape Maltings caf, the presenter Suzy Klein and Britten biographer John Bridcut looked at the composer's fascination with childhood by studying the music he wrote while still a schoolboy and looking at his early adult works, which found him pining for this youth. In Private Passions the irascible Maggi Hambling talked of a man who had "wrung the neck of classical music", as she and presenter Michael Berkeley studied her memorial to Britten, a massive pair of metal scallop shells on Aldeburgh beach. I listened, in the end, to hours of music, nearly all of it for the first time. So what did I learn? That Britten's work is more accessible than I imagined though some of it strange and disquieting and that was the stuff I liked best. I discovered, through various introductions and snippets of conversation, that Britten loved cricket and was a sore loser, and that he adored his friends but dropped them like stones if they didn't reach his exacting standards. Through Maggi Hambling, I learned that he was partial to Coronation Street, which made me warm to him immensely.

Crucially, I came to understand that much more than a weekend is required to really get to know Britten and view his work in the context of the music that came before and after. I realised that I am, indeed, Radio 3's worst nightmare, an ignoramus who lacks concentration and who, for all my supposed willingness to learn, would ultimately rather spend the weekend listening to Eels. Twitter.com/FionaSturges

Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
In a speech in London, Lord Hall expressed admiration for the on-camera skills of the former Manchester United player, who has been credited for bringing fresh insight into expert football analysis since joining Sky two years ago. The Director Generals praise was given in the context of showing that the BBC is willing to learn from the creative successes of its rivals and to claim that the Corporation deserves credit for maintaining a high bar of quality across the television sector. The BBC is part of a virtuous circle. We do well. Others have to compete. They raise their game. We respond. Competition spurs us all on. And the creative strength of the whole industry rises, from Downton (Abbey) to Broadchurch, The Inbetweeners to Channel 4 News, Moone Boy to Gary Neville, he said. Lord Halls lauding of broadcasting rivals, came in an address to the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Conference. The Director General said the BBC needed to cast aside its humility in arguing that the licence fee was good value for money. We need to be less British about saying what you get for 40p a day, he said. We have got to get aggressive about making this case to people. MOTD is under pressure to respond to a fast changing market in televised football. Pay television companies BT Sport and Sky have invested vast sums in football rights and made the Premier League a key battlefield in their fight for broadband and TV subscribers. Each of these commercial giants has spent heavily on improving their coverage, expanding studios and hiring recently-retired players as star pundits. BT Sport, which recently spent 900m for right to broadcast Champions League football, has hired a string of recent England players as expert analysts, including Michael Owen, David James and the current Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Sky brought in former England defender Jamie Carragher to form a punditry double act with Neville this season. Some fans believe that MOTD, which relies heavily on an established presenting line-up of Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer, is at risk of appearing out-of-touch with the fast-moving modern game. Andy Lyons, editor of the When Saturday Comes fanzine, said the long-running show could not afford to be complacent. The BBC has got a captive audience on a Saturday evening and thats part of the problem. Theyve not felt such a need to change the format. A BBC source said Lord Hall was not trying to put pressure on BBC Sport but merely tipping his hat to the Sky Sports presenter. But within the BBC there is an awareness of the need to refresh. Hansen (who retired from football in 1991) will stand down after next summers World Cup and his former Liverpool colleague Mark Lawrenson has, to his chagrin, had a lesser role this season as new pundits, including a more contemporary Liverpool player Danny Murphy, have been given airtime. Gary Parkinson, editor of fourfourtwo.com, said some of the MOTD presenting team appeared to reject attempts to introduce deeper tactical analysis into the show. There was almost an anti-intellectualism that grew up around MOTD punditry. It became a sneering 19th hole old boys club. He detected attempts to modernise the programme this season, with greater use of graphics, but warned that the

He detected attempts to modernise the programme this season, with greater use of graphics, but warned that the growth of on-demand television viewing meant that pundits on a highlights show like MOTD were at risk of being ignored anyway. These days, people often just fast forward through the analysis, he said. A BBC spokesperson said: " MOTD continues to evolve and has featured a wide range of studio experts this season. Our pundits consistently lead the way in audience research and we have exciting plans in place for the World Cup and throughout the 2014-15 season. "

Brian Griffin death petition attracts 80,000 signatures from Family Guy fans News - TV & Radio - The Independent
The Griffins' much-loved dog died when his best friend Stewie failed to revive him with his time machine after he was hit by a car. Click here for Brian's top ten moments The change.org online petition states: "The writers of Family Guy didn't just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America's dog!" The petition paid tribute to the "witty and sophisticated element" that Brian had brought to the show and described him as "an important part of our viewing experience". "Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffiin is not brought back," avid viewer Aaron Thompson wrote. Fans have also been 'liking' the 'R.I.P Brian Griffin from Family Guy' page on Facebook. Close to 750,000 people have joined with the most dedicated supporters creating tribute art and memes in the character's honour. Creator Seth MacFarlane and the Family Guy production team introduced new dog Vinny towards the end of the show in a move that served only to anger fans more. If Brian is really dead & Vinny is the replacement. I'm not watching family guy ever again.. #BringBackBrian #familyguy n Gabbie Romero (@gabbiekrzzzz_) November 27, 2013 Producers are confident Family Guy fans will move on from Brian's death and warm to Vinny, who is voiced by Tony Sirico from The Sopranos. "Our fans are smart enough and have been loyal to our show for long enough to know that they can trust us," said Callaghan. "We always make choices that work to the greatest benefit of the series." Brian was a talking pet dog who enjoyed an alcoholic drink, dated women and aspired to be a novelist. He had featured in more than 200 episodes of the long-running show since its run began in 1999.

American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows - Science - News - The Independent
According to research published in the Psychological Science journal, test subjects were more likely to say they had faith in a higher power after watching jaw-dropping footage of the Grand Canyon, waterfalls and other natural phenomena.

Those who were asked to watch extracts from the BBC documentary series fronted by Sir David Attenborough gave markedly different responses to a series of questions than a control group which was shown footage from more neutral news reports. Professor Piercarlo Valdesolo, a psychological scientist from Claremont McKenna College who carried out the studies, said: Many historical accounts of religious epiphanies and revelations seem to involve the experience of being awe-struck by the beauty, strength or size of a divine being, and these experiences change the way people understand and think about the world. We wanted to test the exact opposite prediction: Its not that the presence of the supernatural elicits awe, its that awe elicits the perception of the presence of the supernatural, he said. Professor Valdesolo said participants from both groups were asked how much awe they felt while watching the footage, and whether they believed that worldly events unfold according to some gods or other non-human entitys plan. Overall, those who had watched the awe-inspiring video tended to believe more in supernatural control, and were more likely to believe in God when compared with the news-watching group. The scientists added that they observed similar results when the awe-inspiring video was changed for one which showed amazing but self-evidently impossible events, such as a massive waterfall flowing through city streets. The researchers pointed out that these data could also shed light on why certain individuals seek to explain the world through secular and scientific means. Professor Valdesolo said: The irony in this is that gazing upon things that we know to be formed by natural causes, such as the jaw-dropping expanse of the Grand Canyon, pushes us to explain them as the product of supernatural causes. The experience of awe may simply motivate us to search for explanations, no matter what kinds of explanations they are, he added. In another experiment, the test subjects were given random series of numbers and asked whether or not they thought they had been picked deliberately. Those who had seen the awe-inspiring video were more likely than others to say the numbers had been designed by human hand. Based on these preliminary findings, Professor Valdesolo and his colleague Jesse Graham from the University of Southern California said they are now looking at other factors which change the impact of awe on belief in the supernatural. For example, they are testing whether adopting submissive body postures, which make us feel less powerful, might dispose us to experiences of awe. A link could perhaps explain the presence of such postures in religious practices across the world, such as kneeling, bowing, and gazing up. The more submissive we act, the more awe we might feel, and perhaps the stronger our beliefs become, Professor Valdesolo said.

Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
The 27-year-old actor revealed on Twitter he was miserable after experiencing another lapse. Almost a year to the day, I experienced another mini stroke. Hopefully that will be the last. Miserable, he wrote on

25 November. Muniz suffered his first mini stroke in December last year when he was taken ill in Arizona after losing vision in one eye while riding his motorbike. He wrote at the time: Have to start taking care of my body! Getting old! A mini-stroke, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. Symptoms can be similar to a stroke, for example problems with speech and vision, but only last for a few minutes and are usually gone within 24 hours. Muniz put his acting career on hold seven years ago to race cars for a living. He also plays the drums in an American band called Kingsfoil. The actors career since 2006 has not matched the success of Malcolm in the Middle, a sit-com that ran for 150 episodes in which Muniz played title character Malcolm, a genius middle child who finds it hard to fit in. Earlier this year, Muniz openly criticised the launch of Obamacare, which saw thousands of Americans unable to access its website healthcare.gov. This Obamacare launch is an embarrassment to the American people. How many more promises have to be broken? he tweeted.

Chris Chibnall on his Broadchurch follow-up, The Great Train Robbery Features - TV & Radio - The Independent
His new BBC1 mini-serial The Great Train Robbery , starring Jim Broadbent as Detective Tommy Butler, which is out next month, tells the story of the celebrated heist in 1963 from both the robbers' and the police's perspectives, in two 90-minute films. "The challenge was to make sure that the drama was weighted so the audience get to see both sides of the story," Chibnall tells me. "That was my reason for doing the piece in the first place. I pitched the idea of seeing the robbery, and the police investigation, from two very different angles, and exploring the resonances, similarities and differences." A Robber's Tale is directed by Julian Jarrold (The Girl, Appropriate Adult) and stars the up-and-coming Hollywood actor Luke Evans, playing gang leader Bruce Reynolds. Evans who is about to star in the new Hobbit movie, is an actor whom Chibnall feels "lucky to nab before he is off in the stratosphere". "This is Luke's first ever piece for television and he's hugely in demand in Hollywood right now. But it shows how confident television drama is right now: we're doing things on television now that cinema used to do. It's very exciting," says Chibnall. While A Copper's Tale about the policemen who went after them, is directed by Broadchurch director James Strong, who also directed episodes of Doctor Who, Torchwood and United, Chibnall's 2011 film about Manchester United's Busby Babes, starring Tennant. Chibnall whose show Broadchurch was ITV's hottest new drama since Downton Abbey earlier this year, is stepping on more familiar territory with this well-known story that usually focuses on escapee Ronnie Biggs. But Chibnall is paying attention to the planning and execution of the robbery itself. He is also thrilled there is "an absolutely untold story" of the flying squad and Tommy Butler, which no drama has yet touched on.

Did he talk to any of the real-life police in his research? "Yes I spoke to Steve Moore, who is the one surviving member of the train investigation squad played by Tom Chambers in the film," says Chibnall. "So we had a long conversation and he gave us lots of insight into the investigation and also Tommy Butler." So how did he come to write The Great Train Robbery? After Chibnall finished the final mix of United for BBC2 in a Soho dubbing studio he was talking to the film's executive producer Simon Heath and director Strong about "other big moments in post war British history". "We felt like it was a really important moment. People knew the headline but not really the detail of what went on," he says. After they teamed up again, it still took Chibnall two years to write The Great Train Robbery. "The research was the longest part: there are so many accounts, a lot of them contradictory. It probably took me a year to read everything, and to reconcile all the different accounts," he says. "On the police side, it was starting from scratch. There was no single official account of the police investigation. Tommy Butler never spoke to the press, never gave interviews, was never filmed. I was very lucky that historian Andrew Cook had recently managed to gain access to previously locked case files, and he was a huge help." Now Chibnall is currently writing the second series of Broadchurch. " It will be very different. The only pressure I feel is to tell the story I want to tell as well as it can be told. It'll be a different journey to the first series," he says. He works from an office near his house in Dorset. "I clock in at 9am, and stay working till 6 or 7pm. You have to put the hours in. Often, I'll work beyond that, if I'm on a roll, or if I'm behind where I feel I should be." He has also written a play for Salisbury Playhouse, called 'Worst Wedding Ever', which opens there in March next year. "It's the first play I've written in 10 years and I'm very excited and utterly terrified about it," he says. "I wanted to make sure I did something very different and challenging between writing Broadchurch series 1 and 2." Putting Evans who has appeared in Fast and Furious 6, Clash of the Titans and The Three Musketeers on the big screen and Le Week-End star Broadbent together in a scene, he claims, is "every writer's dream". He adds: "But they're also very different performers: watching the two films together is a masterclass in screen performance. I'm in awe of them both and feel so lucky to have written for them." 'The Great Train Robbery' is broadcast on BBC1 next month

Imagine - Hitler, the Tiger and Me, BBC1 - TV review: tea-drinking tigers and fleeing the Nazis in a life story that's stranger than fiction - Reviews - TV & Radio - The Independent
What a pleasure it was to look at the world through Kerr's eyes for a little while in Imagine Hitler, the Tiger and Me on BBC1. She hasn't ceased her eager observation for 80-odd years and in that time has produced beautiful sketches, paintings, textiles and illustrations, all almost as lively as the artist herself. It's this creative curiosity, inherited from her father, that has been her lifelong solace. "He was looking at things all the time and if you do that, you don't despair. He would say, 'Yes, this is bad, but it's interesting.'" Alfred Kerr was a leading Jewish intellectual in pre-war Berlin, but escaped with his family in the nick of time. The Nazis came to power the day after they left for England. On a trip back to her childhood home, Judith told the little girl now living there about her wartime experience, "It wasn't so sad, it was very interesting." In fact, as she later acknowledged, the trauma of these years cast a long shadow over her family, especially her mother, who bore the greatest amount of stress and attempted suicide several times. Kerr drew on this these years in her semiautobiographical books for older children, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and The Other Way Round. This Imagine was an example of the increased cultural significance children's books are now accorded and it's good to see. Making children laugh is a noble pursuit.

As Michael Rosen, another great in the genre, usefully pointed out, there are darker shades in Kerr's work too. In a literary form where most characters drift on forever in a kind of permanent stasis, it was radical to kill off beloved cat Mog, but like all the best authors of books for children, Kerr has no time for sentiment.

Elementary, Sky Living - TV review - Reviews - TV & Radio - The Independent

Any opportunity to crow over a US show that's inferior to its UK equivalent is not to be missed it's so often the other way round, after all but as an American-made show with a British expat protagonist, Elementary is also an interesting take on cultural difference. If Dr Watson were writing up his case notes he'd call it "A Study in Yank". While the UK Sherlock is still a self-described sociopath who performs devastating character demolitions as soon as shake hands, the US Sherlock shows worrying sings of "character growth". In this episode, when Dr Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) became frustrated by her slow sleuthing progress, Sherlock was not only sensitive enough to notice, but humble enough to make her a gift of his unsolved cases, saying she might succeed where he has failed. True, US Sherlock buttons his shirt all the way up to the top, mumbles to himself occasionally and drinks Tibetan tea instead of cop-favourite coffee, but in Britain that would hardly qualify as eccentric, would it?

Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean wins International Emmy for role in BBC drama - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
Past years have seen Britain swept the board but the 2013 International Emmys, which honour television produced outside the United States, saw a wider range of nationalities claiming accolades. Bean, 54, won his award for playing a transvestite teacher accused of murder in acclaimed BBC crime drama Accused. "I've never actually won anything," he said. "Thank you. I really am so happy." The first series of Accused won best drama in 2011 and saw Christopher Eccleston take best actor. Writers Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy then went on to prove that Brits do have a sense of humour with Moone Boy's success. The comedy follows the life of an Irish boy with an imaginary adult friend. "Even in the wildest imaginations of our imaginary friends we never imagined we'd win an International Emmy," said actor and co-creator O'Dowd. "We've been focused on drinking tonight," a surprised Murphy admitted. Rhys Thomas' British documentary Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender about the Queen frontman won for best arts programming in a tie with South Korean classical music documentary Hello?! Orchestra. British comedian John Oliver from The Daily Show entertained the New York Hilton audience with a series of dry cultural observations, including a jibe at the domination of American TV by "adaptations of English shows, adaptations of Israeli shows or adaptations of English versions of Israeli shows". Among a range of other international winners, the Founders trophy was awarded to JJ Abrams for successfully crossing cultural boundaries to reflect common humanity. The American film and TV producer's most famous work includes Lost and Star Trek. Abrams joked the only reason he had won the prize was because of a family connection, saying that he felt "unworthy". "I feel genuinely grateful. It's a privilege to work in the television medium," he said.

"unworthy". "I feel genuinely grateful. It's a privilege to work in the television medium," he said. Past British winners at the awards have included Ben Whishaw, Julie Walters, David Suchet, Jim Broadbent and Helena Bonham Carter. Comedies Little Britain and The I.T Crowd have also taken home trophies. The International Emmy Awards winners Best performance by an actor: Sean Bean, Accused, Britain Best performance by an actress: Fernanda Montenegro, Sweet Mother, Brazil Best comedy: Moone Boy, Britain Best documentary: 5 Broken Cameras, France Best drama series: Les Revenants, France Best arts programming: Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, Britain and Hello?! Orchestra, South Korea Best reality entertainment: Go Back To Where You Came From, Australia Best telenovela: Side By Side, Brazil Best TV movie: A Day For A Miracle, Germany Founders award: J.J Abrams International Directorate: Anke Schaferkordt

I'm A Celebrity 2013: Kian Egan takes on first bushtucker trial as Joey Essex spared - News - TV & Radio - The Independent
Presenters Ant and Dec have said that it's "nice to have someone different down doing the trial" and announced their intentions to put the Irish singer through his paces. "Kian's not been down there yet doing a proper voted-for trial," the duo told the ITV2 spin-off show. "He said he's not scared of anything in here. Heights, bugs or food challenges...so let's really go to town on him!" Kian will tackle 'Cave Danger' in a challenge broadcast on Wednesday. He will have to navigate an underground maze while battling an array of insects and rodents to collect stars, with any stars won exchanged for camp dinners. Chat show host Matthew Wright told the singer he was "absolutely thrilled" with the public's decision while Kian confirmed he was "up for it". "I think a lot of people wanted to see someone other than Joey and they've gone for someone who I think could bring back a lot of stars," said Dec."Viewers obviously don't want to see them starve down there. They want to see them eat. It's quite interesting." Bookmakers have tipped Kian to rival The Only Way Is Essex 's Joey to the jungle throne. The Westlife star's current odds are 7/2 with Joey remaining the 6/4 favourite to win.

Sherlock Series 3 and The Great British Bake Off join Christmas 2013 TV line-up - News - TV & Radio - The Independent

From a Strictly Come Dancing ballroom bonanza to a cookery masterclass with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, here are some of this year's BBC holiday highlights: Sherlock Series 3 This year's biggest television mystery - how did Sherlock fake his own death? - will finally be answered in the first episode of the new series. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the detective, 'The Empty Hearse' is due on-air sometime between 21 December and 3 January. The Time Of The Doctor Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman star as the '13th Doctor' and Clara in this Christmas sci-fi adventure. The time-travelling duo "must go to a quiet backwater planet in order to learn what some strange signals mean for his very

existence". in the Doctor Who Christmas special The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special

Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman

Christmas pudding queen Mary Berry shares some stress-free pearls of wisdom in this masterclass with Paul Hollywood. Fans of cookery shows can also tune in for Food & Drink to watch Mary prepare a festive feast with Michel Roux Jnr, Kate Goodman and Glynn Purnell. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly present a sequinned spectacular as special guests including Rochelle Humes from The Saturdays, DJ Sarah Cox and comedian Rufus Hound take to the dancefloor.

Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly will present a glitzy Christmas special So what else...? Fantasy family drama Atlantis concludes with a two-parter over the holiday period while brand new treats such as David Walliams' Gangsta Granny have been promised. Diverse religious programming will include The First Eucharist of Christmas and the Christmas Day Sung Eucharist live from Westminster Abbey, Songs of Praise's Big Sing and a thought-provoking New Year's message from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Fern Britten will invite singer Susan Boyle; BBC foreign correspondent John Simpson; comedian Ken Dodd; and Olympic athlete Christine Ohuruogu onto Fern Britton Meets... to talk about their faith, hymns will be broadcast from Cambridge in the annual Carols From King's and Simon Sebag Montefiore explores the sacred history of Istanbul in Byzantium: A Tale of Three Cities. Other Christmas offerings include a one-off edition of The Great British Sewing Bee, the best songs of 2013 in Top of the Pops Christmas , The Call Centre Christmas Choir and festive panels on Mock the Week , pop quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks and QI. A host of films including Toy Story 3 , Little Fockers, Cars 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will also be shown.

Video: After Brian Griffin dies... Family Guy dog's best moments - Features TV & Radio - The Independent
The much-loved dog died in The Life of Brian episode on Sunday, but his sharp wit, cerebral interests and luck with the ladies will not be forgotten. The anthropomorphic pet was left fighting for his life in hospital in his final Family Guy episode after being run over by a car. Fans have fought back with an online petition to resurrect Brian after the shows producers said the idea to kill him off sort of caught fire in the writers room. The petition states: The writers of family guy didnt just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed Americans dog! As over 25,000 fans sign the change.org petition, we look back on some of the cultured canines best moments from Family Guy. 1. 'Brian, we are going to have ants' 2. Brian invites The Hills' Lauren for dinner 3. Brian controls Stewie

4. Brian yaps at bawling baby 5. Brian beaten up by Stewie 6. Brian dressed in bee costume 7. Brian gets down with texting 8. Brian so 'over' Stewie 9. Brian's first love Tracy Flannigan 10. The moment Brian meets his end. RIP Brian.

Brian Griffin death: Family Guy fans launch 'Bring Back Brian' petition News - TV & Radio - The Independent
But now avid viewer Aaron Thompson has launched an online petition to resurrect the Seth MacFarlane's animal star from his untimely grave. Over 27,000 fans have pledged their support on change.org while another 309,000 have joined the 'R.I.P Brian Griffin from Family Guy' page on Facebook. The change.org online petition states: "The writers of Family Guy didn't just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America's dog!" The petition paid tribute to the "witty and sophisticated element" that Brian had brought to the show and described him as "an important part of our viewing experience". "Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffiin is not brought back," Thompson wrote. Brian was a talking pet dog who enjoyed an alcoholic drink, dated women and aspired to be a novelist. He had featured in more than 200 episodes of the long-running show since its run began in 1999. Upset fans flooded Twitter with messages of sadness after Brian uttered his final words: "You've given me a wonderful life. I love you all." Literally crying because they killed off Brian on Family Guy... ive watched every episode and it made me so sad, It's been good, buddy.. <3 Braden Barrie (@SayWeCanFly) November 26, 2013 Yet while viewers grieved the fictitious dog, the Griffin family seemed to moved on. New tough-talking dog Vinny, voiced by Tony Sirico of The Sopranos, was adopted before the end of the episode, sparking yet more outrage from fans. Vinny the new dog they have is nothing compared to Brian.. Family Guy will never be the same BigPapiAndres (@andres_0027) November 26, 2013 Despite the backlash, executive producer Steve Callaghan is confident that Family Guy fans will warm to the new character in time.

"Our fans are smart enough and have been loyal to our show for long enough to know that they can trust us," he told E!. "We always make choices that work to the greatest benefit of the series."

Arts & Ents - Theatre and Dance

Thanks a bunch: Actors are forgoing the usual first-night bouquets - and donating the money to charity instead No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot review: Cort Theatre, New York

Thanks a bunch: Actors are forgoing the usual first-night bouquets - and donating the money to charity instead - Features - Theatre & Dance - The Independent
But tomorrow night, after the opening of the new Sam Shepard play, A Particle of Dread, the dressing rooms of the Playhouse Theatre in Derry/Londonderry are likely to be much less colourful than they normally would be on such an occasion. A number of cast members have asked their agents to take the money that they would usually spend on sending flowers and instead donate it to Kids Company, the charity for disadvantaged inner-city children. The scheme, provisionally entitled "No More Flowers", was thought up by the actor Eugene O'Hare. Living in Tower Hamlets, one of London's poorest areas, he regularly witnessed the despair of some of the capital's young people. "I try and give what I can to Kids Company because I think it's a real inspiration," says O'Hare. "But actors' incomes can be very irregular and I wondered how other actors donated to charity. Then it occurred to me that it could be a two-way relationship between them and their agents." O'Hare worked out that between last month and next spring he would have three different opening nights. "Flowers can be 40 to 50 quid including the delivery. So that's about 150. And I have two agents. I thought if I could get other actors to join me then there could be a real cumulative effect." Flowers might have traditionally been given to actors since the Middle Ages, but O'Hare found that actor friends were more than happy to forgo their bouquets for a good cause. "As a group, we're fairly socially and politically conscious. Even if we might get a bad name for it sometimes," he says with a laugh. On hearing of the initiative, Caolan Byrne, one of the cast members of A Particle of Dread, immediately lent his support. "I was speaking with a few other actors and they all agreed that the gifts we get on opening night are nonsense and don't serve any purpose," he says. "You could give something to people who really need it. Flowers just sit in the dressing room dying. Then at the end of the run, you throw them away. It's depressing." The founder of Kids Company, Camila Batmanghelidjh, was delighted to hear about the scheme. But she was quick to point out that it's not just the actual money that will make a difference. "With children who have been abused, their biggest problem is that they feel violated and that no one wants them around; they feel discarded often," says Batmanghelidjh.

"And to know that people at the centre of society, especially people who are admired in the arts, are doing something like this is so important, not only in terms of the donations, but also in terms of the compassion that is demonstrated to the kids. "It tells them they matter," she adds. "It sort of helps to return some dignity to the children by having them embraced in this way. I think Eugene is amazing to have thought this up. The fact that actors are agreeing to do this really touches me." The agents, too, have been quick to get on board. "My agency, Curtis Brown, thought it was a great idea and something that they'd love to do," says O'Hare. "They wanted to celebrate my work in whatever way I wished. Also, it's easier to text a donation than to go about trying to arrange a flower delivery: everyone's a winner. I think the only enemy we're going to make out of this is a handful of florists." kidsco.org.uk

No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot review: Cort Theatre, New York Reviews - Theatre & Dance - The Independent
Watching Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Godot and Harold Pinters No Mans Land, didnt quite induce me to that state but I fully understand the reaction of those overwhelmed patrons. These two exquisite productions, in serving up profound mediations on reality, loneliness, rivalry and mortality, make a compelling case for the ways that theatre can shed light on the human condition. And what fun that Stewart and McKellen- wonderfully directed by Sean Mathias- have along the way. The pair are close friends but their terrific onstage dynamic never lapses into ostentatious chumminess. Stewart and McKellen in Waiting for Godot generated mixed reviews when they originally performed the play in the West End and UK for exaggerating the humour at the expense of Becketts message of despair. You still feel that the vagrants Vladimir (Stewart) and Estragon (McKellen) are having too grand a time as they wait for Godot who never arrives. But since Mathias and designer Stephen Brimson Lewis have set the play underneath a theatres decaying proscenium arch, its not far-fetched that two seemingly resting actors would put so brave a face on failure. McKellens Estragon is arch and showy, an effective counterweight to Stewarts mournful and melancholy Vladimir. Theyre aided by fantastic supporting turns from a bullying Pozzo (Shuler Hensley) and his hapless slave Lucky (Billy Crudup.) No Mans Land manages to outshine a very good Godot. Both are elliptical works unfolding within a state of limbo but whereas both Becketts work focuses on human connection, Pinters 1975 play revolves around awkward rejection. No Mans Land is quintessential Pinter thrusting us in a world of male power games and menacing misunderstanding. Spooner (McKellen), a poet, is invited back to the house of Hirst (Stewart), a more successful writer he meets on Hampstead Heath. Both McKellen and Stewart brilliantly immerse themselves into complicated characters. McKellen shifts Spooner from a swaggering elitist- confidently describing himself at the outset as a man of intelligence and perception- to a degenerate shambles. Stewarts Hirst, a rich poet crippled by alcoholism, is by turns pathetic and powerful. Mathias production expertly captures the poetry contained in Pinters psychological study of both sides of the creative coin being consumed by struggle and failure, trapped in a No Mans Land which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever icy and silent.

Here Crudup and Hensley prove less effective as Hirsts secretary Foster and bodyguard Briggs who take exception at Spooners arrival. They both look the part but the American Crudup, in the performance I saw, attempted a cockney accent that painfully sounded like a Dutchman impersonating Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins while Hensley was insufficiently thuggish in his vocal delivery. Yet their shortcomings paradoxically reinforce the majestic duel between Spooner and Hirst which defines this unforgettable production. It is to be hoped that Mathias, McKellen and Stewart bring No Mans Land to London. It takes something special for complex and challenging works featuring elderly tramps and North London men of letters to get Broadway buzzing. Stewart and McKellen have done it in style. No Mans Land and Waiting for Godot are on at the Cort Theatre until 2nd March

Arts & Ents - Comedy

Monty Python announce five more dates to 2014 reunion British Comedy Awards 2013: Jack Whitehall, Alan Carr and David Mitchell shortlisted Monty Python and the ticket touts

Monty Python announce five more dates to 2014 reunion - News - Comedy The Independent
The comedic group, who last week announced they were making a return to the stage after 30 years, will play the five added dates in July at Londons O2 Arena. The dates will take place on 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 July, with tickets for the added gigs going on sale on Friday from 10am. The Pythons added four more dates on Monday following the success of their initial one-off gig, which sold out in 43.5 seconds. More than 70,000 tickets for the four shows sold out in 55 minutes when they went on sale earlier this week. John Cleese said the group were touched that so many fans wanted to see such old people perform. The response to our planned reunion has been very, very silly. But, we're all touched that so many fans still want to see such old people perform. So we're delighted to be adding more dates to the run at the O2, he said. The group said they would not rule out the possibility of adding more dates when they announced their one-off gig last week. They said the concert would include some new comedy sketches, but would mostly include familiar material. Eric Idle said fans could expect a little comedy, a lot of pathos, some music and a tiny bit of ancient sex. The concerts will see the John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones return to the stage for the first time in over thirty years. Their last major live show was at the Hollywood Bowl in 1982.

Sixth Python Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989 aged just 48, and nine years later the five remaining members shared a stage at the Aspen Comedy Festival in the US. They said they would miss performing with Chapman but he would have a presence on-screen during the show. Idle said: We've told him we're going on and if there is a God, he'll be turning up.

British Comedy Awards 2013: Jack Whitehall, Alan Carr and David Mitchell shortlisted - News - Comedy - The Independent
Fans voted Jack Whitehall as their victor last year, but it remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old stand-up can defend his throne. Other contenders for the prestigious title include David Mitchell from Peep Show, BAFTA-winning comedian Lee Mack and Norton's fellow chat show supremo Alan Carr. The King or Queen of Comedy prize is the only category at the British Comedy Awards chosen by the public. Renowned funnyman Jonathan Ross will host the awards next month, which will see Miranda Hart, James Corden and Ant & Dec compete for honours. Awards will be presented in 15 categories including Best Comedy Actor and Actress, Best New British TV Comedy and the Outstanding Achievement Award. Russell Brand, David Walliams, Peter Kay and Ricky Gervais are among winners to have walked away with gongs in previous years. The British Comedy Awards 2013 will be broacast live from Wembley's Fountain Studios on Thursday 12 December. Voting for the King or Queen of Comedy award has now opened. For more information about how to vote click here.

Monty Python and the ticket touts - Features - Comedy - The Independent
According to promoters of the event at the O2 Arena, the first batch of tickets sold out in 43.5 seconds of frantic page-refreshing from buyers bombarding the websites of the official retailers, O2 and Ticketmaster. Four extra nights previously unannounced (but clearly pre-planned) were added, but these also sold out rapidly. It's an all-too-familiar experience for fans, who soon spotted tickets appearing for "resale" at heavily marked-up prices on marketplace sites including Seatwave, viagogo and Get Me In! "It's extraordinarily frustrating. I'm an obsessive Monty Python fan and when am I ever going to see them again without paying a small fortune to one of these rip-off merchants?" says Jo Selwood from Oxford, 34, who spent Monday morning failing to secure tickets, and wrote to The Independent's letters editor to share her frustration. According to O2 and Ticketmaster, buyers were limited to four tickets per cardholder to the event, but yesterday lunchtime more than 1,800 tickets were available on Seatwave and a further 1,100 were available via Get Me In! Many of these were at four or five times their original value, while one enterprising vendor was offering a pair of VIP tickets for 4,999. Originally they would have cost 495 each, while 32.50 tickets were on sale for 125 to 200. Seatwave was unavailable for comment yesterday, but a spokesman for viagogo pointed out that just because a third

party is selling on a resale site a ticket for a certain price, "it doesn't mean it will sell at that price". Get Me In! made a similar point. Of course, "touted" tickets aren't new. Earlier this year, one tout was reported to be offering tickets to see Helen Mirren in the hit play The Audience outside the Gielgud Theatre for 500 a pair five times their official cost. However, the problem is more severe online, where last month, under the guise of David Brent, Ricky Gervais tweeted that digital touts were "fucking disgusting" after tickets to two of his gigs sold out in less than a minute, only to appear with a hefty mark-up elsewhere. Richard Davies, a London web designer who created @Twickets, a Twitter account to encourage music fans to exchange unwanted tickets for sold-out shows at face value, says, "This is nothing new. It's just that these so-called ticket resales have become so blatant. "It's morally so wrong and the argument that reselling tickets is part of an open market is just a smokescreen for an unacceptable practice." Davies adds that it is "odd" that so many Monty Python tickets had appeared on Get Me In! which is owned by Ticketmaster so quickly. This rings especially true in a world where major music acts and comedians make most of their money from live shows rather than from record or DVD sales. Ticketmaster denies that tickets from its allocations are funnelled to Get Me In! and industry insiders told The Independent they'd be shocked if it were true. A spokesman for Get Me In! is quick to defend reselling: "Fans sometimes need to resell tickets to events and Get Me In! offers a safe and secure marketplace for this to take place. Much like other online marketplaces, the listing, pricing and dispatch of tickets are all done by the seller." The MP Sharon Hodgson, who has tried to introduce a Bill to battle ticket touts, is calling for more extreme action, though: "Yet again, we're seeing fans lose out as touts cash in on the back of the talent of others it's time for ministers to act to ensure the secondary market works in the interest of fans, and not just a handful of major touts." However, Jonathan Brown, the secretary of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (Star), is more nuanced. He admits that touting is the "single biggest issue" facing theatre land but says that the "market isn't likely to change any time soon". "We battled against the secondary ticket-resale market when it launched several years ago, but the market has changed since then. The public wanted a resale market, and this is exactly what they got." Mr Brown does call on buyers to stick to agents and retailers who are members of Star, though, who are prevented from reselling tickets at a profit. For Ms Selwood, though, that rules out Seatwave, viagogo and Get Me In! as a way of getting in to see her comedy heroes. However, she does have a simpler solution to the problem: "Government, and more importantly the venues, should do more. Why not make it mandatory to present the card the ticket was purchased on when you arrive for a gig or concert? With all the modern technology available I don't see how it's that difficult to stop these rip-off merchants."

Arts & Ents - Books

Paperback review: The Guard, By Peter Terrin Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind, By Gavin Edwards: Book review In the prime of death: The artists who didn't make it to the podium in this life Bay Psalm Book sold for world record $14.2m at auction

Bay Psalm Book sold for world record $14.2m at auction Translation slam: A war of words The Village Against the World, by Dan Hancox - book review: why there is such a thing as society in southern Spain Costa Book Awards 2013: Much-loved author Clive James 'very pleased' with nomination for The Divine Comedy Costa Book Awards 2013: Bernardine Bishop leads all-female shortlist Costa Book Awards 2013: Shortlist in full

Paperback review: The Guard, By Peter Terrin - Books - Arts & Entertainment - The Independent
Harry and Michel imagine themselves to be supreme professionals of great importance, but the organisation that employs them barely keeps them alive. Things take a turn for the nastier when a third guard is dropped in on them, and the increasingly paranoid Harry decides he must be an enemy agent and sets about interrogating and torturing him.

Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind, By Gavin Edwards: Book review - Reviews - Books - The Independent
Phoenix was a fresh-faced poster boy for veganism and Edwards carefully examines how he ended up a drug addict. Phoenix's upbringing offers some clues; he was raised by the ostensibly peace-loving Children of God cult, whose members believed children were sexual beings. Phoenix was also the main breadwinner for his drifter parents and four siblings, including brother Joaquin Short inserts of background material include details of Phoenix's films and updates on the state of play in "young Hollywood". References to Phoenix's contemporaries Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp are fascinating, and perhaps deliberately concise any longer and they might risk obscuring Phoenix's story with characters who are more interesting because they are still here to light up our screens. Edwards has a knack for leading us down a path of questioning then stopping short. Did Joaquin, for instance, only take on more film roles after River's death because his family needed a replacement breadwinner? Was he jealous of River's charisma? There's only one page devoted to this, where Joaquin denies having any feelings about his brother, despite being the one who made the 911 call on the night of River's death. Surely guilt or sadness might be natural, but deeper analysis of their relationship is curtailed. A picture emerges of Phoenix as an innocent, unable to cope with the Hollywood machine. Sexually abused as a child, he was uncomfortable with his sex-symbol status and may have experimented with gay sex to prepare for his role in My Own Private Idaho, in which he played a prostitute opposite Keanu Reeves. But ultimately the biography leaves the reader unsatisfied as it lapses into "too good for this world" clich. Trite second-hand interviews with the late actor's friends show he was kind, vulnerable, uneducated and a bit naive, uttering statements such as: "I'm against the nuclear arms race and apartheid in South Africa and cruelty to animals, which means I'm a vegetarian." Equally, Phoenix's parents are presented as stereotypical hippies, wanting to "change the world". Phoenix was supposed to be the conduit for delivering their "message" but we are left wondering what that message might have been.

In the prime of death: The artists who didn't make it to the podium in this life - Features - Books - The Independent
John Kennedy Toole, a young novelist from New Orleans, abandoned a manuscript in his wardrobe after an agonising process of revision and rejection by publishers. Depressed, he killed himself in 1969, aged 31. Toole's mother, Thelma, retrieved the work and spent years battling to convince editors of its merit. "Each time it came back, I died a little," she said. In 1976, Thelma targeted Walker Percy, an author at a New Orleans university, eventually storming his office and demanding that he read her son's book. He did, "first with the sinking feeling that it was not bad enough to quit, then with a prickle of interest, then a growing excitement, and finally an incredulity; surely it was not possible that it was so good." In 1980, just 2,500 copies of A Confederacy of Dunces were printed, the first of more than a million. A year later, Toole won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. After her brilliantly matter-of-fact receipt of the news that she had won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the late Doris "Oh Christ!" Lessing later added that, because it couldn't be awarded posthumously, judges "were probably thinking they'd better give it to me now before I've popped off". She was right: Nobel conditions exclude the dead, but once were relaxed for a Swede called Erik Axel Karlfeldt. The poet was also chair of the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize, and in 1918 he politely excluded himself from consideration. He was nominated again in 1931 but died before he could withdraw and then won. In 1953, Dalton Trumbo watched as another man received his Oscar. He had been one of the "Hollywood Ten" who refused to testify at the US government's notorious anti-communist trials of the 1940s. Blacklisted in Hollywood, he served an 11-month prison sentence in 1950 for contempt. His screenplay won the Academy Award in 1953, but was presented to Ian McLellan Hunter, an English writer who had worked with him on the script. In 1993, 17 years after Trumbo's death, the Academy retrospectively honoured him, but the Writers Guild of America only restored his credit for Roman Holiday in 2011. Walt Disney is among more than a dozen people to receive posthumous Oscars, but only two actors have won. Peter Finch died after a heart attack in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1977 while promoting Network, in which he plays a newsreader. Two months later, his wife, Eletha Finch, accepted the award. Heath Ledger, also an Australian, won the best supporting actor award in 2009 for his role as Joker in The Dark Knight. He died in 2008. Alan Turing used cyanide to kill himself in 1954 at the age of 41. Two years earlier, the father of computer science and wartime codebreaker was convicted with another man of "gross indecency" under laws that prohibited homosexuality, and accepted a sentence of "chemical castration" as an alternative to prison. Last month, Attitude magazine awarded him the Icon Award for outstanding achievement. It printed his image on the cover behind the headline: "The gay man who saved the world." Additional reporting by Rosie Neve

Bay Psalm Book sold for world record $14.2m at auction - News - Books - The Independent
Believed to be the first book published in the US, the work has become the most expensive printed book after it was auctioned in New York last night. Dating from 1640, the book was published in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Congregationalist Puritans after they translated the original Hebrew psalms into English.

Prior to the auction, The Bay Psalm Book was estimated to sell for $15 million to $30 million. The book will be loaned to libraries across the country after US philanthropist David Rubenstein secured the book with his winning bid at Sotheby's. Auctioneers told how the book was sold by Boston's Old South Church, where the Boston Tea Party originated and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was baptised. Around1,700 copies were originally printed and the Old South Church still holds one other it intends to keep. Only 11 copies are thought to still be in existence, with the other nine kept in collections worldwide. However, there are multiple printing and translation errors within the editions, leading to early criticism about The Bay Psalm Book's quality. The word "psalm" appears as "psalme" on every right hand page and apostrophes have been replaced with inverted commas. It was noted 200 years ago by publisher and author Isaiah Thomas that "the compositor must have been wholly unacquainted with punctuation" to produce a work that "abounds with typographical errors". Nevertheless, another copy of the book sold for $151,000 in 1947 to set a record that beat prices paid for a Shakespeare First Folio and Gutenberg Bible. The most expensive book ever sold was a handwritten Leonardo da Vinci notebook that went for $30.8 million in 1994. John James Audubon's Birds of America was the previous record-holder for the world's priciest printed work after it sold for $11.5 million in 2010.

Translation slam: A war of words - Features - Books - The Independent

Last night, two titans of translation went head to head at a "duel" in London. Rosalind Harvey and Ollie Brock are experts in turning fancy Spanish into fancy English. They compete for commissions but increasingly they and their rivals also face-off on stage. At the Free Word Centre in Farringdon, each offered an interpretation of a passage from the novel La Fiesta del Chivo (The Feast of the Goat, both would agree) by Mario Vargas Llosa. There were no points or prizes, but under the adjudication of Daniel Hahn, a translator and the Don King figure in a bloodless sport, they competed to best embody the author's voice. At first the English looks predictably similar but then differences appear that subtly alter its tone. Compare the following: Brock: "The dark-blue surface of the sea, stirred up here and there in foamy patches, goes to meet the leaden sky at the distant boundary of the horizon." Harvey: "The sea, its dark blue surface disturbed by spots of foam, converges with a heavy grey sky on the distant horizon." It is, Hahn concedes, a gloriously nerdy pursuit, but one he says deserves greater attention. "There's a strange conflict," he adds, "because while we're campaigning for recognition, we also know that if you read a book and don't notice the translator, we're succeeding."

notice the translator, we're succeeding." To realise the value of the translator's work, he explains, "we could talk about it in the abstract for hours, but it's more compelling to look at real text and the real choices different translators make". Hahn hosted the first duel three years ago and they have been a hit at literary festivals. He and Harvey appeared on Radio 4's Today programme yesterday and, earlier this month, Hahn sold out a "Camus-off" at the Southbank Centre in London. Conflict at such events typically centres on comma placement, he says, and rarely inspires behaviour more violent than heated if highbrow debate. Harvey, who got her break with the translation of Down the Rabbit Hole, the 2011 Mexican novel by Juan Pablo Villalobos, says it is the job of the translator to "find the author's voice in your language, to write the words they would have written if they could do so in English". Reading, background and technique all lead to differences. Dictionaries are useful, but research, on- and off-line, is crucial. "The best tools are your friends," Harvey adds. "I regularly do informal polls of English and Spanish friends about a word's currency or register. For my latest book, I joined a farming forum to ask about the correct term for 'cattle frottage'." Hahn, whose translation of The Book of Chameleons by Jos Eduardo Agualusa helped the Portuguese novel win the 2007 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, says "machine" or digital translation is becoming increasingly smart, but he sees no threat to his job (yet Google's version of the Feast of the Goat line could be a lot worse: "The dark blue surface of the sea, overwhelmed by patches of foam, will meet a leaden sky on remote skyline"). Harvey says contact with authors can be minimal or, in the case of Villalobos, involve several conversations. Most are understandably delighted by the prospect of an English- speaking audience. Others illustrate a cultural difference between symbiotic trades. "Translators are often described as writers with less ego," Harvey says. "It's nice to be behind the scenes putting an author on a world stage but it's also nice to win a bit of glory."

The Village Against the World, by Dan Hancox - book review: why there is such a thing as society in southern Spain - Reviews - Books - The Independent
Can it be all it seems? Hancox is an enthusiastic and partial guide. His easy-going prose is a pleasure to read; the village and its characters well drawn. The charismatic mayor Sanchez Gordillo's beard is an "unruly socialist mess" and later, "a beard that could topple empires". And while Hancox is sympathetic he's not sycophantic. While opponents might want to brush the project aside as a historical anachronism, its roots go deep. After a decade of forceful but non-violent struggle, the marinaleos were given 1,200 hectares of land in 1991. But Spain's anarcho-communist tendency stretches back beyond even the short-lived 1936 revolution to at least 1873, when Francisco Pi y Margall instituted what Hancox describes as "the world's first and only anarchist nation state". Indeed, some have argued that anarchism is the natural state of the country, particularly in the south where each village has its own distinct character and there is a strong tradition of mutual aid forged through the necessity of poverty. Hancox took part as an 11-year-old in the 1980 "hunger strike against hunger", standing alongside his parents, and a woman who gave birth in a field during the decade of land occupations that followed. He visits the land that is now a vast worker's co-op during the olive harvest and dresses up to join in the revelry of the pre-Lenten carnival. He leaves us with a set of conflicting signals about what might lie ahead for Marinaleda. A new wave of headlinegrabbing direct actions in 2012 the expropriation of essential food supplies from supermarkets for redistribution to the poor, occupations of military land and an aristocrat's palace, and a three-week march across the south calling for a debt strike by local councils has given the project a new profile. But Marinaleda was born from grim circumstances and, as one resident suggests, "The crisis is not just here, but everywhere this can be a beacon for the world if we

remake it and start again."

Costa Book Awards 2013: Much-loved author Clive James 'very pleased' with nomination for The Divine Comedy - Features - Books - The Independent
The much-loved author and television presenter also revealed that Dan Brown, who wrote the Dante-inspired novel Inferno this year, had read his version and called it quite clever. The latest version of The Divine Comedy was this evening named on the four-strong shortlist for the 2013 Costa Poetry Award. The judges called it a towering achievement that will stand the test of time. It is up against the fierce competition of Division Street by Helen Mort, Hill of Doors by Robin Robertson and Drysalter by Michael Symmons Roberts, which won the Forward Prize for Poetry this year. Tackling Dantes work was a daunting task, James told The Independent. It has been translated thousands of times, and youve really got to want to do it, he said. For years I wanted to but didnt know how. Then I got started and it took me years to do. This translation, which was decades in the making, gives the entire epic as a single, coherent, readable poem. Im very proud of the way it works, James said. Ive done my best to make it readable by making sure there are no footnotes. Anything you need to know it is in the poem. I wanted people to pick it up and read it like a thriller. The original reads like that. There are also lines that are not direct translations of Dantes work but plays with the original meaning. In earlier translations, the sign above the gates of hell reads: Abandon hope ye who enter here, In James version it said: Forget your hopes, they were what brought you here. The author said: Im quite pleased with that, thats mine. I wished that on Dante; I just tried to sound like him. Dantes poem is written in terza rima, which is tough to translate entirely successfully into English. James instead used the quatrain and concentrated on creating an unflagging rhythm. The thing you try to do is match Dantes variety of tone while keeping up the speed. You keep the momentum going but follow him through the varieties of tone. I learnt how to do that through trial and error. One problem for a translator is that readers often focus on Inferno which, as James said, is like a PlayStation game with dragons and three headed dogs, and they forget about purgatory and heaven. Thats not how Dante felt. He thought all those theological discussions in heaven were fascinating. What you have to do as a translator is produce excitement about that. I gave a lot of thought to that. He added: The original is beautiful all the way through and gets more beautiful towards the end. Youve got to be able to do that as a translator.

Costa Book Awards 2013: Bernardine Bishop leads all-female shortlist - News - Books - The Independent
The Costa Book Awards shortlist, which has five categories, was announced tonight with an all-female line up competing for the best novel prize. Among them is Ms Bishops novel, which was published six months before she died aged 73. The judges described it as an unflinching, darkly funny story of love, obsession and illness that is unexpected in every way.

it as an unflinching, darkly funny story of love, obsession and illness that is unexpected in every way. The author was called as the youngest and final witness to support DH Lawrences controversial work, which was being prosecuted in 1960 under the Obscene Publications Act. Her evidence was seen as crucial to proving the book was not a corrupting force. She wrote two novels Perspectives in 1961 and Playing House two years later but gave up writing to teach and bring up her two children. She later went on to have a distinguished career as a psychotherapist. Unexpected Lessons in Love is an autobiographical novel following a retired psychotherapist dealing with bowel cancer. Ms Bishop had been given the all-clear by her oncologist and the day after sat down to write her first novel in 50 years. Her book will be up against Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O Farrell; All the Birds by Evie Wyld, who made this years Granta best of young British novelists list and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. The poetry category pits recent Forward Prize for Poetry winner Michael Symmons Roberts against Robin Robertson and Helen Mort as well as Clive James for his translation of Dantes Divine Comedy. The judges said it was a towering achievement that will stand the test of time. The biography category includes Lucy Hughes-Halletts The Pike, which recently won the Samuel Johnson Prize as well as Olivia Laings The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink . Thomas Harding and Gavin Francis are also in the running. Among those shortlisted for the childrens book prize is 27-year-old Ross Montgomery, who had worked as a pig farmer and a postman before turning to teaching. Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door is his first book. This wasnt expected and to get this kind of recognition is more than I could have hoped for, he said. Im chuffed. The first novel categories comprise work by Sam Byers, Nathan Filer, Kate Clancy, an established poet, and Sathnam Sangera, who has previously been nominated by the Costas but in the biography category. The winners in the five categories will each receive 5,000 and the overall winner will be named at an awards ceremony in January with a cheque for 30,000.

Costa Book Awards 2013: Shortlist in full - News - Books - The Independent
Described by judges as an "unflinching, darkly funny story of love, obsession and illness that is unexpected in every way", Bishop's novel was published just six months before her death at the age of 73. Should she not take home the best novel prize, another woman will, as all the shortlisted books are authored by females. 2013 Costa Novel Award shortlist Kate Atkinson for Life After Life (Doubleday) Bernardine Bishop for Unexpected Lessons in Love (John Murray) Maggie OFarrell for Instructions for a Heatwave (Tinder Press) Evie Wyld for All the Birds, Singing (Jonathan Cape) 2013 Costa First Novel Award shortlist Sam Byers for Idiopathy (Fourth Estate)

Kate Clanchy for Meeting the English (Picador) Nathan Filer for The Shock of the Fall (HarperCollinsPublishers) Sathnam Sanghera for Marriage Material (William Heinemann) 2013 Costa Biography Award shortlist Gavin Francis for Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence & Emperor Penguins (Chatto & Windus) Thomas Harding for Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz (William Heinemann) Lucy Hughes-Hallett for The Pike: Gabriele DAnnunzio, Poet, Seducer and Preacher of War (Fourth Estate) Olivia Laing for The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink (Canongate) 2013 Costa Poetry Award shortlist Clive James for Dante, The Divine Comedy (Picador) Helen Mort for Division Street (Chatto & Windus) Robin Robertson for Hill of Doors (Picador) Michael Symmons Roberts for Drysalter (Jonathan Cape) 2013 Costa Childrens Book Award shortlist Ross Montgomery for Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door (Faber and Faber) Sarah Naughton for The Hanged Man Rises (Simon and Schuster) Chris Riddell for Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse (Macmillan Childrens Books) Elizabeth Wein for Rose Under Fire (Electric Monkey)

Travel

5 ways to... Make a break for Barbados Prepare for railway chaos over Christmas and New Year: Festive services face widespread disruption - including routes to Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports Get me out of here - Mauritius, Madeira, cruising the Arctic Circle Deals of the week Qubec City, where the streets are paved with cold I want to book a celebratory break at a British hotel. With a hot tub! Tube staff to vote on strikes over job cuts

5 ways to... Make a break for Barbados - Americas - Travel - The

5 ways to... Make a break for Barbados - Americas - Travel - The Independent
There are also more golf courses than you could shake a club at, as well as options to get even more active on the east coast, where youll find superlative surf breaks. Dont assume that your swimming trunks require deep pockets to visit Barbados there are affordable options for families and budget travellers, at three-star all-inclusives, guesthouses, self-catering apartments and homestays. As a couple The serenity of Barbadoss tropical shores provides the poster backdrop for a romantic escape, whether its a holiday, wedding or honeymoon and there are several resorts that cater only for couples. However, the newly opened SoCo Hotel (thesocohotel.com) shifts attention away from the buttoned-up traditions of the Platinum Coast, south to Hastings. This diminutive four-star with just 24 rooms, has brought a hint of Miami Beach to the resort, which is close to the nightlife and restaurants of St Lawrence Gap, with its sleek white decor and contemporary restaurant. While it doesnt label itself as adults-only, SoCo offers no family-friendly activities and children attract a supplement of between $50-$100 per night. Tropical Sky (0843 249 5361; tropicalsky.co.uk) offers a week at the hotel from 1,089 per person all-inclusive, with flights from Gatwick and transfers. Wedding packages also available. As a family Notwithstanding a fairly substantial flight from the UK, this Caribbean island is an indulgent family playground with warm, gentle waters, a benign winter climate and hotels with diversions that would put Mary Poppins to shame. The time difference is a manageable four hours behind GMT. You can fly non-stop from a range of UK airports and transfers never take more than an hour or so. Avoid the peak season of January to April. Instead, travel in May or October half-term. Turtle Beach (turtlebeachresortbarbados.com) is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort on the south coast, a short drive from the airport. Theres a kids club (9am-9pm), watersports, beach sports, tennis, two pools, cookery lessons and dozens of day trips. Virgin Holidays (0844 557 4321; virginholidays.co.uk) has a weeks all-inclusive here for 5,050 for a family of four departing Gatwick on 24 May. On a budget Forget Sandy Lane, you can lap up beachside bliss in Barbados without the gold-plated price tag. Overlooking Worthing Beach on the south coast, Oleander Apartments offer simple, cottage-style accommodation with kitchenettes. Theyre close to the capital Bridgetown, where you can stock up on provisions at food markets and a short drive from the restaurants in St Lawrence Gap. Fleewinter (020 7112 0019; fleewin ter.com) offers nightly rates here from 78 for two sharing, including airport transfers but excluding flights. The tourist board (visitbar bados.org) also lists guesthouses and apartments across the island, starting at around 70 per night. Away from the beach Beaches are only the start of Ramblers (01707 33 11 33; ramblers holidays.co.uk) 12-day Beautiful Barbados holiday. The group walking tour visits plantation houses, museums, rum distilleries, an orchid farm, botanical gardens and the capital Bridgetown, as well as taking in a glass-bottomed boat ride and snorkelling on coral reefs with the chance of passing turtles along the way. There are no more than three hours of walking each day, with some transfers by local buses to give you a flavour of island life. There are departures from November-February; prices start at 1,899pp including flights from Gatwick, transfers, B&B, most dinners, all entrance fees and a guide. With your golf clubs The island is home to seven golf courses and resorts, including an 18-hole championship course at the Barbados Golf

The island is home to seven golf courses and resorts, including an 18-hole championship course at the Barbados Golf Club (barbadosgolf club.com) and three courses at Sandy Lane (sandylane.com), whose Country Club course hosted the World Golf Championships World Cup in 2006. The resort is also home to the Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole Green Monkey course carved from a stone quarry and reserved only for guests. Bailey Robinson (01488 689700; baileyrobinson.com) offers a weeks Golf Escape at Sandy Lane from 2,980pp including flights from Gatwick, transfers, B&B, two rounds of golf, one pro golf lesson and lunch at the Country Club.

Prepare for railway chaos over Christmas and New Year: Festive services face widespread disruption - including routes to Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent
Among the services affected are the Gatwick Express, and mainline routes to Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport, with the disruption set to last from Christmas Day to the end of New Year's Day. The cancellations on the Gatwick Express, which runs from London's Victoria station to Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, are due to a major tranche of engineering work being carried out at Gatwick station, at Victoria and between Redhill and Purley in Surrey. This extensive work will also affect services operated by the First Capital Connect (FCC), First Great Western (FGW) and Southern train companies. Certain trains will not run over the festive period, with bus replacement services operating on some routes. Engineering work is taking place between Paddington station in London and Slough in Berkshire from December 27 to January 3. This will mean disruption to some FGW services, while some Heathrow Express services will be affected from December 30 to January 1. FGW passengers will also have to put up with engineering work between Oxford and Hanborough from December 27 to 29, while FGW services and those run by the CrossCountry are being disrupted by engineering work between Reading and Basingstoke from December 27 to 30. FGW passengers will have to use buses instead of trains between Maidenhead and Marlow from December 27 to 29 due to engineering work, while FGW services will also be disrupted from December 29 to January 3 by engineering work between Reading and Didcot Parkway. A major 19 million upgrade at Gravesend station in Kent will mean the Southeastern company will not be able to run any trains from or through Gravesend between December 22 and January 5. Buses will replace the Gravesend trains The Gravesend work will also affect Southeastern's high-speed services. Engineering work between Retford and Lincoln and between Gainsborough Lea Road and Lincoln will mean buses replace trains between Doncaster/Retford and Lincoln from December 21 to January 5. From December 23 to 27 there will be engineering work between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport stations with lines closed at various times. Buses will replace trains on some routes during this time. There is also engineering work in the Manchester Victoria area which will affect Northern Rail services between December 27 and January 1. Engineering work from December 28 to 30 will mean East Midlands Trains passengers will have to take buses instead of trains between Spalding and Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Buses will replace trains on parts of London Overground between December 23 and 27 due to engineering work between Surrey Quays and New Cross Gate/New Cross.

between Surrey Quays and New Cross Gate/New Cross. Platforms 1-9 will be closed at Waterloo station in London from December 27 to 29, with disruptions to services by South West Trains. On the Victoria, Gatwick and Surrey disruptions, Network Rail Sussex route managing director Tim Robinson said: "These are three significant infrastructure upgrades which have been carefully planned to take place at the same time to keep disruption to a minimum." One good bit of news for travellers is that the Chiltern train company will for the first time be running some services on Boxing Day. Its trains will operate for around 12 hours, with the first train northbound from London to Bicester North at 8.15am and the last to Princes Risborough at 6.45pm. Southbound, the first train will run from High Wycombe to Marylebone station in London at 8.29am and the last will run from Bicester North to Marylebone at 6.57pm. On the Tube there is track replacement work at Earl's Court in west London over the festive period. There will be part closures on the District and Jubilee lines between December 27 and 30, while a section of the Northern line will be shut on December 28 and 29. Michael Roberts, director general of rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: "We are living through one of the biggest investment programmes in the history of the railway. "Passengers and businesses are benefiting from multimillion-pound projects such as King's Cross and Birmingham New Street as well as thousands of vital smaller schemes to improve tracks, signals and stations." He went on: "Building a better network is something we do every day. But Christmas and other major holidays are when the railway is less busy than on a typical weekday. So we use these periods to carry out particularly important improvements. "A great deal of care goes into minimising the impact of this vital work and to keep people on trains wherever possible. By planning ahead, the vast majority of passengers travelling by rail over the festive period can expect to travel without disruption." Additional reporting PA

Get me out of here - Mauritius, Madeira, cruising the Arctic Circle - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent
Soon... Relax and recuperate in Madeira Just after new year, Sovereign has a week's holiday in Madeira. Depart on 6 January, with Thomson flights from Manchester and a stay at the Pestana Carlton for 649pp. The hotel, has sea views, a pool and a spa near the capital, Funchal. sovereign.com Later... Cruise to Norway's islands Hurtigruten has a new 12-day cruise to the Lofoten Islands. It departs from Bergen on 3 March and crosses the Arctic Circle, with stops in Bodo and Saltstraumen, before reaching the remote isles. The price is 1,570pp full board, with hotels and excursions; flights extra. hurtigruten.co.uk

Deals of the week - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent

Under 500... Go luxe on a Bruges break

Under 500... Go luxe on a Bruges break Kirker is offering three nights at the De Tuilerieen hotel, an opulent family-run property on the Dyver canal. The package costs 438pp with breakfast and Eurostar from London St Pancras via Brussels. It is valid for Sunday to Tuesday arrivals until 24 December. kirkerholidays.com Under 1,000... Stateside skiing in Tahoe Early next year, Virgin has a week skiing in Tahoe, a resort that spans the California-Nevada border. Fly into San Francisco on 20 January, pick up a rental car and drive across the state line to the Ridge at Tahoe hotel, with breakfast included, for 893pp. virginholidays.co.uk

Qubec City, where the streets are paved with cold - Americas - Travel - The Independent
Qubec City is a North American anomaly. The continent, north of Mexico at least, doesn't really do old towns. But the capital of Canada's francophone province is the exception, founded in 1608 and bequeathed a comely, Europeanstyle mishmash of stone walls and cobbled alleys. To be here is almost to be in Carcassonne, sipping caf au lait on terraces amid French voices, lorded over by a chteau. Yes, just like France except for the in-city cross- country skiing For that is peculiarly Canadian. When most would cower in the nearest heated bar, the Qubcois embrace winter. And the best place to do so is the Plains of Abraham. In 1759, this is where General Wolfe's army defeated that of French General Montcalm to claim the place for Britain; now it's the city's premier park, an urban lung of meadows, woodland and in season cross-country ski trails. Fortunately, it's an easy (if energetic) sport to pick up: only the toes of your boots are snapped into skis, so you can step-glide with the help of your poles. The main issue is concentrating on technique when there's so much to look at: the ice-littered St Lawrence river to one side, the city skyline (including the iconic Chteau Frontenac) to the other. As you schwoop along, you'll near-yelp at the novelty of practising a back-country pastime in a city of 500,000 people. Better still, when you've finished on the Plains, the city's pleasures await you right there: the boutique hotels, the French-accented eateries and the stands selling stodgy poutine (chips, cheese and gravy) calorific, yes, but you've earned it. The Perfect Getaway No matter the season, your first stop in Qubec City must be the hill-tumbling Old Town, still encircled by stone ramparts. This cluster of 17th- and 18th-century houses is where you'll find twisty streets, massive murals and cafs aplenty. Follow the marked, 5km VivaCit walking route for an overview and board the ferry across the St Lawrence to Lvis, just for the joy of looking back. For the most romantic sleep, book into Auberge Saint-Antoine, a hotel part housed in the port's original wharf buildings. For something more chilled, the Htel de Glace (Ice Hotel) is 10 minutes from the city: its artful snowy suites, sculpted afresh each winter, have Arctic sleeping bags to keep you toasty. Once oriented, it's time to hit the Plains. This green space (magically white come winter) is the Qubcois equivalent of Central Park, an urban playground with abandoned cannons, a Joan of Arc garden and a 28-species arboretum. From December to April, 12.6km of cross-country trails suitable for beginners are cut. Hire some kit, read the rules (keep left when overtaking) and off you go. There are no huge hills, but ascending any slope on cross-country skis takes effort: try the splayed-herringbone technique and hope you can beat gravity. After a few hours, you'll be exhausted but exhilarated. Time to refuel. As cute as Vieux-Qubec is, head for the

After a few hours, you'll be exhausted but exhilarated. Time to refuel. As cute as Vieux-Qubec is, head for the less touristy neighbourhoods of Faubourg Saint-Jean or Nouvo Saint-Roch; try Le Billig (526 Rue Saint-Jean), a crperie par excellence. If you've timed it right, your visit will coincide with the Winter Carnival. Ice sculptures, parades, skating rinks, snow slides the city is overcome with glacial gaiety. It's wonderful, kitschy fun raise a glass of Caribou liqueur and join in. Plan It Qubec City's Jean Lesage International airport is 16km south-west of the centre. Bus 78 runs from the airport to Les Saules bus terminal, Monday to Friday. The Qubec Winter Carnival is held for 17 days every January/February; accommodation must be booked well in advance. The ferry to Lvis runs regularly, daily. Skis, boots and poles can be hired from the Plains of Abraham's Discovery Pavilion. Detour If you must leave Qubec City, do so aboard Le Train du Massif de Charlevoix. This gastro rail trip launched in 2011 following the renovation of a 19th-century track between the city and La Malbaie, 140km east. Now plush rolling stock, kitted out with mood lights and picture windows, completes this day-long return "rail-cruise" so called because it hugs the north shore of the St Lawrence; when the tide's in, it feels like you're afloat. The focus is on scenery and gourmet cuisine but the train can get you from A to B: winter itineraries stop at arty Baie-Saint-Paul or Le Massif de Charlevoix's ski slopes. This is an extract from 'Great Escapes', published by Lonely Planet (29.99). To order a copy, go to shop.lonelyplanet.com ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCES * Tucking into a comforting plate of poutine the refined, Frenchified version of chips, cheese and gravy * Hugging Bonhomme, the big, jolly mascot of the Qubec Winter Carnival * Gliding around the Plains of Abraham on skis, looking out over cannons, treetops and the St Lawrence river * Wrapping up warm for a night in an ice room at the sparkling Htel de Glace * Riding the ferry over to Lvis, for fine, inexpensive views back to the Old City * Boarding the gastro-train to Le Massif, for gourmet cuisine, panoramic views and a day on the piste Travel essentials Location: Qubec, Canada Best time of year: December to March Ideal time commitment: Four days Essential tip: Ski in the right direction: the Plains of Abraham's ski trails are one-way Budget: Pack: Thermals, good gloves, lots of layers

I want to book a celebratory break at a British hotel. With a hot tub! - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent

& Advice - Travel - The Independent

A. The trend for hot tubs is growing in the UK you'll not only find them in spa hotels now, but self-catering properties and even log cabins (0845 130 8223; forestholidays.co.uk) and treehouses (01425 282212; chewtonglen.com/tree- house-suites). Many traditional country house hotels are stepping up their act by upgrading their rooms to include hot tubs. Lower Slaughter Manor, a 17th-century manor in the Cotswolds (01451 820 456; lowerslaughter.co.uk), for example, has a range of Garden Suites with private hot tubs. These are pitched at the luxury end of the market, starting at 650, B&B. In Chipping Campden, the Cotswold House Hotel & Spa (0843 357 5555; bespokehotels.com) has a hot tub suite that starts at 288, B&B. In the Yorkshire Dales, Yorebridge House (01969 652060; yorebridgehouse.co.uk) sits at the edge of the village of Bainbridge in Wensleydale. Rooms are elegantly done out with details such as Moroccan headboards and oriental lanterns. Six of them also come with private hot tubs and these start at 220, B&B or 310 with dinner. If total seclusion isn't top of your agenda, Gilpin Hotel in the Lake District (015394 88818; thegilpin.co.uk) opened the Lake House in 2010, a luxurious adjunct of the main hotel, with a spa and six suites. Rates here start at 475 including a five-course dinner, bed and breakfast, and you get access to the heated pool, Japanese hot tub, treatment rooms, sauna and lake. Finally, for something a little quirkier, Coillabus (07824 567 435; coillabus.com) is a collection of "ecoluxury lodges" on Islay in the Hebrides. They're self-catering, but you'll get stunning views of the Oa peninsula, a sauna and cedar hot tub, plus a log-burning stove and design-classic furnishings. Meals can be delivered in advance or a chef can come and cook for you. Three-night stays cost 900 in September.

Tube staff to vote on strikes over job cuts - News & Advice - Travel - The Independent
Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action in the New Year. Voting will end in January and the union will have to give seven days notice of action if there is support for stoppages. The announcement came after London mayor Boris Johnson unveiled huge changes on the Tube, including a new 24-hour service at weekends and staff based in ticket halls and on platforms rather than in ticket offices. There will be 750 job losses, although London Underground (LU) said it would seek to avoid compulsory redundancies. LU employs 18,000 people, including 5,500 station staff. The plans will deliver savings of around 50 million a year, or 270 million over the term of Transport for London's business plan to 2020/21. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "RMT members have now had a chance to study in detail the proposals put forward last week by London Underground which would axe almost 1,000 staff jobs and close all ticket offices across the network. RMT has also now had a chance to thoroughly examine the risk assessment documents passed to the union by the Tube management. "As a result, it is absolutely clear that the attack on staffing levels and passenger services would have a devastating impact on Tube safety, with assaults and thefts soaring through the roof. It is also clear that the most vulnerable members of our society would be most at risk when it comes to both violence and access to Tube services. The plans rip up promises on ticket offices that the mayor gave to London before he was elected.

"As a result, RMT can confirm that the union will be serving notice today for a ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike with the ballot closing in January. All Underground members will be balloted, as it is crystal clear that every single member of staff will feel the impact from the proposals that have been put forward. "RMT will work with the communities in the front line of the cuts plans, and with our sister unions, to fight the Tube cuts through combined political, public and industrial campaigning designed to stop these lethal proposals in their tracks." The mayor said there would be a "proper period of consultation" with staff over the changes, adding that he hoped employees would see the benefit of the proposals. "I very much hope it will not come to a strike," said the mayor. LU said only a small fraction of travellers use ticket offices. Phil Hufton, London Underground's chief operating officer, said: "We've promised customers that we'll introduce a 24-hour Tube service on five lines during 2015, and our commitment is that all Tube stations will remain staffed at all times when services are operating. "In future there'll be more staff in ticket halls and on gatelines to help customers buy the right ticket and keep them safe and secure. "We're clear that there'll be a job for everyone at LU who wants to work for us and be flexible, that we'll make these changes with no compulsory redundancies, and that we'll involve staff in our plans at every stage and support them through change. "We are now consulting with our unions and staff on our future vision, and I would urge the RMT and TSSA to work with us to shape our plans, rather than threaten hard-working Londoners with completely unnecessary strike action." PA

Money

Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising

Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising Business News - Business - The Independent
In the dock this time is Peachy, owned by Cash On The Go, which has had a TV ad banned by the Advertising Standards Authority because it misled viewers and failed to display the interest rate charged prominently enough. The Authority has banned the ad from being broadcast again. It was forced to act against Britains biggest payday lender Wonga in September after it branded one of its radio ads irresponsible and earlier this year it banned a payday loan ad by Cash Lady, featuring two-times bankrupt Kerry Katona. Meanwhile the Office of Fair Trading has revealed that is has doubled the number of payday lenders it has put under investigation. It has now opened individual probes into six firms and is also reviewing detailed evidence on another

15 lenders. On Monday the government announced it will introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans after intervention by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

IndyBest

The 10 Best vacuum cleaners 13 best Christmas gifts for style-conscious men The 10 Best Christmas presents for children The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas The 10 Best affordable art prints

The 10 Best vacuum cleaners - Gadgets & Tech - IndyBest - The Independent
Not only does this slimline upright vacuum cleaner look fantastic with its gleaming ruby-red design, but it's powerful, light, and glides along carpets and wooden floors effortlessly. The flexible neck makes it easier to steer around fixtures and furnishings, while the L-shaped head cleans up to edges. 269.95, johnlewis.com 2. Hoover Unplugged You'll have to use the turbo function to get the best results from this cordless Hoover, but it's well worth it for the results. Simple to put together, it's quite clunky to manoeuvre, which can make stairs a bit tricky. 249.99, hoover.co.uk 3. Dyson DC50 Mounted on a ball for manoeuvrability, this upright cleaner does a grand job on both long- and short-pile carpets and wooden floors. The self-adjusting cleaning head maintains constant suction and it can get in the tightest of corners. It's light, too, weighing just 5.4kg. 279.99, dyson.co.uk 4. Panasonic MC-UL712 This is an eco-friendly, lightweight and bagless upright vacuum cleaner. It's a good option for people with allergies, thanks to special technology that helps to keep your home free of micro-particles, and the powerful motor will gather up even the most stubborn dirt. 229.97, amazon.co.uk 5. GTech AirRAM Fed up of tripping over the cable when you vacuum? Then you'll love this machine, which has all the power of a mains upright vacuum cleaner with all the convenience of a lightweight cordless one. It compresses the dirt into compact bales which can then be binned.

229.99, lakeland.co.uk 6. Miele S8320 Cat & Dog Besides being power hungry, it's hard to find any downsides with this cylinder vac that's built to pick up after your furry friends. It's easy to assemble and manoeuvre, as well as being a brilliant all-floor cleaner. Its turbo brush helps to dig hair and other fibres out of your carpet, too. 259.95, johnlewis.com 7. Dyson DC49 New this year, this is the Ferrari of vacuum cleaners. It zooms around every type of floor surface, picking up stubborn pet hair right through to semi-sticky dirt. The suction is particularly astonishing, given that it's only a 700W machine. But it's small, so you'll have to empty it quite often. 349.99, dyson.co.uk 8. iRoomba Robot 760 A life-changing cleaner since it does the vacuuming for you, thanks to its sensors that help it to navigate, detect dirtier areas and even find its own way back to the charging station. There are cheaper models in the range, but this has all the bells and whistles and a longer battery life. 399.99, lakeland.co.uk 9. Bosch GS50 Power Silence This is by far the quietest bagless vac on the market and is almost impossible to fault. It excels at both hard floors and carpets, as well as picking up dust along walls. It's easy to use and it has a roomy 3.6 litre capacity for dust . 249.99 argos.co.uk 10. Karcher WD5.200MP This multi-pupose vac has a robust motor that can deal with heavy-duty mess such as rubble and sawdust, as well as sludge and spills. It's particularly useful for the garage and the car. 199.99, screwfix.com

13 best Christmas gifts for style-conscious men - Fashion & Beauty - IndyBest - The Independent
Add a pop of colour to the room with this affordable radio. The matte rubber finish means it's a cool looking bit of kit too. 29.95, johnlewis.com 2. Dior Homme tailored techno jacket This indigo jacket by Christian Diors mens division is part of the latest Sci-Fi inspired collection. Swish but understated. Price on request, brownsfashion.com

Price on request, brownsfashion.com 3. Lisa Carrier gothic skull candles Men appreciate scented candles too. Fact. These stylish examples in black glass holders with a skull motif will look striking in any bachelor pad. Despite the tough exterior, the scent, called Cathedral, with notes of passion fruit, apricot, caramel and vanilla, is subtle and pleasant. They come packed in a designer-stamped box. 65, giftlibrary.com 4. M.I.A x Versus bag Who says fashion types don't have a sense of humour? This backpack by Versace's younger, more affordable and relaxed counterpart is designed by singer M.I.A and the print is based on 'Versace' fakes found in market stalls. 220, brownsfashion.com 5. The Godfather Monopoly, Perfect for fans of the Francis Ford Coppola- directed trilogy, the classic board game has been given a Mafia makeover. It features locations and characters from the films. Work your way around the board wheeling and dealing to try to make it to the top of the "family business". 43.99, amazon.co.uk 6. Raf Simons jacquard knit sweatshirt He can make a statement in this jazzy multicoloured merino roll neck from Dior creative director Raf Simons. The orange head motif layered over burglar stripes is a lot of fun. 373, farfetch.com 7. Barbour quilted case for iPad Mini A stylish man needs stylish accessories. This quilted, tartan-lined number designed in collaboration with Barbour is a winner for iPad Mini owners - it will protect his precious tablet from knocks and scratches and works as a dual-angle stand too. 54.95, proporta.co.uk 8. Bric's Bellagio case Is the man in your life always losing sight of his luggage on the baggage carousel at the airport? Well he won't if you get him this elegant travel bag. Lightweight, durable and classic it'll last him for years and the big makes a bit of a statement too. 495, caseluggage.com 9. Frescobol Carioca green shorts It might not be exactly shorts weather but if he's heading for some winter sun, this bright, well-cut pair from the Brazilian-inspired swimwear company founded by two former bankers are just the ticket. If not, he can pack them away until summer safe in the knowledge that he'll be the most stylish man round the pool come July. 115, frescobolcarioca.com

10. The North Circular balaclava A bold choice, but this out-of-the-ordinary alpaca-wool knit balaclava is warm and toasty - and just a little bit controversial. 110, go-british.co.uk 11. Eugene Riconneaus skateboard One for perennial skater boys, this bright green leopard print skate deck means he'll stand out down at the park, whether he wants to or not. 85, avenue32.com 12. Inverni woven cashmere scarf You can't go wrong with soft, luxe cashmere, and this scarf is a understated stylish piece that will add a bit of interest - and warmth - to his get-up. 350, gift-library.com 13. Missoni tie in red Ties might not be as ubiquitous as they once were, but we reckon this textured silk number from the Italian fashion house is a pretty cool addition to any wardrobe. The slim fit keeps it modern looking. One for the hipsters. 69, giftlibrary.com

The 10 Best Christmas presents for children - Outdoor & Activity - IndyBest The Independent
2. Wooden Domino Race Hours of constructive fun, seconds of demolition. 25, hawkin.com 3. Nintendo 3DS XL Bursting with features, this big-screen handheld console even takes 3D pictures. 179.99, store.nintendo.co.uk 4. Mini Micro 3 in 1 scooter A ride-on seat and interchangeable handle will see kids from initial toddles to school. 79.95, micro-scooters.co.uk 5. Furby Boom exclusive festive sweater edition Play some tunes, pull some tails then use the app to raise a city of Furblings. 59.99, johnlewis.co.uk

6. Mini Lalaloopsy Loopy Hair doll For budding hairdressers to practise their braiding. 8.99 each, toysrus.co.uk 7. Sulley pillow pet Close the Velcro strap and its a soft toy; open it, the Monsters Inc star makes an ideal naptime companion. 19.99, pillowpets.co.uk 8. Transformers Construct-A-Bots Battle Pack Let Optimus Prime and Megatron do battle. 27.99, argos.co.uk 9. The Gruffalo and Friends CD boxed set Keep your little ones entertained from car journeys to bedtime. 9.46, tesco.com 10. Islabikes CNOC 14 Why do kids bikes always seem to weigh a ton? With its aluminium frame, this beauty doesnt. 199, islabikes.co.uk

The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas - Fashion & Beauty IndyBest - The Independent
2. Stacked rings Make a statement with these rings, from the losselliani collection, these clear and black Swarovski crystals are great for mix and matching or wearing individually. 170, Liberty 3. Joomi bracelets This black baroque punk crystal from the Joomi Lim will add some edge to your look this Christmas. 215 each, Liberty 4. Marni flower necklace For a more feminine if slightly darker look, this short flower necklace may be just the thing. Made from resin, it has five flat flowers threaded onto an adjustable black cotton ribbon. 260, The Corner 5. Eye earrings

5. Eye earrings These glittery eye earrings with drops are fun and quirky, they are also available in pink and black. If eyes are not your thing, get your hands on a pair of lip earrings instead. 50, Jennifer Loiselle 6. La Luna Moon brooch Known for their bold and colourful creations, Tatty Devine have designed this gold silhouette moon brooch that will add a quirky touch to a little black dress. 25, Tatty Devine 7. Anita Ko arrow earring in rose gold Strike lucky with this single arrow earring in Rose Gold with diamonds. We nearly had a heart attack after seeing the price but it could make a nice luxury gift. 1,350, Gift Library 8. Bijules 18k Rose Gold and ruby claw ring Another high end piece, this ring with eight interlocking claws and rubies is absolutely beautiful. It comes in one size and can be the final touch to your party outfit. 3,770, Browns 9. Ileana Makri snake earrings Beautify your ears this season with this pair of snake earrings made from 18ct Rose Gold and green and burgundy diamonds. 3,505, Matches Fashion 10. Bottega Veneta goldplated cherub ring To create a vintage look that will make you stand out we recommend this ring with a cherub - a figure often seen in Renaissance art. Made from gold-plated sterling silver and set with two brown cubic zirconia it can work both for formal and casual occasions. 315, Net-a-Porter

The 10 Best affordable art prints - Arts & Books - IndyBest - The Independent
2. Ah! Storm clouds rushed from the Channel coasts by Patrick Caulfield This summers Caulfield retrospective at Tate Britain reignited interest in this great British artist. With its flat block colour, heavy black lines and an architectural subject, this classic example of his work will look striking on plain walls. From 25, tate.org.uk 3. Whistlejacket by Stubbs

3. Whistlejacket by Stubbs Hanging in the National Gallery, the original work by the 18th-century painter of horses has fantastic impact. As a print, the neutral background gives it an oddly modern feel. Team with a simple frame and go for the extra-large version really to make a statement. 50 (extra large), nationalgallery.co.uk 4. Fjoluraut Pall Print by Kristjana Williams Inject some colour with this bold design by the talented Icelandic-born illustrator. Her work is inspired by intricate Victorian engravings and brought bang up to date with vivid bright colours. Shes caught the attention of critics, not least for this stunning butterfly. 115, heals.co.uk 5. Nimbus by Berndnaut Smilde The Dutch artist Smildes photograph of his 2010 indoor-cloud installation is as stunning as it is clever. The blue and red contrast with the ethereal cloud made using smoke machines, moisture and dramatic lighting. Signed by the artist, this image is one for budding collectors. 1,100, saatchistore.com 6. The Snail by Matisse In his later years, the Frenchman lost the ability to paint and turned to collage. The Snail is a great print for kids bedrooms: the bright colours and abstract shapes will get little imaginations going. 125, shop.tate.org.uk 7. Walking Around My World by Tracey Emin The Turner Prize nominee Emins scratchy sketching style is as recognisable as her neon signs. Romantic, soft and very pretty, this print is one of 300 and comes signed by the artist. A beautiful image that will rise in value. 350, emininternational.myshopify.com 8. Seven Dollar Party Dress by Ben Lowe Many of Ben Lowes cool, often abstract works are inspired by his travels. This, the result of a shopping trip in New York, is an emotive, accessible piece thatll be the star of the show in a light room. 345, loaf.com 9. Picasso by Stephen Davids Who knows what the Spanish master would have made of this simple portrait? Whatever the verdict, Stephen Davidss almost childlike sketch (produced exclusively for Habitat) will add a bit of fun to your walls and make your guests do a double take. 35, habitat.co.uk 10. Death, 1984 by Gilbert and George This iconic 1980s work was part of a series of four the others are Hope, Life and Fear. Created in the midst of the

This iconic 1980s work was part of a series of four the others are Hope, Life and Fear. Created in the midst of the Aids epidemic, then as now, its a bold, divisive piece a guaranteed talking point. From 25, tate.org.uk

Table of Contents
The Independent News - UK Drop in number migrants leaving UK causes rise in net immigration Video: Is this the worst parking manoeuvre in history? Transport police hunt hopeless driver who smashed into vehicles in station car park Vigilante being sentenced for murdering innocent victim Bijan Ebrahimi In pictures: PDSA Pet Fit Club helps UK's fattest pets Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Vote online the Speakers plan to revive politics Cigarettes due to be sold in plain packaging after U-turn by David Cameron Nigella Lawson's ex-husband Charles Saatchi due to give evidence in trial Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' Charles Saatchi believes his ex-wife Nigella Lawson is a habitual criminal, court hears David Cameron to lobby for support on migration restrictions at EU summit in Lithuania Spending cuts hit poorest parts of England and Scotland much harder than affluent areas Experts confirm that money does buy happiness but only up to 22,100 Bored MPs fiddled their expenses as a 'displacement activity' because Parliament had become irrelevant, says John Bercow Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Mutiny over Gibraltar after David Camerons Ed Miliband dig sinks fast Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall urges Britain along path at heart of Europe Carole Waugh murder: 'Mad Indian gambler' Rakesh Bhayani killed rich, lonely escort to pay off his debts Is 12m EuroMillions winner just leaving it roll over to charity? Puppy power: MPs forced to debate plight of factory pets in 'battery farms for dogs' Barton Moss: The latest front line in Britains unconventional energy revolution against fracking UKIP MEP: 'Women don't have the ambition to get to the top because babies get in the way' Chinese businessman Anxiang Du convicted of murdering family of four Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double 60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey Former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko: William Hague wins secrecy fight over inquest Foreign Office apologises and agrees 1,000 compensation for woman who was raped by a soldier in Egypt DVLA reveals list of banned number plates censoring combinations including OM63 WTF, SL14 AGS and BU63 GER Video: Documentary footage shows 'slaves' Eric Pickles: I didnt spend 10,000 extra on biscuits Ian Watkins: South Wales Police face questions after singer's ex-girlfriend says she warned officers he was a paedophile four years ago London slavery case: Maoist sect leader Comrade Bala claimed he was 'Jesus Christ' Christian guest house owners lose court fight over turning away gay couple Most wanted criminal Brian Thexton arrested in Cumbria

Birmingham hit-and-run: Wolverhampton man charged with causing death of elderly cyclist by dangerous driving and failing to stop at scene Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala Spokes, lies and videotape: Police 'still not telling truth over Plebgate,' says Andrew Mitchell as officer Pc Keith Wallis to be charged with misconduct in public office Millions of workers in Britain snared by low-pay trap David Cameron announces tough measures for new Eastern European migrants seeking benefits Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E Donald Macintyre's Sketch: Andrew Mitchell - the former Tank Regiment officer takes aim and fires Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup Ed Miliband to target 106 seats for outright election win in 2015 Use of riot squads in jails has soared amid overcrowding crisis Winter freeze led to 31,000 extra deaths last year - against a backdrop of soaring energy prices Justice costs: Fury as lawyers fees top 850 an hour Video: Andrew Mitchell on 'Plebgate' In pictures: Somerset basks in autumn sun 'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth Alex Salmond has not answered any of the 'big questions' on Scottish independence says Alistair Darling Pauline Wallace pleads guilty after RSPCA finds over 140 snakes in her home Nigella Lawson took cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs every day for 10 years, court hears Two arrested in connection with Paul Flowers allegations Wolf on the loose in Essex after escaping from Colchester Zoo Neurosurgeon Emmanuel Labram struck off for lying about removing brain tumour Plebgate: Crown Prosecution Service's full statement on charges against Pc Keith Wallis 'What we could be': Alex Salmond launches blueprint for independent Scotland Fraudster canoeist John Darwin caught out in Ukraine Bob Crow: 'I have no moral duty' to move out of council house despite receiving six-figure salary as RMT boss National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex News - World Arizona couple 'held three sisters captive' in home Frances compromising position: Why a new law to criminalise punters rather than prostitutes is inflaming French passions Fears grow of clash as Japan and US stoke war of the skies with China Ten years after the invasion: Iraq helpless under rain of terror Postcard from... Spain Silvio Berlusconi expelled from parliament Two months after election win in Germany, Angela Merkel forms coalition Nightmare is over for gay Briton Bernard Randall put on trial in Uganda after images of him having sex were stolen by thieves and used against him in 'blackmail plot' Steep thrills: Italy's recession-hit resorts put faith in hair-raising black pistes Video: Sperm whale explodes Gay rights protester stopped by Russian police while posing in Red Square with Love is Love banner In pictures: Central African Republic gripped by violence as conflict between Seleka fighters and forces loyal to ex-President continues US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents Latvian prime minister Valdis Dombrovski resigns over Riga supermarket disaster Video: Two baby baboons born at Brooklyn Zoo

Video: Two baby baboons born at Brooklyn Zoo American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Up to 30 feared dead as migrants' sailing boat capsizes in Bahamas HIV up by 8% across Europe In pictures: Another day of the 48-hour country wide blockade of transport in Bangladesh Kenya: Two Brits 'arrested over hand grenades' Anti-government protesters in Thailand call for nationwide uprising as unrest enters fourth day China monitors US B-52 bombers over South China Sea German 'grand coalition': Angela Merkel reaches deal with SPD to form new government 'Iran will still make a nuclear bomb': Israels ambassador to the UK Daniel Taub argues the Geneva deal endangers us all Postcard from... Malmo Evicted anti-virus guru John McAfee on the run again 27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report Revealed: Guantanamo suspects were 'turned' into double agents at secret facility France sends in troops to Central African Republic to stop 'another Rwanda' as conflict threatens to explode into Muslim-Christan war Japan cracks down on leaks after scandal of Fukushima nuclear power plant Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem Tiger trainer attacked: Video shows moment attack occurred in Queensland zoo Video: Children escape shelling in Damascus, Syria In pictures: Christmas markets open across Germany In pictures: Mass protests in Ukraine US is pumping 50% more methane into atmosphere than government says, scientists warn Fury as Spanish officers search British diplomatic bag at border with Gibraltar Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family In pictures: Chinese fire walking festival 'Lianhuo' News - Business Boris Johnson v Gordon Gekko: Guess who said it Npower confirms 1,460 British jobs in outsourcing to India Embrace culture of greed, says Boris Johnson Its been hard, says sacked Glencore trader Andrew Kearns ahead of ruling Surprise drop in retail sales hits confidence in recovery Hamish McRae: Germany has got itself a new government, but how will it face the social challenges ahead? The Guardian's future... by the paper's guardian Andrew Miller Ex-director of ENRC claims 'leak' meeting with reporter was a bluff L&G claims pension charge cap is not low enough to work UBS Paris headquarters raided by French authorities in tax evasion probe Compass shares rally as catering giant lands Silicon Valley contract HP and boss Whitman to defend class action rule over Autonomy United Utilities refrains from price hike as profits jump Albemarle shares plummet after pawnbroker issues third profit warning Vince Cable defends Royal Mail float price before MPs after profits double Consumer splurge in third quarter fuels fears for "unsustainable" recovery City of London police inquiry adds to RBS investigations 'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece Royal Mail shares rally as profits more than double in first results as private company Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising James Moore: Young and old can take heart at least its not as bad as in Mexico Can De La Rue bank on the Old Lady?

It doesnt take a 1m chief to make state fund CDC fly RBS report author had to blow 2.6m on loan fees... mostly from RBS Chris Blackhurst: We should have let banks go to the wall. They dont care about our wellbeing Mark Carney calls for formal powers over bank leverage ratios Revealed: Goldman Sachs clients' 12m Royal Mail coup Banks used to have a duty of care. Perhaps post-RBS scandal, they can rediscover it Hot stuff! Profits double at Nando's Westfield secures planning permission for 1 billion Croydon mega shopping centre Gatwick numbers take off as chief executive calls for new runway 'A new tyranny': Pope Francis attacks unfettered capitalism and says rich should share wealth Severn Trent hikes dividend despite profit drop as the company vows to keep water bills down Britvic signs PepsiCo deal to widen Fruit Shoot distribution in the US UK pensions among worst in the developed world, OECD warns De La Rue shares soar as pre-tax profit jumps 19% in first half Osborne offers the Bank of England extra powers to keep the banks in check Mark Carney defends 'dead on arrival' forward guidance policy City standards watchdog is roasted by MPs over ENRC Hugo Boss and Rmy Cointreau hit by luxury slowdown in China News - People Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Andy McSmith's Diary: Jeremy Hunt(s) for answers to all the right questions (if theyre sent in beforehand) One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala Andy McSmith's Diary: Crisis? What crisis? Jeremy Hunt resembles another politician heading for A&E News - Science Comet Ison: Can 'comet of the century' survive close encounter with the Sun? Revealed: David Cameron's radical plan to burn up UKs mountain of plutonium Video: Great Barrier Reef spawning NHS failed to sterilise surgical instruments contaminated with 'mad cow' disease New wonder material 'stanene' could replace graphene with 100% electrical conductivity 60-foot diplodocus dinosaur skeleton sold for 400,000 in Surrey The spotless mind? Scientists have begun testing chemicals that can 'delete' memories Cats recognise their owners' voices but never evolved to care, says study American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows 'Single fault' in one gene can lead to alcohol addiction in laboratory mice Chinese and American space agencies butt heads over competing moon landers National sex survey: Distractions of modern life mean people have less sex News - Media Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Robert Peston berates Daily Mail for revealing late wifes cancer Guardian crossword editor John Graham dies of cancer aged 92 after announcing illness in puzzle clues Patrick Cockburn is Foreign Commentator of the Year News - Education 'Lost' student loans worth 5bn are written off State comprehensive boarding school Royal Alexandra & Albert offers best of both worlds Elite universities 'as socially exclusive as ever' Lost in translation: Why British ambassadors are on the back foot

Lost in translation: Why British ambassadors are on the back foot News - Obituaries Stan Stennett: Actor, comedian and musician whose varied career took in working with Max Miller and appearing in 'Crossroads' Reverend John Graham: 'Araucaria', whose prolific puzzle output foxed and delighted enthusiasts for nearly half a century Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Saxophonist and composer who fought drug problems to forge an acclaimed career in jazz's black avant-garde Georges Lautner: Director acclaimed for his crime comedies who worked with Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo Voices i Editor's Letter: Immigration - the wind of change is blowing The Daily Cartoon Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi were a strangely matched pair. But their public meltdown is in every way unpalatable Voices in Danger: The journalists working under constant fear of harassment in Honduras Letters: Lost opportunities for renewable energy Lead, dont follow: Cameron should not be stoking fears about immigration Turbulent waters: The escalating row between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands has implications for us all Nick Clegg's scapegoating of immigrants is his most unforgiveable Tory collaboration yet Why erase memories that make us wince or cringe? Lessons to take from the greatest film flops Bob Dylan proves my times are achangin Unpaid internships: selling our graduates short Debate: Does the new Harvey Nichols advert spoil the spirit of Christmas? PMQs: Ed Miliband is striding onto centre ground A smoking ban on NHS hospital grounds is a good idea. It's the last thing patients - and staff - should be doing Martyrs? Guest-house owners who turned away gay couple on religious grounds are nothing of the kind Political Takeout Podcast: Tory modernisation, the Guardian versus the NSA, and Ed Miliband's pub problem Letters: Time for the state to rescue public services Lostprophets' Ian Watkins: The powerful men who abuse - and lie about it Michael Clarke and the Ashes: The shocking thing about sledging is not the damage it causes but how witless it is We will never know who said what in Plebgate Salmond fishing: The SNP leader's blueprint for an independent Scotland leaves all the big questions unanswered i Editor's Letter: Hand power to the Competition Commission Maoism is still alive in India, where inequality flourishes Banks used to have a duty of care. Perhaps post-RBS scandal, they can rediscover it Dont be a grinch just squinch Want to have more sex? Leave your smartphones out of the bedroom The rise in legal highs: this generations drugs are truly lethal Godfrey Bloom is wrong about speed not causing accidents, but he is right about road fines In defence of pubic hair: the mighty bush Minister for Sport is a tricky job but Helen Grant hasnt made it any easier for herself I'm a Celebrity: Rebecca Adlington earned her amazing talent - but that doesn't mean we have to put down Amy Willerton Environment

Environment American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Plans for Atlantic Array wind turbines pulled by developer Sport - Cricket Ashes 2013-14: Ben Stokes desperate to impress in Alice Springs Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer Ashes 2013-14: Something needs to be done about sledging war says Ian Chappell, who defends England's James Anderson Ashes 2013-14: Stuart Broad calls for big improvement and hopes privacy will get Jonathan Trott on road to recovery Warwicks defend name change to Birmingham for T20 Blast Ashes 2013-14: Memories of Frank Tyson and Indian fightback soothe battered England squad following departure of Jonathan Trott Ashes 2013-14: England and Australia ordered to tone down sledging war following departure of Jonathan Trott The Light Roller: A week is a long time in cricket Sport - Football Samir Nasri calls for improved Manchester City defence Manchester City 4 Viktoria Plzen 2: Joe Hart impresses in Champions League victory Ryan Giggs is 'getting better' with age, suggests Manchester United manager David Moyes Cesar Azpilicueta confident of collective improvement at Chelsea following defeat to Basel Mesut Ozil will get better, claims Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker Pat Rice: Former Arsenal assistant admitted to hospital with cancer - reports Bayer Leverkusen players were asking how Ryan Giggs has lasted so long DURING Manchester United's 5-0 win, reveals Wayne Rooney Real Madrid 4 Galatasaray 1: Sergio Ramos and Pepe come under fire from Carlo Ancelotti, despite Champions League victory Denis Irwin latest to pay tribute to Ryan Giggs ahead of the Manchester United midfielder's 40th birthday Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Real Madrid fans following show of support using face masks English football match-fixing shock as six arrested by police investigating 'international illegal betting syndicate' Chelsea defeat to Basel adds spice to busy December schedule for the Blues World Cup 2014 stadium collapse: Deaths in Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians add to worries ahead of tournament Bayer Leverkusen 0 Man United 5: Ryan Giggs is getting better, claims David Moyes ahead of the midfielder's 40th birthday Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5 match report: Wayne Rooney claims four assists in Champions League victory Manchester City 4 Plzen 2 match report: Joe Hart puts in error-free display in Champions League game vital perhaps only for him Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: Shinji Kagawa has flair, Ryan Giggs remains a man for all seasons and this team cannot do without Wayne Rooney Andre Villas-Boas 'immune' to criticism and claims Tottenham still have total confidence in him Champions League round-up: Gareth Bale fills Cristiano Ronaldo's boots for 10-man Real Madrid Kenny Jackett has halted Wolves 'runaway train' by getting rid of big earners Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker closes on new deal as 'reward' for aiding revival at the Emirates Ashes 2013-14: England find time to smile for now but vow to resume sledging war in second Test against Australia Ashes 2013-14: More bouncers are on the way for second Test, says Mitchell Johnson the destroyer

Bayer Leverkusen 0 Manchester United 5: 'We really killed them on the counter-attack,' says Ryan Giggs Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Leigh Griffiths 'RIP BRIAN' celebration: Wolves confirm it was for a family member, not the dog from Family Guy Claudio Nancufil: The 'new' Lionel Messi attracting interest from Barcelona and the Premier League at the age of eight Transfer news round-up: Tottenham move ahead of Chelsea in pursuit of Luke Shaw; Yohan Cabaye opens door to Arsenal and Liverpool; Manchester United want Angel Di Maria World Cup stadium collapse: Two killed as Sao Paulo Arena Corinthians collapses Liverpool defender Kolo Toure hits out at former club Manchester City and claims they'll be 'kicking themselves' for letting him go Champions League: What Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United need to reach the last 16 Transfer news: Wigan confident of signing Manchester United striker on loan Per Mertesacker would welcome 'reward' of new contract at Arsenal Joe Cole could seek West Ham exit in January after being hauled off early during defeat to Chelsea Sit-down football protest: Players in Brazil take action over demanding schedule Could David Ginola replace Andre Villas-Boas as Tottenham manager? The former Spurs winger seems happy to do so Andre Villas-Boas future: Tottenham to give manager more time to prove himself Qatar relents and releases French footballer Zahir Belounis after outcry Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates refuses to give up hope of playing at the 2014 World Cup Transfer news: Stoke City play down speculation linking Asmir Begovic with move to Manchester City Real Madrid v Galatasaray: 45,000 Real Madrid fans to wear Cristiano Ronaldo face masks in show of Fifa Ballon d'Or support Transfer news: Jermain Defoe agrees 90,000-a-week deal with MLS side Toronto FC paving way for Tottenham exit - reports Gerardo Martino and Carles Puyol demand more intensity from Barcelona following shock defeat to Ajax Ajax 2 Barcelona 1: Fan suffers serious head injuries after falling from stand at the Amsterdam ArenA Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Champions League match preview Real Madrid v Galatasaray: Champions League match preview Manchester City v Viktoria Plzen: Champions League match preview Sunderland manager Gus Poyet delighted with 'fair and just' decision to rescind red card for Wes Brown Celtic 0 AC Milan 3: Mikael Lustig laments week in which World Cup and Champions League hopes evaporated Basle 1 Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho reveals plan to rotate following shock Champions League defeat Mathieu Flamini sleeves row: Arsene Wenger angered after midfielder breaks Arsenal tradition by cutting sleeves for victory over Marseille Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Wayne Rooneys all fired up just the way David Moyes likes him Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: The night the Bundesliga side ruined Roy Keanes European final dream Basel 1 Chelsea 0 match report: Chelsea qualify for Champions League knock-out stage despite dreadful display Arsenal 2 Marseille 0: Jack Wilshere is on the same path as Aaron Ramsey, but Mesut Ozil needs a goal or even a rest? Manchester United plane in landing scare at German airport prior to Champions League tie against

Manchester United plane in landing scare at German airport prior to Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 match report: Jack Wilshere adds vital goals to list of his qualities during Champions League victory Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid: Spains Champions League hopefuls have an easier time than Englands Arsenal 2 Marseille 0 comment: Two-goal Jack Wilshere bowls back into the hearts and minds of Arsenal faithful Ajax 2 Barcelona 1 match report: Dutch champions secure shock win to keep Euro hopes alive Celtic 0 AC Milan 3 match report: Celtic crash out of Champions League following James Forrest arrest Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Nemanja Vidic and Robin van Persie to miss Champions League game Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri admits 'I wasn't feeling myself' following troubles at Euro 2012 Sunderland win appeal over Wes Brown red card Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United: Stefan Kiessling confident Leverkusen can spring surprise in the Champions League Ryan Giggs admits Arsenal deserve to be top of the Premier League, but claims history shows Manchester United can still win the title Transfer news: Manchester City insist there is 'no chance' Joe Hart could go out on loan Harry Redknapp 'tried to get rid of Gareth Bale' during his time at Tottenham, claims Damien Comolli Sepp Blatter says it is 'time for tougher sanctions' after condemning Real Betis fans who appeared to direct racist monkey chants at their own player Burton Albion plan to put 50-year-old on the bench for League Two match Champions League: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo will miss game against Galatasaray Jose Mourinho enlists the help of Chelsea striker Fernando Torres to become 'The Happy Hairless One' Transfer news: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi admits his interest in Manchester City... sort of Sport - Golf Rory McIlroy opens himself up to scrutiny after admitting dismay at growing pressures of sport after Jonathan Trott's Ashes exit Sport - Motor racing F1: Ross Brawn to step down as Mercedes team principal Sport - Olympics Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: Zoe Gillings is a hopeful jump ahead Sport - Racing Puffin seeks to regain perch among top hurdlers Sport - Rugby Union Northampton face fine after releasing George North for Wales duty Rugby World Cup 2015: Progressive tickets but some nightmarish late kick-off times Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets, venues, fixtures: Prices start low but will soar at the sharp end Wales v Australia: Warren Gatland calls for 'never-give-in attitude' to spark his side into life against southern-hemisphere sides Wales v Australia: British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland warns: These Aussies are different Wales v Australia: Alex Cuthbert makes a surprise return to Wales team Sport - Tennis BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award Sport - Others BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013: The 10 contenders to win the SPOTY award Boxing: Carl Froch is past his sell-by date and must quit, says Amir Khan following controversial win against George Groves

NFL: Tom Brady v Peyton Manning is a rivalry for the ages, and Sunday proved it Sarah Teelow: Leading Australian waterskier dies following endurance race crash near Sydney Quiz: Can you answer the five questions failed by Sports Minister Helen Grant? Life & Style - Fashion Style File: Fashion revs up - Biker jackets Video: Princess Diana's dress up for sale The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas Style File: Contrasting collars 'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs Life & Style -Food & Drink Grub street: the Borough Market of the North? Life & Style - Health and Families NHS told to ban smoking near hospitals Next US President? Fat chance. Chris Christie is a true heavyweight - but that's his problem Life & Style - Gadgets & Tech Vote online the Speakers plan to revive politics A funny thing happened on the way to the photocopier: Rhodri Marsden's Twitter followers share cringeworthy work screw-ups Ahead of the game: Sony's PlayStation convinced us that video games are more than just child's play Rhodri Marsden: Hacks induce nerdy excitement when they solve small problems Video: CatAcademy - the new app to teach you Spanish Bitcoin value surpasses $1,000 for first time New wonder material 'stanene' could replace graphene with 100% electrical conductivity Arachnophobia app tackles spider phobia US security services spied on pornography use and online promiscuity of Islamic radicals, according to leaked documents Google Street View update helps you find your way through the airport - not just to it Video: The top 10 tablets of 2013 GTA: San Andreas arriving for iOS, Android, Windows Phone devices next month 'SmartWig': Sony files patent for computerised hair piece 3bn: the total price-tag for Christmas gadgets PS4 and Xbox One: Live-streamed nudity and 'excessive profanity' highlights new problems One billion 4G connections expected for 2017 Life & Style - Motoring Range Rover Hybrid: Motoring review - not so lean, not so green (and avoid any large puddles) Arts & Ents - Art Video: Kelpies statue unveiled The 10 Best affordable art prints Unseen John Constable oil sketch discovered at Victoria and Albert museum Painter defends his 'horror-film' portrait of the Danish royal family Arts & Ents - Music Brit Awards 2014: Arctic Monkeys agree to open show with live performance X Factor runner-up Rebecca Ferguson on regrets about dating One Direction's Zayn Malik and her new album One Direction set to score fastest-selling album of 2013 with Midnight Memories The Weeknd, gig review: 'His dark, intense music fills the size of the O2' One Direction's Liam Payne saves Calvin Harris from a flying dwarf at Miley Cyrus' party One Direction Midnight Memories, album review: 'A clumsy attempt at rock' Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall, review: 'A stunning return to form' Video: Prince William, Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi perform at palace charity gala One Direction graduate to Radio 2 with 'mature sounding' new rock album Robin Thicke and Anchorman's Ron Burgundy set to film music video together

Robin Thicke and Anchorman's Ron Burgundy set to film music video together Arts & Ents - Classical Levin, Chuang, OAE, Faultless: Classical review Arts & Ents - Films Video: Tarzan trailer Video: Interview with Kristen Bell on Disney's Frozen Video: Interview with Idina Menzel on Disney's Frozen Quentin Tarantino: I had so much fun with Django, my next film will be a western The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The return of the little man with the big imagination 'May a force be in you': the best Slightly Wrong Quotes t-shirts for movie buffs 27 animals died during filming of Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, says report Arts & Ents - TV Melanie Sykes cautioned after assaulting husband Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C S Lewis: TV review - behind closed doors with a man as magical as his classic Chronicles The Week in Radio: A little Britten isn't enough to get hooked on classics Lord Hall paves way for shake-up of Match of the Day after praising Gary Neville's impact since joining Sky Brian Griffin death petition attracts 80,000 signatures from Family Guy fans American audiences more likely to believe in God after watching BBCs Planet Earth, study shows Frankie Muniz suffers second mini-stroke Chris Chibnall on his Broadchurch follow-up, The Great Train Robbery Imagine Hitler, the Tiger and Me, BBC1 - TV review: tea-drinking tigers and fleeing the Nazis in a life story that's stranger than fiction Elementary, Sky Living - TV review Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean wins International Emmy for role in BBC drama I'm A Celebrity 2013: Kian Egan takes on first bushtucker trial as Joey Essex spared Sherlock Series 3 and The Great British Bake Off join Christmas 2013 TV line-up Video: After Brian Griffin dies... Family Guy dog's best moments Brian Griffin death: Family Guy fans launch 'Bring Back Brian' petition Arts & Ents - Theatre and Dance Thanks a bunch: Actors are forgoing the usual first-night bouquets - and donating the money to charity instead No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot review: Cort Theatre, New York Arts & Ents - Comedy Monty Python announce five more dates to 2014 reunion British Comedy Awards 2013: Jack Whitehall, Alan Carr and David Mitchell shortlisted Monty Python and the ticket touts Arts & Ents - Books Paperback review: The Guard, By Peter Terrin Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind, By Gavin Edwards: Book review In the prime of death: The artists who didn't make it to the podium in this life Bay Psalm Book sold for world record $14.2m at auction Translation slam: A war of words The Village Against the World, by Dan Hancox - book review: why there is such a thing as society in southern Spain Costa Book Awards 2013: Much-loved author Clive James 'very pleased' with nomination for The Divine Comedy Costa Book Awards 2013: Bernardine Bishop leads all-female shortlist Costa Book Awards 2013: Shortlist in full

Travel 5 ways to... Make a break for Barbados Prepare for railway chaos over Christmas and New Year: Festive services face widespread disruption - including routes to Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports Get me out of here - Mauritius, Madeira, cruising the Arctic Circle Deals of the week Qubec City, where the streets are paved with cold I want to book a celebratory break at a British hotel. With a hot tub! Tube staff to vote on strikes over job cuts Money Payday lender Peachy hit by fresh allegations of misleading advertising IndyBest The 10 Best vacuum cleaners 13 best Christmas gifts for style-conscious men The 10 Best Christmas presents for children The 10 Best women's accessories for Christmas The 10 Best affordable art prints