Walkers warned of moorland fires

2 May 2011 Last updated at 02:32 GMT Fire crews have been on Anglezarke Moor and Wheeton Moor since Friday Walkers are being warned to be vigilant as moorland fires continue to burn for a fourth day in Lancashire.

The county's deputy fire chief Paul Richardson said strong winds meant the fires could spread quickly putting walkers in danger without warning.

More than 150 firefighters have been tackling three separate moorland fires near Belmont, Bacup and Ormskirk.

All three incidents are ongoing and crews are expected to continue putting out the fires into Monday.

Mr Richardson said: "We are advising members of the public who are out on the moors during this period of hot and dry weather to take extra care and be vigilant.

"With strong winds, fires can move across the moors quickly, putting walkers in danger without giving them any warning.

"We are also urging all smokers to make sure that they discard their smoking materials safely and responsibly."

At one point 32 fire engines from the 39 stations in the county were out on calls, a Lancashire Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said.

Crews from Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire have also been involved in tackling the fires, which have been fanned by winds of up to 45 mph.

Drifting smoke

Firefighters have been at Belmont since Friday morning where a blaze spread to cover several square miles between Bolton and Chorley, on both Anglezarke Moor and Wheeton Moor.

More than 100 firefighters have been called to the moorland fire near Belmont

More than 100 firefighters, 18 fire engines and three specialists have been involved in the operation as well as the police helicopter, a fire and rescue helicopter, a mountain rescue team and United Utilities.

Specialist equipment was being used to transfer water from Anglezarke Reservoir to the fire.

A large amount of smoke has also been drifting from the moorland fire towards Chorley and people have been warned to avoid the area.

The cause of the blaze is not known but it is not thought to be suspicious.

On Saturday afternoon a second moorland fire broke out in about 48 hectares (120 acres) of peat at Whitemoss Horticulture at Simonswood near Ormskirk on Saturday.

The business supplies peat, compost and horticultural products to gardeners.

Large plumes of smoke were seen drifting into neighbouring areas, and people living nearby were being advised to stay indoors and keep all windows closed.

A third moorland fire which spread to cover two square miles was reported on Sunday afternoon at Moor Wind Farm in Stacksteads near Bacup.

Firefighters were using beaters and "back-held aqua packs" to put out the fires while water was being pumped from a nearby reservoir.

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US warned on lack of deficit plan

18 April 2011 Last updated at 16:42 GMT Republicans are pushing for plans to massively cut US government spending The US has been warned that the credit rating on its government debt could be cut by Standard & Poor's.

S&P is concerned that Democrats and Republicans will not be able to agree a plan to reduce the growing US deficit.

It has downgraded its outlook from stable to negative, increasing the likelihood that the rating could be cut within the next two years.

The US Treasury responded that S&P had underestimated its ability to tackle the national debt.

"Because the US has, relative to its 'AAA' [top-rated] peers, what we consider to be very large budget deficits and rising government indebtedness and the path to addressing these is not clear to us, we have revised our outlook on the long-term rating to negative from stable," the agency said in a statement.

The surprise move sent US and European shares lower. The S&P 500 fell the most in a month, and the US dollar dropped against the euro and Swiss franc. Oil was also sharply lower.

In Europe, the main UK, German and French indexes all fell by at least 2%.

The US federal deficit currently stands at $1.4tn (£858bn) and is expected to reach $1.5tn in the current fiscal year.

Budget battle

President Barack Obama suggested that the world could plunge into a new recession if the ceiling on money the US can borrow is not raised in the next few weeks, before the current debt limit of $14.3tn is reached.

Continue reading the main story Mr Obama and the Republicans are locked in a battle over the extent of spending cuts.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a 2012 budget plan that aims to cut $6.2tn in spending by the government over the next decade.

But the bill is not expected to make it through the Democrat-led Senate.

The current fight is over spending from 1 October onwards. Last week, Congress passed a budget bill that would cut $38.5bn in government spending over the rest of the current fiscal year, to 30 September.

Last week, Mr Obama laid out his plan to reduce the budget deficit by $4tn over 12 years.

'Political judgment'

Austan Goolsbee, the chief economist of the president's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, dismissed the change in outlook while making the rounds on US cable networks.

Ajay Rajadhyaksha, head of fixed income at Barclays Capital in New York assesses the US deficit dilemma

"What the S&P is doing is making a political judgment and it is one that we don't agree with," he told CNBC.

The S&P outlook cut comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned last week that the size of the US deficit created instability in the financial markets.

In a statement, S&P was positive about the general state of the US economy, but said: "We believe there is a material risk that US policymakers might not reach an agreement on how to address medium- and long-term budgetary challenges by 2013.

"If an agreement is not reached and meaningful implementation is not begun by then, this would in our view render the US fiscal profile meaningfully weaker than that of peer 'AAA' sovereigns."

'Wake-up call'

The US has the top AAA credit rating on its long-term bonds.

Since the US is the world's largest economy, and its debt is considered the backbone of the world's financial system, any concern over the US ability to pay its debt creates huge ripples in the world economy.

"It's a wake-up call that we need to do something," said Axel Merk, a currency fund manager in California. S&P is "absolutely correct that this is something serious that needs to be addressed."

But the US Treasury responded strongly to the change in outlook.

"We believe S&P's negative outlook underestimates the ability of America's leaders to come together to address the difficult fiscal challenges facing the nation," it said.

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Motorists warned over bomb alert

8 April 2011 Last updated at 12:50 GMT Motorists have been driving round the suspicious van after traffic cones were moved

Police have warned motorists ignoring or moving traffic cones close to the scene of a Newry bomb alert that they have a "blatant disregard" for people's safety.

The Belfast to Dublin Road is closed due to a suspicious van which has been found in an underpass.

Police had said the vehicle was "cordoned off", but some motorists have been able to get close.

There have also been two hoax bomb alerts in Lurgan.

A number of people were moved from their homes at Francis Street and Castle Lane Mews in the town.

Army bomb experts carried out controlled explosions on two suspect devices, both of which were later declared hoaxes.

The security alert in Newry began shortly before 2300 BST on Thursday after two bomb warnings were received by the Daisy Hill Hospital and a charity.

The dual carriageway is closed in both directions.

Motorists have been advised to avoid both scenes of the security alerts and use the diversions in place.

BBC Northern Ireland reporter Conor MacAuley said that police had told him the suspect vehicle was "extremely well cordoned off".

However, speaking on Friday morning, he said some motorists had still been able to get close to the vehicle.

"There are road closed signs up, there are cones, some signs and lights, but I can't see any police presence at the moment," he added.

"What has happened is that someone has come along and they have moved the cones out of the road and traffic is moving freely up and down past the suspect vehicle.

"I have seen dozens of cars driving past this morning, some of them with small children in the back of their cars doing the school run.

"People obviously don't realise the potential danger they are in."

He said police would be aware of the dissident republican threat in the area.

"It is not long ago that a primed mortar was found on the motorway here which led to the discovery of a bomb-making factory in County Louth," he said.

"Police will be cautious because they will know that if this was called in with very specific details about where this suspicious vehicle was there is always the risk there is the possibility of a secondary device.

"I would say they will move very slowly and this alert could go on for some time yet."

The railway line between Newry and Dundalk has also been closed because of the ongoing security alert.

Passengers are being transported by bus between these stations.

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VIDEO: Lohan warned she could go to jail

23 February 2011 Last updated at 22:34 GMT Help

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