Jury rules against penis amputee

24 August 2011 Last updated at 20:54 GMT Phillip Seaton and wife Deborah sued for "loss of service, love and affection" A jury in Kentucky has sided against a truck driver and his wife who sued the doctor who amputated his penis during an emergency cancer treatment in 2007.

Phillip Seaton had argued his penis was removed without his consent during what was supposed to have been a circumcision to treat inflammation.

Dr John Patterson said he had found life-threatening cancer during the procedure and saved Mr Seaton's life.

The Seatons had asked for $16m (£9.8m) for "loss of service" and "love".

They had already sued Jewish Hospital, where the surgery took place; the facility settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

After brief deliberations on Wednesday, the jury ruled unanimously against the Seatons' claim that Dr Patterson had not exercised proper care, but split 10-2 against a claim Mr Seaton had not consented to the amputation.

Dr John Patterson (right, with his lawyer last week) says he found cancer during the surgery

In court filings, the Seatons argued Mr Seaton should have been awakened from anaesthesia and consulted before Dr Patterson did the surgery.

Clay Robinson, a lawyer for Dr Patterson, argued his client had only removed about an inch of the penis after finding it riddled with cancer, with the rest amputated by another doctor.

He also contended Mr Seaton had signed a document authorising necessary treatment in unforeseen circumstances.

Penile cancer is rare, with only 1,360 new cases and 320 deaths estimated in the US in 2011, according to the National Institutes of Health.

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Is the mosquito menace growing in the UK?

23 August 2011 Last updated at 00:46 GMT By Virginia Brown BBC News Magazine Complaints of mosquito bites are on the rise in the UK. So should Britons brace themselves for a future mosquito menace?

Hovering perfectly at ear level with a lingering, bothersome whine, mosquitoes leave you with bites that lead to itchy, swollen welts.

In much of the world, affected by malaria, repelling them is a matter of life and death. In the UK they are a mere annoyance, interrupting summer holidays and barbecues.

Based on a survey of UK local authorities, reports of mosquito bites over the last 10 years are 2.5 times greater than in the 10 years up to 1996.

NHS Direct statistics show 9,061 calls in England complaining of bites and stings from early May this year to now - up nearly 15% from last summer. Not all bite complaints are due to mosquitoes - many can be attributed to bedbugs, midges and fleas.

But conditions in the UK, particularly in southeastern England, are increasingly hospitable to mosquitoes.

"The wet weather through May and June this year, along with a warm summer, has affected the population because mosquitoes like the standing breeding water," says zoologist Michael Bonsall at Oxford University.

It's difficult to track mosquito numbers accurately, but the UK authorities are trying to do so.

Continue reading the main story Culex pipiens is the most common mosquito in BritainOnly females bite humans, males feed off nectarBites often occur at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes' internal clocks tell them it's feeding timeA quarter of British species do not bite humans but feed on animals and birdsAnopheles mosquitoes are the only known carriers of malariaRed bumps and itching caused by bites is an allergic reaction to the mosquito's salivaThe Health Protection Agency has organised the Mosquito Recording Scheme to look into where and how mosquitoes live and breed.

And the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, with help from the HPA, has created Mosquito Watch, a voluntary reporting system geared towards collecting and analysing various specimens.

Not only do mosquitoes swarm over pools of standing water, including bowls left outside for pets, they appear under man-hole covers and even travel on London's Tube network.

But while mosquitoes transmit deadly diseases in many parts of the world, they do not cause major harm in the UK.

They may spoil picnics in the park, but they are usually only a major problem when Britons travel to countries with malaria, dengue or other mosquito-borne diseases.

But once upon a time, malaria-carrying mosquitoes could be found in the salt marshes of southeastern England.

It is believed that malaria - literally "bad air" - dates back at least to Roman times in the UK, and outbreaks occurred as recently as the years just following World War I.

British doctor Ronald Ross, who discovered the malarial parasite living in the gastrointestinal tract of the Anopheles mosquito in the 19th Century, recruited teams to eliminate the larvae from stagnant pools and marshes.

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been spotted as close as Belgium

Malaria in England had effectively died out by the 1950s, mostly due to the draining of much of the marshland where mosquitoes bred.

But because of the growth of global travel, the number of imported cases of the disease in the UK has risen, with nearly 2,000 a year today.

In many cases, live mosquitoes have been found on aircraft, or travelling in luggage, having been transported from countries with malaria.

On rare occasions, people may even have contracted malaria in Europe and North America, dubbed "airport malaria".

Five of the 30-plus species of mosquito found in the UK are not native. One variety is coming alarmingly close to the UK. The Asian tiger mosquito - Aedes albopictus - known for its white and black striped pattern has been spotted as close as Belgium.

Continue reading the main story

It is possible that Aedes albopictus [Asian tiger mosquito] could make its way to the UK”

End Quote Dr James Logan Medical entomologist While the species does not carry malaria, it does transmit West Nile virus, Yellow fever and dengue.

"It is possible that Aedes albopictus could make its way to the UK," says Dr James Logan, medical entomologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"Because they lay their drought-resistant eggs in transportable materials, like used tyres, there is a possibility that they can be transported to a country where they are not normally found.

"Some studies suggest that they could survive the UK winter, however, to date this species has not been found in the UK and the HPA are keeping a watchful eye on it."

Bonsall agrees and adds that predictive models show how malaria-carrying species could even make their way to areas such as the North Kent marshes, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Mosquitoes are becoming immune to the insecticides used to treat them - via spray or bed nets, according to a recent study from Senegal. Between 2007 and 2010, insects with a resistance to a popular type of pesticide rose from 8% to 48%.

"This could be a big problem for future control," says Dr Hilary Ranson, head of the vector group at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

But according to Dr Logan, the health infrastructure and access to drugs in the UK means malaria is unlikely to take hold and cause major problems.

Unlike much of the world, the rise of the mosquito will be a nuisance in the UK rather than a serious threat.

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Riots were a one-off - minister

24 August 2011 Last updated at 09:15 GMT Crispin Blunt believes the prison population will be back to normal within six months Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt has said the disturbances in English cities this month were a "one-off" event.

Mr Blunt said the justice system could cope in the short-term and there would be no long-term effect on the prison population in England and Wales.

Last Friday the number of inmates hit a record of almost 87,000, largely driven by the riots, but the government expects numbers to fall again in 2012.

Mr Blunt was speaking at the launch of a tougher community service regime.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said Mr Blunt believed harsher terms for rioters were justified under case law.

But the coalition's long-term plan to reform prisons and sentencing was unaffected by the riots, our correspondent added.

Ministers have said they want to cut costs by reducing the population through the introduction of the more robust community sentences for some offenders and improvements in the rehabilitation of offenders.

Adequate punishment?

Since the riots, the prison population has gone up by more than 1,000.

As of Tuesday, there were 797 suspects on remand, almost two-thirds of all those to have so far come before the courts.

Prisons chiefs have devised contingency plans in case they run out of space.

In his first interview since the disturbances, the prisons minister said that he was completely confident the system could cope and that the jail population would be back to where it was before the trouble within six months.

"We are completely confident that the prison system and justice system are going to be able to cope with what the police are producing for us," he told the BBC.

"This is an exceptional event. There will be a one-off increase in prison numbers as people serve their sentences.

"What we have to do is make sure there are prison places for those sent to prison by the courts and we will continue to do that regardless of how many people are sent to prison."

His comments came as he promoted the Ministry of Justice's previously-announced plan to make more use of community-based sentences for some offenders.

Mr Blunt confirmed that from next year unemployed offenders doing unpaid work - known as community payback - will be made to do it full-time rather than spread out over many months.

Under the current arrangements, offenders can work as little as six hours a week on manual labour projects such as cleaning up graffiti.

The scheme aims to force offenders to work a minimum of 28 hours over four days with the fifth spent looking for a job. Ministers say the punishment will also be delivered more immediately after sentence.

Some 100,000 offenders are given community sentences every year and the public can nominate online the jobs they want doing.

Labour said "tough community sentences" were appropriate in some circumstances but questioned how the government's plans could be achieved under planned cuts to probation services.

A spokesman said: "People will want assurances that sentences being served by offenders in the community are providing adequate punishment as well as rehabilitation and that they are being carried out safely with proper supervision."

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of probation union Napo, said: "Previous attempts to have offenders doing payback all week have failed because they would have lost their Jobseeker's Allowance as they would have been unavailable to seek work.

"This proposal gets round that problem; however, the scheme will only be viable if it is properly resourced, if it doesn't put council workers out of work and that the offenders are fit to carry out the tasks."

Paul McDowell, from the crime reduction charity Nacro, said the "proposals must strike the right balance between punishment and public protection".

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West pushes for Syria sanctions

24 August 2011 Last updated at 09:58 GMT President Assad says his security forces are tackling "armed criminal gangs" The US and several European nations have called for the UN to impose sanctions against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his ruling circle.

But the draft resolution circulated at UN headquarters in New York faces opposition from veto-wielding members of the Council like Russia and China.

The UN says more than 2,200 people have died since protests began in mid-March.

A UN report has also said Mr Assad's regime could be guilty of crimes against humanity.

The draft resolution put forward on Tuesday names President Assad along with 22 members of his ruling circle, as well as Syria's General Intelligence Directorate.

It calls for targeted sanctions against those "responsible for or complicit in ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, violent repression against the civilian population in Syria," the AFP news agency reports.

But the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the resolution contained no military threat, as the Syrian people "have been very clear they don't want any foreign military intervention".

Ms Rice told CNN that Mr Assad "needs to know that he is on a dangerous and immoral course that will have significant consequences for his leadership".

'Dialogue needed'

However Russia - a close ally of Mr Assad and which has veto power in the Security Council - has said it sees no need for further action beyond a council statement on 3 August condemning the violence.

China, which also has veto power, said Mr Assad and the Syrian opposition "should seek to peacefully and properly resolve the issue through dialogue and consultations".

"The future of Syria should be decided by Syria itself," said foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu in Beijing.

Both China and Russia voted against a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Tuesday calling for an independent investigation into violence by the Syrian government, including allegations of the use of tanks and snipers against unarmed civilians. The motion eventually passed with 33 votes in favour.

The Security Council said the inquiry would establish the facts in Syria and where possible "identify those responsible with a view of ensuring that perpetrators of violations, including those that may constitute crimes against humanity, are held accountable".

Syria's ambassador said the vote had been unbalanced.

Also on Tuesday, the European Union widened its sanctions against Syria, adding 15 people and five institutions to those already targeted.

Syria's protests first erupted in mid-March and have continued despite the crackdown. The demonstrators are demanding the removal of President Assad, whose family have been in power for 40 years.

As well as civilians, human rights groups say 500 soldiers have been killed and thousands arrested since March. The government has blamed the unrest on "armed criminal gangs".

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Schools, sites closed after quake

24 August 2011 Last updated at 16:32 GMT Residents in New York spoke about the quake which was caught on camera in Washington and at a media briefing in NYC

A day after an earthquake rattled the US east coast, Washington schools remained closed and inspectors are assessing damage to national monuments.

The magnitude-5.8 quake, which some people initially feared was a terrorist attack, caused no known deaths or serious injuries.

Engineers have been studying cracks in the Washington Monument, and some federal office buildings are shut.

The quake centred on the state of Virginia but was felt widely.

It was one of the most powerful tremors to hit the US east coast since 1897.

High-rise fright

The quake shook Washington DC for about 30 seconds at lunchtime on Tuesday, with the White House, Pentagon and Capitol buildings among sites evacuated across the city.

Engineers are evaluating cracks found in the Washington Monument

In New York City, the tremor sent many people fleeing high-rises such as the Empire State Building.

"I ran down all 60 flights," accounting office worker Caitlin Trupiano said. "I wasn't waiting for the elevator."

One of the most damaged buildings in the US capital was Washington's century-old National Cathedral: three capstones broke off and cracks appeared in some walls.

Pictures posted on the cathedral's website showed the extent of the damage, including fallen statues.

"Experts are tirelessly working to assess the building damage, both structurally and aesthetically," the cathedral managers said.

At the Washington Monument, the obelisk-shaped memorial to America's first president, engineers discovered cracks in the stones at the top.

They are evaluating how to repair the monument so it can be reopened to tourists.

Just two days after the start of the academic year, 126 Washington school buildings were closed on Wednesday.

Poking fun

DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said the sites were being examined by structural engineers.

The quake epicentre was near the Virginia town of Mineral, population 430

A handful of federal buildings were also shut on Wednesday, including some offices of the homeland security, agriculture and interior departments.

Some residents of apartments in the Washington DC suburbs were staying in shelters awaiting structural surveys at those buildings.

Two nuclear reactors were taken offline as a precaution near the epicentre of the quake, but no damage was reported.

The fuss generated by the relatively mild tremor has prompted some teasing, not least over on the west coast in California, where such events are much more common.

Images of toppled lawn chairs and wonky picture frames were posted on social networks.

The earthquake that devastated Japan in March released 60,000 times more energy than Tuesday's in the US.

It struck some 84 miles (135km) south-west of Washington, at a depth of 3.7 miles.

The epicentre was near the town of Mineral, in the state of Virginia, the US Geological Survey said.

Three aftershocks were recorded on Tuesday, measuring from 2.2 to 4.8 in magnitude.

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Trinidad declares crime emergency

23 August 2011 Last updated at 12:23 GMT A limited state of emergency is in force in several areas of Trinidad and Tobago, as the government moves to tackle a recent spike in violent crime.

The measures, announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, include an overnight curfew.

Ms Persad-Bissessar said they were taking action in what she called "hot spots" as part of a wider effort to tackle "wanton acts of lawlessness".

The opposition said it was a "panic response" by the government.

The declaration of emergency rule in six areas, which will last 15 days, came after the country saw 11 murders in just a couple of days.

Ms Persad-Bissessar said the killings were a reaction by drug gangs to recent major seizures by the police of consignments worth millions of dollars.

"These large sums of money simply do not disappear from the drug trade without consequences," she said.

'Thugs'

The aim of emergency rule was to halt the current spike in gang activity and crime in general in the shortest possible time, the prime minister said in a televised address.

"The nation will not be held to ransom by marauding gangs of thugs bent on creating havoc on our society. The limited state of emergency in hot spots across Trinidad and Tobago is merely part of a larger aggressive reaction response by the government."

The measures include a 21:00 to 05:00 overnight curfew, as well as increased powers for police to conduct searches and make arrests.

Opposition leader Keith Rowley said the measure showed that the government had no plans to deal with rising crime.

"Our initial thought is that this is a panic response which has not been the product of any serious deliberations," he told local radio.

The measures took effect after being approved by President George Maxwell Richards..

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Udinese 1-2 Arsenal (agg 1-3)

By David Ornstein
BBC Sport Walcott scored the winner to send Arsenal into the group-stage draw Arsenal cast aside their recent troubles to reach the Champions League group stage with victory at Udinese in their qualifying play-off second leg.

The Gunners won the first leg 1-0 but Udinese went ahead in Italy through Antonio di Natale's superb header.

Robin Van Persie equalised from Gervinho's pass before Thomas Vermaelen handled a Di Natale corner in the box.

Wojciech Szczesny saved the penalty and Theo Walcott sealed a 2-1 win (3-1 on aggregate) with a fine run and finish.

It capped a critical win for Arsene Wenger's side and means they will be in Thursday's draw for the group stages as they prepare for a 14th consecutive season in the competition proper.

Their preparations were disrupted by Samir Nasri's move to Manchester City and news that Jack Wilshere was facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

Huge pressure had also built on the team and manager Arsene Wenger following their winless - and goalless - start to the Premier League season.

But Arsenal at least carried a one-goal advantage to north-east Italy and, despite the sweltering conditions at Stadio Friuli, they got off to an enterprising start.

Gervinho was released down the left and saw a low cross gathered by Samir Handanovic with Van Persie waiting to pounce, and moments later Walcott stung the goalkeeper's palms from about 20 yards.

Udinese were struggling to keep pace with their opponents' slick passing and movement but, as is often the case, Arsenal failed to make their superiority count and that encouraged the Italians to grow in confidence.

Di Natale crossed for Pablo Armero to bounce a header against the post, Di Natale was then denied by the same piece of woodwork with a low strike from a Mauricio Isla centre.

Handanovic produced a superb double save from Walcott and Van Persie, but at the other end Di Natale almost latched on to a deflected effort from a tight angle - and he made no mistake a few minutes later as the 33-year-old found himself completely unmarked to meet Giampiero Pinzi's dinked cross and steer his header past Szczesny.

Wenger opted for experience over youth at half-time - replacing Emmanuel Frimpong with Tomas Rosicky - and shortly after Alex Song failed to connect with a free header from a Van Persie set-piece, Arsenal were back on level terms.

Gervinho again surged in from the left, this time weaving past Medhi Benatia, and cut the ball back for Van Persie to shoot home from eight yards.

The Dutchman's strike appeared to deflate Udinese and their fans but they were gifted a route back into the tie when Vermaelen handled Di Natale's corner.

Unfortunately for the former Italy international, Szczesny dived to his right and pushed the spot-kick to safety with an outstanding one-handed effort.

That proved to be a pivotal moment, and it was not long before Walcott exchanged passes with Bacary Sagna, sprinted clear and slotted past Handanovic.

Di Natale drilled wide and watched on as a free-kick rebounded off the post, while Van Persie and substitute Armand Traore went close to extending Arsenal's lead.

The Gunners held firm and were left to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Champions Lge qualifying

Final Result 90:00+2:03 Armand Traore takes a shot. Save by Samir Handanovic. 90:00+1:52 Robin van Persie takes a shot. Save made by Samir Handanovic. Full Time 90:00+1:02 The referee signals the end of the game. 90:00+0:07 Piccoli Neuton takes the direct free kick. 90:00+0:07 Substitution Andrey Arshavin is brought on as a substitute for Theo Walcott. 90:00+0:07 Robin van Persie challenges Pablo Armero unfairly and gives away a free kick. 88:44 Free kick awarded for a foul by Tomas Rosicky on German Denis. German Denis takes the free kick. 86:51 Booking Diego Fabbrini is given a yellow card. 84:46 Free kick taken by Robin van Persie. 84:46 Substitution Giovanni Pasquale replaces Mehdi Benatia. 84:46 Substitution Armand Traore on for Yao Gervinho. 84:46 Foul by Pablo Armero on Aaron Ramsey, free kick awarded. 82:08 Antonio Di Natale produces a shot on goal direct from the free kick, save by Wojciech Szczesny. 82:08 Substitution German Denis on for Mauricio Isla. 82:08 Free kick awarded for a foul by Alex Song on Diego Fabbrini. 81:41 Theo Walcott takes a shot. Save made by Samir Handanovic. 80:32 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Alex Song by Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. Carl Jenkinson restarts play with the free kick. 78:58 The assistant referee signals for offside against Antonio Di Natale. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick. 78:33 Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Save made by Samir Handanovic. 77:51 Effort from inside the area by Antonio Di Natale misses to the left of the target. 76:37 Theo Walcott is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Indirect free kick taken by Joel Ekstrand. 74:40 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Diego Fabbrini by Tomas Rosicky. 74:34 Piccoli Neuton takes the direct free kick. 74:34 Booking Booking for Carl Jenkinson. 73:37 Bacary Sagna restarts play with the free kick. 73:37 Booking Mehdi Benatia is given a yellow card. 73:36 Booking Theo Walcott booked for unsporting behaviour. 73:15 Theo Walcott fouled by Mehdi Benatia, the ref awards a free kick. 69:21 Booking Bacary Sagna is shown a yellow card. 68:50 Assist on the goal came from Bacary Sagna. 68:50 GOAL - Theo Walcott:Udinese 1 - 2 Arsenal Theo Walcott grabs a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Udinese 1 (1)-(3) 2 Arsenal. 67:32 Yao Gervinho takes a shot. Save by Samir Handanovic. 67:00 Foul by Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu on Bacary Sagna, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Bacary Sagna. 65:47 Unfair challenge on Aaron Ramsey by Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu results in a free kick. Aaron Ramsey takes the free kick. 63:10 Corner taken by Theo Walcott from the left by-line, clearance by Larangera Danilo. 62:30 Substitution Giampiero Pinzi leaves the field to be replaced by Diego Fabbrini. 60:18 Foul by Giampiero Pinzi on Alex Song, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Alex Song. 59:23 Outswinging corner taken by Antonio Di Natale, Larangera Danilo takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. 58:41 Power penalty taken by Antonio Di Natale saved by Wojciech Szczesny. Udinese 1 (1)-(2) 1 Arsenal. 58:05 Thomas Vermaelen is penalised for handball and concedes a . 57:56 Booking The referee cautions Thomas Vermaelen for unsporting behaviour. 56:54 Inswinging corner taken by Antonio Di Natale from the right by-line, Tomas Rosicky makes a clearance. 56:06 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu takes a long range shot harmlessly clearing the crossbar. 54:20 The assist for the goal came from Yao Gervinho. 54:20 GOAL - Robin van Persie:Udinese 1 - 1 Arsenal Goal scored by Robin van Persie from close range low into the middle of the goal. Udinese 1 (1)-(2) 1 Arsenal. 54:10 Tomas Rosicky takes a shot. Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu gets a block in. 52:49 Theo Walcott takes a shot. Save by Samir Handanovic. 51:30 Booking Booking for Mauricio Isla. 49:56 Carl Jenkinson fouled by Pablo Armero, the ref awards a free kick. Robin van Persie delivers the ball from the free kick left-footed from right wing, Larangera Danilo fouled by Johan Djourou, the ref awards a free kick. Samir Handanovic takes the free kick. 47:59 Alex Song concedes a free kick for a foul on Giampiero Pinzi. Mauricio Isla restarts play with the free kick. 45:01 The referee starts the second half. 45:01 Substitution Tomas Rosicky comes on in place of Emmanuel Frimpong. Half Time 45:00+1:14 The ref blows to signal half-time. 45:00+1:03 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Giampiero Pinzi by Yao Gervinho. Giampiero Pinzi takes the direct free kick. 44:29 Corner taken by Robin van Persie, Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by Alex Song misses to the left of the goal. 42:58 Shot from just outside the box by Pablo Armero goes over the target. 38:33 Assist on the goal came from Giampiero Pinzi. 38:33 GOAL - Antonio Di Natale:Udinese 1 - 0 Arsenal Antonio Di Natale finds the net with a headed goal from inside the area. Udinese 1 (1)-(1) 0 Arsenal. 35:32 Corner taken right-footed by Antonio Di Natale, Thomas Vermaelen makes a clearance. 32:41 Antonio Di Natale takes a shot. Wojciech Szczesny makes a save. 32:25 Giampiero Pinzi takes a shot. Blocked by Thomas Vermaelen. 32:01 Robin van Persie takes a shot. Larangera Danilo gets a block in. 31:51 Theo Walcott takes a shot. Save by Samir Handanovic. 30:48 The offside flag is raised against Antonio Di Natale. Direct free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. 30:24 Larangera Danilo restarts play with the free kick. 29:07 Robin van Persie has an effort at goal from just inside the box that misses to the right of the target. 28:54 Robin van Persie handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Kwadwo Asamoah takes the free kick. 28:30 Free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. 27:47 Foul by Robin van Persie on Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, free kick awarded. Larangera Danilo takes the direct free kick. 25:24 Unfair challenge on Kwadwo Asamoah by Emmanuel Frimpong results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Kwadwo Asamoah. 24:38 Free kick awarded for a foul by Larangera Danilo on Robin van Persie. Johan Djourou takes the direct free kick. 22:29 Unfair challenge on Pablo Armero by Alex Song results in a free kick. The free kick is swung in right-footed by Antonio Di Natale, clearance by Johan Djourou. 22:12 Antonio Di Natale takes a shot from close in that hits the post. 20:59 Alex Song takes a long range shot harmlessly clearing the crossbar. 20:21 Antonio Di Natale takes a shot. Save by Wojciech Szczesny. 18:56 Mehdi Benatia is adjudged to have handled the ball. Free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. 18:03 Carl Jenkinson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Pablo Armero. Antonio Di Natale crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from left wing, Wojciech Szczesny makes a save. 17:37 The official flags Theo Walcott offside. Samir Handanovic takes the direct free kick. 16:39 The offside flag is raised against Kwadwo Asamoah. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick. 14:13 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Thomas Vermaelen by Antonio Di Natale. Direct free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. 10:29 Larangera Danilo concedes a free kick for a foul on Robin van Persie. Free kick taken by Robin van Persie. 9:07 Yao Gervinho takes a shot. Save made by Samir Handanovic. 8:41 The referee blows for offside against Antonio Di Natale. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick. 6:35 Corner taken right-footed by Theo Walcott from the left by-line to the near post, Pablo Armero manages to make a clearance. 6:17 Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Blocked by Larangera Danilo. 4:33 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. 3:17 Theo Walcott is caught offside. Indirect free kick taken by Samir Handanovic. 1:41 Theo Walcott takes a shot. Save by Samir Handanovic. 0:00 The referee gets the game underway. Live text and data provided by The Press Association.

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Fenerbahce withdrawn from Europe

The Champions League draw takes place on Thursday (1645 BST) Turkey's Football Federation has withdrawn national champions Fenerbahce from the Champions League because of an ongoing match-fixing investigation.

On Thursday the Turkish side were due to join 32 elite European clubs in the draw for the Champions League group stage being held in Monaco at 1645 BST.

Uefa has announced league runners-up Trabzonspor will take their place.

Trabzonspor had already been eliminated from this season's Champions League in the qualifying rounds.

The decision means that their scheduled Europa League qualifier against Athletic Bilbao on Friday has been cancelled, with the Spanish club progressing automatically.

The Fenerbahce decision was taken after the Turkish Football Federation held an extraordinary board meeting on Wednesday attended by Uefa's legal counsel for integrity, Pierre Cornu.

Continue reading the main story

The Turkish Football Federation has shown with this decision that it takes its full responsibility in the fight against corruption.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino

According to a statement on the TFF website, Uefa wrote to the federation on Tuesday to demand Fenerbahce's withdrawal, threatening wider disciplinary action should they fail to do so.

The letter was forwarded to Fenerbahce, who declined to withdraw, TFF said.

"In the face of this development, on 24 August an extraordinary meeting of the board of directors was held to discuss the threat of the Turkish Football Federation being exposed to severe disciplinary sanctions if Fenerbahce took part in the Uefa Champions League this season, and it was decided to bar them from participating," the statement said.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino added: "The panel considered that the Turkish Football Federation took the right decision to protect the game, fully in line with our zero-tolerance policy against match-fixing.

"The Turkish Football Federation has shown with this decision that it takes its full responsibility in the fight against corruption."

Fenerbahce were crowned league champions last term, pipping Trabzonspor to the Super Lig title with a dramatic 4-3 win at Sivasspor on the final day.

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Russian space freighter lost

24 August 2011 Last updated at 16:07 GMT By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News The Progress resupply vehicle is an unmanned ship used to resupply the ISS An unmanned freighter launched to the International Space Station (ISS) has been lost.

The Russian space agency said the Progress M-12M cargo ship was not placed in the correct orbit by its rocket and fell back to Earth.

The vessel was carrying three tonnes of supplies for the ISS astronauts.

With the retirement of the US space shuttle, there is now a critical reliance on robotic freighters to keep the station supplied.

But with ample stores currently onboard, the more pressing concern will be the status of the Progress freighter's launch vehicle - the Soyuz-U.

This is very similar to the Soyuz-FG rocket that is used to lift manned capsules to the station.

Until the cause of Wednesday's failure is firmly established, it is unlikely the next astronaut flight to the ISS, due on 22 September, will be allowed to proceed.

In that case, the crew already on the station and preparing to come home would be asked to stay up longer.

"The anomaly has only just occurred; there's quite a bit of work to do to sort through where we're at," said Mike Suffredini, the US space agency's (Nasa) ISS manager. "If things work out and it looks like the Soyuz will be able to fly then we'll let the crew on orbit stay until we do a normal rotation."

Broken windows

The Progress mission was the 44th such cargo delivery flight to the space station.

It lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 13:00 GMT (17:00 Moscow time).

It appears the Soyuz rocket's third and final propulsion stage shut down early. As a result, the Russian federal space agency (Roskosmos) said, the Progress vessel "was not placed in the correct orbit".

The failure occurred some 320 seconds into the flight. Telemetry from both the rocket and the freighter were lost.

It was the first big Progress anomaly in the history of the ISS programme.

Officials reported the ship coming down in Russia's Altai province, some 1,500km northeast of the launch site. A loud explosion was heard in the region and there were reports of windows being blown out, but it is not thought there were any injuries on the ground as a result of wreckage coming out of the sky.

The space station is currently manned by the Expedition 28 crew. This is commanded by Russian Andrey Borisenko. His flight engineers are Satoshi Furukawa (Japan), Mike Fossum (US), Ron Garan (US), Alexander Samokutyaev (Russia), and Sergei Volkov (Russia).

They were informed of the situation by mission control in Moscow shortly after the failure.

Toilet parts

The astronauts have plenty of supplies onboard. Last month's shuttle flight delivered sufficient food stores to maintain an ISS crew for a year. Further re-supply flights are planned by Japan and Europe using their robotic freighters early next year. Ordinarily, these would be preceded by two Progress missions. But if they cannot fly, the situation would still be manageable, said Mr Suffredini.

"We're in a good position logistically to withstand this loss," he told reporters.

"I can tell you we can go several months without re-supply if that becomes necessary."

If Soyuz operations are suspended for a long period, however, it will become necessary at some point - probably in October - to start reducing the size of the crew on the ISS.

There are a number of factors that might prompt the ISS partners to lower the complement. One would be the desire to slow the use of those consumables, such as toilet parts, that are depleted more rapidly and therefore need more regular replenishment. Another would be the safety restrictions that compel homecoming astronauts to use their return capsules by a specified date.

One more would be medical protocols that restrict the time astronauts are allowed to stay on the station to limit their exposure to harmful doses of space radiation.

This is the second Russian rocket failure in a week. On 18 August, a Proton vehicle put a telecommunications satellite in the wrong orbit.

Another Proton failure in December resulted in top Russian space agency officials losing their jobs.

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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Kim Jong-il in rare Russia talks

24 August 2011 Last updated at 10:59 GMT The BBC's Leonid Ragozin says the visit to Russia is very rare

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il has held rare talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Pyongyang's nuclear programme and economic co-operation.

Mr Kim said his country was ready to discuss ending nuclear tests if six-party talks on denuclearisation resumed, Russian media reported.

The pair also discussed plans for a pipeline that would pass through the North's territory to South Korea.

There has been no official comment so far from North Korea.

The Russian gas company, Gazprom, has reportedly been working for years on the deal for the pipeline, which would stretch more than 1,700km (1,000 miles).

South Korean media reports that the deal could be worth up to $100m (£60m) annually in transit handling fees for the impoverished North.

But the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul says it would also give Pyongyang de facto control over a key energy supply to the South, and without a major step forward in relations on the peninsula, that is likely to make some in Seoul very nervous.

Key ally

The meeting between the two leaders took place at a military base, near Siberia's eastern mountains, some 5,550km (3,450 miles) east of Moscow.

It is Mr Kim's first visit to Russia since 2002.

Photographs showed the two leaders sitting together looking jovial and relaxed; Mr Kim smiling openly in his trademark beige suit, and Mr Medvedev leaning in to him with a smile.

A spokesman for the Russian president described the talks as "frank and substantial".

"Kim Jong-il expressed readiness to return to six-party talks without preconditions," said Mr Medvedev's spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova.

"In the course of the talks the North Koreans will be ready to resolve the issue of imposing a moratorium on testing and production of missile and nuclear weaponry."

The meeting in Russia follows weeks of new discussions between North Korea's nuclear envoy and his South Korean and US counterparts over how to return to formal negotiations on the North's nuclear programme.

In 2009, Pyongyang walked out of six-party talks with South Korea, the US, Japan, China and Russia, and conducted its second nuclear test soon after.

The meeting was also a chance to discuss economic ties between North Korea and its eastern neighbour.

North Korea has been increasingly vocal about its need for aid and investment to prop up its ailing economy.

With speculation that Mr Kim returned disappointed from his recent trips to China, analysts are wondering whether the reclusive leader is looking to his other key ally for help, our correspondent says.

On the eve of Mr Kim's visit, Moscow announced it was providing 50,000 tons of wheat to Pyongyang.

Mr Kim arrived in his armoured train in the border town of Khasan in the Russian Far East on Saturday.

The itinerary for his visit, which is expected to last about a week, has largely been kept secret because of Mr Kim's concerns for his personal safety.

During his first few days in Russia, Mr Kim is reported to have visited a dam north of Vladivostock, taken a swim in the waters of Lake Baikal, and toured a Soviet-era aviation plant.

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Faces of the Fringe

24 August 2011 Last updated at 11:08 GMT

Photos from around the world on 24 August

Capture of Gaddafi's compound

Magnitude-5.9 on the US east coast

Photos from around the world on 23 August

Indian anti-graft activist fast

Fighting continues around Gaddafi's compound

Photos from around the world on 22 August

Rebel forces move into the Libyan capital

Photos from around the world: 13-19 August

Photos from around the world on 19 August

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Graduates' pay premium declines

24 August 2011 Last updated at 12:20 GMT A growing number of young people have been attending university Employees with a degree earned 85% more last year than those educated to around GCSE level but the gap has narrowed, statistics show.

The margin stood at 95% in 1993 when there were fewer graduates, the figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

And one in five graduates at the end of 2010 earned less than the average for those educated to A-level standard.

There has been a fall in the proportion of workers with no qualifications.

In 1993, some 25% of those aged between 22 and 64 had no formal qualifications, compared with 11% in 2010.

The ONS said this change was down to the number of people aged over 50 in 1993 who had not stayed on to sit exams when they were at school. By 2010, most of these people had retired.

Over the same period, the proportion of people in the 22 to 64 age bracket with a degree rose from 12% to 25%.

Pay levels

The ONS statistics show that the pay difference had also narrowed when comparing those who completed higher education short of degree level with those with GCSEs or their equivalent.

Continue reading the main story No qualifications: £6.93Less than C grade GCSEs: £8.07GCSE or equivalent: £8.68A-levels or equivalent: £10Higher education qualifications: £12.60Degree: £16.10

Source: ONS. Figures for final quarter of 2010.

Those with a higher education award earned 45% more than their less qualified counterparts in 2010, down from 54% in 1993.

Those with A-levels or equivalents earned 15% more than those with GCSEs in 2010, down from 18% in 1993.

In the final three months of 2010, the median average hourly pay for employees educated up to GCSE level was £8.68.

This rose for those with A-levels to £10 an hour, for those with higher education qualifications it was £12.60, and for those with a minimum of a degree, median pay stood at £16.10 an hour.

Those with no qualifications earned about £6.93 an hour and, for those with qualifications below C grade at GCSE, the median stood at £8.07.

Reacting to the figures, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The recession has hit graduate opportunities badly, the misuse of unpaid graduate interns has become widespread, and the living standards of even those with good qualifications has been squeezed as a small number of super-rich have taken an unfair share of the gains of growth.

"It would be a big mistake to conclude that the UK is producing too many graduates.

"Any sound economic future for our country in a globalised world will require a highly-educated and highly-trained workforce, working to their full capacity, rather than forced into jobs that do not require graduate skills."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Business said: "A degree remains a good investment in your future. Our studies show that graduates earn, on average, around £100,000 more across their working lives, as well as other benefits such as greater rates of employment and improved health status."

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents the institutions, said: "UK graduates are still in a better position to succeed and remain highly valued by employers, here and overseas."

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Steve Jobs quits as Apple chief

25 August 2011 Last updated at 03:21 GMT Mr Jobs had been on his third medical leave since announcing his cancer diagnosis seven years ago Apple founder Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive of the technology giant and will be replaced by its chief operating officer Tim Cook.

Mr Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant following pancreatic cancer, said he could no longer meet his chief executive's duties and expectations.

The Silicon Valley legend will become chairman of the firm.

The 56-year-old has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since 17 January.

In a short letter to the board of Apple, Mr Jobs wrote: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive, I would be the first to let you know.

"Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as chief executive of Apple.

"I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

"I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you."

Apple board member Art Levinson paid tribute to Mr Job's contribution to the company: "Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company."

'Hugely successful' Continue reading the main story

This is a sad day for Apple and for the whole technology industry, as its most charismatic and successful leader of recent years brings down the curtain on an extraordinary career.

Steve Jobs addressed his brief letter of resignation not just to his company's board but to the Apple community - and millions worldwide will feel he was talking to them.

Forceful bosses whose personalities shape everything about their businesses are going out of fashion these days, for good reason many would say.

But Steve Jobs is a rare example of a chief executive who is synonymous with his company, a perfectionist who obsesses over every detail and has been the public face of just about every major product launch in the past decade.

It's difficult to imagine Apple without him - but he's leaving having revived what was an ailing business when he returned in the late 1990s, and turned it into the world's wealthiest company and one which has done more than any other in recent years to shape consumer technology.

Analysts said the move was not unexpected, and would have little impact on the day-to-day running of the company.

"Steve is [still] going to be able to provide the input he would do as a chief executive," said Colin Gillis at BGC Financial.

"But Tim has been de facto chief executive for some time and the company has been hugely successful. The vision and the roadmap is intact."

Nor will customers see any real difference, analysts said.

"At the end of the day, consumers don't buy products from Apple because they're from Steve Jobs, they buy them because they meet their needs and they're good products, and they'll continue to do that," Michael Gartenberg from Gartner told the BBC.

However, Apple shares slid more than 5% in after-hours trading, suggesting that some investors were less confident of the company's prospects without Mr Jobs at the helm.

At the same time, shares in two of Apple's main Asian rivals gained. Taiwan-based phone maker HTC rose 4.1%, while South Korea's Samsung Electronics gained 3.2%.

The firms compete with Apple in the smartphone and tablet-PC sector, and have been involved in legal battles with Apple over patent rights. Analysts said that Mr Jobs' departure may make life easier for rivals.

"Maybe this will make the playing field a bit more level," Bryan Ma of IDC Asia-Pacific told the BBC's Asia Business Report.

Revolutionary products

Mr Jobs is widely seen as the creative force that has driven Apple to become one of the world's biggest companies.

Thanks to innovative and hugely popular products such as the iPod, the iPhone and more recently the iPad, Apple has become one of the most sought after brands in the world.

Continue reading the main story

In the near term, at least the next two three years, Apple will continue to have a fantastic run because it's got its entire roadmap in place which will continue to work seamlessly”

End Quote Manoj Menon Frost & Sullivan In the three months to the end of June, the company made a profit of $7.3bn on revenues of $28.6bn. It sold more than 20 million iPhones in the period and 9.25 million iPads.

The company recently became the valuable US firm after its market capitalisation overtook that of oil company Exxon Mobil.

Mr Jobs started Apple in the 1970s and its Macintosh computers became hugely popular in the 1980s.

In 1985, Mr Jobs left the company after falling out with colleagues, only to return in 1997 and begin Apple's transformation by launching the colourful iMac computer.

The iPod, which revolutionised the personal music-player market and spawned myriad copycat devices, was launched in 2002 and lay the foundations for the company's success over the past decade.

Next came the iPhone, which similarly revolutionised the smartphone market, while the iPad confounded some initial scepticism to prove hugely popular.

Many versions of these products have been launched while Mr Jobs has been on medical leave, and new versions that have been planned for months will not be affected by his departure, analysts said.

"In the near term, at least the next two three years, Apple will continue to have a fantastic run because it's got its entire roadmap in place which will continue to work seamlessly," Manoj Menon at Frost and Sullivan told the BBC.

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Facebook changes privacy options

23 August 2011 Last updated at 18:14 GMT Facebook users will be asked to approve any postings that they are tagged in Facebook has announced a major revamp of how users control their privacy on the site.

Among the changes, items posted online will each have their own sharing settings determining who can see them.

It is the latest in a long line of attempts by Facebook to streamline how members manage their personal information.

In the past, the social network has been criticised for seeming to bury privacy settings in obscure menus.

Postings will have their own unique privacy settings

Now when users are tagged in a posting - such as a photograph or video - they will have the option to confirm or remove their identity before it appears on their profile.

It is hoped the safeguard will eliminate the problem of malicious tagging, which is often used by cyberbullies who add other people's names to unpleasant images.

Other changes include:

In line controls - each item on a user's wall has individual privacy options, such as public, friends and customTag takedown - the ability to remove tags of self, ask the person who tagged you to remove it, or block the taggerUniversal tagging - users can tag anyone, not just Facebook friends. Other person can choose not to accept the tagged post on their profile Location tagging - geographic locations can be added in all versions of Facebook, not just mobile appProfile view - the option to see how others view your profile is added above the news feed

Facebook's vice-president of product, Chris Cox said that the arrival of another privacy refresh did not necessarily mean the old system was confusing.

"I don't think the old controls were bad. I just think the new ones are much better," he told BBC News.

"The goal is just to make [the settings] more inline and more immediate, just right there in the profile."

Users can ask for tags of them to be removed or have the content deleted completely

Mr Cox also played down suggestions that Facebook might be improving its privacy controls as it prepares to extend access to children under 13 - something its founder Mark Zuckerberg has said he would like to see.

"This change is really just about the people that are on Facebook today and the new users who just joined today and making it easier for them.

"This really is not in any way about the under-13 experience," said Mr Cox.

He promised there would not be any unexpected changes to users' privacy settings during the changeover process.

Existing users will retain their current default sharing settings.

The first time new Facebook members share a piece of content, their default suggestion will be public - which replaces the "everyone" setting. If users select another option, that will become their default in future.

The new privacy options will begin to be rolled out across the site from Thursday 25 August.

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Rise in number of 'Neet' youths

24 August 2011 Last updated at 13:48 GMT Youth unemployment also rose in the second quarter of this year The proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds in England not in employment, education or training (Neet) has risen to 18.4%, official figures suggest.

The figure from the Department for Education is the highest for the second quarter since 2006, and is up from 16.3% last year.

Nearly a million (979,000) 16 to 24-year-olds were Neet between April and June this year, the figures show.

The government said it was boosting apprenticeships and 16 to 18 education.

Neets figures fluctuate during the academic year, peaking in the third quarter as school, college and university courses end.

But this year's 18 to 24 figures are the highest for the second quarter since comparable data was first published in 2006; the previous was 17.6% in 2008.

The figure is even higher for 19 to 24-year-olds, with 19.1% considered Neet.

The data is published for England only by the Department for Education, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey.

The proportion of young people in England aged 16 to 18 who are considered Neet has continued to fall, however, amid a government drive to encourage more young people to stay on in education or training.

'Brutal impact'

It dropped to 9.8% in the quarter to June, down from 10.2% at the same point in 2010, and 11.9% the previous year.

The figures come as record numbers - an estimated 220,000 - are expected to fail to get UK university places.

And last week, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that youth unemployment in the UK - the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds not in work - had also risen, from 20% to 20.2% in the quarter to June.

The Prince's Trust youth charity said it was "deeply concerned" that the Neets figures were rising again.

"We know that unemployment can have a brutal impact on young people, with thousands suffering from mental health problems, feelings of self-loathing and panic attacks," a spokesman said.

A government spokesman said the number of young people not in education, employment or training "has been too high for too long".

Adult apprenticeships

The fall in the number of 16 to 18-year-old Neets was an encouraging sign, and the government would set out a strategy for post-16 participation in education later this year, the spokesman said.

The government will have supported 250,000 more adult apprenticeship places than under Labour's plans and has launched a Work Programme offering personalised support and training to help unemployed young people, the spokesman added.

However, shadow education secretary Andy Burnham said the figures showed the government was "being far too complacent" and risked "leaving the next generation behind".

"By scrapping Labour's guarantee of an apprenticeship place for young people who want one, scrapping the Education Maintenance Allowance [grant for low-income 16-19 year-old students] and cutting careers services, this government is making it harder for young people to get on," he said.

"For the first time there is a risk that the next generation will do worse than the last," he added.

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Police 'could have stopped riots'

24 August 2011 Last updated at 23:55 GMT By Wesley Stephenson The Report, BBC Radio 4 Haringey Borough Commander Sandra Looby denies mishandling the situation in Tottenham Better preparation by senior police in Tottenham could have stopped the riots which erupted there and were copied across England, the BBC has been told.

A former senior policeman has criticised a "disgraceful" absence of leadership and strategy.

Community leaders say they warned local police about the risk of violence at a meeting, hours before it began.

The Metropolitan Police admits officers were "overwhelmed", but insists the threat they faced was unparalleled.

The violence in Tottenham was sparked by the death of local man Mark Duggan, who was shot by police on Thursday 4 August. His death is under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

His friends and family, angered by a lack of information from the police, marched to Tottenham police station on the afternoon of Saturday 6 August.

They remained outside for several hours, and frustration grew when no senior officer spoke to them. Violence erupted later that night, when a police car was set on fire, and shops were attacked and looted.

David Gilbertson is a retired Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police who served as a senior officer in Haringey Borough, which includes Tottenham.

Having spoken to the police who were on the ground that day, he is very critical of the behaviour of their senior officers.

Amateur footage shows clashes between police and protesters near the police station in Tottenham

"There was a disgraceful absence of visible leadership, and that should be shaming for the Metropolitan Police," he told BBC Radio 4's The Report programme.

"With rank comes responsibility, and part of the responsibility is visible command. And secondly, there didn't appear to be a strategy [to deal with the demonstrators].

"It's blindingly obvious to say that you push them away from target-rich environments; a shopping area, a retail park, all of the places that were trashed by the rioters."

Local community leaders also insist the police should have been better prepared.

'Spontaneous criminality'

Ken Hinds is a local gang mediator, and family friend of Mark Duggan's girlfriend Simone Wilson. He attended a meeting with the police at lunchtime on Saturday 6 August and says he warned them explicitly about the risk.

Continue reading the main story

"The scale and the speed of the violence, the way that car was lit, the way officers were identified very quickly, meant that life became the priority”

End Quote Steve Kavanagh Deputy Assistant Commissioner "I told them the word on the street was that Mark was executed by the police, and the family was very upset.

"I also went on to say that if it wasn't handled sensitively, that we could possibly have another riot, another 1985."

That year saw riots around the Broadwater Farm area of Tottenham, after the death of Cynthia Jarrett, an African-Caribbean woman who died from a stroke during a police search of her home. The riots also claimed the life of PC Keith Blakelock.

Stafford Scott also took part in the protest outside the police station, and says he is astonished that senior officers did not make themselves visible.

He is especially critical of Haringey Borough Commander Sandra Looby who went on pre-planned leave on the Friday evening: "This is Tottenham. They [should] know that the following Saturday, we're taking to the streets and we're coming to the police station to demand answers. That's what we've done historically.

"So how the borough commander decided to get on a plane on Friday and leave Tottenham, I do not understand. It beggars belief."

But in her first broadcast interview, Sandra Looby told The Report that that the police received no specific warnings: "We were aware there may be a family or others wishing to come to the police station for a vigil.

"At no point did we receive information that this was going to turn into the spontaneous criminality that subsequently happened."

She rejects the criticism that her decision to go away on pre-arranged leave left the borough under-resourced, pointing out that she handed over control to an officer with a higher rank precisely because of the sensitivity of the situation.

"There was a comprehensive plan put in place for the management of the borough, and I honesty believed [that] actually the shooting was going to be a really long-term issue to manage.

"I provided my strategic plan to an officer more senior to me... and I handed over command to that senior officer at 7pm on the Friday."

'Misconception'

She also rebuts the complaint that senior officers should have been out talking to the crowd outside the police station:

"I think once the family arrived at the police station - and they were there a long time - members of my staff tried to engage with the family through community leaders that were outside that police station.

"Obviously we have been unable to directly speak to the family through the IPCC arrangements, and that is very frustrating both for the officers that were there and I'm sure very frustrating for the family."

But Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, contradicts this interpretation of the rules: "There is some misconception about what happens when the IPCC is involved in an investigation.

"We do have in fact a very clear protocol in place to make it clear that the police are not gagged when the IPCC is involved in an investigation."

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Kavanagh from the Met acknowledges that mistakes were made on the day.

However, he argues the police wanted to avoid being accused of a disproportionately strong response to what began as a peaceful protest.

He backs Sandra Looby's insistence that they could not have prevented what happened: "We didn't have enough numbers there to protect the whole of Tottenham, and yes they became overwhelmed - we've admitted that.

"We've spoken to the chief inspector and the other officers, they have never witnessed such appalling levels of violence directed at them and their community.

"The scale and the speed of the violence, the way that car was lit, the way officers were identified very quickly, meant that life became the priority."

But former policeman David Gilbertson remains convinced that weak policing on that Saturday night led directly to the events across the country: "If you are the person who is in charge of a police operation and you're not being assertive, the message that you're sending is 'well, come along' you might just get away with it, because the police are not going to be assertive. This is a failure of leadership."

The Report is on BBC Radio 4 on on Thursday 25 August at 20:00 BST. Listen via the BBC iPlayer or download the programme podcast.

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New blood pressure checks at home

24 August 2011 Last updated at 07:01 GMT By Helen Briggs Health editor, BBC News website Patient Sheila Milson tries out the blood pressure recording device. Prof Mark Caulfield, from Queen Mary University of London, explains how works.

Patients thought to have high blood pressure should have the diagnosis confirmed at home, according to new guidelines.

Patients in England and Wales will be offered extra checks using a mobile device that records blood pressure over 24 hours, says the watchdog NICE.

A quarter of patients may find visiting a GP stressful, leading to misdiagnosis and being given drugs they do not need.

The move could save the NHS £10.5m a year, predictions suggest.

High blood pressure (blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or more) affects about a quarter of all adults in the UK. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease or stroke and costs the NHS about £1bn a year in drugs alone.

Currently, most patients found to have high blood pressure for the first time are given a formal diagnosis if their blood pressure is raised at two subsequent visits to the doctor.

They may then be prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure.

Day and night

Research suggests, however, that about a quarter of patients actually have "white coat" hypertension - where blood pressure is raised temporarily due to stress.

Continue reading the main story

This new guidance will refine the way we test and treat people for hypertension, particularly by helping to identify people suffering from 'white coat' hypertension”

End Quote Cathy Ross Senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation Now, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has advised doctors in England and Wales to move towards "ambulatory" monitoring of patients at home, using a device that automatically takes blood pressure readings every 30 minutes day and night.

Around one in 10 GPs are already offering ambulatory monitoring, either directly or by referring patients to a hospital specialist.

The new guidelines were issued at the same time as the publication of a research study in The Lancet.

One of the authors of the paper, Professor Richard McManus of the University of Birmingham, said: "This research shows that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at the time of diagnosis of high blood pressure would allow better targeting of treatment and is cost-saving.

"Ambulatory monitoring is already available in some general practices and we have shown that its widespread use would be better for both patients and the clinicians looking after them.

"Treatment with blood pressure lowering medication is usually lifelong and so it is worth getting the decision to start right in the first place."

It is expected to take about a year to implement the advice at a net cost of about £2.5m. However, in the long-term the costs will be recouped, say experts, eventually saving about £10.5m a year.

'More accurate'

Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the number of people with high blood pressure in the UK was "staggering".

"Some 12 million people are diagnosed with the condition and it is estimated another 5.7 million people have it but are unaware. It's a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes so it's crucial we do all we can to get people diagnosed and properly treated as soon as possible.

"This new guidance will refine the way we test and treat people for hypertension, particularly by helping to identify people suffering from 'white coat hypertension'.

"It doesn't mean that current methods aren't working, only that they can be improved further. Anyone currently concerned about their blood pressure or treatment should speak to their GP or practice nurse."

Professor Bryan Williams from the University of Leicester, chairman of NICE's Guideline Development Group, told the BBC there would be an "upfront cost" of introducing the ambulatory equipment.

But he added: "When you offset that against the reduced treatment costs of people who don't require treatment, and the reduced number of visits to doctors, we estimate that the NHS within about four or five years will save £10m.

"So it's a win-win situation for patients because it's a better way of making a diagnosis and the NHS actually saves money."

British Hypertension Society president Professor Mark Caulfield said the move was supported by research.

He said: "We've recommended that if high readings are found in the practice, that a 24-hour blood pressure monitor is worn because we found that the evidence now makes it very clear to us that this is a much more precise way of diagnosing high blood pressure."

In response to the new guidelines, Health Minister Anne Milton said: "These guidelines show that the use of innovations such as ambulatory monitors can provide more accurate blood pressure readings for patients as they go about their daily lives.

"This is not only better for patients, but also a better use of NHS resources."

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Smartphones 'could be powered by walking'

24 August 2011 Last updated at 13:10 GMT By Katia Moskvitch Technology reporter, BBC News As we walk, we waste energy that could be harvested Taking a stroll may soon be enough to re-charge your mobile phone, after US researchers developed a way to generate electricity from human motion.

Placed in a shoe, the device captures the energy of moving micro droplets and converts it into electrical current.

Kinetic charging is already used in some low power devices such as watches and sensors.

The University of Wisconsin team published its study in the journal Nature Communications.

"Humans, generally speaking, are very powerful energy-producing machines," said Professor Tom Krupenkin from the university's mechanical engineering department.

"While sprinting, a person can produce as much as a kilowatt of power."

That, according to the scientists, is more than enough to power a standard mobile phone.

Although similar methods exist for low power electronics, up until now there was no practical mechanical to electrical conversion technology that could provide such high levels of output, Prof Krupenkin explained.

"What's been missing is the power in the watts range," Dr Ashley Taylor, a colleague of Prof Krupenkin.

"That's the power range needed for portable electronics."

On a larger scale, power-generating mats have been installed under the floors at two Tokyo train stations to capture the vibrations of the thousands of commuters.

The recovered energy is used to power a number of appliances, including the stations' automatic doors.

Using droplets The device uses microscopic droplets able to conduct electrical current

The new personal mechanism uses a principle known as "reverse electrowetting" - converting the energy of moving microscopic liquid droplets into an electrical current.

Once placed in a shoe, the device - which consists of thousands of these electrically conductive droplets - is able to generate electrical energy.

There is enough power, according to the researchers, to charge a standard mobile phone or laptop.

Getting the energy from the handset to the device presents another challenge.

One way is to plug a USB cable into the shoe - probably not the most practical option.

A more sophisticated solution suggested by the University of Wisconsin team is to have the electricity-generating device connected to a shoe-bound wireless transmitter. This would take care of the power hungry part of a mobile phone's job - making radio contact with remote base stations.

Signals could be passed between the unit and the user's handset by more efficient short-range systems such as bluetooth or wifi.

The two scientists now aim to commercialise their technology at the company they have recently founded - InStep NanoPower.

Dr Patrick Joseph-Franks from the National Physical Laboratory who has also researched ways to harness energy that is otherwise wasted called the research a step in the right direction.

"When you want to charge something like a mobile phone, you want to be generating the energy locally, and the fact that you're walking around is probably the most obvious means of getting that," he said.

"Whether it's better than [carrying] some efficient solar cell on you somewhere, I don't know."

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Audit shows 'worst-case scenario'

24 August 2011 Last updated at 23:18 GMT The health service is among sectors at risk from cuts Scotland's finances face a "worst-case scenario" and public bodies may struggle to manage budgets, an official report has said.

Audit Scotland concluded that Scotland's public bodies need to make significant savings this year.

Government policies such as free personal care, concessionary travel and free education could be put at risk.

The report found the scale of necessary reductions was in line with previously forecast worst-case scenarios.

Two years ago, Audit Scotland highlighted analysis by the Centre for Public Policy for Regions (CPPR) looking at three possible budget scenarios, ranging from a 5% real-term reduction at best, to an 11% reduction at worst.

The new report states: "It is now clear that the scale of the budget reductions facing Scotland over the next few years is close to the CPPR's worst case scenario."

Public bodies are facing increasing pressures and demands, such as Scotland's ageing population, the effects of the recent recession and the public sector's maintenance backlog.

Meanwhile, budgets will continue to drop. The planned 2014/15 budget of £25.9bn will be 11%, or £3.3bn, smaller than in 2010/11.

Pay restraint and reducing workforces are the most common approaches being taken by public bodies to reduce costs over the next few years.

Policies challenged

Robert Black, Auditor General for Scotland, said: "The public sector needs to reduce costs but there is also an opportunity to reform the way public services are delivered.

"Public bodies should overhaul the way they plan by looking at long-term sustainability, setting clear priorities and intended outcomes, and then setting their budgets based on these."

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It would be naive to expect that this will not have an impact on patient care and access to healthcare services”

End Quote Dr Brian Keighley BMA Scotland chairman The report poses a challenge to several key Scottish government policies such as free personal care, concessionary travel, free education and no compulsory redundancies.

"The likelihood is that, unless changes are made to areas such as eligibility criteria, demand for these services will increase the costs," it stated.

The report also suggested that budget pressures created by demand for free student tuition could be controlled without a change in policy, such as the introduction of fees, by limiting the number of spaces in colleges and universities.

Public sector pay costs will continue to rise - despite the public-sector pay freeze - unless staff numbers are reduced, according to the report.

The report also suggested that some so-called "efficiency savings" already carried out have actually been service cuts.

It suggested that further efficiency savings may not be possible without wholesale reform.

While the Scottish Government has imposed a no-compulsory redundancy policy in central government and the NHS, and is trying to compel other public bodies and local authorities to do likewise, Audit Scotland suggests that "workforce reductions are likely to be a significant source of savings" in the coming years.

Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the BMA (British Medical Association) in Scotland, said: "It would be naive to expect that this will not have an impact on patient care and access to healthcare services."

'Spineless behaviour'

Labour finance spokesman Richard Baker said: "This sobering report makes it clear that our country faces challenging times and our public services will come under increased pressure."

Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie added: "Failure to address the challenges of an ageing population and the necessity of providing services on a tight budget means that there will be vulnerable people who will suffer because of the SNP's spineless behaviour."

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "This Audit Scotland report is a useful reminder of the extremely challenging period ahead for whole of the public sector in light of Westminster cuts.

"It is imperative that every public body gets maximum value and delivers efficient and effective public services in constrained financial circumstances."

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Widow, 92, relives gunman ordeal

24 August 2011 Last updated at 14:05 GMT Connie Evans was treated in hospital but is still suffering from the injuries.

A 92-year-old widow who was confronted by a gunman at a hairdresser's in Newport has spoken about her ordeal.

Connie Evans was injured at Carol-Ann's salon in Malpas Road, when Darren Williams targeted his estranged wife on Friday.

Mrs Evans, who suffered 13 gunshot wounds, said although she had been frightened, she did not panic.

Another customer was injured by rebounding. The gunman's estranged wife is still in hospital.

Rachel Williams, 37, is being treated at Swansea's Morriston Hospital after being shot in the leg with a double-barrelled shotgun.

Moments after the attack began, two elderly customers with towels around their heads were seen running from the shop and shouting for help.

The incident sparked a major search involving armed police and a helicopter.

Mr Williams, 45, was found dead in Brynglas woods six hours later

Mrs Evans, a great-grandmother, was treated in the Royal Gwent Hospital, but is still suffering from her injuries.

She told BBC Wales what happened.

"This big man came in and I said to myself 'He never wants his hair cut, surely?'

"With that he grabbed Rachel and he said 'I love you Rachel...don't take this".

'So sharp'

The shooting at the salon sparked a six-hour search for the gunman

As the gunman opened fire, Mrs Evans fell to the ground, hitting her head on a table.

Although she was frightened, she said she "wasn't crying and didn't get panicky" during the ordeal.

"I was very brave," she said.

Thirteen gun shot pellets were later removed from Mrs Evans' body.

"It was so sharp," she said. "And then my head started bleeding all over my clothes."

After the shooting, the hair salon was sealed off while a forensic science team began an investigation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is examining the events leading up to Mr Williams' death.

It has emerged Mr Williams was jailed for four months in 2004 after police discovered what was described as an arsenal of weapons at his home in Newport.

It included a stun gun, a .22 pistol, a machete, a hunting knife, canisters of CS gas and bullets.

An inquest is expected to be opened into Mr Williams' death on Thursday.

His family has told BBC Wales: "Darren has suffered for the last few weeks due to the traumatic break-up of his marriage and desperately needed professional medical attention.

"The people who have been hurt, family and friends, as a family we feel that had Darren been given this help and support the situation could have been avoided."

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