Girl 'murdered' by Roman soldiers

28 April 2011 Last updated at 15:17 Wounds suggest the girl was stabbed in the back of the head with a Roman sword The body of a girl thought to have been murdered by Roman soldiers has been discovered in north Kent.

Archaeologists working on the site of a Roman settlement near the A2 uncovered the girl who died almost 2,000 years ago.

"She was killed by a Roman sword stabbing her in the back of the head," said Dr Paul Wilkinson, director of the excavation.

"By the position of the entry wound she would have been kneeling at the time."

The Roman conquest of Britain began in AD43, and the construction of Watling Street started soon afterwards linking Canterbury to St Albans.

A small Roman town was built on the route, near present-day Faversham.

'Dumped' in a shallow grave

Dr Wilkinson is the director of SWAT Archaeology - a company which carries out digs before major building work takes place on sites which may hold historical interest.

He was in charge of a training dig excavating Roman ditches when they made the shocking find.

Dr Wilkinson said that she had been between 16 and 20 years old when she was killed, and her bones suggested that she had been in good health.

He also believes the body had then been dumped in what looked like a hastily dug grave.

"She was lying face down and her body was twisted with one arm underneath her body. One of her feet was even left outside the grave," he said.

The burial site was just outside the Roman town, with cemeteries close by.

Dr Wilkinson said the body was found with some fragments of iron age pottery which would date the grave to about AD50, and suggest that she was part of the indigenous population.

Another indication of her origin, according to Dr Wilkinson, is the orientation of the body.

Romans buried their bodies lying east-west, whereas this body was buried north-south, as was the custom for pagan graves.

'Local populations were killed'

Many people have a romantic view of the Roman invasion, Dr Wilkinson said.

"Now, for the first time, we have an indication of how the Roman armies treated people, and that large numbers of the local populations were killed.

"It shows how all invading armies act the same throughout history. One can only imagine what trauma this poor girl had to suffer before she was killed," he said.

She will be re-buried at the site.

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Russia ups rates as prices rise

29 April 2011 Last updated at 10:46 Food prices have been a big contributor to Russian inflation Russia is to raise its key interest rates for the second time this year as it attempts to control inflation.

The Russian Central Bank will increase the refinancing rate from 8% to 8.25% and the deposit rate from 3% to 3.25% on Tuesday.

Inflation in the year to 25 April stood at 9.6%.

"Everything is directed to battling inflation. That is set as the number one task," said Olga Sterina at Uralsib.

"The central bank decided to take a pre-emptive step. Before there were a lot of concerns about the slowdown in economic growth but... our monetary authorities are not concerned about a slowing economy against the backdrop of high oil prices," she added.

A similar rate rise in February was the first since 2008.

The rouble has risen against the dollar to its highest since December 2008.

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School heads warn of job cuts

28 April 2011 Last updated at 16:32 By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News Head teachers say this could be the best year out of the next four Primary school heads are warning more than 12,000 jobs could be lost from schools during the next year.

Four out of 10 of schools that took part in a survey said they were planning to shed staff.

A similar number said their budgets were falling, in the survey by the National Association of Head Teachers and the Times Educational Supplement.

The government in England says schools will receive an extra £3.6bn over the next four years.

Primary heads represented by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are meeting for their annual conference in Brighton this weekend.

About 1,300 heads and school business managers took part in the survey of the group's 28,000 members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

New jobs

Four in 10 of those said their budgets were falling in the next 12 months, but the same number said their budgets were rising.

The remaining schools - two in 10 - said their funds would stay the same.

The survey suggests 37% of schools will cut staff, say those behind it.

The NAHT has extrapolated the figures from the survey to suggest 17,000 jobs will go and 5,000 will be created, leaving a net loss of 12,000 jobs.

But it says the figures for losses are conservative and that the situation will "get worse" during the next few years.

Cuts would involve teachers and support staff such as teaching assistants and administration staff.

The NAHT's general secretary, Russell Hobby, said: "Heads are working hard to keep their schools in the black and protect their workforce.

"We have not seen the full brunt of cuts yet, particularly as inflation is eroding the budgets."

Mr Hobby said it was clear from the survey there were "winners and losers" - with some school budgets rising while others were falling.

The government is directing more money at disadvantaged pupils through the new "pupil premium" - where money follows children from low-income homes.

But Mr Hobby said this was "compensating for cuts rather than adding new money to the system".

Although the main schools budget was protected in the autumn's Comprehensive Spending Review, ministers said that, with inflation, schools were facing a "flat cash settlement" and some would have less money.

Some schools are also feeling the impact of savings in other areas of spending by the Department for Education - such as money for particular schemes run in schools - and cuts in council spending.

Councils are facing a 27% cut over four years.

'Fairer funding'

A spokesman for the Department for Education said the government was increasing investment in schools by £3.6bn over the next four years, protecting cash levels.

At the same time, it planned to improve the funding system to make it fairer and more transparent.

He said: "We're protecting the schools budget in cash terms per pupil, introducing a pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils, and putting money directly into heads' hands.

"School budgets fluctuate every year as pupil numbers change so it is normal for some schools to get more, and for others to get less. In fact this survey shows that around 40% of schools expect to see an increase in funding.

"With the introduction of the pupil premium, and a new fairer funding system, we will ensure that schools get the money they require to meet the needs of pupils."

Christine Blower, general secretary National Union of Teachers, said: "This is yet another example of how hollow the coalition government's words are about protecting schools' budgets.

"Many schools are already working with very limited resources. These cuts are a further devastating blow to education services and schools."

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Campus radicals 'serious problem'

28 April 2011 Last updated at 18:51 By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News University leaders say there is no evidence to back the claims Campus extremism is a "serious problem" that threatens UK security, a group of MPs and peers has said.

There are "grave concerns" students are being radicalised in British universities, according to a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homeland Security.

The problem should be tackled "with utmost urgency", the group says.

Universities say there is no evidence to support the claims.

The report - the group's first - also says some academics are not co-operating with the security services because they "do not want to spy on their students".

It says: "The problem of universities as places of radicalisation requires urgent and sustained attention by the new government.

"It has been an obvious and neglected problem for too long and must be tackled as a matter of utmost urgency."

'Reluctance'

The report says some universities have struggled "to establish the correct balance between academic freedoms and university authorities' responsibilities as part of ensuring UK homeland security".

It adds: "It was also noted that there was a reluctance to co-operate with the police on the part of some universities that did not want to be seen to be 'spying' on their students."

Concerns about the possibility of young people being drawn in to extremist Islamic groups while at British universities have been heightened by some terrorists attacks.

Last year the Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain needed to do more to "de-radicalise" its universities.

Former London student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is accused of attempting to blow up a plane flying to the United States

Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who blew himself up in Sweden last December, had been a student at university in Luton.

And Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - the alleged "underwear bomber" - is accused of attempting to blow up a plane flying to the United States on Christmas Day in 2009.

He was a former student of University College London (UCL) and closely involved with its Islamic Society.

However, an inquiry by UCL found no evidence that the Nigerian had been radicalised while at university.

Universities UK, which represents university leaders, says they take their responsibilities regarding public safety "very seriously".

Chief executive, Nicola Dandridge, said: "There is no evidence to suggest that universities are 'hotbeds of Islamic extremism'.

"The experts, including police and counter-terrorism experts, state quite firmly that there is not a major problem with radicalisation or extremism in higher education at present.

"The issue is that the people most likely to be vulnerable to radicalisation or extremism are young people, many of whom will either be students or former students. Over 40% of young people in the UK will enter higher education."

Earlier this year, Universities UK released a report saying there was good liaison with the police and security services and two thirds of universities had engaged with a government programme aimed at stopping students supporting terrorism.

The report said universities needed to "remain vigilant" to campus extremism while protecting freedom of speech and included updated guidance for universities.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies accused sections of the media of "maligning" Muslim students.

Spokesman for the group, Qasim Rafiq, said: "Time and again Muslim students are subjected to intense scrutiny and public backlash on the back of sensationalist articles and reports, serving only to damage campus cohesion and whip up anti-Muslim sentiment.

"There is no conclusive evidence of radicalisation on campus."

He added that allegations of extremism should be "investigated maturely, responsibly and with an evidence based approach".

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Mourinho stands by Barca comments

Mourinho was given his marching orders in the second half Jose Mourinho has stood by the comments he made in the wake of Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final first leg defeat by Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

Uefa is investigating the Real coach, who was sent off for protesting against Pepe's red card and suggested Barca are favourably treated by referees.

Thousands of images of Pepe's challenge on Daniel Alves have since appeared.

"Whoever criticises my words criticises the pictures and must think the photos and videos are altered," said Mourinho.

"An image is worth more than 1000 words and there are so many images from that game that were shown all over the world, that I have nothing else to add.

"I have nothing else to say. I have said what I wanted."

Mourinho did however go on to add that the recent events have strengthened his bond with the Spanish side.

The former Chelsea manager joined Real from Inter Milan last summer and still has four years to run on his current contract.

And despite rumours that he may depart in the summer, he stated: "To remain at Real Madrid makes more sense than ever before.

"Now I have more willingness to continue in charge of Real Madrid for what this means.

"This [Real] jersey is white, and white now has more significance."

Real and Barcelona will make formal complaints to Uefa, European football's governing body, about each other's actions during Wednesday's fiery encounter, which Barca won 2-0.

The second leg is due to be played at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, 3 May.

Angry Mourinho questions Barca 'power'

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The great Olympic personal risk bubble

27 April 2011 Last updated at 15:20 By Megan Lane & Frances Cronin BBC News Magazine Entries for the London 2012 Olympics lottery have closed, and it's clear some people have gone for many events to avoid drawing a blank. But if they get everything could they be left with a bill of thousands?

Right. The 100m with Usain Bolt. Click. And the opening ceremony. Click. Tom Daley diving and Victoria Pendleton cycling. Click click.

Lots of people will also be applying for these events, so how about adding, um, the canoe slalom preliminary rounds? Click. The men's shot put - at least I'll be in the stadium. Click. Click click. Click.

With the final bill only defined by the outcome of next month's lottery for oversubscribed events, it's all too easy to get carried away.

And when payment is taken next month, some will be in for a nasty surprise if they've won more than expected. Nor will they know for which events until 24 June, and they won't be able to offload unwanted tickets until the official resale portal opens in early 2012.

The organisers insist that, throughout the process, they have urged the public to only bid what they can afford. But anecdotal accounts suggest many risk overstretching themselves.

One person worried about this is Ruth, who has applied for £22,000 worth of tickets.

"What my husband decided was the chances of getting tickets would be low, so we applied to get our 20 lots, and he got his sister to do it and his dad to do it. So we've applied for all these tickets using up three people's quotas," she told BBC Radio 5 live.

Continue reading the main story

Athletics fan Cameron Duncan, who lives in London, is desperate to see the 100m but has also applied for tennis, gymnastics, diving and boxing.

"I had a rough plan of what I wanted to buy, but I did get carried away. I bought back-ups for each event but they're not really back-ups as you could get them all. I also went for a wider price range than I envisioned.

"I was a bit shocked at the end when I totted up what I'd put myself down for. It was an escalation though - as I went along I kept thinking 'oh it doesn't matter, just go for it' and it built up along the way."

He plans to resell any duplicate tickets he gets, and will get family and friends to take any spares.

"We're a family of four so we've applied for about 240 tickets. We're just really hoping that we won't get them all."

The ticketing system is akin to reverse gambling, says Matt Bath, the technology editor at Which?

"People bet big and hope to win small."

Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee, says most people have been "generally sensible" about their ticket buying. "We have made it clear from the beginning that you should only apply for and budget for the tickets you can afford, and I think that's what people have generally done."

Dinesh Ranasinghe, from London, says he did not get carried away, despite applying for £20,000 worth of tickets.

Organisers want to avoid scenes like this from Beijing

"It was very well planned, I have spread the money across seven credit cards with the majority on two interest free credit cards so I will not have to pay interest. I did know what I was getting into and I have carefully planned my finance around it."

He admits he cannot actually remember how many tickets he has tried for but has applied for sessions more than once to increase the chance of getting tickets as his "worst case scenario" would be to get no tickets for the "dream show".

"I have carefully planned for 'getting all' as we can re-sell tickets via the dedicated Olympics web next year I think I would be able to survive... also, my friends have shown great interest to join me if I win more than required."

Consumer organisations have some concerns.

Continue reading the main story Fans find out what tickets they have by 24 JunePrices range from £20 to £2,012 per eventThe top fee is for the opening ceremony, with up to £725 for the 100m final and £50-£325 for track cycling finalsPeople have been limited to 20 events eachTicket sales could raise £400mThe resale portal opens at start of 2012Unsold tickets will have further ballotsSome high-profile events could have more tickets released as capacities are finalised"I would say that everyone I've spoken to, it's been the morning after the night before. They've all got an Olympic tickets hangover," says Bath. "That's the thing with lotteries, people tend to bet more than they can afford. We're hearing stories of people putting down £2,000, £3,000, even £5,000. If they win them all, I think they're going to be in for a massive shock."

Many say they became caught up in the Olympic spirit. After applying for events they'd particularly like to attend, they worry that they might not get these tickets, and add less popular events.

"But these are less likely to be oversubscribed, and they are more likely to get tickets for those events," says Bath. And it won't be until 2012 that they can start getting rid of them.

It's "mood" spending, says former bank manager Brian Capon, of the British Bankers' Association.

"The excitement, anticipation and desire to be part of one of the greatest international sporting events in the world focuses people's mind on the goal rather than the consequences."

Tickets were sold via a lottery system for the Games in Beijing and Athens too, but with one crucial difference. People were told which events they'd been allocated before having to pay for the tickets.

Continue reading the main story

Peter Day from Camberley knew exactly how much he was willing to spend - £2,500.

"We have decided this is about the same price as a fortnight for four in Spain so it will be our holiday for next year. We're going to the Olympics instead."

"My family and I sat down and worked out which tickets we wanted, decided on a price and worked out the total before submitting our entry."

"We used spreadsheets to decide which tickets to buy and at what price. We have avoided the cheapest tickets so we hope to stand a better chance of getting what we have applied for."

"That's why some events were so poorly attended," says Bath. "The 2012 system has been created to encourage people to opt for as many tickets as possible. By taking the money first - and making the tickets only resaleable through the official portal - people are committing to attend. That's good news for the organising committee."

There has been plenty of advice about the ticket buying process, but there has also been a lot of confusion - not least because the payment-first system is unfamiliar.

"I've had people saying they had no idea they couldn't sell their unwanted tickets," says Bath. "It may be that the Olympic committee has not been as clear as they think they've been. And people get caught up in the enthusiasm."

For those in line for a hefty credit card bill, is there any recourse?

"No. The terms and conditions are all there," says Bath. "The only thing you can do is make sure you've got the overdraft limit or the cash in your account to cover it. That, and hold on to any unwanted tickets and really hope you can find a buyer for them once the resale portal reopens."

In the meantime, he says, that money will apparently be gathering interest in the organisers' account.

But the organisers insist that this is the right way to sell tickets. "We looked at all sorts of different ways to do this," says Deighton. "This was the fairest possible way for giving people a chance to apply for all the tickets they might want to think about it in terms of their budgets and assess their own probabilities of getting them."

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Famed Swiss climber dies in fall

29 April 2011 Last updated at 09:34 Loretan began climbing aged 11 Renowned Swiss climber Erhard Loretan has died in a climbing accident in the Swiss Alps on his 52nd birthday.

Swiss police say Loretan was leading a client up the summit ridge of the Gruenhorn, in the Bernese Alps, on Thursday afternoon when the pair fell.

The climber died at the scene, while his Swiss client was flown to hospital in a serious condition.

Loretan was one of the few people to have reached the summits of all 14 mountain peaks above 8,000m (26,247ft).

But his career was blighted by a family tragedy just before Christmas 2001, when he killed his own infant son by shaking him to death to stop him crying.

The two climbers fell for unknown reasons at a height of 3,800m, up the 4,043-m peak, police from the Swiss canton of Valais said.

It was a fall of 200m, according to Swiss newspaper La Tribune de Geneve.

Manslaughter conviction

Loretan, originally from the canton of Fribourg, began climbing at the age of 11.

He scaled his first 8,000-m peak, Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, in 1982.

Over the next 13 years, he climbed the other 13.

His 1986 ascent of Mount Everest, without bottled oxygen, by night and in just 40 hours, stunned the mountaineering world.

That same year, he climbed 38 Swiss peaks in 19 days, La Tribune de Geneve reports.

He told L'Objectif magazine in 1995 that he had an "extreme fear of death" but his fear kept him crucially alert when climbing.

For the manslaughter of his son of seven months, Loretan was convicted and given a suspended sentence of four months in 2003.

He said he had shaken the child for just a couple of seconds to stop him crying, then put him to bed and the crying had stopped. He later called an ambulance.

The case's notoriety led to new research showing many parents were unaware that infants can die from being shaken for only a few seconds, because of weak neck muscles, the Associated Press news agency recalls.

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Pigs have 'evolved to love mud'

By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News

It is a true picture of contentment, and now a scientist is suggesting that a pig's love of mud is more than just a way to keep cool.

A researcher in the Netherlands has looked at wallowing behaviour in pigs' wild relatives to find out more about what motivates the animals to luxuriate in sludge.

His conclusions suggest that wallowing is vital for the animals' well-being.

The study is published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

It is already well accepted that pigs use wallows to keep cool. The animals do not have normal sweat glands, so they are unable, otherwise, to regulate their body temperature.

The scientist who carried out the study, Marc Bracke from Wageningen University and Research Centre, trawled the scientific literature for evidence of what motivates other animals to carry out similar behaviours.

He examined closely related "wallowers", including hippos, which spend their time in water to keep cool.

Dr Bracke also looked at other hoofed animals, such as deer. Although these animals do not wallow, they roll on the ground in order to "scent mark", which has an important role in attracting a mate.

That analysis has led Dr Bracke to propose that mud wallowing, like rolling, could play a role in reproduction in pigs.

But more fundamentally, Dr Bracke suggests the behaviour could have evolved in pigs' most ancient relatives.

Pigs are related to water-loving hippos

"We all evolved from fish, so it could be that this motivation to be in water could be something that was preserved in animals that are able to do so."

For many animals, this would be too dangerous, because watering holes are ideal places for predators to ambush their prey.

"But pigs, like many carnivores, are relatively large animals with enlarged canine teeth, so they would be better able to fend off an attack."

So rather than pigs needing to cool down in mud because they do not have [functional] sweat glands, Dr Bracke thinks that they "did not evolve functional sweat glands like other ungulates because they liked wallowing so much".

Part whale?

"Pigs are genetically related to particularly water-loving animals such as hippos and whales," Dr Bracke said.

He explained: "It seems to me that this preference to be in shallow water could have been a turning point in the evolution of whales from land-dwelling mammals."

He concludes that the desire to wallow is probably hardwired and rewarding in itself.

"If so, wallowing could be an important element of a good life in pigs," said Dr Bracke.

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Mother of fatal crash girl dies

29 April 2011 Last updated at 11:54 The collision closed the road between Gilwern and Brynmawr The mother of a six-year-old girl killed in a road crash on the A465 Heads of the Valleys road in south Wales has now also died.

Stephanie Curtis, 35, from Blaenau Gwent, was driving a blue Peugeot which was in collision with a silver Mercedes on Thursday.

Ffion Elizabeth Merrifield died after the crash while her mother died later in hospital.

Two women in the Mercedes both suffered minor injuries.

The crash happened on the eastbound carriageway between Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent and Gilwern, Monmouthshire at about 1100 BST.

Ms Curtis died of her injuries at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.

The mother and daughter were from the Nantyglo area of Blaenau Gwent.

All involved in the crash were initially taken to Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny.

Gwent Police said the Mercedes was being driven by a 69-year-old from Gilwern. Both she and her passenger are still in hospital.

The A465 was closed in both directions between Gilwern and Conoco roundabout at Brynmawr while emergency services were in attendance.

Gwent Police is investigating the collision and anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact the force's collision investigation unit on 01633 642404 or by dialling 101.

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French football 'had race quota'

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The art of explaining stuff

28 April 2011 Last updated at 14:33 By Denise Winterman and Megan Lane BBC News Magazine Explanations of the AV electoral system tend to resort to analogies. But is this the best way to convey new ideas? The Magazine seeks tips from a teacher, a scientist, a philosopher, a cricket buff and two political boffins.

It's a bit like X Factor - only without the singing, and it doesn't go on for weeks. It's also a bit like choosing your favourite crisps, and then your second favourite flavour, and so on.

Ahead of the 5 May referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote (AV) electoral system, those explaining this unfamiliar method of picking MPs tend to use analogies. But is this the best way to convey a concept to someone who knows nothing about it?

Author and award-winning teacher Phil Beadle says in a classroom, the key to getting information across is breaking it down into small, manageable chunks, checking each chunk has been understood and "grinding repetition". This isn't so easy to do in a three-minute news item, but other key methods are universal.

The BBC's Ben Wright uses an Oscars analogy

This includes getting people to see how the issue in question relates to them.

"It's been said about teaching that if you can't get students to see what's in it for them, then you won't take it on," he says. "Good teaching is about contextualising learning, connecting it to experience, finding an appropriate analogy."

Obviously, the larger the group of people, the more general the analogy has to be, hence the use of crisp flavours or reality TV to explain AV. Beadle, a secondary school English teacher, has used hip hop artists to teach William Blake and football in other lessons.

Continue reading the main story Voters to rank candidates in order of preferenceIf no candidate gains 50% of the vote, candidate with the least votes is eliminatedAnd their voters' support is switched to their second choiceRepeat until one candidate has 50% or moreBeadle says there is a school of thought that people learn and take in new information in three ways: visually, aurally and kinaesthetically - through the body. The latter is when you learn by carrying out a physical activity, rather than just listening or watching a demonstration by someone.

"The best way to get people to understand is to use all these three ways," he says.

This three-pronged approach appeals to John Stern, editor of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.

He prefers to explain cricket while watching a match for demonstration purposes, and with a ball and bat to hand so the novice can see and feel how, for example, the seam affects the movement of the ball.

Pupils use a favourite pop star vote to explain AV

"I start with the basics - two teams of 11, each trying to score more runs than the other. But it quickly descends into caveats and qualifiers, which is too confusing.

"But I do explain the underlying concept, that the bowler is trying deceive the batter. If you understand why it matters that the ball swings, that helps."

He avoids analogies, as these tend to obscure more than they illuminate.

"It's tempting to say 'do you know anything about baseball', but really the only similarity is that there's a bat and a ball."

As a science journalist, Quentin Cooper has to explain some very complicated things to a diverse audience. He says the key is knowing what facts you can leave out.

"You need to give them only what they need to know and point them to what they need to focus on," says Cooper, who presents BBC Radio 4's Material World. "If you are explaining some aspect of quantum physics, you can't start with what an atom is, it would take far too long.

Don't get too bogged down in detail

"Take DNA. Most people probably couldn't give a full explanation of what it is, but they know enough to understand when it is mentioned."

Stern agrees. He leaves out strange terminology, such as names of the fielding positions. "None of that is important. There are so many weird and bizarre things about cricket, you could make up what you like and the novice wouldn't know the difference."

It's also crucial the audience has faith in the person doing the explaining, says Cooper.

"It means not everything has to have a direct relevance to their life. With science it's often hard to say that something has a direct bearing on a person's life, but you can get them to think about the wider universe they live in and wonder how it works."

Keep it simple The BBC's Michael Crick plays it straight in his own AV explanation

Philosopher Mark Vernon says the approach of connecting ideas to what people already know goes back to Socrates.

"He once explained a very complicated mathematical theory to an uneducated slave. He did so simply by prompting the slave, step by step, with things he already knew. So it's not so much explaining that you do, but helping someone to remember what they already know from other parts of life.

"Then they will regard what you've shown them as their own possession too, and be able to incorporate it directly into their lives."

University of Reading politics lecturer Dr Alan Renwick uses reality TV to explain voting systems - X Factor for AV and Britain's Got Talent for first past the post.

"Most people don't think about electoral systems, but they do make decisions every day and are constantly engaging with different ways of making these decisions.

Prawn cocktail v cheese and onion in an AV run-off

"People are used to the concepts, but not the context. AV is an unfamiliar voting system. But the logic of AV is similar to X Factor."

Fellow psephologist John Curtice prefers not to use analogies, as comparisons are blunt and, in some cases, misleading.

Instead, he breaks his explanations into practical chunks.

"There are always two things voters need to know about a voting system - how the ballot paper is filled out, and how the seats are allocated. I would just simply explain these two aspects of the system."

It's what some call the KISS approach - keep it simple, stupid.

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Cameron NHS comments 'misleading'

28 April 2011 Last updated at 19:45 Dr Stoate said there were "inherent problems" with the proposed NHS shake-up An ex-Labour MP who David Cameron claimed supported his health reforms has accused the prime minister of using the NHS as a "political football".

Dr Howard Stoate said his views about GPs powers were "taken out of context".

He was at the centre of a political row on Wednesday after Mr Cameron told Labour MP Angela Eagle "to calm down dear" at Prime Minister's Questions.

He made the comment after Ms Eagle sought to correct remarks he made about Dr Stoate in the Commons.

The clash came after Mr Cameron used comments by Dr Stoate, a practising GP, to defend his controverisal plans to introduce GP commissioning in the NHS in England - plans opposed by doctors and nurses' groups.

Dr Stoate, who stepped down at last year's general election, had previously written that discussions with his colleagues revealed "overwhelming enthusiasm for the chance to help shape services for the patients they see daily".

'Condescending'

But Mr Cameron's suggestion that Dr Stoate had been beaten during the election angered some on the Labour benches, including Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle.

Amid shouts of "he stood down", Mr Cameron paraphrased the famous car insurance advert starring film director Michael Winner, telling her: "Calm down dear, calm down, calm down."

Labour accused Mr Cameron of sexism and showing a "patronising and outdated attitude to women".

Continue reading the main story

The prime minister should stop using the health service as a political football and allow GPs to get on with the job of improving health services”

End Quote Dr Howard Stoate Former Labour MP Writing in the Guardian, Dr Stoate said the PM's remark to Ms Eagle had been "condescending". But he said he was more concerned that the impression the PM gave about his views on the proposed shake-up of the NHS was "entirely misleading".

He said his previous comments had referred merely to GPs in his local area of south London - not nationally - and that they had had a "head start" over others as they had gained experience of commissioning health services over the past four years.

The government's proposed NHS changes - which ministers are currently consulting on as part of a "listening exercise" with medical professionals - had many "inherent problems", he said.

"The prime minister should stop using the health service as a political football and allow GPs to get on with the job of improving health services," he wrote.

"Indeed, the current focus on GPs is a continuation of the progress made under the Labour government's programme of GP commissioning."

'Modernised'

Critics have said there is little evidence that handing lead responsibility for commissioning to GP consortia will work, that there is too much financial risk involved and the plans should be piloted and not introduced in one go.

Dr Stoate said he continued to believe GPs were "best placed" to break down institutional barriers in the NHS and ensure the highest standards of patient care.

"GPs are increasingly becoming involved in discussing budgets, local healthcare needs, service planning and delivery - resulting in dramatic improvements in services as antiquated ways of working are modernised," he added.

Mr Cameron sought to make light of the "calm down dear" comment - which No 10 has said was a "humorous remark" and should not be "over-analysed" - during a campaign visit to Wales on Thursday.

"I don't know what it is about some people on the left. It seems that when they put the socialism in, they take the sense of humour out," he told Conservative activists.

Ministers have said they are prepared to make major changes to the NHS legislation following the extended consultation, but stressed the NHS cannot be allowed to stand still in the face of rising costs pressure and higher patients' expectations.

David Cameron has accused Labour of "scaring" people about the impact of the proposed changes and said GP fund-holding practices in "90% of the country" want to see the changes succeed.

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Superman 'may end US citizenship'

29 April 2011 Last updated at 11:42 Superman was introduced in 1938 and has a long association with the US Superman intends to give up his US citizenship, a story in the new issue of Action Comics declares.

"I'm tired of having my actions construed as instruments of US policy," the character says in a story that sees him flying to a Tehran protest.

Adopted by an American family, Superman decides he is better-off serving the world.

Though he only talks about his plans to give up citizenship, the story has been criticised by commentators worldwide.

The superhero, originally from the fictional planet Krypton, does not clearly renounce his citizenship in the issue.

Action Comics co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio said: "Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home and his roots as a Kansas farm boy from Smallville."

The disputed story sees the hero standing silently at the protest, wanting to show demonstrators that they are not alone.

Superman's announcement comes after accusations from Iran's government that he has caused an international incident, in the nine-page story written by David Goyer.

"'Truth, justice and the American way' - it's not enough anymore," Superman says, "The world is too small, too connected."

This is not the first time a comic character has distanced himself from US policy.

In the 1970s, Marvel Comics' Captain America swapped his identity for that of the character Nomad at the time of the Watergate scandal.

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Media revolution

29 April 2011 Last updated at 00:06 By Katy Watson Business Reporter, BBC News, Tunisia Editorial meetings at Tunisian newspapers are no longer burdened by censorship It is 9.30 in the morning and Noureddine Achour is leading the daily editorial meeting at Assabah, one of Tunisia's oldest newspapers.

At first glance, there is nothing unusual about the gathering - simply eight journalists in a beige conference room, talking about what tomorrow's big story will be.

But listen carefully and it is the conversation that is special - they are discussing who's who in the cabinet and what Tunisia's new political parties are up to.

Until four months ago, this was the kind of conversation that was actively discouraged.

'Not scared'

Mr Achour has been the editor of Assabah for nine years.

Continue reading the main story

The Tunisian revolution was characterised by a huge amount of information, by thinkers, bloggers and journalists”

End Quote Slim Karbachi Writer and blogger For most of this period, the paper enjoyed a good reputation.

But two years ago, the son-in-law of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali bought a majority stake in the publishing house that owns Assabah and several other titles.

It knocked the paper's standing with its readers.

"We were forced to take a certain direction in our reporting," says Mr Achour.

That changed on 14 January this year, however, following the revolution in the country.

Immediately afterwards, the newspaper was revamped. New journalists were hired. The news agenda changed.

Even the way the paper looked was overhauled. Back came the old logo, while pictures of Ben Ali that were often obligatory were removed.

"We've changed and journalists will never go back to the way it was," says Mr Achour.

"Even the way I look and analyse issues is different now.

"I'm not scared. I don't wait for a phone call from authorities or from the Ministry of Information. They used to be behind us all the time. We used to call them our neighbours."

New freedom

The freedom with which journalists can now operate is also having an impact beyond the established newsrooms.

Tunisia is enjoying greater press freedom, though more could be done

Suddenly, young writers and bloggers are able to start their own ventures.

Slim Kharbachi was among the first to do so.

The 25-year-old set up a news website called Tunisie-Presse.com at the height of the revolution.

"The Tunisian revolution was characterised by a huge amount of information, by thinkers, bloggers and journalists too - so why not?" he said.

"We also had our ideas that we wanted to get out there."

Mr Karbachi has recruited bloggers and writers for his website, many of whom study media at university.

And he hopes that when he gets enough visitors logging onto his site, he can start selling advertising space and make money from it too.

Pirate media

On the other side of Tunis there is a group of radio journalists who think much more needs to be done, however.

The secretary-general of the Tunisian Union of Free Radio Stations, Saleh Forti, who has been involved with independent radio since the 1980s, is among them.

"There's no legislation, there aren't any ministers who look after media, press or information," he says.

Under Ben Ali, Mr Forti was prevented from setting up his own station.

Political police attacked him and tried to keep him off-air, so he ended up secretly broadcasting via the internet from an apartment in the suburbs of Tunis.

"We launched our radio as a kind of pirate radio," he says.

Mr Forti wants media that was loyal to the dictatorship to disappear

Mr Forti acknowledges that the media has found its voice in post-revolution Tunisia, though he points out that nothing has actually changed in the eyes of the law.

"In fact, all media in Tunisia is pirate because Tunisian legislation hasn't been changed," he says.

Changing the law would help, though getting rid of any media that was associated with the former president's dictatorship is even more important, Mr Forti insists.

"We can't put up with media that supported Ben Ali, that tried to restore their image to give a good impression of the mafia regime," he says, "only to see them change sides - because they're now 'revolutionaries'."

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France ex-minister wins arms case

29 April 2011 Last updated at 14:24 Charles Pasqua says he was targeted by political rivals A French appeals court has overturned the conviction of former Interior Minister Charles Pasqua over arms trafficking to Angola in the 1990s.

Mr Pasqua, 84, had been jailed for one year over the "Angola-gate" affair, with two more years suspended.

The Paris court also cut the jail terms handed down in 2009 to Israeli-Russian businessman Arkady Gaydamak and French magnate Pierre Falcone in the case.

The case centred on illegal arms sales to Angola during the civil war there.

It was alleged that Soviet bloc arms worth $790m (£474m) were shipped to Angola in murky deals involving politicians and businessmen. In all, 42 people were put on trial.

Falcone's jail term has been cut to 30 months, from the original six years.

Mr Pasqua, a veteran right-wing politician, said Friday's ruling "shatters the entire accusation drawn up and pursued against me". Describing himself as "an old soldier" he said "it would take more than that to destroy me politically".

Mr Pasqua has accused former President Jacques Chirac and some other top politicians of using the scandal to harm his career.

An arrest warrant is still in force against Gaydamak, who is on the run, but his jail sentence of six years was halved.

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Obama to visit storm-ravaged zone

29 April 2011 Last updated at 07:16 Tornado video - first clip courtesy Chris England/Crimson Tide Productions

President Barack Obama is to visit storm-ravaged communities in Alabama as south-eastern US states face up to the aftermath of devastating storms.

At least 297 people are known to have died from tornadoes that ripped through a swathe of states, 204 in Alabama.

Mr Obama will visit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a twister thought to be a mile wide ploughed through the city.

He has pledged government support for storm-hit communities, with federal aid money being sent to Alabama.

Deaths and widespread devastation are also reported in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia.

On Thursday the president hailed rescue workers and said he stood with every American affected by the "catastrophic" storms.

A state of emergency has been declared in seven states, and federal aid money is being sent to Alabama.

'Reeling'

Speaking at a news conference at the White House, Mr Obama said: "The loss of life has been heartbreaking, especially in Alabama.

"In a matter of hours, these deadly tornadoes, some of the worst we have seen in decades, took mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours, even entire communities.

"In many places the damage to homes and businesses is nothing short of catastrophic," he said.

The president said he would travel to Alabama to meet those leading the emergency response and families who are "reeling from the disaster".

"I want every American who has been affected by this disaster to know that the federal government will do everything we can to help you recover, and we will stand with you as you rebuild," he said.

The US National Weather Service has reports of nearly 300 tornadoes since the storms began on Friday, more than 150 of them on Wednesday alone.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center has said some of the tornadoes on Wednesday may have been more than a mile (1.6 km) wide with wind speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h).

"These were the most intense super-cell thunderstorms that I think anybody who was out there forecasting has ever seen," Greg Carbin of the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

In Alabama, as many as one million people were without power on Thursday, as emergency workers and 2,000 soldiers scoured the wreckage for survivors.

"We can't control when or where a terrible storm may strike, but we can control how we respond to it," Mr Obama said.

Many people were picking through the remains of destroyed homes.

President Obama: "The loss of life has been heartbreaking, especially in Alabama"

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said he expected the death toll to rise as more bodies were discovered.

The number of deaths from the recent series of tornadoes is the greatest in the US since 1974, when an sequence of twisters claimed 315 lives in 13 US states.

Devastation in Tuscaloosa

One of the worst-hit towns was Tuscaloosa, which was struck by a massive tornado some experts say could have been an EF5, the strongest category of tornado.

Mayor Walter Maddox said after an aerial tour that it had torn a streak of "utter destruction".

"We have neighbourhoods that have been basically removed from the map," he said.

The city's emergency building was one of those destroyed, AP reported.

One Tuscaloosa resident, Angela Smith, whose neighbour was killed, told Reuters: "I made it. I got in a closet, put a pillow over my face and held on for dear life because it started sucking me up."

Storms lash southern US

Another town, Hackleburg, was reported to be "90% destroyed".

The mayor of Birmingham, William Bell said "whole neighbourhoods of housing, just completely gone. Churches, gone. Businesses, gone... [it] seems like a bomb has been dropped".

More than 25 people died in Phil Campbell, a town of about 1,000 in north-west Alabama.

Jerry Mays, the town's mayor, said the tornado that destroyed the town's grocery store and medical clinic was a half-mile wide and travelled for about 20 miles (32 km).

"We've lost everything. Let's just say it like it is," Mr Mays said.

"I'm afraid we might have some suicides because of this," he added.

The storms forced the Tennessee Valley Authority to close three nuclear reactors at a power plant in Alabama. Hundreds of thousands of homes have lost power as a result.

Mississippi reported 33 deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Smithville, Mississippi, many buildings were ripped open, including a church, the city hall and the post office.

At least 14 people have been killed in Georgia and five in Virginia.

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Eurozone inflation rises to 2.8%

29 April 2011 Last updated at 12:25 High energy prices have contributed to the increase in the rate of inflation The eurozone's inflation rate edged up to to 2.8% in April from March's figure of 2.7%, according to official data from Eurostat.

The increase takes inflation further away from the European Central Bank's target of just below 2%.

The cost of raw materials and high energy prices have contributed to the increase.

The ECB started raising rates in April from their record low, with a quarter point increase to 1.25%.

The rise in the inflation rate will put pressure on the ECB to raise interest rates further.

"It's slightly higher than consensus but that wasn't a complete surprise. We saw from Germany and Spain, which already published numbers, that it could go this way," said Piet Lammens, economist at KBC.

"However, I can imagine that some market participants will expect the rate increase by the European Central Bank at an earlier date. We expected June, the market is still expecting July. I guess the consensus will now move to June," he added.

However, policymakers at the ECB will also be keenly aware of the austerity measures in countries such as Greece, the Irish Republic and Portugal.

If rates in such countries were to rise, on top of the austerity measures being implemented, the return to growth for the eurozone as a whole might be threatened.

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Grace Kelly-esque

29 April 2011 Last updated at 13:24 The dress was designed by Sarah Burton Crowds outside Westminster Abbey were stunned by the dress chosen by the Duchess of Cambridge as she stepped out of the wedding car.

After months of speculation, the closely guarded secret of who would be designing the royal wedding dress and what it would look like is now out in the open.

Sarah Burton, who was first rumoured to have been given the high-profile job in March, is the lead designer at Alexander McQueen.

Having been the protegee of Alexander McQueen himself, she took over as creative director of the fashion house following his death in 2010.

Initial reaction from the fashion world and the general public to the long-sleeved, V-necked lace dress has been overwhelmingly positive.

Wedding dress designer Philippa Lepley, who had been touted as a potential candidate herself, gave BBC News her initial reaction: "It's very understated, quite classic and timeless. it's almost Grace Kelly-esque."

Continue reading the main story 1. The 1936 Cartier "halo" tiara was lent to the bride by The Queen2. The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers3. The bodice, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, is a hallmark of McQueen's designs4. For the dress, individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle5. The train measures 2m 70cm6. The shoes (hidden), made of satin with hand-embroidered lace, were also Alexander McQueenThe Telegraph's fashion director Hilary Alexander hails Mrs Burton's design "the Wedding Dress of the Century."

Fashion magazine Grazia also draws comparisons with the late Princess Grace of Monaco: "Kate Middleton is the perfect Grace Kelly Princess bride! Everyone in the office crying about Sarah Burton (yesss!) designing the royal wedding dress. Anyone else feel like they've died and gone to fashion heaven...?"

Bryony Toogood, fashion director of Brides magazine has also given the thumbs up to the newly anointed duchess's decision to wear a dress with a train: "Wow! A dress by Sarah Burton for McQueen completely befitting of a princess - and thank goodness a train!"

She goes on to conclude, "Absolutely stunning - timeless, classic and sure to be a benchmark for future brides. I love it!!"

British bridal designer Suzanne Neville suggests that the dress was "quite predictable": "I thought it was exactly what most people thought she was going to wear, but it was beautiful, absolutely stunning."

She reckons the new bride made the right decision: "The technical side of it is breathtaking. I think the workmanship definitely shines through and I'm glad she chose such a top couturier, someone who knows the right skills. She chose an absolute professional."

Harriet Quick, fashion features editor at Vogue admires the duchess's decision not to go with too modern a style: "It has a retro feel to it which nods to a lot of nostalgia and history but at the same time she looks very easy in it. It's incredibly grown-up, it's timeless, so I think it shows a very smart choice, one which suits her but it's incredibly respectful for her as the commoner joining the Royal Family."

From the initial commentary online it has been difficult to find anyone with anything but praise for the dress.

On Twitter, commentators like what they see. Anna Stanley, tweeting as StanandDeliver says "kate middleton, Grace Kelly style......beautiful"

Amanda Burcul is similarly complimentary: "This is just so exciting!!! Kate is stunning. Just a pure classic beauty, so natural. Love it!"

Poppy Ntshongwana tweeting as PoppyIsMyName, says "Kate at Westminister Abbey! GORGEOUS !!"

Diane Morris, tweeting as BridesButler, says on how well the dress has been tailored for the duchess: "The bodice fits her like a glove! Beautiful fit!"

ShanDN sums up her view of the dress simply: "Now that's a PRINCESS!"

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Scots turn out for royal wedding

29 April 2011 Last updated at 13:33 St Andrews was hosting one of the biggest wedding celebrations in Scotland Events have been taking place across Scotland to celebrate the royal wedding.

St Andrews, where Prince William and Kate Middleton first met, hosted a breakfast and party for about 2,000 people.

Balmoral Castle visitors were watching the wedding on big screens.

However, a protest group of about 60 gathered in Edinburgh, and an unofficial party in Glasgow has been criticised by the local council.

In St Andrews, a bagpipe procession formally kicked off the event for ticket-holders at the free party at St Salvator's Quadrangle.

Local firms and organisations came forward over recent weeks and months to offer their support to the event, which was showing the wedding on a big screen.

John Montgomery, 44, from the Tayport area, came to St Andrews because his daughter was among those performing in the quadrangle, alongside her primary school classmates.

"I think St Andrews feels responsible for all of this," he joked. "The atmosphere's fantastic here. It's amazing really for a small Scottish town to have two billion people around the world watching it."

St Andrews student Ronnie Guthrie, 20, from Perth, arrived for the party at 0730 BST.

He told BBC Scotland: "I came to the party because I wanted to show off my Britishness. I have been awake since 5.30 with excitement, I just couldn't sleep.

"I didn't get a ticket in the ballot for the party, so I had to come two hours before my friends.

"I wanted to come because this is the biggest thing in my life, until the next coronation. It feels great to be in St Andrews, I'm a royalist."

Daniel Pycock, 19, from London, said: "I came because I'm a proud royalist. There are not many moments that you're allowed to celebrate and show your national pride and patriotism.

"I have been up all night writing an essay so I just stayed up.

Monarchists challenged a republican demonstration in Edinburgh city centre

"I plan to make a day of it with my friends - the atmosphere at first was lethargic because it was fairly cold but it's now warmed up, the sun is out and everyone is very excited. It's a great day."

After their marriage, the royal couple will be known the Earl and Countess of Strathearn, linking the newly-weds to Perthshire, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus.

Far fewer official street parties have been organised in Scotland than in England, with 16 taking place in Edinburgh, seven in East Lothian and four in the Borders.

There is just one road closure in Glasgow for a street party. And in a number of areas, including North Ayrshire and West Lothian, there have been no official parties registered.

'No feelgood factor'

Shetland and Highland councils have not given their employees the day off.

Highland Council said it would have cost £350,000 to provide cover for frontline employees, such as social workers.

Continue reading the main story Jamie McIvor Local government correspondent, BBC Scotland

The number of official street parties taking place may give a misleading impression that there is a low level of public interest in celebrating the royal wedding.

They only include those street parties which have required council permission.

They take no account of, for instance, celebrations in church halls, pubs, community centres or even large private gardens.

A spokesperson said: "The council has made so many cuts already. We urge our staff to think about their position and how lucky they are to have a job with the council.

"I know people will be disappointed, but the decision was made for the very best of reasons."

However, more than 40 schools in the Highlands, involving more than 4,000 pupils and teachers, will take part in events such as mock weddings, feasts, quizzes, and arts and crafts.

Dundee Trades Union Council (TUC) is holding its annual Mayday march and rally. They said that the royal wedding provided "no feelgood factor" for those facing cuts in jobs, services and benefits.

About 400 were watching the wedding on a big screen in Festival Square in Edinburgh.

A group of about 60 republican demonstrators gathered outside St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile but police would not allow them to march as they had not applied for a licence.

The protesters were challenged by a group of about 20 pro-monarchy demonstrators the wedding and police kept the two sides apart.

'Romantic story'

Glasgow City Council issued a warning for royal party-goers to stay away from Kelvingrove Park after an unofficial "alternative" royal wedding celebration was organised through Facebook and other websites.

More than 10,000 people used the social networking site to say they planned to attend the event and by 1400 BST there were several thousand people there.

Train operator East Coast said there had been a 50% increase in train bookings between Edinburgh and London for the day before the wedding.

Celebrations were taking place across Scotland as the world's attention falls on the wedding

One woman, who was travelling down to London for the day from Scotland, said: "I've grown up with Wills and Harry in the news and now he's got his lucky lady. It's a lovely romantic story as much as anything else."

First Minister Alex Salmond instructed that the Royal Standard of Scotland be flown from St Andrew's House, the headquarters of the Scottish government in Edinburgh.

Mr Salmond, who attended the wedding with his wife Moira, said: "This is a great day of celebration and it is wonderful that the Queen has bestowed the Scottish title of Earl and Countess of Strathearn on the royal couple.

"The Royal Standard of Scotland is flying from St Andrew's House in Edinburgh in honour of this special day.

"I wish the royal couple my warmest wishes for a long and very happy married life together."

Businesses across Scotland were attempting to throw some fun into the proceedings.

John G Renicks butchers in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, made red, white and blue sausages.

While Scottish brewers BrewDog made a "royal virility performance" beer, containing herbal Viagra.

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India to pick European fighters

28 April 2011 Last updated at 20:20 India accounts for 9% of global arms imports, according to one study India has shortlisted two European fighter jets, ruling out two US rivals for a key $11bn (£6.6bn) military contract.

The Indian defence ministry picked the pan-European Eurofighter and France-based Dessault's Rafale ahead of jets made by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The US ambassador in India said the US was "deeply disappointed" by the news.

President Barack Obama had personally lobbied on behalf of the US defence contractors, as had European leaders.

"It is confirmed Eurofighter and Rafale have been selected and the remaining four are off," said the Indian defence ministry.

The other two companies to miss out were Sweden's Saab and the Russian makers of the MiG 35.

'Political setback'

The ambassador, Timothy Roemer, said: "We are reviewing the documents received from the government of India and are respectful of the procurement process."

He added that the US "looked forward to continuing to grow and develop our defence partnership with India".

However, some commentators suggested there could be some political fallout from the decision.

"The Americans will be very unhappy and people who have been backing the contract will say India has not sufficiently taken into account the political relationship with the US," said former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal.

"That is a political setback for relations."

Mr Roemer announced separately that he was resigning from his post for "personal, professional and family considerations".

Big spenders

A report published last month said that India had overtaken China to become the world's largest importer of arms.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said India accounted for 9% of all weapons imports between 2006 and 2010.

With a $32.5bn (£19.5bn) defence budget, India imports more than 70% of its arms.

The $11bn deal for 126 fighter jets is part of plan to spend $50bn over the next five years on modernising its armed forces.

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Egyptian ferry tragedy 'kills 17'

29 April 2011 Last updated at 14:31 Seventeen people have died, and at least five people are missing, after a ferry accident on the Nile River in Egypt, officials say.

Some reports say the dead were on a bus that slid off the ferry in Bani Suwayf region. Others say the ferry capsized.

State TV earlier put the death toll at 19 with 20 missing, while the official news agency said 43 people had died.

Transport accidents are common in Egypt, often blamed on poor maintenance and a lack of regulation.

An official told the Associated Press that the minibus had 32 passengers on board, mostly mourners heading to a funeral across the river.

The bus slid off the ferry because the emergency brake was not on, he said.

The official said 10 people had been pulled out alive, but five people were still missing.

Rescuers were at the scene, 70 miles (110km) south of Cairo, he said.

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Cashless under the sun

29 April 2011 Last updated at 00:01 By Michael Fitzpatrick BBC News, Tokyo Mobile phones in Japan have been equipped with near field communication [NFC] technology for several years now Ama Chan is aiming her mobile at small, square, printed, barcode tattoo that resembles a splattered space invader.

You will find their like plastered all over Japan. This one is printed on a Tokyo bus stop, so she clicks the camera shutter and peers happily at the result.

Her prize? A timetable appears instantly on the phone's screen, plus the estimated arrival time of the next bus.

When the oddly retro-style bus arrives, she uses her phone to pay by swiping at the front as a Londoner might flutter an Oyster smartcard on entering the Tube.

Ahead of the curve

This is travel Tokyo-style.

And although these types of convenient dodges are slowly appearing in the West (those information-laden barcode tattoos are known as QR codes in the UK, and e-wallets are appearing on phones outside Japan), the country has been experimenting with such technology for more than five years now, and more advanced travel guiding tech besides.

Japanese mobile phone - keitai - with NFC chip

So where better to examine the props that will dominate all our traveller and travel industry tomorrows?

Granted, an Anglo-Saxon smartphone, an iPhone, a Google phone and their ilk can be handy on the road but they lack, so far, many of the tools so useful to travellers in Japan on their so-called feature phones.

With the right clam-shell, iridescent "keitai", subscribers get a seriously high-resolution camera, a projector, and the all-important radio chip that works as a train/air/entrance ticket/boarding pass.

This radio tag can also check you into hotels and even open the room's door for you.

They also act as e-wallets. With up to 50,000 yen credit siphoned into the phone, customers use it to buy groceries at convenience stores, pay the taxi driver and persuade Japan's ubiquitous vending machines to cough up.

Flights of fancy

Japan's leading airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), has been using such e-wallets to compete with the country's formidably fast trains for more than five years.

"The major drawback of flying compared to train travel is, of course, the time spent at the airport," says ANA spokesman Ryosei Nomura.

"With ANA's all-in-one ticket and boarding pass in your phone, you can arrive and board your plane within 15 minutes."

Dubbed SKiP, the service relies on Osaifu-Keitai (literally "wallet mobile") technology developed by comms giant NTT.

ANA passengers using their phone as a ticket can be on the plane within 15 minutes

As the NFC [near field communication] chip-based tech relies on dedicated readers which are available only in a few other countries besides Japan, the service so far applies just to domestic flights.

Users could even conceivably buy their air ticket using their phone at a convenience store with such readers.

The system has a number of advantages over plastic smart cards, too, such as being able to automatically recharge credit via the internet, says Mr Nomura.

With GPS in mobiles as standard, years ahead of the UK, the keitai has also evolved into a seriously useful navigation tool here.

Something called the Total Navigation site does exactly what it says on the tin, using 3D-rendered info on your screen. Hold it in your grip and the phone vibrates telling you when to turn.

Just as well: you need all the hand-holding you can get in the vastness of a capital without street names like Tokyo.

Deciphering menus

Tech also comes to the aid of the linguistically challenged.

Despite the cosmopolitan nature of Tokyo, menus are invariably in Japanese. So to have a phone that snaps a potential meal and describes in English what it is - mock-up meals are only sometimes displayed in the window - is obviously a godsend.

With some restaurant businesses this is catching on, as Japan looks to foreign tourists for badly needed revenue.

Other applications allow you to bring up menus, reviews and translations by other users just by focusing your mobile's camera at the restaurant itself.

Visitors to Japan can try out some of these services by renting domestic phones at the airports. Unfortunately, not all such resources are available on the airport pick-up phones.

But your correspondent was able to attempt a cashless journey from Tokyo through Kyoto to Fukuoka in the south starting with Ana's SKiP service for flights. No maps, no guides, just the omnipotent keitai.

The all-in-one nature of the mobile makes this possible, as does Japan's bent for convenience.

'Swiss army knife'

Such cramped, intensely urban, highly stressful lifestyles have made the Japanese super-reliant on, and worshipful, of convenience, says Ama Chan.

Keitai are the totems of that reverence and have become touchstones for survival. The keitai rules.

Public mobile-phone charging point on a Kyoto street

Travellers of the near future may want to emulate the light-footed Japanese, shearing off excess baggage such as guidebooks, laptops, camera - even books - and depending solely on the Swiss army knife of the road warrior - the keitai.

In Kyoto, the Hyatt Regency has started the ball rolling with an iPhone rental service that knows where guests are and beams text, video and graphics to inform, help and guide them.

"Of course many overseas visitors bring their smartphones with them, but most don't have a data plan that makes it economic sense to use their phone for downloads," says the hotel's manager Ken Yokoyama.

"The next step was to augment the service with tips from the concierge.

"After that we would like to develop a phone-based service that will think and act like a concierge, to give simple advice - where to eat, for example. The next step after that will be to totally personalise that service."

Mr Yokoyama envisages a massive database covering all Kyoto'a concierge knowledge melding into one serious, well-informed, location-specific travel application laid within the compass of the traveller's hand.

Real-world view

Augmenting city guides will not stop there. Something called "augmented reality" (AR) is already evolving into a valuable tool for travellers.

Augmented reality app Sekai Camera lets users hang "tags" that can be seen through an iPhone

Like the iPhone, such AR apps know where users are, and beam location relevant info to their phones. This is viewed superimposed on the camera viewfinder on the mobile's screen.

London already has Tube help in this form, while others such as Layar can perform the neat trick with restaurants, mentioned earlier.

Japan's version of this application, Sekai (World) camera, works the same magic, but adds tagging and social networking.

Like other AR apps it calculates your position, then using the camera, displays location-specific information graphically on top of your real-world view.

But the genius of Sekai Camera is that individuals and businesses can add their own information. They just point a smartphone camera at the landscape, adding "tags" that can include text, images, and sound that can be picked up by others in the area later.

Tags can translate into coupons from businesses (a free Guinness when you stop at a bar serving the black stuff, for example) or travel tips from friends.

Such apps are not just confined to Japan. They are available now at a smartphone near you.

But Japan still holds the lead with applications of tech for travel.

Overnight stay

The county's hotel industry is also benefiting from a dash of hi-tech gloss. Check into the entirely swish 9h (nine hours) capsule hotel in Kyoto and you might experience the teched-up future of budget hotels.

Guests at the 9h capsule hotel in Kyoto can relax in super hi-tech 'pods'

Ultra-futuristic, the Kubrick-inspired pods go for about 4000 yen a night via their website.

Kyoto might be rich in heritage but this doesn't stop it over-dosing like the rest of urban Japan on hi-tech treats. For evidence, visitors might want to check out the phone chargers available in even the most venerable temples.

The futuristic travel experience that 9h offers (perhaps a model for a Mars trip accommodation?) includes a pod, not a bedroom, with a "Sleep Ambient Control System", that "lulls to a comfortable sleep". The same system awakens guests with light, not an alarm clock.

Spartan, functional, but fun for a night.

For sci-fi visions of how we might travel smarter in the future Japan obviously has plenty to show us. But the West is catching up fast.

Smartphones such as the iPhone and their apps are changing the way we travel, and how the travel industry attracts and aids such tourists.

Where most, outside of Japan, are still adjusting to life seen through the prism of the mobile, in Japan it is now second nature.

These early adopters are worth watching just to see how the tech will usher in new services for getting about and how to capitalise on our new-found travel touchstone - the mobile.

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Venezuelan inmates take hostages

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VIDEO: House of Commons

Prime Minister David Cameron has said it is "good news" that the UK's economy grew 0.5% in the first quarter of this year.

On 27 April 2011, at his first Commons question session since the Easter recess, Mr Cameron welcomed the recent GDP figures but he acknowledged that figures for the construction sector, which shrank by 4.7% in the quarter, were "disappointing".

Ed Miliband accused the prime minister of "terrible complacency" and said the economy had "flatlined".

He also attacked the government's plans to reorganise the NHS, asking why 98.7% of delegates at the Royal College of Nursing conference had voted against the plans.

Mr Miliband attributed rising waiting times in the NHS to the diversion of "billions of pounds away from patient care into this costly reorganisation".

But the prime minister denied that waiting times were rising and said many GPs wanted to see the NHS reforms succeed.

Tory backbencher Dr Sarah Wollaston, a GP, said that the previous Labour government's implementation of the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) was remembered by junior doctors as a "disaster".

But she asked the PM: "Are you aware that there are concerns that current proposals to reorganise medical training and workforce planning could have similar unforeseen consequences?"

Mr Cameron replied: "I can absolutely guarantee that we are not going to make the mistake that the last government made about medical training, where they created an utter shambles."

Also asking questions: DUP MP Jim Shannon, Tory Brian Binley, Tory Nadine Dorries, Labour's Kevin Brennan, Lib Dem Adrian Sanders, Labour's Debbie Abrahams, Tory Peter Aldous, Tory Bill Cash, Labour's Phil Wilson, Labour's Bill Esterson, Lib Dem Stephen Gilbert, Lab/Co-op MP John Woodcock, Conservative Fiona Bruce, Labour's Ian Lucas, Tory Jonathan Evans, Labour's Jamie Reed, Tory Richard Harrington, Labour's Paul Flynn, Lib Dem Ian Swales, Labour's Ben Bradshaw, Tory Lee Scott, the DUP's Nigel Dodds, and Tory Henry Smith.

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How to succeed in business by doing nothing

28 April 2011 Last updated at 10:59 By Michael Blastland GO FIGURE - Seeing stats in a different way How should you react to the ups and downs of business life? Often, you shouldn't, says Michael Blastland in this regular column.

You're a dynamic business leader. Let's say you make widgets - though you might equally make big-budget Hollywood movies.

Your widgets, or your movies, vary. Some widgets are perfect, some a tad too long. Some movies make mega-bucks at the box office, some bomb.

So what do you do? Well, you're dynamic, so you react, of course. Something must be done.

If your studio boss once delivered golden geese but has since lost her Midas touch and turned out a row of turkeys, maybe it's time she left. If a run of widgets comes out too long, have your widget machine adjusted to make them shorter. And because your customers expect, do it fast.

In the first case, that's roughly what happened to Sherry Lansing at Paramount Pictures. For nearly a decade, she was a genius. Three disappointing years later, she was out.

But her story, as told by Leonard Mlodinow in his book The Drunkard's Walk, then took another turn. Several films commissioned by her but released after she left turned out to be blockbusters.

Why didn't they leave her be? Because, says Mlodinow, the industry didn't understand the part that randomness plays in success.

What happened to Lansing happens almost everywhere - the ups and downs of bad luck, or good luck, mask - for a while - underlying quality.

But few people are confident enough to stand by their judgements about underlying quality or character and so remain glued instead to short-term indicators - indicators bedevilled by chance.

Sherry Lansing had a long good run, then a bad run

Mlodinow's best-selling book tells the story of the fight against our instinct to read meaning into chance. For its ups and downs are a routine part of life. Thus the same lesson can apply all the way from Tinseltown to widgets.

Writing about people in industry, Tony Greenfield, a statistician, says they ignore the fact that there are ordinary ups and downs and instead look for some deep meaning in short-term change.

He's a former head of process computing and statistics at the British Iron and Steel Research Association, and a professor of medical computing and statistics at Queen's University, Belfast.

"In general, I believe that they look at the world through deterministic eyes. If anything goes wrong they look for a special cause and tackle the problem by troubleshooting.

"The simplest example is in process control. You have a set point for the output and then you adjust the control for every deviation without distinguishing between common cause [intrinsic] variation and special cause variation. The consequence is that the total variation becomes greater than it would if the process were allowed to run uncontrolled."

In other words, you make the variability of your widgets worse by trying to fix it. But is it really that difficult? Things go up and down. How hard can a concept be?

We all bow to the model of the dynamic business executive. It's a myth of leadership that when there's change, it requires action. But maybe leadership is also about asking if change is real change, and knowing when to sit still.

Since I've never run a business, you might reasonably ask if I've the faintest idea what I'm talking about. The answer might depend on how much business has to learn from elementary statistics.

Contrary to statistics' reputation, one lesson it rams home time and again is the uncertainty of numbers created by variability.

That's not to say all ups and downs are random. But it does suggest that reading too much into the data can be as damaging as ignoring it.

Adjusting the widget size might just lead to worse problems

Of course, ups and downs can have real and important causes. But even these don't necessarily tell you about the underlying quality of a business.

A wise friend who does run a successful engineering business on the south coast, had this to say about the real ups and downs of recession:

"2010 was a terrible year with most of our customers cutting back or totally stopping spending, but I am so pleased we managed to get through it without any redundancies. It was tough for everyone but they all stuck together.

"It's funny how quickly things change round, just last September I was worrying I'd made the wrong call and we should have made redundancies at the start of the year, and now we have the biggest order backlog the company has ever seen."

It's another victory for managing by doing nothing, he suggests.

"Unfortunately, management generally ignores variability. A great example is the amount of time managers have to spend 'explaining' variance to budget. Woe betide any manager who just ways 'well, sometimes things go up, and sometimes they go down'. We have to pretend to be in control."

It's for this reason that the fashion for corporate dashboards displaying up-to-the-minute information about company performance makes me wonder - will bosses everywhere be staring at the numbers, twitching with every down, feeling the pulse race with every up, on the phone demanding action with every flicker on the dial?

The risk of playing down change is that you miss the next big thing. But since there's an equal risk of over-reaction, does anyone know of a business bestseller with the mantra: "Calm down?"

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'Many dead' in south Russia siege

29 April 2011 Last updated at 12:34 Suspected Kabardino-Balkaria militant leader Asker Dzhappuyev is said to be among the dead Security forces in Russia report killing a top Islamist militant and nine of his followers in a siege in the southern region of Stavropol.

Asker Dzhappuyev, said to have led a militant group in the nearby Kabardino-Balkaria region, was wanted over the killing of hunters and police officers.

Security forces attacked the house where the suspects were staying after they reportedly refused to surrender.

Kabardino-Balkaria has seen a string of attacks blamed on Islamist militants.

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Candidate sorry for 'sluts' slur

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Great escape

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