'Smoke-free society' aim in Wales

24 February 2011 Last updated at 11:27 GMT The chief medical officer wants to start a "debate" on smoking in cars carrying children Plans have been unveiled to dramatically reduce smoking levels in Wales with the ultimate goal of a "smoke-free society".

Playgrounds and all NHS property could be made smoke-free zones, as the assembly government aims to reduce smoking levels to 16% by 2020.

Around a quarter of adults in Wales smoke.

The chief medical officer also wants to start a "debate" on smoking in cars carrying children.

Dr Tony Jewell said: "Just as Wales took a bold step in creating smoke-free environments in public places, we recognise that the time is right to champion new approaches to further protect children from the harms of second-hand smoke.

"The plan proposes that local authorities will be encouraged to introduce smoke-free policies for playgrounds and to initiate a debate on smoking in cars carrying children.

"The NHS should set an example when it comes to creating smoke-free environments and supporting staff to quit smoking.

"The NHS should also encourage patients to stop smoking, particularly before elective surgery."

Continue reading the main story Leadership in tobacco control Reducing the uptake of tobacco use, especially among children and young peopleReducing smoking prevalence levelsReducing exposure to second-hand smokeWales brought in a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in April 2007.

The assembly government does not have the powers to ban smoking in cars with children but is keen to raise the issue.

Its new plans are outlined in a consultation to reduce smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.

Proposals include lobbying the UK government on issues such as increasing the price of tobacco through taxation, and continuing to discourage children from smoking.

The consultation says smoking continues to be the largest single preventable cause of ill health and premature death in Wales, causing around 5,650 deaths each year.

Dr Jewell wants to protect children from second-hand smoking at home and in cars after speaking out on the issue last year.

"Reducing children's exposure to second-hand smoke will help to protect the most vulnerable in society and promoting smoke-free cars carrying children will bring home to parents the risks of smoking in front of their own children," he said.

"Children are not able to protect themselves from this exposure and it must be shown to be a serious public health risk through the development of legal protections, where appropriate, and policy initiatives."

Simon Clark, director of smoking rights pressure group Forest, said he would be "strongly opposed to any further restrictions on smoking in public places".

"There is no justification on health grounds for banning smoking in the open air. To ban smoking in hospital grounds would be very unfair on patients, staff and visitors," he said.

"The war on tobacco has gone far enough. I'm sure the Welsh assembly has better things to do than to target smokers."

Anti-smoking charity Ash Wales welcomed the proposals.

"This is an historic day for public health in Wales and the best news since the smoking ban was introduced in 2007," said Ash Wales chief executive, Tanya Buchanan.

"The action plan is the first such strategic plan for Wales which aims to systematically address smoking prevalence rates which have stagnated at 24%, and ensure our young people are protected from second-hand smoke."

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Hands-on review: Motorola Xoom tablet (Ben Patterson)

Just think: a mere 12 months ago, many of us were still debating whether a consumer-friendly tablet like the iPad would make any sense. Today, the iPad is a certifiable hit, a new iPad is on the way, slates from the likes of HP, LG, Samsung, and RIM are in the pipeline, and come Thursday, a formidable new player in the budding tablet market—the Android-powered Motorola Xoom—will land in stores. Suddenly, it's raining tablets, a welcome development for gadget lovers.

The Xoom won't be the first Android tablet to take on the iPad, but it does bear the distinction of being the first tablet running on "Honeycomb," Google's new, made-for-tablets version of the Android OS. And while the previous Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Dell Streak 7 arrived with smaller, seven-inch displays, the Xoom's roomy 10.1-inch screen invites direct comparison to the similar-sized iPad.

Now, let's get something out of the way: the Xoom ain't cheap. At $800, the 3G-enabled, 32GB Xoom costs about $70 more than the 32GB iPad 3G, and there won't be a 16GB, $499 Xoom to ease the pain. (Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha has promised a Wi-Fi-only version of the Xoom for "about" $600, but there's no word on when it might go on sale.)

One way to shave a couple hundred bucks off the price tag is by signing a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, the exclusive carrier (for now, anyway) of the Xoom. That means you'll also be on the hook for Verizon's 3G data plans, which start at $20 a month for 1GB of data.

Now, if you think $800 (or even $600) is too much to spend on a tablet (a reasonable view), be warned; nothing I'm about to say will change your mind.

And if you're not a fan of Android in general, or you're married to Apple's tight ecosystem of iOS products, you're probably better off waiting until next Wednesday, when Apple unveils the long-awaited (and probably much-enhanced) iPad 2. There's also the upcoming WebOS-powered HP Touchpad and RIM's BlackBerry Playbook to consider.

Still reading? Then prepare for a treat, because the Xoom is the most impressive tablet I've tested since the original iPad. With its peppy, dual-core processor, dual cameras (including one for video chat), and snazzy multitasking and notification features, the Xoom gives the iPad—well, the current iPad, at least—a run for its money, although it's not without faults: it's saddled with so-so Web browsing performance, some iffy design choices, and what looks to be an initially sparse selection of Honeycomb-ready apps.

Measuring 9.8 by 6.6 by 0.5 inches, the jet-black Xoom looks and feels—at first blush, at least—like a slightly smaller version of the iPad. Break out a ruler, however, and you'll find that the Xoom is actually a bit longer than the iPad, with its narrower display (which measures 10.1 inches diagonally) boasting a near-identical number of square inches (45.5, according to Motorola) as the iPad's wider, 9.7-inch display.

And while the Xoom is a hair thinner than the iPad (0.5 inches, versus 0.52 for the iPad), it's also a bit heavier at 25.9 ounces, compared to 24.1 for the iPad. Then again, the Xoom's grippier, more tactile back panel makes it much less slippery than the iPad.

Both Motorola and Google have made much of the Xoom's button-less front bezel—and indeed, the only physical controls on the Xoom are the twin volume up/down buttons on the left edge and the power/lock button that sits on the back, in the upper-right corner. You'll also find ports for power, microUSB, and mini-HDMI along the bottom of the tablet.

Instead of an actual "home" key, the Xoom's main navigation controls—Back, Home, and an icon that launches a thumbnailed column of recently-used apps—sit in the bottom-left corner of the display. Thanks to the Xoom's accelerometer, the screen orientation will twirl around automatically depending on how you're holding the tablet, meaning there's no "right" way to hold the Xoom (although you may notice upside-down Motorola and Verizon logos once in awhile).

It's an interesting concept, and after using the Xoom for a few hours, I didn't find myself missing the physical Home key that much. On the other hand, I was frequently annoyed at having to hunt around in back of the Xoom for the sleep/wake button. Personally, I would've preferred having the power/lock switch in easy reach (and in plain sight) along the edge of the tablet.

Once you click the "wake" button, the Honeycomb lock screen appears; unlocking the screen is a simple matter of touching and dragging an encircled padlock icon out of its protective sphere, at which point the home screen slides into view. You can also password-protect the display for greater security, same as with standard Android smartphones.

Google has already outlined the key ingredients of the made-for-tablets Honeycomb interface, but they're worth repeating. You've got the aforementioned navigation keys (Home, Back, and recent apps) in the bottom-left corner, with a notifications panel on the bottom right. In the top-left corner sits a Google search box (complete with a microphone icon for voice commands), while the applications launcher hangs out in the top-right corner of the display.

Zipping around the Xoom's various menus and apps is a breeze (not to mention smooth and fast, courtesy of the dual-core Tegra 2 processor purring under the Xoom's hood) thanks to the ever-present navigation controls in the corner. Another faithful companion is the new-for-Honeycomb navigation panel, which unobtrusively notifies you of incoming e-mail messages, recent Twitter mentions, apps that just finished installing themselves, and other relevant events. You can also tap the notification panel for a summary of recent happenings (which you can dismiss by clicking the "X" next to an item), or to get quick access to Wi-Fi settings, the screen orientation lock, display brightness, and other key settings.

Swiping back and forth takes you to the other available Honeycomb home screens—five in all—where you can drag app icons, install widgets, or add shortcuts for individual contacts (complete with quick links for firing off a message, mapping your contact's location, or viewing their latest tweets).

Among the best of Honeycomb's new features, though, is the multitasking button; tap it, and a column of medium-sized thumbnails pops up, each containing a snapshot of apps that are suspended (or still running, in some cases) in the background. It's a welcome, easy-to-scan representation of your recently-used apps, although it's worth noting that you'll only see five to seven thumbnails at a time, and you can't swipe the column to see additional background apps.

Speaking of apps, the Xoom offers us the first look at Google's core, built-for-Honeycomb apps—including Gmail, Maps, Books, Music, and Talk—and for the most part, they're terrific.

A key operating principle behind Honeycomb-enabled Android apps is that they allow for new buckets of content (such as additional columns or panels) that can be displayed or hidden depending on the orientation in which you're holding the tablet, or depending on whether you're using a tablet or a smaller smartphone.

You can see that principle at work in the two-column Gmail app, which starts with a list of folders in the left column and a list of messages on the right. Tap a message, and the columns slide from left to right to make room for the message body; turn the Xoom in a vertical orientation, and the app revents to a one-column view. Also nice: Honeycomb's new support for dragging and dropping e-mail messages into various folders.

Other Google apps take advantage of Honeycomb's tablet-friendly architecture in different ways; the new Music app, for instance, lets you flick through a carousel of jumbo-sized album covers, while the redesigned Android Market app boasts a trio of large graphic promos along the top, with a scrollable list of categories along the right side of the screen.

With its curved, swipable wall of videos, the new YouTube app is especially striking, as is the much-hyped Google Maps application, which now lets you tilt the map view with a two-finger gesture, complete with 3D buildings that change perspective as you swipe your way around the world. Nicely done (and effortlessly rendered by the Xoom's Tegra 2 processor, by the way).

The new Honeycomb Web browser on the Xoom is a mixed bag. I love the added support for tabbed browsing, as well as the Incognito mode borrowed from Google Chrome (and by the way: if you're a Google Chrome user and you've signed into your Google account, all your bookmarks will be automatically synced.)

But scrolling and zooming can be poky at times, with the browser often taking a moment or two before registering a tap or swipe—disappointing, given the Xoom's otherwise stellar speed and performance.

Another bummer—for now, at least—is the news that the Xoom won't support in-browser Flash on Day One, although Adobe promises a Flash update for the Xoom (and other upcoming Honeycomb tablets, for that matter) in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, developers of third-party Android apps are still busy updating their wares for Honeycomb, meaning there will be a paucity of built-for-Honeycomb applications in the Android Market come the Xoom's launch day. That's the bad news; the good news is that a variety of standard Android apps look pretty good in full-screen mode on the Xoom—indeed, they look far better than pixel-doubled iPhone apps on the iPad.

Angry Birds, for instance, looks so good on the Xoom that I had to double-check (again) that it hadn't been tweaked for Honeycomb; same for Pocket Legends, a 3D, "World of Warcraft"-style game for smartphones.

Other non-Honeycomb apps had a tougher time adapting to the Xoom's jumbo display, with large swaths of empty, unused space in some cases, or (even worse) glitchy performance in others. Both the Facebook and Twitter apps—two of the most popular apps in the Android Market—crashed repeatedly during my tests, although I was able to install a Twitter widget on one of the Xoom's home pages. (No such luck with Facebook, unfortunately.)

Such kinks will hopefully be ironed out soon as Android developers start rolling out their various Honeycomb updates. Still, early Xoom adopters should expect a bumpy ride when it comes to apps, at least in the first days and weeks after the tablet's release.

As with other upcoming tablets—Android-based and otherwise—the Xoom will arrive with a pair of cameras: a five-megapixel camera in back, capable of 720p video recording, and a 2MP camera in front that'll do video chat over Wi-Fi or 3G. Image quality on the Xoom's cameras was solid, with decent looking stills and video—in other words, pretty much what you'd expect from a recent, high-end smartphone.

Battery life on the Xoom was impressive during my tests—indeed, after more than 50 hours of on-and-off testing without a charge, the Xoom's battery still had about 32 percent in reserve. Your mileage will vary, of course, especially if you're doing a lot of surfing or video streaming over the tablet's 4G connection. For its part, Motorola is promising about 10 hours of video playback.

Unfortunately, the Xoom's micoUSB port won't charge the tablet; instead, you'll have to use the included AC adapter with its own tiny plug. And here's another odd quirk: for now, the Xoom's microSD memory expansion slot is useless, and will remain so until a "future" update arrives. Once the slot is enabled, however, you'll be able to add up to 32GB of additional storage.

Sharing space with the Xoom's microSD slot is a second, larger port for a SIM card, good for access to Verizon's just-launched 4G LTE network. Again, though, 4G support won't be available at launch; instead, Motorola and Verizon say an update will be coming in the second quarter of this year. Xoom owners will receive an e-mail from Verizon with instructions for upgrading their tablets, when the time comes.

Still, many of the Xoom's drawbacks—the lack of Flash and 4G access, the limited memory expansion, the paltry app selection of Honeycomb apps—will be addressed in the coming weeks and months. Others, like the weird placement of the power button and the tablet's overall heft, won't be going away. If you're uncertain whether you'll take to the Xoom's design, you might be better off waiting for another Android tablet, like the coming LG G-Slate or the new, 10.1-inch Samsung tablet.

And if you're not interested in going the Android way, there's always the HP Touchpad, which is based on the slick WebOS platform that powers the Palm Pre and its successors. Or there's RIM's PlayBook, which may appeal more to BlackBerry fans.

And yes, there's the impending iPad 2, which we'll finally get to lay eyes on next week.

In the end, though, the Xoom (for me, at least) makes for the most impressive Android tablet to date, as well as a promising start to the expected parade of Honeycomb-enabled tablets this year.

— Ben Patterson is a technology blogger for Yahoo! News.

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King plans one-man comedy tour

23 February 2011 Last updated at 10:30 GMT Larry King will soon appear as a guest on his replacement's talk show Veteran broadcaster Larry King, who left his CNN talk show in December after 25 years, is to tour the US with a one-man comedy show.

The 77-year-old will give fans "a hilarious and insightful look" at his life both behind and in front of the cameras, producers said.

Audiences will also be able to ask King questions during the tour, which starts on 14 April in Connecticut.

Seven dates have been announced so far, the last being in Las Vegas on 11 June.

"Larry King's style and wit will give audiences an evening to remember," producers Base Entertainment and Karl Engemann said.

After King left his nightly talk show, former tabloid editor and talent show judge Piers Morgan stepped in to replace him.

The broadcaster will be interviewed by his successor in an edition of Piers Morgan Tonight to be aired later this week.

Morgan has said he expects there to be "a little tension in the air" when he sits down to quiz his predecessor.

In an interview with the BBC last week, King said he thought Morgan had been "oversold" to US TV audiences and that his show "might have been better off starting quietly".

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Grade favours Forsyth knighthood

22 February 2011 Last updated at 10:06 GMT Lord Grade became BBC chairman in 2004, the same year Strictly Come Dancing was launched It is "shocking" that veteran entertainer Bruce Forsyth has yet to receive a knighthood, former BBC and ITV chairman Michael Grade has said.

"There's an innate snobbery in Whitehall that music hall is vulgar," he told the Radio Times. "It's the same with television."

Forsyth, who turned 83 on Tuesday, was made a CBE in 2006.

Last year he said he was "in very good company" and that he was content with his current honour.

"Morecambe and Wise never got a knighthood, the Two Ronnies never got a knighthood," he was quoted as saying.

"I have a CBE which I was very pleased to accept and still am very pleased to accept.

"If that's as far as it goes, that's as far as it goes."

Lord Grade, who was made a member of the House of Lords last year, said he had "lost count of the number of dinner-party conversations where someone says, 'television is dreadful.'

"I ask if they've seen a particular programme. 'Oh yes, that was good.' Their arguments fall apart within seconds.

"Television hasn't got worse," he continued. "It's different."

Known for hosting such classic game shows as The Generation Game and Play Your Cards Right, Bruce Forsyth has presented Strictly Come Dancing since 2004.

Last month he received a special recognition prize at the National TV awards.

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Cleopatra reborn

24 February 2011 Last updated at 10:41 GMT Martha Leebolt plays Cleopatra, with Tobia Batley as Mark Anthony Seductive, ruthless and ultimitely tragic - the legend of Cleopatra has inspired numerous artists, dramatists and film-makers down the ages, from Shakespeare to Hollywood. Now, her story is being turned into a ballet.

Characters in ballets are often too nice.

That is the view of David Nixon OBE, artistic director of Northern Ballet and choreographer and co-writer of the new production about Cleopatra.

The story of the Egyptian queen and her lovers Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony is filled with power struggles, sexual manipulation, warring empires and passionate love.

"A lot of the times in ballet we have very sweet, normal, romantic people," Nixon says.

"These people are not nice, necessarily, but they're hugely attractive to us. They are commanding and so larger than life."

Ballet need not be innocent, he argues, despite the fact that some audiences want their shows to be "pretty and sweet".

"They don't want to allow us to be deeper and richer artists," he says.

"The most interesting people in life are actually the ones that have these multi-facets to them. They have huge dark sides.

"They have good sides as well. But when you're a God queen and you're dealing with the Roman Empire, you're not just a sweet loving person.

"You have to be manipulative and politically savvy and you have to be ruthless. And I think those things build for huge performances on stage, potentially."

Liz Taylor played Cleopatra in one of the most expensive films of the 1960s

It is fair to say the sugar plum fairy would not last long in Cleopatra's company.

The Cleopatra ballet will join a long list of dramatisations of her myth - from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and an opera by Handel to the lavish 1960s blockbuster starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

The Northern Ballet version has been written by Nixon with Claude-Michel Schonberg, who composed the scores for Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, two of the most popular stage musicals in theatre history.

"As a composer I'm a storyteller with music," Schonberg says. "What I don't like is to have the feeling that I'm repeating myself.

"Each time I write something I want it to be a brand new challenge for me, something I've never done before, and of course after all the musicals I've done I wanted to find something new."

This will be Schonberg's second ballet, after his 2002 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, also co-written with Nixon.

The ballet opens in Leeds on Saturday before going on a UK tour

The composer has learnt a lot about ballet since then, not least because he married ballerina Charlotte Talbot, who was Cathy in Wuthering Heights.

Schonberg says: "Now, knowing from the inside, there are many things that I ignored before - the process to write a choreography, to be a dancer, and the huge difficulty and hard work that they are doing."

The trick when devising this production was to tell the story of ancient Egypt without resorting to stereotypes, Schonberg explains.

"We are walking on a very thin line trying to tell the story and at the same time not falling into all the cliches that we know about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and everything", he says.

Cleopatra opens in the Northern Ballet's home city, Leeds, on Saturday, before going on a UK tour. It is one of a number of new ballets to take inspiration from classic stories.

Continue reading the main story

We would be fools to think that we can do what we want, because we do need an audience”

End Quote David Nixon Northern Ballet artistic director Next week, two more premieres take place - The Royal Ballet is presenting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, while Matthew Bourne's The Lord of the Flies opens in Glasgow.

And David Nixon is an old hand at adapting well-known tales, having created ballets based on A Midsummer's Night Dream, Peter Pan, Dracula, The Three Musketeers and Hamlet during his 10-year tenure at Northern Ballet.

That strategy is a result of hard economic reality - at least in part - he admits.

"If you don't base it [a ballet] on something that the audience know, you're not going to sell enough tickets to sustain your organisation," he says.

"When you're a big organisation with big productions and live music, all that is expensive and therefore it's a little bit of a compromise game still. You have to interest the public enough to spend their money to come and see you.

"We would be fools to think that we can do what we want, because we do need an audience."

One lesson learned is that audiences will not buy tickets if they cannot imagine the story being told through dance.

"I remember when I first arrived, we did a version of A Streetcar Named Desire and it didn't sell," he recalls. "When we asked people, they said: 'Well I couldn't see it as a dance piece.' So you do struggle."

He is now relying on the belief that ballet lovers will have fewer problems imagining the exotic and sensual Cleopatra coming alive on stage.

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Zimbabwe detains 46 over lecture

23 February 2011 Last updated at 22:38 GMT Lawyers for the group say the lecture was just an academic political debate The Zimbabwe authorities have detained 46 people for attending a lecture on the unrest in North Africa and the Middle East.

The group has been charged with seeking to overthrow President Robert Mugabe by emulating the protests which toppled the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia.

Police raided their meeting in Harare on Saturday, seizing their equipment.

Correspondents say they could face further treason charges when they appear in court again on Thursday.

The activists, trade unionists and students were attending a meeting entitled "Revolt in Egypt and Tunisia: What lessons can be learnt by Zimbabwe and Africa?".

The talk was being presented by Munyaradzi Gwisai, a former lawmaker in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who runs the International Socialist Organisation pressure group and was among those detained.

Media reports said a video projector, laptop and two DVDs were seized.

Zimbabwean media said police had information that the group were attempting to organise illegal street protests against the government.

Defence lawyers say the lecture was an academic debate, but the group have been charged with attempting to overthrow Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980.

"They appeared in court this afternoon and they are facing charges of treason or alternatively subverting a constitutionally-elected government," lawyer Alec Muchadehama told the AFP news agency.

He said the case would continue on Thursday, where would also raise complaints that his clients were beaten by the police.

The BBC's southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen says Zimbabwe has faced a virtual news blackout on the dramatic global events of the past few weeks.

But activists have been using social network sites to galvanise opposition groups to protests emulating those across the Middle East and northern Africa, she adds.

Mr Mugabe's critics accuse him of using violence to quell his political opponents, who are part of a power sharing deal which the president says has run its course.

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Wrexham owner pleads for offers

24 February 2011 Last updated at 11:52 GMT Hotel owner Stephanie Booth is meeting the club's owner on Thursday Wrexham FC owner Geoff Moss has tried to "counter newspaper headlines and to reassure fans" the club does not face imminent administration.

He said the club continued to operate and still hoped for promotion to the Football League.

Mr Moss, who is selling the club, wants all interested parties to contact him, but warned "time is of the essence".

Local hotel owner Stephanie Booth said she was due to meet Mr Moss to discuss a possible purchase on Thursday.

Ms Booth owns a chain of hotels and has been the subject of a fly-on-the-wall TV series, Hotel Stephanie.

She said she believes the Racecourse should be owned and managed by the community and would consider buying the club if the sale was done "properly, openly and honestly."

She told BBC Radio Wales that she had bid to buy the club when it was in administration several years ago.

Ms Booth said the Racecourse ground needed to be "multi-use", adding: "It needs to have shows, concerts, as well as rugby, and that subsidises the football."

Continue reading the main story

I have put the club on the market...It is now up to interested parties to contact me."”

End Quote Geoff Moss Wrexham FC owner Referring to her current interests, she said she ran a "swathe" of businesses.

She said: "None of them are football clubs but the problem is clubs call them [supporters] 'fans' - I would call them customers and Wrexham hasn't been customer-focused, it hasn't done what the fans want it to do."

On Wrexham's failure to stay in the Football League, she said: "That's the vital part of it but you cannot do that unless the club's financially viable and at the moment Dean [Saunders] and the squad are probably more worried about what's going on off the pitch than on the pitch."

Mr Moss said he and club chairman Ian Roberts had "got the message" that fans wanted them to leave, and said "we are acting on that as quickly as we can".

He added: "Obviously, with my decision to stand down, it is clear that I will not continue to fund the club.

"We have been open with potential purchases [sic] that investment needs to be made in the short term, in particular to fund the playing squad we assembled to make that push for promotion.

'Time, money and effort'

"But that is standard with any takeover.

"Big games at the next few home games will boost the players on the field and will financially assist any incoming owner."

Mr Moss said he would prefer to sell to a fan-based consortium, and has held talks with Wrexham councillor Phil Wynn, who is trying to assemble a consortium.

The Wrexham Supporters' Trust has said it is also in discussions with the local authority and wants to put together a community-based bid.

He added: "I have invested a lot of time, money and effort into the club over the last few years and I am hoping for promotion as much as anyone and I want to be able to hand the club on to someone or a group who will positively benefit the club.

"That is perhaps most likely with ownership by fans or a fan group, but any new owners will at the very least want to enjoy the support of the fans.

"If anyone feels that they have the best interests of Wrexham FC at heart, is able to invest in the necessary areas and can command significant support, then I would be pleased to sit down with them and talk about a sale, whether that be with Phil Wynn, the Wrexham Supporters' Trust, Stephanie Booth or anyone else.

"To use the analogy of a house sale, I have put the club on the market and the accountants are preparing the particulars. It is now up to interested parties to contact me."

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Indian police beat cricket fans

24 February 2011 Last updated at 10:34 GMT The crowd grew angry over the prolonged wait for tickets

Fans queuing outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in the Indian city of Bangalore to buy tickets for the cricket World Cup have clashed with police.

Television pictures showed policemen hitting dozens of fans on their legs and backs.

Many of the fans had been waiting since Wednesday night. Reports said they were angered by the shortage of tickets available for purchase at the venue.

Bangalore is to host Sunday's World Cup showdown between India and England.

According to reports, barely 8,000 tickets are up for sale at the stadium which can accommodate 40,000 people.

The BBC's Alison Mitchell, who is in Bangalore, says that there were chaotic scenes on Thursday - tickets for the match were on sale from early in the morning and people started queuing the night before.

There were chaotic scenes as the police struggled to restore order

Our correspondent says that the queues snaked around stadium, holding up traffic on a busy road outside.

Police used batons to control them and unconfirmed reports say that some suffered serious injuries in crushes by the ticket booths.

When the available tickets sold out in two-and-a-half hours, thousands of fans were disappointed, although the crowd dispersed quickly.

Mishandling

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that ticket sales have been a huge problem for the organisers - only a few thousand tickets are available for the general public because the bulk of them have been given away to sponsors and commercial partners.

The match was originally scheduled to be held in Calcutta's Eden Gardens but was later moved to Bangalore after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was with unhappy with the preparations.

The ICC has now written to the Indian organisers of the World Cup complaining about mishandling of ticket sales and distribution.

On Monday, an official website selling tickets for the final crashed after millions of people tried to log on. Many others who had bought tickets online up to six months ago are still to receive them.

The clashes on Thursday are the latest mishap to hit India's World Cup arrangements.

Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, the venue for the final, was only given clearance to host matches by the city's fire department earlier this week.

England fans were strongly critical when news of the venue change to Bangalore first emerged earlier this month. Many complained that they had been left out of pocket.

The 27 February showdown with India was switched to the city after it was ruled that Calcutta's iconic Eden Gardens would not be ready in time.

"They'd bought tickets, booked flights and accommodation and now it has been pulled last minute," England supporter Paul Burnham told the BBC at the time of the switch.

The match between 1983 champions India and three-time runners-up England at Eden Gardens was to be one of the highlights of the month-long World Cup group stage, with tickets first going on sale last June.

The ground, which held 90,000 people before its recent renovation, is a place of pilgrimage for international cricketers and fans, having first hosted a Test in 1934 and staged the 1987 World Cup final when Australia beat England.

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Hospital obesity admissions soar

24 February 2011 Last updated at 10:45 GMT Experts say more cases of obesity should be treated The number of people admitted to hospital in England for obesity-related reasons rose by more than 30% last year.

But NHS statistics also show the increase in obesity rates in adults seen in recent years may be flattening out.

Experts believe it is too early to say if rates of obesity are now decreasing.

The health watchdog NICE recently advised that more cases of serious obesity should be treated in hospital.

There has also been a change in the way hospital procedures are recorded, meaning more obesity-related operations make their way into the statistics.

The number of weight-loss hospital procedures (bariatric operations) carried out in England rose by 70%, from just over 4,200 in 2008/09 to just over 7,200 in 2009/10.

Eighty per cent of these operations were carried out on women, and more were carried out in the East Midlands and London than any other regions.

Downward trend?

The report by the NHS Information Centre estimates that between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of obese men fell from 24% to 22%, while in women the figure went from 25% to 24%.

Continue reading the main story

"Hospital admissions in the last financial year topped 10,000 for the first time”

End Quote Tim Straughan, NHS Information Centre chief executive The fall is not regarded as being statistically significant and more data from future years will be needed to see if a downward trend in obesity levels is developing.

NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said the figures show the number of hospital admissions, procedures and prescriptions related to obesity are continuing to increase in England.

"Hospital admissions in the last financial year topped 10,000 for the first time, while bariatric procedures passed 7,000.

"This report brings together different strands of information to show how obesity impacts upon our society, both in the community and in our hospitals, and gives health professionals and policy makers a clearer picture of how this affects the health service and how it is changing over time."

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RBS reports 2010 loss of £1.13bn

24 February 2011 Last updated at 10:39 GMT UK taxpayers own an 84% stake in RBS Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has reported a loss of £1.13bn for 2010, a bigger figure than analysts had been expecting.

However, this is an improvement on the £3.6bn loss the bank made in 2009, and the £24.3bn loss it made in 2008.

Money put aside for bad loans fell by 33% compared with a year earlier, to £9.3bn.

The government still owns an 83% stake in RBS after bailing the bank out during the financial crisis of 2008.

Last week, Barclays bank - which received no direct government funding - reported profits of £6.1bn for 2010.

'Step change'

The majority of the loss incurred in 2010 was due to a net exceptional charge of £1.1bn related to the government's Asset Protection Scheme, designed to insure banks against losses from bad loans.

The bank also highlighted a growing problem at its Ulster Bank subsidiary in Northern Ireland.

Nearly £1.2bn of losses on bad loans, mainly to commercial and residential property borrowers, led the bank's losses to more than double to £761m for the year.

For the final three months of 2010, RBS made a profit of £12m, compared with a loss of £765m in the final quarter of 2009.

It lent £52bn to businesses between March 2010 and February 2011, "well ahead" of its full-year target of £50bn, the bank said.

Over the same 11-month period, it lent £15bn to mortgage customers compared with a full-year target of £8bn.

The bank described 2010 as a "step change in our financial performance".

"The return to operating profit reflects both the internal rebuilding process at RBS and the external recovery in market and economic conditions," said chairman Philip Hampton.

"We are still a good way from where we want to be in terms of our performance but 2010 represents another big stride towards that goal."

A number of analysts had expected the bank to break even for the year.

"RBS is clearly making progress from its former woes but remains a group in the grip of transition," said Richard Hunter at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Continue reading the main story "Bad loan provisions were significantly lower than the comparative period, whilst at an operating level the bank moved into profit after a torrid couple of financial years."

Shares in RBS fell by 2.4% to 46.2 pence following the results announcement.

Earlier this month, RBS said it would pay its investment bankers bonuses of about £950m for 2010 - down from £1.3bn the previous year.

Chief executive Stephen Hester will receive a £2.04m bonus - all in shares - with his salary frozen at the 2008 level of £1.2m.

Last year, Mr Hester declined to take his bonus of £1.6m.

Disastrous deal

RBS bought Dutch bank ABN Amro before the credit crunch in 2007, but the deal was a disaster and was a major factor in forcing the government to bail out the bank to the tune of £45bn.

The government paid an average of 50.2p for each of the 90.6 billion RBS shares it bought to save the bank from collapse.

The government has said it will sell its stake in RBS, but is unlikely to do so until the Independent Commission on Banking reports its findings.

The head of the commission, Sir John Vickers, will give an update on his findings next month before publishing the final report in September.

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Multitasking, cut-and-paste support coming to Windows Phone 7 (Ben Patterson)

Two of the biggest complaints about Microsoft's mobile OS reboot—no multitasking for third-party apps, and no cutting and pasting—will be fixed before the year is out, with the initial cut-and-paste update slated to arrive next month.

Speaking at Microsoft's Mobile World Congress keynote in Barcelona on Monday, Steve Ballmer promised that the first of two patches for Windows Phone 7—the one that adds cut and paste functionality, as well as tweaks supporting handsets on CDMA networks, such as those run by Sprint and Verizon Wireless—will be coming in early March.

Meanwhile, a second, "major" patch is due in the second half of this year—no word on exactly when—and will add a slew of new features, including multitasking for third-party apps, cloud-based storage for Office documents, Twitter integration into Windows Phone 7's "People" hub (which, for now, only taps into Facebook), and a revamped mobile browser based on Internet Explorer 9.

Interestingly enough, Ballmer didn't unveil any new Windows Phone 7 handsets during Monday's keynote, although Microsoft did promise that handsets for Sprint and Verizon will be "available soon." How soon? Good question.

Current Windows Phone 7 handsets already support multitasking for native Windows Phone apps (like the Zune music player), but the upcoming patch will finally enable multitasking and fast-app switching for third-party applications. Pressing and holding the "back" button will call up a series of tiles showing recently used apps; just tap one to switch, All Things Digital's Ina Fried reports.

The Windows Phone 7 browser will also be getting a much-needed shot in the arm, with the new version to be based on Microsoft's still-in-beta IE 9 desktop browser. That means HTML5 support is at last on the way, along with hardware-accelerated graphics.

Not included in the second Windows Phone update, however: Flash support, with a Microsoft exec telling All Things Digital that the lack of Flash is due to "battery [life] and other reasons," rather than a sign that Microsoft is "allergic to Flash."

The larger of the two Windows Phone 7 updates will also let mobile Office users store and share documents in the cloud, via Microsoft's Windows Live SkyDrive service.

Microsoft also showed off how Windows Phone users might eventually be able to play along with Xbox 360 games—for example, imagine a game of Kinect dodgeball where a Windows Phone user controlled the ball's trajectory by tapping and swiping on the touchscreen. Interesting, but Microsoft execs stressed that the demo was only that—a demo, with no guarantees that the feature would actually ship.

The news comes just days after Nokia announced that it will phase out its Symbian OS in favor of Windows Phone 7, which will become its "primary" smartphone platform.

Related:
Press release [Microsoft]
Microsoft to Add Multitasking, Internet Explorer 9 to Windows Phone Later this Year [All Things Digital]
Windows Phone 7 and Kinect learn to play ball together [VentureBeat]

— Ben Patterson is a technology blogger for Yahoo! News.

Follow me on Twitter!

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Cameron in Libya response apology

24 February 2011 Last updated at 11:09 GMT David Cameron said he was "extremely sorry" for the delay in evacuating Britons from Libya Prime Minister David Cameron has said he is "extremely sorry" for the government's handling of the evacuation of British nationals from Libya.

He said it had not been an easy situation and ministers needed to "learn the lessons".

It follows criticism of the government's response to the crisis.

A plane chartered by oil companies for employees, with 78 passengers, has arrived at Gatwick and a government-chartered flight has also left Libya.

The prime minister said: "Of course I am extremely sorry. They have had a difficult time. The conditions at the airport have been extremely poor."

A flight chartered by oil companies arrived at Gatwick at about 0715 GMT.

The airport said the plane carried 78 passengers. Earlier reports suggested more people had been on board.

A government-chartered flight, which left Tripoli at 0745 GMT, is now on its way back to the UK with a stop-over in Malta.

It is expected to land in the UK in the early evening.

British nationals have started to arrive home from protest-hit Libya

A RAF Hercules C130 aircraft is also expected to return to the UK later with dozens of passengers. A second military plane is on standby in Malta if needed.

The Foreign Office said "a number of additional planes" could be sent to Libya throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Royal Navy frigate HMS Cumberland is now at the entrance to the harbour in Benghazi.

It will help with the evacuation process if needed.

A meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency planning committee, is being chaired by Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Helena Sheehan, 66, one of the passengers who landed at Gatwick earlier, said she had just experienced "some of the worst hours of her life".

"Libya is descending into hell," she said.

"The airport is like nothing I've ever seen in my whole life. It's absolute chaos. There's just thousands and thousands of people trying to get out."

The British Red Cross has deployed a team of volunteers to Gatwick airport to provide support to Britons being evacuated.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said an SAS contingent has been put on standby for emergency deployment to parts of Libya, backed up by paratroopers of the Special Forces Support Group.

Our correspondent said: "With the situation for some British nationals in Libya fast deteriorating, it's part of a range of options being considered by the government to rescue those stranded in the North African country.

"Exact numbers and the locations of any staging areas are being kept secret but it's a scenario that British Special Forces have trained hard for - landing in the midst of a dangerous and chaotic situation then securing the safe passage out of stranded Britons, all hopefully without a shot being fired."

Several other countries, including France, Russia and the Netherlands have already evacuated some of their citizens.

UK nationals wishing to register an interest in flights out of Libya should call the following numbers: 020 7008 0000 from the UK or 021 3403644/45 from Libya.

The Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to Libya.

Around 3,500 Britons had been living in Libya before the crisis but most of those are thought to have left in recent days.

Passengers landing at Gatwick expressed relief to have left Libya

However, there is particular concern for some British oil workers thought to be stranded in isolated desert camps.

They are struggling to make contact because the phone networks have been disrupted and their supplies of food and water from Libyan cities are running out.

"Some we know have been subjected to attacks and looting. They are in a perilous and frightening situation," said Mr Hague.

After a week of upheaval in Libya, protesters backed by defecting army units are thought to have almost the entire eastern half of Libya under their control.

The country's beleaguered leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who has been in power for 42 years, has vowed to fight to his "last drop of blood" rather than leave the country.

Earlier, Mr Hague told the BBC the "odds were stacking up" against Col Gaddafi, adding: "We have a government, or the remnant of a government, here which is prepared to use force and violence against its own people."

He said the Libyan leadership will be "held to account" for crimes against its people.

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Coldplay to play at T in the Park

Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay have joined Foo Fighters as the other two headliners at this year's T in the Park festival.

Brit Award winners Plan B, Tinie Tempah and Jessie J will also appear.

Other names to watch out for include My Chemical Romance, Pendulum, White Lies, The Script, Pulp and The Saturdays.

Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys head the bill on Friday 8 July, while Coldplay and Foo Fighters play on the following two days.

Continue reading the main story

I can't wait to open up the campsite gates in July and welcome back the T in the Park community - bring on Balado 2011

Geoff Ellis T in the Park director

Festival director Geoff Ellis said: "I'm really pleased with our artist announcements and proud to deliver a whole host of bands including many that T in the Park fans told us they wanted to see when we surveyed them post event.

"We're delighted that T in the Park is the festival that bands want to play at and music lovers want to be at.

"I can't wait to open up the campsite gates in July and welcome back the T in the Park community - bring on Balado 2011."

T in the Park takes place in Balado, Kinross-shire with the next batch of tickets going on sale on 25 February at 9am.

The bill also includes Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye, blink-182, Brandon Flowers, Jimmy Eat World, Miles Kane and White Lies.

Meanwhile, KT Tunstall, The Vaccines, Noah and the Whale, House Of Pain, Eliza Doolittle and Ke$ha are among other acts who have been named.

Last year's event was headlined by Eminem, Muse and Kasabian.

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South Africa vs West Indies Live Cricket Match Highlights

ICC world cup 2011 South Africa vs West Indies Scores:

ICC world cup 2011 RSA vs WI Toss:South Africa won the toss and elected to field

ICC world cup 2011 West Indies Score:WI: 222 (47.3 Ovs)

2011 world cup South Africa Score:RSA: 27/2 (7.0 Ovs).

The seventh game of the World Cup will be played between West Indies and South Africa in New Delhi. The two teams met four times in the tournament with the West Indian side to have won 2 and the South Africans have won two as well.

However, it will be interesting to see that the western side of India won the two games during the most important step – their first victory came in the 1996 World Cup when he was a quarter-final and South Africa became a 100% record of wins the tournament.

It was followed by a victory in the 2003 World Cup, which was an outbreak of the World Cup to South Africans and they were packed on the Caribbean.

South Africa beat West Indies were denied the last 11 ODIs. It includes the 2007 World Cup match and the series at home and in the Caribbean. Last registered to win the West Indies against South Africa in 2006 was the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

NI couple recall earthquake drama

24 February 2011 Last updated at 10:52 GMT A statue lies where it fell in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, after the earthquake A NI couple have described how they were lucky to survive the New Zealand earthquake which has claimed the lives of more than 90 people.

Tony and Rosemary Irwin from Dungannon, were due to visit Christchurch Cathedral on Tuesday when it struck.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has "strong concerns" for the safety of two Irish people following the quake which killed an Irishman.

Mrs Irwin said her husband had saved her and was a "hero".

She said he had pushed her into a shop doorway in a bid to escape the devastation

"On that very morning we had decided to go up to visit the lovely cathedral and have a tour," she said.

"We were at the very top of the street when the most incredible quake happened, the ground both rolling and rising.

"My husband is a hero in this because it was his quick thinking that saved us both."

Around 20 people are believed to have died after the spire collapsed at the cathedral. Police are still searching for more than 200 people in the city.

Mr Irwin described the situation which they encountered as the earthquake started to take effect.

"It was a choice between going out onto the street or getting under a doorway into a building that might collapse," he added.

"There is really not very much time to think about it, but I could see the bricks coming down and I just grabbed Rosemary and rolled her into a shop doorway and we just stayed there huddled in the corner until it was over.

"There were bricks raining down and the shaking was astonishing.

"When it all stopped there was absolute silence.

Owen McKenna

"The noise must have been horrendous, but I don't remember hearing any of it."

Meanwhile, tributes are being paid to the Irishman who died in the New Zealand earthquake. He was 41-year-old Owen McKenna, originally from Emyvale in County Monaghan.

He was married to a woman from NZ and had two children of primary school age. He trained as a nurse in London but moved to NZ after meeting his wife.

His car was crushed under falling debris during the quake in Christchurch.

His mother and wider family circle still live in the Emyvale area.

Rescue teams in Christchurch have been searching the rubble for survivors and the government has declared a national state of emergency.

An emergency number has been issued for those concerned about friends and family in Christchurch.

The number to contact in New Zealand is 00 64 78 50 21 99.

The NZ police website is www.police.govt.nz

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin has also issued a contact number for anyone with concerns about family or friends in the Christchurch area. The number is 003531 4180222

The Foreign Office is also offering assistance to British citizens who have been caught up in the earthquake in New Zealand. The number to call 020 7008 8765.

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Pinewood to open in Latin America

23 February 2011 Last updated at 19:55 GMT The site will include an eight acre water effects facility with 75 sq water tank Pinewood Shepperton is opening film studios in the Dominican Republic to serve Latin America, it has announced.

The company, best known for its association with the James Bond films, will build a 35-acre site comprising 5,000 sq m of sound stage space and 15,000 sq m of production facilities.

It will also include an eight-acre water effects facility with a 75 sq m exterior water tank.

Construction will begin immediately and is expected to open early next year.

The water tank will also feature natural ocean horizons, blue screen capabilities and a fully equipped diving and marine department, making it the only tank of its type and size in the region.

Dominican politicians, including First Lady Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez and Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso attended the groundbreaking ceremony, which was led by President Leonel Fernandez.

"This represents further progress in Pinewood's strategy to leverage the strength of our brand internationally and specifically to the growing Latino film and television market," Ivan Dunleavy, chief executive of Pinewood Shepperton said.

Pinewood's plans to expand further in the UK and build a 100-acre site in Buckinghamshire were dealt a blow in 2009 after its application was rejected by the local council.

The £200m project would have seen the streets of New York, Paris and Venice recreated, as well as up to 1,500 new homes built.

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VIDEO: Lohan warned she could go to jail

23 February 2011 Last updated at 22:34 GMT Help

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NI woman caught in NZ earthquake

22 February 2011 Last updated at 08:49 GMT Dungiven woman Cathy Harris who has been caught up in the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand A Dungiven woman caught up in the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, has said it was the "most terrifying experience" of her life.

A state of emergency was declared after the earthquake struck at lunchtime.

At least 65 people are known to have died and more are trapped under rubble.

Cathy Harris, a former BBC Radio Foyle employee, emigrated to the suburb of Ashburton, just south of Christchurch with her young son Thomas and husband Richard in 2009.

She said the situation in Christchurch is "pretty horrendous."

"I was at home making some lunch when the earthquake hit and I just got under a table," she said.

"I know it was a much smaller earthquake than hit in September but it was a much more violent. I just knew straightaway that there was going to be catastrophic damage.

Continue reading the main story

There are still colleagues of mine I haven't been able to get it touch with, I'm hoping they are okay but it's terrible not knowing”

End Quote Cathy Harris Dungiven woman caught up in the eathquake in New Zealand "The worst thing was my son was at school so as soon as the quake finished we went straight there. Thankfully it was lunchtime and the children were all out in the playground which is where they would have been had they been evacuated to if they had been indoors.

"There were a lot of very distressed children but our boy Thomas was remarkably calm about the whole thing.

"There are still colleagues of mine I haven't been able to get it touch with, I'm hoping they are okay but it's terrible not knowing.

"When the quake hit I was just looking at the carpet watching the ground moving. It's just the most awful thing, you feel so powerless.

"It's the most terrifying experience. It's a whole new level of absolute fear.

"We are just dreading the next one. We are just trying to keep things normal for Thomas' sake and trying not transfer our fear to him, which isn't easy to do."

Rescuers are searching the debris for trapped people

The Foreign Office is offering consular assistance for anyone with concerns regarding family or friends who may be in the Christchurch area. They can be contacted on 0207 008 1500.

The Government in the Republic of Ireland has also issued a number. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin can be contacted on 00 353 1 478 0822.

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Blocking enzyme cut cancer spread

22 February 2011 Last updated at 05:47 GMT Blocking an enzyme can prevent can cells spreading Scientists at the UK's Institute of Cancer Research have prevented breast cancer spreading to other organs in mice by blocking a chemical.

In their experiments, they showed that blocking the enzyme LOXL2 prevented metastasis.

They said their findings, published in Cancer Research, provided a "fantastic drug target" and were "highly likely" to be used in a clinical setting.

Cancer charities say the research shows great promise.

The authors of the report say 90% of cancer deaths are due to tumours migrating around the body.

When they looked at patients with breast cancer, they showed that high levels of the enzyme LOXL2 were linked with cancer spread and poor survival rates.

They also showed that LOXL2 was important in the early stages of cancer spread. It helps cancerous cells escape from the breast tissue and get into the bloodstream.

Continue reading the main story

This laboratory research shows great promise and we look forward to seeing how it translates into patients”

End Quote Arlene Wilkie Breast Cancer Campaign In their studies on mice, they used chemicals and antibodies to block the activity of LOXL2. This stopped breast cancer spreading to other tissues.

Lab to Medicine

Dr Janine Erler, team leader at the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "LOXL2 is a fantastic drug target, it's highly likely to be used in a clinical setting."

She said the findings were not just important for drug development, but also for developing a test which can predict the likelihood of cancer spreading and as a result, patient outcomes.

Arlene Wilkie, Director of Research and Policy at Breast Cancer Campaign, which funded the study with the ICR and Cancer Research UK, said: "Dr Erler's results are very exciting, as although currently we can treat breast cancer that has spread, we cannot cure it.

"By using LOX2 to predict whose cancer will spread and drugs to block the enzyme to stop this from happening, many more lives could be saved. This laboratory research shows great promise and we look forward to seeing how it translates into patients."

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Cancer spread is an important problem in breast and other cancers, and scientists are searching to find new ways to stop cancer spread and save many more lives.

"The team have shown that targeting the molecule LOXL2, which plays a key role in spread, could offer new approaches to tackle this problem."

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Fall in pregnancy among under-18s

22 February 2011 Last updated at 11:55 GMT By Dominic Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News The rate of teenage pregnancies has fallen after hitting a high in the 1990s Pregnancies in girls under 18 in England and Wales have fallen to levels not seen since the early 1980s, according to new government figures.

The rate of conceptions in under-18s in 2009 fell by nearly 6% compared to the previous year.

The total number of pregnancies in 2009 increased very slightly after a small fall the previous year.

The figures - from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - are estimates for 2009.

The rate of pregnancy among under 18s, which takes account of fluctuations in population, fell to 38.3 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17.

The actual number of conceptions in under 18s was 38,259 compared with 41,361 in 2008, a decline of 7.5%.

Nearly half of these conceptions led to abortions.

The figures will give some encouragement to policy makers and health workers who have struggled to bring down teenage pregnancy rates after they hit a high in the early 1990s.

Continue reading the main story

There remains a huge variation in the progress that has been made in reducing teenage pregnancy rates across the country”

End Quote Sarah Teather Children's Minister But they still fall well short of a target set by the previous Labour government in 1998, now abandoned by the Coalition, to cut teenage pregnancies by 50% by 2010.

The Children's Minister Sarah Teather welcomed the fall in the teenage pregnancy rate but said there was still much to do.

"Teenage parents and their children are more likely to suffer from poor health, unemployment and poor achievement at school than their peers.

"There remains a huge variation in the progress that has been made in reducing teenage pregnancy rates across the country. Some local authorities have seen their rates decline by up to 45% while others have struggled.

"It is important, therefore, that local areas learn from each other and share what has worked, so that they invest in the things that will really make a difference."

Simon Blake, National Director of the Brook Advisory Centres which are the biggest providers of sexual health services and advice to under 25s, says the fall in the figures reflect a lot of good work over the last 10 years.

"We strongly urge the government to ensure a continued local and national focus on teenage pregnancy as we know that if we stop focusing on delivering sexual health services the rates will go up.

"In times of public spending cuts, making cuts to sexual health services is short sighted as this is crucial to young people's wellbeing and actually saves money - for every £1 spent on contraception £11 is saved."

Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of the Family Planning Association, also believes today's figures should be welcomed, but sounds a note of caution.

"The success brought about by today's figures revealing we're seeing the lowest teenage pregnancy in England and Wales for 30 years is down to a dedicated strategy in England with a tried and tested formula of sex and relationships education, contraception and information services and local services working together.

"However, the fact that the strategy no longer exists is a significant cause for concern and so the government must examine how to keep this tremendous momentum going."

The figures from the ONS also show a very small rise - less than one per cent - in the overall conception rate, compared to a similar fall in the previous year.

In terms of age, women aged 30-34 and 35-39 saw the largest percentage increase in conceptions - 3.5% and 3.4% respectively.

Confirmed figures for 2009 will be issued by the ONS in the autumn.

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