Wales targeting England novices

Venue: Twickenham StadiumDate: 25 FebruaryKick-off: 1600 GMTCoverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC One HD, Red Button and online from 1525 GMT; listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru; live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

Defence coach Shaun Edwards says Wales will be targeting England's inexperience in Saturday's Six Nations clash at Twickenham.

Wales go to London as strong favourites to achieve their 20th Triple Crown against a new-look England side.

"It's the first time England's axis of eight, nine, 10 [Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson and Owen Farrell] have played together," said Edwards.

"And like any axis you're going to try to put pressure on it."

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“I've played Test rugby and when you are carrying that ball into the first collision or making the first tackle you're not thinking about who's favourites. It's of no consequence”

Shaun Edwards Added Englishman Edwards: "Let's hope we can upset them. That's our job as a defensive unit, to make life as difficult as possible for our opponents."

Morgan, the Scarlets in-form number eight, and Dickson are making their first starts for England, while Farrell moves from centre to make his debut at outside-half.

But Edwards believes the presence at fly-half of 20-year-old Farrell, who moves to the centre to replace the injured Charlie Hodgson, does not weaken England, even though it was Hodgson's charge-down tries that led to wins over Scotland and Italy.

"You've got a guy playing at fly-half who recently won the Grand Final in the English championship in that position," said Edwards.

"I'm sure he will look back at that game and it will give him confidence.

"Every time Owen seems to get into a team people ask if he will be able to take it in his stride and he does. Everything that seems to be thrown at him he just responds to it with great maturity.

"He reminds me very much of his dad - he was like that."

Edwards and Andy Farrell - now part of Stuart Lancaster's coaching set-up - were rugby league team-mates with Great Britain and Wigan.

And Edwards recalled: "He came into the Wigan team when he was 17 and they put him in a room with Dean Bell, who was our captain, to ease his nerves.

"The morning of the match Dean Bell was being sick in the toilet and Andy was saying to him 'don't worry - we'll win this game no problem'."

With Farrell moving to fly-half, England have brought Manu Tuilagi back to fill the vacant centre spot.

Priestland confident of youthful Wales backline

Edwards added: "It [Tuilagi's recall] certainly makes the [England] backline bigger and I'm sure whoever's doing the defence for them will be pleased about that.

"He's probably the best ball-carrying centre in England and he adds a lot of size and power to the back line, which is going to counteract something we have a lot of."

The presence of Tuilagi makes it an interesting match-up against Wales' giant backline that includes George North, Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert.

Edwards describes this as Wales' biggest game since the World Cup and is hoping his side deliver a notable victory.

"There's no doubt rugby plays a big part in the Welsh psyche and people go to work with a smile on their face when their team's done well," he said.

"To win would be very rewarding for the team and for the whole of Wales.

"We're just excited to play rugby on such a big stage and in such a big game. It's probably the biggest game I've been involved in for a few years outside the Rugby World Cup.

"You know how big it is when people keep texting you asking for tickets!"

Wales start favourites following their victories over Ireland and Scotland , but Edwards is not taking anything for granted before visiting a ground that has surrendered just one Welsh win in 25 years.

"I've played Test rugby and when you are carrying that ball into the first collision or making the first tackle you're not thinking about who's favourites," he said. "It's of no consequence."

Antipsychotics death risk charted

24 February 2012 Last updated at 02:24 GMT By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News In the UK 180,000 people with dementia take antipsychotics Some antipsychotic medication may increase the risk of death in patients with dementia more than others, according to US research.

The drugs have a powerful sedative effect so are often used when dementia patients become aggressive or distressed.

A study, published on the BMJ website, argued that antipsychotics should not be used "in the absence of clear need".

Experts said better alternatives were needed to antipsychotics.

A study in 2009, suggested 180,000 people with dementia were taking antipsychotic medication in the UK and said the drugs resulted in 1,800 additional deaths.

Data differences

Researchers at Harvard Medical School followed 75,445 people in nursing homes who had dementia and were prescribed antipsychotics.

The researchers said some drugs were associated with more than twice the risk of death than risperidone, another antipsychotic which was used as a benchmark to compare the other drugs.

The study concluded: "The data suggest that the risk of mortality with these drugs is generally increased with higher doses and seems to be highest for haloperidol and least for quetiapine."

However, the way the study was conducted meant it could not say definitively that certain drugs actually caused more deaths, merely that there was a link between the two.

The Department of Health said antipsychotic use was "resulting in as many as 1,800 unnecessary deaths per year. This is simply unacceptable."

Michelle Fraser says two years on antipsychotics had "horrendous" side effects on her father Michael Rainford

"That's why reducing the level of antipsychotics prescribing for people with dementia by two-thirds is one the key priorities in the National Dementia Strategy."

The Dementia Action Alliance - which includes the Alzheimer's Society, Age UK and the Department of Health - has called for all prescriptions for antipsychotics to be reviewed by the end of March 2012.

Dr Chris Fox, who researches dementia at the University of East Anglia, said: "This study provides an interesting insight into the differential harm of these medicines.

"More work is needed on alternatives to these medicines in dementia with behavioural problems.

"In addition, there is a need to consider duration of use in more acute situations such as severe distress. Is six or 12-week use safe in people with dementia?"

Alzheimer's Research UK's chief executive Rebecca Wood said the risks of antipsychotics were "well-established" yet "progress has been frustratingly slow" in reducing their use.

She said the drugs "should only be used for people with dementia where there is no alternative for dealing with challenging behaviour".

Dr Anne Corbett, research manager at Alzheimer's Society, said: "For a minority of people with dementia antipsychotics should be used, but then only for up to 12 weeks, and under the correct circumstances. For the majority, they do far more harm than good."

Trial of Mubarak enters last day

22 February 2012 Last updated at 00:14 GMT The trial against Hosni Mubarak began last August The trial of Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak is due to begin its final day, after six months of hearings.

Mr Mubarak is accused of corruption, and of ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising that forced him to step down last February after three decades in power.

The prosecution has called for the death penalty for Mr Mubarak, who denies the charges against him.

The judge is expected to deliver his verdict at a later hearing.

His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and six senior police officers have also been put on trial. Mr Mubarak's sons face separate charges of corruption.

All the defendants have denied the charges.

Powerful figures

In his closing remarks on Monday, chief prosecutor Mustafa Suleiman said of the trial: "This is not a case about the killing of one or 10 or 20 civilians, but a case of an entire nation."

He told the court earlier that Mr Mubarak must have ordered police to open fire on protesters, leaving more than 800 dead.

The prosecution says it has taken testimony from 2,000 witnesses, including police officers who discussed orders from above to arm police with automatic rifles and shotguns to use against protesters.

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo, says that though most observers say the trial has been conducted relatively fairly, the prosecution maintains that it has been denied access to some of the most important evidence.

The court has not heard logs of calls from the interior ministry in the crucial hours when many of the protesters were killed, prosecutors say, and many key insiders have not given evidence while others have only appeared behind closed doors.

Defence lawyer Farid al-Deeb has said that the Egyptian army was in charge of security when protesters were killed.

He said Mr Mubarak had imposed a curfew on the afternoon of 28 January and transferred responsibility to the head of the army.

Mr Mubarak has attended his trial on a stretcher.

Lawyers for the 83-year-old said he risked suffering a stroke if he tried to sit up.

US backs Red Cross call for Syria

21 February 2012 Last updated at 22:46 GMT British newspaper journalist Marie Colvin: "I saw a baby die today"

The US has backed calls by the Red Cross for a humanitarian ceasefire in Syria to allow aid to reach the worst affected areas.

The White House said "reprehensible actions" by the Syrian government meant basic supplies were "very scarce".

The Red Cross says it is negotiating with both sides for a daily truce of at least two hours.

Meanwhile, Syrian activists say at least 100 people have been killed in the latest clashes.

Witnesses say Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have also intensified their attacks on rebel-held areas of the restive city of Homs.

Responding to the Red Cross appeal, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "The reprehensible actions taken by the Assad regime, the brutal violence perpetrated by the Syrian leader against his own people has led us to this situation where humanitarian supplies are very scare, and therefore action needs to be taken.

"So we would certainly support the calls for those kinds of ceasefires."

US State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said Washington wanted the violence to stop completely.

"If a pause is the best we can do, then we obviously want to get humanitarian aid and we want international organisations to be able to get humanitarian aid to those who are suffering from Assad's onslaught."

Bombardment

Asked about the possibility of arming the rebels, Ms Nuland said: "We don't believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarisation of Syria.

"That said... if we can't get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures."

The Local Co-ordination Committees, a network of activist groups, said at least 45 people had died during a heavy bombardment of Homs on Tuesday and dozens more were killed when government forces attacked villages in Idlib province.

Violence was also reported in the suburbs of Damascus.

Syria bars most foreign journalists and the numbers of casualties cannot be confirmed.

Opposition groups say the army is reinforcing its presence around Homs in preparation for a ground assault that rights groups have warned could turn into a massacre.

But the BBC's Jim Muir, monitoring events from neighbouring Lebanon, says it is unclear if the bombardment is the precursor to a ground assault.

World and Arab leaders are due to meet in Tunisia on Friday to discuss Syria's future.

But Russia, a key ally of the regime, says it will not attend the "Friends of Syria" meeting because the Syrian government would not be represented.

Russia and China have faced Western and Arab criticism for blocking a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab League peace plan for Syria.

Mr Assad has been trying to quell unrest for several months.

Unarmed protesters are now being backed by rebel fighters who have defected from government forces and call themselves the Free Syrian Army.

Teenager dies after school injury

28 February 2012 Last updated at 20:45 GMT Floral tributes have been left to Kyle Rees at Portchester School A 16-year-old boy has died after apparently being hit on the head with a hard ball at a Dorset school.

Kyle Rees was hurt at Portchester School, Bournemouth, on Monday and died after being transferred to Southampton General Hospital.

A 16-year-old boy arrested in connection with the incident has been released on bail.

He was held initially for an offence of assault and subsequently on suspicion of manslaughter.

A police statement said: "A cordon is currently in place at the school while officers investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

"Teachers and children have been helping police with their inquiries throughout the day."

Headteacher Debbie Godfrey-Phaure said: "Students and staff are devastated by this terrible tragedy and our hearts and prayers are very much with the boy's family and friends.

"It is difficult to know what to do for the best in these distressing circumstances but our focus must be providing as much support as possible to our close-knit school community as we all try to come to terms with what has happened.

"The next few weeks and months are going to be emotionally testing for our students and staff, but we will be doing all we can for them.

'Talented young man'

"We are also be fully assisting the authorities with their investigations.

"The emergency services cannot be praised highly enough for their prompt actions at the time, and we also pay tribute to the outstanding medical help he received at hospital.

"At an appropriate time we will be celebrating his memory and life at school. He was a memorable and talented young man. He was very popular with his peers and was due to do well in his GCSEs this summer."

Kim Drake, service director for children's social care at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "We have set up a counselling service at the school to offer pupils, staff and parents support following the incident at the school and we are currently working with both the school and the police with their investigation."

Kyle was injured at about 14:10 on Monday and taken to Bournemouth Hospital.

He was then transferred to Southampton General Hospital in a critical condition, where he died on Tuesday.

China to reform one-child slogans

27 February 2012 Last updated at 18:33 GMT By Viv Marsh BBC News Implementing the one-child law has been hugely controversial China is to overhaul the sometimes threatening slogans used to enforce its one-child policy, the authorities have announced.

Details of the project were published in the Chinese communist party newspaper, the People's Daily.

State media blamed local officials for coming up with phrases such as, "If you don't get sterilised, your house will be demolished".

They said they would be replaced by friendlier expressions.

But they insisted that the one-child policy itself would not change.

The Chinese Communist Party has long appreciated the value of the concise, direct political slogan, but in matters of family planning, street banners and wall posters are frequently seen as lacking tactfulness and taste.

'Kill your family'

Research by China's National Population and Family Planning Commission, published in the People's Daily, concluded that a quarter of slogans posted in furtherance of its policies had been crude and harsh in the past. It described some as spine-chilling.

Among the examples it cited were, "Kill all your family if you don't follow the rule" and, "If you escape (sterilisation), we'll hunt you down; if you want to hang yourself, we'll give you the rope".

The research said milder expressions should be used to "avoid offending the public and stoking social tensions".

For the past three decades, most Chinese couples in urban areas have been limited to having a single child.

Implementing the law has been hugely controversial, and has frequently involved sterilisation and even forced termination.

The one-child policy has also been blamed for causing a gender imbalance, with families eager to have male children and selectively aborting girls.

The People's Daily said future propaganda would address this issue, and suggested the slogan: "Caring for the girl means caring for the future of the nation."

Upbeat slogans were also mooted to prevent birth defects. The paper said one new slogan would be: "Please get rid of the alcohol and cigarettes before you plan to be a father".

Viagogo defends ticket sale deals

24 February 2012 Last updated at 16:23 GMT Coldplay tickets are among those allegedly allocated to Viagogo by promoters Secondary ticketing website Viagogo has defended the practice of gig promoters selling tickets on its website saying "we don't discriminate".

Channel 4's Dispatches highlighted the thousands of tickets, for acts including Coldplay and Take That, sold in this way for inflated prices.

Viagogo said it aimed "to ensure that if you buy a ticket you get a ticket in time for the event".

It earlier failed in a High Court bid to stop the programme airing.

The company had sought an injunction on the grounds of breach of commercial confidence.

The High Court held the material was not commercially confidential and even if it had been, it would have been in the public interest to report.

The issue of reselling concert tickets is a divisive one, with opponents complaining that desperate fans often have to pay over-inflated prices.

'Premium partner'

On Thursday night's Dispatches programme, fans were shown complaining that tickets were resold at higher prices on secondary ticketing websites within minutes of events selling out.

They also complained that they had believed they were buying from other fans, rather than promoters, and said they had less chance of buying tickets at face value.

Dispatches alleged that Live Nation, which works with artists including Madonna and U2, and SJM Concerts, which works with One Direction and Jessie J, had allocated large numbers of tickets to Viagogo.

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We don't discriminate. We allow anyone to sell on our market place as long as they deliver the tickets that they sell.”

End Quote Ed Parkinson Viagogo UK director Viagogo UK director Ed Parkinson told the BBC News website its business model was to "guarantee that buyers get their tickets and sellers get paid".

"We allow anyone to sell on our marketplace and the overwhelming majority of our sellers are individuals but it also includes larger sellers which can include concert promoters.

"We don't discriminate. We allow anyone to sell on our market place as long as they deliver the tickets that they sell."

Music fans on the Dispatches programme also complained that some desirable tickets at concerts, including for front row seats, were put straight onto ticketing websites.

Mr Parkinson said that, as a "premium ticketing partner" to a number of promoters and organisations, "this will mean that certain premium seats will be made available to us".

Viagogo makes money by taking a cut of a ticket's selling price.

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If promoters put tickets into the secondary market then the result is that prices are brought down whilst also ensuring that some of the tickets available in the secondary are actually genuine ones”

End Quote Concert Promoters Association A spokeswoman said the same rate applied to tickets sold by major concert promoters as those sold by individual music fans.

But she could not comment on any further deals made with partners.

Neither Live Nation nor SJM Concerts have commented on the practice but the Concert Promoters Association (CPA), of which both are members, said some promoters "at least in part, operate in the secondary market".

It said this was because the last government had failed to outlaw the resale of concert tickets, despite lobbying from the CPA.

"If promoters put tickets into the secondary market then the result is that prices are brought down whilst also ensuring that some of the tickets available in the secondary are actually genuine ones," the CPA said in a statement.

The secondary market was "effectively being used as a premium price primary market for those fans who wish to use it for convenience", it added.

Those fans would be happier that a premium paid "went to the artist via the promoter rather than went to a tout", it said.

The CPA said "the real problem" facing fans was that "tickets that touts put onto the secondary market don't actually exist and those that do are not in their possession to sell on".

Earlier this month, Jon Webster, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum, called for a cap on resale values.

He told the BBC: "It reflects badly, at the end of the day, on the artists - probably more so than anyone.

"Punters don't know who the promoters are most of the time so, in the end, the fans blame the artist."

North Africa gets giant car plant

9 February 2012 Last updated at 17:22 GMT The plant currently has the capacity to produce 147,000 cars annually The biggest car factory in North Africa has been officially opened in Morocco by the French firm Renault.

The plant is in Melloussa, a small town on the Mediterranean near Tangiers, in an area close to Europe which offers tax benefits to manufacturers.

Low-cost cars will be produced under the Dacia brand for emerging markets and Renault executives say up to 10% of the production could be sold locally.

It employs about 2,000 local staff and intends to triple production by 2015.

The BBC's Nora Fakim in Tangiers says this could boost staff numbers to 6,000 and create up to 35,000 jobs indirectly.

King attending

In recent years, Morocco's economy has been expanding thanks to free trade deals with international partners, but unemployment remains an issue - especially for graduates, who hold weekly protests outside parliament.

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Renault was about to abandon this investment and the Moroccan state gave it huge advantages to convince Renault to continue”

End Quote Fouad Abdelmoumi Economist Morocco's King Mohammed VI attended the inauguration in Melloussa, along with the country's trade minister and the head of Renault.

Our reporter says like many foreign companies investing in Tangiers - in an area known as the Tangiers Free Zone - Renault says it wants to help develop northern Morocco, which was neglected by past governments.

Renault has invested $1.5bn (£946m) in the factory, which currently has the capacity to produce 147,000 cars annually.

But some, including economist Fouad Abdelmoumi, are sceptical about the project.

"We know that Renault was about to abandon this investment and the Moroccan state gave it huge advantages to convince Renault to continue, including tax incentives," he told the BBC.

These incentives mean the real value to the economy is minimal, he said.

Our correspondent says a number of other foreign car companies aim to open up near the Renault plant, such as Ford and Chinese and Indian manufacturers.

India fishermen's deaths 'murder'

17 February 2012 Last updated at 15:00 GMT The shooting incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries Police in India have opened a murder enquiry into the deaths of two fishermen allegedly killed by gunfire from an Italian oil tanker.

The police want to question six Italian marines who were on board the tanker.

Police sources say Italy maintains the personnel cannot be charged under Indian law and the Italian embassy in Delhi is seeking legal help.

Reports say naval guards aboard the tanker mistook the Indian fishing boat for a pirate vessel.

Wednesday's incident has sparked a major diplomatic row between India and Italy.

Indian Defence Minister AK Antony has described the killings as "very serious" and an "unfortunate incident".

The Italian ambassador in Delhi was summoned by the foreign ministry on Thursday over the shooting.

Compensation payment

The six marines are aboard the tanker, the MV Enrica Lexie, anchored of the port of Kochi in southern India's Kerala state.

"We want to question them for more details. The ship and its remaining crew will not be allowed to leave until they furnish all formalities," said senior Kerala state police official P Chandrasekharan.

"We will treat it like any other murder case".

The entire crew is still on board and have already been visited for questioning by police.

Indian officials say they are surprised at the shooting and that the fishermen did nothing to threaten the Italian ship.

Following the incident, the Indian coastguard sent two boats and an aircraft to intercept the ship.

The Kerala state government has authorised a payment of 500,000 rupees ($10,125; £6,450) each to the dead fishermen's families.

'No weapons'

The Italian ship fired at the fishermen in waters off India's southern state of Kerala, the Indian navy said in a statement.

Officials said the vessel was bound from Singapore to Egypt, with a crew of 34, including 19 Indians.

The Italians say the crew members fired in self-defence - after initially firing warning shots - because they feared their vessel was about to be attacked.

A senior official in Kerala, PG Thomas, said the attack was unwarranted as there were "no weapons on the trawler".

Indian officials said nine of the 11 fishermen in the trawler were asleep and the two victims were steering it when the incident happened.

"The fishermen did not fire at the ship. They couldn't have been mistaken for pirates," said Kerala police official P Chandrashekhar.

"The Indian trawler was 100m from the ship. The trawler wanted the ship to pass."

Piracy has emerged as a major threat to merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, with Somali pirates hijacking ships and their crews for ransom.

Pirate attacks have come down recently partly because more armed guards are now deployed on board ships.

Code-cracker helps jail gun duo

24 February 2012 Last updated at 18:11 GMT Det Sgt Haywood described Bryan as a "dangerous and calculating man" A code-breaker has helped in the jailing of two men involved in a failed plot to kill a man in a money dispute.

The forensic expert deciphered a code sent by Kieron Bryan to his sister while he was on remand which told of a plan to pay his victim off.

Bryan, 23, from Manchester was found guilty of attempted murder and jailed for 25 years at Manchester Crown Court.

His accomplice, Dean Fleming, 23, from St Albans, Hertfordshire was convicted of wounding and sentenced for 11 years.

'Devious lengths'

Both received concurrent sentences for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Police said Bryan, originally from St Albans, shot his victim in the chest and thigh in Blackley, Manchester, in March 2011, after the pair had an argument over money.

The victim, who worked as a doorman, was wearing body armour which stopped the bullet aimed at his chest.

Officers then arrested the pair and found gunshot residue on Bryan's clothing.

The code on Bryan's letter was deciphered for the police and court by an expert

Whilst on remand awaiting the court case, Bryan sent a letter to his girlfriend with a code on the back which was intercepted by police.

A forensic linguist examined the numbers and found it was a message for his sister, asking her to approach the victim's employers with a view to paying them to persuade the man to drop the case.

Det Sgt Neil Haywood said the fact that Bryan was "prepared to go to such devious lengths to get out of jail shows he is a dangerous and calculating man".

"It was only by sheer luck the man was wearing body armour that he was not murdered," he said.

"The Major Incident Team launched a thorough investigation which involved painstaking work and we even brought in a code-cracker to decipher Bryan's letter.

"He failed to outsmart us and is now behind bars for a very long time - I can only hope today gives the victim some sense of justice."

Blasts rock north Nigeria cities

6 February 2012 Last updated at 21:52 GMT A police station has been hit by an explosion and attacked by gunmen in the flashpoint northern Nigerian city of Kano, injuring an officer.

Further east, at around the same time, witnesses spoke of hearing explosions in the market area of Maiduguri.

Suspicion for the attacks will fall on Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Boko Haram is waging an insurgency in the region in a bid to try and overthrow the national government and install an Islamic state.

Kano saw a series of attacks last month that left more than 185 people dead.

'Plumes of smoke'

The attack on the police station in the Sharada district of Kano happened at just after 18:00 (17:00 GMT).

Gunmen carrying bombs had descended on the police station from different directions, Kano police spokesman Magaji Musa Maji'a told Reuters news agency.

"One policeman was shot on the leg and he is receiving treatment in hospital," he said.

Resident Bala Salisu told the AFP news agency he had just arrived home in time for a curfew when he heard a loud blast.

"Shortly, gunshots followed. From what I heard it sounded like a shoot-out," he said.

A Reuters reporter in the area said the explosion - so powerful it shook windows - was followed by a sustained gun battle which lasted more than an hour.

Magaji Musa Maji'a said that the police officers eventually got control of the station.

Meanwhile, in Maiduguri - Boko Haram's heartland - a series of explosions were heard in the market and black smoke was seen billowing from the area.

"I heard five explosions around the market and plumes of black smoke... filled the air," nearby resident Aisha Goni told AFP.

"The market is still on fire. Soldiers and policeman have taken over the whole area."

St Paul's protesters move nearby

28 February 2012 Last updated at 21:01 GMT Many of the St Paul's protesters have moved to the nearby Finsbury Square camp Many anti-capitalist protesters evicted from St Paul's Cathedral have moved to a nearby camp - with one activist warning there is "more to come".

Police and bailiffs evicted Occupy London protesters and removed tents just after midnight.

But hours later many could be seen in Finsbury Square, on the northern edge of the financial district.

There has been a mixed reaction to the eviction from businesses close to the cathedral.

Naba Yogarajah, who runs Portland Food and Wine, said he was relieved the protest had ended because there had been increased shoplifting.

"We had to call the police every night," he said.

'Good message'

Financier David Buik, of BGC Partners, said: "There comes a time when sympathy runs out.

"You can literally come out of the door and say, there's the barometer, it's changed.

"Gentlemen and ladies, it's time to move on."

But James Goodwin, of nearby Repro Copy Printing, said: "I'm a bit sad to see them go.

"I think they did have a good message for everyone and I don't think they caused much trouble for the local community."

Many of the evicted protesters have simply moved to their other less-well known camp in Finsbury Square, about a mile up the road.

They are unlikely to face eviction soon, with Islington Council - which owns the land - yet to begin any legal action.

Paul Randle-Jolliffe, an activist, said: "The intent was to start public debate.

Naba Yogarajah is glad to see the back of the protest

"And there's a lot more to come."

Another Occupy activist, who gave his name only as Phil, said: "What we have achieved has been phenomenal.

"We've pushed the debate into the mainstream. The economic system's been questioned."

Occupy London, which campaigns against corporate greed, set up the camp at St Paul's Cathedral on 15 October.

The campaigners lost a High Court battle which meant the eviction could proceed.

During the wrangle the Rev Giles Fraser resigned as canon chancellor of St Paul's in support of the protesters.

Ed Thornton of the Church Times said after the eviction: "The cathedral really made efforts to reach an amicable solution.

"It's a source of regret for the cathedral that the protesters were forcibly evicted.

'Lofty ambition'

"The cathedral would've liked to have come to a more peaceful resolution."

Harry Cole, a right wing political blogger, had scorn for the protesters.

He said: "Making it through winter was always going to be a lofty ambition for this lot.

"And all they seem to have done is to lose support for their message.

"The tactics they used seemed to put people off joining them."

Megaupload founder granted bail

22 February 2012 Last updated at 01:24 GMT Kim Dotcom had previously been denied bail in New Zealand because the judge said he was a flight risk The founder of file-sharing site Megaupload has been granted bail by a New Zealand court.

Kim Dotcom, 38, has been in prison since 20 January at the request of the US authorities.

He faces charges in the US for one of the biggest copyright infringement cases in the country's history.

The site is accused of costing copyright holders more than $500m (£320m) in lost revenue.

Flight risk

North Shore District Court Judge Nevin Dawson overturned two previous rulings that the millionaire, who is a German national, was an "extreme flight risk" because he had the money and connections to get out of the country.

The judge said the risk had diminished because all his funds were seized and no new assets or bank accounts had been uncovered.

Speaking to reporters in Auckland, Mr Dotcom said he was "relieved to go home to see my family, my three little kids and my pregnant wife".

On 17 February Mr Dotcom was charged with three new criminal copyright counts and five new wire fraud counts.

That is on top of one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of criminal copyright infringement charges.

US authorities are seeking to extradite Mr Dotcom, who changed his name legally from Schmitz, and three other co-defendants who had earlier been granted bail.

Denied charges

The US Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation allege that Megaupload and its related sites made millions in 'criminal proceeds' by sharing pirated copies of movies, music and other content.

Founded in 2005, the site was shut down by authorities last month.

They also seized millions of dollars worth of assets owned by Mr Dotcom including luxury cars, artwork and investments.

Mr Dotcom has denied any criminal misconduct and has said he will fight extradition to the US.

Wall Street hits pre-crisis high

16 February 2012 Last updated at 21:44 GMT New claims for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level since March 2008. Shares in New York hit levels not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis on Thursday after good news regarding unemployment figures.

The weekly report of new claims for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level since March 2008.

The Dow Jones index of leading companies closed up 122.76 points, or 0.96%, to 12,903.71, its highest level since May 2008.

The tech-based Nasdaq index soared to its highest level since December 2000.

Meanwhile, the broader S&P 500 index touched its highest point since May 2011.

It came as weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 348,000, the Labor Department said.

As well as being the lowest number in almost four years, unemployment applications have dropped by 11% in four months.

There had also been positive earnings news during the day from carmaker GM.

It unveiled record profits for 2011 and saw its shares soar by 9%.

Brazil slum clearance row grows

25 January 2012 Last updated at 13:37 GMT Police have been overseeing the removal of furniture and belongings from the site Criticism is growing of a Brazilian police operation to clear some 6,000 people from an illegal settlement in Sao Paulo state.

Officers moved in on Sunday to retake the land for its private owners.

Authorities say the police action was justified and within the law.

Amnesty International said the eviction violated "a raft of international standards" and urged officials to urgently address the needs of the families left homeless.

The events at the Pinheirinho settlement were part of an unfortunate pattern, said Atila Roque, director of Amnesty in Brazil.

"As the country booms, tens of thousands of poor families are being removed to make way for infrastructure and private development projects, without receiving adequate protection and alternative housing," he said.

Some 2,000 police were involved in the operation to evict slum residents

Brazil's landless movement (MST) condemned the police action as an "act of war".

There was also criticism from other quarters, including from a senior official in the presidency, Gilberto Carvalho, who described the scene as a "battlefield".

This provoked a strong reaction from the Social Democratic Party (PSDB) which runs Sao Paulo's state government, as "intrusion by the federal government".

Surprise action

The evictions followed a legal battle between the residents and administrators for the bankrupt property company that owned the land.

The Pinheirinho squatter camp was established by a land invasion in 2002 and had developed into a settled neighbourhood, complete with shops and churches.

The legality of the operation to clear it has been questioned.

Judge Rodrigo Capez, who accompanied the police operation, said that the law had been followed as the residents could not be consider to have acquired rights over the land.

The situation at the site remains tense

Mr Capez told BBC Brasil that people had not been informed in advance in order to reduce the level of resistance.

"It was exactly the surprise element that minimised the risk of deaths or injuries," he said.

The government was attending to the needs of the people as regards alternative shelter, he said.

Sao Paulo officials say that clashes broke out after the site had been cleared.

On the ground, the situation remained tense, with a continued police presence.

Officials have been cataloguing and removing furniture and other belongings to be stored and then returned to their owners.

VIDEO: Mattress dominoes break record

28 February 2012 Last updated at 23:29 GMT Help

Day in pictures: 22 February 2012

22 February 2012 Last updated at 12:36 GMT

A commuter train crash in Buenos Aires

24 hours of news photos: 22 February

Protests by people angry at the burning of Koran

Rapid thaw on the River Danube in Serbia

24 hours of news photos: 21 February

Brazil's colourful carnival parades in Rio

Mumbai in the 1970s and 80s

Photos from around the world

24 hours of news photos: 20 February

UCI Track Cycling World Cup

VIDEO: Redknapp top choice to replace Capello - Lineker

8 February 2012 Last updated at 22:22 GMT

Suicide bombs ruled out by group

6 February 2012 Last updated at 16:26 GMT The men planned to terrorise people and to damage the economy and property A group of men decided against becoming suicide bombers because they wanted a "long-term future" as terrorists, a court has been told.

Mohammed Chowdhury, Shah Rahman, Gurukanth Desai and Abdul Miah have pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism.

The men, from London and Cardiff, were arrested in December 2010 and are being sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court.

Five other men have pleaded guilty to other terrorism offences.

Opening the Crown's case at the start of a three-day sentencing hearing Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting, said between them the nine men possessed "almost every famous jihadi publication" including copies of an online al-Qaeda magazine called Inspire.

Chowdhury, 21, and Rahman, 28, both from London; Desai, 30 and Miah, 25, all from Cardiff, have admitted the more serious offences.

Continue reading the main story

What was observed...was planning for the immediate future, not involving suicide attacks, so that there would be a long-term future which would include further acts of terrorism”

End Quote Andrew Edis QC Prosecutor Omar Latif, 28, from Cardiff; Usman Khan, 20, Mohammed Shahjahan 27, Nazam Hussain, 26, and Mohibur Rahman, 27, all from Stoke-on-Trent, have pleaded guilty to lesser offences.

But Mr Edis said they were all part of the same group.

'Serious acts of terrorism'

He said: "In October 2010 these nine defendants decided to form a group whose purpose was to support and commit acts of terrorism in furtherance of their religious belief.

"Travel abroad was contemplated by some in order that they could acquire skills necessary to commit such acts effectively, acts of terrorism involving harm, often including death, serious injury, terror and very substantial economic harm to the community at which they were aimed."

Mr Edis added: "These defendants had in overview decided that ultimately they would be responsible for very serious acts of terrorism.

"What was observed during the indictment period was planning for the immediate future, not involving suicide attacks, so that there would be a long-term future which would include further acts of terrorism."

One of the publications they possessed was Inspire, an English-language online magazine.

Its first issue featured an article on how to "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom", complete with step-by-step instructions.

The court was told this could produce a "viable" and lethal device within hours.

Another issue described creating the "ultimate mowing machine" by welding blades to the front and side of a 4x4 car and driving it into pedestrians.

'Sex gang plied girls with drink'

21 February 2012 Last updated at 19:27 GMT Seven of the men arrived at Liverpool Crown Court for the start of the trial on Tuesday, the four others are in custody A group of 11 men plied girls as young as 13 with drink and drugs so they could use them for sex, a court has heard.

The offences are said to have happened in and around Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2008 and 2009.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how the men, aged between 22 and 59 and from Oldham and Rochdale, "acted together to sexually exploit the girls".

All deny conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16.

Rachel Smith, opening the case for the prosecution, said one 13-year-old fell pregnant to one of the defendants and had an abortion.

She said another girl felt flattered by the attention but that she quickly became regularly heavily drunk, depressed and "incapable of getting herself out of the situation".

Another teenager recalled being raped by two men while she was "so drunk she was vomiting over the side of the bed", she added.

Miss Smith said: "No child should be exploited as these girls say they were."

'Raped and assaulted'

The court heard that some of the girls were raped and physically assaulted and some were forced to have sex with "several men in a day, several times a week".

Miss Smith said the girls were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but that there were times when violence was used.

The court was told that some of the defendants also took payments from other men to whom they supplied the girls for sex.

The girls involved were not in school regularly and often "drank and smoked and hung around with little to do".

They knew the men by nicknames such as "Master" and "Tiger", the court was told.

One of the men worked at The Balti House in Heywood, which is now under new ownership

Miss Smith said they were the "sort of children who were easy to identify, target and exploit for the sexual gratification of these men".

The court heard the men knew each other and two of them worked in takeaways in Heywood, Rochdale, called Tasty Bites and the Balti House.

Both takeaways are now under new ownership.

Four of the men worked as cab drivers at local taxi firms, one was a student and four were jobless.

Kabeer Hassan, 24, Abdul Aziz, 41, Abdul Rauf, 43, Mohammed Sajid, 35, Adil Khan, 42, Abdul Qayyum, 43, Mohammed Amin, 44, Qamar Shahzad, 29, Liaquat Shah, 41, and Hamid Safi, 22, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16.

A 59-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also denies the same charge.

Trafficking charge

He also denies two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, one count of sexual assault and an allegation of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Mr Hassan, of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, and Mr Shahzad, of Tweedale Street, Rochdale, also deny rape.Mr Aziz, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape and one allegation of trafficking for sexual exploitation.Mr Khan, of Oswald Street, and Mr Rauf, of Darley Road, both in Rochdale, have also pleaded not guilty to trafficking for sexual exploitation.Mr Sajid, of Jepheys Street, Rochdale, denies trafficking, two counts of rape and one allegation of sexual activity with a child.Mr Amin, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, denies sexual assault. Mr Shah and Mr Safi, both of Kensington Street, Rochdale, each denied two counts of rape and Mr Safi has also pleaded not guilty to trafficking.

Mr Aziz, Mr Khan, Mr Safi and the 59-year-old are currently in custody.

Mr Qayyum, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, and the rest of the defendants are on bail.

The court heard that on one occasion the 59-year-old man met two girls at a takeaway where they were given food and vodka.

He demanded sex from one 15-year-old, saying: "It's part of the deal because I bought you vodka, you have to give me something."

Miss Smith said the girl refused and he raped her.

The jury also heard that in about August 2008 Abdul Aziz "took over" from the 59-year-old and started taking girls to various locations where they would have sex with older men.

One of these locations was a flat in Jephys Street, Rochdale, where Mohammed Sajid and Mohammed Shazad lived, where a "group of men" would always be waiting to have sex with them.

The trial continues.

Your pictures: Games

23 February 2012 Last updated at 09:58 GMT

News photos from around the world

24 hours of news photos: 24 February 2012

Large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa

On show for the first time in the UK

24 hours of news photos: 23 February 2012

Readers' pictures on the theme games

Photographer Simon Annand's latest work

Life in war-torn Mogadishu

A commuter train crash in Buenos Aires

24 hours of news photos: 22 February

Politisi Inggris Minta GP Bahrain Dibatalkan

VIVAnews - Perhelatan GP Bahrain terus menjadi tanda tanya. Sejumlah pihak masih ragu akan situasi keamanan di negara Timur Tengah itu, termasuk para politisi Inggris.

Bahkan, para politisi tersebut sudah melayangkan surat terbuka yang dimuat di harian The Times yang isinya meminta FIA, selaku otoritas tertinggi di otomobil untuk membatalkan penyelenggaran balapan F1 di Bahrain pada awal April mendatang.

Para politisi yang dimaksud ialah beberapa anggota dari majelis tinggi Inggris (House of Lords). Mereka adalah Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Alton, Lord Avebury, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, Lord Hylton, Caroline Lucas dan Lord Boswell.

"Kami menyoroti keputusan F1 yang tetap akan menggelar balapan di Bahrain pada April mendatang. Krisis politik yang berkelanjutan di Bahrain menjadi penyebab ketidakstabilan di kawasan Teluk.

"Atas situasi tersebut, di mana masih banyak ujuk rasa di jalan-jalan serta laporan korban sipil yang tewas, kami tidak yakin itu merupakan saat yang tepat untuk menggelar balapan di Bahrain," tulis para politisi itu dalam suratnya.

Reaksi para politisi Inggris tersebut ternyata dilatarbelakangi oleh laporan penyerangan terhadap para expatriat asal Eropa di Karranah pada Kamis pagi, 9 Februari 2012. Dalam kejadian tersebut seorang warga negara Inggris harus kehilangan jari tangan kanan dan menderita cedera serius lainnya.

Sejauh ini, FIA dan Bernie Ecclestone, selaku pemegang hak komersil F1 masih belum bereaksi atas imbauan tersebut. Secara pribadi, Ecclestone pada bulan lalu pernah menyatakan kalau tidak ada yang perlu dicemaskan dengan situasi di Bahrain.

"Semua orang banyak membicarakan tentang negara ini, namun Bahrain menurut saya adalah wilayah yang paling sedikit terlibat masalah," kata Ecclestone kala itu.

GP Bahrain tahun ini akan menjadi debut bagi mereka setelah tahun lalu dilakukan pembatalan terkait revolusi di sana. Sesuai jadwal, adu balap jet darat di Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, akan dilangsungkan pada 4 April 2012. (umi)

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Samba moves to Russian side Anzhi

Blackburn Rovers have confirmed Chris Samba has completed his move to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old handed in a transfer request in January and has not played for Rovers since their 2-1 defeat by Stoke at the start of last month.

Samba was allowed to complete the deal because the Russian transfer window did not close until 2000 GMT on Friday.

"I see it [the move] as a new challenge," Samba told Sky Sports News.

"It's a little club who want to become a very big one in Russia. A very powerful owner wants to transform the club and bring the club to greatness."

Samba has joined the growing list of star names signed by the club since billionaire Suleyman Kerimov became owner in January 2011.

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“He hasn't played for a few weeks and our performances have been exceptional”

Eric Black Blackburn Rovers assistant manager Since then, they have named Guus Hiddink as manager and snapped up players such as Brazil World Cup 2002 winner Roberto Carlos, Chelsea full-back Yuri Zhirkov and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o .

The France-born centre-back joined Rovers in 2007 from Hertha Berlin and made 184 appearances for the Premier League outfit in all competitions, scoring 18 goals. He will wear the number 22 shirt at Anzhi.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Rovers assistant manager Eric Black backed his players to cope in Samba's absence.

He said: "He hasn't played for a few weeks and our performances have been exceptional.

"Obviously there was a blip at Arsenal, but again, you look at the performances against Newcastle, Fulham and QPR and the guys that have been in there have done exceptionally well."

Blackburn travel to Manchester City on Saturday to play the Premier League leaders and sit one place outside the relegation zone in 17th place in the table.

Anzhi are based in Russia's Dagestan republic, which borders Georgia and Azerbaijan. They were founded in 1991 but enjoyed little success until the arrival of Kerimov.

The team's players live and train in Moscow due to security problems in Makhachkala and travel nearly 1,250 miles for home matches.

Anzhi are currently in seventh place in the Russian Premier League. Samba's first league fixture could be on 5 March against Dynamo Moscow when the season recommences after the winter break.

Compassion 'key' to elderly care

29 February 2012 Last updated at 00:07 GMT By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News Nursing standards have been criticised in a series of reports Being compassionate should be as important as being clever when it comes to the recruitment of staff to care for the elderly, experts say.

The recommendation was one of a series made by the Commission on Improving Dignity in Care for Older People to improve standards in hospitals and care homes in England.

The group said too many vulnerable people were currently being "let down".

The review comes after a series of critical reports into elderly care.

Cases of neglect have been documented by the likes of the Health Service Ombudsman and Patients Association in the past year.

And so the commission was set up by Age UK, the NHS Confederation and the Local Government Association to set out a blueprint for how the NHS and social care sector should tackle the issue.

Patronising language

In total, the commission published 48 draft recommendations which will be consulted on over the next month before a final action plan is published in the summer.

The measures cover issues such as making dignity a priority at board level, encouraging staff at all levels to challenge bad practice and ensuring patronising language, such as "old dear", is not used.

The report said language which denigrates older people should be as unacceptable as racist or sexist terms.

Continue reading the main story

In too many cases, people have been let down when they were vulnerable and most needed help”

End Quote Sir Keith Pearson Commission on Improving Dignity in Care for Older People Another key recommendation involved the role of ward sisters, which the report said should be given the authority by management to take action when standards slip.

But it is the issue of staff training which there will be most focus on. There have been suggestions in the past that nurse training has become too academic.

Some places have started to trial ways of testing the emotional intelligence and bedside manner of students.

The commission said it should become commonplace for universities and professional bodies to take into account compassionate values as much as they do qualifications.

Sir Keith Pearson, co-chairman of the commission, said: "We've been deeply saddened by the reports highlighting the undignified care of older people in our hospitals and care homes.

"In too many cases, people have been let down when they were vulnerable and most needed help. We want this report to be a call to arms."

But Peter Cater, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, suggested the most important factor when it came to standards was ensuring there were enough staff.

"It is absolutely critical that hospitals and care homes employ safe numbers of nurses with the correct skill mix. This is the key challenge that must be met."

Roswyn Hakesley-Brown, of the Patients Association, said the recommendations were a "step forward".

But she added without action on the ground it would be of no comfort to the people "who contact our helpline every day to tell us their loved ones are being left without adequate pain relief, are not being helped to eat and drink or who are left to lie in their own faeces because a nurse says she is too busy to help them to the toilet".

Care services minister Paul Burstow said the commission had made some good recommendations and he would be looking to work with the group to improve standards.

Profits decline at BHP Billiton

7 February 2012 Last updated at 23:56 GMT The mining of iron ore, which is used to produce steel, makes up half of BHP Billiton's profits Falling commodity prices have pushed down profits at the world's biggest mining company, BHP Billiton.

The Anglo-Australian company reported a 5.5% annual drop in first-half net profit to $9.9bn (£6.2bn).

It also warned of a volatile outlook due to Europe's debt crisis and slowing demand from China.

The prices of benchmark commodities like iron ore, copper and coal have gradually fallen over the last few months.

During the same period in 2010, BHP recorded profits of $10.5bn, a record in Australian corporation history.

Shares in BHP Billiton fell by 1.1% in early trading in Sydney.

Since the start of the year its shares have risen by 11%, outperforming the broader Australian market.

The results come after rival miner Xstrata formally announced plans to merge with Glencore, the world's biggest commodity trader, in a $90bn deal.

'General weakness'

Despite the fall in profits in the most recent period, revenues increased by 9.7% over the same period to $37.5bn.

"We expect volatility in commodity markets to persist as the European sovereign debt crisis and general weakness in the manufacturing and construction sectors... are expected to weigh on customer behaviour and sentiment," the company said in a statement.

It added it would stick to its timetable of spending $80bn on significantly expanding its operations by 2015.

One area where BHP Billiton is looking to increase its activities is in the oil and gas markets.

Last year it bought the US shale gas firm Petrohawk for $12.1bn (£7.5bn), its largest acquisition to date.

However analysts say the focus on natural gas could hurt BHP Billiton's profits for some time, as US gas prices have almost halved since last June.

Meanwhile, rival Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto said it will pump a further US$3.4bn into expanding iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

It wants to increase operations in the Pilbara by 50%.

"We believe we have the best quality iron ore expansion projects anywhere in the world," said Rio executive Sam Walsh. "They are high return, low-risk investments that are highly value-adding for shareholders.

Cruise finds Fukushima pollution

22 February 2012 Last updated at 23:05 GMT By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, Salt Lake City Marine organisms were collected for evaluation Radioactive elements from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected in seawater and marine organisms up to 600km from Japan.

But the scientists who made the discovery stress the natural radioactivity of seawater dwarfs anything seen in their samples.

The results come from a research cruise in June last year led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

The initial findings were presented to the biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting.

"Just because we can measure radioactivity doesn't mean it's harmful," WHOI's Ken Buesseler told the gathering in Salt Lake City.

"There's a pretty good news story in here - that the levels [of radioactivity] offshore are not of significance to human health in terms of exposure, or even if you were to eat the seafood offshore," he added.

The cruise carried researchers from the US, UK, France, Spain and Japan. Conducted just three months after the Fukushima crisis began, it was intended as an "independent check" on Japanese government-funded research and the information released by Tepco, the owners of the beleaguered Daiichi plant in Fukushima.

The Research Vessel KOK sailed a zig-zag path from 600km to 30km off the coast, taking thousands of samples of seawater, including the organisms living in it, such as plankton and small fish. It also deployed "drifters" into the water to understand better the behaviour of local currents and eddies.

Analysis revealed elevated levels of radioactive elements that could be tied directly to releases from the nuclear power station.

These included caesium-137 and caesium-134. Radioactivity readings in the seawater across the track ranged from less than three becquerels per cubic metre up to 4,000 becquerels per cubic metre.

The maximum of these readings is about a thousand times what could be measured in the water prior to the nuclear accident.

Interestingly, the cruise found these highest detections were not in areas sampled closest to Fukushima.

"There was an eddy quite close to the coast that seemed to be trapping water, and had high levels of caesium in it relative to the water that was actually closer to the plant, which had lower levels. It would appear that the circulation was just holding more contaminated water," said WHOI's Dr Steven Jayne, who reported the drifter experiments.

Elevated readings were also measured in sampled marine organisms, which can concentrate the contamination relative to the surrounding water.

The researchers who looked at the plankton and fish even detected a radioactive form of silver for the first time in the open ocean.

But again, all measured levels of the Fukushima-related radioactivity were far below that from potassium-40, a naturally occurring radioisotope in the environment.

"The concentration of potassium-40 was five to six times greater than all of the [elements from Fukushima] combined," explained Prof Nicholas Fisher from Stony Brook University.

"So if you add both caesium isotopes and radioactive silver - they represented only one-fifth or one-sixth of the radioactivity contributable to potassium-40."

To emphasise the point, Prof Fisher told BBC News: "I would not hesitate eating any of the organisms we sampled."

The researchers have some qualifications about their own research, the most significant of which is that they were not permitted any closer than 30km to the coast, where higher levels of radioactivity would have been observable.

Although they add their numbers can be used to corroborate data from Japanese-only research conducted directly offshore.

It is clear also, 11 months on from the accident, that Fukushima-originated radioactivity levels in the seawater are not declining as fast as many scientists would have hoped.

"The reactor site still seems to be leaking; it hasn't shut off completely, and at those levels right on the coast you could still have these concentration factors that we measured that would indicate some organisms would be at levels unfit for human consumption," Dr Buesseler said.

The research cruise track and sampling points superimposed on the path of the Kuroshio Current (yellow and red), the dominant movement of water in the region

Lansley - I changed my mind

28 February 2012 Last updated at 18:55 GMT Andrew Lansley: 'Competition is a means to an end not an end in itself' Andrew Lansley says he has changed his mind about the benefits of competition in the NHS since saying some years ago that "the first guiding principle" of reform should be to "maximise competition"*.

However, he told me that the latest amendments to his health bill - which he is still working on with the Liberal Democrats - do not represent a change to the legislation's underlying principles.

Me: "Are you saying you've changed your mind a little since you said 'the first guiding principle is to maximise competition'?"

Andrew Lansley: "Yes I have, I have, because competition is a means to an end - not an end in itself."

I was speaking to the health secretary straight after he'd been summoned to the Commons to explain the latest changes he plans to make, and hours after one of the pioneers of GP Commissioning - the idea at the heart of the Bill - called on him to drop the Bill.

The Bromley By Bow health centre in east London was the first practice Andrew Lansley visited as health secretary. Dr Sam Everington - once a cheerleader for reform - now argues that it can go ahead without the bureaucracy which he claims the coalition's reforms are creating.

Mr Lansley is not accepting any blame for failing to convince doctors and nurses. He blamed the BMA for putting out misinformation. I asked him whether he had ever looked in the mirror and concluded that he was not the man for the job. His answer was revealing, as were his comments on the Downing Street adviser who said that he should be taken out and shot.

I will post up his replies here soon, as well as clips of his interview, which also covers policy detail.

* 9 July 2005 when Andrew Lansley was shadow health secretary

VIDEO: Illegal immigrants desperate to leave

28 February 2012 Last updated at 19:11 GMT Help

Day in pictures: 3 February 2012

3 February 2012 Last updated at 13:22 GMT

News photos from around the world: 28 January-3 February

Sixty photographs for 60 years on the throne

Haunting views of Venice's waterways

Drawing offices where Titanic was designed

24 hours of news photos: 3 February 2012

24 hours of news photos: 2 February 2012

Readers pictures on the theme of hunger

Many die in clashes after match between rivals

Shortlist for Sony World Photography Awards

Europe grapples with the big freeze

Day in pictures: 9 February 2012

9 February 2012 Last updated at 13:39 GMT

24 hours of news photos: 9 February 2012

Readers' pictures on the theme grubby.

Retrospective at the Tate Modern

Protests lead to the resignation of President

24 hours of news photos: 8 February 2012

Much of UK with several inches of snow

New York Giants beat New England Patriots

24 hours of news photos: 7 February 2012

24 hours of news photos: 6 February 2012

Making make use of old rubber trees in Liberia

Chisora given indefinite WBC ban

Dereck Chisora has been suspended indefinitely by the World Boxing Council for his behaviour before and after his fight with Vitali Klitschko.

British heavyweight Chisora was involved in a brawl with countryman David Haye at the news conference after his defeat by the Ukrainian in Munich.

Chisora also slapped Klitschko at the weigh-in and spat water in the face of his brother Wladimir before the bout.

Continue reading the main story

“I don't understand how someone can be banned without having a hearing. I've never ever heard of anything like that. There's been no hearing”

Frank Warren Chisora's manager The WBC said it was "one of the worst behaviours ever by a professional".

The body demanded Chisora, 28, seeks anger management treatment before considering whether to lift the suspension.

Jose Sulaiman, president of the WBC, said the authority would also look to impose a "serious" fine on the Zimbabwe-born fighter.

The Londoner, ranked 14th in the WBC's heavyweight division, will also be taken out of the organisation's rankings.

"The WBC is absolutely condemning behaviours that are not to be accepted in boxing under any circumstances and will act as soon as it can proceed to impose the fines and sanctions as we consider necessary," said a statement issued by the organisation.

"Boxers are gentlemen and show to the world an example of honour and fair play when, after a tremendous battle, they go to the centre of the ring to pay respect to each other.

"Dereck Chisora is not going to tarnish the sport for those born in the humblest beds, who become sports heroes of the world to live a life of dignity and pride."

Chisora is due before a British Boxing Board of Control hearing on 14 March, and his manager Frank Warren told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't understand how someone can be banned without having a hearing. I've never ever heard of anything like that. There's been no hearing.

"There were some things which he did which absolutely were wrong and he shouldn't have done, and I'm not condoning that but there were a lot of things happening behind the scenes. All this stuff needs to be taken into consideration before anyone decides what happened.

"Everybody is entitled to natural justice no matter what they've done."

“"It's an indication of how a lot of people in boxing are feeling. It means he can't box for any title that comes under the jurisdiction of the World Boxing Council but potentially he could still fight for one of the other three world titles”

Mike Costello BBC boxing commentator Underdog Chisora earned plenty of plaudits despite his points defeat by heavy favourite Klitschko in Munich on 18 February.

But all the post-fight headlines were overshadowed by the brawl between Chisora and former WBA champion Haye, who lost to Wladimir Klitschko in July.

Chisora accused Haye of glassing him, with Haye later admitting he was holding a bottle when he punched his fellow Briton.

Chisora threatened to shoot Haye after the clash and was detained by German police the following morning, though he was later released without charge. Haye, who has officially retired from the sport, left the country without speaking to police. Both fighters have since apologised for their behaviour.

BBC boxing commentator Mike Costello believes the outcome of the BBBofC hearing will be pivotal for Chisora's future.

"They have his licence and if they decide to ban him then his only option is leaving the country to try to get a licence - but even that won't be straight forward because they will support whatever decision the BBBofC come to," Costello told BBC Radio 5 live.

HP sales fall short of forecasts

22 February 2012 Last updated at 21:56 GMT HP said it was taking the "necessary steps" to improve performance Computer firm Hewlett-Packard has seen a drop in first-quarter sales, as it attempts to turn itself around under new chief executive Meg Whitman.

Revenues for the three months to the end of January fell 7% on a year earlier to $30bn (£19bn). Analysts had forecast revenues of $30.67bn.

Net profit for the quarter nearly halved from $2.6bn to $1.5bn.

The fiscal first quarter was the first full period under Ms Whitman, who replaced Leo Apotheker in September.

HP saw sales decline in its key units of PCs and printers.

"In the first quarter, we delivered on our Q1 outlook and remained focused on the fundamentals to drive long-term sustainable returns," said Ms Whitman.

"We are taking the necessary steps to improve execution, increase effectiveness and capitalise on emerging opportunities to reassert HP's technology leadership."

The company's shares fell 2% in after-hours trading in New York.

On Tuesday, PC maker Dell reported an 18% fall in quarterly profit and forecast a drop in sales in the current quarter.

In pictures: Honduras prison fire

15 February 2012 Last updated at 17:57 GMT

24 hours of news photos: 16 February 2012

Fatal collision between school bus and lorry

Aftermath of a fire at a jail in central Honduras

24 hours of news photos: 15 February

Clashes between protesters and police

24 hours of news photos: 14 February

Rare photographs from Equatorial Guinea

Music stars turn out in Los Angeles

Thousands rally against austerity measures

24 hours of news photos: 13 February

How New York says Yes to the dress

18 February 2012 Last updated at 12:16 GMT By Reggie Nadelson New York Everyone wants to look good on their wedding day and fulfilling the dreams and fantasies of the wealthier soon-to-be-marrieds of New York is very big business.

As soon as I get to 20th Street in Manhattan, I see them. The brides-to-be, all heading for Kleinfeld, the great wedding dress superstore.

Inside the vast emporium - all plush carpets and chandeliers, sofas and mirrors - the consultants greet the women and show them to dressing rooms with their names on the door (you must make an appointment in advance).

And then they begin the process of offering up the fantasy to all the Courtneys and Ashleys, the Kates and Samanthas.

Weddings are, of course, a multi-billion-dollar business in America and for most brides, the dress is the thing.

Kleinfeld has 1,500 different dresses.

Silk and satin, lace, tulle and chiffon. Beaded bodices and bustiers that lace up in the back.

The brides-to-be are soon as high on these astonishing, delicious confections, as children in a candy store.

The average price for a dress is around $6,000 (£4,000), though there are dresses for less - and dresses for much, much more.

At least one Nigerian princess was in recently and spent $32,000 (£20,000) and that is before you add the veil, the headpiece, the shoes, the jewels - also available at Kleinfeld.

As is the second dress - some brides like a different gown for their reception.

'Dream' dress

In one of the dressing rooms, Brittany - who has come for her first fitting - admires her strapless, ivory, fish-tail wedding dress and smiles.

"I love this dress because it reminds me of the ocean and I'm getting married in Hawaii," she says.

Her consultant will stay with her bride-to-be through the whole process, even giving her a home phone number for emergencies, when the shop is closed.

"We want everyone to find exactly the dress they dream of," says Mara Urshel who, with her husband Ronnie Rothstein, owns Kleinfeld.

"We make sure everyone is perfectly fitted," adds Urshel, who shows me the room where the chosen gowns are hung from the ceiling on a dry-cleaner's rack that runs a whole city block.

Down here are scores of seamstresses, beaders, pressers, the kind of craftspeople you might once have seen at a couture house.

Well-known designers, those just starting, all flock to Urshel, who was once a top buyer at Saks. They know that to be shown at Kleinfeld is essential in the wedding-dress business.

Kleinfeld was a Brooklyn landmark from 1940 until seven years ago, when Urshel and Rothstein moved it to Manhattan and transformed it into the palace it is.

And to Kleinfeld they come - white, black, Asian women come from all over the country. As well as from Europe, China and Brazil.

With same-sex marriage legal in New York, Kleinfeld can outfit two brides for the same wedding, and does.

It can retro-fit a dress for an Orthodox Jewish bride, who must be covered up.

Anything is possible.

'More bling'

In a central atrium, lined with mirrors, dotted with raised platforms, brides model their dresses for their families.

At Kleinfeld, even the guys get a look-in with a men's boutique, all antique prints and vintage furniture.

"Tone-on-tone tuxedos are very chic," says Frank, who runs the department, showing me handsome wedding suits in various shades.

After watching the brides-to-be, one thing is clear - they do not want to look virginal.

They want fashion. Most want strapless.

They also know the lingo. "Ballgown?" says one bride-to-be. "Or fish-tail? Poofy skirt? Or fit-and-flare?" She ponders the choices.

"I want more bling," she says, for clearly each girl is a movie star on her own red carpet.

Most of the brides arrive with ideas already dancing in their heads, often because they have seen Say Yes To The Dress, the reality show featuring Kleinfeld.

Suspense is high on the show: Will Niche get her way or give in to her mother who wants a sedate wedding dress? Will Rosanna's grandmother, a couture seamstress, approve?

"Che pensita, Nonna?" Rosanna asks. Grandma examines the dress.

"Bellissima!" she exclaims.

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Critics' Choice Sande tops chart

19 February 2012 Last updated at 19:10 GMT Scots singer Sande also made top three in the singles chart Emeli Sande, the winner of this year's Brit Awards Critics' Choice award, has topped the UK chart with her debut album.

Our Version Of Events knocked Lana Del Rey's Born To Die down one place, while Adele dropped to number three with 21.

In the singles chart, Hot Right Now by DJ Fresh featuring Rita knocked Australian artist Goyte off the top.

The late Whitney Houston had three new entries in the top 40 singles chart following her death last week.

I Will Always Love You, from the hit film The Bodyguard, was the highest entry at number 14, I Wanna Dance With Somebody landed at number 20 and One Moment In Time scraped in at number 40.

Houston was buried at a private funeral in New Jersey on Sunday, after a star-studded service on Saturday which featured musical tributes from Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder.

Houston's Greatest Hits also made an appearance in the top 10 of the album chart, going in at number seven.

Scots singer Sande also enjoyed success in the singles chart, reaching number two with the track Next To Me.

She is due to accept the Critics' Choice at Tuesday night's Brits ceremony at the O2 in London - a prize which has been previously won by the likes of Jessie J, Florence and the Machine and Adele.

Elsewhere in the charts, Brit-nominated boyband One Direction shot up the charts to number nine, all the way from number 26 with their single One Thing, while Coldplay album Mylo Xyloto dropped out of the top 10 from number nine to 11.

VIDEO: Syria 'emboldened by UN inaction'

13 February 2012 Last updated at 22:01 GMT Help

Work scheme campaign 'is false'

24 February 2012 Last updated at 13:51 GMT Several companies have withdrawn from the scheme amid concerns over benefit payments The employment minister has claimed a small number of activists are trying to "destabilise" firms involved in a controversial work experience scheme.

The scheme allows unemployed youngsters to do unpaid work for up to two months without losing benefits but has been criticised by some as "slave labour".

Chris Grayling said firms were "jumpy" because of a "false campaign" he blamed on the Socialist Workers' Party.

But Right to Work protesters said it was a "broad-based" campaign.

Concerns expressed

The scheme, aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds on jobseeker's allowance (JSA), allows them to do unpaid work experience with a company for up to eight weeks - without losing their benefit and potentially with some expenses paid.

But if jobseekers choose to take part and then fail to turn up without good reason after the first week, their benefits could be docked for a period. This has led critics to question whether the placements are really "voluntary".

Of the 34,200 people who took part in the scheme between its launch in January 2011 and November that year - the government says 200 had their benefits docked.

Various firms have expressed concerns about government-backed work placement schemes in the past week, amid claims that they exploit people on benefits.

On Thursday Ken McMeikan, chief executive of the bakery chain Greggs, told BBC Two's Newsnight programme he and other business leaders would meet the government next week to discuss the scheme.

He said: "If after a week or more you decide as an individual that it's not working for you and you leave the scheme, we don't believe at Greggs that the benefits should be taken away."

'Entirely voluntary'

But he added it was a "small minority of people" of people criticising the scheme and most youngsters who had been through it "like it and they want us to continue offering it".

Mr Grayling told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that joining the scheme was "entirely voluntary" and many of those who took part went on to get jobs with the firms.

Continue reading the main story Voluntary scheme for 16- to 24-year-olds unemployed for more than three months, but less than nineParticipants have an unpaid placement for two to eight weeks, working 25 to 30 hours a weekThey continue to receive jobseeker's allowance and may receive a contribution to travel or childcare costsAnyone who cuts a placement short after more than a week may have their benefits stopped for two weeksGovernment says 51% of participants in first three months of scheme were off benefits within 13 weeks"All of the evidence we can see is that this does better than simply leaving people on JSA, it actually helps more young people get into work."

He said "jumpy" companies were coming under pressure from an internet campaign which he claimed was being run by the Socialist Workers' Party.

"The High Street retail sector is going through a tough time at the moment, if you're running a company and you're getting streams of emails attacking you, it's very unsettling. It's a false campaign.

"I don't accept that the scale of the campaign is very large, it's a small number of activists who are deliberately targeting these companies and trying to destabilise them."

Jobseekers who dropped out of the scheme "without good reason" would be investigated - and in some cases face the same sanction they would for not turning up to sign on at the job centre, he said.

And he argued that the only compulsory scheme they operated was a short-term scheme, "mandatory work activity", used when Jobcentre Plus advisers felt someone's job search has "gone off the rails" - which was work carried out on "community-benefiting projects".

Continue reading the main story

Like lots of socialists, people think what the government is doing with the workfare scheme is pretty outrageous”

End Quote Michael Bradley Right to Work campaign Waterstones, Maplin, Matalan, Tesco and Argos are among firms to have expressed concerns about government-backed work placement schemes in recent days.

On Friday Poundland said it was withdrawing from participation in another scheme - the government's work programme - which is aimed at people who have been unemployed for more than a year. Claimants who refuse to take part in recommended work experience can face benefit sanctions.

Sainsbury's, meanwhile, said the small number of stores that took part in the work experience scheme following local approaches had since ceased participation, as it was not company policy.

Michael Bradley of the Right to Work campaign said he was "proud to be a socialist" but it was a "broad based" campaign backed by six trade unions and chaired by Labour MP John McDonnell.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "Like lots of socialists, people think what the government is doing with the workfare scheme is pretty outrageous - that's why people are going onto the streets and protesting about it."

And Socialist Workers' Party national secretary Charlie Kimber said: "Grayling should know that the campaign against forcing the unemployed to work for nothing is supported by very large numbers of people, not just the SWP."

Kirsty McHugh, of the Employment Related Services Association, which represents "welfare to work" companies, said if benefit rules were stopping companies wanting to provide placements the government should look at them again.

VIDEO: House of Commons

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has once again been forced to defend the government's controversial Health and Social Care Bill, which enacts changes to the NHS in England.

Mr Lansley was summoned to the Commons on 28 February 2012, after it emerged Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Baroness Williams wrote to Liberal Democrat colleagues expressing support for amendments designed to limit competition within the health service.

Standing to jeers from the opposition, the health secretary defended the "most scrutinised bill in living memory" and said ministers were "open to any further changes that would improve or clarify the legislation".

He said he "wholeheartedly" agreed with the concerns Mr Clegg and Lady Williams raised about creating a "US-style market in the NHS", telling MPs: "We will not see a market free-for-all".

Gesturing to the Liberal Democrat benches, Mr Lansley said: "We - and I do mean all of us on these benches - we are using the debates in the Lords further to reassure all those who care about the NHS."

'Who is in charge?'

But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, who tabled the urgent question, said the government appeared to be "in complete disarray".

He dismissed the proposed Liberal Democrat changes as "cosmetic" and "designed to make the deputy prime minister look good in advance of his spring conference".

Mr Burnham demanded to know when Mr Lansley was made aware of the letter, whether he had seen it in advance, and if he had been overruled by Mr Clegg.

"Who is in charge of health policy, is anyone in charge?" he asked.

Mr Lansley insisted the letter simply explained the amendments ministers and the Lib Dems had "been working on together".

The bill had been "tremendously strengthened" during its passage through Parliament, he claimed.

Tory MPs back Lansley

Several backbench Conservative MPs rallied to support the health secretary.

Nadine Dorries urged Mr Lansley to stand up to the Liberal Democrats, while her colleague Philip Davies said ministers should not "dance to their tune".

Sarah Wollaston, a practicing GP, said doctors would be able to safeguard against "inappropriate" use of the private sector, because they would be the ones doing the commissioning.

"Shouldn't we let them get on with it?" the Tory MP asked.

Earlier, Deputy Liberal Democrat leader Simon Hughes thanked the health secretary for "accepting many amendments" from Lib Dem peers.

He urged Mr Lansley to "continue to work collaboratively to improve the bill to the very end".

Countries oppose CO2 tax on jets

21 February 2012 Last updated at 13:54 GMT Anti-airline carbon tax alliance to meet in Moscow

Delegates from 26 countries opposed to a new EU carbon tax on airlines are meeting in Moscow to consider possible retaliation, amid fears of a trade war.

China, India, Russia and the US are among the countries opposed to the EU fee, which took effect on 1 January.

Critics say the EU has no right to impose taxes on flights to or from destinations outside Europe.

But in December the European Court of Justice ruled that the EU tax on CO2 pollution from aircraft was legal.

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) creates permits for carbon emissions. Airlines that exceed their allowances will have to buy extra permits, as an incentive to airlines to pollute less.

Continue reading the main story

Nobody has fought harder than the European Union over the years to get a global deal”

End Quote Connie Hedegaard EU Commissioner for Climate Action The number of permits is reduced over time, so that the total CO2 output from airlines in European airspace falls.

The EU's Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, said the opponents should work with the EU to create a global scheme to cut aviation pollution.

"Nobody would be happier than the EU if we could get such a global deal," she told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

Ms Hedegaard said the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was the place to negotiate such a deal.

"Nobody has fought harder than the European Union over the years to get a global deal," she said.

She argued that the existence of the EU's permit scheme might make some countries shift their position "so that we would get the global deal, which is preferable".

'Tit-for-tat'

Most of the EU carbon credits this year will be granted free, however the airlines must buy or trade credits to cover the rest, and the cost increases from 2013 onwards.

Continue reading the main story

The EU is taking its own steps outside the UN organisation to reduce not only its own emissions, but those of other countries”

End Quote The payment for 2012 will be calculated after each airline's annual carbon output has been added up, to be paid in early 2013.

China claims the plan could cost Chinese airlines 95m euros (£79m; $124m) in additional annual costs. Analysts say it could jump to three or four times that much by 2020.

China has barred its airlines from participating in the ETS and the US Congress has voted to exclude US airlines from it.

Trevor Sikorski, a carbon markets analyst at Barclays Capital, said broad non-compliance among non-EU airlines could lead to jets being impounded in the EU and tit-for-tat measures, "which would be very damaging for airlines".

Airbus chief executive Tom Enders, quoted by the Associated Press, said he was worried that "what started out as a solution for the environment has become a source of potential trade conflict".

Peer's 'Auschwitz jibe' attacked

16 February 2012 Last updated at 17:59 GMT More than one million people died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp A UK Independence Party peer has compared German economic policy to a slogan used on the gates of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.

Lord Willoughby said the country's "remedy" in Greece was "austerity macht frei" - echoing the German phrase "arbeit macht frei", which means "work sets you free".

Liberal Democrat Lord Teverson called the the remark "offensive".

The exchange took place in a House of Lords debate on Europe.

'Inappropriate'

Lord Willoughby told peers: "Europe has been turned into a weapon of mass economic destruction.

"What is the remedy (to Greece's problems) prescribed by the EU leeches? Take more blood. More wage cuts. More unemployment. Lower pensions.

"Austerity macht frei. That seems to be the remedy prescribed by the Germans to Greece, certainly, and the rest of the Club Med when they are unable to meet the German requisites. They cannot turn themselves into Germans."

But Lord Teverson intervened to say he found the remark "offensive", because it "likened German economic policy, however wrong it might be, to a camp that practised genocide, (and) is utterly inappropriate".

Lord Willoughby replied: "I'm sorry you take it like that. But the fact is the German finance minister is recommending more and more pain to be inflicted on Greece, regardless of the fact it's doing the Greek population and economy no good at all.

"That is what austerity is leading to and that is why I use that expression. He is saying more austerity will bring you free, austerity macht frei. I repeat that."

It is estimated that more than one million people - mostly Jews - were killed at the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenai, in Poland.

Large numbers of non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and homosexuals were also murdered.

Fatal road crash prompts appeal

19 February 2012 Last updated at 15:00 GMT Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal car crash near Newport.

A man, aged 33, driving a green Renault Megane died in hospital following the incident on the southbound A467 between Rogerstone and Bassaleg.

The road was closed for five hours following the collision at around 13:25 GMT on Saturday while specialist officers investigated.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Gwent Police by dialing 101.

Rise in EU students for Scotland

28 February 2012 Last updated at 18:01 GMT Scottish universities have seen a rise in applications from students in Europe There has been a 6% rise in the number of European Union students applying to Scotland's universities this autumn.

In total, 17,316 EU students applied - up from 16,348 in 2011, figures from the admissions service, Ucas, show.

EU law says EU students must be treated as locals, so - like Scottish students - they will not pay fees in Scotland.

But EU applications to English, Welsh and Northern Irish universities - where they will pay up to £9,000 a year - fell by 16.5%, 14% and 8% respectively.

This means 6,065 fewer EU students applied for places at universities in England for 2012.

In Wales, 543 fewer applied and in Northern Ireland, 177 fewer applied.

From the autumn, fees will rise to up to £9,000 a year in England.

Fees are also rising up to this maximum level in other parts of the UK, although students in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales who stay in their home nation to study will not be affected.

Expat

British-born Michael Kind, who is 17, has been living in Germany for the past few years, because of his parents' work.

As a result, he is now classed as an EU student, so would not have to pay fees if he went to university in Scotland.

Continue reading the main story English universities: 36,814 in 2011; 30,749 in 2012Welsh universities: 3,762 in 2011; 3,219 in 2012Northern Irish universities: 2,114 in 2011; 1,937 in 2012Scottish universities: 16,348 in 2011; 17,316 in 2012Students who come to Scotland from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, on the other hand, will be liable for fees of up to £9,000 a year from the autumn, although those coming from Wales will be subsidised by the Welsh government.

Michael attends an international school in Berlin where he is studying for the International Baccalaureate.

He said he and his friends had done a lot of research into where to apply for university, in particular weighing up universities in the United States with those in the UK.

"There are a lot of factors you have to consider," he said.

"We are not the wealthiest family so price is always going to play a role. Scotland is a viable option."

He said he felt in an "awkward position" because he did not think "this loophole" was fair, but would do what was best for himself.

"I like the idea of equality. I don't find it fair that Europeans can get in cheaper because they have lived in a different country," he said.

Dividing line

It costs Scotland £75m a year to fund EU students, and that will rise if numbers go up. Ministers in Edinburgh are looking to see if they can change the rules.

Alan Trench, an academic from Edinburgh University and author of a blog, Devolution Matters, said: "It's an anomaly caused by the structure of devolution.

Continue reading the main story

There's been a clear reduction in the number of young people applying to go south of the border to English universities”

End Quote Rob Kelly Scottish head teacher "Politically, it is clearly causing some concern in England and financially, it is expensive for the Scottish government.

"The solution to the problem is far from clear."

The attraction of no fees is also luring English students who live near the Scottish border.

Berwickshire High School in the Scottish borders has pupils who live in England and Scotland, so some will get a free university education and some will not.

Kate, 16, and her family moved six miles three years ago to ensure she was resident in Scotland and would avoid tuition fees there.

"It just hits you sometimes, I think, 'Gosh, I could have been landed with £36,000 debt if I'd done a four-year degree in England.'

Robyn, 17, has always been at school in Scotland, but lives in England, so will have to pay full fees at a Scottish university.

"I've never been in English education and Scottish education has always suited me, so I always thought I wouldn't pay them [tuition fees], so when I found out it was quite difficult.

Robyn goes to school in Scotland but lives in England so faces tuition fees

"I'm part of a Scottish school, I've always been part of Scotland, but I'm considered different and it's difficult to deal with."

Grant, 17, said he was only considering study at a Scottish university, because his family was already struggling with his older sister's fees in England.

"I know that the English universities are very good and they've got very high standards, but I do feel, because of the financial situation, it's just not an option for me."

The head teacher, Rob Kelly, said the new fee structure for higher education had had a notable impact on students' choices.

"There's been a clear reduction in the number of young people applying to go south of the border to English universities.

"Normally we have between 15 to 20 young people choosing to look south. This year I think we have seven all together - and I think that's a sign of things to come."

The government in England says that students should not be put off applying to university when fees rise in the autumn - because no-one has to pay any fees upfront.

The fees will be covered by student loans, which graduates will only have to begin paying back once they are earning more than £21,000 a year.