Brit ratings 'biggest since 2005'

22 February 2012 Last updated at 17:02 GMT Adele (l) made her feelings known about having her acceptance speech curtailed More people tuned in to ITV's coverage of this year's Brit Awards than have done so in the last seven years.

The average audience to have watched the ceremony on ITV1 and catch-up channel ITV1+1 was 6.2 million - the event's highest audience since 2005.

If the catch-up figures are excluded, the average audience was 5.9 million.

ITV said it had received 170 complaints about the climax to Tuesday's telecast, which saw an acceptance speech by Adele cut short by host James Corden.

The channel has issued a public apology to the singer, who reacted to the perceived slight by aiming a rude gesture at Brit organisers.

"That was for the suits at the Brit Awards, not my fans," she told reporters afterwards. "I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but the suits offended me."

"Unfortunately the programme was over-running and we had to move on," said ITV. "We would like to apologise to Adele for the interruption."

A Brits spokesman added: "We regret this happened and we send our deepest apologies to Adele that her big moment was cut short."

Corden said he was under orders to silence Adele so that Blur - recipients of the outstanding contribution award - could perform a medley of their hits.

"Just after Adele said thank you, people were saying: 'You have to go in now'," he told 5 Live's Richard Bacon on Wednesday.

"I said: 'I can't' - they said: 'You have to'. I said: 'How can we cut her off?' The whole room was on its feet.

"It was such a surreal moment, when everything you can hear in your ear is five people essentially having an argument."

The Gavin and Stacey star said it had been "upsetting and disappointing" but that it had been "just one of those things".

Blur were joined by actor Phil Daniels (r) during their closing medley

The 2005 ceremony - hosted by DJ Chris Evans and featuring performances from Green Day and Scissor Sisters - drew an average audience of 6.3 million.

The 2008 event - hosted by Ozzy Osborne and his family - was watched by an average audience of 6.1 million.

At its peak, this year's ceremony at London's O2 arena was watched by 7.4 million people - more than double the audience for last year's show, according to Corden.

Adele won two prizes at the ceremony. Her first, for best British female, came earlier in the evening, while the second, for best British album, was the final one presented.

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran also won two awards, for best British male and British breakthrough.

Coldplay were crowned best British group for a record third time, while former X Factor boy band One Direction won best British single.

Winners at the Brit Awards included Adele, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay

Barclays to pay £500m avoided tax

28 February 2012 Last updated at 10:34 GMT Continue reading the main story Barclays Bank has been ordered by the Treasury to pay half-a-billion pounds in tax which it had tried to avoid.

Barclays was accused by HM Revenue and Customs of designing and using two schemes that were intended to avoid substantial amounts of tax.

The government has taken the unusual step of introducing retrospective legislation to end such "aggressive tax avoidance" by financial institutions.

Tax rules forced the bank to tell the authorities about its plans.

The government has closed the schemes to retrieve £500m of lost tax and safeguard payments of billions of more tax in the future.

BBC business editor Robert Peston has been told by Barclays that it is surprised by HMRC's reaction to the two schemes, which it believed to be in line with those used by other banks.

Our business editor says it is highly embarrassing for Barclays, because Britain's big banks have all signed a code committing them not to engage in tax avoidance.

However, he adds that Barclays may end up paying no more than £150m of additional tax.

'Decision justified'

Announcing the crackdown, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said the bank should never have devised the schemes in the first place.

Continue reading the main story

All Britain's big banks have signed a code committing them not to engage in tax avoidance”

End Quote Robert Peston Business editor, BBC News "The bank that disclosed these schemes to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has adopted the Banking Code of Practice on Taxation which contains a commitment not to engage in tax avoidance," he said.

"The government is clear that these are not transactions that a bank that has adopted the code should be undertaking.

"We do not take today's action lightly, but the potential tax loss from this scheme and the history of previous abuse in this area mean that this is a circumstance where the decision to change the law with full retrospective effect is justified."

One tax scheme involved Barclays claiming it should not have to pay corporation tax on profits made when buying back its own IOUs.

The second tax avoidance scheme, also designed by Barclays, involved investment funds claiming that non-taxable income entitled the funds to tax credits that could be reclaimed from HMRC.

The Treasury described this as "an attempt to secure 'repayment' from the Exchequer of tax that has not been paid".

Forced disclosure

A Treasury source suggested that outlawing the tax schemes immediately would save the government a further £2bn in tax that would otherwise have been foregone.

Barclays disclosed the two schemes to the tax authorities under rules which have been in place since 2004.

Anyone, such as a bank, accountant, lawyer or tax adviser, who devises a seemingly legal tax avoidance plan, is obliged to tell the tax authorities about it within a few days of using it or marketing it to clients.

More than 2,000 schemes have been disclosed in the past eight years.

Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the experience of Barclays showed that the system of compulsory disclosure for legal tax avoidance schemes was working.

"They have got caught, they disclosed this information, the HMRC has acted very quickly, there will be no benefit to the bank, they are clearly taking a substantial reputational hit and we have demonstrated that banks are simply not going to be able to get away with it," he said.

John Whiting, of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), said: "Quite a few of the disclosures have come from banks in the past.

"They [the schemes] are usually intended for sale to others such as clients."

Tax obligations

The banking code on taxation was first introduced by the Labour government in June 2009.

Stephen Herring, BDO Stoy Hayward: "This is not to do with tax evasion"

It followed reports that some big banks used large scale tax avoidance schemes involving complex transactions and financial instruments.

The code - which was supported by the incoming coalition government the following year - demands that banks which sign ensure that their tax and the tax obligations of their customers are observed.

It says they should not go out of their way to avoid tax for themselves or clients.

The 15 biggest banks operating in the UK have signed up.

'Treated even-handedly'

In a separate development, HMRC said it would appoint a senior official to act as an "assurance commissioner" for any tax deals struck with big companies for more than £100m.

The job of the commissioner will be to make sure taxpayers in general do not suffer from any such settlements.

The move follows severe criticism last December from MPs on the Public Accounts Committee who denounced HMRC for appearing to cut contentious tax deals with companies such as Vodafone and Goldman Sachs.

Lin Homer, the new HMRC chief executive said: "This commissioner will take the role of challenging whether any proposed settlement secured the correct amount of tax efficiently and that taxpayers had been treated even-handedly.

"The commissioner will also make sure that the governance procedures have been followed," she added.

VIDEO: Is Somalian capital on the mend?

22 February 2012 Last updated at 22:40 GMT Help

Globe receives £1.5m from donor

24 February 2012 Last updated at 17:43 GMT My Family actress Zoe Wanamaker is the Globe's honorary president An anonymous private donor has given £1.5m to Shakespeare's Globe, the theatre has announced.

The money will go towards the £7m needed to build the Indoor Jacobean Theatre - aimed to be the most complete recreation of an English renaissance indoor theatre.

The donor has also pledged to double the donation, providing the Globe manages to raise £1.5m by itself.

Work is scheduled to start in October following the Globe's summer season.

"Our wonderfully generous anonymous donor has given this money to enable us to complete the Indoor Theatre, but also by doubling donations we receive, we hope that this will encourage others to support this important project," said the Globe's chief executive, Neil Constable.

It is hoped the latest addition - which will seat just over 300 people and will feature two tiers of galleried seating and a pit seating area - will be ready to open from November 2013.

Actress Zoe Wanamaker, who is the Globe's honorary president, said: "It is a wonderful thing in this day and age to build a new theatre, a continuum in our culture, which perpetuates literature and art and performance, and encourages an exploration into the unfolding of British drama."

The My Family star is also the daughter of Sam Wanamaker, the director and actor who originally founded the Globe.

Dutch prince 'may never wake up'

24 February 2012 Last updated at 15:48 GMT Dr Wolfgang Koller: "The team has been fighting for Prince Friso's life for a week"

Dutch Prince Johan Friso, injured in an avalanche last week, is in a coma and may never regain consciousness, doctors treating him in Austria say.

Prince Friso, who had been on a skiing holiday in the Austrian resort of Lech, lay buried under snow for about 15 minutes before being rescued.

He was taken to hospital in Innsbruck after the accident, in which nobody else was hurt.

The prince, 43, is the second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

However, he is not in line for the throne since marrying in 2004 without the government's permission.

Queen Beatrix and the prince's wife, Mabel, have been to visit him at Innsbruck's University Hospital, as have his brothers, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn.

A friend of the prince who was skiing with him at the time of the avalanche has been questioned by police.

'Heart attack'

He had been skiing with between one and three other people off the marked pistes when the avalanche hit shortly after midday local time last Friday, said resort officials.

The prince is seen here at Lech in the Austrian Alps last year

He was buried by an avalanche reportedly measuring about 30m (yds) wide by 40m long.

A beeper he was wearing allowed rescuers to locate him quickly.

Speaking to reporters in Innsbruck, Dr Wolfgang Koller said it had taken nearly 50 minutes to revive the prince.

MRI scans have shown his brain suffered "massive damage'' in the avalanche.

The prince will be moved at a later date to a private clinic for further treatment but it may take years before he awakens, if ever, the doctor said.

Continue reading the main story Anna Holligan BBC News, Amsterdam

The Dutch royal family is held in high regard by the majority of people here in the Netherlands. Queen's Day is one of the most widely celebrated national holidays.

The news of Prince Friso's condition has been greeted with outpourings of grief and sympathy. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's office said he called Queen Beatrix on Friday morning to tell them the "country sympathises deeply with the royal family in this time of concern and grief".

As soon as the news broke, Prince Friso became a trending topic on the social networking site Twitter with users expressing their love and support for his wife, Mabel, and their two young daughters, Luana and Zaria. Queen Beatrix has said that the family has been moved by the "countless" messages of condolence and encouragement they have received.

"We cannot say today with certainty whether Prince Friso will one day regain consciousness," added Dr Koller, who is head of the trauma unit at the hospital.

"In any case, a neurological rehabilitation will be required that will take months, if not years."

The doctor explained that the prince's brain had been deprived of oxygen due to the amount of time spent under the snow.

"This resulted in a heart attack that lasted about 50 minutes....

"Fifty minutes of reanimation is very, very long, one might even say too long.

"Our hope was that the patient's mild hypothermia would provide some protection for the brain. This hope was not realised."

The Dutch royal family regularly spends skiing holidays in Lech, in the western Vorarlberg province of Austria.

Florian Moosbrugger, owner of the hotel where the royal family stays, had been skiing with the prince, a childhood friend.

He survived the incident unscathed, having worn an avalanche airbag, and reportedly dug his friend out with his own hands and called the emergency services, the Austrian Times reports.

The Dutch royal family has been visiting the prince in hospital

He has been questioned by police seeking to establish which of the skiers went down the slope first, and how the avalanche began.

Mr Moosbrugger, who could reportedly face charges of "unintentional grievous bodily harm in particularly dangerous circumstances", says he is totally innocent.

According to his mother Kristl, Queen Beatrix herself comforted him after he was questioned.

Kristl Moosbrugger has defended her son.

"No avalanche was coming downhill," she told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "There were also strong skiing traces in the snow. They felt sure."

Firms import more skilled workers

28 February 2012 Last updated at 13:26 GMT The government has pledged to cut net migration to the "tens of thousands" Three times more migrant workers came to the UK on companies' transfers schemes than on general visas for skilled workers, official figures show.

Firms using the intra-company transfer (ICT) scheme brought in 29,700 non-European staff in the 12 months to September 2011.

But those entering via visa schemes could be as low as 10,000, despite a cap of 21,700, the Home Office's Migration Advisory Committee said.

Ministers want to cut net migration.

Prime Minister David Cameron says he wants the overall figure to reach "tens of thousands" by 2015. It is currently around 250,000.

'Substantially higher'

The ICT scheme, used by firms to bring their own people into the UK for more than a year to do specific jobs, should be kept under review, the committee said.

The number of entrants to the UK via ICT per million of the population was "substantially higher for the UK" than for comparable countries such as the US, Spain, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany and Ireland.

Continue reading the main story Danny Shaw Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

During the last general election, the Conservatives presented an "immigration cap" as a key way of controlling levels of migration.

Their stated aim, in government, is to cut annual net migration - numbers coming in less people leaving - to tens of thousands.

But the Migration Advisory Committee figures suggest the cap will have little impact, mainly because employees from multi-national companies switching to the UK from abroad aren't included.

So, while the number of workers on capped routes fell (well below the limit), intra-company transfer numbers remain high.

This is likely to fuel concerns - outlined by the Commons Public Accounts Committee last year - that thousands of overseas IT workers are using the transfer scheme, while British people with similar skills are "struggling to find work".

The committee hints that restrictions could be tightened - but any such move would be resisted by business chiefs.

Committee chairman David Metcalf said it needed to be kept "under review".

He suggested that if the government wanted to limit the use of ICTs, it could raise the £40,000 income threshold, increase the skill level required or limit the number of work permits any one sponsor could have.

But he said: "Some of these transfers are vital, such as the Japanese auto engineer testing cylinder heads made in Japan and training British workers to do such testing.

"Other types of intra-company transfers have evolved over time, particularly those used for third-party contracting in the information technology sector, where it is possible that the UK economy is benefiting in aggregate terms while at the same time some displacement of British workers is occurring."

He added: "They are doing absolutely nothing wrong here, but it's consultancy companies bringing workers in, typically IT workers, typically from India."

They carry out some work in India and then come to the UK to do other work at the UK client's base, before returning to India to complete the work, he said.

Professor Metcalf also said: "It's here that I think we need to keep this under review. It's this group which has grown substantially in the past decade, even in the last five years.

"It is the case these workers may well be displacing British IT workers, but equally it may well be that UK plc gains overall."

One firm alone, which is a major manufacturer in Britain but also has a consultancy arm, brought in 4,000 migrant workers alone last year, Prof Metcalf said.

He added that if the government was concerned about bringing net migration down from about 250,000 now to "tens of thousands" by 2015, as Prime Minister David Cameron has said, it "should not hit the Hondas and Toyotas of this world, because that would look very badly on UK plc".

The number of ICTs had surged from around 20,000 in 2009 to about 30,000 in mid-2011, but had remained largely flat since then.

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said the report "shows the ever widening gap between this Government's rhetoric on immigration and the reality of their policies".

"This government needs to tone down its rhetoric and get in touch with reality.

"We need strong controls on people who want to come here. They should pay their way and add value to our country. I hope we can all agree on that, but the Government needs to be honest with people and get tougher on illegal immigration too."

Awema: Ministers want money back

22 February 2012 Last updated at 18:48 GMT Naz Malik has been sacked from Awema as the charity is wound up The Welsh government has written to a race equality charity to try to reclaim any public money.

It comes as opposition AMs accused ministers of failing to answer questions about the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (Awema).

Welsh Conservative assembly leader Andrew RT Davies said ministers had chosen to "stonewall".

But Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the government had "acted quickly".

Awema is being wound up after a report into allegations of financial irregularities.

Funding was cut off earlier this month when a Welsh government inquiry found a "complete lack of oversight of the financial processes and controls" at Awema. The findings are being considered by police.

Continue reading the main story

A letter has gone to Awema today to protect our interest and stating a claim in respect of funding that they currently hold”

End Quote Jane Hutt Finance Minister Awema chief executive Naz Malik and finance director Saquib Zia have been dismissed and administrators have been called in.

During a debate in the Senedd chamber on Wednesday, opposition AMs highlighted repeated warnings about the way Awema was being run.

A former Plaid Cymru AM has said he passed on concerns about Awema to ministers in the last assembly.

In 2007, Awema's then chairman resigned after complaining to the Welsh government about the way the charity was run.

And three years earlier a report said Awema should receive no further funding until it demonstrated improved project and performance management.

Continue reading the main story A Welsh government inquiry found a "clear conflict of interest" because one of the charity's directors reporting to Naz Malik was his daughter Tegwen. There were "considerable increases" in her salary from £20,469 in January 2008 to £50,052 in August 2011.It said charity funds were used to pay for gym memberships for staff worth £2,120, £800 was spent on rugby and cricket tickets and a £110 parking fine for Mr Malik was paid.An earlier report, commissioned by the charity's trustees, said Mr Malik used funds inappropriately and paid off credit card debts worth £9,340.It also alleged that his salary was increased to £65,719 without approval from the board.Mr Malik "has increased his own benefits package without due openness or transparency". The treatment of some junior staff was so poor that it contravened their human rights, it added.Accusing the government of failing to scrutinise the charity, Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black said: "The government has serious questions to ask of its own links with Awema."

He referred to the suspension from the Labour Party of Mr Malik and his daughter Tegwen, who also worked for Awema.

A Labour Party spokesman told BBC Wales they have both since resigned as members.

'Compromise scrutiny'

Mr Black asked: "Can the minister stand here today and assure us that she and her colleagues - who we believe have repeatedly failed in their approach to Awema - have acted appropriately at all stages?

"That individual relationships with Awema members did not compromise the scrutiny of that body?

Continue reading the main story

It is regrettable that the government have chosen to stonewall so much on this”

End Quote Andrew RT Davies Welsh Conservative opposition leader "That blind eyes were not turned to awkward conversations?"

Mr Davies said: "It is regrettable that the government have chosen to stonewall so much on this, and in particular they have addressed it via a written statement rather than an oral statement."

Ms Hutt defended the government's actions, saying it "acted quickly" when the latest allegations about Awema were brought to its attention in December.

She said this month's report prompted "decisive action", with funding terminated.

"A letter has gone to Awema today to protect our interest and stating a claim in respect of funding that they currently hold," she told AMs.

She added that a separate investigation by the Wales Audit Office (WAO) "will look at how the Welsh government has managed its relationship with Awema to protect and make good use of public funds".

"It is not appropriate for me to prejudice the WAO review by commenting on issues relating to the Welsh government's funding of Awema historically."

Government officials are in touch with South Wales Police's head of specialist crime who is considering whether there is evidence of criminal offences.

She said it was a "situation of great concern where of course there are lessons to be learned".

Christchurch earthquake: rebuilding a city

One year on from the devastating earthquake that destroyed much of Christchurch and left 185 people dead, the city is still working hard to repair the damage. It is estimated some 60% of the historic city centre was damaged by the quake on 22 February 2011.

CLICKABLE

Since last February, Christchurch has suffered thousands of tremors and two further quakes in June and December, although none caused as much damage as the February earthquake, said to be the worst natural disaster in the country for 80 years.

Work has been continuing to get the city back on its feet. The business district is still sealed off to the public and is now a giant construction site. But gradually streets have been reopened as many of the damaged buildings have been demolished and areas cleared.

The city's landmark cathedral suffered severe damage in the February quake. Scaffolding was quickly erected to make the building safe but it took engineers some time to establish that parts of the building would need to be demolished and rebuilt.

All pictures supplied by Afp/Getty.

Violence mars elections in Yemen

21 February 2012 Last updated at 23:29 GMT The BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes reports from a polling station in Sanaa: ''There is only one candidate''

Violence in southern Yemen has marred an election to replace veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

At least nine people, including a child, were killed in violence which had been widely expected after separatists called for a voter boycott.

Half of Aden's polling stations closed early as a result but voting in the capital, Sanaa, was calm and orderly.

A US spokeswoman said the country was "encouraged" by the "very strong and positive referendum".

"We congratulate the Yemenis for really launching this process, taking ownership of it as a population, and we will stand with them as they take the next steps," state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

The poll comes a year after violent anti-government protests erupted in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country.

Voters are due to rubber-stamp Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - the only candidate.

Disobedience call

British election observer Baroness Nicholson was in a polling station in Aden, the main city in the south, when an attack happened nearby.

Continue reading the main story Rupert Wingfield-Hayes BBC News, Sanaa

At a huge rally inside the Sanaa football stadium, I saw thousands of enthusiastic supporters chanting the name of Yemen's Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

For outsiders, it is hard to understand why anyone would get excited about such a demonstrably undemocratic election.

The vice-president is the only candidate - but that is not the point. This election is about making sure that Yemen's president for the last 33 years, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is gone for good.

Even with him gone, the old president's sons and nephews still control the military.

Large chunks of the country are in rebellion and al-Qaeda militants have recently taken control of two districts. And half a million children suffer from severe malnutrition.

It is a daunting list of tasks for Yemen's new president.

She told the BBC World Service programme Newshour that she and two female Yemeni ministers were monitoring voting when "a great sequence of explosions" took place near to the building.

She said no-one at the polling station was injured and she did not think she had been the target of the attack.

But she said she had been "encouraged" by speaking to people before the vote who told her "we know it's going to be horrible but we're jolly well going to go out and vote".

Elsewhere in Aden two soldiers were killed.

The separatist Southern Movement had announced a day of "civil disobedience" to mark the vote.

A leader of the movement, Abdulhamid Shokri, said four civilians - including a child - had died in the city during clashes between security forces and people opposed to the election.

Officials told BBC Arabic that gunmen killed four soldiers in an attack on a polling station in Hadramawt province.

Two soldiers were also killed in an attack in the al-Hawta district.

Shia rebels in the north also called for a boycott.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, in the capital Sanaa, says such violence has been seen in previous elections and had been expected.

But Sanaa itself was largely peaceful, says our correspondent, with many people voting amid tight security. In one district officials said 45% of eligible voters had cast their ballot by midday.

"We've seen extensive voting - which we didn't expect - especially from young people," said election official Ammar Al Magbali.

Saleh era ends

The main supporters of the uprising that began in January 2011 are backing Mr Hadi, whose election posters are prominently displayed in Sanaa.

He is from the south himself and has called for dialogue with the separatists.

Yemeni human rights activist Tawakkol Karman, joint winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, said that the election marked the end of Mr Saleh's 33-year reign.

"We are building the democratic and happy Yemen that all of the youth and women have dreamed about," she said.

But the country still faces many challenges - an ongoing rebellion in large parts of the country, al-Qaeda militants, widespread malnutrition among children and severe drought.

The election follows a deal brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbours.

Mr Saleh signed the agreement to step down - but only once a new president has been elected.

The new president is due to stay in office for two years, when a further round of presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled.

VIDEO: BBC goes inside Fukushima plant

28 February 2012 Last updated at 10:52 GMT Help

The lull of the Shipping Forecast

17 February 2012 Last updated at 12:32 GMT By Alex Hudson BBC News The Shipping Forecast may provide vital weather information to sea captains and sailors, but some of the most devoted fans are those who listen to it for its poetic quality.

If you went out on the sea today, you would be sure of no big surprise.

For the past 90 years, hardy maritime workers heading out have turned on a radio to find out exactly what weather could be expected by tuning in to the Shipping Forecast.

Areas like Viking, Forties, Humber, Faeroes and Fair Isle drift out on the airwaves along with warnings of how rough conditions could be.

If nothing else, it is more efficient than the attempt at the first storm warning service by Admiral FitzRoy, founder of what would become the Met Office and inventor of the weather forecast.

In the 1860s, he came up with the idea of different shaped canvas-covered frames to alert ships - lit up by fires at night - of danger.

"To the non-nautical, [the Shipping Forecast] is a nightly litany of the sea," says news presenter Zeb Soanes, who can regularly be heard reading the forecast.

"It reinforces a sense of being islanders with a proud seafaring past.

"Whilst the listener is safely tucked-up in their bed, they can imagine small fishing-boats bobbing about at Plymouth or 170ft waves crashing against Rockall."

The forecast's slow, methodical delivery - for the very practical purpose of clarity - has led to many describing the broadcast as close to poetry as a news broadcast gets.

"It's like a lullaby almost," says Shipping Forecast regular Kathy Clugston.

Nick Higham finds out why the forecast is part of the British consciousness

"There's something about the sound of it and the rhythm - it's so repetitive - that is so soothing."

Peter Jefferson, who read the Shipping Forecast for 40 years, has said that he was often told his voice sent many listeners to sleep.

Poet Seamus Heaney immortalised this calming rhythm as the images "Conjured by that strong gale-warning voice/Collapse into a sibilant penumbra."

There are four broadcasts a day on the long-wave broadcast of Radio 4. These times - 0048, 0520, 1201 and 1754 - are set in stone, not to be moved come hell or high-water.

Though you would think that come hell or high-water, the bulletin would be all the more important.

Despite hearing the names of the areas regularly, many listeners do not know where they are located

In 2011, as England closed in on retaining the Ashes, Test Match Special - which also broadcasts on Radio 4 long-wave - cut away to the Shipping Forecast just moments before the final wicket fell.

Listeners returned to the jubilation of commentators as England were victorious, reports of the final ball hidden by talk of Cromarty and South-east Iceland.

In that Test series - in an incredible coincidence - all three English victories were missed by long-wave listeners because of the forecast. Cricket enthusiasts listening on digital services were unaffected.

"You just sort of prayed quietly that no wickets would fall while you were reading the forecast," says Jefferson.

"If something happened, you knew you were going to raise the ire of all cricket fans."

But as yet, there has been no unstoppable force to hit the immovable object of the forecast.

When there were plans to move one of the bulletins by 12 minutes, a campaign opposed to the change was set up because it "threatened the demise of civilisation for its devoted listeners," according to Stefan Collini of The Guardian.

The plans were soon dropped.

There seems to be something about hearing about areas like Rockall or Shannon that is intrinsically linked with the UK's heritage, so much so that composer Philip Sheppard decided to include it in his music for the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

"It's part of the fabric of this intangible thing called Britishness," says Soanes.

"Just like red telephone boxes, Wimbledon, the chimes of Big Ben, the smell of cut grass, scones and jam."

And it is probably not something that would make it onto air in every country of the world.

"It is eccentric, though you only realise when people come from other countries - they are completely baffled by it," says Clugston.

"Only recently, some Americans came in, listened to the broadcast and said, 'Well, we don't understand a word of that but it was terrific. Could we have a recording of that to go back and play in our office? No one would believe us otherwise'."

Continue reading the main story The Isle of Portland, south of Weymouth, has long considered rabbits to be bad luckThe largest earthquake in the UK, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, took place in 1931 on Dogger Bank, a sandbank in the North Sea Fastnet Rock, a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, has the highest lighthouse in Ireland Malin Head, on the Inishowen Peninsula in Ireland, is one of a select number of places in Europe where the elusive Corn Crake can be heardThe island of Fair Isle in Northern Scotland is known for its traditional knitting style The job of actually reading the forecast can be a tough one. The late broadcast - lasting around 11 minutes - can strike fear in those new to the task.

"It's the last thing you do, having been at work since 4.30pm," says Soanes.

"But you can't afford to start lulling yourself to sleep. It's vital information first and poetry incidentally."

And the broadcast's strict timing, rhythm, format and script - a maximum of 370 words, except for the final, longer broadcast - mean that delivery has to be precise.

"It was the thing I was most nervous about when I started at Radio 4," says Clugston.

"I was absolutely shaking. I was nearly sick. You're aware that it's something that people love and they know all the voices. You don't want to read it wrong."

Back in the autumn, the BBC announced that long-wave transmission was slowly being wound down.

And with long-wave being vital to the Shipping Forecast because of the range of the frequency, could this be the end for the Shipping Forecast as we know it? Not according to the BBC.

It says that long-wave will continue to broadcast the Shipping Forecast for many years to come, until at least the end of the current charter in 2017.

And that means that the quirkiness - as well as vital information - is here to stay.

"Occasionally you get a little something pop up," says Clugston.

"My favourite is 'light icing'. I love saying that - it makes me think of cakes."

VIDEO: 'Underwear bomber' sentenced to life

16 February 2012 Last updated at 21:18 GMT Help

Kidding around in luxury hotels

28 February 2012 Last updated at 23:32 GMT By Helen Soteriou London VIK cards give The Ritz a competitive edge Forget about black or platinum charge cards; at The Ritz, an ultra-luxurious hotel in London, the card to have is exclusive for Very Important Kids.

Under-16s staying at the hotel are kitted out with small-sized bathrobes, slippers and toiletries, and they have access to the hotel's Teen Concierge.

Flash the VIK-card at the attentive staff and they will give you a goodie bag on arrival, feed you ice cream until you can eat no more, then serve you milk and cookies at bedtime.

It is all part of a growing realisation within The Ritz that the kiddie market is both fast-growing and increasingly important.

Other hotels, such as Ritz Carlton, Omni, and Trump, have also woken up and smelt the coffee.

They all have their own individualised programmes in place.

Bonding experience

A move beyond more traditional attractions such as a butler service and complimentary shoe cleaning has proven popular at The Ritz.

Families are particularly chuffed, frequently opting for the £600 a night Kidz @ The Ritz family bundle, with everyone sharing a small suite or two interconnected rooms.

The special treatment makes both current and future paying customers happy

Alternatives include the Princess for a Day programme at The Ritz Salon, priced at £225, and marketed as "quality mother and daughter girl-time".

The programme includes a haircut and style for two, followed by a manicure for little princesses and a pedicure for mothers, followed by champagne or a Shirley Temple fruit cocktail in The Rivoli Bar.

Or they will get all dolled-up to have afternoon tea with the grown-ups in the Palm Court, where a formal dress code is observed.

A father and son programme incorporating The Ritz's Rolls-Royce Phantom will soon be offered both as a day programme for non-residents and as part of an overnight stay.

It is all designed to appeal to parents looking to bond with their children. Though rather than them getting down on their knees to play Lego with the little ones, or any other activity done on the children's terms, this is all about giving the young a glimpse into the lifestyle enjoyed by their parents.

Tailored itinerary

Down the road from The Ritz lies The Athenaeum, a family-run luxury hotel that sees more than 1,000 children pass through its doors each summer.

With its 111 bedrooms, 12 suites and 34 apartments, The Athenaeum was awarded the title of Best Family Hotel (UK) in the 2011 Junior Magazine Design Awards.

The Athenaeum's children's concierge serves young guests exactly what they like

The atmosphere here is very different from that at The Ritz. Here, the children are treated just like any other child.

Sort of.

Unlike most children, those visiting The Athenaeum are not even required to point to get what they want during their stay.

That is because everything has been made ready for them before they even set foot inside the hotel.

A dedicated concierge, Serena Zandegu, will send out family questionnaires to get to know children before they arrive with their parents.

Based on the answers, she will make sure the children's favourite drinks, snacks, magazines, and music await them.

Every family is offered a bespoke itinerary, complete with offers of flying a kite, going for a bike ride or feeding the birds in nearby Green Park.

Returning customers

To Simon Wakefield, the general manager of The Athenaeum, the efforts are worthwhile, as they tend to please both the hotel's current and future customers.

"There are lots of lovely stories of people who stay in wonderful hotels as a kid, and then always go back there as an adult, so you are nurturing your business of the future," he says.

Wealthy grandparents often foot the bill when families indulge

"But it is more than that. It is about really caring, allowing the family, the parents, not to have to stress about what their kids are going to do."

Mr Wakefield believes that one of the reasons why their children's programme is successful, is that that they listen and value the opinions of their young guests.

'They tell you want they really want to do and what they want to see, and as long as we listen to them and take that on-board, it is going to make the parents lives easier as well," he says.

"And then they want to come back."

Multi-generation travel

But if parents and children are pleased, there is a third group of customers that is even happier with the way some luxury hotels look after their needs.

Grandparents are often the ones who foot the bill, as a way of spending time with their offspring without having to sacrifice comfort, according to Euromonitor, a market research and analysis firm.

"The trend of multi-generation travel indicates that families need a place to go which will cater to all members of the family, including, grandparents, parents and kids," says research analyst Janaki Padmanabhan.

"More and more hotels are realising that they improve occupancy rates by catering to families.

"Apart from having a competitive pricing, extra facilities will play a key role when parents [or grandparents] are looking to include children and have a luxurious holiday."

Pampered or spoilt?

Child friendly facilities such as a step in a family bathroom that helps children reach the basin, or a couple of plastic cups rather than glasses, are helpful for families staying in hotels, according to mummy blogger Linda Aitchison, founder and editor of havealovelytime.com and mother of teenage twins, Emily and Melissa.

"And my children would definitely enjoy pretending to be grown-up," she says, so some aspects of the luxury services on offer might please them.

"But I think a lot of the adult-based pampering such as spa and treatments is totally unnecessary," she continues.

"The pampering is there to relax you. Children don't need this, and I don't see the point of it.

"Also, I don't want my children to think adults should wait on them hand and foot. They already think that's what parents are for."

Making movie music for the Muppets

10 February 2012 Last updated at 01:23 GMT By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter Composer Bret McKenzie (centre) amidst the mayhem of the Muppets Bret McKenzie, star of cult TV comedy Flight of the Conchords, has landed an Oscar nomination for his songs in The Muppets' new film. He talks to the BBC about composing for a chorus of Kermits.

How do you write a song for a Muppet?

That's the question Bret McKenzie found himself asking last year, after he was hired to write the songs for Disney's new Muppets movie.

As it turns out, there are a couple of rules.

"Jim Henson said if the music's too good, it's not right," he explains, "so I took that to heart and kept the songs slightly shambolic.

"Then Miss Piggy can't sing very high or very low, otherwise she loses the sound of Miss Piggy.

"And there couldn't be any dirty gags," he adds.

"I was shut down on a 'motherfrogger' joke early on."

Alongside McKenzie's original compositions, the film features classic Muppets anthem Rainbow Connection

In fact, McKenzie says his lyrics were constantly debated, rejected and changed in the studio, with the muppeteers refusing to let Kermit and Miss Piggy sing anything that didn't feel right.

"I had one gag where a Muppet was reminiscing, 'I remember when I was a piece of felt' and that got taken out, because the Muppets are real.

"It was a bit of a stress," he recalls. "They were pretty much 'method Muppets' in the studio"

All the hard work has paid off, however. Man Or Muppet, the film's pivotal song, is up for an Oscar, one of only two nominees in its category.

"I feel very pleased for him because he's a very modest man," says the film's director James Bobin. "For him to have the potential of having an Oscar in his house is just unbelievable."

It was Bobin who initially persuaded McKenzie to submit a demo for the movie.

The pair had worked together on the cult HBO series Flight Of The Conchords, about two struggling musicians trying to make a living in New York.

Starring McKenzie and fellow New Zealander Jemaine Clement, the show earned 10 Emmy nominations for its mixture of awkward comedy and musical parodies - which lampooned the likes of Prince (The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room), the Black Eyed Peas (Sugar Lumps) and David Bowie (Bowie's In Space).

Apart from the musical interludes, The Conchords shared one important characteristic with the Muppets - they were never quite as good as they thought.

Flight Of The Conchords started as a Radio 4 comedy before HBO turned it into a TV series

In one episode, the Kiwi band were reduced to playing a gig in an elevator, their dreams of success every bit as hopeless as those of their fuzzy counterparts.

But, despite the parallels, McKenzie was never guaranteed the job of Muppets maestro.

"Disney weren't sure what sort of movie they were going to make at first," he says. "It could have been Hannah Montana Meets The Muppets."

Instead, the new film maintains the anarchic energy of the troupe's 1970s TV show. Co-written by Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Jason Segel (who also stars), it finds the old gang disbanded and down on their luck.

But when superfans Gary (Segel) and his Muppet brother Walter discover the Muppets' studio is about to be torn down by a greedy developer, they track down Kermit and persuade him to put on one last show.

Smart, funny and affectionate, the film was a box office hit when it was released in the US last year, making $87m (£55m).

Skype session

McKenzie is not the only composer on the soundtrack, which also features a new version of Paul Williams' classic Rainbow Connection from 1979's The Muppet Movie, but it is his work that has been singled out for praise.

Opening track Life's A Happy Song is an uptempo song-and-dance number, which ends with a cast of hundreds, including Mickey Rooney, singing lines like "life's a fillet of fish".

Continue reading the main story

Will there ever be another TV series?utition that continues to ignore the contributions of pig actors."

Kermit: "I don't know. It's not entirely up to us. We are now a wholly-owned subsidiary of a very large corporation."

Who is the new character, Walter? (pictured)

James Bobin: "Walter is someone who's a fan of the Muppets, so if you didn't know who the Muppets were, you could have Walter introduce them to you. If you are a huge fan of the Muppets, you feel the way he does about them. He's a very sweet guy."

Man Or Muppet is up for an Oscar. Are you disappointed not to be nominated in any other categories?

Miss Piggy: "For some reason, the Academy does not recognise other species than the human species. I just don't feel right being part of an institution that continues to ignore the contributions of pig actors."

Bouyantly daft, it won the 2012 Critics' Choice Award for best song from a motion picture.

In stark contrast, Let's Talk About Me is a rap performed by Bourne Identity star Chris Cooper in his guise as evil business tycoon Tex Richman.

Having written the song, McKenzie found himself in the surreal position of "teaching an Academy Award-winning dramatic actor how to rap on Skype".

"He's a very serious man, and it was an awesomely awkward rap session," he laughs.

"But later, on the set, he was apparently reading a book on how to rap. I don't know who wrote that. Did Snoop write that? Or maybe Jay-Z's written a book: 'The Dummy's Guide To Rapping?' It's hilarious."

Like many of the film's musical numbers, McKenzie says, Let's Talk About Me was cut short "to keep the film moving".

It meant the loss of one of his favourite lines: "I've got so much gold I gold-plate my gold" but he maintains he is happy with how the music integrates with the action.

"If you get that moment right where you go from the scene into the song, then the song works better. That transition is so crucial," he says.

"With James Bobin, we've done about 40, maybe 50, music videos now. He's gotten pretty good at making that work - often with a lighting change or just looking into the camera."

Recognition from the Academy is the icing on the cake - "I'm really proud of it" - and it doesn't hurt that there's only one other song on the shortlist.

"The chances of winning could not be any better," he notes, "unless they only had one nominee. But I guess that would make the awards ceremony very predictable."

The film has already been a box office hit in America

Post-awards, McKenzie will be seen in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and British film Austenland, which he describes as a "faux-period romcom".

After that, there are hopes for a Flight Of The Conchords movie.

"It's all very conceptual at the moment," he says. "We haven't made any definite plans, but it's something we all want to do, so it's just a matter of time.

"Until recently, Jemaine's been filming Men In Black 3, so it's been a kind of funny year.

"He's been working with aliens, and I've been working with frogs and pigs."

The Muppets comes to UK cinemas on Friday, 10 February.

Downturn hitting economic figures

20 February 2012 Last updated at 00:39 GMT The number of people placed into permanent jobs rose slightly but starting salaries fell The downturn is continuing to impact on jobs and business prospects in Scotland, according to the latest data.

The starting salary for new recruits to full time jobs has fallen for the first time in more than a year.

Scotland's labour market improved slightly last month, but latest figures on footfall at Scottish shops show the sharpest decline of any part of the UK.

The Scottish government said it was working to boost consumer and economic confidence.

The Bank of Scotland's monthly report on jobs suggested a rise in permanent and temporary staff placements.

Continue reading the main story

This latest barometer suggests the Scottish economy is struggling to maintain growth momentum”

End Quote Donald MacRae Bank of Scotland chief economist Recruitment agencies reported only a marginal rise in demand for new staff, while salaries for permanent hires fell for the first time in 13 months.

The bank said the figures suggested the Scottish economy was "struggling to maintain growth momentum".

Its jobs barometer - which is designed to provide a single figure snapshot of labour market conditions - posted 50.4 in January, up slightly on the previous month.

Measurements of 50 and above represent expansion while numbers below 50 suggest contraction.

Bank of Scotland chief economist Donald MacRae said: "Despite slowing growth in the eurozone and the UK, the number of people placed into permanent jobs increased after December's decline while the number of vacancies for permanent staff was broadly unchanged from the end of last year.

"This latest barometer suggests the Scottish economy is struggling to maintain growth momentum in challenging economic conditions."

'Troubled times'

The decline in footfall at Scottish shops was highlighted in a report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Comparing November to January this winter with the same three months last winter, the BRC said there was a fall of 8.5% in the number of people out shopping in Scotland.

Retailers say they have been facing worrying monthly sales figures

That compares with an increase of 1.8% for the whole of the UK during the same period, at least partly explained by the improved weather conditions compared with December 2010.

Scotland was also one of the worst parts of the UK in the previous three months of footfall survey.

Ian Shearer, of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "These results are further evidence of the troubled times for Scottish retail. Even Christmas failed to bring shoppers out in Scotland.

"The drop of 8.5% in footfall for the quarter sadly mirrors the worrying monthly sales figures in our recent Scottish retail sales monitor reports, which have shown the worst declines for over a decade."

He said consumer confidence was weaker in Scotland than the UK, as people worry about personal finances and jobs.

There was better news from the retailers on Scottish shop vacancies. At 9.1% of shops, they were better than the UK average of 11.1%.

Construction sector

Meanwhile, employers in the Scottish construction sector have registered another sharp drop in confidence levels.

Only 9% expect to take on staff this year, while 30% expect to shed workers, with repair and maintenance seen as the best prospects for winning contracts.

Continue reading the main story

We are using every lever currently available to us to secure new investment and create and safeguard jobs”

End Quote Scottish government spokesman Two thirds told the Scottish Building Federation survey that they expected to see public sector contracts fall away further this year.

With 79 firms completing the survey, only 10% see housebuilding picking up, while 40% say it will continue to decline from already low levels.

Michael Levack, of the SBF, said: "The industry has already lost 30,000 jobs in the space of a year. But with more firms anticipating they will have to make redundancies this year than those hoping to recruit, there's a real prospect that industry employment levels could drop further yet before they start to recover.

"Over the coming months, I hope the industry can work constructively with government at all levels to start rebuilding confidence that has been shattered by the economic downturn.

"An excellent place to start would be to start dismantling the huge unnecessary bureaucracy around procurement and planning that has stifled our industry for far too long."

A Scottish government spokesman said: "We are using every lever currently available to us to secure new investment and create and safeguard jobs, in the face of severe cuts from Westminster.

"We need the UK government to follow suit and implement a 'Plan MacB' approach for the UK economy - increasing capital investment, securing consumer confidence, and ensuring that businesses have access to finance to create the conditions necessary for recovery."

Man Utd cut debt and lift revenue

21 February 2012 Last updated at 13:55 GMT The club has seen an increase in match day revenues Manchester United says its revenues for the last six months of 2011 increased to £175m, as it released its latest financial figures.

It is an increase of £18.5m on the Old Trafford club's revenues for the same period last year.

The Premier League club said debt was £439m at the end of 2011, less than the £508m reported 12 months previously.

Last year, United said it would partially float on the Singapore Stock Exchange, but that has yet to happen.

The team, currently second to rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, are also competing in the Europa League.

Match day revenues (up from £52.4m to £54.5m), media revenue (up from £53.7m to £60.9m) and commercial revenue (up from £50.4m to £58.6m) were all ahead.

United were taken over by the Glazer family in 2005 and have had a rocky relationship with many of the fans since then over the level of debt at the club.

A buyback of bonds, sold as part of a £500m refinancing operation two years ago, helped bring down the latest debt figures.

However, total operating costs - up from £96.9m to £110.8m - and net player capital expenditure - up from £11.7m to £47.9m - both rose.

The latter's rise was due to a summer outlay on players David de Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones, as manager Sir Alex Ferguson set about freshening up his team.

Other figures show a bank balance of £50.9m and a £10.4m rise in general capital expenditure, mainly due to upgrading hospitality areas.

Without the lucrative revenue streams garnered from competing in the Champions League, the club is expected to see a decline in income over the next half-year.

VIDEO: Helicopter breaks up on landing

24 February 2012 Last updated at 03:02 GMT Help

Peacocks sold but 3,100 jobs lost

BBC News - Peacocks takeover: Edinburgh Woollen Mill buy retailer but 3,100 jobs lost BBC

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Skip to content Skip to local navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk search Help Accessibility Help Wales Home UK Africa Asia Europe Latin America Mid-East US & Canada Business Health Sci/Environment Tech Entertainment Video England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education 22 February 2012Last updated at 17:04 GMT Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Peacocks takeover: Edinburgh Woollen Mill buy retailer but 3,100 jobs lost A total of 11 stores out of the 62 across Wales will close, but the Peacocks name survives

Continue reading the main storyRelated StoriesCompany renews Peacocks interestThree bidders remain for PeacocksFinal bids for retailer Peacocks Fashion retailer Peacocks has been sold out of administration to Edinburgh Woollen Mill, saving 6,000 jobs, but 3,100 staff will be made redundant.

It means that 6,000 jobs across the UK will be safeguarded, including around 250 at the head office in Cardiff.

The deal will include 338 stores, 57 concessions, three distribution centres and the head office, said Edinburgh Woollen Miill.

But 224 stores have ceased trading with immediate effect.

The announcement was made by KPMG, joint administrators of Peacocks, who were called in in January.

Joff Pope, joint administrator and associate partner at KPMG, said the deal would ensure the continued trading of a well known name on the high street.

"While it is unfortunate that redundancies have been necessary, we are pleased that we have been able to preserve the majority of the business and jobs," he said.

Peacocks, with 611 stores and 49 concessions across Britain, had employed 9,100 people.

But it went into administration in January having failed to restructure a key £240m part of its total £750m debt.

Those stores closing including more than 160 in England, 30 in Scotland, 20 in Northern Ireland and 11 in Wales.

The Retail Gazette described it as "one of the biggest losses to the high street since the end of the recession three years ago".

Mr Pope said like many other retailers, Peacocks suffered from a decline in consumer spending due to the tough economic conditions.

"This, combined with a surplus of stores and unsustainable capital structure, led to the business becoming financially unviable," he said.

Continue reading the main story“Start Quote

We are pleased that we have been able to preserve the majority of the business and jobs”

End QuoteJoff PopeJoint administrator Chris Laverty, one of the joint adminstrators at KPMG told BBC Five Live it was an opportunity for Edinburgh Woollen Mill to buy an established retailer.

"It's taking advantage of a great high street name, a very loyal customer following and great, committed employees."

Ms Laverty said it was a "tough break" for those stores closing immediately but bidders had a business plan, with a line drawn.

"They're looking for profitability, geographical spread of stores, where their nearest competitors like Matalan and Primark are. The 224 stores on that list are the ones at the bottom they decided not to go forward with," she added.

About 250 staff at the group's Cardiff HQ lost their jobs following administration, and there will be another 16 job losses in the city after Wednesday's sale - leaving around 250 staff.

'Rebuild'

Philip Day, chairman and chief executive of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, based in Langholm in Scotland, said: "We look forward to working with our new colleagues to rebuild the business in what is a very tough economic environment for High Street retailers in the UK."

Mr Day said he hoped there would be scope to save more jobs and stores from those being forced to close due to performance issues and overhead pressures.

"As you can imagine, there will be a considerable amount of work to undertake over the next few months to stabilise the situation, turn this business around, get the supply chain moving again and excite the customers with great products," he said.

Barclays and Santander banks have agreed to help Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group with funding for the acquisitions.

This store in Cardiff was one of 224 closed immediately on Wednesday afternoon

Mr Day the acquisition would give further depth to the group's range of trading profiles and assert its position as one of the UK's leading High Street fashion and clothing retailers.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said he welcomed the fact that Peacocks would still have a future and employ a large number of people.

"The retention of the HQ in Cardiff in particular is good news," he said.

But Mr Jones added: "We wait to see the full details of how this announcement will exactly affect employees of Peacocks and we will provide all the support we can to those who face losing their jobs."

Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan welcomed the sale.

"This buy-out signals a fresh start for the company and many of its employees, although sadly I understand there will be redundancies," she said.

Welsh Liberal Democrat enterprise and business spokeswoman Eluned Parrott AM added: "The outcome for Peacocks could have been so much worse and a pooling of resources with Edinburgh Woollen Mill is a very good fit, avoiding the danger of asset stripping and hopefully the closure of adjacent stores."

Plaid Cymru economic spokesman Alun Ffred Jones AM said it was "hugely important" for the Welsh economy that the head office remained in Wales, which had been confirmed.

"Many people will be relieved to hear that their jobs have been saved, however my sympathies go to those workers who have lost their jobs," he added.

LIST OF PEACOCKS STORE CLOSURES:

MIDLANDS: Redditch, Longton, Corby, Worksop, Telford (2), Wolverhampton, Tunstall, Brierley Hill, Scunthorpe, Bedford, Mansfield, Nottingham, Derby, Coventry (2), West Bromwich, Oswestry (joint with Bonmarché), Merry Hill, Leicester, Halesowen (joint with Bonmarché), Hanley, Stafford, Worcester, Sutton Coldfield SOUTH/S EAST/EAST ENGLAND: Southampton (Portswood Rd), Ashford, Gravesend, Grays, Slough, Newmarket, Fulham, Tooting, Ilford, Brentwood, Barking, Bishop's Stortford, Wokingham, Chatham, Crayford, Great Yarmouth, Leigh Park, East Ham, Shepherd's Bush, Lewisham, West Ealing, Dartford, Staines, Newbury, Deptford, Hoxton, Wood Green, Forest Gate, Stratford, Leyton, Horley, Swanley, Ware, Royston, Basildon, Brighton, Chelmsford, Harlow, Erith, East Dereham, Uxbridge, Hemel Hempstead, Crawley, Banbury, Feltham, Newport IOW, Reading, Harringay, Southampton city, Lakeside, Thanet, Folkestone, Bury St Edmunds, Maidenhead, Wembley, Basingstoke, Newbury, Aylesbury, Canterbury, Kilburn, Watford, Woking, Norwich, Swiss Cottage, Hitchin, Bexley Heath NORTH/NORTH EAST ENGLAND: Hull (3), Middlesborough, Pontefract, Peterlee, Halifax, Killingworth, Seacroft (Leeds), Spennymoor, Sunderland, Rotherham, Brighouse, Durham, Huddersfield, Leeds - Crown Point, Doncaster, Metrocentre Gateshead, Thornaby, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield city centre, Wakefield NORTH WEST ENGLAND: Winsford, Barrow in Furness, Old Swan, Ellesmere Port, Huyton, Chesterfield, Kendal, Stockport, Liverpool (2), Warrington (Bridge St), Workington, Birkenhead, Southport, Manchester (2), Wigan, Blackpool, Preston, Birchwood (relocation), Cheetham Hill, Chester, Bury, Blackburn, Carlisle, Burnley, Bromborough NORTHERN IRELAND/IRELAND: Bangor (Ireland), Craigavon, Carrickfergus, Antrim, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Ballynahinch, Ballyclare, Agherafelt, Lisburn, Ballymena, Portadown, Belfast (3), Londonderry, Cookstown, Coleraine, Belfast city centre, Bloomfield - Bangor (Northern Ireland) SCOTLAND: Kilmarnock, Port Glasgow, Saltcoats, Dunfermline, Blairgowrie, Leith, Dumfries, Clydebank, Cumbernauld, Dumbarton, Coatbridge, Hamilton, Glenrothes, Motherwell, Greenock, Meadowbank, East Kilbride, Dundee, Aberdeen (2), Falkirk, Inverness, Stirling, Glasgow Forge, Livingston, Elgin, Kirkcaldy, Cameron Toll, Strathkelvin, Musselburgh WALES/WEST: Market Drayton, Whitchurch (Shropshire), Birmingham (St Andrews), Swadlincote, Maindee (Newport), Tewkesbury, Poole, Boscombe, Barnstaple, Tredegar, Exeter, Carmarthen, Tiverton, Llanelli, Yeovil, Nailsea, Bournemouth, Fishguard, Morfa Swansea, Parkstone Poole, Bristol (2), Taunton, Cardiff city centre x 2, Llanrumney (Cardiff), Llanelli - Parc Trostre, Cheltenham, Yate, Wrexham (relocation), Flint, St Austell, Launceston More on This Story Related Stories Company renews Peacocks interest 22 FEBRUARY 2012, SOUTH EAST WALES Three bidders remain for Peacocks 09 FEBRUARY 2012, WALES Final bids for retailer Peacocks 06 FEBRUARY 2012, WALES Bonmarche fashion chain bought 23 JANUARY 2012, WALES 249 Peacocks HQ staff losing jobs 19 JANUARY 2012, SOUTH EAST WALES Peacocks goes into administration 18 JANUARY 2012, SOUTH EAST WALES From other news sites Accountancy Age More than 3,000 jobs go at Peacocks 5 hrs ago Sky News Peacocks Sold To Edinburgh Woollen Mill 6 hrs ago Scottish Sun 6,000 jobs saved at Peacocks 7 hrs ago This is Money Peacocks is saved but 3,100 jobs will be lost in rescue deal with Edinburgh Woollen Mill 9 hrs ago Yahoo! UK and Ireland Edinburgh Woollen Mill saves 6,000 Peacocks jobs 9 hrs ago About these results Related Internet links Peacocks KPMG Edinburgh Woollen Mill The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

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'A little too much drink' warning

5 February 2012 Last updated at 00:39 GMT The campaign warns it is easy for one glass of wine at the end of the day to turn into two or three Drinking "just a little more than they should" puts people at risk of serious illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, the government is warning.

A TV advertising campaign is being launched to press home the message.

It warns regularly drinking two large glasses of wine or two strong pints of beer a day triples mouth cancer risk and doubles high blood pressure risk.

People "should not regularly exceed" the daily limit of three to four units for men and two to three for women.

In addition to the Change4Life campaign, the government released details of a poll of 2,100 people looking at what was known about the risks linked to drinking too much.

Among the findings, the poll revealed 85% of those questioned did not realise it increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

In addition, 66% did not know it increases bowel cancer risk, 59% did not known about the raised risk of mouth, throat and neck cancer and 37% did not realise it reduces fertility.

The campaign also has a website and leaflets offering tips on how to drink less - such as having booze-free days or just using smaller glasses.

'In moderation'

Chief Medical Officer for England Prof Dame Sally Davis said: "Drinking too much is a major public health issue.

Continue reading the main story

Telling people they could be drinking too much can't be our only solution to the country's alcohol problem”

End Quote Emily Robinson, Alcohol Concern "This campaign highlights how easy it can be to use a glass of wine or beer to unwind at the end of a busy day but these drinks stack up and can increase your risk of high blood pressure, cancer or liver disease."

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "An estimated 10 million Britons drink more than the recommended limits for alcohol, which puts one in five of us at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and weight gain.

"There's absolutely no reason why we can't all enjoy our favourite tipple in moderation, but don't underestimate the health risks when one glass becomes two or three on a regular basis."

And Sarah Lyness, of Cancer Research UK, said: "Alcohol can increase the risk of seven types of cancer, including two of the commonest kinds - breast and bowel cancers.

"And a recent study showed that nearly 12,500 cancers in the UK each year are caused by alcohol.

"The risk of cancer starts to go up even at quite low levels of drinking, but the more people cut back on alcohol, the more they can reduce the risk."

Emily Robinson, of Alcohol Concern, welcomed the campaign.

But she added: "Telling people they could be drinking too much can't be our only solution to the country's alcohol problem.

"We also need to see minimum alcohol pricing brought in as soon as possible, as well as making sure high quality services are available for people who may have developed a serious alcohol problem."

Pakistan calls on Taliban to talk

24 February 2012 Last updated at 17:29 GMT The Taliban have mounted a highly successful insurgency against Nato-led forces Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the Afghan Taliban to hold direct peace talks with the Afghan government.

Mr Gilani said he hoped the Taliban and other militant groups would respond to his appeal. There is no word yet from the Taliban.

Correspondents say this is the first time Pakistan has made such an appeal.

Pakistan's role is crucial to the peace process because of its long standing ties with the Afghan Taliban.

Policy change?

Mr Gilani's statement said he had made the appeal after being asked to by President Hamid Karzai, who visited Pakistan last week.

"It is now time to turn a new leaf and open a new chapter in the history of Afghanistan," said Mr Gilani.

"In this spirit, I would like to appeal to the Taliban leadership as well as to all other Afghan groups, including Hezb-e-Islami [of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar], to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace."

President Karzai pressed Pakistan to make the call

His statement is seen as a potentially significant shift in Pakistan's public stance towards Afghanistan. The relationship has been dogged by years of mistrust.

"It's the first public statement of its kind from a Pakistani leader," senior analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai told the BBC. "But it's not clear whether this will lead to a change in policy."

Mr Gilani's statement comes a day after the Taliban said they did not want to waste their time talking to Mr Karzai's government.

A senior Taliban spokesman told the BBC that as far as the insurgents were concerned there were only two sides in the Afghan conflict - America and the Taliban.

But BBC correspondents say Mr Gilani's statement will go down well in Kabul, which has complained of being sidelined in the talks process.

A Taliban office is currently being set up in Qatar while exploratory contacts take place.

Pakistan's militant links

Afghan officials believe Pakistan not only has influence with the Afghan Taliban but protects its senior leadership, which Pakistan denies.

For years insurgents have used the country's border regions to launch attacks in Afghanistan, despite the presence of thousands of Pakistani troops in the area.

Observers say Pakistan's military is selective in which insurgents it goes after, seeing some groups such as the pro-Taliban Haqqani network as potentially useful in influencing future events in Afghanistan.

It is not clear, however, how much control Pakistan's powerful military has over such groups or whether it fully goes along with the civilian prime minister's statement, correspondents say.

Ramsey will miss Speed memorial

Venue: Cardiff City StadiumDate: Wednesday, 29 February Kick-off: 1945 GMTCoverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & online and live text commentary on BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports 2

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey will miss the Gary Speed Memorial friendly with Costa Rica on Wednesday as the Arsenal midfielder is out with an ankle injury.

The 21-year-old went off in Arsenal's FA Cup defeat at Sunderland and missed their 5-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy, who was a close friend of Speed, is favourite to replace Ramsey as captain for what will be an emotional fixture.

Birmingham goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (Achilles) is also a fitness doubt.

So Aberdeen keeper Jason Brown has been called up by Wales as cover.

Ramsey was appointed Wales captain by Speed in March 2011 and the Arsenal playmaker helped guide Wales from 113th in the world and into the top 50 as Speed's side won four of their last five games before the former Wales manager's death in November 2011.

Coleman was confirmed as successor to old friend Speed in January and he admits he "doesn't want to change too much" so has continued with young Ramsey as Wales skipper.

But Ramsey will miss Coleman's first game because of a "small ankle injury" that forced him off in the 53rd minute of Arsenal's 2-0 defeat at The Stadium of Light.

v Costa Rica (Cardiff, 29 February) v Mexico (New York, 27 May) v Bosnia-Herzegovina (home, 15 August) v Belgium (home, 7 September) v Serbia (away, 11 September v Scotland (home, 12 October) v Croatia (away, 16 October) Ramsey was initially named in Coleman's squad but the medical teams of Wales and Arsenal have ruled him out.

And former Wales winger Mickey Thomas feels Bellamy is the "obvious candidate" to stand in for Ramsey.

"Of course he will be captain, there is no-one else," said Thomas.

Bellamy last skippered Wales in their Euro 2012 opening qualifying defeat in Montenegro in September 2010 before resigning from the Wales captaincy in December 2010

Bellamy, fifth in Wales' all-time top goal-scorer list with 19 goals, is in line to lead Wales in what could be the Cardiff-born player's 68th and final international in his home town.

The 32-year-old forward has said he is considering international retirement after but new Coleman has talked to Bellamy about extending his international career to the end of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The match against Costa Rica will be the first that Coleman will be involved with as national boss, although Speed's assistant coach Osian Roberts will take charge of the team on the night.

Roberts was due to lead the team with Speed's other number two Raymond Verheijen until the Dutchman resigned last week - but he has confirmed he will be at the game after being invited by Speed's family.

"From a footballing viewpoint we've got to prepare," said Roberts.

"We haven't got a lot of time until September 7th against Belgium at home. It sounds a long way away but it's not, it's about 10 or 11 days of preparation for us.

"So the three days that we'll have together... we've got to squeeze everything out of that opportunity that we possibly can, and we can't stand still.

"It's a memorial match for Gary but he was the ultimate professional and he would not want us to be standing still and not getting things out of this game."

Coleman's squad also have a friendly against Mexico in New York booked for 27 May and another against Bosnia-Herzegovina at home on 15 August, and begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Belgium on 7 September.

Wales, who go into the game against Costa Rica have risen seven places to 42 in the latest Fifa rankings , recall Bolton full-back Sam Ricketts, who returns after a lengthy spell out through injury.

Wales squad (for Gary Speed Memorial Match against Costa Rica; 29 February, 1945 GMT; Cardiff City Stadium):

Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Boaz Myhill (West Bromwich Albion; loan Birmingham City), Lewis Price (Crystal Palace), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City), James Collins (Aston Villa), Danny Gabbidon (Queens Park Rangers), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Adam Matthews (Celtic), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Collison (West Ham United), Andrew Crofts (Norwich City), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Ledley (Celtic), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), David Vaughan (Sunderland), Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff City), Steve Morison (Norwich City), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton Wanderers; loan Brighton & Hove Albion).

Stand-By: Danny Collins (Stoke City), Neal Eardley (Blackpool), Adam Henley (Blackburn Rovers), Craig Morgan (Preston North End), Ashley Richards (Swansea City), Rhoys Wiggins (Charlton Athletic), David Cotterill (Barnsley), Andy Dorman (Crystal Palace; loan Bristol Rovers), Brian Stock (Doncaster Rovers), Jermaine Easter (Crystal Palace), Ched Evans (Sheffield United).

Slavery case girl tells of abuse

13 February 2012 Last updated at 19:09 GMT Ilyas Asha and his wife, Tallat Ashar, deny charges of false imprisonment and human trafficking A deaf girl allegedly kept in a cellar, raped and treated as a slave in Greater Manchester has told a court of years of beatings and cruelty.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the jury of the alleged abuse after being trafficked to the UK from Pakistan in 2000.

Ilyas Ashar, 83, and his wife, Tallat Ashar, 66, from Eccles, have denied charges at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Among the charges they face are false imprisonment and human trafficking.

The orphaned youngster was slapped, beaten, sexually abused and hit with a rolling pin while forced to work for no money during the day at the couple's home in Eccles, Salford, the court heard.

'Sad and weak'

At night the girl was made to sleep on the concrete floor of a cellar, the door bolted, the jury was told.

Her true age is not known, but it is thought she was aged between 10 and 12 when she came to the UK.

Asked about her life, she told the jury using sign language via an interpreter: "I was sad and weak because I was working so hard. I used to cook and clean for hours.

Continue reading the main story Nick Ravenscroft BBC North of England correspondent

The practicalities of hearing this case are extremely complex. The alleged victim is giving evidence via videolink, which is not unusual when a witness is deemed to be vulnerable.

But with her at a remote location are two interpreters and an intermediary. He is registered by the Ministry of Justice and his role is to make sure she understands fully what is happening.

All exchanges between the judge and young woman have to be interpreted by a deaf signer and the intermediary, who is also deaf. Effectively everything is being done in triplicate.

"They used to hit me from being very very little, all the time."

Shown a photo of Mrs Ashar, to identify her alleged abuser, the girl said: "That's the woman who used to hit me and beat me all the time as I was growing up.

"All through my life she's been hitting me.

"She used to hit me with her ring, she used to hit me in the face and cut my face with her ring. It hurt. She would scratch me.

"I would be down in the cellar, sitting alone and very upset. I could not get out."

The girl would put cups and crockery down on tables but Mrs Ashar would complain she put them down too hard and made too much noise - and so would slap her, she told the court.

She was also shown a photo of Mr Ashar, who is accused of raping the girl.

"The old man, he's bad," she told the court. "He's the one who has sex with me."

The court heard the girl has no family in the UK and has never been to school in the UK or Pakistan and cannot read or write.

Mr and Mrs Ashar both deny two counts of human trafficking into the UK for exploitation and a single count of false imprisonment.

Mr Ashar also denies 12 counts of rape and Mrs Ashar denies one count of sexual assault and unlawful wounding. The couple deny charges of benefit fraud along with their daughter Faaiza, 44.

The trial continues.

Figures confirm UK GDP fell 0.2%

24 February 2012 Last updated at 11:53 GMT Jane Foley from Rabobank says "we can take a little bit of positive news" from the figures

A second official estimate of GDP has confirmed that the UK economy shrank by 0.2% in the last quarter of 2011.

The fall marked a sharp reversal in economic growth from the third quarter of 2011, when gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.6%.

However, the estimate for GDP growth in 2011 as a whole was revised down from 0.9% to 0.8%, versus the previous year.

The second estimate from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) follows a "flash" estimate given in January.

The Bank of England's governor, Sir Mervyn King, has warned the economy is likely to "zig-zag" this year.

The fall in GDP was largely driven by the biggest drop in business investment for a year.

The production sector, which includes manufacturing, fell 1.4% compared with previous estimates of 1.2%.

The ONS also said that the number for the output of the service industries was unchanged, while output of the construction industry fell by 0.5%.

It said household final consumption expenditure increased by 0.5% in volume terms in the last quarter.

The ONS also said that, in current price terms, compensation of employees fell by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

'Bounce-back'

UK economist at RBS, Ross Walker, said the figure was disappointing but he expected a return to modest growth for the first quarter of this year.

"It's a pretty poor number," he said "The main positive is that improvements [in survey data] that look increasingly broad-based have not been captured, and we will get a bounce back in Q1 [the first three months of 2012].

"I don't think it will be a spectacular Q1 but I think we will squeeze some growth out of it."

Andrew Goodwin, senior economic advisor to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, said he thought the first three months of this year would show some economic growth, making it more likely the UK would avoid recession

"Recent survey data suggests that the chances of a second successive decline in GDP - a technical recession - have receded," he said.

"However, even if that figure does prove to be positive, any recovery thereafter is likely to be slow and patchy."

Chavez heads for new Cuba surgery

25 February 2012 Last updated at 00:42 GMT President Chavez gave a spirited speech before boarding the plane Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has left Caracas for more cancer treatment in Cuba.

Mr Chavez, 57, is expected to undergo an operation on a lesion which he says is probably malignant.

He gave an emotional farewell to his supporters, telling them he would fight for his life, and promised to return to stand for re-election in October.

Last year, Mr Chavez said he was free from cancer after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in Cuba.

"With cancer or without cancer, with rain, thunder or lightning, nothing and nobody can prevent the great victory of 7 October," he said referring to the date set for the presidential election.

Critical time

Before boarding his flight to Havana, Mr Chavez said he would defeat "this new difficulty".

The exact nature and extent of his illness has never been made public, leading to persistent rumours that his health is worse than officially acknowledged.

Mr Chavez had surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba last year after a baseball-sized growth was detected in his pelvic region.

In October, the president had said he was free from cancer, but earlier this week, he announced he would require another operation.

The new surgery is expected to take place next week and will be carried out by the same team of doctors who have treated him before, Mr Chavez said.

This latest trip to Cuba comes at a critical time, as the president prepares to campaign for re-election to another six-year term.

His challenger in October's election is Henrique Capriles Radonski, a state governor who won an opposition primary earlier this month.

What films does Oscar like best?

BBC News - What films does Oscar like best? BBC

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Skip to content Skip to local navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk search Help Accessibility Help Entertainment & Arts Home UK Africa Asia Europe Latin America Mid-East US & Canada Business Health Sci/Environment Tech Entertainment Video 21 February 2012Last updated at 17:19 GMT Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print What films does Oscar like best?

With the 84th Academy Awards almost upon us, the battle is on for the most presigious of all the Oscars - the best picture prize. Are some types of film more likely to win than others? Explore the chart below to find out how genres have fared in the category since 1927/28.

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Select a genre to find out about its Oscar record.

Roll over the decade lines for nominees and winners.

  No Country for Old Men Thriller: The genre won most nominations in the 1970s - a decade noted for conspiracy films, such as All the President's Men (1976). The period also saw the first Jaws (1975) and psychological-thriller Taxi Driver (1976) win nominations. Yet, despite more than 15 Oscar nods, thrillers have won just two best picture Oscars - Silence of the Lambs (1991) and No Country for Old Men (2007). The Exorcist Horror: Only one horror film has been nominated for a best picture Oscar - The Exorcist (1973). The film, a story of a mother's attempts to win back her daughter from demonic possession, was actually nominated for 10 Academy Awards that year and won two - but not best picture. However, some class Silence of the Lambs (1991) as horror - and if so, it would be the only horror best picture winner. Hurt Locker War: War films are often paired with other genres. However, our research shows Oscar nominations for those primarily defined as war films peaked in the 1940s, inspired by the events of WWII, and have remained steady since. All Quiet on the Western Front (1929/30) was the first to win. Other winners include The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and the more recent The Hurt Locker (2009). Star Wars Sci-fi and fantasy: Science fiction has little success at the Oscars outside the technical categories. The original Star Wars (1977) lost out on the best picture award to Annie Hall and ET: The Extra-terrestrial (1982) was beaten by biopic Gandhi. The genre had to wait until the new century for its first best picture win, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), despite 15 nominations. Cleopatra Period and historical: Most best picture nominations in this genre came in the 1950s and 60s - when the historical epic was at its popular peak. Quo Vadis (1951), Julius Caesar (1953), The Robe (1953), The Ten Commandments (1956) and Cleopatra (1963) all received nods. But it was Ben-Hur (1960) that broke records, converting 11 of 12 nominations. The category has won four best picture Oscars. Erin Brockovich Biopic: Biopics have done well at the Oscars. Most success came in the 80s and noughties. Winners include Daniel Day-Lewis as disabled artist Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989), Ben Kingsley as Indian leader Gandhi (1982) and Julia Roberts as activist Erin Brockovich (2000). Overall, there are seven best picture biopic winners up until 2009. The King's Speech (2010) starts the tally for the next decade. Casablanca Romance: Peaking, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, romance films have declined in popularity with Oscar. The successful years appear to have mirrored troubled periods of American history, such as the depression era and World War II and its aftermath. Best picture winner Casablanca (1943) is consistently voted the most romantic film of all time. Raiders of the Lost Ark Action adventure: Few action adventure films have been voted nominees for best picture. Most came in the 1930s - an era of swashbuckling heroes - with Mutiny on the Bounty taking the top prize in 1935. Rocky (1976), Titanic (1997) and Gladiator (2000) are more recent winners. The one Indiana Jones film to make it into the nominations - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - missed out to Chariots of Fire. Up Family: Family films have not had much best picture success. Skippy (1930/31) and the Yearling (1946) were some early nominees. More recently, Beauty and the Beast (1991), Babe (1995) and Up (2009) received Oscar nods. Yet, films in other categories, such as the Wizard of Oz (1939), the Sound of Music (1965) and Mary Poppins (1964), could be classified as family movies and would increase the total. Shakespeare in Love Comedy: Many claim comedy is undervalued on Oscars night. Nominations appear to have peaked in the 1930s - the era of screwball comedies - but tailed off, before re-surging again and remaining steady. But, despite more than 60 nominations, only nine have won the top prize. Black comedy Dr. Strangelove (1964) missed out. The last best picture winner was Shakespeare in Love (1999) - a romantic comedy. Brokeback Mountain Western: Many argue the Western does not receive the Oscar credit it deserves. While the 1930s, 40s and 50s were the Western glory years at the box office, two of the genre's three best-picture winners are from more recent times: Indian epic Dances With Wolves (1990) and Clint Eastwood's gunman-for-hire tale Unforgiven (1992). Recently, Brokeback Mountain lost out to Crash in 2005. Great Ziegfeld Musical: At their popular peak in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, musicals have, over the years, been rewarded with more than 40 Oscar nominations and have won 10. Most nods came in the 1930s - including one for ultimate winner The Great Ziegfeld (1936). Other notable musical winners are West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965). Musical nominations petered out in the 1980s. Million Dollar Baby Drama: Drama has been rewarded well at the Oscars, although it is the broadest category. It received the largest percentage of nominations in all decades except for the 1950s, when it was outdone by romance. Our research shows drama has also won the most Oscars - a total of 20. Winners include One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). The Godfather Crime: Crime and gangster films date back to film's silent era, but Oscar nominations peaked in the 1970s and 90s. It was in the 70s that gangster classics The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) won top honours. In the 90s came The Godfather, Part III (1990) - although it didn't win - Good Fellas (1990) and Pulp Fiction (1994). In total, six crime films have won a best picture Oscar.   20s* 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 2000s All genresThriller  Horror  War  Sci-fi and fantasy  Period and historical  Biopic  Romance  Action adventure  Family  Comedy  Western  Musical  Drama  Crime              *1927-1929 (w) Oscar winner Source: Academy Awards database, American Film Institute, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes About the data: The chart shows the number of best picture nominees by genre and per decade. It tracks the change from one decade to another - up to 2009. All films have been categorised by the most commonly-used genre by the American Film Institute (AFI), the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Rotten Tomatoes.

For ease of analysis, where a film falls into multiple categories, its most defining category has been used, eg. if it is classed as a crime drama, it is included in crime. The period and historical category includes most epics, crime includes gangster and detective films, the thriller genre includes mystery and suspense and comedy includes comedy drama and romantic comedy. Although the categorisation is not intended to be definitive, it aims to give a flavour of the rise and fall of different genres over time.

Feedback: What do you think of this feature? Send us your views about the way it has been presented.

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