Cyclists 'urged to get insurance'

25 November 2011 Last updated at 20:03 ETBy Maleen Saeed Business reporter, BBC News

Many cyclists take to the road without considering insurance

Not having a comprehensive insurance policy could prove costly, cyclists have been warned by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

It says those hurt in an accident, or found responsible for causing one, may face bills of thousands of pounds.

Department for Transport figures show accidents involving cyclists rose by 12% in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Cycle use is now around 20% higher than it was in the late 1990s.

Rising costs

Pepe Tozzo ended up in hospital after colliding with a car while cycling home from work in South Wales.

He recalls how he collided with the side of a van that emerged from a side road, as he was riding down a hill.

The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision had no insurance or driving licence. With no personal injury or legal cover, the costs for Pepe were soon spiralling out of control.

He recalls spending a week in hospital, three months off work, and a year recuperating to get his leg back to normal.

Pepe Tozzo says that a collision led to months spent recovering

"There has been a long lasting legacy," he says.

"It probably knocked my career back by one year."

It is not compulsory for cyclists to have insurance. Cycle use in the UK has been increasing in recent years, up about 20% compared with the late 1990s.

With the number of accidents also rising, Malcolm Tarling, of the ABI, says there is now a strong case for all cyclists to have personal injury and third-party cover.

"If you are a cyclist and you are involved in an accident the chance of you being injured are quite high," he says.

"Some 230 cyclists a month are killed or seriously injured on the roads so there is a good chance you are going to be off work for weeks, if not months, so some sort of insurance to cover you for loss of income makes sense."

He says cyclists often underestimate the risks they face when they are on the roads, in particular if they are in an accident where they are found to be at fault themselves.

"If you are a cyclist and you are involved in an accident and you are at fault for causing it you could be sued for damages," he says.

This could amount to hundreds or thousands of pounds, he claims.

"If you are cyclist you should always have some form of liability insurance. It is essential."

Lower premiums

However, many cyclists do not have comprehensive cover.

Tom Bognanowicz, from the London Cycling Campaign, says many think they are fully covered by their household contents policies but these do not always go far enough.

Tom Bognanowicz says specialist insurance policies are available for cyclists

"Household insurance policies are general insurance. They do not provide specialist cover that you might need whether it's for theft or for third party," he says.

"So if you go to a specialist insurer or to a cycling organisation to get that sort of cover specifically aimed at cycling, that is what the policy is designed for and you benefit from that."

Although cyclists may be more vulnerable on the roads, statistically they are less likely to be responsible for an accident than a motorist - and that is reflected in the premiums.

A specialist policy can cost £30 to £40 a year. This typically provides third-party or public liability cover - the costs of causing accidents to other road-users and their property.

It also usually covers damage to the bicycle following an accident and the cost of a replacement bicycle if it is stolen or damaged.

Continue Reading... Labels: 'urged, Cyclists, insurance'

UN rejects US cluster bombs bid

25 November 2011 Last updated at 20:00 ET

Cluster bombs release smaller "bomblets" over a wide area

UN member states have rejected a US-backed plan to introduce new regulations on cluster bombs - munitions which break up into hundreds of smaller bomblets.

The plan would have eliminated all cluster munitions made before 1980.

But human rights groups argued that an international convention banning such bombs already exists and that the new protocol would dilute its provisions.

The US said that it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.

"The protocol would have led to the immediate prohibition of many millions of cluster munitions [and] placed the remaining cluster munitions under a detailed set of restrictions and regulations," the US embassy in Geneva said in a statement.

First developed during World War II, cluster bombs contain a number of smaller bomblets designed to cover a large area and deter an advancing army.

A total of 111 UN member states have already signed up to the Oslo convention prohibiting the production, transfer, and use of cluster munitions. The US, Russia and China have not.

A senior US official said the bombs were a military necessity for when targets were spread over wide areas, and that using alternative armaments would cause more collateral damage and prolong conflicts, Reuters reports.

The outcome of Friday's meeting in Geneva was welcomed by human rights campaigners who say cluster bombs are indiscriminate weapons that can fail to explode on impact and lie dormant, often causing injury to civilian years after conflict has ended.

"How often do you see the US, Russia, China, India, Israel and Belarus push for something, and they don't get it? That has happened largely because of one powerful alliance driving the Oslo partnership," said Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Geneva, says that though the proposal would have eliminated millions of ageing cluster munitions, even military allies of the US, like Britain, chose not to support it.

Many UN member states felt, she says, that getting rid of some cluster weapons while officially sanctioning others would set a dangerous precedent, and might even legitimise their use in the long-term.

The US move was also opposed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the top UN officials for human rights, emergency relief and development.

How a cluster bomb works

1. The cluster bomb, in this case a CBU-87, is dropped from a plane and can fly about nine miles before releasing its load of about 200 bomblets.

2. The canister starts to spin and opens at an altitude between 1,000m and 100m, spraying the bomblets across a wide area.

3. Each bomblet is the size of a drink can and contains hundreds of metal pieces. When it explodes, it can cause deadly injuries up to 25m away.

Continue Reading... Labels: bombs, cluster, rejects

UK women are 'fattest in Europe'

25 November 2011 Last updated at 21:57 ET

Statisticians looked at the 19 European states data was available for

The UK has more obese women than any other country in Europe, according to European Union figures.

Data agency Eurostat, which looked at 19 countries, found nearly a quarter of UK women - 23.9% - were recorded as being obese in the year 2008 to 2009.

Just over 22% of UK men were classed as obese, coming second only to Malta.

A person is defined as obese if their body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing body weight by body height squared, is 30 or above.

And he or she is classed as overweight if their BMI is between 25 and 30.

The BMI correlates fairly well with body fat.

Statisticians found the share of overweight and obese people increases with age in all of the 19 member states that data was available for.

The data come from the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) and was published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

After the UK, the countries with the highest levels of female obesity were Malta, with 21.1%, and Latvia, where 20.9% fulfilled that criteria.

Meanwhile, after Malta and the UK, the countries with the highest instances of male obesity were Hungary - where 21.4% fall into that category - and the Czech Republic, where 18.4% are classed as such.

The UK's high levels of obesity are in stark contrast to those in countries such as Romania, where just 8% of women were classed as obese along with 7.6% of men.

Obesity levels were also found to be low in Italy, Bulgaria and France.

In Italy, 9.3% of women were found to be obese and 11.3% men.

Meanwhile, in Bulgaria levels of obesity for women and men were found to be 11.3% and 11.6%, with levels of France identified as being 12.7% and 11.7% respectively.

The figures suggested that the proportion of women who are obese or overweight falls as the educational level rises.

Last month, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley launched a bid to reduce obesity levels in England by 2020.

The minister said people need to be honest with themselves about how much they eat and drink.

He said that, overall, Britons should be eating five billion fewer calories a day than at present.

Continue Reading... Labels: 'fattest, Europe', women

Free schools set for extra £600m

25 November 2011 Last updated at 20:12 ET

The government sees maths as a "fundamental strategic priority" in education

The government is to spend an extra £600m on building 100 new free schools in England over the next three years.

The BBC's Ben Wright said the money will not come from the existing education budget, although the Treasury will explain the source in Tuesday's autumn statement on the economy.

Some 12 selective specialist maths schools will be among the 100 schools.

Free schools are run by independent education providers that are funded directly by central government.

They can be set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups.

They are established as academies, independent of local authorities and with increased control over their curriculum, teachers' pay and conditions, and the length of school terms and days.

The specialist maths schools being proposed would be for pupils aged between 16 and 18.

The schools, which will be the subject of a special application process outside the regular free school application process, will be connected to strong university maths departments.

Ministers say maths is a "fundamental strategic priority in education", adding that these schools are not being created just to accelerate pupils through the normal exams faster.

Autumn statement

The schools will have their own curricula and are intended to produce outstanding mathematicians who can work in digital technologies, produce breakthroughs in applied maths or develop innovative companies.

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce the new free schools when he delivers his autumn statement on the economy on Tuesday.

The autumn statement replaced the pre-Budget report, which under the previous Labour government was seen as a mini-Budget in which draft tax and spending decisions were outlined.

Continue Reading... Labels: £600m, extra, schools

Nato 'strike on Pakistan troops'

26 November 2011 Last updated at 02:22 ET

Pakistani officials have accused Nato helicopters of firing on a military checkpoint near Pakistan's Afghan border, killing at least 14 soldiers.

The attack took place in the Pakistani tribal region of Mohmand after Nato helicopters flew over the border from Afghanistan, they said.

Nato said it was aware of "an incident" near the border and that it was investigating.

The Pakistani military said it was an "unprovoked and indiscriminate" attack.

"Casualties have been reported and details are awaited," a military spokesman said.

The alleged attack took place at the Salala checkpoint, about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from the Afghan border, Reuters reports, at around 02:00 local time (21:00 GMT).

If confirmed, the attack would further complicate US-Pakistan relations, already under strain following a unilateral US raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in May.

Unnamed officials initially put the toll at up to eight, including an army major.

'Intolerable'

Masood Kausar, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, condemned the attack in a statement, reported AFP news agency.

"Such cross-border attacks are unacceptable and intolerable," he said, adding that the government would take up the matter at the highest level and launch a thorough investigation.

Pakistani troops are involved in fighting the Taliban in the crucial border region area. Some 5,000 militants have been resisting attempts by the security forces to clear them from southern and south-eastern parts of the district.

The US has been targeting militants in Pakistan's tribal areas near the Afghan border for several months, often using unmanned drone aircraft.

Last year, US helicopters accidentally killed two Pakistani soldiers near the border, prompting Pakistan to temporarily close the border to supplies shipped through the country to Nato troops in Afghanistan.

In October, Pakistan's army chief Ashfaq Kayani warned the US against taking unilateral action in nearby North Waziristan.

He said that the US should focus on stabilising Afghanistan instead of pushing Pakistan to attack militant groups in the crucial border region.

Washington has for many years urged Islamabad to deal with militants in the area.

Continue Reading... Labels: 'strike, Pakistan, troops'

Pension deal 'could be withdrawn'

26 November 2011 Last updated at 00:49 ET

Members of many trade unions are set to take industrial action on Wednesday

The government has warned unions that an improved offer on public sector pensions could be withdrawn if an agreement is not reached.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, in the Guardian, also urged union leaders to persuade their members to accept the "generous" offer tabled.

It comes as more than two million workers are set to strike on Wednesday over changes to public sector pensions.

Teachers and border control staff are among those expected to strike.

Unions say proposals which require their members to work longer before collecting their pension and contribute more are unfair.

The government says change is needed to keep down the cost to the taxpayer, because people are living longer.

'Harden opinions'

Mr Alexander told the Guardian the strike action was "a distraction" to the ongoing negotiations and "a risk to it" because "part of going on strike will harden opinions on the union side and might make it harder for them to sell a deal to their members".

"I think we've got the basis of an agreement that is a pretty good deal for both sides," he said.

"I believe that many unions I talk to are serious and sincere about their desire to reach an agreement, but they are obviously going to have to persuade their own members who they've marched up this hill that in fact the agreement and the nature of the deal on offer is a good one."

The minister warned that two changes to the offer being put forward by the government - enhanced accrual rates for the new pension schemes and protection from pension changes for anyone within 10 years of retirement - could be withdrawn.

Mr Alexander told the Guardian: "I reserve the right to take those enhancements off the table if an agreement can't be reached.

"I don't want to do that. I don't want to be in that position. I want to be in a position where we have got an agreement."

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright reports that a senior trade union negotiator, responding to Mr Alexander's comments, said they wanted to "get Wednesday's strike out of the way, meet ministers quickly, knock heads together and try to get a deal done by the end of the year".

Mr Alexander has been leading negotiations on behalf of the government alongside Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude.

'Perverse incentive'

Mr Maude told the Daily Telegraph there was a case for changing the law to make striking more difficult.

Under current legislation, once a union has voted to strike a walkout must take place within 28 days or a new ballot must be held. However, if a strike is held the union then has a legal right to take part in more industrial action until the dispute is resolved.

Mr Maude told the Telegraph the rule gives trade unions a "perverse incentive" to strike.

He suggests there is a case for changing the law to make unions hold a new ballot every few months.

"There is a case for change. We'll want to look at this carefully," he said.

Danny Alexander said he felt the government's offer was "pretty good" for both sides

Lucy Morton, deputy general secretary of the Immigration Services Union, said she regretted its members were striking.

"This union hasn't taken industrial action at all in its 28-year history. This is something our members feel deeply and desperately strongly about, but nonetheless it's no-one's wish to disrupt the border, or to cause chaos to the travelling public.

"It's the only way we have left to get the government to hear us."

Meanwhile, Heathrow airport has asked airlines to halve the number of passengers they fly into the airport next week to try to minimise disruption caused by a strike.

Its operator, BAA, warned of "gridlock" and said passengers could face 12-hour delays on Wednesday when immigration officers go on strike over pensions.

Hospital managers are planning to postpone thousands of non-emergency operations next Wednesday and patients across the UK have been sent letters warning them of the disruption.

Continue Reading... Labels: 'could, Pension, withdrawn'

Widdecombe renews Lords complaint

25 November 2011 Last updated at 19:42 ET

The former MP also talked about the coalition, saying the PM had been "misguided"

Ex-MP Ann Widdecombe has renewed her complaint that she was "deliberately" snubbed by David Cameron for a peerage.

Ms Widdecombe told the BBC that as she was an "obvious candidate" for a seat in the House of Lords, it was obvious the PM had decided to exclude her.

Speaking to the Fern Britton Meets programme, the former Tory minister said she would "be a liar" if she said the decision "didn't stab a little".

Ms Widdecombe first spoke out about the apparent snub in April.

She told the BBC One programme: "It was ... let's be honest about it, a pretty pointed exclusion. I mean David Cameron was making vast quantities of peerages. He had to in order to redress the balance in the Lords.

"And I was an obvious candidate and I wasn't there and that means that he had taken a decision that I would not be there.

"I'd be a liar if I didn't say that an exclusion that pointed didn't stab just a little bit but I am a great one for saying 'It's no good looking back'."

In April, the Telegraph reported that Ms Widdecombe said she thought Mr Cameron denied her a peerage because she was "too traditional".

'Call their bluff'

The former politician, who made a popular appearance on Strictly Come Dancing last year, also talked about the coalition.

Ann Widdecombe made a popular appearance on Strictly Come Dancing last year

She said although Mr Cameron had been "brave" in some of his actions since arriving at Number 10, he had "been very misguided in the way that he's dealt with Nick Clegg in as much as he forgets who the senior members of the coalition are and the Liberals are only there because of us."

She added: "They are not there in their own right. They actually lost seats, they didn't prevail in the last election, they need reminding of that from time to time," she said.

"But he should just call their bluff and say: 'What do you want, an early election?"'

Speaking from her home in Devon, she added: "If ... he was expecting that I would sit lamenting on Dartmoor, well tough luck, he's to watch me having the time of my life."

The Fern Britton Meets programme will broadcast on BBC One, Sunday, 27 November, at 10:00 GMT and will then be available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.

Continue Reading... Labels: complaint, Lords, renews, Widdecombe

Lawrence jury hear new forensics

25 November 2011 Last updated at 15:01 ET

A Level student Stephen Lawrence, 18, died in in Eltham in April 1993

A forensic scientist has told the Stephen Lawrence murder trial fibres were missed in 1995 because it was like "looking for a needle in a haystack".

Dr Angela Gallop, who supervised the original investigation and a new one in 2007, said the "dynamics" of the crime scene had been re-examined.

Prosecutors say evidence on the clothes of Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, links them to the 1993 killing.

Mr Dobson and Mr Norris deny murder and say police contaminated the evidence.

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Matt Prodger, tweeting from the Old Bailey, said cold case reviews such as that carried out in 2007 had become increasingly common since the 1990s.

Dr Gallop was in charge of the forensic tests, but by 2007 was working for a private firm, LGC, who were given the task of looking at the forensic evidence afresh.

She said the original forensic tests, in 1995, involved the examination of 1,071 fibres while LGC's trawl found 4,500.

She said of the 1995 tests: "It's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack and some needles are easier to find than others. We didn't find them and we didn't look at nearly as many fibres as LGC did."

"Perhaps if we'd gone on we might have found them; I don't know," she added.

Gary Dobson (left) and David Norris both deny murdering Stephen Lawrence

Dr Gallop said they looked for "saliva from shouting and spitting, fibres, hairs" and they had looked for paint flakes from a scaffold pole found on the pavement near the murder scene.

She also said they searched for fibres from Mr Lawrence's red shirt and found them on tapings from Mr Dobson's jacket and Mr Norris's sweatshirt.

The LGC team found 16 fibres which could have come from Mr Lawrence's clothing on tapings from Mr Dobson's jacket or debris in the evidence bag.

Tiny bloodstain

Dr Gallop said that in 2007 two grey/blue fibres from the victim's jacket were also found on tapings from Mr Dobson's jacket.

They also found a tiny bloodstain on the underside of the collar of his jacket.

Two hairs were found in the evidence bag containing Mr Norris's jeans, one of which matched Mr Lawrence's DNA to a probability of one in 1,000, and six fibres on his sweatshirt could have come from the victim's trousers.

Defence lawyers claim these fibres are from contaminated evidence.

Tim Roberts QC, for Gary Dobson, cross examined her about a report she wrote in 1995 about her conclusions up to then about the forensic examination she had conducted.

In it she said the chances of finding any fibres that could have come from Mr Lawrence's clothes on the samples from the suspects clothes were "very much of a long shot."

Michael Mansfield QC, who led a private prosecution brought by Mr Lawrence's parents back in 1995, then gave evidence about his role in the case.

Michael Mansfield denied he had actually touched any of the items

He denied any clothing had been taken out of its packaging at any of the hearings but admitted he could not remember if the defence had asked to see the exhibits.

Mr Mansfield said: "I wouldn't touch an exhibit, even a container with an exhibit in. I would ask permission from those in control.

"If I wanted to take something out... I wouldn't do it myself because obviously there's a risk of contamination."

Under cross examination by Mr Dobson's lawyer, Timothy Roberts QC, Mr Mansfield was reminded of an excerpt from the inquest in 1997.

In the excerpt, when Mr Mansfield was questioning Mr Dobson, he said: "May I just hold it up and explain what it is? A grey jacket with a zip-up front with a couple of pockets in yellow and collar in yellow and markings on the back. I'd like to ask you about this garment."

Mr Mansfield pointed out he had been holding up the jacket in its evidence bag.

He said: "I wouldn't have bothered to give an explanation of the item if it was being held up out of a bag."

The trial continues

Continue Reading... Labels: forensics, Lawrence

Belgium credit rating downgraded

25 November 2011 Last updated at 16:08 ET

S&P says it considers Belgian government debt to be at "high levels"

Belgium has had its credit rating downgraded by ratings agency Standard & Poor's.

The country's downgrade could make it more expensive for Belgium to borrow in future.

Belgium's rating was cut by one notch, to AA from AA+, with S&P expressing concerns about funding and market pressures.

The move comes as the eurozone crisis threatens to keep growing, and with continued concerns over Italian debt.

"We think the Belgian government's capacity to prevent an increase in general government debt, which we consider to be already at high levels, is being constrained by rapid private sector deleveraging both in Belgium and among many of Belgium's key trading partners," S&P said in a statement.

It also said the outlook was "negative", meaning Belgium's rating could possibly be cut further in future.

"We need a reply that is clear and credible if we are to avoid the worst," Belgium's caretaker prime minister, Yves Leterme, told Belgian television after S&P's announcement.

Continue Reading... Labels: Belgium, credit, downgraded, rating

Remains confirmed as missing wife

25 November 2011 Last updated at 13:43 ET

The remains have been formally identified as Mrs Prout

Human remains found in the search for Kate Prout have been formally identified as the murdered woman.

Husband Adrian Prout, who had denied killing her, was jailed for life in February 2010 for the 2007 murder.

He recently confessed and took police to Redhill Farm at Redmarley, in Gloucestershire, to show them where he had buried his wife's body.

Mrs Prout's brother Richard Wakefield said earlier the case had been "like a prison sentence" for the family.

A year ago, the 61-year-old made a plea to his sister's killer to reveal the location of her body.

Dental records

Speaking earlier on behalf of the family, Mr Wakefield said that if the remains were confirmed as his sister it would be a relief to have her back "so we can put Kate to rest at last".

Her remains were discovered on Thursday after a four-day search of the land.

The family of Kate Prout say they hope to put her to rest "at last"

Police confirmed Mrs Prout's identity through dental records.

Former teacher Mrs Prout disappeared the day after she asked her husband for a £800,000 divorce settlement.

The last time anyone heard from her was on 5 November 2007 when she called her bank, First Direct.

Adrian Prout, who owned a pipe-laying business and commercial pheasant shoot, had said he would need to sell £1.2m Redhill Farm to pay the settlement.

Instead, he offered his wife £600,000 plus maintenance.

Prout, 49, reported his wife missing on 10 November that year.

He was jailed for life for his 55-year-old wife's murder in February 2010 despite his denials.

Four years after Mrs Prout went missing, Prout is said to have told his fiancee Debbie Garlick that he strangled his wife following a row and buried her body.

It is thought she told police about the confession and he later admitted to officers he had killed his wife.

'No doubt'

Speaking of the moment they heard that Prout had finally confessed, Mr Wakefield said: "We were very shocked at first and we weren't quite certain whether it was the truth or not."

Prout eventually admitted to police that he had killed his wife

His wife Linda added: "We never thought we'd actually get to the end, where we would eventually have her back and she'd be found."

Mr Wakefield said he never had any doubt that Prout had killed his sister.

"I knew straight away after the first week that there was something drastically wrong, why Kate wasn't there.

"And there was no reason for Kate to go away and leave that farm.

"We've been like prisoners. It's been like a prison sentence for us, having this over our heads all the time.

"But now, that relief has come, so hopefully when we get Kate buried, we can all move on in our lives."

Mrs Wakefield said the search for Mrs Prout's remains had been "just as traumatic" as going through the trial.

She said: "Although we haven't had to go to court every day, the emotion you go through, all the feelings you go through, and the anxiety, waiting, wondering.

"It just tires you out and it's been really just as traumatic."

She said they were grateful to Ms Garlick for coming forward and passing information on to the police.

Continue Reading... Labels: confirmed, Missing, Remains

Syria defies Arab League deadline

25 November 2011 Last updated at 13:27 ET

The BBC's Paul Wood was smuggled into Homs were he met military defectors

An Arab League deadline for Syria to allow an observer mission or face sanctions has passed with no response from Damascus to the ultimatum.

The deadline was set for 11:00 GMT. Earlier, the league warned it would meet on Saturday to discuss sanctions.

The league wants 500 observers to enter Syria to monitor the situation amid continuing protests, but Damascus has reportedly agreed to let in only 40.

Meanwhile, new evidence has emerged of protests turning into armed insurgency.

The BBC's Paul Wood, who travelled without permission to Syria's flashpoint city of Homs, reports that he saw a small but steady stream of defectors from the official security forces.

At least 11 people have been killed in the latest violence on Friday, say activists.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, says the deaths occurred in Homs, Damascus, Deir el-Zour and in the southern province of Deraa.

Other activists - from the Local Co-ordination Committees based in Syria - say as many as 26 people have been killed.

Child torture

A United Nations human rights panel has expressed alarm at reports it received of security forces in Syria torturing children.

The Geneva-based UN Committee against Torture says it has received "numerous, consistent and substantiated reports" of widespread abuse in the country.

"Of particular concern are reports referring to children who have suffered torture and mutilation while detained," said the panel's chairman, Claudio Grossman.

He also cited reports of "extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; arbitrary detention by police forces and the military; and enforced and involuntary disappearances".

The committee said the Syrian authorities had been acting with total impunity while committing what it called "gross and pervasive" human rights violations.

The panel normally reviews each country's record every four years, but took the unusual step Friday of issuing a spontaneous demand to the Syrian government to explain its actions.

More than 3,500 people have died since protests against the Syrian government began in March, the UN estimates.

Violence has continued in Homs and other Syrian cities

The government of President Bashar al-Assad blames the violence on armed gangs and militants.

'Evil plot'

Syrian state television has also blamed militants for an attack on Thursday in which it said six elite military pilots were killed.

"An armed terrorist group undertook an evil assassination plot that martyred six pilots, a technical officer and three other personnel on an air force base between Homs and Palmyra," a military spokesman was quoted as saying.

Reports on Thursday suggested that military defectors from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) had said they carried out the attack, but an FSA spokesman later denied responsibility in a BBC interview.

The spokesman, Maher Al-Rahmoun al-Naaimi, said the claim had actually been posted on a fake Facebook page set up in the group's name by Syrian intelligence.

Reports from Syria are difficult to verify as foreign journalists are unable to move around the country freely.

Observer deadline

The Arab League set the deadline for Syria to sign the observer deal - which is a part of a broader peace plan - at a meeting in Cairo on Thursday.

An unnamed Arab source told Reuters news agency that Mr Assad's government would be given until the end of the day to answer.

Earlier this month, the league voted to suspend Syria and warned of unspecified sanctions for not implementing the peace plan.

One of the main sticking points was Damascus' demand to amend the proposal for the 500 observers to be allowed in to Syria.

The Syrian government reportedly wanted to reduce the number to 40 - a request rejected by the 22-member league.

An earlier deadline for Syria to end its crackdown passed last Saturday night with no sign of the violence abating.

Sanctions

The options for sanctions include a suspension of commercial flights to Syria and a halt to all dealings with its central bank.

Damascus depends on its Arab neighbours for half of its exports and a quarter of its imports, according to news agency AFP.

In Cairo, diplomats also appealed to the UN to prevent further violence, asking the world body "to take all measures to support the efforts of the Arab League to resolve the critical situation in Syria".

On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the league's deadline as the "last chance" for the Syrian government.

However, Russia again voiced its opposition to the outside pressure, calling for talks between Damascus and the opposition.

France earlier suggested that some sort of humanitarian protection zones be created inside Syria, the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo reports.

It is the first hint that international military intervention is under consideration, our correspondent adds.

'Stream of defectors'

Meanwhile, the BBC's correspondent Paul Wood and cameraman Fred Scott have obtained first-hand evidence that the struggle for democracy in Syria is becoming an armed insurgency.

The BBC saw supporters of the opposition Free Syria Army group bringing in guns from Lebanon on old smuggling routes.

Our correspondent says he witnessed casualties coming out the same way in the area which is mined and full of Syrian patrols, but not completely sealed.

Once inside Syria, he saw a steady stream of defectors and exchanges of fire when their former comrades tried to stop them, our correspondent says.

A group of five defectors told the BBC that they had decided to change sides after being ordered to fire on pro-democracy protesters in Homs.

Almost from the beginning, it has been the Syrian government's stance that armed groups are supporting the opposition.

Now that myth of an armed insurgency is becoming reality, our correspondent adds.

Earlier, the head of the FSA, Riyad al-Asad, told the BBC that President Assad was now "finished".

Speaking from a refugee camp in Turkey, he said: "Even if the outside world doesn't help us or stand with us, the Syrian nation is determined to bring down this dictator."

"The system is rotten to the core. It looks strong, perhaps, on the outside but it is weak at the heart," the former colonel in the air force added.

The FSA was formed in August 2011 by army deserters.

Continue Reading... Labels: deadline, defies, League, Syria

Foreigners kidnapped in Mali

25 November 2011 Last updated at 15:48 ET

Tourists are advised to avoid travelling to the ancient city of Timbuktu

An armed gang of kidnappers has abducted three tourists and killed a fourth in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, security sources said.

Two of the hostages are Dutch and the third a South African who may have lived in the UK, reports say. The nationalities have not been confirmed.

The dead man, said to be German, was shot dead trying to resist the gang.

It is believed to be the first time foreigners have been abducted in Timbuktu, once popular with tourists.

However, a group linked to al-Qaeda has attacked Westerners in nearby regions.

Following several kidnappings, the UK has warned its citizens not to travel to northern Mali, including Timbuktu.

On Thursday, two French geologists were kidnapped by an armed gang in the eastern village of Hombori.

Police protection

The Timbuktu gunmen burst in as the four were dining in a restaurant on the central square of the ancient city.

They ordered the tourists there to follow them, a customer at Amanar restaurant told the Associated Press.

The owner of a hotel, where the four have previously stayed during their travel around Mali, told the BBC News website that one of them, a German, had been shot dead when he refused to get into the attackers' vehicle.

He said he had been told by colleagues in Timbuktu that all foreigners in the city had been gathered at the police headquarters and would be flown to the capital, Bamako, on Saturday.

The incidents are the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners believed to be the work of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim).

Correspondents say Aqim has bases in the northern Mali desert from which it organises raids and kidnappings, and traffics weapons and drugs.

French hostages

French soldiers have joined Mali's army in the hunt for the French pair kidnapped in Hombori, according to AFP.

The pair were the first Westerners in Mali to be kidnapped south of the River Niger.

The captives were named as Philippe Verdon and Serge Lazarevic, in documents seen by AFP.

They had been sent by the company Mande Construction Immobiliere to take soil samples in the Hombori region where it planned to build a cement factory.

A security guard at their hotel said that "the kidnappers were armed to the teeth".

"I was tied up and told to point out the rooms of the Frenchmen, whom they brutally took away," he said.

Al-Qaeda-linked fighters have in the past brought hostages into northern Mali from neighbouring countries, such as Niger where four French nationals - still being held - were kidnapped in September 2010.

'High threat'

Huge swathes of the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert have been rendered off-limits to foreigners.

Timbuktu is one of the many former tourist destinations in Mali that foreign embassies have deemed too dangerous for visitors due to the risk of kidnapping by Aqim.

The UK Foreign Office website says there is a "high threat from terrorism" in Mali.

"Terrorists have been involved in kidnaps in the region, on a number of occasions leading to the murder of the hostages," it said.

"We believe that further kidnap attempts are likely."

Continue Reading... Labels: Foreigners, kidnapped

Sick George Michael shelves tour

25 November 2011 Last updated at 12:18 ET

In October Michael pulled out of a gig at the Royal Albert Hall because of a viral infection

Singer George Michael has cancelled the remaining dates of his tour because of ill health, his publicist has confirmed.

The 48-year-old was admitted to hospital in Vienna on Monday and is being treated for "severe" pneumonia.

His publicist added that the singer is "responding to treatment and slowly improving".

Discussions are under way about rescheduling the remaining 14 dates that have been put off.

The star's spokeswoman said in a statement: "George Michael is ill with pneumonia and any other speculation regarding his illness is unfounded and untrue.

"He is receiving excellent medical care, he is responding to treatment and slowly improving.

"To ensure his complete well-being, George Michael's doctors have advised that he cannot perform the rest of his Symphonica tour and that he instead takes a full and complete rest."

The former Wham! singer kicked off his European tour in Prague in August.

It was originally meant to include 47 concerts. He was due to bring the tour to the UK on Saturday, with dates continuing until 19 December.

Professor Dr Christoph Zielinski and Professor Dr Thomas Staudinger of the Vienna hospital where the musician is being treated said: "George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient.

"His condition has stabilised and he is responding to treatment.

"From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory."

In October, a viral infection caused Michael to pull out of a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, following advice from doctors.

Continue Reading... Labels: George, Michael, shelves

Thomas Cook agrees new bank deal

25 November 2011 Last updated at 17:16 ETContinue reading the main story

Thomas Cook Group

Last Updated at 25 Nov 2011, 11:30 ET *Chart shows local time

price	change	%
18.02 p	+ +1.67	+ +10.21

Travel firm Thomas Cook has reached agreement with its bankers to provide it with new access to funding.

Its bankers, including Barclays, HSBC, RBS and UniCredit, have agreed to provide a new £200m facility until 30 April 2013.

It replaces the £100m short-term facility announced on 21 October 2011.

On Tuesday, the company's shares had fallen from 41p to close at 10.2p after it said it was in talks with banks about increasing borrowings.

It will also issue its preliminary financial results, for the 12 months ending on 30 September 2011, during the week beginning 12 December 2011.

These had been delayed until the loan talks had been concluded.

The company's board is also to taking steps, including a strategic review, to reduce the group's debt "and reach a more appropriate capital structure over time".

"I am absolutely delighted that we have reached agreement and I would like to thank the banks for acting so swiftly," said group chief executive Sam Weihagen.

Continue Reading... Labels: agrees, Thomas

Strike means delayed operations

25 November 2011 Last updated at 13:42 ETBy Jane Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News

Operations are set to be delayed across the UK

Hospital managers are planning to postpone thousands of non-emergency operations next Wednesday, because of the public sector strike over pension changes.

Patients across the UK have been sent letters warning them of the disruption.

Diagnostic tests and outpatient appointments will also be delayed, but hospitals insist emergency and critical care will not be affected.

Managers say they are preparing as they would for Christmas or bank holidays.

An estimated 400,000 nurses and healthcare assistants, as well as paramedics, physiotherapists, and support staff like cleaners and administrators have said they will join the action on 30 November over changes to public sector pensions.

However, the main medical unions - the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives and the British Medical Association are not taking part.

The Department of Health in England said it was expecting at least 5,500 non-emergency procedures like hip and knee operations to be rearranged.

More than 12,000 patients are likely to have diagnostic tests postponed, and 40,000 outpatient appointments are expected to be rescheduled.

On an average day, 28,000 patients have planned treatments or operations in England and there are 60,000 diagnostic tests.

However, managers say they are putting plans in place to make sure people can still get emergency or urgent care, in the way they do on bank holidays or at Christmas.

999 calls

Patients needing urgent treatment like chemotherapy and kidney dialysis will still be able to get it, and maternity units will remain open.

Calls to 999 will still be answered, but patients are being urged to think hard and only call if it is a genuine emergency.

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said health service workers should not take action that harms the interests of patients.

"I would ask staff to consider carefully whether going on strike is the right thing to do," he said.

Unison's head of health Christina Nacanea said members did not take strike action lightly.

"Most of them will first and foremost ensure that there is adequate cover is in place and that patients' safety is not compromised," she said,

"But by the same token they will be wanting to demonstrate their opposition to what the government is trying do to their pensions."

Continue Reading... Labels: delayed, means, operations, Strike

Egypt's new PM appeals to nation

25 November 2011 Last updated at 17:38 ET

The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Tahrir Square: "You could be forgiven for thinking there is something of a carnival atmosphere"

Prime Minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri has asked Egyptians to "give me a chance" as tens of thousands rally in Cairo against the military rulers.

In his first public comments since being named, he said he would not name a new government before Monday's polls.

The protesters in central Cairo's Tahrir Square want the parliamentary elections postponed.

Not far away, a smaller counter-demonstration was held in support of the military and the elections.

More than 40 people were killed earlier this week as the security forces tried to break up the massive protests, leading to the worst violence since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

But the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Tahrir Square says a truce seems to have ended the clashes and a carnival atmosphere returned to the demonstrations on Friday.

People were letting off fireworks and shouting "Down with the military regime," she says.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) is overseeing a transition to civilian rule.

Despite promises by the council to speed up the process, some protesters fear it intends to cling to power. They want military rule to end before parliamentary elections are held.

Yet many Egyptians want the polls to go ahead as planned. One influential group, the Muslim Brotherhood - which is expected to do well in the vote - is not supporting the Tahrir Square protests.

At least 10,000 people staged a rival rally on Friday in Abbasiya Square - near the defence ministry, north of Tahrir Square - to show support for the military's electoral timetable

They chanted "Down with Tahrir" and "Yes to the military council".

Washington has said power in Egypt should be transferred to civilians "as soon as possible".

"The United States strongly believes that the new Egyptian government must be empowered with real authority immediately," a White House statement said.

Sunni Islam's highest authority, the grand imam of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, sent the Tahrir Square protesters a rare message of support. An aide, Hassan Shafie, was shown on local TV telling the crowd on Tahrir Square: "The grand imam backs you and is praying for your victory."

There have also been anti-military protests in Alexandria and the southern towns of Luxor and Assiut, according to the AP news agency.

'Tantawi not staying'

In Cairo, hundreds of protesters camped outside the cabinet office, saying they would prevent Mr Ganzouri's team from entering.

The prime minister-designate said he was sure that Scaf leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi had no desire to stay in power, saying that otherwise, he would not have agreed to lead the new government.

Nominee Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri: "I agreed to serve the people because I am one of them"

"Please give me a chance so that I can think and I can see who shall remain and who should go and table my proposal to the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi," he said in comments broadcast on state TV.

Mr Ganzouri, who headed Egypt's government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak, said he had been granted greater powers than his predecessors but had not yet begun assembling his ministerial team, although it would be formed within the coming days.

Until then, he said former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who resigned following the violence earlier this week, would remain in office.

The Tahrir Square protests, which were backed by some trade unions, had been called a "last chance Friday" rally to demand an immediate transfer of power by the military.

Many demonstrators have rejected Mr Ganzouri's appointment.

"For the second time, we are going to depend upon the old guard of Mubarak's regime. Why do we not give chance for the young, instead of those people who are 80 years old?" one man in Cairo's Tahrir Square, Suhir Nadim, told Reuters news agency.

On Tuesday, Field Marshal Tantawi accepted the resignation of the previous military-backed civilian cabinet and announced that presidential elections would be held by June 2012 - six months earlier than planned.

The military council has apologised for the deaths of protesters, but insisted that parliamentary polls would start on Monday as scheduled.

Much of the recent violence has taken place in Mohammed Mahmoud street, which leads from Tahrir Square to the interior ministry. Soldiers have now set up barricades of cement, metal bars and barbed wire to separate protesters and security forces.

Mr Ganzouri, who distanced himself from Mr Mubarak's regime, has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate.

During his term as prime minister he was known as the "minister of the poor" because he was seen as representing the less well-off, and he remains popular with many Egyptians, says the BBC's Yolande Knell, in Cairo.

Monday marks mark the first step of an election timetable which lasts until March 2012 and covers two houses of parliament.

The elections will take place in stages around the country - each stage has reportedly been extended to two days.

Are you in Egypt? Are you planning to take part in the mass rallies later? What do you think about ex-Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri? Send us your comments and experiences.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Continue Reading... Labels: appeals, Egypt's, Nation

Michele Bachmann’s Pakistan nuclear intelligence source revealed

Did Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) divulge classified information in discussing the vulnerability of Pakistani nuclear sites to jihadists at Tuesday's GOP presidential debate?

Asked by CNN debate moderator Wolf Blitzer if the United States should continue providing foreign aid to Pakistan, Bachmann--a member of the House Intelligence panel--showed she knows her Pakistan brief.

"Pakistan has been the epicenter of dealing with terrorism," she said. "It is one of the most violent, unstable nations that there is."

Then--perhaps prompted by the fairly fluent and informed response on Pakistan given by former China envoy Jon Huntsman on the issue--Bachmann went on to cite some eyebrow-raising concerns posed by the unstable, nuclear-armed south Asian nation:

"We have to recognize that 15 of the sites, nuclear sites are available or are potentially penetrable by jihadists," Bachmann said. "Six attempts have already been made on nuclear sites.  This is more than an existential threat.  We have to take this very seriously."

Live-blogging the debate last night, your Yahoo News correspondent wondered if that information might have come from a classified intelligence briefing. And evidently, said correspondent did not wonder alone:

Bachmann's contention that Islamist jihadists have made six attempts to seize Pakistani nuclear sites "is not information that's ever been made public!" Gawker wrote, linking to a debate post by National Journal's Yochi Dreazen. "Which raises the question: did Bachmann just leak classified information to a national audience?"

Well, apparently the answer is no.

The information came not from a classified intelligence briefing but, rather, from a recent article by Jeffrey Goldberg and Marc Ambinder in the Atlantic Monthly--a sister site of the National Journal--according to the Huffington Post.

As Goldberg and Ambinder reported in their Pakistan dispatch:

"At least six facilities widely believed to be associated with Pakistan's nuclear program have already been targeted by militants. [...] If jihadists are looking to raid a nuclear facility, they have a wide selection of targets: Pakistan is very secretive about the locations of its nuclear facilities, but satellite imagery and other sources suggest that there are at least 15 sites across Pakistan at which jihadists could find warheads or other nuclear materials."

Bachmann concluded her Pakistan response at Tuesday's debate by characterizing the troubled south Asian nation as "too nuclear too fail." That phrase apparently originated with Brookings South Asia expert Stephen P. Cohen, who shared the coinage with Ambinder and Goldberg, the Huffington Post notes.

In any event, government secrecy expert Steve Aftergood waved off concerns that Bachmann would have gotten herself in much trouble with the disclosure, regardless of its genesis.

"Ironically, I think Bachmann may be protected by the presumption that whatever the candidates say in this campaign is likely to be exaggerated and unreliable," Aftergood, with the Federation of American Scientists, told Yahoo News by email Wednesday. "So any official action to rebuke her for disclosing classified information would backfire.  It would tend to validate her statement."

"I don't know whether there are '15 nuclear sites' in Pakistan that may be at risk," he added "And having heard Rep. Bachmann's remarks, I still don't know."

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Continue Reading... Labels: Bachmann’s, intelligence, Michele, nuclear, Pakistan, revealed, source

Six believed dead in Arizona small plane crash

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson asks if mac 'n' cheese is "a black thing": http://t.co/P0u3vJDp

Continue Reading... Labels: Arizona, believed, crash, plane, small

Jimmy Fallon apologizes to Michele Bachmann for offensive song

Bachmann and Fallon (via NBC)

Late night host Jimmy Fallon apologized to Michele Bachmann Tuesday after his house band played an offensive song as she walked on stage during an appearance on his show Monday.

Fallon's house band, The Roots, played "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone to welcome her to the late night show—a song most people, including Bachmann, didn't notice until Questlove, the band's drummer, hinted at it in a Twitter message.

On Tuesday, Fallon apologized to Bachmann via Twitter.

"I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back," Fallon wrote. "Actually it was a fun interview. She helped me with my Minnesota accent. (I still sound Irish)."

But Fallon's apology doesn't appear to be enough for Bachmann, who accused NBC of sexism for not issuing an apology on behalf of the network. She told Fox News in an interview Wednesday whoever in the band chose the song should disciplined or fired and suggested NBC has a double standard in how it treats Republican women.

"This wouldn't be tolerated if it were Michelle Obama, and it shouldn't be tolerated for a conservative woman," Bachmann said, calling the song choice an "outrage."

But she's not the only one complaining. The song choice has come under fire from all sides of the political spectrum. New York Rep. Nita Lowey, a Democrat, trashed the show for its song choice in a statement to Politico and called on NBC, Fallon and the band to apologize.

"The choice of song to introduce Michele Bachmann on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' last night was insulting and inappropriate," Lowey told Politico Tuesday. "I do not share Michele Bachmann's politics, but she deserves to be treated with respect. No female politician—and no woman—should be subjected to sexist and offensive innuendo like she was last night."

You can watch the song intro below.

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Continue Reading... Labels: apologizes, Bachmann, Fallon, Jimmy, Michele, offensive

New find sheds light on ancient site in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) — Newly found coins underneath Jerusalem's Western Wall could change the accepted belief about the construction of one of the world's most sacred sites two millennia ago, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday.

The man usually credited with building the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary is Herod, a Jewish ruler who died in 4 B.C. Herod's monumental compound replaced and expanded a much older Jewish temple complex on the same site.

But archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority now say diggers have found coins underneath the massive foundation stones of the compound's Western Wall that were stamped by a Roman proconsul 20 years after Herod's death. That indicates that Herod did not build the wall — part of which is venerated as Judaism's holiest prayer site — and that construction was not close to being complete when he died.

"The find changes the way we see the construction, and shows it lasted for longer than we originally thought," said the dig's co-director, Eli Shukron.

The four bronze coins were stamped around 17 A.D. by the Roman official Valerius Gratus. He preceded Pontius Pilate of the New Testament story as Rome's representative in Jerusalem, according to Ronny Reich of Haifa University, one of the two archaeologists in charge of the dig.

The coins were found inside a ritual bath that predated construction of the renovated Temple Mount complex and which was filled in to support the new walls, Reich said.

They show that construction of the Western Wall had not even begun at the time of Herod's death. Instead, it was likely completed only generations later by one of his descendants.

The coins confirm a contemporary account by Josephus Flavius, a Jewish general who became a Roman historian. Writing after a Jewish revolt against Rome and the destruction of the Temple by legionnaires in 70 A.D., he recounted that work on the Temple Mount had been completed only by King Agrippa II, Herod's great-grandson, two decades before the entire compound was destroyed.

Scholars have long been familiar with Josephus' account, but the find is nonetheless important because it offers the "first clear-cut archaeological evidence that part of the enclosure wall was not built by Herod," said archaeologist Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, who was not involved in the dig.

Josephus also wrote that the end of construction left 18,000 workmen unemployed in Jerusalem. Some historians have linked this to discontent that eventually erupted in the Jewish revolt.

The compound, controlled since 1967 by Israel, now houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the golden-capped Muslim shrine known as the Dome of the Rock. The fact that the compound is holy both to Jews and Muslims makes it one of the world's most sensitive religious sites.

The dig in which the coins were discovered cleared a Roman-era drainage tunnel that begins at the biblical Pool of Siloam, one of the city's original water sources, and terminates with a climb up a ladder out onto a 2,000-year-old street inside Jerusalem's Old City. The tunnel runs by the foundation stones of the compound's western wall, where the coins were found.

The drainage tunnel was excavated as part of the dig at the City of David, which is perhaps Israel's richest archaeological excavation and its most contentious.

The dig is being carried out inside the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, and is funded by a group associated with the Israeli settlement movement that opposes any division of the city as part of a future peace deal.

The excavation of the tunnel has also yielded a Roman sword, oil lamps, pots and coins that scholars believe are likely debris from an attempt by Jewish rebels to hide in the underground passage as they fled from the Roman soldiers.

Continue Reading... Labels: ancient, Jerusalem, light, sheds

Megyn Kelly’s pepper spray comments spark backlash

Pepper spray, its effects, and its appropriateness continue to be top of mind in the media.

Following the protests at UC Davis, during which Occupy protesters were sprayed with pepper spray by a campus police officer, Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly went on the Bill O'Reilly show.

Kelly appeared to downplay the physical effects of pepper spray. Kelly said pepper spray is "like a derivative of real pepper. It's a food product essentially."

Maybe so, but her comments have sparked a spicy backlash. A petition is circulating on the Internet that suggests Kelly should put her eyeballs where her mouth is by getting sprayed with the substance on live television. Currently, more than 16,000 people have signed the pledge. Kelly herself notes in the interview that the spray is  "obviously invasive and obtrusive and several [people] went to the hospital."

Over the past 24 hours, Web searches for "megyn kelly" and "megyn kelly pepper spray" soared more than 1,000%. Additionally, related lookups for "what is pepper spray" and "pepper spray ingredients" also spiked into breakout status.

Numerous blogs have popped up to explain exactly what is in pepper spray. According to a recent entry from KQED, "high doses of some of the chemicals in pepper spray can produce respiratory, cardiac and neurologic problems, and even death."

HowStuffWorks explains that "the active ingredient in pepper spray is oleoresin capsicum (OC), a natural oil found in many types of hot peppers including cayenne peppers and other chili pepper." One milligram of capisicum can cause blisters on the skin.

As the Washington Post points out, this isn't the first time someone has sluffed off the effects of a unpleasant (to say the least) physical experience. In the past, a number of people, including Stephen Colbert and Jesse Ventura, called on Vice President Dick Cheney to try being waterboarded. Cheney was an adamant supporter of waterboarding and the results he contends the process delivered.

The investigation into the attack on the Davis protestors is ongoing. The police officer who used the pepper spray is currently on leave and has been the subject of an Internet meme, placing him (and his can of spray) in various historical locations. Look, there he is with the founding fathers.

Continue Reading... Labels: backlash, comments, Kelly’s, Megyn, pepper, spark, spray

Heartbroken Dog Refuses to Leave Owner’s Grave, and Facebook Rewrites Six Degrees of Separation

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A video of a dog in a small village in China has the web buzzing about his devotion.  When 68-year-old Lao Pan died earlier this month, the only surviving member of his family was a small yellow dog that he left behind.  His little companion has refused to leave his burial site since his owner's death.  When villagers noticed the dog lingering around the grave, they began bringing him food and water since he had not eaten in a week.  Some villagers even tried to coax the dog away and back to the village, but he always finds his way back to the grave site.  Now villagers are planning to build the dog a kennel near the site where his owner is buried.  Social media is loving this dog.  People have been tweeting that this story is "heartbreaking," and saying that it made their heart smile and cry simultaneously. The loyal canine is also reminding people of the 19th century's legendary Greyfriar's Bobby, a Skye Terrier in Scotland who returned to his owner's grave every day for 14 years. A statue was erected in the dog's honor in Edinburgh shortly after its death, and has become a well-known tourist attraction.  The U.S. has its own version of a well-known loyal canine.  Earlier this year, another video of man's bestfriend went viral.  The footage shows Hawkeye, a Labrador retriever, the devoted dog who refused to leave the side of his owner, fallen Navy Seal Jon Tumlinson at his funeral. Regardless of people wanting to debate if animals are like a member of the family, one thing is certain, all of these canine's bring the adage of "man's best friend" to life.

Ever heard of the phrase six degrees of separation? The theory refers to the idea that every person is only six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth.  In 1967, psychologist Stanley Milgram published his findings on 'six degrees' after conducting an experiment where 296 volunteers were asked to send a message via postcard through friends, and then friends of friends to a specific person in Boston. Well Facebook is making the degree of separation even smaller.  The social media site has taken the concept and reduced it to just 4.74 degrees of separation.  Over a one month period, researchers at Facebook and The University of Milan used algorithms that measured the connections between 721 of its users.  According to a New York Times article, the algorithms calculate the average distance between any two people by computing a vast number of sample paths among Facebook users. They found that the average number of links from one arbitrarily selected person to another was 4.74. In the United States, where more than half of people over 13 are on Facebook, it was just 4.37. Therefore, the results confirmed that given any other person on Earth, a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend. Of course, this depends on your definition of the word 'friend.' Some people say these connections between other people simply support the idea that Facebook's definition of 'friendship' is not the same as it is in the real world. At any rate, with the help of Facebook and social media in general, it has become a lot easier to reach people and make connections.  Looks like the world just got a little bit smaller.

Continue Reading... Labels: Degrees, Facebook, Grave, Heartbroken, Leave, Owner’s, Refuses, Rewrites, Separation

Medvedev: Russia may target missile defense sites

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at U.S. missile defense sites in Europe if Washington goes ahead with the planned shield despite Russia's concerns, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Russia will station missiles in its westernmost Kaliningrad region and other areas if Russia and NATO fail to reach a deal on the U.S.-led missile defense plans, he said in a tough statement that seemed to be aimed at rallying domestic support.

Russia considers the plans for missile shields in Europe, including in Romania and Poland, to be a threat to its nuclear forces, but the Obama administration insists they are meant to fend off a potential threat from Iran.

Moscow has agreed to consider NATO's proposal last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should operate. Russia has insisted that the system should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.

Medvedev also warned that Moscow may opt out of the New START arms control deal with the United States and halt other arms control talks if the U.S. proceeds. The Americans had hoped that the treaty would stimulate progress further ambitious arms control efforts, but such talks have stalled over tension on the missile plans.

"The United States and its NATO partners as of now aren't going to take our concerns about the European missile defense into account," a stern Medvedev said, adding that if the alliance continues to "stonewall" Russia it will take retaliatory action.

The U.S. plan calls for placing land- and sea-based radars and interceptors in European locations over the next decade and upgrading them over time.

Medvedev warned that Russia will deploy short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a Baltic Sea exclave bordering Poland, and place weapons in other areas in Russia's west and south to target U.S. missile defense sites.

Medvedev added that prospective Russian strategic nuclear missiles will be fitted with systems that would allow them to penetrate prospective missile defenses.

He and other Russian leaders have made similar threats in the past, and the latest statement appears to be aimed at domestic audience ahead of Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

Medvedev, who is set to step down to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reclaim the presidency in March's elections, leads the ruling United Russia party list in the parliamentary vote.

A sterm warning to the U.S. and NATO issued by Medvedev seems to be directed at rallying nationalist votes in the polls.

Continue Reading... Labels: defense, Medvedev:, missile, Russia, sites, target

Sticky goo on Pa. turnpike disables over 100 cars

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A flood of gooey muck dropped from a tanker truck disabled more than 100 cars and damaged an unknown number of other vehicles along a nearly 40-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials said.

A leaking valve on a tanker spread driveway sealant over the eastbound lanes of a long stretch of the Turnpike between New Castle and the Oakmont Service Plaza on Tuesday night, Turnpike spokesman Bill Capone said.

Turnpike operations officials on Wednesday said 150 or more cars were disabled when the sticky goo covered their tires and wheels. Some state police and turnpike maintenance vehicles had to be towed away after getting stuck in the tar-like substance, according to the turnpike operations center.

Traffic was moving normally by Wednesday morning, but the sticky mess hindered the travel plans of some motorists traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Laura Frick told WTAE-TV she was traveling from Cleveland to New Jersey for the holiday.

"Now we have to turn around and go back home," Frick said. "It's horrible."

Retired firefighter Bob King told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the experience was the most harrowing of his life.

"It caught us off guard," said King, who now lives near Chicago. "It didn't seem like anyone knew what it was or what to do. It had to be an incredible amount of tar. It's still piled on my tires."

Cpl. Mike Corna, with the state police barracks that patrol the pike near Pittsburgh, said Wednesday the driver will be cited for not properly securing his load, though the specific tickets to be issued were still being determined. Police have yet to trace the origin of the load. The tank was filled somewhere in Ohio.

Maintenance crews got out quickly, dumping sand on the pooled goop and using snow plows to push it on to the shoulder, turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said. The mess was mostly confined to the right lane and the roadway didn't have to be shut down while workers tried to clean it up.

Turnpike officials urged motorists whose cars were damaged to call its operations center at (800) 331-3414. DeFebo said a number of callers have already been in touch with turnpike operations, which is still trying to determine how many motorists were affected.

Continue Reading... Labels: disables, Sticky, turnpike

Video: Octopus crawls out of water and walks on dry land

Check out this video of an octopus literally crawling out of the water and dragging itself across dry land in pursuit of a meal. A family with a camera was lucky enough to be on the scene and captured the whole thing on video:

If you're curious to learn more about the sea creature's possible motivation, there has been some great research on the understanding of octopus intelligence recently, including this surprisingly moving article in Orion magazine, chronicling a researchers bond with a giant Pacific octopus named Athena.

As it turns out, walking on land in the octopus kingdom is not as unique as you might think:

Some would let themselves be captured, only to use the net as a trampoline. They'd leap off the mesh and onto the floor—and then run for it. Yes, run. "You'd chase them under the tank, back and forth, like you were chasing a cat," [Middlebury College researcher Alexa] Warburton said. "It's so weird!"

Octopuses in captivity actually escape their watery enclosures with alarming frequency. While on the move, they have been discovered on carpets, along bookshelves, in a teapot, and inside the aquarium tanks of other fish—upon whom they have usually been dining.

However, it's quite unusual to capture video of a walking octopus in action. Part of the reason that studies on the creatures have been so limited, aside from their brief three-year life spans, is that they are notoriously shy, usually avoiding contact not only with humans, but with any other creatures, including fellow octopi.

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Controversial “anti-Semitic” vodka billboard taken down in NYC

Image credit: Gawker.com

A billboard for Wodka vodka in NYC has been taken down and destroyed after complaints that the advertisement's message is anti-Semitic. The New York Times reported that the billboard featured a long-haired dog wearing a yarmulke and another dog wearing a Santa hat with the words, "Christmas quality, Hanukkah pricing," alongside the photo.

The backlash against the billboard was nearly instantaneous. Ron Meier, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, called it "crude and offensive."

"To use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate," Meier told the paper.

Brian Gordon, head of MMG, the advertising company behind the billboard, said the billboard's message was not intended to be offensive. "We thought people would perceive it as 'ha ha quirky.' But people perceived it as offensive, and because of that, we pulled it." Mr. Gordon, according to the Times, was "quick to point out" that he also is Jewish.

Wodka was quick to formally apologize as well, offering this explanation via its Twitter account:

"Although rarely serious, we apologize to anyone we may have offended through our holiday campaign and are removing our billboard immediately."

However, Gawker dug deeper into Wodka's Twitter account, quickly finding more questionable images:

[O]n the company Twitter you can find a picture of the "Jewish" dog posing with Jonathan Cheban in a different ad. There's also this sheep wearing a sombrero standing near a Wodka bottle, and a "black Russian"—a black man wearing one of those fuzzy Russian hats.

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Ill George Michael cancels shows

23 November 2011 Last updated at 18:27 ET

Austria's state broadcaster says George Michael is being treated in Vienna's AKH hospital

George Michael has postponed a series of concerts, including two this weekend in Cardiff, after being taken to hospital for treatment for pneumonia.

The singer, 48, had been due to appear in Vienna as part of his Symphonica tour on Monday but cancelled two hours before it was due to start.

He is reportedly being treated at a hospital in the Austrian capital.

His publicist said performances in Vienna, Strasbourg and at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena would be rescheduled.

Connie Filippello said dates would be provided when available.

Austria's state broadcaster is reporting that the former Wham star is being treated in Vienna's AKH hospital.

Michael's European tour of Symphonica kicked off in Prague in August and was originally meant to include 47 dates.

It has seen the Careless Whisper singer return to live performance accompanied by a 41-piece symphony orchestra.

'Re-energised'

He had previously claimed his 2008 concerts would be his last live shows but announced the Symphonica tour after serving a short jail term last year for crashing his car in London while under the influence of cannabis.

George Michael performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of his Symphonica tour last month

At the press launch in May he said: "I felt very re-energised after my recent troubles.

"I think musically this tour and album will be surprising because I'm being far more true to myself."

In October, a viral infection caused Michael to pull out of a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, following advice from doctors.

Ticketholders were emailed on Wednesday to tell them the concert would be rescheduled for 2 May at the same venue.

Earlier this month Michael played a gig at the Royal Opera House in London, to raise money for Sir Elton John's Aids Foundation.

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