Shah Rukh Khan to present Indian TV version of Wipeout
Shah Rukh Khan has had a leaner filming schedule in 2010 because of injuries Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been unveiled as the host of Zor Ka Jhatka, the new Indian version of the obstacle course reality show Wipeout.
Khan, who has been recovering this year from a shoulder injury, said in Mumbai he was "so happy" about his comeback.The show - a huge hit in the UK, US and Australia - airs next month, featuring Indian TV stars as competitors.
Khan has already hosted Indian versions of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Are You Smarter than a 5h Grader?.
'Banana skin' In Friday's news conference at a luxury Mumbai hotel, Khan said: "I am so charged and so happy to be back after taking a break due to injuries last year and this is just the right show."
He added: "This show is different from the previous two shows as there is no quizzing here.
"Without hurting anybody, we all tend to laugh at others' discomfort. When someone slips on a banana skin and falls it's funny. It's like that."
Shot in Argentina, Zor Ka Jhatka involve nearly 30 celebrities competing for prize money of $330,000 (£210,000).
Produced by Imagine TV, the first season will have 16 episodes beginning in January.
Heavy snow and ice cause disruption across the UK
Advertisement
Heavy snow falls across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Several UK airports are closed and train services have been cancelled due to heavy snowfall in many areas.
Police in Northern Ireland - where conditions are said to be the worst in 25 years - and parts of Scotland are warning against non-essential travel.At least 800 schools in Wales, 500 in Scotland and 700 in Northern Ireland closed.
More snow is forecast later in western areas and on Saturday, 10in (25cm) is possible in Wales and southern England.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for heavy snow - up to 8in - in many places, including Orkney and Shetland, Highlands and Outer Hebrides, Grampian, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Midlands, and the south-east and south-west of England.
Forecasters have warned that in parts of Scotland temperatures could drop to -20C (-4F) overnight where snow is lying.
Strong winds will cause the snow to drift in some areas and ice could be a problem anywhere in the UK, with temperatures struggling to get above freezing.
The BBC Northern Ireland weather centre said the current snow situation was probably the worst widespread fall in about 25 years.
In 2000, similar amounts of snow fell in about four hours, but were restricted to eastern counties.
Continue reading the main story
Winter weather has disrupted travelDrivers in Londonderry, Antrim and Down are being warned only essential travel should be undertaken.
By Saturday, a second band of heavy snow is forecast to affect southern England and Wales, with 2-4in likely in many places and 8-10in possible in some others. Forecasters say there is some uncertainty about how far north it will reach.Problems caused by the weather include:
- Flights are suspended at Exeter, City of Derry, Belfast City and Belfast International airports
- London City, Norwich, Aberdeen, Inverness and Isle of Man airports have reopened after earlier closures, but flights are subject to delays and cancellations. Disruption is possible at other airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow and Cardiff
- Budget airline Easyjet has cancelled all its flights in and out of Gatwick airport between 0600GMT and 1000GMT on Saturday and expects further cancellations and delays throughout the day
- Easyjet passenger Caspar Mahoney said he and 100 other passengers have been stuck on a plane bound for Pisa, Italy, on the runway at Gatwick for seven hours, unable to take off because of ice
- Southern, Southeastern and South West trains have cancelled some services on Saturday in anticipation of more bad weather
- Cardiff's Winter Wonderland attraction featuring an open-air ice rink and a ferris wheel has been closed because of snow up to 6 ins deep
- A cannabis factory in Leicester has been exposed by the wintry weather because heat lamps inside melted the snow on its roof
- An urgent appeal is being made for blood donors, particularly those who are O negative, as stocks are running low
- A number of weekend football fixtures have been cancelled and Friday's race meetings at Uttoxeter and Ascot have been been called off
- Several major roads - including a 50-mile (80km) stretch of the A9 in Scotland - and many minor roads are blocked by snow
- Police say conditions have been "particularly atrocious" in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, and some motorists had to be rescued from their cars after becoming stranded
- Transport secretary Philip Hammond says distributors of heating oil are hoping to clear their delivery backlog in the next few days, following fears it may need to be rationed
'Absolutely awful' New Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown has insisted Scotland is "very well prepared" and the authorities are doing all they can to keep trunk roads open.
Continue reading the main story WEATHER AND TRAVEL INFO
Mr Brown's predecessor Stewart Stevenson resigned after his department was criticised for its handling of the problems caused by the previous bout of severe weather.
The RAC reported breakdown callouts reached a peak of about 2,000 an hour at 1400 GMT, with the busiest areas being Wales, Northern Ireland and north-east England.And the AA breakdown organisation said it had received 11,000 callouts by 1500 GMT, roughly 1,300 every hour.
Spokesman Gavin Hill-Smith said conditions in some areas were the "worst imaginable, even for experienced drivers", with Aberdeenshire worst hit.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) said it would run "ghost trains" to try to stop ice forming on the tracks and had hundreds of ground staff on duty to keep key junctions and points clear of snow.
Continue reading the main story
Around the UK
Energy Minister Charles Hendry warned on Thursday that more bad weather over Christmas could lead to "very serious" shortages of domestic heating oil.
But a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron has played down the suggestions, saying: "I don't think that's going to happen at all.Advertisement
Easyjet passenger Caspar Mahoney described how he was stuck on a plane at Gatwick for seven hours
Heavy snowfall during the past few weeks has caused huge disruption, especially in Scotland and north-east England.
Airports, roads and schools were closed, and companies are now warning of a backlog of deliveries which may not reach customers before Christmas.
The Royal Mail is putting on 7,000 delivery rounds this Sunday in a bid to ease the problem.
Have you been affected by the heavy snow and ice or by the backlog of deliveries? You can send us your experiences using the form below:
Is a tea break at work good for productivity?
British workers lose 24 minutes a day getting tea and coffee, new research claims. Is it time Polly stopped putting the kettle on?
Every office has one. The worker who asks if anyone wants a cup of tea with a frequency that outstrips most human beings' capacity to absorb hot fluids. And new research suggests the traditional tea and coffee run has become an office ritual employers would do well to crack down on.It found that four in 10 workers make a hot drink for more than one colleague every day, while the under 30s get their caffeine hit from runs to coffee chains like Starbucks and Costa.
The average adult spends 24 minutes a day on fetching and drinking hot drinks, costing their employer £400 a year in lost man hours, says T6, who conducted the survey of 1,000 people. It estimates that over a lifetime the tea run accounts for nearly 190 days of lost productivity.
So is all this slurping of warm beverages a good use of employees' time? Bill Gorman, chairman of the UK Tea Council, says the research ignores the "kindness" of the tea break.
Joy of chatting
"Tea drinkers are very sociable. It's a caring thing to know how your colleagues take their tea. What are the pollsters saying? That we should just keep working at our desks with a glass of water beside us?"
Occupational psychologist Cary Cooper agrees, saying breaks are an essential part of coping with sedentary office life.
"Nowadays we sit in front of screens not communicating eyeball to eyeball and even e-mail people in the same building," says the professor of organisational psychology at Lancaster University Management School.
Continue reading the main story 
How much caffeine does it contain?
- Cup of filter coffee: 100mg
- Cup of tea: 50mg
- Single espresso: 30-60mg
- Coke (330ml can): 30mg
- Dark chocolate (50g bar): 12-13 mg
"We need to make people more active and see other people. The coffee break is one way of doing this."
Companies should organise morning breaks twice a week, where people are encouraged to leave their desks to chat over free hot drinks, suggests Prof Cooper. Not everyone likes tea or coffee of course. People who don't drink caffeine should have other options like apples or herbal infusions, so as not to feel "alienated", he adds.But caffeine is the drug of choice for most, with Brits getting through about 235 million cups of tea and coffee a day. The actor Toby Stephens recently told The Times about his caffeine habit.
"Every morning I go to a local cafe that does a mean espresso and I drink triple shots, often two back to back. They think it's hilarious there. My wife has suggested I cut down because I can get a bit jumpy."
Meanwhile, veteran Labour politician Tony Benn estimates he's got through enough tea in his life to "float the QE2".
Given tea and coffee's ubiquity, there's a surprising absence of scientific consensus on caffeine's effect. So are Stephens and Benn doing themselves any good?
Withdrawal symptoms
Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology at the University of Bristol, thinks not. After years of studying caffeine he sees no evidence to suggest that it improves mental alertness.
"Workers would perform equally well if not consuming it at all," he says. "But if they're consuming it frequently and then go without, they'll feel tired and won't perform well."
In other words, the benefit tea and coffee drinkers perceive after a brew stems from removing their caffeine withdrawal symptoms, rather than any net gain in alertness.
Caffeine can also make workers more panicky, although regular users build up tolerance to such anxiety, he says. But caffeine's not the only active chemical in hot drinks.
Tea is a 'complex' drink But Professor Andy Smith, an expert in occupational health psychology at Cardiff University, says Rogers is missing the point. Caffeine is rightly prized by workers for combating fatigue, with a 2002 study of US Navy Seals showing the drug's ability to override severe sleep deprivation.
"It's true that caffeine hasn't got a stimulus effect if you're not tired," says Prof Smith. "But if you're fatigued then your performance will drop off."
What caffeine does is to get you back on form. "We use the term 'restoration of function'. The effect of caffeine is to restore your function closer to normal," he says.
Where both professors agree is that hot drinks have a magical quality - something to do with their warmth, aroma and the ritual of coming together to share a brew.
"We warm our hands on them on a cold day, they're comforting and play a big role in our everyday life," says Prof Rogers. "Whatever the caffeine's doing I'd say these 24 minutes aren't wasted.
Do trees on the streets make people happy?
The Big Tree Plant will plant one million trees in urban areas over the four years The government says spending £4.2m on planting trees in towns and cities - particularly in deprived areas - will improve the quality of people's lives. Does foliage actually do this?
It is almost an accepted wisdom that a property positioned on a pretty tree-lined street surrounded by shrubbery is more appealing than its counterpart on a concrete-clad bare and barren road.Some British and US surveys suggest a lush lawn or well-landscaped yard can improve property prices by as much as 15%.
But the government's Big Tree Plant campaign - which aims to plant one million trees in English urban areas over the next four years - claims trees are not only good for our bank balance, but they do wonders for our well-being.
And it says getting people involved in the planting process makes communities even happier.
So do people really care about trees and do they enhance lives - or is it all wishy-washy nonsense?
Trees can increase property values "Not only are trees beautiful but they are practical. They provide shade in the summer and then their leaves drop off, allowing light in when it is needed in winter.
"They are good for local climate change because they put water back into the atmosphere which cools the area. And they help biodiversity as tree-lined streets provide wildlife corridors for birds or insects to travel.
"Trees also encourage healthier lifestyles and studies have shown people are calmer when trees are in their environment," she says.
The idea that trees have a positive effect on health has been around a while, but it is one that is hard to measure.
A Dutch study suggests every 10% increase in green space can postpone health complaints in communities by five years. And a US study is regularly cited to suggest patients that have a view of nature through hospital windows recover better after surgery.
Earlier this year, the environment secretary at the time, Caroline Spelman, put a figure on it - in some inner city areas, each tree was worth as much as £78,000, she said.
Ms Lipscombe argues the calming influence of trees has even been known to slow down driving speeds as drivers tend to go more slowly when something is in their peripheral vision.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
End Quote Annamaria Mignano Tree loverIt sounds a bit naff and middle-class but once trees were planted it really softened the street”
She concedes some people have negative feelings about trees - because they worry about slipping on berries, bird droppings on cars or blocked light - and there can be a 'Not In My Back Yard' mentality.
Certainly the number of huge broad-leafed trees, so loved by Victorian planners that they became a permanent part of British urban landscape, have seen a sharp decline over recent years.In 2007, a London Assembly referred to the loss of 40,000 full-grown trees in the capital over a five-year period as a "chainsaw massacre", suggesting a "risk-averse" culture among councils was partly to blame.
But one person who credits new trees with changing her life is Annamaria Mignano, 47, who lives in a warehouse conversion in Tower Hamlets in London. She says when she first moved into the area there were no trees on her street - or two of the roads that led to it.
"It was a concrete thoroughfare in an area where there are lots of factories with high walls, it was desolate, looked abandoned and aggressive, and was the kind of place that you didn't want to be, especially as a woman on your own.
"It sounds a bit naff and middle-class but once trees were planted in 2000 it really softened the street. It looks more appealing, people aren't as scared and no longer run down the road to get home. It has definitely made me more happy."
The 30 trees have also brought people out onto the streets and created more of a community feel, she adds.
Graffiti blight
It is a feeling that is echoed in another part of Tower Hamlets, Manchester Estate, where Trees for Cities chief executive Sharon Johnson says getting the community involved in planting trees - and choosing what types of trees to plant - has had a big impact on a deprived area.
"The urban wasteland was blighted by litter and graffiti, but by adding shrubs, fruit trees, willow hedges and a woodland area we have turned it into a utilised community place.
"There is also a natural play area - with logs and boulders which children run over and through."
Underused green spaces in Manchester Estate were landscaped in 2009 There was a problem with people training their pit bulls or fighting dogs to chew bark to strengthen their jaws a few years ago but their presence can actually reduce crime, she says.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
End Quote Shaun Bailey Community workerPeople want to express themselves with bricks and mortar, not trees”
"It really hit me that we had made a difference when a man that lived there who had been looking for a housing transfer said he was reconsidering his plans now he had this space on his doorstep."
Ms Johnson argues it is a pattern that is repeated throughout the country, highlighting a sensory garden and orchard at an autism centre in Sheffield as a particular success. But not everyone is convinced that planting trees is the best solution. Shaun Bailey, a community worker in the west of London thinks there are far bigger issues that need addressing, and warns against getting carried away about trees.
"There is no point in it looking pretty if you live in a rubbish place, it's a false investment.
"Council housing, who pays and how, is far more important. We should stop building sink estates, look at the social mix of housing and incentivise people to live together."
Making shared ownership viable for people on low incomes should also be a priority, he adds.
"One of the great British traditions is moving house, we should be helping people own houses so that they have the opportunity to trade on them.
"Perhaps planting trees is the beginning of making a shared and decent living space, but I've lived in a lot of estates and they would not have changed my life.
"People want to express themselves with bricks and mortar, not trees."
Send us your comments and a selection will be published
I'm all for trees and green spaces, seeing new high rise buildings for people to live in being put on any small area possible (next to main roundabouts, and busy roads for example) I feel glad not to live there. Trees/green spaces do soften the impact, you only need to drive around a newly built housing site and then an established housing area with established planting to noticed and feel the difference. I am fortunate that looking out from the front of our home, although in a built up area we are welcomed by the sight of hedges and sycamore trees. Sitting in the comfort of my front room and seeing the seasons and the wildlife it attracts is both relaxing and rewarding. Immediately outside our small back garden there are two berry trees which also attracts birds who also come to a feeders in the garden.
The irony of your question is that the streets are usually named after the forests and meadows that were once there.
I applaud this plan to add a splash of green to our grey and drab estates. I myself live in the Byker wall estate in Newcastle where lots of cherry trees were planted on its construction bringing a wealth in fruit , birds , and insects which in turn bring a wealth of happiness and natural beauty to this manmade concrete jungle.
All well and good, but this is a time of cut backs. Trees grow. I work maintaining the council car parks and the cost to maintain these trees in the car parks alone are high. They drop leaves and people complain about leaf debris under their feet. They slip on the leaves that have not been cleared and claim. The leaves block drains which then we have to pay to have hem cleared. They grow tall and the Community Safety Unit complain that they are blocking cctv views. Their canopies have to be raised and heights lowered. Local residents get fed up with them and ask them to be cut down when they get too tall. These are just some of the complaints I have received. I love trees and believe that they are the lungs of the planet, but be careful where they go as it could cost a lot more in the long term.
For too long we have taken away nature in the name of progress. There is an urgent need to redress the balance. More trees is excellent for the whole environment. Sometimes folk forget that trees and nature in general brings more balance to life and we all need that if we are to live together without conflict.
I feel very happy, the more greenery the better. Trees and plants give oxygen, take up carbon dioxide. Having a decent amount of greenery makes me feel safer when there is heavy rain, it sops up that water better than concrete, lessens flood potential. And of course trees, shrubs and grass soften the edges of bleak buildings, making our open spaces more friendly looking. Pockets of greenery are better than nothing, but i would rather have a concerted effort made to make my environment more green, more alive.
Further snow travel chaos set to disrupt Christmas week
Click to play
Advertisement
Willie Walsh: "We are facing significant disruption at Heathrow for some days to come"
Thousands of people face further disruption to their Christmas travel plans as cold weather conditions continue to grip much of the country.
British Airways is hoping 60 flights will depart Heathrow on Monday morning, but dozens more have been cancelled.BAA has apologised to people who were forced to sleep in the terminal but Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said aviation was a "safety-first business".
Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Birmingham airports are open.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned of more snow and ice in many parts of the country.
A "bitterly cold" day is forecast, with freezing fog.
Southern England and south Wales were among those in the "firing line" for Monday, said BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts, with 5-10cm of snowfall that could coincide with both the morning and evening rush hours.
The Wales Ambulance Service has warned of potential "long delays" in responding to 999 calls.
There were also warnings of more heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland.
The lowest UK temperature overnight, recorded in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was thought to be -19.6C. Northern Ireland had another bitterly cold night, with -18C recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone.
Hundreds of people had to spend another night at Heathrow airport Airport operator BAA said further cancellations and delays at Heathrow would be inevitable.
But many passengers were unhappy with their treatment.
Sarah Randall, from Hertfordshire, said she was stranded at the airport with her husband, parents and three children - aged six to 11 - after their Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong was cancelled on Saturday morning.
She said they slept on the floor on Saturday night and that her children were still traumatised by the experience.
She complained: "The weather was beyond their control, I know, but my gripe is the disgraceful way all passengers have been treated and abandoned."
She said the family is now back at home after her husband walked through the snow to flag down a taxi on the M4 slip road but they are yet to find out if the £16,000 cost of their "dream trip" to Hong Kong and Bali will be refunded.
Mr Hammond said he was aware of the "outrage" of passengers but he added: "We have had very extreme conditions and aviation is a safety-first business and the conditions at Heathrow have made it difficult for aviation to operate."
BAA spokesman Andrew Teacher told the BBC: "We had five inches of snow in an hour on Saturday afternoon and hundreds of planes parked when the snow came down. We have drafted in hundreds of people to clear the snow and thousands of people have been put up in hotels near the airport.
"Inevitably some people are at the airport and I'm not going to sit here and say it has gone well. We are extremely sorry for the disruption to people's journeys.
"People are in the lounges and all over the airport. We have given out thousands of blankets, food vouchers, bottles of water and there is free wi-fi. Things are improving slowly."
Continue reading the main story 
Around the UK
- Scotland: Flight freeze hits travel
- Wales: Ambulance fears
- ses airport
Mr Teacher said: "We are not trying to shun responsibility but Heathrow is not the same as an airport in Finland or Istanbul. If you had a Heathrow in Finland the same thing would happen. If you have 200 planes and five inches of snow you are going to get this."
He said the north runway was open but the south runway was still closed and staff were working "around the clock" to get it cleared.Mr Teacher also pointed out safety was the top priority and said: "If there was a crash or a plane skidded off the runway we would have people saying 'why didn't you close the runway?'."
The BBC's Asha Tanna, at Heathrow, said: "Airline bosses have been meeting to discuss how many flights will be able to operate once the weather improves but with forecasters predicting further snow and freezing fog passengers are now being advised not to travel and to cancel their trips and get a full refund instead."
There is expected to be some disruption to rail travel on Monday as people return to work after the weekend and, with France also suffering severe weather, Eurostar said people should not travel unless it is necessary.
It also said speed restrictions and delays were expected.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning of disruption to road, rail and air travel in the country.
- Driving conditions on the M5 in Somerset are described as "treacherous" and there are reports of motorists abandoning their cars on the motorway.
- Most schools in England have already closed for the Christmas break but 472 schools have had to shut early in Northern Ireland, 170 in Wales and at least 50 in Scotland.
- Elsewhere in Europe there were severe disruptions at airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Florence, and Amsterdam.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh admitted the company had not done enough to communicate with passengers already at Heathrow about their flights.
A Gatwick spokeswoman said it was doing everything it could to "get passengers on their way" but advised them to check with airlines before setting out.Stansted, Luton, Exeter, London City, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton airports said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has asked the government's chief scientific adviser for advice on whether the government should be planning for more severe weather in future, but shadow transport minister Maria Eagle accused him of complacency.
The Highways Agency has said it is doing its best to keep major roads in England clear, but that motorists should check traffic and weather conditions before considering whether to go out.
Map key
Are Nigeria's musicians selling out?
As Nigeria's election jamboree returns - with candidates splashing money on billboards, TV commercials and rallies - it is the willingness of musicians to be mobilised in their support that is causing some singers to wince.
Some of the country's best-loved artists - D'banj, Onyenka Onwenu, Zaaki Azzay, TwoShotz - are all singing their support for President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sean Kuti feels that his father's legacy is being betrayed Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti is disgusted.
"Traitor," he says, angrily.
"Anybody using their music to support Nigerian politicians is a traitor - first to music, and secondly to the country."
While billions of oil dollars vanish into the private bank accounts of Nigeria's political elite every month, over 70% of Nigerians struggle to exist on less than a dollar a day.
Since the end of military rule, the governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) has won every election amid reports of voter intimidation, allegations of ballot-stuffing and street violence.
The next presidential elections have been set for 9 April 2011 and campaigning is well underway.
'Not about money' "Music is one of the foremost weapons that is supposed to emancipate this continent," says Kuti.
"When I now see it being used for oppression, used against the people, it is totally wrong."
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Abidemi Dairo Music writer, LagosA lot of experts think the youths don't come out to vote, but these artists have a very huge fan base”
- Death of Nigerian leader exposes 'sham' democracy
- Profile: Goodluck Jonathan
Nigeria's powerful tradition of musical struggle is offended.
The era of Afrobeat saw Fela Kuti - Seun Kuti's father - enrage and defy the generals of successive military regimes with his revolutionary fusion of jazz, highlife and funk.Prophetic lyrics mocked the greed of politicians, attacked police violence and defied brutal censorship to tell Nigeria's story.
Olubankole Wellington - better known as Banky W, one of Nigeria's biggest stars - pulls a face, as he talks about an offer he received.
"I was offered the most amount of money I have ever been offered, by one of the presidential candidates," he says, looking astonished.
He declined.
"I just could not go to sleep at night if I support this man," he says, shaking his head.
"It's important for us that have a public voice to try to steer the country to where we think it should be, otherwise we're going to face the same problems, in 20 years' time, because no-one spoke up for the country at the time."
Most of the artists releasing campaign songs declined to speak publicly about the deals they had signed with politicians.
"We hoped our song would send a message, to encourage people to go out and vote," he said.
Another musician, Zaaki Azzay, who has recorded a song for President Jonathan has denied receiving any payment for his endorsement.
"It is not about money. I support Mr Jonathan's policies and the change I believe he can offer," he says.
Power "A lot of experts think the youths don't come out to vote, but these artists have a very huge fan base," says Abidemi Dairo, a 24-year-old music writer in Lagos.
"If Goodluck Jonathan can reach out to them, he stands a really good chance of winning," he believes.
Goodluck Jonathan is counting on the votes of young Nigerians General Sani Abacha's "two million man march" featured entertainers and comedians who were paid for their endorsement.
In spite of protests that they had performed under duress, many of those filmed taking part in the spectacle suffered serious damage to their careers, never regaining their credibility.
In a country where the average age is 19, most Nigerians - certainly many of those dancing in the nightclubs - are too young to remember this period.
It is clear that politicians are acutely aware of Nigeria's huge youth population and are desperate to tap into the adulation successful hip-hop artists, singers and rappers enjoy.
But whether a catchy song will change the way they vote is another question.
Madjid Bougherra wins Algerian Player of the Year award
Bougherra excelled for Algeria at the World Cup and Nations Cup
Scotland-based defender Madjid Bougherra has won his second successive Algeria Footballer of the Year award.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Glasgow Rangers, scooped the 2010 gong organised by three major newspapers in the country. Bougherra was instrumental in Algeria's impressive showing at the African Cup of Nations and World Cup this year.
"I am delighted that this is the second time I have won this award," Bougherra said.
"It gives me strength to continue to serve and honour the colours of the national team."
MC Algiers won the Best Club of the Year award while striker Hajj Bougueche took the top scorer gong.
Striker Ryad Boudebouz was named as Algeria's most promising player while JS Kabylie's Malian import Iddrisa Koulibaly took the Best Foreign Player award.
African viewpoint: Reading palms
Officials never admitted that Nigeria's late President Umaru Yar'Adua had taken his eye off the ball when he was ill In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Elizabeth Ohene, a minister in Ghana's former NPP government, flicks her thermometer and wonders when the personal should become public.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End QuoteThe chief or king in the traditional set up only ever 'goes to his village', it is treasonable to say he has died”
Should we or should we not be told about the state of the president's health?
In Ghana we have always gone for the extreme privacy option.Our leaders are never ill and indeed as I have said in these columns on another occasion, our leaders do not even get tired.
And they certainly do not die.
The chief or king in the traditional set-up only ever "goes to his village" - it is treasonable to say he has died.
We all watched painfully the theatre of the absurd played out in Nigeria when President Umaru Yar'Adua was ill.
To the bitter end, it was never acknowledged that he was ill.
I told myself those around President Yar' Adua must be well versed in the history of illness of African leaders and they were taking no chances.
Lessons learnt
Tunisia's Habib Bourguiba (R) lived for 13 years after Mr Ben Ali (L) took over Ahidjo stepped down and handed over power to his prime minister and preferred successor, Paul Biya.
Two years later, Ahidjo found himself still alive, indeed, in good health and being ignored by Mr Biya.
He then tried to stage a coup d'etat; it failed and he ended up in lonely exile in Senegal where he died almost 20 years later.
The lesson was not lost on leaders around the continent.
Then there was the unmatchable first president of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba.
As his health failed, Tunisian officials found ever more ingenious ways of describing the president's incapacity: He had a chill, an indisposition, exhaustion, a minor illness, a respiratory ailment and a slight deterioration in his health.
While officially suffering from insomnia, Bourguiba often medicated himself and was a veritable walking drugstore between self-administered drugs and the medications his various physicians were prescribing.
Finally, Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali galvanised the inner circle of officials who called a panel of physicians to certify Bourguiba's permanent inability, in what has been called a constitutionally sanctioned, medically facilitated coup d'etat.
Mr Ben Ali became president.
That was in 1987, Mr Ben Ali is still president - Bourguiba lingered on and only died in the year 2000.
Speculation
“Start Quote
End QuoteThese days John Atta Mills is almost always dressed in some wickedly sharp suits, his weight loss seems to be meant as an inspiration to the rest of us who are overweight”
For a man who was not expected to make it to the end of 2008, to even get elected or so we were told by people in the know, the Ghanaian President John Atta Mills has survived with amazing agility.
And yet the rumours persist.The latest stories were sparked by the fact that the president's palms have turned alarmingly black.
After weeks of speculation in the media, one of the president's spokespersons has offered an explanation.
The president, we are told, is well, his darkened palms are a reaction to some medication given to him by his doctors.
We have not been told what the medication was or what condition the president had to necessitate taking the drugs in the first place.
But the spokesperson assured us the president is very strong and stable, and has been given a clean bill of health by all the doctors.
He said the president still gets up at 0430 every day and does his exercises, and is still the same sports person he has always been.
Somehow the image of our president getting up at 0430 every morning as though he has a wicked stepmother who is whipping him out of bed to do the chores, is hard for me to take.
And I wonder if the president being the same sports person he has always been means he is back playing field hockey, which was his favourite sport.
When I see photos of him these days he is almost always dressed in some wickedly sharp suits, his weight loss seems to be meant as an inspiration to the rest of us who are overweight to tackle our excess fat.
Thank you for your comments. Please read a a selection below:
African leaders and rulers are 'gods' who neither get tired nor fall sick. Never mention death. They only go for check-ups overseas and never visit any local hospital for treatments. This is understandable noting that only the sick goes for treatment while the demi-gods only need to refresh at the point of check-up. It is a direct expression of not just the chasm that exists between the led and the leader but also their self-exalted state of pseudo-divinity. While a poor man is killed, a leader/ruler is assassinated; the poor walks while the ruler/leader strolls. Our leaders/rulers should remember that they are humans and as such, subject to the dictates of the humans laws - therefore, situations should so correctly be expressed.
I remember when my father told me this in whispering voice "He heard from reliable sources that Haile Sellasie was ill" followed by not to repeat this to any one. Not too long after that he was ousted and killed. I firmly believe he was some how delusional and had an onset of Alzhaimer's after his 80th birthday. This all was hidden NOT only from the public but from his own childers and family members. Had they known, they would have staged a fight rather than fleeing the country.
I still cannot fanthom why the journalist in Ghana who jump into every socio-political, religious and economic fray would allow such dust to be thrown into the eyes of the general public. First of all, the signs are clearly on the wall that this man is seriously struggling with his health. His weight loss is simply inexplicable, and now the darkened palms which cannot be hidden from the prying eyes of the citizenry who care about their leader. An Akan proverb rightly puts it that,"if one does not disclose his/her illness, the appropriate cure will equally not be found." Now the question is, for how long will ordinary mortal individuals who have been empowered by the thumbs of the people, continue to behave like demi-gods?
Name some past and current African presidents who were, are or are suspected of being ill: Mobutu, Omar Bongo, Lansana Conte, and now Abdoulaye Wade, Paul Biya, and the list goes on. These illnesses may be God-inflicted after a number of years spent in absolute power (with the people in misery) and a strong desire to stay in power by all means until death. Such is the tragedy of leadership in most African countries. Unfortunately, it is not the lack of skilled and qualified leaders from a younger generation.
Sharia law to be tightened if Sudan splits - president
Sudan: Country at a crossroads
The north of Sudan will reinforce its Islamic laws if the south secedes as a result of next month's referendum, President Omar al-Bashir has said.
Mr Bashir said the constitution would then be changed, making Islam the only religion, Sharia the only law and Arabic the only official language.Correspondents say his comments are likely to alarm thousands of non-Muslim southerners living in the north.
They are currently protected from some of the stronger aspects of Sharia.
"If south Sudan secedes, we will change the constitution," Mr Bashir told a gathering of his supporters in the eastern town of Gederef on Sunday.
"Sharia and Islam will be the main source for the constitution, Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language," the president added.
The imposition of Sharia on the non-Muslim south was one of the reasons for the long civil war, which ended when a peace deal was signed in 2005, the BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum reports.
President Bashir said on Sunday there would be no question of this diversity when a new constitution was drafted, if the south became independent
Senior northern officials are just starting to acknowledge publicly that South Sudan - where most people follow traditional beliefs and Christianity - are almost certain to choose to separate in the referendum.
Separately, Mr Bashir also commented on a recent high-profile case in which a video posted on the internet showed a woman being flogged by police in the north.
"If she is lashed according to Sharia law, there is no investigation. Why are some people ashamed? This is Sharia," the president said.
Human rights activists have accused the police of treating the woman in a particularly brutal way not compatible with Islam.
Hundreds abducted' in Ivory Coast election unrest - UN
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has told UN troops to leave Hundreds of people in Ivory Coast are reported to have been abducted from their homes since last month's disputed election, the UN says.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says some of the assailants wore military uniforms and there is evidence of "massive" human rights violations.More than 50 people have died in violence in recent days, she adds.
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo says he won the poll, but his rival Alassane Ouattara has international backing.
On Saturday Mr Gbagbo demanded that all 10,000 foreign peacekeepers leave the country, saying UN and French troops were colluding with former rebels.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon rejected the call.
Ultimatum to Gbagbo In a statement issued on Sunday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said UN officials in Ivory Coast had received hundreds of reports of people being abducted "from their homes, especially at night, by armed individuals in military uniform".
She said the gunmen were "accompanied by elements of the Defence and Security Forces or militia groups". Some victims had later "been found dead in questionable circumstances", she added.
Continue reading the main story 
Laurent Gbagbo (left): 65-year-old former history teacher, southern Christian; president since 2000; backed by security forces
Alassane Ouattara (right): 68-year-old economist, northern Muslim; prime minister 1990-1993; backed by former rebels, UN, African leaders and the West
Rival Presidents
Alassane Ouattara (right): 68-year-old economist, northern Muslim; prime minister 1990-1993; backed by former rebels, UN, African leaders and the West
- Q&A: Ivory Coast election crisis
The 50 deaths, the statement said, had occurred in the past three days. More than 200 people had also been also injured.
On Thursday, at least 20 people were killed as Mr Ouattara's backers tried to march on the headquarters of state TV and clashed with troops loyal to Mr Gbagbo.The UN Security Council has warned that all sides will be held accountable under international law for any attacks against civilians.
On Sunday the confrontation between the two sides spilled into France, the former colonial power.
Clashes broke out as hundreds of pro-Gbagbo demonstrators and 100 Ouattara supporters gathered in central Paris. Two people were wounded, police say.
Meanwhile, the UK government has urged British nationals to leave Ivory Coast unless they have pressing reasons to stay.
The US and France have previously advised their citizens against travelling to the West African country.
The UN, the US, former colonial power France, and the African Union have all called on Mr Gbagbo to stand down.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday said he should quit by Sunday or face EU sanctions.
But Mr Gbagbo says the 28 November election was rigged by rebels who still hold the north after the civil war in 2002-03.
He was declared the winner by Ivory Coast's Constitutional Council after it annulled votes in parts of the north.
Both Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ouattara have sworn themselves in as president. Mr Ouattara is currently under UN protection at a hotel in Abidjan.
Cryosat ice mission returns first science
The Cryosat-2 spacecraft has produced its first major science result.
Radar data from the European satellite has been used to make a map of ocean circulation across the Arctic basin.Cryosat's primary mission is to measure sea-ice thickness, which has been in sharp decline in recent decades.
But its ability also to map the shape of the sea surface will tell scientists if Arctic currents are changing as a result of winds being allowed to blow more easily on ice-free waters.
"Nobody really knows how the Arctic is going to behave as the ice retreats, but we do anticipate that significant changes will occur," said Dr Seymour Laxon, a Cryosat science team member from University College London, UK.
"This is just the first data, and it shows we now have the tool to monitor what is happening," he told BBC News.
The European Space Agency (Esa) satellite was launched in April.
It carries one of the highest resolution synthetic aperture radars ever put in orbit.
The instrument sends down pulses of microwave energy which bounce off both the top of the Arctic sea-ice and the water in the cracks, or leads, which separate the floes.
By measuring the difference in height between these two surfaces, scientists will be able, using a relatively simple calculation, to work out the overall volume of the marine ice cover in the far north.
Continue reading the main story 
HOW TO MEASURE SEA-ICE THICKNESS FROM SPACE
- Cryosat's radar has the resolution to see the Arctic's floes and leads
- Some 7/8ths of the ice tends to sit below the waterline - the draft
- The aim is to measure the freeboard - the ice part above the waterline
- Knowing this 1/8th figure allows Cryosat to work out sea ice thickness
But in sensing the surface of the water, Cryosat becomes a powerful tool also to study ocean behaviour.
And the opening months of observations have enabled the Cryosat team to build a unique map from just the radar echoes bouncing off leads. This map, displayed at the top of the page, describes what researchers call ocean dynamic topography.
It is the height in metres of the water surface above the gravitational level in the Arctic.
Simply put, it shows where water is piled up, and it is water's desire always to "run down hill" that is a major feature underpinning the direction and speed of currents.
"What we've revealed is the first complete picture of ocean dynamic topography in the Arctic Ocean. All missions previously have had large holes in the middle of their Arctic data because of their orbits, even the American Icesat satellite which did a pretty good job of getting dynamic topography - it only went up to 86 degrees North. Cryosat goes up to 88 degrees North."
'Spin up' In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents move clockwise around highs in topography and anti-clockwise around the lows.
Clearly evident therefore in this map (strong red blob) is the Beaufort Gyre, the great clockwise rotation of water that shifts sea-ice around the Arctic.
Also visible are the topographic features related to the Transpolar Drift, which routinely moves sea-ice across the Arctic from the Russian side of the basin; and the East Greenland Current that carries much of the ice that gets exported towards the Atlantic.
The Cryosat team stresses that the map is built from early data and is only a first, static snapshot.
Over the course of the mission, however, this data-set will be improved and provide telling evidence of any changes in Arctic Ocean circulation.
The region has witnessed a dramatic retreat of Arctic sea-ice in summer months, far ahead of what the majority of climate computer models had forecast.
One consequence of the retreat is the potential for open water to "spin up": for the water to start moving faster or in different directions because winds can act on it more easily in the absence of an ice covering.
This could have implications for circulation patterns beyond just the Arctic basin - it could affect sub-Arctic waters, in the Norwegian and Greenland Seas, and ultimately the North Atlantic.
In other words, the climate impacts felt in the Arctic could start feeding back further south.
Model performance Scientists know also that there is now a lot of warm water at depth in the Arctic.
At present, this deep water's energy is not allowed to influence the sea-ice because of a buffer of colder, less dense water lying between it and the floes above.
But if this warm water were made to well up because of wind-driven changes at the surface, it could have a catastrophic impact on the formation and retention of the ice cover.
Cryosat is intended to provide the information to test all these ideas, and to help improve the performance of computer models that are used to try to forecast future climate behaviour.
"The reason we believe all this is important is because we think from models that a retreat of the ice is going to significantly affect the circulation in the Arctic, and Cryosat is the only tool we've got to measure those changes," said Dr Laxon.
Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal: American reaction
The US Senate has approved landmark legislation allowing openly gay people to serve in the military.
The Senate and House of Representatives both approved the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" law, which bars gay people in the military from revealing their sexual orientation.Here, BBC News website readers who have served in the US Military give their reaction to the decision.
Bruce Hogman says the military will adapt
If we look at the history of the US military, we find that President Truman's order ending racial segregation in the US Armed Forces in 1947 was met with very similar objections from the senior military leaders and politicians of that time. They warned of loss of unit cohesion and effectiveness, ignoring the outstanding service of black and Japanese segregated units in World War II. Those predictions will again prove false today with the end of gay discrimination.
Having been a gay man serving as a Captain in the Air Force I don't think it will make a difference, they're not all going to come out en masse. For those homosexuals serving now, it removes the fear of having to come out for career advancement which requires a higher level of security clearance.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Bruce HogmanIt removes the fear of having to come out for career advancement”
The military will again behave as military have in the past and perform with good form and let nothing distract them from their military duties.
Whereas before it couldn't educate troops about homosexuality and things like STIs now, because it is legal, they will have to address them properly. When I enlisted we were told lots about things like female prostitutes but nothing about gay life.It will also allow the military to set proper ground rules on things like fraternization. When I was in Washington they would simply put gay bars off limits which made them even more appealing. Instead of creeping around very discretely, now a simple 'no' will suffice.
Instructors and educators will have to learn about gay life and how to explain it to the recruits rather than, as they did, simply ignore it because it was illegal. I hope they succeed.
Gary Parsons thinks the change will be detrimental
I hope I am wrong because, my belief is that this lift of the band will be detrimental. I served four years in the military. The problem is not with the gays, but with the homophobic, including those that are not homophobic but might be uncomfortable in close quarters. Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Gary ParsonsGiven the issues we're confronting in public life... perhaps addressing it in military life is still a step too far”
I'd have felt uncomfortable knowing there were homosexual guys even though I know it's such a shallow thing to think. But people who are homophobic are really irrational and just have this hate for gay people, like they want to be violent towards them.
My fear is that all it takes is for a few instances where homophobic men become uncomfortable and violent towards someone they perceive as gay. It could be used as a "he just came onto me so I hit him" excuse to justify violence and to ostracise. There are heterosexual men I served with who struggle to comprehend homosexuality.With the size of our force, there's going to be a few homophobes in the ranks and it only takes a few instances for it to create a massive issue for the authorities.
I seldom agree with Senator McCain but given the issues we're confronting in public life - like in California where they've voted down gay marriage - perhaps addressing it in military life is still a step too far, especially at a time of war.
Bobby Davis was discharged under the policy
The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a victory for me, the gay community and for equality in the United States of America. Repealing this disgustingly archaic law has finally given way to the promises and core values of our founding fathers to "form a more perfect union" and for "freedom and justice for all."
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Bobby DavisThe repeal is a victory for me, the gay community and for equality in the United States of America”
I was discharged from the US Navy because of the policy. It literally says in my discharge papers "discharged due to homosexuality and convenience of the government." I was devastated. I always wanted to be a Naval Officer ever since I saw the movie Top Gun.
There's no reason it will affect combat readiness, as some have claimed. When you're in uniform, you're professional and keep the personal to a minimum. No one wanders round telling everyone they're heterosexual, so there's no reason for homosexuals to do so.It's a significant moment for the US as finally people are allowed to be who they are. It's awful that we're only just doing this now.
Deadly blast on oil pipeline in Mexico's Puebla state
The explosion affected a 5km (3 mile) radius. Mobile phone footage courtesy Edmundo Flores Garcia
At least 28 people have been killed and many others injured in an oil pipeline explosion in central Mexico, officials say.
The blast in a town in Puebla state was apparently caused by thieves attempting to steal fuel from the pipeline.Oil gushed through the streets and caught fire, destroying homes and cars and forcing hundreds of people to flee.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has visited the scene and promised to launch an investigation.
Puebla State Secretary Valentin Meneses said the explosion injured 52 people as well as destroying 32 houses and damaging scores more in San Martin Texmelucan - a small community about 80km (50 miles) east of Mexico City.
He said that according to early indications, a criminal gang had punctured the pipeline.
"They lost control because of the high pressure with which the fuel exits the pipeline. The streets began to flood, then came a spark and we saw rivers of fire in the streets," he said.
'Inferno'
Continue reading the main story 
- In pictures: Mexico pipeline blast
One local resident said she awoke at about 0530 local time to a strange, overpowering smell, like petrol.
Minutes later, her street looked as if it was flowing in tar, and then it erupted in flames. Her husband knocked down a wall, allowing them to escape from the back of their home. "It was like we were living in an inferno. Everything was covered in smoke," she said, quoted by AP news agency.
The fire was brought under control by midday, and the state oil monopoly Pemex said it had shut the pipeline down.
President Calderon arrived in the town later on Sunday to survey the damage and visit the injured.
He offered his condolences to the victims' families and said those responsible for the incident would be brought to justice.
Pemex says that theft of oil from its pipelines is a chronic problem, costing it hundreds of millions of dollars a year
Protesters try to storm government HQ in Belarus
Advertisement
The BBC's David Stern describes the scene on the streets of Minsk
Thousands of opposition protesters in Belarus have tried to storm the government headquarters, following the country's presidential election.
The demonstrators smashed windows and doors at the building in Minsk, but were later pushed back by riot police.Four presidential candidates were arrested. Another was injured in an earlier incident.
Incumbent Alexander Lukashenko has been declared the winner, but the opposition claims the result is rigged.
Official results announced early on Monday gave President Lukashenko 79.7% of the vote. This will the authoritarian leader's fourth term in office.
During his presidency, the former Soviet republic has never held a poll seen as fair by international monitors.
However, the election campaign itself was much freer than in the past, correspondents say.
'Mass arrests'
Continue reading the main story 
- In pictures: Poll clashes in Minsk
By late Sunday evening at least 10,000 protesters had gathered in central Minsk, denouncing the elections as fraudulent.
Waving unofficial Belarusian white-red-white flags, they shouted: "For Freedom!", "Down with Lukashenko!" and "Down with Gulag (Soviet-era labour camps)!"The demonstrators then tried to storm the government building but were pushed back by the riot police.
Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes after being beaten with batons, according to eyewitnesses.
More riot police then arrived in central Minsk and began dispersing the demonstrators. There were also reports of mass arrests.
A BBC correspondent in Minsk says four presidential candidates were among those detained: Andrey Sannikov, Nikolay Statkevich, Grigory Kostusev and Vitaly Rymashevsky.
'Read our laws' Earlier another opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyaev was injured when the police broke up a rally staged by some 200 of his supporters.
Mr Neklyaev's campaign activists told the BBC that he was badly beaten and taken to hospital with head injuries.
His wife said he was later taken by police from his hospital bed, Reuters news agency reported.
Opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyaev was injured in the clash "What is awaiting supporters of the protest - read our laws. Everything will be in strict accordance with the law.
"Don't worry, nobody is going to be on the square tonight," the president added.
Police had earlier warned they would crack down hard on any protests.
'Window-dressing' Nine challengers were competing with Mr Lukashenko for the presidency.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
End Quote Alexander Lukashenko President of BelarusThere will definitely be political changes... but no change of power in Belarus”
For the first time, state television aired a debate among the contenders opposing the president, who has governed since 1994.
Mr Lukashenko - who remains popular among large sections of the population - did not take part in the discussion.The authorities also allowed activists to collect signatures during the election campaign, perform protest songs and read anti-government poetry.
Despite this, many in Belarus believe that the election day result has already been pre-ordained and the political thaw is merely window-dressing, the BBC's David Stern in Minsk reports.
"Lukashenko needs this to show to the Europeans because he needs money from Europe," Andrei Sannikov, one of the three main opposition candidates, said earlier this week.
"The economy is in very bad shape and he needs additional credits," he said.
Mr Lukashenko, who denies the opposition's claim, has said he is not planning to leave, whether by the ballot box or other means.
Asked by reporters last week if the vote would bring any political changes, he said: "There will definitely be political changes. I am sure you meant political changes in general, but no change of power in Belarus.
Further snow travel chaos set to disrupt Christmas week
Thousands of people face further disruption to their Christmas travel plans as cold weather conditions continue to grip much of the country.
British Airways is hoping 60 flights will depart Heathrow on Monday morning, but dozens more have been cancelled.BAA has apologised to people who were forced to sleep in the terminal but Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said aviation was a "safety-first business".
Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Birmingham airports are open.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned of more snow and ice in many parts of the country.
A "bitterly cold" day is forecast, with freezing fog.
Southern England and south Wales were among those in the "firing line" for Monday, said BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts, with 5-10cm of snowfall that could coincide with both the morning and evening rush hours.
The Wales Ambulance Service has warned of potential "long delays" in responding to 999 calls.
There were also warnings of more heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland.
The lowest UK temperature overnight, recorded in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was thought to be -19.6C. Northern Ireland had another bitterly cold night, with -18C recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone.
Continue reading the main story
Winter weather has disrupted travelThousands of people had stayed at Heathrow overnight on Saturday, and few flights departed on Sunday, when some 210,000 people had been due to fly.
Airport operator BAA said further cancellations and delays at Heathrow would be inevitable.Mr Hammond said the rail network was "broadly operating" and most of the major roads were passable but he added: "The major problem has been at the airports and we don't own the airports or the airlines.
"We have had very extreme conditions and aviation is a safety-first business and the conditions at Heathrow have made it difficult for aviation to operate."
BAA spokesman Andrew Teacher told the BBC: "We had five inches of snow in an hour on Saturday afternoon and hundreds of planes parked when the snow came down. We have drafted in hundreds of people to clear the snow and thousands of people have been put up in hotels near the airport.
"Inevitably some people are at the airport and I'm not going to sit here and say it has gone well. We are extremely sorry for the disruption to people's journeys.
"People are in the lounges and all over the airport. We have given out thousands of blankets, food vouchers, bottles of water and there is free wi-fi. Things are improving slowly."
Continue reading the main story
Around the UK
Mr Teacher said: "We are not trying to shun responsibility but Heathrow is not the same as an airport in Finland or Istanbul. If you had a Heathrow in Finland the same thing would happen. If you have 200 planes and five inches of snow you are going to get this."
He said the north runway was open but the south runway was still closed and staff were working "around the clock" to get it cleared.Mr Teacher also pointed out safety was the top priority and said: "If there was a crash or a plane skidded off the runway we would have people saying 'why didn't you close the runway?'."
The BBC's Asha Tanna, at Heathrow, said: "Airline bosses have been meeting to discuss how many flights will be able to operate once the weather improves but with forecasters predicting further snow and freezing fog passengers are now being advised not to travel and to cancel their trips and get a full refund instead."
There is expected to be some disruption to rail travel on Monday as people return to work after the weekend and, with France also suffering severe weather, Eurostar said people should not travel unless it is necessary.
It also said speed restrictions and delays were expected.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning of disruption to road, rail and air travel in the country.
Elsewhere in Europe there were severe disruptions at airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Florence, and Amsterdam.
The BBC has received hundreds of emails from stranded plane passengers, with many saying they have no idea where they will be spending Christmas.
Continue reading the main story WEATHER AND TRAVEL INFO
BA chief executive Willie Walsh admitted the company had not done enough to communicate with passengers already at Heathrow about their flights.
A Gatwick spokeswoman said it was doing everything it could to "get passengers on their way" but advised them to check with airlines before setting out.Stansted, Luton, Exeter, London City, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton airports said flights would be subject to delays and cancellations.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has asked the government's chief scientific adviser for advice on whether the government should be planning for more severe weather in future, but shadow transport minister Maria Eagle accused him of complacency.
The Highways Agency has said it is doing its best to keep major roads in England clear, but that motorists should check traffic and weather conditions before considering whether to go out.
Map key
Australia says Christmas Island wreck killed up to 48
The boat was carrying Iranian, Iraqi and Kurdish Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says as many as 48 asylum seekers may have been killed when their boat sank last week off Christmas Island.
So far 30 bodies have been recovered after the boat hit rocks and broke apart in stormy seas on Wednesday.Officials have been talking to the 42 survivors to try to determine how many more people may still be missing.
Ms Gillard said around 90 people were now thought to have been on the boat, but some bodies might not be recovered.
"We may never know the precise number, but the advice to me is that the best estimate at present is that there were around 90 people on the boat," she said.
"That does mean of course that we are still not able to account for around 18 people."
The passengers of the flimsy wooden boat are believed to have been Iranian, Iraqi and Kurdish asylum seekers making their way to Australia via Indonesia.
Christmas Island lies in the Indian Ocean about 2,600km (1,600 miles) from the Australian mainland, but only 300km south of Indonesia.
Hundreds abducted' in Ivory Coast election unrest - UN
undreds of people in Ivory Coast are reported to have been abducted from their homes since last month's disputed election, the UN says.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says some of the assailants wore military uniforms and there is evidence of "massive" human rights violations.
More than 50 people have died in violence in recent days, she adds.
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo says he won the poll, but his rival Alassane Ouattara has international backing.
On Saturday Mr Gbagbo demanded that all 10,000 foreign peacekeepers leave the country, saying UN and French troops were colluding with former rebels.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon rejected the call.
Ultimatum to Gbagbo In a statement issued on Sunday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said UN officials in Ivory Coast had received hundreds of reports of people being abducted "from their homes, especially at night, by armed individuals in military uniform".
She said the gunmen were "accompanied by elements of the Defence and Security Forces or militia groups". Some victims had later "been found dead in questionable circumstances", she added.
The UN Security Council has warned that all sides will be held accountable under international law for any attacks against civilians.
On Sunday the confrontation between the two sides spilled into France, the former colonial power.
Clashes broke out as hundreds of pro-Gbagbo demonstrators and 100 Ouattara supporters gathered in central Paris. Two people were wounded, police say.
Meanwhile, the UK government has urged British nationals to leave Ivory Coast unless they have pressing reasons to stay.
The US and France have previously advised their citizens against travelling to the West African country.
The UN, the US, former colonial power France, and the African Union have all called on Mr Gbagbo to stand down.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday said he should quit by Sunday or face EU sanctions.
But Mr Gbagbo says the 28 November election was rigged by rebels who still hold the north after the civil war in 2002-03.
He was declared the winner by Ivory Coast's Constitutional Council after it annulled votes in parts of the north.
Both Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ouattara have sworn themselves in as president. Mr Ouattara is currently under UN protection at a hotel in Abidjan.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says some of the assailants wore military uniforms and there is evidence of "massive" human rights violations.
More than 50 people have died in violence in recent days, she adds.
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo says he won the poll, but his rival Alassane Ouattara has international backing.
On Saturday Mr Gbagbo demanded that all 10,000 foreign peacekeepers leave the country, saying UN and French troops were colluding with former rebels.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon rejected the call.
Ultimatum to Gbagbo In a statement issued on Sunday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said UN officials in Ivory Coast had received hundreds of reports of people being abducted "from their homes, especially at night, by armed individuals in military uniform".
She said the gunmen were "accompanied by elements of the Defence and Security Forces or militia groups". Some victims had later "been found dead in questionable circumstances", she added.
Continue reading the main story Laurent Gbagbo (left): 65-year-old former history teacher, southern Christian; president since 2000; backed by security forces
Alassane Ouattara (right): 68-year-old economist, northern Muslim; prime minister 1990-1993; backed by former rebels, UN, African leaders and the West
Rival Presidents
Alassane Ouattara (right): 68-year-old economist, northern Muslim; prime minister 1990-1993; backed by former rebels, UN, African leaders and the West
- Q&A: Ivory Coast election crisis
The 50 deaths, the statement said, had occurred in the past three days. More than 200 people had also been also injured.
On Thursday, at least 20 people were killed as Mr Ouattara's backers tried to march on the headquarters of state TV and clashed with troops loyal to Mr Gbagbo.The UN Security Council has warned that all sides will be held accountable under international law for any attacks against civilians.
On Sunday the confrontation between the two sides spilled into France, the former colonial power.
Clashes broke out as hundreds of pro-Gbagbo demonstrators and 100 Ouattara supporters gathered in central Paris. Two people were wounded, police say.
Meanwhile, the UK government has urged British nationals to leave Ivory Coast unless they have pressing reasons to stay.
The US and France have previously advised their citizens against travelling to the West African country.
The UN, the US, former colonial power France, and the African Union have all called on Mr Gbagbo to stand down.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday said he should quit by Sunday or face EU sanctions.
But Mr Gbagbo says the 28 November election was rigged by rebels who still hold the north after the civil war in 2002-03.
He was declared the winner by Ivory Coast's Constitutional Council after it annulled votes in parts of the north.
Both Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ouattara have sworn themselves in as president. Mr Ouattara is currently under UN protection at a hotel in Abidjan.
Political commentator Anthony Howard dies
Howard was well known to television viewers as a pundit Political journalist and commentator Anthony Howard has died after a short illness, his family says.
The 76-year-old former editor of the New Statesman worked for newspapers including The Times and Guardian, and appeared on TV as a Westminster pundit.Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Howard's "eloquence, wit and beliefs straddled 50 years of our history".
His death had robbed the country of "one of its best informed and talented commentators", David Cameron said.
The prime minister said he had been "saddened" to hear the news.
"His work on the Crossman diaries was ground-breaking and his biography of [Conservative chancellor and home secretary] Rab [Butler] was superb. He will be greatly missed," he added.
Ex-deputy PM and friend Lord Heseltine said Howard "had an encyclopaedic knowledge of contemporary British politics".
Lord Heseltine, who had known Howard since they attended Oxford University together in the 1950s, said: "It is a terrible shock. Tony was one of my oldest friends.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Ed Miliband Labour leaderAnthony Howard was not just a distinguished political commentator, but someone who conveyed the excitement and importance of the events on which he was commenting”
"He was a very kind and warm-hearted person with a deep, deep compassion."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "Anthony Howard was not just a distinguished political commentator, but someone who conveyed the excitement and importance of the events on which he was commenting."Labour MP John McDonnell described Howard as "vastly knowledgeable" and "gifted".
And on Twitter, Daniel Finkelstein of the Times said he had been "a brilliant editor and commentator too".
Howard was known for roles on the BBC's Panorama and Newsnight. He also hosted Face the Press on Channel 4 and The Editors on Sky News, and appeared on BBC radio.
His views were much in demand during this year's and previous general election.
Made a CBE in 1997, Howard edited the diaries of former Labour cabinet minister Richard Crossman, and wrote biographies of Mr Crossman and Conservative chancellor and home secretary "Rab" Butler.
Did you ever meet Anthony Howard? Send us your memories using the postform below.
Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki to unveil new government
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is due to unveil his cabinet shortly, more than nine months after inconclusive parliamentary elections.
It is expected to include all the major factions, including the Kurds, Shia and Sunni Arabs.Each of the prime minister's nominations will still have to be approved by the Iraqi parliament.
But it is hoped the move will end a protracted period of political deadlock.
This day has been a very long time coming, and there are still a few potential hurdles ahead.
There are 37 posts in all, and dividing up portfolios among Iraq's diverse and often mutually antagonistic factions has been the focus of the past month's political wrangling.
Continue reading the main story
Iraq government deadlock
- March: Elections give two-seat lead to former PM Iyad Allawi - not enough to form a government
- June: Parliament meets for 20 minutes, MPs sworn in but delay formal return to work to give time for coalition talks
- August: Iraq's Supreme Court orders parliament to re-convene
- November: power-sharing deal agreed. Shia bloc to get premiership, Sunnis to get speaker plus new role for Mr Allawi. Kurds keep presidency.
- Iraq's great balancing act
- Profile: Nouri al-Maliki
It will be a delicate balancing act for Mr Maliki, who has to reconcile various Shiite groups, as well as the Sunnis and the Kurds, to put together government of national unity that has at least a chance of being able to work together.
It has taken a world-record-breaking nine and a bit months to get this far. When the government is finally formed, it will be seen as a major breakthrough.
But the real test of this coalition will come when these newly-appointed ministers get down to work, and start to tackle the country's many problems - from neglected and crumbling infrastructure to continuing violence and instability
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
