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Manchester City are paired with Juventus and Liverpool are also handed a tough draw in the group stage of the Europa League.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Matthew Pritchard needed hospital treatment following the attack in Toftwood A man has been jailed for five years for stabbing a star of the MTV show Dirty Sanchez.
Mark Edward Smith, 43, was found guilty on 13 August of wounding Matthew Pritchard, 37, with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.
He lashed out with some car keys after Mr Pritchard, from Cardiff, pushed him out of a shop in Dereham.
Smith of Charles Close, Toftwood, near Dereham, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court.
Mr Pritchard, who needed 20 stitches after the attack, is one of the presenters of Dirty Sanchez.
They take part in dangerous stunts on the show.
The court was told Mr Pritchard threw Smith out of the store for being abusive towards staff when he tried unsuccessfully to cash a giro cheque without identification.
Smith admitted in court that he had been “obnoxious” in the Co-Op in Toftwood.
He said: “I had recognised Mr Pritchard and thought my life was at risk after seeing what he does on TV.
“I had no intentions of hurting him.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mr Karzai wants the US to keep putting pressure on Pakistan Afghan President Hamid Karzai has criticised US plans to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan in July 2011.
Mr Karzai said that giving a date for the withdrawal had given the Taliban insurgency “a morale boost”.
He also said the war could not be won as long as the Taliban could take refuge in Pakistan.
The US has sent an extra 30,000 troops to Afghanistan since December 2009 in an effort to defeat the Taliban.
The comments were made by Mr Karzai at a meeting in Kabul with a group of visiting US members of Congress, and repeated in a statement from his office.
In the statement, Mr Karzai said progress had been made in rebuilding the country after decades of war, but that Afghan civilian casualties caused by Nato military operations were hampering progress in the war on terrorism.
“”(Mr Karzai) seemed pretty pumped up, very determined and energetic and optimistic, which was not the way I thought we’d find him”
Bob Inglis US Congressman
He also criticised a lack of focus on “destroying the terrorists’ refuge” across the border in Pakistan.
The Afghan government has repeatedly demanded that the US take tougher action against Pakistan.
US Republican Congressman Bob Inglis, who was at the meeting with Mr Karzai, said the president asked for more help in stopping attacks from across the border with Pakistan.
“He seemed pretty pumped up, very determined and energetic and optimistic, which was not the way I thought we’d find him,” Mr Inglis told the Associated Press news agency.
Correspondents say relations between Mr Obama and Mr Karzai have rarely been easy – particularly after Mr Karzai was re-elected last year in an election widely condemned as corrupt by Western observers.
Mr Karzai has been increasingly outspoken in his criticism of Western powers.
Last month, secret US documents released by the Wikileaks website showed US concern that Pakistan’s intelligence agency was supporting the Taliban in its war in Afghanistan.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The Camerons have thanked the public for their well-wishes Samantha Cameron has been discharged from hospital in Cornwall following the birth of her daughter Florence, a hospital spokesman has confirmed.
The prime minister’s wife spent three nights in the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro after giving birth by caesarean section earlier than expected.
David Cameron spent three nights in the hospital alongside her.
The Camerons have thanked staff and the public for their support.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland it’s the start of the August bank holiday weekend
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France says it is acting in line with EU law A UN committee has urged France to avoid collective deportations of Roma (Gypsies) to Romania.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination also said it was concerned about “discriminatory” political speeches in France.
The French government said it was “scrupulously respecting European law” and helping deported Roma reintegrate.
France has recently sent hundreds of Roma back to Romania and Bulgaria and dismantled more than 100 illegal camps.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that 300 such camps are to be removed. The latest round of deportations took place on Thursday.
The UN committee issued a series of recommendations urging France to “avoid” collective deportations and “strive for lasting solutions”.
“Our concern is that the removal or return of the Roma has been done on a collective basis rather than examining their individual circumstances,” said Pierre-Richard Prosper, a member of the committee.
Members of the UN panel also expressed concern about “political speeches of a discriminatory nature in France”.
The policy of deportations has drawn fierce criticism from human rights and anti-racism groups, while the EU says it is reviewing the legality of the move.
Mr Sarkozy’s opponents accuse him of using the issue to boost his flagging support by appealing to the French right wing.
But the French government, which says it expelled thousands of Roma this year and in 2009, says it is acting in accordance with EU law by repatriating Roma who have been in France for more than three months without work. It also says most of the repatriations are voluntary.
The French foreign ministry on Friday pointed to “two limits on residency rights” under EU law: “respect for public order and possession of sufficient resources to not impose an excessive burden on the host country’s social welfare system”.
It said those asked to leave were being given a grant, “which can help those concerned to re-enter social and professional life”, and that expulsions to Romania were being carefully co-ordinated with the government there.
“In only a minority of cases are departures carried out as forced deportations, under the authority of civil magistrates and judges, who rule on a case-by-case basis.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mr Ryan was accused of hitting his fiancee in a car in London’s West End An assault charge against boy band star Lee Ryan has been dropped at the request of his fiancee Samantha Miller.
The Blue singer denied attacking 26-year-old Ms Miller, the mother of his son.
The assault was alleged to have happened while the couple were in a car in the West End of central London on 18 August.
The 27-year-old, of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
After the assault allegation was read out by the clerk, prosecutor Laura Tams asked for the charge to be officially withdrawn.
She said: “I have this morning been handed a withdrawal statement dated 25 August signed by Samantha Miller.
“Having taken further instructions there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. I ask the court therefore to withdraw the charge.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The number of obese people in England having operations to lose weight on the NHS has risen tenfold in less than a decade.
The British Medical Journal reports operations such as gastric banding and bypasses rose from 238 a year to more than 2,543 in 2007.
BBC News website readers have been sharing their weight-loss stories.
Joanne Hall, Ilkestone, Derbyshire
“I wanted to be around to see my grandchildren” I am all for weight-loss surgery. I had a gastric band fitted on the NHS in March 2008, and have lost 12-and-a-half-stone in 16 months.
It’s not the easy route. I worked really hard to get the results and I still had to watch what I eat, and eat well.
I felt it was my last chance – if the surgery did not work for me, that was it.
I was worried about my health and I wanted to be around to see my grandchildren.
I was constantly tired so I knew it was time to do something.
It was a strange feeling at first with the band. It’s like an iron fist – you know when you’ve had enough to eat because the pain gets too much.
There’s a great weight on your chest because the band is just behind your heart.”
John Parish, Cambridgeshire
“I had no real social life as I always felt too ill” I had a gastric bypass on the NHS about 14 months ago.
When I was referred I had diabetes, which was insulin-controlled, and heart problems.
I was 29-and-a-half stone. I felt trapped in a never-ending cycle – most of my time was at hospitals or the doctor.
I had no real social life as I always felt too ill. It took about 18 months from first consultation to having the operation in which time I had managed to lose three stone.
I’ve now lost 10 stone and am no longer on insulin or any diabetes drugs, it’s solely diet controlled now.
Now I can do more. It’s coming slowly, as the result of years of being overweight don’t just disappear.
It’s definitely not a simple option – it requires a life-long commitment and sacrifice.
Unlike dieting, which you can stop and go back to after a period of time, this option is 24 hours a day for life.
Claire Jacobsen, West Yorkshire
“I fought long and hard for this surgery” I was one of those lucky few in 2005 to receive gastric bypass surgery on the NHS. I was 28-and-a-half stone, aged 32, and I am now 14 stone. I dropped from a size 32 to an 18/20.
I fought long and hard for this surgery after losing seven stone with WeightWatchers to aid my plight.
I had to go through hell and high water for more than 12 months to qualify for surgery funded through the NHS.
Tests after tests, alternatives to surgery to help me lose weight prior to surgery, I endured psychological tests and an agonising wait.
Now my life has transformed I am a happy, healthy 37-year-old with a lot to look forward to, especially life itself.
My heartfelt sympathies go out to everyone with this agonising battle and wait on their hands for this precious life-saving surgery.
It is most definitely not the easy way out of losing weight naturally.
Neil Avison, Grimsby
On 10 May 2010 I had a gastric sleeve fitted on the NHS. It all started two years ago when I had a ruptured appendix that went gangrenous.
“It’s totally changed my life”
Neil Avison, Grimsby
I ended up having two operations in five days and had 50 staples in my belly.
I have an 18-year-old disabled son so years of lifting him had also caused a hernia. After several attempts to repair this I was eventually referred to a consultant in Hull who performed the surgery on medical terms.
Before my appendix burst I was 14 stone, but then I started putting on weight. I went up to 20st 8lb when I had the surgery, now I’m back to 16 stone.
The surgery was straight forward. I went in on the Monday morning and was home by Wednesday.
It was done by keyhole and was totally pain-free. It’s totally changed my life and I’m still losing around 3lb a day.
Bob Mason, Wakefiled
“My surgery went horribly wrong” My wife and I both had gastric surgery. My wife lost 12 stone, going from size 32+ to size 10. Twelve years on she has kept the weight off and looks great.
My surgery in 2001 went horribly wrong. I ended up with a hernia which my stomach went into. Then my stomach went into my chest cavity and was pushed next to my heart.
It was excruciatingly painful but after three years of hell I had the surgery redone to move the remains of my stomach from my chest back into my abdomen.
Now I have a monthly injection that costs £555 just to be able to eat normally.
However, nine years on I am six stone lighter and able to walk again.
I wouldn’t have it done again. I’d recommend it to others as long as the patient fully accepts the massive risk they are taking, is fully informed about what can go wrong and has been fully briefed about the huge lifestyle change they need to make for bariatric surgery to be successful.
Other comments
I had a gastric band fitted last year, and am currently three-and-a-half stone down. It was a total success but it is really hard to get your head around it – there are psychological issues tied in with it. It is certainly not the easy way out. I have a low metabolic rate so in order to lose weight by “conventional” methods, I would have to be eating around 900 calories a day and exercising hard every single day – it isn’t viable when taking into account my starting weight. It has been incredibly difficult and I’ve had to learn portion control because if I eat too much it hurts a lot. You have to learn to listen to your body and you get to know when you’re full. Mindy, Berkshire
Why should these operations be paid for by the NHS? Unless weight issues are caused by a medical problem, people should stick to traditional methods of exercise and better eating. I was obese, and I have lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise. I never once contemplated that I should have surgery as I knew my weight was caused by my diet. Kizzy, Wiltshire
Surgery is now seen as the easy way out. The NHS has made this surgery too accessible, thus it has become the quick fix and minimal effort option. People can say that surgery is the only option as they have a low metabolism and whatever they do never works. In my opinion this is them just kidding themselves. I’ve been there. I weighed 18 stone and always used the excuse that it was my metabolism and just the way my body worked. Nevertheless, I managed to lose seven stone through changing my whole lifestyle. Matthew Plampton, Epping
I manage a bariatric surgery service and feel there is a real need to inform the British public about the truth behind this type of surgery. It is not an “easy way out” as often labelled; many patients will never be able to eat a normal meal again. It is also not a waste of NHS funds. In fact it offers massive potential savings. Treating the conditions associated with obesity (diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, orthopaedic procedures to excessive pressure on joints, to name but a few) is a huge cost to the NHS, particularly as many of these conditions will need treating for the remainder of the patient’s life. Bariatric Surgery procedures by comparison cost thousands of pounds less, and increase both life expectancy and quality of life. K Jones, London
My heart goes out to people with weight problems. Their condition is misunderstood and often subject to ridicule by the intolerant and uneducated. I lost eight stone through dieting five years ago and dropped from 20 stones to 12 stones, but I am aware of how desperate it can feel to be so overweight, and how difficult it is to keep the weight off once lost. Thankfully I have done so, but it is still something I have to work on every day to stop it creeping back on. I am glad that all is being done to help these people but I worry about the cost to the taxpayer. Duncan Cleverley, Hastings, East Sussex
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Labour “must challenge the economic consensus”, Ed Balls is expected to say Labour leadership contender, Ed Balls, is to warn that the government’s austerity programme could tip the country back into recession.
He will say that the coalition’s plans for drastic cuts are like “removing the foundations of the house, just as the hurricane is about to hit”.
Mr Balls is expected to say Labour must challenge the government’s claim there is no alternative to swingeing cuts.
The shadow education secretary is to speak in the City of London later.
He will use the keynote speech to accuse Chancellor George Osborne of pursuing an “economically-unsafe” austerity programme which risks tipping the country into a double-dip recession.
Labour must come up with a “more sensible timetable” to tackle the deficit, he is expected to say.
Mr Balls will argue that Labour must not be afraid to challenge the consensus that there is a need for fast, substantial cuts to public spending – even if it means contradicting the governor of the Bank of England.
“We need now to win the argument for an alternative economic plan that is rooted in economic history and analysis, as well as in Labour values and principles,” he is expected to say.
“By ripping away the foundations of growth and jobs in Britain, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and George Osborne are not only leaving us badly exposed to the new economic storm that is coming, but are undermining the very goals of market stability and deficit reduction which their policies are designed to achieve,” he will say.
“George Osborne was fond of saying – wrongly – that the Labour government had failed to fix the roof while the sun was shining.
“What he is now doing is the equivalent of ripping out the foundations of the house just as the hurricane is about to hit.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Teenage pace bowler Mohammad Amir takes six wickets as England collapse on day two of the final Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.
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Emmanuel Adebayor warns Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini he could quit the club if he does not play regularly this season.
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Two teachers have been arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
The men, aged 37 and 43, were arrested in Monkspath, Solihull.
A police spokesman said: “At this stage…there is nothing to suggest any physical contact between the suspects and the children.”
The pair, who teach at separate Solihull schools, have been bailed while inquiries continue and seized property is examined.
Solihull Borough Council will shortly be contacting parents whose children attend the schools to inform them directly of the arrests, the police spokesman added.
Letters are being sent out and arrangements being made to offer parents advice and information.
Det Ch Supt Gareth Morgan, head of West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: “This inquiry is still in its very early stages and at this time it is important to emphasise that both men have been arrested for possessing images.”
He added: “This is clearly a very sensitive case which will raise many questions among parents.
“It is an immediate priority to reassure them by providing as much information as and when we can to answer those questions.”
“To do that effectively we will progress the investigation as thoroughly and quickly as possible and continue to engage with families and the wider community.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Fernando Alonso dominates Friday’s two practice sessions as Ferrari lay down a marker for the Belgian Grand Prix.
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The US economy grew 1.6% in the second quarter, revised down from a first estimate of 2.4%.
The figures were better than most analysts had expected.
Recent data on the US economy had raised worries that the US was entering a double-dip recession, dragging the rest of the world with it.
The revised figure was mostly due to the largest surge in imports in 26 years, and a slower build-up of stocks by companies.
Economists had estimated the revision would be sharper for the April-to-June period, down to about 1.3%.
Nevertheless, it still marks a big drop on the growth figure for the previous three months, which stood at 3.7%.
The US economy has now grown for four straight quarters, although that annualised growth rate averaged only 2.9%.
Experts say that the economy needs to grow at about 3% just to keep the unemployment rate, currently 9.5%, from rising.
The US Commerce Department has confirmed what many people already felt: the economic recovery – which had looked promising earlier in the year – is struggling. The problem with weaker growth is that while many economists talk about the increased risk of a double dip recession, a lot of Americans never felt like they emerged from the first dip.
Such a low level of economic activity means that those out of work will find it difficult to get a job and many companies will be nervous about spending money to grow their business. This poses a problem for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who is addressing the world’s central bankers on Friday.
When he speaks at the annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he will be under pressure to show the Fed stands ready to act to try to prevent another recession.
Business investment in new machinery, computers and software drove much of the growth last quarter, increasing nearly 25%.
Import surge
But much of that spending involved the purchase of imported goods. Imports surged 32.4%, the most since 1984. That was much larger than the 9.1% increase in exports.
However, the Commerce Department figures also showed that personal consumption by US consumers was higher than expected.
Their spending rose at a 2% annual rate, slightly higher than the first quarter’s 1.9%.
In the past week, economic data has revealed deep concerns about the health of the US economy.
Sales of new home sank to the lowest levels in half a century, and the manufacturing cuts back capital spending sharply.
The US economy emerged from recession with a 1.6% growth rate in the third quarter of 2009.
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The construction sector grew by 8.5% in the second quarter The UK economy grew by more than initially thought in the second quarter of 2010, boosted by a strong performance by the construction sector.
The economy grew by 1.2% in the quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, revising up its initial estimate of 1.1% growth.
That was the fastest rate of quarterly expansion recorded since the first three months of 2001.
But one area that suffered a big fall was air transport, which fell 11%.
The first estimate of GDP is usually revised twice at monthly intervals.
The ONS said construction output grew by 8.5% in the second quarter, up from a previous estimate of 6.6%.
Aileen Simkins from the ONS said the overall effect in the quarter had been “very positive”.
She said the fall in air transport reflected the effect in April of the ash cloud as well as the British Airways strike.
A spokesman for the Treasury said: “While the government is cautiously optimistic about the path for the economy, the job is not yet done.
“The priority remains to implement the Budget policies which support economic rebalancing and help ensure the sustained growth that the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast this year and next.”
Growth in the key services sector, which accounts for about three-quarters of the UK economy, was revised down to 0.7%.
Within the sector, business services and finance posted a rise of 1.5%, revised up from 1.3%.
But business leaders warned that the strong pace of growth would not last.
“Today’s figures are obviously good news, but we shouldn’t get carried away,” said Graeme Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors.
“Instead of looking in the rear view mirror at what has passed, it would be wiser for us to keep our eyes on the road ahead. We don’t expect this level of growth to be sustained through the second half of 2010.
“But whether or not this slide will turn into a quarterly decline or a double-dip recession remains highly uncertain.”
Shadow education secretary Ed Balls said that the previous Labour government could take credit for the growth.
“Those figures are for the period for April, May and June, which are absolutely determined by what was being done in the previous year,” he said.
“The question is whether that pattern, which you see confirmed today, which I think is a vindication of what we were doing in government, whether that pattern continues or whether it goes into reverse.”
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