Category: news

The Methodist Church has become the first major denomination in Britain to launch its own application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The new app will allow users to view bible studies and daily prayers.

It is hoped it might appeal to both believers and those who might be more cautious about attending church.

The app may also offer an alternative for people who want a daily dose of scripture, but are not keen on carrying a bible on their daily commute.

The Methodist Church stresses that technology should complement, not replace traditional worship.

However, they believe the download will be popular and are already planning the next version.

Apps, which are pieces of computer software downloaded from the internet onto mobile phones, have become increasingly creative in recent years.

The Methodist Church is already engaged in new media with its Twitter account, various blogs and online bible studies.

Canadian fighter jets have escorted a Cathay Pacific airliner to land at Vancouver airport after receiving an alert of a bomb threat, officials said.

The Vancouver-bound flight, which originated from Hong Kong, landed safely at 1340 (2040 GMT) and was towed to a secure part of the airport.

Canadian police told the BBC the plane had been screened and no explosives were found.

The police spokeswoman said the bomb threat had been received by telephone.

The passengers, all unharmed, were taken off the plane, while police investigated the alert.

The two CF-18 jets were scrambled after the threat was received.

The jets, acting under the orders of the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad), took off from a base at Comox, on nearby Vancouver Island and returned after flight CX 839 had landed.

"As a precaution, Norad fighters escorted the aircraft until it landed safely in Vancouver," said Maj Holly Apostoliuk.

One of the disembarked passengers told Canada’s CTV News that he had not noticed the jet escort.

Another man said: "They told us there was some sort of terrorist problem and the baggage would be held up."

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Each year 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer – only four of these are under 20.

So when 19-year-old student Elisa Caleb went to her doctor with a lump everyone felt quite confident it would be benign.

Elisa was told the results were clear.

But she says they were unclear. And medics were so confident that she was too young to have the condition, they did not tell her of the uncertainty, or order any further tests.

It was only when she decided herself to have the troublesome lump removed a year later, that she was told she had an aggressive cancer.

It needed to be removed immediately and followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"I was completely stunned because every day the lump had been in my thoughts and I’d thought it was nothing to worry about," said Elisa, now 29.

"It was really, really numbing because I had been living with this illusion that it was OK, but it wasn’t.

"I think the reason they didn’t find it in the first place was just because they assumed I was too young."

Extremely lucky

Elisa said she is very lucky indeed to be alive today as she had only decided to have the lump removed because it had become too uncomfortable.

It had grown from the size of a marble to a golf ball and was protruding through her skin.

"It was a really sobering thought," she said.

"It is pretty scary to think I am only here because I opted to have it removed.

"It was quite an aggressive cancer when they took it out. It could have been a lot worse."

Jackie Harris, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, agreed that Elisa was very young to have the cancer.

"It is extremely rare for women in their teens to be diagnosed with breast cancer," she said.

But she said that should not stop younger people checking their breasts.

"Early detection of breast cancer can lead to simpler and more effective treatment, so it’s important that women of all ages are breast aware throughout their lives – getting to know how their breasts look and feel normally so they can report any unusual changes to their GP immediately."

Life-changing

Elisa, who now sings jazz for a living, said her life has completely changed since her diagnosis.

"My priorities have changed," she said.

"I am not so anxious about things and if things don’t work out it doesn’t bother me as much.

"I have a daughter and spending time with her and my family is important.

"You don’t know how long you have."

Elisa took tamoxifen for five years and still has regular check-ups.

"At the time I did not feel angry, I was just relieved it was caught.

"But looking back it is really silly not to do a thorough test. If the doctors have done a test and it’s not clear, they should do another one.

"I do wonder how many other people are in the same situation."

Her album Carry Me Home is out on May 24

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A by-election is under way in Hong Kong aimed at putting pressure on China to speed up the move to full democracy.

Five activists triggered the vote by resigning their posts in the Legislative Council (Legco) in January.

The activists want universal suffrage for the election of Hong Kong’s chief executive and representatives.

However, correspondents say their move has been rendered almost meaningless by the refusal of pro-Beijing candidates to contest the by-election seats.

Chief executive boycott

Voting opened in the five constituencies at 0730 local time (1130 GMT Saturday).

The BBC’s Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong says voter turnout is expected to be only about 25% for a poll that has been criticised as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The five legislators are from two small pro-democracy parties.

One, Alan Leong of the Civic Party, said: "Hong Kong people have been promised universal suffrage when the Basic Law was promulgated in 1990. So I don’t see how we should be made to suffer an open-ended wait."

The chief executive and other senior government figures have announced that they will not vote on Sunday.

But Hong Kong’s popular former deputy leader, Anson Chan, has backed the election.

There remains no clear date when the Hong Kong public will be able to directly elect their leader and legislators.

Beijing has said that direct election of the chief executive cannot start before 2017 at the earliest and Legco by 2020.

The Basic Law is a mini-constitution drawn up before Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

The chief executive is picked by an 800-member election committee and only half of Legco is directly elected from geographical constituencies.

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Eurosceptic MPs will renew calls for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty when it comes up for debate again in parliament in the coming weeks.

A new amendment to the treaty – expected to be rubberstamped by EU leaders in June – will require ratification at Westminster.

The Foreign Office says it is only a technical adjustment.

But some Tories are set to use the process to call for a vote, despite David Cameron already ruling one out.

National sovereignty

The Lisbon Treaty, a substitute for the rejected European constitution, is often described as an attempt to streamline EU institutions to make the bloc of 27 states function better.

But its opponents see it as part of a federalist agenda which threatens national sovereignty.

Many people had thought the treaty was all wrapped up when the Czech president signed it last November.

But MEPs have agreed an amendment adjusting the composition of the European Parliament, which held elections last year before the treaty came into force.

The amendment allocates 18 extra MEPs to 12 countries, including one extra MEP for the UK . It will require approval throughout the EU.

According to the Foreign Office, the adjustment would not transfer any new powers to Brussels.

Last November, the then-shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the Conservatives would not hold a referendum on the treaty.

The announcement prompted accusations from Eurosceptics in his party that he had reneged on a "cast iron" guarantee made in 2007 to hold a referendum on any treaty that emerged from EU talks.

To find out more, watch The Politics Show at 1100 BST on Sunday on BBC1

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A 15-year-old boy who was trapped against a shop front in Smethwick by a crashed car has died of his injuries.

The crash happened at 1114 BST in Cape Hill, West Midlands Police said.

The boy was airlifted to hospital where he died at 1730 BST. A female was also taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The driver, a 28-year-old man from Evesham, Worcestershire, has been arrested. Anyone with information has been asked to call the police.

Several roads in the Cape Hill area were closed while officers dealt with the incident.

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The doctor accused of giving a fatal dose of anaesthetic to Michael Jackson has come to the rescue of a woman who fell unconscious on a plane.

Dr Conrad Murray responded when cabin crew asked if a doctor was on board a US Airways flight, US media said.

He put her on an intravenous drip from the plane’s emergency kit after finding her pulse was weak, reports said.

Dr Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson last year.

‘You probably know me’

Dr Murray was flying from Houston to Phoenix when the 23-year-old woman fainted.

"We’re not surprised," said a spokeswoman for Dr Murray.

"He’s a good doctor, we’ve always said he was a good doctor, and that’s what good doctors do is save people," Associated Press news agency quoted Miranda Sevcik as saying.

The plane diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the woman and her 11-month-old baby were taken off the flight for further treatment.

The story was first reported by entertainment website TMZ and later confirmed by Dr Murray’s legal team.

US Airways said a doctor on the flight had helped stabilise a woman who had had a medical emergency but did not name the doctor, AP said.

The woman, who has not been named, told TMZ that when she regained consciousness the doctor was standing over her and said: "You probably know me… I was Michael Jackson’s doctor."

Dr Murray is alleged to have administered a lethal dose of Propofol and other drugs, which resulted in the pop star’s death on 25 June last year.

He remains free on bail pending his trial.

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Essex cricket players Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield have been arrested following an investigation into betting irregularities.

An Essex Police spokesman said the men had been arrested on Friday, but released on bail.

The allegations relate to spot-fixing, a practice in which money is placed on individual details of a match.

It is believed that the match in question was a Pro40 win against Durham in September 2009.

Essex Cricket Club confirmed that the arrested men were Pakistan leg-spinner Kaneria, 29, and 22-year-old pace bowler Westfield.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Two men from Chelmsford have been arrested in connection with a police investigation into first class domestic cricket match irregularities.

"The investigation began in March 2010 following allegations received about two Essex county cricket players.

"On Friday 14 May, two men aged 22 and 29 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and both were released on police bail until Wednesday 15 September pending further inquiries."

Both men will be able to continue playing cricket until 15 September, meaning Kaneria will be available for Pakistan’s Test series against England.

Kaneria has competed in more than 50 Test series for Pakistan during his career.

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There has been a fresh setback for BP in its attempts to contain the leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well, a company official says.

Initial efforts by the firm to insert a long tube into the broken pipe to funnel oil to the surface have failed.

A week ago, BP tried to cap the well with a 100-tonne box, but gave up after it became encrusted with ice crystals.

Mississippi has now become the third state to have oil wash up on its coast, along with Louisiana and Alabama.

Thousands of barrels of oil a day have been leaking from the seabed since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew up, killing 11 workers on 20 April.

Slurping straw

Early on Friday, BP began trying to thread a 6in (15cm) wide tube into a damaged 21in wide pipe on the ocean floor off Louisiana.

Like a long straw, the tube is intended to slurp oil to a ship on the surface, and a stopper surrounding it would stem the flow of crude into the sea.

But in a Saturday briefing in Robert, Louisiana, BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said his technicians had hit a snag.

"We hope to have that tool inserted by sometime late tonight. It’s back on the seabed," he said.

"We did have to pull it back to surface yesterday to make some adjustments so we could connect it properly to the pipe-work that connects it to the ship, but we expect to begin operation of the equipment overnight."

Earlier, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told media at a Louisiana bird rescue centre BP had been forced to "reconfigure" in its attempts to insert the tube.

‘Ridiculous spectacle’

The oil giant has been using remote-controlled robots to guide the contraption to the seabed a mile beneath the surface.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward told the BBC’s Today programme in an interview broadcast on Saturday he hoped the leak could be stopped within 10 days.

But the worst case scenario was "more than that, and it’s impossible to say how much more", he added.

President Barack Obama warned on Friday there would no longer be a "cosy relationship" between oil firms and US regulators.

He condemned a "ridiculous spectacle" of oil executives shifting blame in US congressional hearings in recent days.

Mr Obama has stopped all new drilling for the moment and a number of politicians want that to become permanent.

Some scientists have begun to cast doubt on official estimates of the rate of oil flow, saying the widely repeated figure of 5,000 barrels of oil per day dramatically understates the real amount.

The spill is threatening to eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez leak off Alaska as America’s worst environmental disaster.

Underwater efforts to cap oil leak

Initially, BP tried to lower a 125-tonne, 18-metre (40 feet) high container dome over the main leak on the sea floor. However, this failed when gas leaking from the pipe mixed with water to form hydrates, ice-like crystals, that blocked up the steel canopy.

Instead, engineers have lowered a smaller device onto the site. Dubbed the Top hat, it will sit over the tear in the pipe and partially stop the leak. To prevent the build up of hydrates, methanol is pumped into the top hat to disperse the water and gas.

The top hat is 1.5m (5 feet) high and 1.2m in diameter. Two special side lines are used to pump methanol into the top hat to displace water and gas leaking from the broken oil pipe. This should prevent the build-up of hydrates. Once in place, oil can be pumped up to the surface.

BP plan to lower the original subsea containment dome over the top hat to provide a better seal over the leaking site and pump oil up to the surface. This time, it will be attached to a pipe that can pump warm water into the dome to prevent the build-up of hydrates.

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An elderly woman has been stabbed to death in her south-east London home during a suspected burglary.

The woman, believed to be in her late 80s, was found with multiple stab wounds in her flat in Sam Bartram Close, Charlton, on Saturday morning.

Scotland Yard said her next of kin had been informed and formal identification would take place later.

"At this early stage we believe this is a burglary which has escalated into murder," said Det Ch Insp Cliff Lyons.

"This is a violent attack resulting in the death of an elderly lady in her own home.

"I would appeal to anyone who knows anything about this incident to contact the police immediately."

The Metropolitan Police said a murder investigation had been started and an incident room had been set up at Lewisham police station.

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The mother of UK computer hacker Gary McKinnon says she is "confident" the new coalition will halt his extradition to the US as early as next week.

Janis Sharp said the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats promised before the election he would be tried in the UK.

They would not want to be the type of government which broke its promises as soon as it took power, she said.

Glasgow-born Mr McKinnon is accused of breaking into the US military computer system and faces 60 years in jail.

The 43-year-old, who has Asperger’s syndrome, says he was on a "moral crusade" to find classified documents about UFOs.

‘Gary’s nightmare’

Ms Sharp has spearheaded a public campaign to keep her son in the UK, and many opposition politicians at the time, including David Cameron and Nick Clegg, were critical of Labour for allowing the extradition.

She said she had "total trust" that the new coalition would "honour its promise".

"We are expecting, probably next week, for them to end Gary’s nightmare and halt the extradition process permanently and allow Gary to be tried here as promised," she said.

"This government is new, it’s fresh and they don’t want to be seen as the kind of government that is going to break its promises as soon as it gets in."

They would not want to "wreck their reputation" so early on, she added.

"It has said goodbye to the old thing of saying one thing and doing another and I totally trust they will do as they have said," she said.

His legal team has already made "representations" to the new Home Secretary Theresa May to overrule the decision to allow his extradition.

At the end of this month, a judge is due to rule on whether the previous home secretary Alan Johnson was wrong to allow the extradition.

But Ms Sharp said her son’s lawyers had applied for this judicial review to be cancelled because they were so "confident" his extradition would be stopped.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary William Hague has promised the government will take a fresh look at extradition arrangements between the UK and the US.

The computer systems Mr McKinnon – now of Wood Green, north London – is accused of breaking into include those at the Pentagon.

The American authorities say his actions in 2001 and 2002 caused $800,000 (£487,000) damage but this is something he disputes.

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The future of Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey will be considered at a party meeting after the general election left it with no MPs.

It is the first time the UUP has had no representation for more than a century.

Earlier this week sources indicated that Sir Reg may step down during the meeting at a County Antrim hotel.

However, some senior figures have expressed hope he might stay on for at least a few months while the party decides on a much-needed new direction.

In less than 10 years, the party has gone from being the fourth largest party in the Commons to having no seats.

Sir Reg took a big risk to try to stop the decline, forging an electoral pact with David Cameron’s Conservative Party.

However, the only UUP MP remaining after its disastrous 2005 general election performance, Lady Sylvia Hermon, left the party to stand as an independent in protest at its link-up with the Tories.

She retained her North Down seat with a convincing majority.

Sir Reg chose to stand in the South Antrim constituency, which was thought to provide the party’s best chance of making a gain from the Democratic Unionists.

However, he lost out to the DUP’s sitting MP, William McCrea.

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Air passengers are facing the risk of further disruption from volcanic ash, the Scottish government has said.

High levels of ash from an Icelandic volcano will cover parts of Scotland on Sunday and the whole of the UK on Monday, according to Met Office advice.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said passengers were advised to check flight details with airlines before travelling to the airport.

He added the situation was "fluid" but safety was paramount.

"High levels of volcanic activity in Iceland and prevailing weather conditions mean that Scotland is once again facing disruption as aviation authorities consider appropriate steps to protect the travelling public," Mr Stevenson said.

The Department of Transport said on Saturday that five-day ash prediction charts would be made available on the Met Office website.

Previous forecasts were only given for the following 18 hours.

Mr Stevenson welcomed the decision to publish the five-day prediction charts.

But he called for further action to clarify advice to passengers, following the cancellation of BA flights from Heathrow to Scotland on Friday.

According to reports, some passengers claimed they had been ‘misled’ that the reason was due disruption from volcanic ash.

‘Consistent advice’

Mr Stevenson said: "As important is that airlines are consistent in the way that they report advice and use it to inform operational decisions to avoid unnecessary and unhelpful confusion.

"I have today written to BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh to convey the frustration of passengers and to urge the airline to engage with the CAA, Nats and the Met Office to ensure there is consistent advice and action across the industry."

Nats, the UK’s air traffic services provider, will announce any airspace restrictions if they become necessary.

A spokesman for BAA, which operates Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports in Scotland, welcomed the new five-day forecasts.

He added: "It’s good to have information in advance but we are acutely aware that things can change quickly."

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A French lecturer charged with spying in Iran after last June’s disputed election will be allowed to leave the country on Sunday, says her lawyer.

Clotilde Reiss was sentenced to 10 years in jail at a hearing on Saturday, but this was commuted to a fine of $285,000 (£190,000), said her lawyer.

The 25-year-old was accused of espionage and e-mailing photographs of anti-government protests.

The French foreign ministry said it was "awaiting her return without delay".

She has been staying at the French embassy in the capital Tehran since she was bailed six weeks after her arrest in July last year.

France frees Iranian

Ms Reiss had been on a six-month teaching and research assignment in the central city of Isfahan.

Her lawyer, Mohammad Ali Mahdavi, said he had paid the fine on her behalf and would collect her passport from the authorities on Sunday.

The BBC’s Hugh Schofield in the French capital says that with France at the forefront of efforts to punish Iran for its nuclear programme, there has been suspicion Ms Reiss was being held to put pressure on Paris.

Last week, France freed an Iranian engineer whom it detained for allegedly exporting electronic parts illegally to sell to Iran’s military.

The US had wanted to extradite Majid Kakavand, but a French court rejected the request last week and he was allowed return home.

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ROSS COUNTYPossessionDundee Utd 50%Ross County 50%Attempts on targetDundee Utd 0Ross County 0Attempts off targetDundee Utd 0Ross County 0CornersDundee Utd 0Ross County 0FoulsDundee Utd 0Ross County 0

Active Nation Scottish Cup final Venue: Hampden Park Date: Saturday, 15 May Kick-off: 1500 BSTCoverage: Live: BBC One Scotland from 1255 BST, BBC Radio Scotland commentary available online (UK only), live text on BBC Sport website. Highlights: BBC One Scotland 2255 BST.

Dundee United are boosted by the return of fit-again Mihael Kovacevic and Danny Cadamarteri for the Active Nation Scottish Cup final.

Paul Dixon is sidelined with a broken foot, while Darren Dods will also miss out with a cartilage problem.

Ross County boss Derek Adams expects to have a full squad available.

Richard Brittain and Alex Keddie are both available after suspension. Goalkeeper Michael McGovern should also recover from a minor knock to feature.

United start the 125th Scottish Cup final as strong favourites, having finished an impressive season third in the Scottish Premier League.

However, there is no chance of Peter Houston’s side underestimating County, with the First Division club knocking out Hibernian and Celtic to secure their place at Hampden.

Scotland’s most northerly senior club hail from Dingwall, with a population of a little more than 5,000, while Dundee can boast 143,390 residents.

Despite the disparity in fan base, United have sold just 10,000 more tickets for the big day and 17,000 are expected to be roaring on the Staggies in Glasgow, with supporters travelling from all over the Highlands.

Indeed, Highland League and shinty fixtures have been rearranged to accommodate the demand.

There is quite a contrast in the honours won by Saturday’s opponents, which is understandable given County were admitted to the senior ranks in 1994 – the same year United enjoyed their only Scottish Cup success.

The Tangerines have been Premier League champions, twice won the League Cup, were European semi-finalists in 1984 and Uefa Cup runners-up three years later.

When United were besting the likes of Barcelona, Monaco, Borussia Mönchengladbach, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht and Werder Bremen in their 1980s heyday, County were battling against Forres Mechanics and Fraserburgh.

But County are no strangers to silverware, winning the Challenge Cup in 2006, as well as the Third Division (1999) and Second Division (2008) titles.

This is the furthest the Staggies have ever progressed in the Scottish Cup – their previous best was a spot in the last 16, while United’s 1994 triumph came after six painful defeats in the final and there was more Hampden disappointment in 2005.

Former Everton forward Cadamarteri is almost certain to be among the United substitutes, with Houston looking to David Goodwillie and Jon Daly for goals.

Goodwillie was on target in the semi-final win against Raith Rovers and was named Young Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.

Kovacevic could replace Keith Watson at right-back, with Sean Dillon, Garry Kenneth and skipper Andy Webster making up the back four.

Morgaro Gomis and Prince Buaben have been impressive in central midfield all season, while Craig Conway and Danny Swanson are likely to be deployed in wide roles.

With no injury worries, County are not expected to change too much from the side that played so well to stun Celtic 2-0 in the semi-final, although midfielder Paul Lawson will be pressing for a starting place.

Both sides have struggled for form since securing their places in the final. County’s push for promotion fizzled out with two wins from the seven matches that followed their Hampden heroics, while United have won just one of their last six outings.

However, with history to be made on Saturday, every player on show will be straining at the leash to strut their stuff at the national stadium.

Dundee United (from): Pernis, Dillon, Kenneth, Watson, Webster, Swanson, D Robertson, S Robertson, Myrie-Williams, Conway, Buaben, Gomis, Goodwillie, Shala, Daly, Dow, Banks, Casalinuovo, Hill, Cadamarteri, Kovacevic.

Ross County (from): McGovern, Morrison, Boyd, Watt, Girvan, Smith, Lawson, Vigurs, Kettlewell, Craig, Wood, Barrowman, Scott, Gardyne, Di Giacomo, Brittain, Keddie, Malin.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.