Mr Strauss-Kahn is thought to be a possible candidate in next year’s presidential elections
The head of the IMF, Dominique Strass-Kahn, is being questioned by New York police over an alleged sex attack on a hotel maid, say reports.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was taken off a plane at JFK airport, minutes before it left for Paris.
Police said he was being questioned but has not been charged.
The married former French finance minister is also a leading Socialist party figure and is considered a possible presidential candidate.
He is due to attend a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bailouts of Portugal and Greece.
Paul J Browne, a spokesman for the New York Police Department, said the allegations had been made by a 32-year-old woman who worked at a Manhattan hotel.
The IMF had no immediate comment on the incident.
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Babies tend to grab whatever they see
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Weighing up whether to return to work after the birth of a child can be a difficult dilemma for parents, particularly when nursery costs in some parts of the UK are rising more than twice as fast as family incomes.
The Daycare Trust charity has just launched a consultation into how difficult it is to find the right flexible and affordable childcare amid fears that higher costs are making more mothers think twice about going back to their jobs.
One firm in Tamworth, Staffordshire, has been so anxious not to lose valued staff that it has been allowing babies and toddlers into the office on trial days, while their parents work.
With their babies on their hips and wearing headsets, telesales consultants for Officebroker.com have been trying to win clients and keep their little ones happy at the same time.
The scheme is growing in popularity in the US, where most states do not offer paid statutory maternity leave and mothers return to work much earlier.
With so many of his staff either on maternity leave or planning to start a family, Jim Venables, managing director of Officebroker.com, thought allowing parents to look after their babies at work was worth a trial.
”We find it difficult to replace mothers who are taking maternity leave, as well as those who choose not to come back to work,” he says.
“It’s a real problem for us and I am sure for thousands of other companies across the UK. So looking into alternatives or ways to support parents is always high on our agenda.”
What was not on the agenda was the amount of dribble left on headphones, mouse mats and telephone wires at the end of the day.
Colleagues may be called upon to provide a helping hand
With babies aged between four and 16 months on the sales floor, office equipment became teething toys, and colleagues became babysitters.
Telesales consultant Rachel Lapins attempts to make calls to customers while jiggling four-month-old Finlay on her knee.
”It is a bit difficult with my role, to be honest. I have had a few conversations and made a few inquiries while he was sitting on my lap,” she says.
“When he goes to sleep I can make a few more calls and get an hour’s solid work in. If he’s in a good mood I think it’s generally fine. But if Finlay’s in a bad mood it could potentially be difficult.”
While Rachel settles Finlay to sleep to the sound of ringing telephones, Fiona Spruce, the training manager, talks through staff development plans, while nine-month-old daughter Grace tries to chew a calculator.
”My job is certainly more flexible. I can’t work to my full capacity but it’s not been as disruptive as I first thought,” she says.
The office may begin to resemble a nursery
“I don’t think I would want to bring her in every day, but as an emergency solution, if there was a childcare crisis, it would be great to have the office as an option.”
But for Dean Ridsill, another sales consultant, bringing in one-year-old Harry to the office was an experience he will not be repeating.
”He was crawling around everywhere, trying to pull down wires, while I was trying to have conversations on the phone,” he explains.
“My colleagues helped out, and it was good for team-building I suppose, but he won’t be coming in again.”
The company may continue to allow younger babies in for odd days to help parents stay in touch during their maternity or paternity leave.
But it is unlikely to be taken up as a long-term childcare solution.
The babies are just too distracting and the office equipment would not last long.
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US Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Col Ed Fleming: “Public safety is our number one priority” when opening the Morganza Spillway
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US army engineers have opened floodgates in Louisiana that will inundate up to 3,000 sq miles of land in an attempt to protect large cities along the Mississippi River.
The Morganza Spillway opened at 1500 local time (2000 GMT) to ease pressure on Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
This is the first time in four decades the level of the Mississippi has forced the floodgate to be opened.
About 25,000 people and 11,000 buildings could be adversely affected.
Fed by rainwater and the spring thaw, the Mississippi and its tributaries have caused massive flooding upstream, and officials have said the flooding in Louisiana is the worst since 1927.
The US Army Corps of Engineers warned that if the spillway was not opened, New Orleans could be flooded by about 20ft (6m) of water.
Corps spokesman Col Ed Fleming said: “It’s a historic day, not only for the entire Mississippi River but for the state of Louisiana.”
He said one bay was being opened at Morganza to allow 10,000 cubic ft of water per second to pass.
Morganza Spillway
Built in 1954 to relieve flood pressure on Mississippi RiverLast opened in 197320 miles (32.2km) long125 gates release up to 600,000 cubic feet/sec (17,000 cubic metres/sec)
Col Fleming said the opening would be slow to “make sure folks have the understanding that water is coming their way and they evacuate according to their local procedures”.
Wildlife also needed time to get to higher ground, he said.
If the whole spillway were opened it would release 600,000 cubic ft of water every second.
One or two more bays are expected to be opened on Sunday.
Col Fleming said the main water crest was not expected at the spillway until 24 May and would last for 10-14 days, so that “no doubt that structure has the potential to be opened for the better part of three weeks”.
Maj Gen Michael Walsh added: “The crest is still up in Arkansas. It’s a marathon, not a sprint – there is huge pressure on the system as we work the water through. The protection of lives is the number one thing we’re looking for.”
Col Fleming said: “We are here with the communities fighting these floods shoulder to shoulder.”
The trigger for the spillway opening was when 1.5m cubic ft (42,500 cubic metres) of water per second was flowing down the Mississippi River at Red River Landing, just north of the Morganza Spillway.
That flow rate had already been reached, the National Weather Service said.
Opening the spillway will channel water out of the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya river basin, a low-lying area of central Louisiana.
Water will flow south, flooding homes and farms in the state’s Cajun country under an expected 10-20ft of water.
Over several days, the water should run south to Morgan City and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
Workers are rushing to reinforce the levees around Morgan City.
Col Fleming said he was optimistic for Morgan City, as the walls are 20ft and the crest is expected at 12ft.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said although he believed his city would be safe, this was a “tragic situation” for those in the Atchafalaya basin and Morgan City.
“So our hearts go out to them. It doesn’t make us feel any good that [by] protecting New Orleans, other folks are going to get hurt.”
Residents of the town of Butte La Rose, directly in the path of the spillway’s water, said they had been told to pack for a long absence.
“They told us to move as though we were moving – period – not coming back, not to so much as leave a toothpick behind,” said one woman.
Farmers in the region are expecting to lose their entire crops in a year of high prices for farm produce.
The Morganza Spillway, 45 miles (72km) north-west of Baton Rouge, was last opened in 1973.
The flooding is approaching records set 84 years ago when hundreds of people in the region died.
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Blue formed in 2000, but disbanded five years later
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Musical acts from across Europe are preparing to battle it out in the final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Newly re-formed boy band Blue are representing the UK with their song, I Can.
Ireland’s entry is Jedward, the teenage twins who found fame on The X Factor, after they qualified in the second semi-final on Thursday.
Coverage of the competition starts at 2000 BST on BBC One.
It was announced in January that Blue would perform at Eurovision on behalf of the UK.
The group, best known for hits such as One Love and All Rise, formed in 2000 before disbanding five years later.
But their decision to participate in the contest has been criticised by their former manager Daniel Glatman, who described their choice as “reckless insanity”.
Simon Webbe, one of the band’s members, told Radio 1 Newsbeat that they did not agree with his comments.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Obviously we don’t agree with him,” he said.
“We believe this is going to be the best springboard for us to come back on.”
The UK has not won Eurovision since 1997, when Katrina and the Waves triumphed with Love Shine a Light.
Last year Josh Dubovie, 19, came last in the competition.
His song, That Sounds Good to Me which was penned by record producer Pete Waterman, scored just 10 points.
Blue are among 25 acts in Saturday’s grand final, including last year’s winner Lena Mayer-Landrut, who will again represent Germany.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
EastEnders stars Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace won best on-screen partnership
BBC drama EastEnders stole the top prize at the British Soap Awards at a ceremony in Coronation Street’s back yard – ITV’s studios in Manchester.
EastEnders won best soap for the fourth year running, beating Coronation Street plus Emmerdale, Doctors and Hollyoaks.
The ceremony was held next door to the Coronation Street set in the year that the ITV soap celebrated its 50th anniversary with a tram crash plot.
That was named best single episode and most spectacular scene of the year.
Despite missing out on the main award, Coronation Street won a total of eight prizes.
The tangled relationship between the Webster and Dobbs families earned the storyline of the year accolade.
Coronation Street won in eight of the 15 competitive categories
Bill Tarmey, who played Jack Duckworth, won best exit and a lifetime achievement award.
But he was not present to collect them. Actress Liz Dawn, who played his wife Vera, said he was getting rest before an operation.
Jane Danson, who played Leanne Battersby, won best dramatic performance for her love triangle between Nick Tilsley and Peter Barlow.
Meanwhile, EastEnders star Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat Moon, was named best actress, and her scenes with Shane Richie earned best on-screen partnership.
The best actor award went to Emmerdale’s Danny Miller, known to viewers as Aaron Livesy. The character has had a series of hard-hitting storylines about his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality.
He beat Ritchie as well as Chris Gascoyne, who plays Peter Barlow in Coronation Street, and Hollyoaks’ Emmett J Scanlan, who plays Brendan Brady.
Emmerdale’s Danny Miller won best actor for storylines centring on his character’s sexuality
Miller also made an emotional speech as he dedicated a special achievement award to Gavin Blyth, the Emmerdale producer who died last year at the age of 41.
Emmett J Scanlan, meanwhile, picked up Hollyoaks’ only two awards – for best newcomer and best villain.
The ceremony ended with almost 30 EastEnders cast members assembling on stage to accept the award for best soap.
Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell in the BBC One show, likened the contest to a football club playing at an opposition stadium.
“We do feel like we’re away from home, but it’s nice to get a result away from home,” he said.
Referring to the competition with Coronation Street over the last year, he said: “I think we’ve done well and I think they’ve done well and we enjoy the battle.”
Richie joked: “I got here about an hour early, snuck onto the Corrie set and sprayed on the wall: ‘Alfie woz ere.’
“So when they go filming on Monday morning they’re in for a shock.”
Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent (left) and Sacha Parkinson got into the party mood
Jake Wood, who plays Max Branning in EastEnders, said the Manchester welcome was “very warm, unlike the weather”.
The casts and crews of all the soaps were “very close”, he said.
“We all appreciate the hard work that goes into making four episodes a week and there’s a real appreciation between the actors and producers and directors. It’s not enemy territory at all.”
William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in Coronation Street for the past 50 years, told reporters that his co-star Betty Driver was doing well after falling ill.
“She’s in hospital, they’re keeping her there because she is 90 [and] 91 soon but I gather she’s coming along fine,” he said.
The ceremony will be screened on ITV1 at 2000 BST on Wednesday.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The tsunami forced ships onto shore, overturned cars and washed houses away
Two months after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the task of clearing up the wreckage has barely begun.
Towns along the coast have been left clogged with vast amounts of debris and local authorities are struggling to find places to put it.
So great is the destruction in Ishinomaki that it is difficult to know where to start, but volunteers from the charity Japan Emergency NGO decided Mr and Mrs Kimura’s house was as good a place as any.
Miraculously it was left standing when the tsunami swept through, even though the water left a tidemark above head height.
The team began by digging out the mud with spades before dumping the ruined furniture in the garden. They even found dead fish inside.
Once it was a beautiful home of wood, paper screens and with tatami mat floors. The elderly couple, who both survived, are hoping to live here again.
“When I came here my impression was that it was very shocking,” said Tetsuo Kimura, the organiser with the charity that usually deploys Japanese personnel to disasters overseas.
Houses that survived the tsunami were left damaged or full of sea water and mud
“I couldn’t say anything when I first came and saw the scene. That’s the feeling I felt.”
The task ahead of his team is enormous.
Many neighbourhoods were completely destroyed – in Ishinomaki 28,000 houses have been lost according to local officials – but there are also thousands of homes like the Kimuras’, clogged with filth but perhaps salvageable.
“I don’t know when we will finish,” says Mr Kimura. “But we will just go on until all the houses are clean.”
Up and down the coast clearing up is now their biggest challenge. The earthquake and tsunami smashed once pretty seaside towns.
Everything which was brought into them for generations now lies in pieces across the ground, tangled in mud.
The disaster in numbers
PeopleKilled
15,019
Missing
9,056
Injured
5,282
DamageHouses
88,873
Roads
3,970
Bridges
71
Source: National Police Agency of Japan, 13 May
According to the environment ministry there are 20 million tons of debris, although some estimates have put the figure higher. In Miyagi prefecture about 146,000 vehicles have been damaged or destroyed – one in 10 of the total.
The government in Tokyo will shoulder the cost in the end. In the first emergency supplementary budget, 352bn yen ($4.3bn, £2.6bn) is set aside for the task although more is likely to be needed.
The aim is to remove all the waste that is getting in the way of daily life by August – clearing roads and so forth – but huge amounts are left on private property too.
In Ishinomaki, diggers have been used to begin to gather the wreckage into huge piles.
The centre of the city is now dominated by a gigantic stinking mound of splintered wood, clothes and metal, the same height as a three or four-storey building and several hundred metres long.
But it is only a temporary measure, no-one wants to live with a mountain of waste blighting their town. A permanent way of disposing of it will have to be found.
Hideyuki Katsumata’s company runs the town’s dustbin carts, doing the weekly collections of rubbish.
All but three of his 40 lorries were destroyed by the tsunami and they have now been put to work on the clear-up operation.
There is, he believes, the equivalent of an entire century’s worth of household waste.
A dump has been set up outside Ishinomaki, in a valley in the mountains, overlooking the sea. The debris is slowly being transferred there from the piles in town, and trucks arrive every few minutes.
Bulldozers are being used to compact it as much as possible, but it will not last long.
“We thought that was enough for one year,” he says. “But we started a month and a half ago and now it is full.”
Mr Katsumata says they need help.
“It must be a national effort. They’ve sent the army and heavy machinery, but we need to recycle and get rid of this stuff now and the government has not come up with a detailed plan yet.
“We just don’t know what to do, where do we go from here?” he said.
One particular problem is all the boats and ships that were washed inland and are now stranded, some on the tops of buildings.
More than 20,000 vessels were damaged or destroyed by the tsunami in all.
Specialist equipment is needed to dispose of some of the debris
Those made of fibreglass can be cut up easily enough, or even moved with cranes back into the sea. Bigger steel boats and ships may have to be dealt with where they lie.
Specialist ship-breaking firms in Japan are not used to doing their work in the street, they carry out precision dismantling in dry docks. Their association says members are still working out how to begin.
Dealing with the wreckage left behind by the disaster is likely to take a very long time – Japan’s government is yet to estimate how long.
After the Kobe earthquake in 1995, which was on a smaller scale, the clean-up operation lasted for three years.
People are desperate to get back to their old neighbourhoods, but until they can be cleared there is no hope of starting to rebuild.
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