Category: news

A UK zoo has launched a website that it hopes will help bridge a growing divide between young people and conservation.

Chester Zoo’s Act for Wildlife site hopes social media, video and blogs will increase gadget-obsessed youngsters’ interest in wildlife.

It will allow users to find out more about the effort to save species, put questions to staff working around the globe and follow their fieldwork.

Organisers hope it will help establish a network of online conservationists.

The zoo commissioned a poll that showed that 66% of adults felt that 10-year-olds were more interested in technology than wildlife.

The survey of 2,094 adults, conducted by YouGov, also found that 94% of adults felt that biodiversity conservation was important, yet only 15% actively helped a cause.

“The survey is a somewhat depressing summary of the world today,” said Dr Mark Pilgrim, Chester Zoo’s director general.

“While we are playing with games or chatting to our friends online, somewhere in the world at the same time, a rhino is being poached for its horn or a species is facing a battle for survival in its own territory.”

Starting at home

As well as supporting work to protect species such as orangutans, Asian elephants and black rhinos, Act for Wildlife has also included a project called UK Wildlife.

“Although it is not the sort of work people would normally associated with a zoo, we are a UK-based organisation, and we must not forget that conservation also needs to start at home,” explained project manager Michelle Duma.

“It is no good us going out and working on projects in Africa or Asia and getting people to care about their wildlife, if we cannot do that here in the UK.”

Ms Duma told BBC News that a web-based resource was “absolutely the way to go”.

“Not only does it allow our zoo visitors to go online and see what is happening and keep up to date with our projects, but it also means that we can broaden our reach and talk to the whole of the UK and further afield,” she said.

“The projects that Act for Wildlife is supporting are sending us regular updates on what they have been up to, information about themselves. What we are trying to do is for project members to tell their story themselves.”

One example was project members in Assam, India, posting images of their work with local villages to reduce conflicts between people and elephants.

“Then people can ask questions and engage in a conversation,” Ms Duma added. “If they want to know more about a particular thing, they just have to ask.”

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

A UK zoo has launched a website that it hopes will help bridge a growing divide between young people and conservation.

Chester Zoo’s Act for Wildlife site hopes social media, video and blogs will increase gadget-obsessed youngsters’ interest in wildlife.

It will allow users to find out more about the effort to save species, put questions to staff working around the globe and follow their fieldwork.

Organisers hope it will help establish a network of online conservationists.

The zoo commissioned a poll that showed that 66% of adults felt that 10-year-olds were more interested in technology than wildlife.

The survey of 2,094 adults, conducted by YouGov, also found that 94% of adults felt that biodiversity conservation was important, yet only 15% actively helped a cause.

“The survey is a somewhat depressing summary of the world today,” said Dr Mark Pilgrim, Chester Zoo’s director general.

“While we are playing with games or chatting to our friends online, somewhere in the world at the same time, a rhino is being poached for its horn or a species is facing a battle for survival in its own territory.”

Starting at home

As well as supporting work to protect species such as orangutans, Asian elephants and black rhinos, Act for Wildlife has also included a project called UK Wildlife.

“Although it is not the sort of work people would normally associated with a zoo, we are a UK-based organisation, and we must not forget that conservation also needs to start at home,” explained project manager Michelle Duma.

“It is no good us going out and working on projects in Africa or Asia and getting people to care about their wildlife, if we cannot do that here in the UK.”

Ms Duma told BBC News that a web-based resource was “absolutely the way to go”.

“Not only does it allow our zoo visitors to go online and see what is happening and keep up to date with our projects, but it also means that we can broaden our reach and talk to the whole of the UK and further afield,” she said.

“The projects that Act for Wildlife is supporting are sending us regular updates on what they have been up to, information about themselves. What we are trying to do is for project members to tell their story themselves.”

One example was project members in Assam, India, posting images of their work with local villages to reduce conflicts between people and elephants.

“Then people can ask questions and engage in a conversation,” Ms Duma added. “If they want to know more about a particular thing, they just have to ask.”

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

A UK zoo has launched a website that it hopes will help bridge a growing divide between young people and conservation.

Chester Zoo’s Act for Wildlife site hopes social media, video and blogs will increase gadget-obsessed youngsters’ interest in wildlife.

It will allow users to find out more about the effort to save species, put questions to staff working around the globe and follow their fieldwork.

Organisers hope it will help establish a network of online conservationists.

The zoo commissioned a poll that showed that 66% of adults felt that 10-year-olds were more interested in technology than wildlife.

The survey of 2,094 adults, conducted by YouGov, also found that 94% of adults felt that biodiversity conservation was important, yet only 15% actively helped a cause.

“The survey is a somewhat depressing summary of the world today,” said Dr Mark Pilgrim, Chester Zoo’s director general.

“While we are playing with games or chatting to our friends online, somewhere in the world at the same time, a rhino is being poached for its horn or a species is facing a battle for survival in its own territory.”

Starting at home

As well as supporting work to protect species such as orangutans, Asian elephants and black rhinos, Act for Wildlife has also included a project called UK Wildlife.

“Although it is not the sort of work people would normally associated with a zoo, we are a UK-based organisation, and we must not forget that conservation also needs to start at home,” explained project manager Michelle Duma.

“It is no good us going out and working on projects in Africa or Asia and getting people to care about their wildlife, if we cannot do that here in the UK.”

Ms Duma told BBC News that a web-based resource was “absolutely the way to go”.

“Not only does it allow our zoo visitors to go online and see what is happening and keep up to date with our projects, but it also means that we can broaden our reach and talk to the whole of the UK and further afield,” she said.

“The projects that Act for Wildlife is supporting are sending us regular updates on what they have been up to, information about themselves. What we are trying to do is for project members to tell their story themselves.”

One example was project members in Assam, India, posting images of their work with local villages to reduce conflicts between people and elephants.

“Then people can ask questions and engage in a conversation,” Ms Duma added. “If they want to know more about a particular thing, they just have to ask.”

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

UK businesses should recruit more unemployed young Britons rather than relying on labour from abroad, the work and pensions secretary is to say.

In a speech in Spain, Iain Duncan Smith will say that if government policy has prepared young people for work, “we need businesses to give them a chance”.

Otherwise, he will say, they will be lost to dependency and hopelessness.

Official figures suggest almost 90% of the 400,000 jobs created in the UK in the past year went to foreign workers.

In 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to create “British jobs for British workers”.

But he was widely criticised when it emerged that about 80% of the jobs created in the UK under Labour went to foreign migrants.

In a speech to the Spanish Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies in Madrid, Mr Duncan Smith will say that the government is determined to create an immigration system “that gives the unemployed a level playing field”.

“If we do not get this right then we risk leaving more British citizens out of work, and the most vulnerable group who will be the most affected are young people,” he will say.

“But government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance, and not just fall back on labour from abroad.

“If government and business pull together on this, I believe we can finally start to give our young people a chance.”

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says that as well as delivering a “blunt message to British employers”, the speech will be directed at the Conservatives’ coalition colleagues.

“Although the government as a whole has signed up to a cap on the number of migrants from outside the European Union, leading Liberal Democrats have been critical of some of the Conservatives’ rhetoric on immigration,” our correspondent says.

“The work and pensions secretary doesn’t want the concerns over language to translate into a lack of commitment to the policy.

“He believes that his welfare reforms will succeed only if tough action is taken to enforce the rules on migration. Otherwise, he will say, another generation will be lost to dependency and hopelessness .”

Mr Duncan Smith will say that the previous Labour government’s “slack attitude to immigration” has resulted in businesses being too quick to look abroad – including outside the EU – for staff.

He will say that while immigration “plays a vital role” in helping bridge certain skills gaps, there are many foreign nationals in low-skilled or semi-skilled jobs that could easily be done by unemployed Britons.

He will say that, in many cases, people gaining entry to the UK as high-skilled workers end up doing unskilled jobs once they are here.

“Good immigration is managed immigration. It should not be an excuse to import labour to take up posts which could be filled by people already in Britain,” he will say.

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

UK businesses should recruit more unemployed young Britons rather than relying on labour from abroad, the work and pensions secretary is to say.

In a speech in Spain, Iain Duncan Smith will say that if government policy has prepared young people for work, “we need businesses to give them a chance”.

Otherwise, he will say, they will be lost to dependency and hopelessness.

Official figures suggest almost 90% of the 400,000 jobs created in the UK in the past year went to foreign workers.

In 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to create “British jobs for British workers”.

But he was widely criticised when it emerged that about 80% of the jobs created in the UK under Labour went to foreign migrants.

In a speech to the Spanish Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies in Madrid, Mr Duncan Smith will say that the government is determined to create an immigration system “that gives the unemployed a level playing field”.

“If we do not get this right then we risk leaving more British citizens out of work, and the most vulnerable group who will be the most affected are young people,” he will say.

“But government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance, and not just fall back on labour from abroad.

“If government and business pull together on this, I believe we can finally start to give our young people a chance.”

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says that as well as delivering a “blunt message to British employers”, the speech will be directed at the Conservatives’ coalition colleagues.

“Although the government as a whole has signed up to a cap on the number of migrants from outside the European Union, leading Liberal Democrats have been critical of some of the Conservatives’ rhetoric on immigration,” our correspondent says.

“The work and pensions secretary doesn’t want the concerns over language to translate into a lack of commitment to the policy.

“He believes that his welfare reforms will succeed only if tough action is taken to enforce the rules on migration. Otherwise, he will say, another generation will be lost to dependency and hopelessness .”

Mr Duncan Smith will say that the previous Labour government’s “slack attitude to immigration” has resulted in businesses being too quick to look abroad – including outside the EU – for staff.

He will say that while immigration “plays a vital role” in helping bridge certain skills gaps, there are many foreign nationals in low-skilled or semi-skilled jobs that could easily be done by unemployed Britons.

He will say that, in many cases, people gaining entry to the UK as high-skilled workers end up doing unskilled jobs once they are here.

“Good immigration is managed immigration. It should not be an excuse to import labour to take up posts which could be filled by people already in Britain,” he will say.

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

UK businesses should recruit more unemployed young Britons rather than relying on labour from abroad, the work and pensions secretary is to say.

In a speech in Spain, Iain Duncan Smith will say that if government policy has prepared young people for work, “we need businesses to give them a chance”.

Otherwise, he will say, they will be lost to dependency and hopelessness.

Official figures suggest almost 90% of the 400,000 jobs created in the UK in the past year went to foreign workers.

In 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to create “British jobs for British workers”.

But he was widely criticised when it emerged that about 80% of the jobs created in the UK under Labour went to foreign migrants.

In a speech to the Spanish Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies in Madrid, Mr Duncan Smith will say that the government is determined to create an immigration system “that gives the unemployed a level playing field”.

“If we do not get this right then we risk leaving more British citizens out of work, and the most vulnerable group who will be the most affected are young people,” he will say.

“But government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance, and not just fall back on labour from abroad.

“If government and business pull together on this, I believe we can finally start to give our young people a chance.”

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says that as well as delivering a “blunt message to British employers”, the speech will be directed at the Conservatives’ coalition colleagues.

“Although the government as a whole has signed up to a cap on the number of migrants from outside the European Union, leading Liberal Democrats have been critical of some of the Conservatives’ rhetoric on immigration,” our correspondent says.

“The work and pensions secretary doesn’t want the concerns over language to translate into a lack of commitment to the policy.

“He believes that his welfare reforms will succeed only if tough action is taken to enforce the rules on migration. Otherwise, he will say, another generation will be lost to dependency and hopelessness .”

Mr Duncan Smith will say that the previous Labour government’s “slack attitude to immigration” has resulted in businesses being too quick to look abroad – including outside the EU – for staff.

He will say that while immigration “plays a vital role” in helping bridge certain skills gaps, there are many foreign nationals in low-skilled or semi-skilled jobs that could easily be done by unemployed Britons.

He will say that, in many cases, people gaining entry to the UK as high-skilled workers end up doing unskilled jobs once they are here.

“Good immigration is managed immigration. It should not be an excuse to import labour to take up posts which could be filled by people already in Britain,” he will say.

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

Maria Sharapova admits ahead of Saturday’s Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova that thoughts of winning a second title at the All England club inspired her as she battled a career-threatening shoulder injury.

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

Maria Sharapova admits ahead of Saturday’s Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova that thoughts of winning a second title at the All England club inspired her as she battled a career-threatening shoulder injury.

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

Maria Sharapova admits ahead of Saturday’s Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova that thoughts of winning a second title at the All England club inspired her as she battled a career-threatening shoulder injury.

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

Veteran US singer Liza Minnelli has picked up the Icon prize at the Silver Clef awards in central London.

Praising the organisers, music therapy charity Nordoff Robins, she said that when she felt “cranky” she “put some happy music on and it heals me up”.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was named live act of the year while Annie Lennox was recognised for her outstanding contribution to UK music.

Status Quo, meanwhile, picked up the lifetime achievement prize.

“What I wanted to say is I believe in this project more than anything I’ve heard in the last 20 years because I do believe in the healing power of music and even lyrics,” Minnelli, 65, said in her acceptance speech.

“Sometimes a lyric can completely change your mind, which is what this is about.”

Presenting the Icon award to his friend, chat show host Graham Norton said he had been a guest at her fourth wedding, in 2002, to David Gest.

The couple divorced in 2007.

“If God is good I’ll go to the next one and possibly the one after that,” Norton joked.

Best newcomer Tinie Tempah, meanwhile, said winning best newcomer was “a really nice way to start the day” which would end “with a bang” when he performed at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park later.

Asked backstage where he kept all his gongs, the double Brit Award-winner said: “I’ve got so many on my kitchen table ‘cos I’ve nowhere to put them yet but, the minute I get some space, I’m gonna do it up nice.”

Sir Paul, who could not attend the event, said his win – decided by public vote – was “phenomenal news”.

The 69-year-old, who has this year played in countries including Peru, Chile and Brazil, begins a US tour on 15 July at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Canadian stars Arcade Fire were named Ambassadors of Rock, Alfie Boe won the classical award and McFly picked up the digital innovation award for their website.

DJ trio Swedish House Mafia won the international award and Biffy Clyro won best best British band.

Annie Lennox enjoyed global success with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics with hits including Sweet Dreams before forging a career as a solo singer with songs including Walking on Broken Glass.

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

Veteran US singer Liza Minnelli has picked up the Icon prize at the Silver Clef awards in central London.

Praising the organisers, music therapy charity Nordoff Robins, she said that when she felt “cranky” she “put some happy music on and it heals me up”.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was named live act of the year while Annie Lennox was recognised for her outstanding contribution to UK music.

Status Quo, meanwhile, picked up the lifetime achievement prize.

“What I wanted to say is I believe in this project more than anything I’ve heard in the last 20 years because I do believe in the healing power of music and even lyrics,” Minnelli, 65, said in her acceptance speech.

“Sometimes a lyric can completely change your mind, which is what this is about.”

Presenting the Icon award to his friend, chat show host Graham Norton said he had been a guest at her fourth wedding, in 2002, to David Gest.

The couple divorced in 2007.

“If God is good I’ll go to the next one and possibly the one after that,” Norton joked.

Best newcomer Tinie Tempah, meanwhile, said winning best newcomer was “a really nice way to start the day” which would end “with a bang” when he performed at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park later.

Asked backstage where he kept all his gongs, the double Brit Award-winner said: “I’ve got so many on my kitchen table ‘cos I’ve nowhere to put them yet but, the minute I get some space, I’m gonna do it up nice.”

Sir Paul, who could not attend the event, said his win – decided by public vote – was “phenomenal news”.

The 69-year-old, who has this year played in countries including Peru, Chile and Brazil, begins a US tour on 15 July at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Canadian stars Arcade Fire were named Ambassadors of Rock, Alfie Boe won the classical award and McFly picked up the digital innovation award for their website.

DJ trio Swedish House Mafia won the international award and Biffy Clyro won best best British band.

Annie Lennox enjoyed global success with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics with hits including Sweet Dreams before forging a career as a solo singer with songs including Walking on Broken Glass.

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

Veteran US singer Liza Minnelli has picked up the Icon prize at the Silver Clef awards in central London.

Praising the organisers, music therapy charity Nordoff Robins, she said that when she felt “cranky” she “put some happy music on and it heals me up”.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was named live act of the year while Annie Lennox was recognised for her outstanding contribution to UK music.

Status Quo, meanwhile, picked up the lifetime achievement prize.

“What I wanted to say is I believe in this project more than anything I’ve heard in the last 20 years because I do believe in the healing power of music and even lyrics,” Minnelli, 65, said in her acceptance speech.

“Sometimes a lyric can completely change your mind, which is what this is about.”

Presenting the Icon award to his friend, chat show host Graham Norton said he had been a guest at her fourth wedding, in 2002, to David Gest.

The couple divorced in 2007.

“If God is good I’ll go to the next one and possibly the one after that,” Norton joked.

Best newcomer Tinie Tempah, meanwhile, said winning best newcomer was “a really nice way to start the day” which would end “with a bang” when he performed at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park later.

Asked backstage where he kept all his gongs, the double Brit Award-winner said: “I’ve got so many on my kitchen table ‘cos I’ve nowhere to put them yet but, the minute I get some space, I’m gonna do it up nice.”

Sir Paul, who could not attend the event, said his win – decided by public vote – was “phenomenal news”.

The 69-year-old, who has this year played in countries including Peru, Chile and Brazil, begins a US tour on 15 July at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Canadian stars Arcade Fire were named Ambassadors of Rock, Alfie Boe won the classical award and McFly picked up the digital innovation award for their website.

DJ trio Swedish House Mafia won the international award and Biffy Clyro won best best British band.

Annie Lennox enjoyed global success with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics with hits including Sweet Dreams before forging a career as a solo singer with songs including Walking on Broken Glass.

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

Britain’s David Haye admits all his achievements in boxing would be forgotten if he loses to heavyweight rival Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday.

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

Britain’s David Haye admits all his achievements in boxing would be forgotten if he loses to heavyweight rival Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday.

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

Britain’s David Haye admits all his achievements in boxing would be forgotten if he loses to heavyweight rival Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday.

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