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Sudan ‘detains opposition leader’

Hassan al-Turabi (17 January 2011)Mr Turabi, a former ally of the president, has been detained on numerous occasions

The Sudanese Islamist opposition leader, Hassan al-Turabi, has been arrested by security forces at his home, his party has said.

His secretary, Awad Babiker, told the Reuters news agency that armed offices had arrived in several vehicles.

The security forces also arrested a member of Mr Turabi’s staff after he clashed with them, Mr Babiker said.

On Sunday, Mr Turabi warned of a “popular uprising” if the government did not reverse new austerity measures.

Mr Turabi, a former ally of President Omar al-Bashir, has been detained several times since he set up his Popular National Congress party.

He spent a month and a half in detention in 2010 after he repeated an allegation that April’s presidential election had been rigged.

On Monday, Mr Turabi warned that an uprising as seen in Tunisia last week was “likely” amid public anger over poverty, a lack of political reform, and fears over the likely secession of Southern Sudan.

“Sudan is not a small country like Tunisia, but it is exposed to a risk of chaos worse than Somalia”

Hassan al-Turabi Popular National Congress

“This country has known popular uprisings before,” he told the AFP news agency, referring to revolts in Sudan in 1964 and 1985. “What happened in Tunisia is a reminder. This is likely to happen in Sudan.”

“If it doesn’t, then there will be a lot of bloodshed. The whole country is armed. In the towns it will be a popular uprising, but in Darfur, and in Kordofan as well, they have weapons.”

Mr Turabi has been accused of links to rebels in Darfur – something that he has denied.

“Sudan is not a small country like Tunisia, but it is exposed to a risk of chaos worse than Somalia,” he said.

On Sunday, opposition parties, including the Popular National Congress, called a joint news conference to congratulate Tunisians and demand an “end to the totalitarian regime” in Khartoum.

They also threatened to take to the streets if the president did not sack the finance minister and reverse a recent decision to raise prices on a range of basic goods.

Sudan is suffering an economic crisis, with a current account deficit and currency devaluation driving up inflation.

“All the opposition parties have been talking to the government again and again to try and get them to decentralise, to liberalise, to democratise and promote freedom of expression. But they don’t allow it,” Mr Turabi said.

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

Two rescued from separate fires

fire

A man and a woman have been rescued from two separate house fires in Counties Londonderry and Antrim.

The woman in her 30s, was found unconscious in the upstairs bedroom of a house at Ardfoyle, Brandywell.

Firefighters carried her to safety after extinguishing a blaze in the living room. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

In Whitehead, a man was saved from a fire at Adelaide Avenue which broke out at 0100 GMT on Tuesday.

He was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

At the Londonderry fire, Jonathan Tate from the Fire Service said six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were involved in the rescue.

“The Fire Service forced entry to the rear of the property. Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire in the living room,” he said.

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

Peers sit through night over AV

House of Lords

Live coverage from the House of Lords as peers debate reform to the voting system

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Peers could face a series of all-night sitting as the government attempts to force its plans to reform the voting system through Parliament.

Ministers have until mid-February to ensure a referendum on bringing in the alternative vote (AV) system can go ahead on 5 May, as planned.

But peers have already spent eight days going through the bill enabling this, to which Labour has raised objections.

Lengthy Lords sittings are expected over the next three days.

During this period, peers will consider in detail proposed amendments to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.

AV, which would replace the first-past-the-post system for Westminster elections, allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

But Labour wants the bill to be split up, so that the planned referendum on changing to the voting system does not go through Parliament at the same time as proposals to alter the boundaries – and reduce the number – of MPs’ constituencies.

The party argues that the coalition is trying to hinder its chances at future elections, but ministers say the changes to seats are needed to make the system fairer and cheaper.

Opening the peers’ debate, Lords leader Lord Strathclyde said the bill had already spent too long going through Parliament, having first been introduced to the Lords last November.

WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE VOTE

Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference.

Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected.

If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers’ second choices allocated to those remaining.

This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes cast.

Vote reform: Where parties stand Q&A: Alternative Vote referendum

He said: “The opposition have dragged their feet. They’ve had their fun.”

He added: “The situation has become urgent because the Labour Party has decided to go on a marathon go-slow since we started the committee [to consider the bill].”

But Labour’s Lord Falconer said: “This bill is motivated by party politics… It has been introduced without public consultation or pre-legislative scrutiny.”

He added: “The bill runs to over 300 pages… It’s unlikely in the extreme that, uniquely among bills, it cannot be improved further by this house.”

The parliamentary authorities have reportedly made arrangements for peers to stay over in the building in the event of all-night sittings, including setting up camp beds for those needing to rest during the debate.

Linking the two issues of an AV and constituency changes was an element of the coalition negotiations, with the Tories determined to get boundary reform while the referendum was a central Liberal Democrat demand.

Lord Falconer said: “We urge the government to think again about splitting the bill… My experience is that widespread consultation will provide a solution.”

Labour has proposed an amendment to the bill which, if passed, would overrule the government’s plans to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

This, and other proposed changes to the legislation, could take many hours to debate.

Under the AV system, voters rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference.

Anyone getting more than 50% of first-preference votes is elected. If no-one gets 50% of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their backers’ second choices allocated to those remaining. This process continues until one candidate has at least 50% of all votes cast.

The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, which has already been voted through by MPs, would need to gain Royal Assent by 16 February to allow the referendum – scheduled for the same day as Scottish, Welsh and local elections – to go ahead on time.

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

Blair ‘to tackle Goldsmith claim’

Lord GoldsmithLord Goldsmith was the government’s chief legal adviser under Tony Blair
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Former attorney general Lord Goldsmith told the Iraq Inquiry he was “uncomfortable” about statements made by Tony Blair before the 2003 invasion.

Lord Goldsmith said Mr Blair’s public suggestion Britain could attack Iraq without further UN backing was not compatible with his legal advice.

The disagreement emerged in written evidence published by the Iraq Inquiry.

The Chilcot committee is holding an inquiry into the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

Lord Goldsmith advised Mr Blair on 14 January 2003 that UN Security Council resolution 1441 was not enough on its own to justify force against Iraq.

But on 15 January Mr Blair told MPs that while a second UN resolution was “preferable” there were circumstances in which it was “not necessary” – in the event of the use of an “unreasonable veto” by a Security Council member.

He also told the BBC’s Newsnight programme on 6 February 2003 that if a country vetoed a further resolution “unreasonably” then “I would consider action outside of that”.

In a written question from the inquiry panel, Lord Goldsmith was asked if he felt those words were “compatible with the advice you had given him”.

“My concern was that we should not box ourselves in by the public statements that were made”

Lord Goldsmith

Lord Goldsmith replied simply “no”.

He said he could not remember precisely when he became aware of the comments, but told the inquiry: “I was uncomfortable about them and I believe that I discussed my concerns with [then foreign secretary] Jack Straw and my own staff…”

He said: “I understood entirely the need to make public statements which left Saddam Hussein in no doubt about our firmness of purpose.

“It was more likely that he would co-operate if he thought that there was a real likelihood of conflict.

“My concern was that we should not box ourselves in by the public statements that were made, and create a situation which might then have to be unravelled.”

In his evidence to the inquiry last year, Lord Goldsmith acknowledged he had changed his mind on whether a second UN resolution was needed ahead of military action in March 2003.

He had thought one was needed but had ultimately concluded, shortly before the war began, that military action was authorised by existing UN agreements dating back to 1991.

He denied that this came as a result of political pressure from No 10 or anyone else.

Lord Goldsmith’s statement is among various transcripts from private hearings and written evidence published by the Iraq Inquiry on Monday.

Others include hearings with Sir Jeremy Greenstock – the former ambassador to the UN, former Ministry of Defence permanent secretary and former UK ambassador to Washington Sir David Manning.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will give evidence to the Iraq inquiry for a second time on Friday.

Other witnesses to be recalled include Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Bryce.

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

Minimum alcohol pricing planned

Lager and cider on saleThe lowest price payable for beer would be 21p per unit
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A minimum price level for alcohol sold in shops and bars in England and Wales could be introduced for the first time.

The government will later announce plans to ban the sale of alcohol below cost price, defined as the tax drinkers pay – duty plus VAT.

The minimum pricing would work out at 38p for a can of weak lager and £10.71 for a litre bottle of vodka.

But campaigners say the plans will have little impact on cut-price supermarket deals and will not cut binge drinking.

Last September, the Scottish Parliament rejected plans for a minimum price per unit of alcohol of 45p, after opposition MSPs said the move would penalise responsible drinkers and could be illegal under European competition law.

Ministers in Northern Ireland have called for controls to prevent the cheap sale of alcohol.

The Home Office said the move for England and Wales was designed to address the issue of binge drinking, which has been linked to chronic health problems and social disorder.

Shortly after it was formed last May, the coalition government revealed plans to ban selling alcohol for less than it costs the retailer to buy from the industry.

“It’s not minimum pricing, it’s not really going to make that much difference”

British Medical Association

It was aimed at supermarkets who use alcohol as a “loss leader” to attract customers and make money from other items in the shopping basket.

The proposed ban was left out of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill in November, which included a major shake-up of the licensing laws. It is understood defining cost price as anything other than duty plus VAT would have created serious legal difficulties.

Researchers at Sheffield University estimated last year that raising the price of alcohol to a minimum of 50p per unit would mean that after a decade there would be almost 3,000 fewer deaths every year and 41,000 fewer cases of chronic illness.

The idea was backed by campaigners and health experts, including the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

But the Home Office is proposing to set a lower minimum price of about 21p per unit of beer and 28p per unit of spirits.

This means the lowest possible price of a can of lager would range from 38p to 78p depending on its strength, but most alcoholic drinks would be unaffected because they are currently priced above the level ministers are proposing.

“As supply and price are not the only factors driving alcohol misuse, it is imperative that we challenge people’s relationship with alcohol as well”

Chris Sorek Drinkaware

The British Medical Association said the proposals did not go far enough.

“It’s not minimum pricing, it’s not really going to make that much difference,” said a spokeswoman.

“What we’re calling for is tough action.”

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: “Duty is so low in the UK that it will still be possible to sell very cheap alcohol and be within the law.

“The government needs to look again at a minimum price per unit of alcohol. That is the only evidence-based approach that will end cheap discounts once and for all.”

Drinks giant Diageo, which is against any below-cost ban, said the move was “the least distorting option worthy of further consideration”.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: “We believe the government should concentrate on raising awareness of the dangers of alcohol misuse for adults, providing effective education on alcohol for under-18s and enforcing existing legislation on licensing and under-age sales.”

Chris Sorek, chief executive of the charity Drinkaware, added that a range of measures were needed to tackle alcohol-related problems.

“As supply and price are not the only factors driving alcohol misuse, it is imperative that we challenge people’s relationship with alcohol as well,” he said.

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

Snow ’caused slow housing market’

Snow covered houseSnow caused problems across much of the UK at the end of 2010

Heavy snowfall during December led to “lacklustre” activity levels in the UK housing market, according to surveyors.

New buyer enquiries fell during the month, and new instructions from sellers stood at its lowest level for 18 months, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said.

Unease over the economy and a lack of mortgage availability continued to dampen demand, it said.

But surveyors expected the housing market to pick up during the spring.

“Although bad weather hit the housing market during December sales levels have remained stable,” said Jeremy Leaf, Rics spokesman.

“While lack of supply, and more importantly demand continues to impact heavily, surveyor sentiment does appear more positive for the coming months.

“The key issue now is mortgage finance. However, with commentators suggesting lending constraints are unlikely to be eased, it is hard to envisage a meaningful increase in sales levels in the near term.”

Some 39% more surveyors reported house price falls than gains in December, although the proportion was slightly greater (44%) in November.

Surveyors expected sales to pick up slightly in the coming months.

A greater proportion of surveyors expected prices to fall than to rise in the coming months, the survey found.

Some 272 estate agents in the UK, who are members of Rics, were polled in the survey which reflects confidence in the property market rather than what is actually happening to house prices.

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

Three killed after motorway crash

Traffic on M4 near CardiffThe westbound carriageway of the M4 between junctions 32 and 33 was closed through the night

Three people have been killed and two more injured, including a six-month-old baby, in a collision on the westbound carriageway of the M4 in south Wales.

South Wales Police said a man in his 50s, and a man and woman in their 20s died in the collision between junctions 32 at Coryton and 33 at Cardiff west.

A woman in her 50s and the baby were also taken to hospital with less serious injuries.

Police said the casualties were all from the Porthcawl area.

The incident occured at 2330 GMT on Monday. The westbound carriageway was closed throughout the night but Traffic Wales said it was expected to reopen at around 0720 on Tuesday.

The eastbound carriageway was also closed temporarily but has since reopened.

Police said the coroner has been informed and liaison officers are supporting the next of kin.

Officers are appealing for witnesses to the single-vehicle collision, involving a red Peugeot 406, or anyone who saw the car beforehand to contact the Roads Policing Unit on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In particular police would like to speak urgently to a couple who are thought to have stopped momentarily after the collision.

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

‘Zero impact’ of alcohol pricing

Cans of beer for saleMinisters hope to make people think twice about how much they should drink
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A Welsh campaign group claims that plans for a minimum price for alcohol will have “zero impact”.

The UK government’s minimum pricing proposals for England and Wales would work out at 38p for a can of weak lager and £10.71 for a litre of vodka.

But Clive Wolfendale of CAIS, the north Wales drug and alcohol agency, said such a price level was “nowhere near” high enough.

UK ministers hope to prevent binge drinking and its associated problems.

Under the proposals to be announced by UK ministers, shops and bars will be prevented from selling drinks for less than the tax they pay on them.

Binge drinking is linked with chronic health problems and social disorder and the UK government hopes to make people think twice about how much they should drink.

However Mr Wolfendale, chief executive of CAIS, said of the move: “This will not make people think twice or even once. It will not change the goalposts at all.

“I can’t see it making a huge amount of difference at all”

Clive Wolfendale CAIS

“It looks like a sop, to me, to campaigners. I’m very disappointed. It will have zero impact on health issues concerning the use of alcohol.”

Mr Wolfendale told BBC Radio Wales that the proposals represented 21p a unit for beer and 28p for spirits.

“It needs to be 50p at least, to have any significant impact on health problems,” he said.

“I can’t see it making a huge amount of difference at all. It’s just wallowing about at the bottom of the spectrum.”

Mr Wolfendale said he had just visited Finland where half a litre of beer cost seven euros (£5.85) and a “very moderate” bottle of wine about 25 euros (£20.90).

“Now that’s getting serious,” he said. “We’re just playing at it here.”

“If you establish the principle that there should be a minimum price, or a ban on low-cost selling then you can move the goalposts”

Nick Bish Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

Nick Bish, chief executive of Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, which represents pub and bar operators, described the plan as “a start”.

“If you establish the principle that there should be a minimum price, or a ban on low-cost selling then you can move the goalposts,” he said.

“This is an entry point. It doesn’t really do very much on day one. It establishes a principle and it might or might not move depending on what campaigners achieve.”

However Mr Bish said the move would do little to help hard-pressed pubs and clubs survive.

“The effects are going to come through some time down the track,” said Mr Bish.

“People’s habits will change. This isn’t going to make a huge difference to people’s buying decisions except right on the margins in the community of people who misuse alcohol.”

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

Indian CEOs’ ‘rising graft’ alert

indian currencyIndia has been rocked by a number of corruption scandals
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A group of eminent Indians says they are “alarmed” by the rising corruption which is “corroding the fabric” of the nation.

In an ‘open letter’, they have expressed concern about “widespread governance deficit almost in every sphere of national activity”.

The group includes businessman Azim Premji and ex-central bank governor Bimal Jalan.

A number of corruption scandals have shaken India in recent months.

“Possibly, the biggest issue corroding the fabric of our nation is corruption. This malaise needs to be tackled with a sense of urgency, determination and on a war footing,” the group wrote in an ‘open letter to our leaders’.

The letter said that independent anti-corruption bodies should be set up “speedily”.

The Congress party-led government is battling allegations of corruption over the allocation of telecom licences – why so-called 2G spectrum phone licences were sold in 2008 for a fraction of their value, costing the government $37bn (£23bn) in lost revenue, according to the national auditor.

Another high-profile inquiry is continuing into claims that organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games swindled millions of dollars from the October event.

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi said recently that corruption was a disease in India.

The group wrote that it was also “alarmed at the widespread governance deficit most in every sphere of national activity covering government, business and institutions”.

“Widespread discretionary decision making have been routinely subjected to extraneous influences.

“The topmost responsibility of those at the helm of the nation’s affairs must be to urgently restore the self-confidence and self-belief of Indians in themselves and in the State as well as in Indian business and public institutions which touch the lives of every Indian.”

A recent report by US-based group Global Financial Integrity said the illegal flight of capital through tax evasion, crime and corruption had widened inequality in India.

Many also accuse governments and politicians of corruption in India.

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

Grameen chief in defamation case

Grameen Bank founder Muhammad YunusGrameen Bank’s micro-finance model has been replicated around the world
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Microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus has appeared briefly in a Bangladeshi court accused of defamation, officials at the centre named after him have confirmed.

The founder of Grameen Bank is charged over comments he made about Bangladeshi politicians in a 2007 media interview.

The Nobel peace laureate was quoted at the time as telling AFP news agency: “Politicians in Bangladesh only work for money. There is no ideology here.”

His remarks were published in several newspapers the following day.

A spokesman for the Yunus Centre told the BBC on Tuesday: “He [Muhammad Yunus] did appear in court today. He was given bail.”

The centre said it would issue a detailed news release imminently.

AFP reported that Prof Yunus had appeared for about 10 minutes in a court about 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Dhaka.

Court inspector Shahid Shoqrana told the news agency: “The court has granted him bail.

“His lawyers argued that he is a major international personality so it is impossible for him to appear in court every day. The court has allowed a nominee to appear for him.”

The case against Prof Yunus was filed in January 2007, following a complaint by the joint general secretary of the left-leaning Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal party.

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