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Gunmen seize Frenchmen in Niger

Map of Niger
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Gunmen have kidnapped two Westerners in the capital of Niger, Niamey, security sources and eyewitnesses say.

The nationalities of the two men have not been confirmed, but witnesses described them as French.

The witnesses said gunmen burst into a restaurant and forced the two to follow them out of the building. No group has claimed the kidnapping.

In recent years a number of Westerners have been seized in Niger by al-Qaeda’s North African branch.

France is already working to secure the release of five French hostages seized in September near Arlit in northern Niger, along with a Togolese and a Madagascan.

Militants from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) are believed to be holding them in neighbouring Mali.

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

Parcel sparks alert in US capital

The US postal service sorting facility in northeast Washington DCThe suspect parcel in Washington was addressed to US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
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A parcel that ignited at a Washington DC postal building on Friday was similar to two sent to Maryland state offices the day before, officials say.

No-one was reported injured in the incident. The building was evacuated.

Police earlier said two parcels sent to Maryland government offices that emitted smoke when opened contained notes criticising road signs that urge citizens to report suspicious activity.

The envelope was addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Officials said the letter ignited at a postal sorting facility in Washington, several miles from the White House, as it was thrown by a worker into a sorting bin on Friday afternoon.

Washington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier described the envelope as “popping, smoking, and with a brief flash of fire, and then it went out – extinguished itself”.

Without offering detail, Ms Lanier said the parcel intercepted in Washington was “similar in nature” to the two found in Maryland on Thursday.

The notes in the Maryland parcels warned authorities: “You have created a self fulfilling prophecy.”

Map of Maryland

One was opened at the Jeffrey Building in downtown Annapolis and another at the Maryland Department of Transportation building in Hanover.

Both packages, which released smoke and odours, were described as being roughly the size of books.

One was addressed to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and the other to state Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley.

The remnants of the packages have been taken by the FBI for forensic analysis.

Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Police, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are investigating the incidents.

The message in the packages was an apparent reference to anti-terrorism signs warning Maryland residents and highway motorists to be vigilant, and soliciting investigative tips.

“Somebody doesn’t like seeing that sign,” Mr O’Malley said on Thursday.

The contents of the Washington parcel have not been revealed.

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

US ‘wants Wikileaks Twitter data’

Birgitta JonsdottirBirgitta Jonsdottir says she helped produce a controversial Wikileaks video

An Icelandic MP who once worked with Wikileaks says US officials have subpoenaed her personal details from the social networking website Twitter.

Birgitta Jonsdottir says the US Department of Justice also asked Twitter for all of her tweets since November 2009.

She says she has 10 days to appeal against the subpoena.

US officials have not commented on her claims, which have not been independently verified.

Ms Jonsdottir said on her Twitter feed: “USA government wants to know about all my tweets and more since 1 November 2009. Do they realise I am a member of parliament in Iceland?”

She said that she would call Iceland’s justice minister to discuss the request.

“I think I am being given a message, almost like someone breathing in a phone,” she said.

Ms Jonsdottir has said she helped to produce a video for Wikileaks showing a US Apache helicopter shooting civilians in Iraq in 2007.

The classified video, released by Wikileaks last April, brought the whistle-blowing website to the world’s attention.

The site later released hundreds of thousands of classified and secret documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It also published cables sent by US diplomats across the world, deeply embarrassing the US authorities.

The website’s founder, Julian Assange, is currently fighting extradition from the UK to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning as part of an inquiry into alleged sex offences.

Ms Jonsdottir reportedly left Wikileaks late last year after she argued unsuccessfully that Mr Assange should take a low-profile role until his legal troubles were resolved.

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

Six jailed over cruise drugs plot

CocaineThe drugs seized on the cruise ship had an estimated street value of £1.4m

Six eastern Europeans have been jailed for a total of 87 years for attempting to smuggle 35 kilos of cocaine into the UK on board a cruise ship.

They posed as passengers on the MSC Orchestra which arrived in Dover last May en route to Amsterdam from Brazil.

UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers found a number of “bodysuits” designed to be worn under outer clothing with packets of drugs stitched into them.

The drugs seized had an estimated street value of £1.4m.

Two Bulgarian men, two Bulgarian women, three Lithuanian men and one Lithuanian woman were charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Seven pleaded guilty and an eighth was convicted after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. Six have been sentenced and the remaining two will be sentenced next week.

The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and UKBA have warned that drug traffickers are increasingly targeting cruise liners to smuggle cocaine from the Caribbean and South America to Europe.

Staff in cruise companies and travel agents have been given a list of tell-tale signs to help them identify drug smugglers pretending to be passengers.

The agencies also said the criminals may try to bribe crew members.

A spokesman said: “The popularity of cruises with UK holiday makers has risen sharply in recent years and they now account for one in 10 package holidays.

“At the same time, evidence has grown that criminals may be placing drug couriers on board and attempting to corrupt crew to ease their passage.”

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

Not just Baker Street

Singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who died this week, is best remembered for his classic 1970s hit Baker Street. It is just one of a number of well-known tracks closely linked to London locations.

Click on the map to find out the stories behind Baker Street and eight others.

Warwick Avenue

The Welsh songstress’s 2008 tale of anguished separation is set firmly at the Tube station in the title, which lies on the Bakerloo line in London’s Little Venice. A departing train provides the well-used metaphor for a broken-hearted lover whose relationship has run its course.

Baker Street

The Scottish musician’s hit was inspired by his early career as a busker on the London Underground and regular visits to a friend’s flat in Baker Street. The famous saxophone riff boosted sales of the instrument and its use in mainstream pop, known as “the Baker Street phenomenon”.

I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea

Costello’s 1978 hit from his second album draws on the exclusive area of west London’s lesser-known edgy past. Now home to film stars and bankers, it was once a haunt of prostitutes as alluded to in the singer-songwriter’s vivid descriptions.

Up The Junction

From the arresting opening line “I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham” through to its gritty story of love, pregnancy and separation, the Deptford group’s much loved 1979 hit screams London with every vocal inflection. The title refers both to Clapham Junction and the predicament of the song’s subject.

Camden Town

Suggs’s 1995 track is a homage to his favourite part of London where “you can do anything you want to” among the bric-a-brac and stalls of its famous open-air market. The area is synonymous with his former pop/ska band Madness which formed there in 1976 and produced a string of top 10 hits.

Electric Avenue

As a young boy, Guyanese-born musician Grant settled with his parents in Kentish Town and went to school in Tufnell Park, but it is the street market in Brixton referred to in the title with which he will forever be associated. The track reached number two in 1983 in the UK and US.

A Bomb In Wardour Street

When the band released this track in 1978, number 90 Wardour Street in Soho was home to the Marquee Club where they and their contemporaries played. The song is a rant against the skinheads and punks who brought a new violence to the club scene. But their ultimate evocation of urban decay has to be Down In The Tube Station At Midnight.

Waterloo Sunset

For many, the 1967 hit remains the archetypal ode to London. Ray Davies’s lyrics describe a melancholy observer watching lovers “Terry and Julie” (commonly but incorrectly thought to be actors Terence Stamp and Julie Christie) on a bridge. The narrator’s spirits are lifted by the scene over the River Thames and Waterloo Station.

Itchycoo Park

The Faces’ psychedelic anthem from 1967 was the first in the UK to be banned for overt drug references. The title is thought to derive from the nickname for Little Ilford Park in Manor Park, Newham, where singer-songwriter Steve Marriott grew up. “Itchycoo” is thought to be a reference to the stinging nettles which grew there.

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

Bashir: Sudan not ready for split

Southern Sudanese men rally for independence in Juba, 07/01A carnival atmosphere has engulfed the south’s capital, Juba

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has warned that Southern Sudan will face instability if it votes to secede from the north in a forthcoming referendum.

He told al-Jazeera TV the south did not have the ability to create a stable state or provide for its citizens.

The BBC’s James Copnall in Khartoum says the comments will infuriate the SPLM – ex-rebels who have ruled the south since civil war ended in 2005.

Final rallies have taken place in the south before voting starts on Sunday.

Correspondents expect an overwhelming “yes” vote, which would see the world’s newest country come into being.

The referendum is part of a 2005 deal that ended the two-decade north-south civil war.

In an interview with the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera, Mr Bashir said he understood why many southerners wanted independence, but he expressed concern at how the new nation would cope.

“The south suffers from many problems,” he said.

Sudan’s Historic VoteVoting: 9-15 JanuaryTo pass, 60% of those registered need to vote plus majority of ballotsVote a condition of 2005 deal to end two-decade north-south conflictMost northerners are Arabic-speaking MuslimsMost southerners Christian or follow traditional religionsOil-rich Abyei area to hold separate vote on whether to join north or southReferendum could divide Africa’s largest countryFinal result due 6 February or 14 February if there are appealsSouth would become continent’s newest nation on 9 July 2011New national anthem chosen, but not name

“It’s been at war since 1959. The south does not have the ability to provide for its citizens or create a state or authority.”

Mr Bashir said southerners living in the north would not be allowed dual citizenship, and floated the idea of the two nations joining in an EU-style bloc.

He also raised the issue of Abyei, an oil-rich region with disputed borders.

He warned that if southerners seized the region for themselves, it could lead to war.

Analysts say Mr Bashir is under intense pressure from northern politicians, who fear that secession of the south may lead to a further splintering of the country.

North and south Sudan have suffered decades of infighting in conflicts driven by religious and ethnic divides.

Southerners have long complained of mistreatment at the hands of the Khartoum government.

At an event on Friday, former South African President Thabo Mbeki – the African Union’s mediator on Sudan – said the vote marks the “true emancipation” of the people of the south.

“The work of freedom is just at its beginning. We are confident that the southern Sudanese people have the strength and spirit to succeed in that endeavour,” he told a large crowd in Juba, the south’s capital.

Southern Sudanese will have a week to cast their vote on the future of the region, one of the least developed areas in the world.

Sudan: A country divided
Geography Ethnic groups Infant mortality Water & sanitation Education Food insecurity Oil fields

Show regions

Satellite image showing geography of Sudan, source: Nasa

The great divide across Sudan is visible even from space, as this Nasa satellite image shows. The northern states are a blanket of desert, broken only by the fertile Nile corridor. Southern Sudan is covered by green swathes of grassland, swamps and tropical forest.

Map showing Ethnicity of Sudan, source:

Sudan’s arid northern regions are home mainly to Arabic-speaking Muslims. But in Southern Sudan there is no dominant culture. The Dinkas and the Nuers are the largest of more than 200 ethnic groups, each with its own traditional beliefs and languages.

Map showing infant Mortality in Sudan, source: Sudan household health survey 2006

The health inequalities in Sudan are illustrated by infant mortality rates. In Southern Sudan, one in 10 children die before their first birthday. Whereas in the more developed northern states, such as Gezira and White Nile, half of those children would be expected to survive.

Map showing percentage of households using improved water and sanitation in Sudan, source: Sudan household health survey 2006

The gulf in water resources between north and south is stark. In Khartoum, River Nile, and Gezira states, two-thirds of people have access to piped drinking water and pit latrines. In the south, boreholes and unprotected wells are the main drinking sources. More than 80% of southerners have no toilet facilities whatsoever.

Map showing percentage of who complete primary school education in Sudan, source: Sudan household health survey 2006

Throughout Sudan, access to primary school education is strongly linked to household earnings. In the poorest parts of the south, less than 1% of children finish primary school. Whereas in the wealthier north, up to 50% of children complete primary level education.

Map showing percentage of households with poor food consumption in Sudan, source: Sudan household health survey 2006

Conflict and poverty are the main causes of food insecurity in Sudan. The residents of war-affected Darfur and Southern Sudan are still greatly dependent on food aid. Far more than in northern states, which tend to be wealthier, more urbanised and less reliant on agriculture.

Map showing position of oilfileds in Sudan, source: Drilling info international

Sudan exports billions of dollars of oil per year. Southern states produce more than 80% of it, but receive only 50% of the revenue, exacerbating tensions with the north. The oil-rich border region of Abyei is to hold a separate vote on whether to join the north or the south.

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

Andre is ‘hardest working singer’

Peter AndrePeter Andre performed to almost 100,000 fans on his 38-date Revelation tour in 2010
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Peter Andre has been named Britain’s hardest working singer for notching up more major concerts in 2010 than any other artist.

The Mysterious Girl singer topped the list, compiled by PRS for Music, after performing to almost 100,000 fans on his 38-date Revelation tour in 2010.

Previous winners Status Quo took second place in the annual chart, with X Factor runners-up JLS coming in third.

Irish band Westlife and veteran rocker Rod Stewart completed the top five.

Andre said: “Nothing beats performing live. Performing in front of thousands of fans is my ultimate experience so I’m delighted to get this recognition from PRS for Music.”

The singer’s career spans almost two decades, after first releasing an album in his native Australia in 1993.

He had his first hit in the UK in 1995 with Mysterious Girl which reached number two in chart but its re-release following his 2004 appearance on ITV1’s I’m A Celebrity saw it reach the top spot.

London rapper Example notched up the most performances at smaller concert venues, followed by Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah.

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

Baccalaureate plan angers heads

Vocational trainingHeads say vocational education will be sidelined
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Head teachers say the inclusion of the new “English baccalaureate” in this year’s league tables is unfair.

When England’s secondary school league tables are published on Wednesday, they will include the new measure.

The tables will show what proportion of a school’s pupils got at least a C in English, maths, science, a language and either geography or history at GCSE.

Education Secretary Michael Gove says this will show which schools give pupils a core academic knowledge.

He believes some schools boosted their league table positions in the past by entering students for “softer” subjects and vocational qualifications.

Head teachers say it is unfair to bring in the measure so quickly and before a planned shake-up of the curriculum goes ahead.

Schools will also still be measured against the existing key target of the percentage of pupils achieving five good GCSE passes including maths and English.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said: “This is simply a retrospective indicator. The government will say it is a starting point but levels will be low.

“It’s an indicator over which schools have no control as it was not in place when the children concerned studied for their exams.

“This is going to disadvantage schools in poorer areas. This is a very academic qualification.”

Education Secretary Michael Gove told BBC News that parents would welcome the new measure.

“It shines a light on what is happening in schools,” he said.

“The English Baccalaureate does not force anyone to do anything but it does reveal the extent to which in the last 13 years we have seen a huge drop in the numbers of students doing modern languages, and overall that the number of students who have got GCSEs in English, maths, a foreign language, science and a humanity is not what it should be.”

Under Labour, schools were told they no longer had to teach modern languages to children after the age of 14.

ASCL’s Brian Lightman said: “We are in favour of a broad curriculum and for as many pupils as possible to get into the best universities – but education is not just about university entrance.

“This will devalue vocational education and marginalise it.”

Mr Gove disputes that, saying there will be “more and better vocational paths”, including the new university technology colleges, which will take pupils from the age of 14.

Some schools have already begun changing their curriculum to fall in step with the new measure.

Among them is Woodside High School in north London.

Head teacher Joan McVittie says the school was “the worst in London” when she was recruited to turn it around a few years ago.

It has improved markedly, but will get a very low ranking on the new measure.

“This is a major issue for us. We will be lucky to get three or four per cent [of pupils credited with achieving the English Bacc],” she said.

“We have already started to make changes because they have moved the goalposts. We want to continue to be seen as an improving school. But it will be hard on our children.”

More than 80% of pupils at the school speak English as a second language.

“We struggle to make sure they are up to speed in English. For some of our children, the less demanding vocational route is the best option,” Mrs McVittie said.

“We have been moving towards this more academic curriculum and if I was a head in a leafy area with English-speaking children, I would be following this type of curriculum. We built a curriculum which allows my children to achieve success.”

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

Woman held over death of man, 91

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 91-year-old man who died a week after being found with serious injuries in his north London home.

The Metropolitan Police said the 49-year-old woman was held after the man died from head injuries and pneumonia.

The victim’s son discovered his father at the property in Tower Gardens Road, Tottenham, on 29 December and he died in Royal London Hospital on Thursday.

The man’s identity has not been released.

A police spokesman said the woman was in custody at an east London police station.

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

Israel soldier killed near Gaza

An injured Israeli soldier is taken into Beer Sheva hospital, Israel (7 Jan 2011)The Israeli army has given little information about the incident

At least four Israeli soldiers have been injured in an exchange of fire with Palestinian militants in the Gaza border, Israeli media report.

Channel 10 said two soldiers had been taken to hospital while the others were treated at the scene.

An army spokesman told the channel that the Palestinians had been waiting to ambush an army patrol.

The incident follows a month of increased tension along the border, with frequent exchanges of fire.

It was unclear whether any Palestinians were injured in the incident.

Israel often responds to attacks on its troops from Gaza by carrying out air raids on the coastal enclave.

Late on Wednesday, two Palestinian men were shot dead at the Gaza border – Israeli said they had been attempted to break through the security fence but this could not be independently verified.

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