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The UN says pro-Gbagbo forces are harassing its mission
An ally of Ivory Coast’s incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has warned UN peacekeepers they could be treated as rebels if they remain in the country after being told to leave.
Mr Gbagbo accuses the UN of siding with his rival Alassane Ouattara and ordered them out of the country.
The UN says Mr Ouattara won last month’s poll and has urged all parties to recognise him as president.
It has extended the mandate of its 10,000-strong force by six months.
Mr Gbagbo says the polls were rigged in rebel-held areas of the north and was declared the winner by the Constitutional Council. But the UN mission in Ivory Coast, which was involved in organising the election, backed the electoral commission in saying Mr Ouattara had won.
At least 50 people have been killed in violence linked to the dispute, the UN says, amid fears of a return to civil war.
Mr Gbagbo’s Interior Minister, Emile Guirieoulou, said of the UN mission:
“If, against our will, they want to keep this force in our country, we won’t co-operate with them.
Ivory Coast
World’s largest cocoa producer1990s: Slipped into internal strife after death of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny2002: New Forces rebels seize north2007: Power-sharing government installed with ex-rebel leader as prime minister2010: First presidential elections in 10 yearsLaurent Gbagbo: President since 2000, southerner, backed by security forcesAlassane Ouattara: Former prime minister, northerner, backed by ex-rebels, UN, West and African UnionWhat lessons can Africa learn from Ivory Coast crisis? Country profile: Ivory Coast
“And if they choose to have authorities other than the legal authorities of the country, they become part of the rebellion.”
He also dismissed reports of a mass grave in the main city Abidjan.
“It’s lies. All that to get some sympathy.”
On Monday, UN special envoy to Ivory Coast Choi Young-jin said the UN had been prevented from investigating the reports.
The UN also says it has received hundreds of reports of people being abducted by armed men at night. Some have later been found dead.
Gbagbo exile offer
UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy told the AFP news agency that UN troops were being harassed by pro-Gbagbo groups.
“They want to cut all of our fuel. They are forcing us to leave the apartments we use,” Mr Le Roy said.
UN troops are guarding the luxury Hotel Golf where Mr Ouattara has been based since the election and he meets members of the cabinet he has named.
Western – as well as African countries – have backed Mr Ouattara.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Aliyu Idi Hong told the BBC that it would be willing to let Mr Gbagbo go into exile in Nigeria.
The European Union says it will this week issue a travel ban on Mr Gbagbo and 18 of his closest allies, including his wife. It is also working on freezing any assets he may have in the EU.
The election, delayed for five years, was supposed to reunify the world’s largest cocoa producer, which has been divided since 2002.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The latest recall affected certain Toyota Avalon models
Toyota has agreed to pay a record fine in the US of $32.4m (£20.8m) over its handling of millions of car recalls.
This is the second big fine the world’s largest carmaker will pay, after agreeing a $16.4m penalty in April.
The carmaker said it was “pleased to have resolved these legacy issues”, but did not admit any violations of US law.
Toyota has recalled more than 10 million cars worldwide since September last year, and has issued 14 recalls in 2010, the latest in October.
“These agreements are an opportunity to turn the page to an even more constructive relationship with the [US] National Highway Safety Administration and focus even more on listening to our customers and meeting their high expectations for safe and reliable vehicles,” said Steve St Angelo, Toyota’s chief quality officer in North America.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also said he was “pleased that Toyota agreed to pay the maximum possible penalty”.
In September last year, Toyota recalled 4 million cars after fears that the accelerator pedal could get stuck on the floormat.
In January this year, it recalled a further 2.3 million cars to fix potentially faulty accelerator pedals.
In August, it recalled a further 1.1 million Corolla and Matrix models over an engine control system fault, and in October it called in more than 1.5 million cars over brake and fuel pump defects.
The carmaker was harshly criticised over the earlier recalls for not acting more quickly.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Quiz of the year’s news
‘Tis the season to sit back and cast an eye over 2010. But how much do you remember? Test yourself with the Magazine’s four-part compilation of the best of the year’s quizzes. Here it’s January – March. PLUS a special bonus question each day – see below for details.
1.) Multiple Choice Question
“Good morning. My day is turning out to be far more interesting then I had anticipated!” Whose January tweet heralded some unexpected news?
Steve Jobs, launching iPadKirk McCambley, lover of Iris RobinsonChris Evans, Radio 2 returnJonathan Ross, quitting BBC
2.) Multiple Choice Question
January was also the month the Doomsday Clock – a barometer of nuclear danger for more than six decades – was moved… to what time?
Three minutes to midnight
Five minutes to midnight
Six minutes to midnight
Info
The clock, which began in 1947, has been adjusted 19 times. It has swung from two minutes to midnight in 1953, when the US and USSR tested nuclear missiles, to 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 when both countries signed an arms reduction treaty.
3.) Multiple Choice Question
The biggest man-made hole in Europe was put up for sale in January for £30,000. The old quarry in Aberdeen is 466ft deep and 394ft wide. It was filled with water when put up for sale, but what used to be in it?
GraniteLimestoneSandstone
4.) Multiple Choice Question
Alastair Campbell didn’t spare the horses when it was his turn to give evidence to the Iraq Inquiry in January, criticising those he had little truck with. Who did he describe as “glib”?
Sir Christopher MeyerClare ShortDonald RumsfeldThe French
Info
The Chilcott inquiry into the Iraq war took evidence from some big names in 2010, including former prime minister Tony Blair. His appearance made headlines around the world. It will be holding a further round of public hearings in 2011, with Mr Blair and Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary, called back to give further evidence.
5.) Missing Word Question
Mona Lisa had *
rickettshigh cholesterolno teeth
6.) Multiple Choice Question
In February skeleton bob contestant Amy Williams won Britain’s first gold medal in a Winter Olympics individual sport in, oooh, aeons. What was her winning sled called?
Ed the sledSlipArthurAmy II
Info
Held in Vancouver, Canada, the games featured 2,500 athletes from 82 competing nations. But they began in the worst possible way with the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The 21-year-old was killed when his sled flipped and he hit a steel pole during a training run on the much criticised, high-speed Whistler Sliding Centre track.
7.) Multiple Choice Question
February was also the month iTunes sold its 10 billionth track. But what track was it?
Johnny Cash’s Guess Things Happen That WayBlack Eyed Peas’ I Gotta FeelingMichael Jackson’s ThrillerLady Gaga’s Poker Face
8.) Multiple Choice Question
Piigs. Yes, with a double “i”. It was in the news in February, but what does it stand for?
Progressive incentivised interest-bearing gilt-edged securitiesNasa’s new solar observatory to monitor the SunStruggling Eurozone countries
9.) Multiple Choice Question
This was in the news in February. What is it?
Metal shim to be fitted to Toyota accelerator pedalsAn ounce of gold – the price of which fell to a three-month lowComponent in Iranian missile
10.) Multiple Choice Question
The new UK Space Agency (UKSA) was launched in March, with a logo that was quickly compared to one in Doctor Who. Which is the official UKSA logo?
Image 1Image 2Image 3Image 4
11.) Multiple Choice Question
Bananas were said in March to be the UK’s most wasted food, according to research. Which was the second?
YoghurtMilkBagged saladReady meals
12.) Multiple Choice Question
Methadone. And mephedrone, the legal drug that faced calls in March for a ban. Similar names, but do the drugs have a similar effect?
YesNo – but they have a similar make-upNo – methadone acts as depressant, mephedrone a stimulant
Answers
It’s Jonathan Ross. The presenter announced in January that he would not be renewing his BBC contract after 13 years and bowed out of his BBC One chat show and Radio 2 music show in July. Ross has announced he is to present an ITV chat show. It’s six minutes to midnight. The clock, devised by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is essentially a barometer of how close the world is to global disaster. The January move was because of a more “hopeful state of world affairs”. It was granite. Rubislaw Quarry was one of the sources that helped give Aberdeen its nickname of Granite City. It was eventually bought by two local businessmen, but the price they paid has never been revealed. Aberdonian granite was used in Waterloo Bridge in London and a host of other landmarks. It’s Sir Christopher Meyer, the UK’s then ambassador to the US. Campbell said: “I think Chris Meyer was really glib about the transatlantic relationship.” He added that Short could not be trusted, while Rumsfeld was insensitive. It’s high cholesterol. Dr Vito Franco, from Palermo University, said her face showed clear signs of a build-up of fatty acids under the skin, caused by too much cholesterol. It’s Arthur. Williams, 27, was the first British gold medallist in an individual event at a Winter Olympics for 30 years. It was Britain’s only medal of the games and she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June. It was Johnny Cash’s Guess Things Happen That Way. Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, in the US, bought the 10 billionth track winning a $10,000 (£6,500) iTunes gift card. The Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling was officially named the site’s most downloaded track, with Lady Gaga’s Poker Face second. Michael Jackson did not feature in the most-downloaded Top 10 at all. It’s how financial markets referred to the troubled and heavily-indebted countries of Europe – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. The countries dominated the concerns of investors over 2010, to the point that some started to fear the break-up of the eurozone. The International Monetary Fund has to step in to bail out Greece and Ireland. It’s the shim, to be fixed to Toyota cars to prevent the accelerator pedals sticking. The company had to recall thousands of vehicles worldwide to fix the problem. It’s safe to say 2010 was not a good year for the car company. In January, 1.1m Toyotas had to be recalled in the US due to floormat problems. Then in February, 1.8m vehicles in Europe had to be recalled due to accelerator pedal problems. Cars were also recalled worldwide due to brake tube problems. It’s image 4. Image 3 is the logo from the British Rocket Group, a scientific body from Doctor Who. Image 1 is the tail fin of the now defunct British European Airways. It’s 4. Image 2 is the logo of British Aerospace. Britain established the new executive space agency to put space policy in the hands of one co-ordinating authority. It took over responsibility for government policy and the key budgets for space. It was milk. And the worst food wastage culprits were found to be city-dwelling single men, aged 25 to 35, who bin an average of £17.43 worth of food a month, according to research by Retail Active. It’s C. Methadone, like other opiates, acts as a depressant, while mephedrone is a stimulant. The latter hit the headlines when it was blamed for a number of deaths. Then a legal high, it could be bought easily over the internet. After coming under pressure, the government banned mephedrone in the UK in April.
Your Score
0 – 5 : January blues
6 – 10 : Ab-Fabruary
11 – 12 : Onward March
And now for that all-important bonus question.
In addition to the 12 questions above, we also pose a bonus question for each of the four parts of this quiz. That’s how we reached the magic total of 52 questions.
With each part of the quiz we publish photographs – the first of which are on the right. We ask you what the link is between the images on the four days.
For a complete archive of past quizzes and our weekly news quiz, 7 days 7 questions, visit the Magazine page and scroll down.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
A powerful earthquake has hit south-eastern Iran, killing at least seven people and destroying several villages in Kerman province.
The governor of Kerman said hundreds of people had been injured by the 6.5-magnitude quake with the epicentre near the city of Bam.
The quake was also felt in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province.
Bam was devastated by a huge earthquake in 2003 in which tens of thousands died.
Reports said the quake hit Hosseinabad, a small town of a few hundred residents in a sparsely populated region at 2212 local time (1842 GMT).
Telephone contacts to the stricken area have been cut off, Iranian TV reported. Rescue teams have been sent to the area.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The fat in dairy is a good source trans-palmitoleic acid
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A natural substance found in dairy products appears to protect against diabetes, say researchers.
Trans-palmitoleic acid is present in milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter but cannot be made by the body.
A study of over 3,700 people found higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid was linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
People with the highest levels cut their risk by 60%, Annals of Internal Medicine reports.
Lead author of the research, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, said: “The magnitude of this association is striking.
“This represents an almost three-fold difference in risk of developing diabetes among individuals with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid.”
“Milk and dairy foods can be high in fat, which if eaten in excess can contribute to weight gain. So it’s advisable to choose lower-fat dairy foods instead”
Deepa Khatri of Diabetes UK
Deepa Khatri, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said: “People should not take the findings of this research as a reason to exceed the recommended portion amounts of dairy food in order to prevent their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“Milk and dairy foods can be high in fat, which if eaten in excess can contribute to weight gain. So it’s advisable to choose lower-fat dairy foods instead.
Experts say more research is needed to see whether these trans-palmitoleic acids can play a useful role in preventing Type 2 diabetes.
In the meantime, they recommend that all people, with or without diabetes, should have a healthy balanced diet, low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
It is not recommended for people to increase their intake of any one food type in order to prevent their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The latest work tracked the health of the study participants over a 20-year period.
The results showed that higher levels of trans-palmitoleic acid were associated with healthier levels of blood cholesterol, insulin levels and insulin sensitivity, even when other factors were taken into account.
Experts estimate type 2 diabetes affects more than 2.3m people in the UK. Up to half a million more Britons also have the condition but do not yet know it.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Bill Richardson thinks it could be time to re-engage North Korea in six-nation talks
The American politician Bill Richardson has said the North Koreans are now moving in the right direction.
Mr Richardson, now in Beijing after a “positive” trip to Pyongyang, said the North had shown pragmatism by not reacting to a South Korean drill.
On Monday, he said the North had agreed to allow international inspectors into its nuclear facilities.
The North shelled a southern island last month after similar drills and had threatened more retaliation this time.
Pyongyang said after Monday’s live-firing military drill that it was not worth responding to, a decision praised by the United States.
“My sense is the North Koreans realise that they have moved too negatively against negotiations, that they have taken some very bad steps and they wanted to move in the right direction,” Mr Richardson said.
“They agreed to the proposals that I made…. Now there has to be deeds, not words.
“They have shown, I believe, a step in the right direction. I think it is important that a new effort at re-engagement takes place among the six-party countries,” he added.
North Korea’s closest ally, China, has been pressing for a return to the six-party talks about North Korea’s nuclear programmes, but the US, South Korea and Japan have wanted to avoid rewarding the North for what they see as its provocative behaviour.
Yeonpyeong residents were ordered into bunkers before the exercise
Mr Richardson is a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has served as an unofficial envoy to North Korea in the past.
The New Mexico governor, who was in Pyongyang in an unofficial capacity, said he had been told during meetings that members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be allowed renewed access to a uranium enrichment facility.
There has been no official comment from the North, and it is unclear which facility Mr Richardson was referring to.
Inspectors, who had been monitoring the Yongbyon nuclear plant, were expelled from the country in April 2009.
UN Security Council talks on North Korea ended without a deal at the weekend, reportedly after China refused to agree to a statement critical of its ally.
The South’s government has been under huge domestic pressure to take a tough stance towards Pyongyang, in the wake of the 23 November shelling of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which killed four people.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
BAE admitted it had failed to keep proper accounts
BAE Systems has been fined £500,000 for failing to keep proper records of payments it made to an adviser in Tanzania.
The defence group paid £7.7m to two firms controlled by businessman Shailesh Vithlani ahead of winning a £28m Tanzanian military radar contract.
The ruling by a judge at Southwark Crown Court comes after BAE had already agreed a deal with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
BAE also has to pay £225,000 costs.
The judge, Mr Justice Bean, said he was under pressure to keep the court fine to a minimum.
Under the agreement struck between the SFO and BAE, the company would deduct the fine from the £30m it had offered to the people of Tanzania to settle the case.
“The structure of this settlement agreement places moral pressure on the court to keep the fine to a minimum so that the reparation is kept at a maximum,” said the judge.
He also criticised another part of the deal which he said gave any member of BAE Systems group “blanket immunity for all offences committed in the past, whether disclosed or not”.
He said the agreement was loosely and hastily drafted.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The issue has already been the subject of protests
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Controversial new rules affecting the running of the internet are expected to be approved by US regulators today.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on a principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.
Officials said the regulations are “the first time the Commission has adopted enforceable rules” to govern the web.
Tuesday’s vote is the culmination of five years of fighting over how best to ensure the free flow of information in all its forms over the internet.
The proposal also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly accessing the web via smart phones and turning to the internet to watch TV shows.
‘Rules of the road’
The Commission’s ability to regulate the internet was thrown into doubt following an appeals court decision earlier this year that said the agency lacked the authority to stop cable firm ComCast from blocking bandwidth-hogging applications.
Many arguing for net neutrality say it is a fundamental freedom the web should guarantee
The FCC’s agenda said the vote will address “basic rules of the road to preserve the open internet as a platform for innovation, investment, competition and free expression”.
That is a view backed by chairman Julius Genachowski.
“We’re adopting a framework that will increase certainty for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs,” Mr Genachowski said in remarks prepared for the meeting.
“We’re taking an approach that will help foster a cycle of massive investment, innovation and consumer demand both at the edge and in the core of our broadband networks.”
The five member Commission is expected to vote 3-2 along party lines.
Michael Copps, a Democrat, said in a written statement that he will not block the plan after weeks of what senior FCC officials called “robust engagement” with the Commission to toughen the rules.
“The item we will vote on is not the one I would have crafted but I believe we have been able to make the current iteration better than what was originally circulated,” said Mr Copps.
“If vigilantly and vigorously implemented by the commission, it could represent an important milestone in the ongoing struggle to safeguard the awesome opportunity-creating power of the open internet.”
Fellow Democrat Mignon Clyburn is also expected to concur on the rules, whilst Mr Genachowski’s vote is expected to push it through. Republicans Meredith Baker and Robert McDowell are expected to vote against the order.
The regulations are expected to be challenged in court.
‘Squandered’
A number of interested parties including internet providers, developers and companies like Google have said the rules will provide some regulatory certainty going forward. Many have acknowledged that the proposal could have been much worse.
“ I think we will see the flood gates open from the blocking of applications to the slowing down of competitors’ apps to monetising every application that seeks to travel over their network”
Aparna Sridhar Free Press
The new regulations would prohibit telecommunications companies that provide high-speed internet service from blocking access by customers to any legal content, applications or service.
But, for the first time, there will be a policy that will allow for what has been termed “paid-prioritisation”, where companies will be able to pay for a faster service.
The FCC proposal would also place tougher restrictions on wired services from cable and phone companies than on wireless carriers, which have more limited bandwidth.
It comes at a time when an increasing number of people are using smart phones or tablet devices to access the web or watch TV shows.
The rules would allow mobile firms to block access to sites or applications that specifically compete with a carrier’s voice or video services.
Supporters of net neutrality feel the new regulations should have gone further and have slammed them as “fake net neutrality”.
“I think today is a tremendously important day in the fight to preserve a fee and open internet,” Aparna Sridhar of advocacy group the Free Press, told BBC News.
“Chairman Genachowski has completely squandered a golden opportunity to make this vote meaningful. Until now we have had a certain amount of regulatory uncertainty and the carriers have had an incentive to stay on their best behaviour.
“This rule will endorse bad practices in the wireless space and I think we will see the flood gates open from the blocking of applications to the slowing down of competitors’ apps to monetising every application that seeks to travel over their network,” added Ms Sridhar.
In an opinion piece for the Huffington Post, Al Franken, US Senator for Minnesota, called the FCC vote “the most important free speech issue of our time” and the draft order the FCC will vote on a “badly flawed proposal”.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Many homes remain on the market as first-time buyers have been frozen out
UK home sales fell in November as the property market showed little sign of fresh life at the end of the year.
There were 77,000 residential properties sold for more than £40,000 in the UK in November, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
This was down from a revised figure of 80,000 the previous month and some 6,000 fewer sales than in the same month a year earlier.
A lack of demand from first-time buyers has pushed down sales and prices.
The most recent surveys from the Nationwide Building Society and the Halifax showed that prices fell in November compared with October.
The slowdown in buying and selling has also had an effect on the prices charged for tenants.
The average monthly cost of renting a home rose again in November, to a record £692 a month, according to the recently-published LSL property index.
However, the group said rise in costs for tenants had slowed.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Snow is causing massive disruption to transport in the UK, but why is it here and why can’t its effects be mitigated?
Why is the weather so cold?
During winter, the UK’s weather is greatly affected by the nature of a jet stream as it crosses the Atlantic. This current of air travels from west to east in the higher reaches of the atmosphere.
Under “normal” circumstances, this jet stream brings in weather systems from the Atlantic, causing the wet, windy, cloudy weather that is typically associated with mild British winters.
But the path of the jet stream, like this year, can wander, meaning the mild weather systems are not being brought to the UK in the same way.
During these periods of “weakening westerlies” the cold weather from the north moves in.
Jet stream causes persistent cold weather
Our attitudes toward snow
Will it be this cold next year?
Years of weakening westerlies have come in clumps of three and four in recent decades. So we could well get another very cold winter next year.
But it does not mean the UK is getting colder. The cold winters of the last couple of years contrast with the mild winters that preceded them. But in the 1960s and 1940s there were very cold winters too.
A handful of cold winters means no more than a handful of hot summers.
Time to prepare for cold winters?
Why can’t we just deal with the snow?
Many people stuck on UK roads over the past few days will have wondered why the UK simply doesn’t purchase more gritting and snow plough vehicles, and stockpile more grit.
But the UK does have more than it did last winter, thanks to a review of winter resilience led by David Quarmby. He made a series of recommendations affecting road, rail and air transport, many of which are already in place.
But Mr Quarmby makes the point that in the UK, spending on improving cold weather resilience must always be balanced by the rarity of really severe winters.
In countries that seem to deal better with snow, like Sweden, Norway or Canada, large sums of money are spent on snow ploughs, winter tyres and other coping strategies. But at the same time, heavy snow in these places is a guaranteed occurrence.
Many in the UK might balk at vast sums of government expenditure being directed at tackling weather that only happens on a sporadic basis.
Is the UK uniquely bad at coping with snow?
Why can’t planes take off in snowy and icy weather?
There are two main issues causing the disruption to air travel.
Firstly, icy or snowy runways can cause planes to skid on takeoff or landing. UK airports, like Heathrow, do have snow ploughs and runway de-icer vehicles, but they cannot cope with the severity of the current cold snap.
Runways can only be ploughed when planes are not using them, meaning delays of some measure are inevitable at airports that operate at or near capacity.
The second problem is the icing of the plane itself. The ice changes the shape and texture of the wings and their flaps, he says, creating a drag effect and making the aircraft impossible to control.
This de-icing needs to be done shortly before takeoff, otherwise the plane ices up again. There can be a window as little as 20 minutes. If a plane has to wait longer while a runway clears up, a chain of delays can occur. At an airport as busy as Heathrow, co-ordinating de-icing and runway clearance can potentially be a logistical nightmare.
In some places, like Sweden’s Stockholm-Arlanda airport, planes can be kept flying, but only as the result of an extensive cold weather operation.
How do you de-ice a plane?
How are airports kept open in cold weather?
How Helsinki airport stays open
Should you grit your own street and clear snow from paths and pavements?
Yes, the government says.
Certain people have suggested in the past that clearing the snow from the pavement outside your house could get you into legal hot water. But even personal injury lawyers have been sceptical about the possibility of such legal action.
And the authorities have made their position clear with a snow code that makes it clear that you can clear paths and pavements without threat of legal action-induced penury.
Why do schools close when it snows?
Many parents get irked when schools shut, but shops and offices are open.
There are two facets to school closures – the inability of pupils and teachers to get there safely, and the need for a certain number of staff to assure pupil safety.
Health and safety considerations also apply with icy playground, low indoor temperatures and tap and toilet malfunction all being potential obstacles.
The final decision to close lies with headmasters, barring exceptional circumstances.
Why do schools shut when it snows?
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Banksy is disguised in Exit Through the Gift Shop
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UK graffiti artist Banksy will be among the nominees at next year’s London Critics’ Circle film awards.
The artist, who conceals his true identity, is up for the breakthrough British film-maker prize for his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop.
British films Another Year and The King’s Speech lead the field with seven nominations each.
Colin Firth, star of the latter, is up for two awards for his role as stammering monarch George VI.
The 50-year-old is up for both best actor and best British actor at the awards, to be held in London on 10 February.
The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper, pulls off a similar feat with nominations in both the best film and best British film categories.
Helena Bonham Carter, up for best British actress for Hooper’s film, gets an additional supporting actress nod for Alice in Wonderland.
British actor Andrew Garfield is also up for two prizes recognising his performances in both The Social Network and Never Let Me Go.
Garfield (l) and Pike (r) are among the actors up for a pair of prizes
Christopher Nolan’s work on his thriller Inception sees him up for both director and British director of the year.
Former Bond girl Rosamund Pike also lands a pair of nominations, for her roles in Barney’s Version and Made in Dagenham.
In the film of the year category, The King’s Speech competes with fellow Oscar contenders Black Swan, The Social Network, The Kids are All Right and Toy Story 3.
Its competition for the best British film prize include Another Year, directed by Mike Leigh, and Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours.
Exit Through the Gift Shop explores the phenomenon of street art and features a disguised Banksy talking about his craft.
The elusive artist’s competition for the breakthrough British film-maker prize includes British satirist Chris Morris, cited for his controversial suicide bomber comedy Four Lions.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mr Cable is one of the most senior Lib Dems in the coalition government
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Cabinet minister Vince Cable has said he is “embarrassed” by comments made privately suggesting he could walk out of the coalition.
The business secretary told undercover reporters from the Daily Telegraph he could “bring the government down” if they “push me too far”.
He said being in coalition was like “fighting a war”.
In a statement later Mr Cable said he regretted the comments and had no intention of leaving government.
The Telegraph reported that senior Lib Dem Mr Cable was recorded telling its reporters – who were posing as his constituents – that he had been involved in a “big argument” over dealing with the banks.
He said the Lib Dems had been pressing for a “very tough approach” which had been opposed by “our Conservative friends” and said he had been involved in a “big battle” over the cap on non-EU economic migration.
Mr Cable and Chancellor George Osborne were due to meet bank bosses on Monday but it was delayed because Mr Osborne was stuck in New York due to the snow. Mr Cable told the BBC on Sunday that the coalition was united in its determination to curb bank bonuses.
Asked about his influence in the government, he reportedly said he was prepared to use the “nuclear option” and resign, if he was pushed too hard.
Mr Cable was recorded saying: “I have a nuclear option; it’s like fighting a war. They know I have nuclear weapons, but I don’t have any conventional weapons. If they push me too far then I can walk out and bring the government down and they know that.
“I have no intention of leaving the government. I am proud of what it is achieving”
Vince Cable Business Secretary
“So it is a question of how you use that intelligently without getting involved in a war that destroys all of us. That is quite a difficult position to be in and I am picking my fights. Some of which you may have seen.”
The business secretary also reportedly criticised the speed at which the coalition was trying to push through changes in the health service, local government and other areas, which he described as a “kind of Maoist revolution” and said it was “in danger of getting out of control”
“We are trying to do too many things, actually,” he said.
“Some of them are Lib Dem inspired, but a lot of it is Tory inspired. The problem is not that they are Tory-inspired, but that they haven’t thought them through. We should be putting a brake on it.”
He said the axing of child benefit for higher earners had been done in a “rather cack-handed way” and added: “They haven’t yet done the winter fuel payments, but that’s coming, I think.”
David Cameron pledged during the election campaign that a Conservative government would keep the winter fuel allowance, free television licence and free bus pass.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Cable said: “Naturally I am embarrassed by these comments and I regret them.
“I have no intention of leaving the government. I am proud of what it is achieving and will continue to play my full part in delivering the priorities I and my party believe in, which are enshrined in the coalition agreement.”
Mr Cable has previously spoken out against the government’s policy of imposing an interim cap on non-EU workers – suggesting it was damaging businesses. He has campaigned for it to be applied more flexibly.
BBC deputy political editor James Landale said Mr Cable had lifted the lid on some of the inner workings of the coalition government and could expect to be heckled by Labour MPs next time he stood up in the Commons.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Russia has supplied India with military hardware for years
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The Russian president is expected to sign nuclear and defence deals worth billions of dollars during a two-day visit to India.
The highlight of Dmitry Medvedev’s trip will be a $30bn agreement for the development of a so-called “fifth generation” stealth fighter jet.
Agreement is also expected on the supply of Russian nuclear power generating reactors to India.
Ahead of his visit Mr Medvedev said India and Russia had a strong bond.
“We can rightfully call it a privileged partnership,” the Russian prime minister said in an interview with the Times of India newspaper published on Monday.
A foreign ministry spokesman said there was “robust defence co-operation” between the two countries, allies since the Cold War
“It is not a mere buyer-seller relationship, but the two sides are looking at joint research and development and joint production,” Vishnu Prakash said.
India has long been a major market for Russian-produced weapons but, says the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, the country’s relationship with Russia is now changing.
India – now one of the world’s largest buyers of fighter jets, tanks, submarines and other defence equipment – expects not just to buy weaponry off the shelf but also to share in the technology that it contains.
In the past six months, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already welcomed the leaders of China, France, the US and the UK to Delhi.
Each has been accompanied by a large business delegation, and each has gone home boasting of billions of dollars of extra trade with one of the world’s fastest growing economies, the BBC’s Mark Dummett in Delhi reports.
Observers say Mr Medvedev will be keen to ensure that Russian firms do not lose out to foreign competitors.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
