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Saville ‘no regrets’ over inquiry

Lord SavilleLord Saville is appearing before the NI Affairs Select Committee at Westminister

The man who led the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has defended the length of time it took and the cost to the taxpayer.

Lord Saville told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster that he was not aware of anything that could or should have been done better.

He said that he was asked to conduct a “thorough” inquiry – and that meant it could not be done cheaply or quickly.

The inquiry was the longest running in British legal history and cost about £200m between 1998 and 2010.

Lord Saville, who was speaking publicly for the first time since the inquiry was published, said it had been “unique” and had taken a decade of his life, but expressed no regrets.

He also defended the length of time to write the report – almost five years.

He said: “One thousand pages a year to write – not too bad is it?”

In response to questions about the cost of lawyers during the inquiry – around £100m – he said lawyers were “expensive, very expensive”.

However, he said that the inquiry could have cut costs by buying a house in Derry, which could then have been sold for a profit when his team had finished their work.

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

Girl injured in six-flight fall

A girl has been seriously wounded falling down six flights of stairs at an east London school.

The pupil was hurt in the fall on Wednesday afternoon at Raine’s Foundation Secondary School in Tower Hamlets.

She was taken to hospital and remains in a serious condition.

Police were called and are investigating how the girl – believed to be in year seven – fell down the internal stairwell.

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

Saville ‘no regrets’ over inquiry

Lord SavilleLord Saville is appearing before the NI Affairs Select Committee at Westminister

The man who led the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has defended the length of time it took and the cost to the taxpayer.

Lord Saville told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster that he was not aware of anything that could or should have been done better.

He said that he was asked to conduct a “thorough” inquiry – and that meant it could not be done cheaply or quickly.

The inquiry was the longest running in British legal history and cost about £200m between 1998 and 2010.

Lord Saville, who was speaking publicly for the first time since the inquiry was published, said it had been “unique” and had taken a decade of his life, but expressed no regrets.

He also defended the length of time to write the report – almost five years.

He said: “One thousand pages a year to write – not too bad is it?”

In response to questions about the cost of lawyers during the inquiry – around £100m – he said lawyers were “expensive, very expensive”.

However, he said that the inquiry could have cut costs by buying a house in Derry, which could then have been sold for a profit when his team had finished their work.

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

Think hard over fees, urges Clegg

Nick Clegg speaking to students at Queen's University BelfastMr Clegg says he is “painfully aware” of his party’s pledge on tuition fees

Nick Clegg has urged his MPs to look at “all the facts” before deciding whether to oppose a rise in tuition fees.

The deputy prime minister said he would “understand” if fellow Lib Dems felt they could not back it, after signing a pre-election pledge not to do so.

But he said the Browne report, which recommended lifting caps on fees, could be a basis for a “fair and sustainable” model of future university funding.

Ex-Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has said he will oppose any rise.

The government has broadly endorsed Lord Browne’s report – which proposes an end to the annual £3,290 cap on tuition fees in England – but said it would look at the implications of lifting all restrictions before making a final decision.

Before May’s general election, the Lib Dems agreed to phase out tuition fees over six years, while individual MPs signed pledges not to support any future increase.

Their coalition deal with the Tories allowed MPs to abstain from voting on the issue but Sir Menzies and former deputy leadership candidate Tim Farron are among those to indicate they will vote against any bill allowing universities to charge more.

In a letter to all his MPs, Mr Clegg said he had personally “struggled endlessly” with the issue.

“I am painfully aware of the pledge we all made to voters on tuition fees ahead of the general election. Departing from that pledge will be one of the most difficult decisions of my political career.”

But the assumptions underlying that pledge were no longer practical, he added, because the financial situation facing the country had changed completely and there were a lack of “plausible alternatives” to the framework set out in the Browne report.

Unless the current system was changed, he said either institutions risked going bankrupt or fewer students would be able to experience going to university.

BROWNE’S PLANNo upper limit on fees universities can chargeUniversities to pay levy on fees over £6,000 paStudents to pay back once they earn £21,000 (currently £15,000)Remaining debt cancelled after 30 years (currently 25)Interest rate on loans (currently 1.5%) to rise to inflation + 2.2%All students eligible for flat-rate maintenance loan of £3,750If government accepts proposals, they could be brought in from 2012Browne report: At a glance Q&A: University funding

Under Lord Browne’s proposals, he said poorer students would pay less, wealthier students would pay more, the income level at which graduates would start to repay their loans would rise considerably and part-time students would get a fairer deal.

Going down this route rather than that of a graduate tax, which was “unfair and simply won’t work”, would leave the party on the “right side of the argument”.

“I could not forgive myself if we did not take decisions now, regardless of how difficult they are politically, that would lead to a fair and sustainable system of higher education funding for future generations.”

But Sir Menzies, Mr Clegg’s predecessor as Lib Dem leader, said he was adamant that he could not support Lord Browne’s proposal.

“I have the St Andrews University in my constituency. I am the chancellor of the university. My credibility would be shot to pieces if I did anything other than to stick to the promise I made,” he told the BBC.

Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes said the party’s MPs must make their own choices on the issue and insisted there was time to improve Lord Browne’s core proposals to make them “even more consistent” with what they had put forward at the election.

But students have warned that they will challenge MPs who “betray” pre-election pledges.

Lord Browne’s review comes amid rising demand for places at universities which are unable to expand to provide them due to government spending cuts.

Further cuts are expected to be announced in the spending review on 20 October, as the government seeks to reduce the budget deficit.

Scottish students studying in Scotland do not have to pay any fees. In Northern Ireland and Wales, fees are charged up to a maximum of £3,290 a year.

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

Think hard over fees, urges Clegg

Nick Clegg speaking to students at Queen's University BelfastMr Clegg says he is “painfully aware” of his party’s pledge on tuition fees

Nick Clegg has urged his MPs to look at “all the facts” before deciding whether to oppose a rise in tuition fees.

The deputy prime minister said he would “understand” if fellow Lib Dems felt they could not back it, after signing a pre-election pledge not to do so.

But he said the Browne report, which recommended lifting caps on fees, could be a basis for a “fair and sustainable” model of future university funding.

Ex-Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has said he will oppose any rise.

The government has broadly endorsed Lord Browne’s report – which proposes an end to the annual £3,290 cap on tuition fees in England – but said it would look at the implications of lifting all restrictions before making a final decision.

Before May’s general election, the Lib Dems agreed to phase out tuition fees over six years, while individual MPs signed pledges not to support any future increase.

Their coalition deal with the Tories allowed MPs to abstain from voting on the issue but Sir Menzies and former deputy leadership candidate Tim Farron are among those to indicate they will vote against any bill allowing universities to charge more.

In a letter to all his MPs, Mr Clegg said he had personally “struggled endlessly” with the issue.

“I am painfully aware of the pledge we all made to voters on tuition fees ahead of the general election. Departing from that pledge will be one of the most difficult decisions of my political career.”

But the assumptions underlying that pledge were no longer practical, he added, because the financial situation facing the country had changed completely and there were a lack of “plausible alternatives” to the framework set out in the Browne report.

Unless the current system was changed, he said either institutions risked going bankrupt or fewer students would be able to experience going to university.

BROWNE’S PLANNo upper limit on fees universities can chargeUniversities to pay levy on fees over £6,000 paStudents to pay back once they earn £21,000 (currently £15,000)Remaining debt cancelled after 30 years (currently 25)Interest rate on loans (currently 1.5%) to rise to inflation + 2.2%All students eligible for flat-rate maintenance loan of £3,750If government accepts proposals, they could be brought in from 2012Browne report: At a glance Q&A: University funding

Under Lord Browne’s proposals, he said poorer students would pay less, wealthier students would pay more, the income level at which graduates would start to repay their loans would rise considerably and part-time students would get a fairer deal.

Going down this route rather than that of a graduate tax, which was “unfair and simply won’t work”, would leave the party on the “right side of the argument”.

“I could not forgive myself if we did not take decisions now, regardless of how difficult they are politically, that would lead to a fair and sustainable system of higher education funding for future generations.”

But Sir Menzies, Mr Clegg’s predecessor as Lib Dem leader, said he was adamant that he could not support Lord Browne’s proposal.

“I have the St Andrews University in my constituency. I am the chancellor of the university. My credibility would be shot to pieces if I did anything other than to stick to the promise I made,” he told the BBC.

Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes said the party’s MPs must make their own choices on the issue and insisted there was time to improve Lord Browne’s core proposals to make them “even more consistent” with what they had put forward at the election.

But students have warned that they will challenge MPs who “betray” pre-election pledges.

Lord Browne’s review comes amid rising demand for places at universities which are unable to expand to provide them due to government spending cuts.

Further cuts are expected to be announced in the spending review on 20 October, as the government seeks to reduce the budget deficit.

Scottish students studying in Scotland do not have to pay any fees. In Northern Ireland and Wales, fees are charged up to a maximum of £3,290 a year.

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

Banks plan small business fund

The workshop of a UK-based car-parts metal finishing companyBanks say that small businesses have simply been asking for fewer loans since the recession began

UK banks are to propose creating a £1.5bn ($950m) fund to invest in small businesses, following government criticism of weak lending.

The BBC understands that the fund will be a key proposal in a new report.

The “business growth fund” would invest the money – equivalent to about 0.1% of the UK economy’s annual output – over a number of years.

The report comes from the business finance taskforce, which was set up in the summer by six major UK lenders.

“That will be seen as a useful contribution to the growth potential of a segment of the economy that has typically found it hard to raise capital”

Robert Peston BBC business editorRead Robert’s blog in full

The BBC understands that the fund would buy up to a 10% stake in the shares of companies with an annual turnover of £10m to £100m.

The fund should also make it easier for small businesses to borrow more money as well, according to our business editor, Robert Peston.

“Those companies that take advantage of the new capital on offer should also be able to lever in additional debt finance,” he explains.

But he cautions that it is important not to get too carried away about the fund’s potential.

“I calculate that it will be able to provide risk capital to around 250 middling companies over a number of years,” he adds.

The BBC understands that the taskforce’s report – which is to be delivered to the Treasury on Wednesday – will also make recommendations on ways to improve customer relations with borrowers and increase the transparency of small business lending.

Banks stand accused by the government of providing too few loans at too high a cost to small businesses in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis.

But banks claim that the fall-off in lending is not their fault and has happened because small businesses are choosing to borrow less in response to the weak economy.

According to Angela Knight of the British Bankers’ Association, the taskforce’s job was to “determine to what extent the opposing forces of supply and demand are influencing the flow of finance between banks and businesses”.

Robert Peston says the new report will tacitly admit that there the supply of credit may become a problem in future.

“Our banks became far too dependent in the boom years on raising finance in asset-backed bond markets which still haven’t recovered properly,” he explains.

If this major source of financing for bank lending fails to recover, then the banks could remain dependent on government financial support, simply in order to maintain – let alone raise – their existing level of lending.

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Clegg defends five-year term plan

MPs in the CommonsThe plans would stop the prime minister from choosing the date of the election

Nick Clegg has defended plans for five-year fixed-term parliaments, arguing they are essential to the coalition’s efforts to restore faith in politics.

The deputy PM was questioned by the Lords’ constitution committee, which asked why four-year terms were not on offer instead.

But Mr Clegg said five-year parliaments allowed time to “govern properly” before election campaigning began.

Peers suggested five years was “rather cosy”, as it offered MPs more security.

Mr Clegg has faced criticism of his plans for political reforms – which include moves to allow voters to “recall” MPs guilty of serious wrongdoing, to introduce fixed-term parliaments and for a referendum on the “alternative vote” for Westminster elections.

But he told peers the measures represented “a significant step” towards making Parliament more accountable and more in step with the needs of British society.

He said: “Do they themselves individually or collectively represent a sort of perfectly formed constitutional moment? No, I accept that there is always messiness on the edges of these things.”

But he said many of the proposals “go very much with the grain of debates that have been raging for a very long time” and said there was a lot of political support for fixed-term parliaments.

“I think the judgement that was reached was the right one – that it was better to try to get this right in a binding fashion”

Nick Clegg

Committee member Lord Rodgers suggested that five-year parliaments were a “rather cosy arrangement”, as MPs would have “a sense of security for five years” and there would be fewer elections than under the current system.

Mr Clegg said he did “not believe there was a scientific link between the frequency of elections and the quality of government”.

He argued that about 10 elections since World War Two had resulted in a parliament lasting longer than four years, and three of the last five had seen a government in power for five years.

Mr Clegg said: “It’s a combination of providing a length of time with which people are familiar and which allows governments at least maybe four of those five years … to get on with governing properly for the benefit of the country, combined with taking away from the executive this ability to capriciously time the election for nothing more than political self-interest.”

He said governments tended to be “hamstrung and paralysed” for at least a year before a general election, so a five-year term would allow four years to “get on and do difficult things”.

There has been some complaint that the fixed-term parliaments bill has not been published in draft to undergo further scrutiny. Crossbencher Lord Pannick asked Mr Clegg: “What’s the rush?”

Former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith suggested that, as the prime minister had said the next election would be held in 2015, that there should be “adequate time for the people, for Parliament, really to debate these fundamental changes”.

But Mr Clegg said the government had consulted with “institutions which have a constitutional role” and had been warned that simply making a commitment to hold elections in 2015 then having a “more leisurely approach” could have left it in “limbo”.

The bill would be subject to the “greatest possible scrutiny” as it made its way through Parliament, he said.

He also suggested that questions over the role of the Queen – who officially dissolves Parliament at the prime minister’s request – had played a part in the decision.

“I think one is treading on relatively sensitive ground for that reason, amongst others, and… that it was better to try to get this right in a binding fashion.”

The five-year pattern would mean that the UK-wide election of 7 May 2015 clashed with those in the devolved assemblies and would continue to do so again once every 20 years.

Mr Clegg argued that there would have been clashes anyway under the current system. He said there was some potential for confusion with two legislative elections on the same day and the government was consulting to see if there were “alternatives” but there were “no easy answers”.

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

Asteroid pile-up makes a picture

The Hubble and Rosetta spacecraft picture the debris from the explosive collision of two asteroids.

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

French strikes go into second day

Crowded Paris commuter trainMany commuters voiced frustration but support for the strikes

French strikers are disrupting services for a second day running, as they seek to build pressure on the government over its pension reform plans.

Tuesday saw the biggest strikes and demonstrations so far in the campaign, and several unions say they will continue their stoppages indefinitely.

Rail services are still restricted, causing congestion and delays.

And strikers forced the closure of all six of the Total oil group’s refineries in France, threatening fuel shortages.

Eleven out of the 12 refineries in France have now been affected by strike action – although a Total spokesman said the company had enough fuel in its depots to continue supplying France’s filling stations.

Related stories

The general strike on Tuesday – the third this month – saw more than a million people take to the streets. Unions put the national turnout at 3.5m, while police said 1.2m people were involved.

The unions are opposed to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and to delay a full state pension from 65 to 67.

The government says the current pension arrangements are not sustainable and need to be reformed – and has vowed not to back down, despite what analysts are calling its biggest challenge so far.

The lower house of parliament has approved the reforms, which are now working their way through the Senate.

On the Paris trains, there was frustration but sympathy for the strikers.

“It’s a bit annoying for those who work. But I completely understand their point,” Isma Belmiloud told Reuters.

Eric Floresse said his commute had been disrupted, but in a good cause.

“I think the reform is unjust, there are already lots of older people who are unemployed.

“I think there are better ways to sort out the social security deficit, it’s not the best solution,” he added.

Nationally, fewer than half of local and inter-city trains were running, the SNCF national rail operator said. Eurostar services to England were unaffected.

The Eiffel Tower was open to tourists again on Wednesday, after workers walked out on Tuesday.

But certain unions – particularly in the transport sector – say their strikes are open-ended, and will hold daily ballots on whether to extend their action for another 24 hours.

Further mass demonstrations are planned for Saturday.

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

No fine for Transformers accident

US officials have said Paramount Pictures will not be fined over an accident on the set of Transformers 3 that left a woman brain damaged.

Gabriela Cedillo was left partially paralyzed and unable to speak when a thick slab of metal became dislodged from a stunt car and struck her head.

Indiana health and safety spokesman, Marc Lotter, said the incident was “unfortunate and unforeseeable”.

Related stories

The accident occurred due to the failure of a weld connected to a cable.

Lotter said the weld was made by a certified welder and all necessary safety precautions were in place when the accident happened on 1 September, 2010.

The family of Cedillo, who was an extra on the film, have since started legal proceedings against Paramount in Chicago.

They claim that the studio and location managers on the film breached a duty of care.

Paramount said it would “continue to provide” help for Ms Cedillo.

Extras on film sets are usually asked to sign liability waivers. However, it will be down to the jury hearing this case to decide whether the studio owed a duty of care to Cedillo.

The court will be looking for evidence that reasonable precautions were taken to prevent accidents.

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

US probe into home repossessions

Foreclosure sign outside a house in CaliforniaThe investigation will focus on whether paperwork was correctly processed

Officials in 49 US states have started a joint investigation into whether mortgage firms were wrong to repossess hundreds of thousands of US homes.

It follows allegations that the companies often mishandled documents when people behind on their mortgages had their houses taken from them.

According to industry figures, more than 2.5 million US homes have been repossessed since December 2007.

On Tuesday the White House ruled out a temporary ban on home repossessions.

Related stories

All states apart from Alabama have joined the joint investigation, as has the capital Washington DC.

It is not yet known why Alabama has chosen not to participate.

Officials will study the accuracy and legitimacy of the documents that lenders used to evict people from their properties.

It follows allegations that some bank employees signed off on repossession documents without reading them.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said: “This is not simply about a glitch in paperwork.

“It’s also about some companies violating the law and many people losing their homes.”

Lenders including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase have already halted questionable repossessions.

Others, such as Citigroup and Wells Fargo have not done so, saying they have done nothing wrong.

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

Pentagon warns on US gay ruling

Lt Dan Choi, shown chained to the White House fenceIraq veterans including Lt Dan Choi were among those discharged under the policy

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned a court-ordered halt of a ban on openly gay military personnel could have “enormous consequences”.

A day after a judge halted the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, Mr Gates said he preferred that Congress, not a court, settle the issue.

Under the policy, gay people can serve in the military but face expulsion if their sexuality is revealed.

Related stories

A legislative bid to overturn the ban failed in the US Senate last month.

“I feel strongly this is an action that needs to be taken by the Congress and that it is an action that requires careful preparation, and a lot of training,” Mr Gates said. “It has enormous consequences for our troops.”

Mr Gates’ comments aboard a military aircraft came a day after US District Judge Virginia Phillips, in California, issued a permanent injunction forbidding the US military from enforcing the 17-year-old ban.

At the White House on Wednesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs described “don’t ask, don’t tell” as “a policy that is going to end”. But he declined to answer whether the Obama administration preferred to seek a stay of the injunction and appeal against the ruling.

Analysis

President Barack Obama has said he wants to end “Don’t ask, don’t tell’.

But that doesn’t mean that the judgement will go uncontested.

The justice department is not obliged to appeal the ruling or seek a stay, but the president has always maintained that his preferred course of action is to change the law through Congress.

That has been tried once already this year and was blocked in the Senate.

With the conservative Republican Party expected to pick up more seats in the coming mid-term elections this particular route is unlikely to get easier.

Meanwhile the Pentagon is carrying-out an extensive survey of serving personnel, gauging their attitudes to working alongside gay colleagues.

Its findings are expected to show a softening of views in recent years, reflecting broader changes in society. However there will be parts of the report that are ambiguous and provide ammunition to both sides of this debate.

The US Department of Justice has 60 days to appeal but may opt not to do so.

President Barack Obama has said repeatedly he favours scrapping the ban, and Mr Gibbs reiterated the administration would prefer it be done in Congress rather than the court system.

The US House has already passed a repeal, but the bill stalled in the Senate last month amid staunch Republican opposition. Republicans are poised to make gains in both chambers in the upcoming mid-term election.

“The political balance of power is going to shift after these elections,” said Richard Socarides, former gay and lesbian policy adviser to President Bill Clinton. “It’s only going to get harder.”

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has been studying how gay people can be integrated into the US military and is to report on its findings on 1 December.

Pentagon officials have said allowing openly gay military personnel would necessitate dramatic policy changes on everything from housing and insurance to protocol at social events.

Pending the uncertainty, a prominent legal organisation warned gays in the military not to reveal their sexual orientation yet.

“Service members must proceed safely and should not come out at this time,” Aaron Tax, legal director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said.

Gay people in the US militaryPresident Bill Clinton wanted to lift the ban on gay people in the militaryAfter staunch opposition, compromise “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy passed in 1993Between 1997 and 2008, 10,500 service members discharged under rulesPresident Barack Obama pledged to repeal the policyPentagon review announced in February 2010

Britain, Israel and dozens of other countries allow gay personnel to serve openly, but under the US policy established in 1993, gays may serve in the military but cannot acknowledge their orientation. The military is forbidden to inquire but may expel service members found to be gay.

The lawsuit that led to the world-wide injunction against the ban was brought by the Log Cabin Republicans, a pro-gay Republican group, on behalf of openly gay military personnel who had been discharged.

Supporters of the ban say allowing gay people to serve openly in the US military would lower troop morale and hinder military readiness.

Judge Phillips declared the policy unconstitutional after a brief trial last month. She found it violated gay military members’ rights to free speech and to equal protection under the law.

Government lawyers objected to an immediate, nationwide injunction, arguing it might harm military operations during wartime.

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

Rapper who shot at crowd jailed

Aron ThomasAron Thomas hit a man in the leg when he fired eight shots at the crowd

A rapper on YouTube who acted out his violent lyrics when he fired at random at a crowd in north London has been jailed for 11 years.

Aron Thomas, 23, shot someone in the leg when he fired eight shots near Wood Green Tube station in February.

Thomas, of north London, performing under the name Vipex, had boasted on his videos about his use of firearms.

Thomas pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and to a firearms charge.

The Old Bailey was told that in one of the videos he bragged: “I back out my ting and start a quick evacuation”.

Adrian Darbishire, prosecuting, said the words corresponded with footage from the scene of people “literally diving for cover in fear of their lives”.

Lloyd Wisdom, the man who was struck by one of the bullets, had been out with friends when he heard two shots and started to run.

“He heard a third shot and realised that he had been struck by a bullet in his lower leg,” said Mr Darbishire.

He was taken to Whittington Hospital, where he spent two days.

Most of the bullet was taken out of his leg but some fragments remained and he was left needing to use crutches and “in a lot of pain”, the court heard.

The court was told Thomas was jailed in 2005 for 42 months for kidnap and attempted robbery after he and two others threatened a man and tried to make him withdraw £1,000 from his bank account.

In September 2007 he was part of a large gang who beat up a man outside a nightclub, and was jailed for seven months for affray.

Adrienne Knight, defending, said Thomas had worked as a volunteer at Arsenal football club with 14 and 15-year-olds and was “held in high regard there”.

She said he carried out the shooting out of a “misguided sense of loyalty” because of “his brother getting into trouble with people in that area”.

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