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The Dazl Diamonds practice in a community centre on an estate in Leeds Europe’s only troupe of boy cheerleaders can be found on a tough housing estate in Yorkshire. What’s more – they’ve just picked up a trophy at the National Cheerleading Championships.
Break dancing, street dance and hip hop – it is easy to imagine why some boys turn to the types of dance typically associated with edgy music and an urban vibe.
Less obvious is why cheerleading – which conjures up the image of skirt-wearing, pompom-parading girls doing the cancan at the sidelines of a football pitch – would appeal.
But with the Dazl Diamonds taking home trophies and new figures suggesting 37% of schools now offer cheerleading in PE lessons, is there a new craze for this unique blend of dance, tumbling and gymnastics?
Dazl Diamonds dance instructor Ian Rodley, 27, says TV programmes such as Glee, Britain’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance have certainly upped its cool credentials.
“I’m getting the feeling of becoming a Billy Elliot, cause I dance, he dances. His dad don’t like him to dance, my dad don’t like me to dance”
Harvey Pratt, 9 Dazl Diamond
“With all the exposure, there is a massive influence in young people, it’s up 100%.
“The wholesome American image has become fun and cool, it’s like what happened to street dance with films,” he says.
Mr Rodley says the cheerleading club – which is partially funded by Leeds’ Primary Care Trust anti-obesity programme and comes under a bigger community project called Dance Action Zone Leeds – was set up to help boys in some of the most deprived parts of the city.
Its aim is to use dance as tool to improve young people’s physical and mental health.
“Kids don’t get many opportunities round here. It’s about giving children from communities where there is not much something to do.
“Cheerleading involves lots of jumps, kicks and turns, tricks, stunts, dance lifts, poms, chants, voice projection and visual effects – it is high energy, like an art form.
“The kids learn routines, put on benefits or galas every 8-10 weeks to raise money within the community – we ask people to pay £3 for a show.
“It gives them a sense of belonging, helps them work as a team, builds self-esteem and gets them fit. In schools, concentration levels have gone up – cheerleading gives kids a discipline they don’t often get at home.”
About 40 boys turn up every week, he says, and the boys groups are broken down into 3-6 year olds, 7-11 year olds and 12-15 year olds.
The squad – 16 boys between the ages of eight and 14 – put in a good 12 hours a week training, even more in the lead up to a competition.
Former US president George W BushFormer US president Dwight EisenhowerFormer US president Franklin RooseveltUS actor Samuel L JacksonUS actor and comedian Steve Martin
Source: UK Cheerleading Association
But what kind of response do the boys get from partaking in such a traditionally female-dominated activity?
Nine-year-old Harvey Pratt, from Belle Isle estate, says he loves cheerleading, but while his mother – who was in prison when she was pregnant with him – is proud, not everyone has been so accepting.
“I’m getting the feeling of becoming a Billy Elliot, because I dance, he dances. His dad don’t like him to dance, my dad don’t like me to dance.
“But then, further on in the story Billy Elliot’s dad starts liking him, and he starts taking him to these auditions in London.
“And if my dad understands me, understands that I like doing cheerleading it’ll be like the entire Billy Elliot story,” he says.
Joe English, 13, also from Belle Isle, agrees it has not always been easy.
“They used to call me camp, and poof, and gay, and all that. But then when I’m on a rugby pitch they go ‘Oh, you’re well rough!'” he says.
The Dazl Diamonds took on the girls at the National Cheerleading Championships
But Allison High, the mother of another Dazl Diamond, 12-year-old Elliott Morgan, says cheerleading has been “absolutely brilliant” for her son.
“It’s given him confidence, personality, and he can take a laugh now instead of taking everything straight to the heart.
“It’s been a good, good thing for him. It’s totally changed my child. Yeah, somebody’s took my kid and given me another one.”
Alison Oliver, director of sport at Youth Sport Trust, says the great thing about cheerleading is it attracts children who might be turned off traditional sports such as rugby, cricket or football, perhaps because they lack hand eye co-ordination or do not like physical contact.
“It seem less threatening, and can give children the confidence to progress into other sports,” she says.
Elliott Morgan, 12, says cheerleading has given him confidence “Plus clubs don’t need to be too reliant on money, cheerleading doesn’t require many facilities or much equipment – if people have access to music, they can do it.”
She says the gender bias is not as extreme as some people think.
“Cheerleading is an athletic activity, certainly at a competitive level the complexity of moves and lifts are strenuous.
“It is more similar to gymnastics than it is to dance – and gymnastics has a very positive profile as a sport – it is close to that at the top.”
The Dazl Diamonds also have history on their side. Until the 1920s, cheerleading was largely a male and all-American pursuit.
“When the men went away to fight in the first World War, women took over cheerleading and claimed it for themselves,” explains Pat Hawkins, president of the UK Cheerleading Association.
More recently, famous faces such as former US presidents George Bush and Dwight Eisenhower and American actors Samuel L Jackson and Steve Martin have championed the sport.
Source: UK Cheerleading Association
Mr Rodley concedes cheerleading is not for everyone, but says it can be a lot more “open, more accessible” than other sports.
“Football is a skill, people go on and deliver what is learnt – cheerleading is more creative, the kids can come up with their own choreography.”
The Dazl Diamonds are aiming high and hope to steal a podium position at the British Cheerleading Association’s International Championships in December.
Mr Rodley says it is about inspiring some of the “raw” children and “making their aspirations feel more than just south Leeds and Milton”.
“I don’t think I could just go with middle class boys.
“Some might get teased to start with, but for others it’s somewhere to get accepted. And if it inspires a child to be something else, if it improves their lives, that’s what we are here for – it makes it worthwhile.”
Boy Cheerleaders will be broadcast at 2100 BST on BBC Two on Wednesday 13 October. Or watch again afterwards on BBC iPlayer.
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The bonus scheme for consultants is under attack. Critics claim the system needs overhauling as checks are not being carried out and a loophole means the money cannot be withdrawn even if performance deteriorates. How does the system work?
How do the bonuses work?
The scheme dates back to 1948 when the NHS was created. They are available to consultants and are designed to reward excellence in research, teaching and, of course, clinical care.
They are paid on top of the basic salary – which currently stands at £89,400 on average – and for the top-performing doctors are worth an extra £75,000 a year.
Consultants nominate themselves for the awards with a final decision being made by the local NHS trusts or, for the larger awards, a national committee.
Once a doctor is awarded a bonus given they continue to get it in subsequent years. However, the awards are subject to five-yearly checks.
Why can’t the bonus be taken from them?
There is a loophole in the system which means the five-yearly checks can only remove the award in name only.
The clause was inserted right at the start of the health service as a way of enticing hospital doctors into the newly created free NHS.
It means the extra money once given cannot then be removed even if a recipient’s standards slip.
For example, a doctor getting the top £75,889 award could get the gold star removed from the records, but would still be given the money each year.
The loophole has created a culture where the five-year checks are not rigorously enforced with some doctors not even taking part in the process at all.
It has meant that in practice very few doctors have had the award withdrawn, even in name only.
Critics argue that the awards have effectively become “lifetime” bonuses.
How many doctors are getting the awards?
The numbers getting them are rising year on year. Nearly 20,000 in England – that is more than half the entire workforce – get some level of payout.
The trend pushed the bill for the bonuses through the £200m barrier last year.
While many awards are for sums under £10,000, there are still more than 5,000 consultants on payouts of more than £35,000.
The numbers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are much smaller. In Scotland, for example, just 12% of consultants have qualified for them.
What is the government doing about it?
Ministers have tried to reform the bonus system previously. The most recent attempt came during negotiations seven years ago over the new contract, but as yet significant reform has proved hard to get doctors to agree to.
However, as soon as the coalition government was formed, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley pushed for a review of the system in England. The other parts of the UK, which have similar schemes, followed suit.
The independent doctors’ pay body is now looking at the issue and will make recommendations next summer.
The BBC understands this pay protection loophole is one of the things they are looking at.
However, they face a fight from the medical profession. Many doctors privately feel it is impossible to justify in the current economic climate when public sector workers are facing pay freezes.
However, the British Medical Association, the doctors’ trade body, remains a staunch defender. It says the bonuses are an important part of the overall pay system.
Just how much do consultants really earn?
It is hard to get accurate figures. Even the NHS Information Centre, which records every small detail of health expenditure, is unsure.
With the bonuses, overtime payments and extra sums for taking on managerial responsibility it is not uncommon for the basic salary to be doubled.
In fact, figures obtained by the BBC Panorama programme suggested some consultants were earning more than £300,000 a year from the NHS.
On top of that, there is the lucrative private market, something which is not readily available to the other big earners in health, GPs.
It is estimated about half of consultants do some form of private work, with surgeons the most likely to profit.
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Drugs need to undergo extensive testing in trials before approval Doctors and patients are being misled about the effectiveness of some drugs because negative trial results are not published, experts have warned.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they say that pharmaceutical companies should be forced to publish all data, not just positive findings.
The German team give the example of the antidepressant reboxetine, saying publications have failed to show the drug in a true light.
Pfizer maintains its drug is effective.
Reboxetine (Edronax), made by Pfizer, is used in many European countries, including the UK.
But its rejection by US drug regulators raised doubts about its effectiveness, and led some to hunt for missing data.
This is not the first time a large drug company has come under fire about its published drug trial data.
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was criticised for failing to raise the alarm on the risk of suicidal behaviour associated with its antidepressant Seroxat.
GSK rejected claims that it improperly withheld drug trial information.
“Our findings underline the urgent need for mandatory publication of trial data”
The research authors
But GSK has also been forced to defend itself over allegations about hiding negative data regarding another of its drugs, Avandia, which is used to treat diabetes.
Now researchers from The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care say there is unpublished trial data for Pfizer’s antidepressant reboxetine that should be made public because it could change views about the drug.
Dr Beate Wieseler and colleagues carried out their own assessment of reboxetine, looking at the results of 13 trials, including eight previously unpublished trials from the manufacturer Pfizer.
They found the drug was no better than a placebo in terms of remission and response rates. And its benefit was inferior when compared with other similar antidepressants.
Furthermore, a higher rate of patients had side effects with reboxetine than with placebo. And more stopped taking the drug because of side effects compared with those taking a placebo or a different antidepressant.
The researchers said there has been a publication bias and this had overestimated the benefit of reboxetine and underestimated potential harm. And, they said, it was a widespread problem that applied to many of the drugs in use today.
“Our findings underline the urgent need for mandatory publication of trial data,” they say in the BMJ.
They warn that the lack of all information means policy makers are unable to make informed decisions.
In the US, it is already a requirement that all data – both positive and negative – is published. The UK is also striving to achieve this.
The UK’s regulator, the MHRA, said: “There is a European initiative to provide public access to the results of clinical trials. The currently planned timeline is that this information could become available in late 2011/early 2012.”
A spokeswoman for Pfizer said: “In the UK, Pfizer’s reboxetine is licensed for the acute treatment of depressive illness/major depression and for maintaining the clinical improvement in patients initially responding to treatment.
“This medicine presents an effective treatment option to clinicians for the use in patients suffering from these conditions.
“Pfizer discloses the results of its clinical trials to regulatory authorities all around the world. These regulatory authorities carefully balance the risks and benefits of each medication, and reflect all important safety and efficacy information in the approved product labelling.
“Pfizer will review the meta-analysis relating to reboxetine published in the British Medical Journal on 13th October 2010 in detail and will provide further comment after completing the review.”
Others lay at least some of the blame with the medical journals that publish drug trial data.
In response, the BMJ has promised to devote an entire issue to the topic next year.
BMJ Editors Dr Fiona Godlee and Dr Elizabeth Loder said: “It is time to demonstrate a shared commitment to set the record straight.”
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An attempt to rescue 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground will begin at midnight on Wednesday (0300 GMT), Mining Minister Laurence Golborne says.
A test of the rescue capsule has been carried out successfully, descending almost the whole way down the 622m (680yd) shaft, engineers say.
Earlier, the top 90m was reinforced with metal casing to prevent crumbling.
The miners have been trapped since a collapse in the mine on 5 August, but were reached by a drill on Saturday.
The “Plan B” drill that reached the miners left the San Jose mine, near the town of Copiapo, to a rousing reception on Monday.
The drill was driven away surrounded by crowds of photographers and cheers by hundreds of people across the site.
Shortly afterwards, officials briefed the media on the latest developments in the bid to bring the miners to the surface.
Chief engineer Andre Sougarret said a formal test of the shaft had been successful, with the specially constructed Phoenix rescue capsule barely registering a scratch as it travelled up and down the tunnel.
The top 90m have been lined with metal to prevent the crumbling surface rocks from breaking away during the rescue.
But experts say the rest of the escape shaft is dug through solid rock and will not break up.
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Papers hail the ‘miner miracle’ of overnight rescue in Chile
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Burma’s detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not vote in the first general election in 20 years, her lawyer says.
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The rescue mission to retrieve 33 miners who have been trapped underground since early August has officially begun.
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Posters and flags line the main road from Beirut airport, but not everyone in Lebanon is enthusiastic Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due in Lebanon for a visit seen as a boost for Tehran’s Shia ally Hezbollah, an enemy of Israel.
The two-day visit will include a tour of villages along Lebanon’s tense border with Israel.
The region was devastated during the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and rebuilt partly with Iranian money.
During his visit, Mr Ahmadinejad will meet President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
He will also attend a rally in the capital Beirut organised by Hezbollah.
It is the Iranian leader’s first visit to Lebanon since he took office in 2005.
The highway that runs from the airport to the centre of the capital Beirut has been decorated with Iranian flags and posters for Mr Ahmadinejad’s visit.
But correspondents say that although the Iranian leader will be welcome in Hezbollah’s strongholds, some members of Lebanon’s pro-Western parliamentary majority see it as a provocation.
As the visit approached, Hezbollah’s rivals in government issued a statement saying Mr Ahmadinejad was seeking to transform Lebanon into “an Iranian base on the Mediterranean”.
Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced her concerns over the visit with Mr Suleiman.
Mr Ahmadinejad’s visit also comes amid tension over a UN inquiry into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The UN tribunal is believed to be close to issuing indictments, including ones naming members of Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Hariri – Rafik Hariri’s son – is under pressure from Hezbollah and Syria to denounce the tribunal.
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Boxing, cycling, diving and shooting are among the highlights as 29 gold medals are up for grabs at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
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The first of the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground has reached the surface.
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The trip is Mr Hague’s first to Moscow as foreign secretary William Hague will hold meetings later with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in his first trip to Moscow as foreign secretary.
Mr Hague has played down expectations ahead of the visit, but said “the door was open to better relations”.
Relations between the two countries have been strained over the murder of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in November 2006.
Britain’s 2007 request for the extradition of a suspect still stands.
UK investigators suspect former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi of the murder, but he has always denied any involvement in the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko with the radioactive substance polonium-210.
In May 2007, the Crown Prosecution Service formally submitted an extradition request to Moscow for Mr Lugovoi to stand trial in Britain.
Russia has refused to co-operate, saying it would be against its constitution to do so.
Ahead of his talks with Mr Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Mr Hague told the BBC that better, businesslike relations were desirable, but that did not mean Britain was setting aside differences with Russia over the Litvinenko murder.
“It’s not a problem that can be ignored.”
William Hague Foreign Secretary
Russia has signalled it hopes Mr Hague’s visit will help put irritants aside, and called on Mr Hague to take concrete steps towards it.
Mr Hague, though, insisted it was not yet time to turn a corner.
“[The Litvinenko murder] remains a major problem in bilateral relations and I don’t think that problem is going to go away.
“It’s not going to be set aside, it’s not going to be put behind us, it is something we will have to continue to discuss with Russia.
“So, it’s not a problem that can be ignored but I think while we discuss that with Russia there are other things we can be doing.”
However, Mr Hague does want to explore the potential for collaborative projects that could help businesses and jobs in Britain.
No “reset button” – as the US has described its hopes for its own relations with Russia – then, or a fresh start, but a small step to improve relations, says the BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall.
Afghanistan, Iran’s nuclear programme, and the Middle East peace process are also expected to be on the agenda.
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The Obama administration has lifted a six month moratorium on deep water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Ms Maturey became a US citizen precisely 101 years after she arrived More than a century after she crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the US, Eulalia Garcia Maturey has become an American citizen at the age of 101.
“I feel really good about what I have accomplished – at my age and with my health,” she said.
Ms Maturey, who entered the US on 12 October 1909, became a citizen on the 101st anniversary of her arrival.
She said the first thing she wanted to do as an American was vote in the mid-term elections on 2 November.
“Sure, I do – for the best [candidate],” Ms Maturey said.
The naturalisation ceremony took place on Tuesday in a federal courthouse in Brownsville in the US state of Texas, where Ms Maturey has lived almost all her life.
She now joins an elite list of only 15 immigrants over 100 years of age who have been naturalised as citizens, according to the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Born in the Mexican city of Monterrey, she has outlived two husbands, her two sons and an endless set of rules and US immigration laws.
She came to Texas in the arms of her mother, Ilaria Mendoza, when she was only six months old.
At that time, it was normal for both Mexicans and Americans to travel across the border in either direction without being forced to show documentation.
Ms Maturey’s single mother made a living washing clothes – and together they lived a quiet life in Brownsville.
In 1940, the US Congress passed the Alien Registration Act, or Smith Act, which required all non-citizens already in the country to register with the government.
“Just the fact that at the age of 101, this lady has wanted to become a citizen is an honour for us”
Marilu Cabrera USCIS
Ms Maturey registered, along with millions of other immigrants, and received a Certificate of Lawful Entry card, issued to her on 4 April 1941.
With the government-issued card in hand, she crossed the border to visit family and friends for decades without a problem.
The card has now also made it possible for Ms Maturey to become a US citizen.
The US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) commended her efforts.
“Just the fact that at the age of 101, this lady has wanted to become a citizen is an honour for us,” USCIS spokesperson Marilu Cabrera said.
‘Love for life’
Ms Maturey’s niece, Yolanda Ovalle, who helped her aunt through the application process and in her preparations for the citizenship exam, praised the 101-year-old for her strong will and admirable character.
“This is a very important day for all of us because she deserved to become a citizen. She has always been such a good person,” Ms Ovalle said.
“She answered every question, that’s why she passed,” she added, referring to the US Civics tests given by immigration officials.
“I have never seen someone with her age that doesn’t give up on life. She wants to keep on living. She loves her life and is the type of person that never has any problems with anybody.”
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Hindu women often wear gold jewellery to the Navratri festival Jewellery thieves are likely to target Asian women in the street and burgle homes during the religious festival season, Metropolitan Police have warned.
Jewellery thefts rise during this time of year coinciding with the start of many Asian festivals, including the Hindu celebrations of Navratri and Diwali, police say.
Ch Insp Nick Davis said the community needed to be extra cautious as women wearing expensive traditional gold jewellery were often robbed.
He said: “During the religious festival season and the run up to Halloween and bonfire night, we experience higher levels of anti-social behaviour and higher levels of burglaries in the home where jewellery is stolen from the property.
”Asian women are a particular target because of the expensive gold jewellery that they wear, often in public as they attend the religious celebrations.”
Meera Mahajan, 46, from West London was robbed on the doorstep of her home in Hounslow, West London.
She said: “My handbag and all of my jewellery were snatched from me as I stepped out of my house. I was wearing a lot of expensive gold and all of it was stolen in seconds right outside my home.”
“I was wearing a lot of expensive gold and all of it was stolen in seconds right outside my home”
Meera Mahajan Theft victim
She added: ”There are many stories where women have had their gold taken from them, some of them have been burgled at home, others have had it taken from them on the streets or from their cars.”
The Metropolitan Police said the Asian community, and wider community in general, must be vigilant over the next couple of months.
Ch Insp Davis said a number of precautionary steps could be taken to protect individuals from becoming targets.
He said: “We are trying to get people to leave their homes so that it looks as though someone is in.
“Also, any jewellery kept in the house should be stored in a safe place and locked up if possible.
“Individuals also need to be careful of what they leave in their car, any valuables should be taken with them.
“It’s also important not to advertise any gold that is being worn, so people are advised to cover up when they leave the religious festivals so that they are not showing large quantities of jewellery.”
Asian Network Reports broadcasts weekdays at 1230 and 1800 BST or listen again on the BBC iPlayer.
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Ed Miliband will be keen to make a good first impression on the main stage Ed Miliband is to face his first key test as Labour leader when he comes up against David Cameron at prime minister’s questions.
The 40-year-old, who beat his brother David to his party’s leadership, is expected to focus his questions on the coalition’s plans for the economy.
The Commons clash comes a week ahead of the spending review, when the government’s cuts will be revealed.
The 30-minute session is due to begin at 1200 BST.
While the economy is set to dominate proceedings, Mr Miliband could also raise concerns about Business Secretary Vince Cable’s acceptance of a report recommending that universities should be able to charge unlimited tuition fees.
Alternatively, Mr Miliband might decide to ask questions about the investigation into the failed US-led rescue of British hostage Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan.
The Labour leader will be keen to give an impression of competence during prime minister’s questions, which is regarded as the highlight of the parliamentary week.
He replaces Harriet Harman, who stood in as party leader following the resignation of Gordon Brown after the general election.
Mr Miliband, who was announced as Labour leader at the party’s annual conference last month, will be flanked on the opposition benches by members of his recently chosen shadow cabinet.
Among them are likely to be shadow chancellor Alan Johnson, who made his Commons debut in the role on Tuesday, and the husband-and-wife team of shadow home secretary Ed Balls and shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper.
The BBC News website will provide full text and video coverage of Mr Miliband’s first appearance at prime minister’s questions.
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