Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

The search is under way for a new director of communications at No 10 following the resignation of Andy Coulson.

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

The fate of the building has been uncertain since Josef Fritzl’s crimes were discovered

The house in which Josef Fritzl locked his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children by her is to be razed, Austrian media report.

No date has been set for the demolition of the house, located in the northern Austrian town of Amstetten.

The town’s mayor said he would prefer the house to be knocked down under cover of darkness, to try to deter the attention of the media.

Fritzl, 74, was jailed for life in March 2009.

He was convicted of murdering one of his children through neglect, as well as rape, incest, and enslaving his daughter, now in her 40s.

His daughter and her children received therapy, though official details about their current situation have not been made public.

The BBC’s Bethany Bell reports from Vienna that the fate of the house has been uncertain, with fears that no one would want to buy a place with such a troubled history.

Other tenants left the building shortly after Fritzl’s crimes were discovered.

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

The depth of the winter weather affects the severity of the pothole problem

Councils face a “huge struggle” to repair potholes caused by this winter’s extreme weather, local government leaders in England have warned.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said town halls would be hit by a £165m cut in the budget for road maintenance.

LGA transport chairman Peter Box said the weather had taken a “massive toll” on the roads at a time when councils were being made to scale back spending.

The government said it expected winter road maintenance to be made a priority.

The weather affects the severity of potholes as they are formed when water repeatedly freezes and expands in cracks in the road, and the resulting gaps can cause damage to vehicles.

Mr Box said: “Ensuring our roads are kept up to a safe standard for motorists is a priority for councils and we will be working flat out to repair as many potholes as we possibly can.

“The coldest December in 100 years will have taken a massive toll on our roads and this damage is coming at a time when councils are being made to scale back their highways maintenance budgets.

“Last year councils on average fixed one pothole every 33 seconds. With tens of millions of pounds being cut from road maintenance budgets this year it is going to be a huge struggle for already-stretched highways teams to keep up.”

Local authorities received an extra £100m on top of the £871m Highways Maintenance Budget for 2010-11, and have repaired more than two million potholes.

However that additional money has been turned into a £65m cut from April, and there will be further reductions to £707m over the following three years.

Local transport minister Norman Baker said: “We know how important it is that local roads are well maintained. That is why, despite the need to make in-year budget reductions, we have protected day-to-day funding for local road maintenance this year.

“We will invest £3bn in maintenance over the next four years as well as spending £6bn to help local authorities make their road maintenance programmes as efficient and effective as possible.

“However, local councils should be managing their road maintenance throughout the year and in view of the last two winters we would expect winter maintenance to be a priority for them.”

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

Mr Duvalier said he wanted to show his solidarity by returning to Haiti

Former Haitian leader Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier has called for national reconciliation in his most extensive speech since he returned to the country on Sunday after 25 years in exile.

He said his surprise return had been prompted by last year’s earthquake and his desire to help rebuild the country.

Mr Duvalier also wanted “to express deep sorrow for all those who say they were victims of my government”.

He is being sued for torture and other crimes against humanity.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by a former United Nations spokeswoman, Michele Montas, and three Haitians who were jailed during Mr Duvalier’s 1971-1986 rule.

Ms Montas said she had lodged lawsuits for arbitrary detention, exile, destruction of private property, torture and moral violation of civil and political rights.

State prosecutors have also charged Mr Duvalier with theft and misappropriation of funds during his time as president-for-life.

One of his lawyers said he was planning to stay in Haiti despite the charges, and might also get involved in politics.

Speaking in French and Creole at a news conference in a rented guest house, Mr Duvalier said he hoped for a rapid resolution to the political crisis in Haiti.

He arrived on the day Haiti was supposed to hold a second round of elections to choose a successor to outgoing President Rene Preval.

That vote has been postponed because of a dispute over which candidates should be on the ballot paper.

Provisional results from the first round on 28 November provoked violent demonstrations when they were announced, and most observers said there was widespread fraud and intimidation.

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