Three Guilty Over Shop Shooting Of Girl

Three men have been found guilty of a gang-related shooting that left a five-year-old girl paralysed.
Nathaniel Grant, Kazeem Kolawole and Anthony McCalla were convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey of causing grievous bodily harm to Thusha Kamaleswaran.
She was gunned down as she played in her aunt's shop in south London in March last year.

A bullet hit her in the chest and passed through her spine, leaving her wheelchair-bound for life.
Film from several cameras played in court showed Thusha, in a pink dress, dancing along the shop's aisle as the intended victim and another shopper rushed by her.
She was then seen slumped on the floor.
Shopper Roshan Selvakumar, 35, was shot in the face and has been left with bullet fragments permanently lodged in his head.
Grant, Kolawole and McCalla were looking for a rival gang member when Grant opened fire into the Stockwell Food and Wine shop.
They were also convicted of attempted murder of their intended victim, Roshaun Bryan, who was unhurt.
In a statement read outside the court, Thusha's parents thanked emergency services for helping their daughter on the day she was shot.
"We are very happy that justice has been done," her parents said.
Thusha's mother, Sharmila, described the shock of seeing her daughter on a hospital bed.
"Seeing Thusha took my heart away," she said.
She said her daughter's dreams of becoming a singer and dancer had been shattered.
Mrs Kamaleswaran wept during the trial as the jury saw clear CCTV footage of the moment her daughter was gunned down.
The judge, Martin Stephens QC, warned jurors that what they were about to see would be "disturbing".
The court heard how Thusha's heart stopped before paramedics arrived and managed to resuscitate her.
Her condition deteriorated on the way to hospital, where she was revived again.
The prosecution said the shooting was a tit-for-tat attack by members of the Brixton-based GAS gang on rivals the ABM gang from Stockwell.
Grant, 21, Kolawole, 19, and McCalla, 20, who all denied the charges, are due to be sentenced on April 19.
"The three men convicted here today showed a complete disregard for public safety," Crown Prosecution Service's Daren Streeter said.
After the verdicts, junior prosecutor Michelle Nelson told the court that Thusha is expected to be discharged from hospital next week.
"It will be the first time the family will all be together since the incident," she said.
:: Some of the police officers involved in the case have been so moved by Thusha's plight that they are donating to her care with funds raised during their Three Peaks climb attempt in September.
A bank account for the Thusha Appeal Fund has been opened at HSBC Bank, 5 Wimbledon Hill Road, London SW19 7NF. Donations can be made to account number 12239108, sort code 40-07-30.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/three-guilty-over-shop-shooting-girl-5-135245671.html


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Woman quizzed over 'synagogue plot'

A woman arrested under terror laws is being questioned as part of a wider investigation into an alleged "super-secret" Facebook plot to blow up an Italian synagogue.
The 40-year-old suspect was held in a pre-dawn swoop on her south London home in relation to extremist material posted online.
Italian police said she may have been in contact with a 20-year-old Moroccan accused of making a "detailed plan" for a terror attack on the Via della Guastalla in Milan.
Officers in London said they were liaising with Italian counterparts to establish any links. She is not thought to be directly involved in the alleged attack plot.
The man arrested in Brescia, northern Italy, was using his "exceptional" computer skills to create "super-secret" groups on Facebook to plot an atrocity, Italian police claim.
He created "super-secret" groups on Facebook that could be accessed only through a complicated system of controls that he had put in place, state police said.
The woman was held under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act on suspicion of "possessing a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism." Searches were carried at the woman's south London address as she was questioned.
Officers in Italy said the man had been living in the province since the age of six and "had the job of training people in the use of weapons and explosives for terror operations".
"In this online arena, members could share instructions on how to assemble explosive devices, what chemical ingredients could be bought and the use of weapons," a state police statement translated into English said. "Anti-terrorism officers intercepted a message from the Moroccan in which he spoke of a 'Jihad mission'."
Police allegedly found a document saved on his computer, "noting every detail in view of the planned attack on the Milan synagogue: security measures that were in place, police on duty, possible obstacles and possible access routes". They added that they were aware the Moroccan could have accomplices, including abroad.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-quizzed-over-synagogue-plot-052529954.html


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Chancellor 'Will Cut Top Tax Rate' In Budget

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to cut the top income tax rate on earners over £150,000from 50p to 40p in next week's Budget, according to reports.
Downing Street said the claims to reduce the levy were "speculation" but government sources have confirmed the Chancellor is set to introduce a "Downton Abbey" tax break to benefit the television industry.
Details of the Government's statement are set to go to the Office of Budget Responsibility today to allow the independent body to work out its official forecasts.
Mr Osborne is set to push ahead with a reduction in the 50p rate after analysis found the levy is reaping far less for the Exchequer than expected, according to The Guardian.
A preliminary study, due to be published next week, is to show the tax on the highest earners is bringing in hundreds of millions, not the £2.6bn predicted, the paper said.
Mr Osborne has come under pressure from business leaders, as well as many in his own party, to slash the top rate of income tax amid claims it deters money-makers from being based in Britain.
But some senior figures fear it would be politically dangerous to cut levies on the highest earners at a time of austerity.
Shows like Downton Abbey could benefit from a tax break worth tens of millions of pounds a year under plans expected to be announced in the Budget.
The Chancellor is expected to announce a consultation on extending to cinematic-style TV production the existing tax relief worth £100m a year to the UK film industry.
TV firms could see their corporation tax burden reduced by around 20%-25% as a result of the changes being considered.
Mr Osborne hopes to help British companies compete in the increasingly popular market for film-standard TV series, until now dominated by US hits like Mad Men and The Wire.
The relief is expected to be aimed at "culturally British" programming to help support shows distinctive to the UK for export to the rest of the world.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/chancellor-cut-top-tax-rate-budget-052737056.html


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Belgium To Fall Silent Over Bus Crash Victims

Belgium is holding a national day of mourning for the 22 children and six adults killed in a coach crash in Switzerland.
A minute of silence will be held across Belgium at 11am local time (1000GMT) to honour the victims.
Flags will be flown at half-mast and drivers of buses and trains have been asked to switch off their engines as a mark of respect.
The first school children who survived the crash have reportedly landed back at a military airstrip in Brussels in the early hours of this morning.
Eight pupils hurt in the accident landed at Melsbroek military airport near Brussels, according to a Swiss hospital official, before being whisked away by their families accompanied by a police escort.
The bodies of the victims - mainly Belgian 11- and 12-year-olds who had spent a week on Switzerland's ski slopes - will be repatriated later today from Sion in southern Switzerland aboard a C-130 military transport plane.
A spokeswoman for Belgium's interior ministry said there would be "no communication" of the landing "out of respect for the victims and in agreement with the Swiss authorities."
Forty-six children and four teachers from two Belgian schools were returning home from a skiing trip late on Tuesday when their coach slammed into a concrete wall in the motorway tunnel in Val d'Anniviers , southern Switzerland.
Twenty-two of the dead were from Belgium while the other six fatalities were from the Netherlands.
Three of the injured children remained in critical condition, a Swiss hospital spokeswoman said.
Grieving Belgians held a vigil last night as classmates and neighbours turned out to pray for the dead in the town of Lommel, where many of the victims came from.
Police said around 2,500 people joined the Catholic service.
"With this candle, I am thinking of you," a church worker said for each of the 24 names read out.
Police are still investigating new theories into what may have caused the accident.
Earlier, reports said the bus driver had tried to play a DVD shortly before the crash, suggesting a "moment of distraction" may be to blame.
But this claim has been rejected by the dead driver's employer and dismissed as speculation by Swiss police.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/belgium-fall-silent-over-bus-crash-victims-041052721.html


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Holding Breath For Friday Prayers In Afghanistan

It has become something of a common phenomenon throughout the 'Arab Spring' that Friday prayers presage some sort of action by the people.
In Syria, Libya and Egypt those mosque meetings gathered and united people and got them on to the streets in protest against their dictatorial leaders.
The fact is the Friday prayer can be an ignition point throughout the Muslim world; which is why the Afghan government, the international community and the security forces here are holding their collective breath ahead of this week's prayers.
If the religious leaders of Afghanistan deliver fiery sermons condemning the weekend killings of 16 mainly women and children by an American soldier, there could be chaos.
Security has been beefed up and the Isaf forces are preparing for Taliban attacks and potential demonstrations at the doors of their camps.
The decision by the US to move the alleged killer to Kuwait has not gone down well here.
Many Afghans wanted the soldier to be tried in an Afghan court or at the very least in Afghanistan.
They had been promised a transparent hearing and had been promised answers.
In Afghanistan they expect justice fast and, here, fast is this week not a few months or, given the American legal system, potentially years.
Collectively, they will think the soldier has been spirited away and there will be a cover-up.
Add to the mix President Hamid Karzai 's demands that American forces, and for that matter all ISAF forces, should withdraw from their small operating bases in villages and work out of their main bases; then there is great potential for the whole aftermath of this terrible incident to turn even nastier.
So far, the response from the people has been fairly muted. Unfortunately, that is not actually a good thing.
It does not reflect an understanding that the incident was the actions of a lone individual.
It is actually illustrative proof of a narrative that runs throughout Afghan society; namely that this type of thing happens all the time.
That British and American forces, in particular, routinely kill innocent civilians, rape women, destroy villages and ignore the rights of the Afghan people in their own country.
It is hard for us to understand how the killing of 16 innocent people in a village is considered less of a reason to riot than the burning of copies of the Koran .
But that is a fact of life here.
It is not that people are less angry. They are just used to it after decades of war; that and the power of their religious leaders.
The narrative that the foreign forces are basically a crusading army with no compassion, bent on destroying the country and propping up an installed government, is a gross falsehood.
Unfortunately, that is what many believe.
That they do is an indictment of the country's political leaders and to a degree of the international community and its forces that have failed to get their message across after billions of pounds and over a decade on the ground.
One lone killer soldier did not do this. But he has exposed the frailty of the mission to Afghanistan and just how bleak the future may be once the soldiers have gone, because without them there would be a civil war.
Many are already preparing for it.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/holding-breath-friday-prayers-afghanistan-210740109.html


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Accused Soldier 'Saw Friend's Leg Blown Off'

The US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians is said to have witnessed his friend's leg being blown off a day before the shootings took place.
The lawyer representing the unnamed staff sergeant said his client was likely suffering from stress after seeing his colleague wounded.
Defence attorney John Henry Browne said: "His leg was blown off, and my client was standing next to him."
Mr Browne said the 38-year-old soldier's family provided him with details of the injury to another US soldier, but the details have not been independently verified.
He also revealed that his client had been injured twice while serving in Iraq and doubted his physical fitness for duty.
The suspect, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, had served three tours in Iraq before going to Afghanistan in December last year.
Mr Browne said: "He and his family were told that his tours in the Middle East were over. His family was counting on him not being redeployed.
"Literally overnight that changed. So I think it would be fair to say that he and the family were not happy that he was going back."
Mr Browne dismissed as "nonsense" suggestions that the soldier, who had trained as a sniper, had been suffering any marital problems or had alcohol problems.
He said he had a limited amount of information about his client but described him as "highly decorated".
Mr Browne - who represented serial killer Ted Bundy and Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called "Barefoot Bandit" - revealed that charges against his client would be filed "probably not sooner than a few weeks".
It is not known where the soldier - currently being held at a base in Kuwait - will be tried.
The soldier is suspected of going on a shooting rampage in villages near his base in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing nine children and seven other civilians.
US officials have anonymously described him as a father-of-two who has served in the military for 11 years.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he wants Nato troops to withdraw from rural villages immediately, and for security to be handed over to his government next year - a year earlier than planned.
Mr Karzai made the demands yesterday during talks with US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta .


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/accused-us-soldier-suffered-injuries-iraq-041600701.html


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Woods withdraws at Doral; doubt for Masters

Tiger Woods withdrew from the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday with a leg injury, raising doubts about his fitness for next month's Masters at Augusta National.
The former world number one had been limping during his final round when he abruptly called it quits and left the course after completing 11 holes.
He was three-over-par for the day and seemingly out of contention to win the tournament.
Woods initially told PGA officials it was a left leg injury but later clarified the nature of his problem in a statement.
"I felt tightness in my left Achilles warming up this morning, and it continued to get progressively worse. After hitting my tee shot at 12, I decided it was necessary to withdraw," he said.
"In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary.
"I will get my Achilles evaluated sometime early next week," the statement concluded.
Woods, who had changed shoes midway through the round, was escorted from the Blue Monster course on a buggy and taken to the carpark.
He immediately got into his vehicle, a black Mercedes, and promptly drove off, taking the wheel himself.
The 14-times Major champion suffered a left-knee injury last season which caused him to withdraw from the Players Championship in May.
While it was not immediately clear how serious his latest setback was, the American has a long history of injury problems, dating back to his days at Stanford University.
He has had four operations on his knee, including two in 2008, and previous problems with his Achilles.
The injury came just as Woods had been beginning to show signs of his old form.
He shot a 62 in the final round of last week's Honda Classic to finish tied for second and fired a 67 and a 68 in his second and third rounds at Doral.
World number one Rory McIlroy said he was saddened by the news of Woods' injury.
"It's a shame because he looked like he was coming out this year, swinging it really well, playing good and getting himself into contention," said the Northern Irishman.
"Its probably just precautionary but I really hope he is healthy for the Masters because obviously it would be a great week with him there.
"Tiger Woods has been the face of golf for the last 15 years. Feeling like he is coming back to his best, or something near his best, it's great for the fame. He can spark an interest in golf that no one else can," he said.
McIlroy had a thrilling battle with Woods at the Honda Classic and said he was hoping for something similar at the first Major of the year.
"I'd love to have a lot of battles with him coming down the stretch and it would be great to do be able to do that at Augusta, obviously if he's healthy and plays well and I can get myself into that position again as well," he said.
Reuters


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/woods-withdraws-doral-doubt-masters.html


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Rose wins WGC-Cadillac Championship

Justin Rose won the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday by one stroke from American Bubba Watson.
The composed Rose shot a final round 70 to finish at 16-under-par while Watson, who had led by three at the start of the day, ended at 15-under after closing with a 74.
"These moments are incredible and they are few and far between as a golfer," said Rose.
"There has been a lot of work going on with my game and days like this, where it just all shows up, makes it all worthwhile."
Watson missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would have forced a playoff but the left-handed American ultimately paid the price for four bogeys on the front nine.
Rose, who had played smart and tidy golf all week, offered a glimmer of hope to his rival when he bogeyed the 18th after driving into the rough then launching his approach over the back of the green.
The victory was the first in a WGC event for Rose and could move him into the top ten when the next edition of the world rankings are released.
Watson had driven into the trees on the 18th but, knowing he needed a birdie, produced a magnificent shot to eight feet to give himself a chance of extending the contest only to miss the putt.
"We just didn't give enough. We thought it was not going to break as much and it broke about three inches too much," said Watson.
"I still had a chance in the end so I was proud of myself for fighting, not giving up, grinding it out and never got down today."
World number one Rory McIlroy had put himself in the frame with an eagle on the par-five 12th but needed a birdie on the 18th to really put the pressure on Rose.
But the Northern Irishman's bogey left him two shots back in third place after carding 67 for the round.
After shooting a 73 and 69 in his first two outings this week, McIlroy continued his impressive run of finishes following his victory in the Honda Classic last week.
"I would have taken this after Friday, being only two-under par," he said.
"It's been a really good weekend with lots of positive. It wasn't quite the way I wanted to finish but it's still been a good week."
There was drama midway through the round when Woods, clearly in discomfort, withdrew on the 12th hole with an Achilles tendon injury prompting concern about his fitness for next month's Masters.
Woods was three-over-par for the day and seemingly out of contention to win the tournament when he abruptly called it quits, returning to the carpark then driving himself off the course.
"In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary," he said in a statement.
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel showed good form ahead of his Masters title defence, shooting 68 to finish tied on fourth, three off the lead, with Dane Peter Hanson.
American Keegan Bradley, the US PGA Championship winner last year, was in contention until fading down the stretch with bogeys on the 15th and 17th and a double on the final hole.
Australia's John Senden impressed with his flawless round of 65 pushing him up to a tie for sixth with England's Luke Donald, the world number two.
Senden's round was the equal best of the final day along with Italian Francesco Molinari who was also bogey-free in his 65.
Reuters


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/rose-wins-wgc-cadillac-championship.html


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Wiggins wins Paris-Nice in style

Bradley Wiggins soared to Britain's first overall win in the Paris-Nice in 45 years with an agonisingly close victory in the final uphill time trial to Col D'Eze.
The 31-year-old Team Sky rider beat Dutchman Lieuwe Westra by two seconds in the 9.6-kilometre dash from Nice and eight seconds overall to claim his biggest victory since the Criterium du Dauphine last June.
Spain's Alejandro Valverde finished third on the final podium, one minute and 10 seconds back.
Wiggins said he was proud to be one of just two Britons to win the eight-day stage race and the first since his cycling hero Tom Simpson in 1967.
"I know my cycling history and this is an enormous achievement," he said.
"It's an honour to be up there with Tom Simpson."
Wiggins, who will be among the overall contenders when the Tour de France starts from Liege in Belgium on June 30, had paid tribute to the late British rider in 2009 when the world's biggest race went up the Mont Ventoux - where Simpson died a few months after his Paris-Nice triumph.
Two seconds behind Westra half-way up the winding, well-surfaced climb from Nice to Col D'Eze, the triple Olympic track gold medallist said he had to pull out all the stops to claim the win.
"It was a very tough final time trial and I knew that Westra was very strong after he'd won that stage midweek," said Wiggins.
"But in terms of pressure it was nothing compared to an Olympic track final.
"You can enjoy the moment, I was confident of my ability and today I rode it perfect."
Simultaneously defeated both overall and on the stage, Westra put a brave face on his disappointment at having come so close.
"Bradley was stronger today and I ended up losing the time trial by very little," he said.
"But I'm also pleased because I've never been so strong as this week."
Wiggins said he hoped his dominating performance in this year's Paris-Nice, the 70th of its history, was a good omen for the Tour.
"I don't know if I'm a favourite but I'm one of maybe five riders who can do something there (overall) this summer," Wiggins mused.
"I said Paris-Nice was a stepping stone, no disrespect for Paris-Nice. But I must continue that progression to July."
Wiggins finished fourth overall on the Tour in 2009 but could not repeat the performance the following year and crashed out early in the race in 2011.
His Paris-Nice performance suggested this year he has what it takes to become the first Briton to win the Tour.
Reuters

Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/wiggins-wins-paris-nice-style.html

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Nadal lays down early marker in California

Twice champion Rafa Nadal imperiously coasted into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament with a ruthless 6-1 6-3 victory over Argentine Leonardo Mayer.
The Spanish left-hander, who has reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells in his last six appearances here, broke Mayer twice in each set to wrap up a commanding win in one hour 15 minutes.
In dazzling afternoon sunshine, the match ended when a Mayer forehand sailed wide and Nadal removed his green headband in triumph as the near-capacity crowd erupted in applause.
"It's nice to be back playing at the very good level," the Spaniard, who will next face compatriot Marcel Granollers, told reporters at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. "Winning is the most important thing.
"It's not easy to be back after a while without competition, but I did really well. I started the match very focused, very aggressive. I'm very happy about almost everything."
Nadal, who dominated Mayer with his crunching ground strokes from behind the baseline, had not competed since he lost an epic Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic in January.
The world number two enjoys a superb record at Indian Wells where he won the title in 2007 and 2009 and was beaten in last year's final by Serb Djokovic.
"This is a tournament that I love," said the 25-year-old from Mallorca. "I enjoy a lot playing this tournament. Always in my career I've had good success here. I have played very good matches.
Granollers had earlier booked his place in the third round with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win against Germany's Tommy Haas.
In other matches, fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer swept aside Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-2 and Serb Janko Tipsarevic eased past Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4 6-2.
Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced when fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra retired hurt because of a knee injury when trailing 4-1.
The big-serving Tsonga will next face Czech Radek Stepanek, who crushed Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-2 6-1.
Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina beat Australian Marinko Matosevic and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan battled past Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6 6-7 7-5.
Reuters


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/nadal-lays-early-marker-california.html

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Premier League - Suarez open to Paris move

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has told French television he would be open to a move to Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain.
The Uruguayan has been linked with a summer move to the oil-rich Parisians and his national team captain Diego Lugano plays for the club.
When asked if he would like to play PSG by Canal+, Suarez replied: "Yes I could go to Paris, like many big teams.
"There are many big clubs with such a reputation that want to build a top team and Paris is one of those teams that is recruiting to strengthen.
"I would love if (me and Lugano) could play together."
Earlier this week, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish told PSG they will only be wasting their time if they attempt to sign Suarez.
"Nobody has spoken to us but it wouldn’t make any difference," he said.
"If they (PSG) reversed the charges, the call would not get taken. It’s the usual story."
Eurosport

Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11032012/58/premier-league-suarez-open-paris-move.html


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In-form Federer through at a canter

Roger Federer needed just 57 minutes to rattle past world number 185 Denis Kudla 6-4 6-1 in the second round at Indian Wells.
The world number three showed plenty of the form which has seen him win his last two tournaments in Dubai and Rotterdam, but also succumbed to needless errors against a 19-year-old opponent playing the most important match of his career to date.
With the win sealed, Federer booked a third-round showdown against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who impressed in dispatching Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-4 6-2.
Kudla, who had beaten a top-100 oppoenent in Tobias Kamke in the previous round, showed composure to hold his opening service game, but having shared the first two games with the 16-times Grand Slam champion, Kudla then went 14 straight points without winning a rally as Federer raced 4-1 ahead.
The American demonstrated some spirit and opportunism, capitalising on Federer's errors to claim one of those breaks back, but the Swiss star served out to take the set in relative comfort.
The second set was more processional, with Federer breaking twice to race into a 4-0 lead.
Kudla got on the scoreboard, but Federer toyed with him, unfurling magnificent drop shots and running forehands to close out the contest, and set up a fascinating match against Raonic.
The 21-year-old Canadian rained down 19 aces in his second-round encounter, and hit some ferocious groundstrokes to outmuscle Berlocq in 77 minutes.
Mark Patterson - on Twitter @Mark_Eurosport / Eurosport


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/form-federer-canter.html


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Six Nations - England beat France in Paris classic

England beat France 24-22 in a thrilling Six Nations classic at the Stade de France.
The visitors had raced into an early lead thanks to tries in the opening 20 minutes by Manu Tuilagi and Ben Foden.
But the French came back despite Tom Croft's late try as England indiscipline cost them penalty after penalty, and Wesley Fofana's try in the corner set up a thrilling final four minutes.
Yet when Francois Trinh-Duc's drop-goal attempt fell short with two minutes left it was effectively over, and England earned a third win away from home in this year's Six Nations.
The defeat ends France's hopes of winning the championship, as well as consigning them to a first defeat in 10 matches at the Stade de France.
England, meanwhile, will go home as heroes after the young side underlined its ambition with an outstanding performance.
The game got off to a stirring start as both sides played with pace and ambition from the off, with both having early chances and Julien Bonnaire coming within two metres of the line after 12 minutes.
Just moments later it was England who opened the scoring, however. France won a turnover on their own 10m line, but a terrible pass by France hooker Dimitri Szarzewski line saw Owen Farrell pounce on the ball and offload quickly to Lee Dickson, who unleashed Tuilagi from 40m out. The centre ran around three defenders before diving over Aurelien Rougerie's tackle to score in the corner.
Straight from the restart England were penalised for coming off their feet in a ruck, however, and Lionel Beauxis slotted home to make it 7-3 - yet France's celebrations were equally short-lived, as England then scored a stunning try immediately from the restart.
Ben Morgan picked up the ball from a ruck, broke Bonnaire's tackle and evaded four more men before offloading to Ben Foden to run in and score another try.
England were 14-3 ahead and flying, but Farrell hit the post with a penalty on the half-hour mark. France grabbed the ball and immediately started pushing upfield, leading to a deep kick which saw Foden call for a mark.
The full-back was tackled marginally late, however, enraging Chris Ashton who grabbed Rougerie, who was fully committed to the tackle and could hardly have pulled out. Referee Alain Rolland reversed Foden's mark, instead giving France a penalty to make it 14-6.
More ill discipline then saw England's lead slashed still further, when repeated warnings about going in off his feet were ignored by Dylan Hartley to gift Beauxis a shot at goal from 40m that he landed perfectly to cut the deficit to just five points.
Both teams closed up their defences as the second half got under way, but English indiscipline continued to cost the visitors - not least when Charlie Sharples was sin-binned harshly for a deliberate knock-on - as Beauxis and replacement scrum-half Parra kept the scoreboard ticking over.
France got within two points with Beauxis's effort from the touchline with 11 minutes left, but from the restart a magical piece of skill saw the superb Croft wrong-foot Rougerie as he broke through to score a third try for England.
With nine minutes left France came back, Fofana being stopped only by a brilliant Phil Dowson tackle on the line. From the resulting scrum, however, Fofana made no mistake as he dived in at the corner flag to score his fourth try in four matches for his country.
Parra landed a stunning conversion from the touchline to set up a thrilling last four minutes, and Les Bleus nearly stole it when Trinh-Duc's mis-hit drop goal dropped agonisingly under the bar.
England closed out the game to consign France to a first defeat in ten matches at the Stade de France, and keep alive their mathematical hopes of winning the Six Nations under temporary coach Stuart Lancaster - whose men have surely put him within touching distance of landing the job on a permanent basis.


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11032012/58/six-nations-england-beat-france-paris-classic.html

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Premier League - Watch all the weekend's goals

Miss any of this weekend's 14 goals in the Barclays Premier League? Watch them all here.
The video will begin automatically in the box to the right (UK users only)
Manchester United got their noses in front in the two-horse race Premier League title race on Sunday and were installed as the odds-on favourites to keep the trophy in the red half of town.
The champions' 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at Swansea City left United one point ahead with 10 matches left, and London bookmaker William Hill made United 8/13 favourites to win the title with City drifting out to 6/5.
"United haven't been odds-on for the title since September, but as ever seem to be making their move at just the right time," said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.
Both teams clearly have the resources to finish as England's top club, but while United can call on the experience of winning 12 titles since 1993 and 19 in total, City, who won the last of their two titles in 1968, have a joker in their pack.
Now could be the time for Mancini to gamble by unleashing Carlos Tevez to swing the title City's way for the first time in 44 years.
Tevez, whose last league appearance was as a late substitute against Fulham in September before his spectacular fall-out with the club, knows what it takes to collect Premier League titles having won two at United in 2008 and 2009.
Since making up with Mancini, he has played in two reserve matches and scored one goal, and Mancini knows City need to start finding the net again.
Tevez might be rusty, lacking match fitness and never be totally welcomed back into the hearts of the City faithful, but he knows where the goal is.
This time last year he was on his way to finishing the season as joint-top scorer in the Premier League and the least he owes the City fans is goals in a run-in which includes next week's home match against Chelsea, a visit to resurgent Arsenal and tricky games against Sunderland and Newcastle as well as the visit of United on April 30.
While Tevez has missed a large chunk of the season on his unauthorised trip back home in Argentina, his old United team mate Wayne Rooney has been finding the net regularly, taking his total to 26 for the season with both goals against West Brom.
"We are plugging away, we have to keep going and keep picking up the points to get over the line," Rooney told reporters.
"We know what we have to do and hopefully it will be enough. We are in a good position now and hopefully we can maintain our lead."
United's run-in appears to be easier with six of their next seven games against clubs currently in the bottom seven, Wolverhampton Wanderers (19th), Fulham (10th), Blackburn Rovers (16th), Queens Park Rangers (18th), Wigan Athletic (20th) and Aston Villa (15th).
Apart from the match at City, United also have to play Everton, Swansea City and Sunderland and as their string of titles proves, they know how to handle the pressure.
Mancini, though, remained far from downbeat following Sunday's loss.
"There are still 10 games to play," he said. "And anything can happen."
The one thing everyone can bet on, in a season in which City beat United 6-1 at Old Trafford and United overwhelmed Arsenal 8-2, is that this race is far from over.
Reuters


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/premier-league-watch-weekend-goals.html


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Premier League - Managers: Mancini defiant despite defeat

Roberto Mancini insists a shock defeat to Swansea has done nothing to change the complexion of the title race despite Manchester United going top.
Swansea 1-0 Manchester City
Brendan Rodgers: "Sometimes you get results where you take on the big guns of European football when you win the game 1-0 and you're maybe hanging on, but we were the better side. In the second half when we scored, I think that was when we showed our maturity tactically. We dropped on our lines and blocked spaces. It was very, very difficult for them to get through us. Over the course of the game, some of the passing and moving and ball retention against top players was phenomenal."
Roberto Mancini: "I think that this championship maybe will be decided three games from the end. The season is long. What's happened can happen also to United in the next game and we can go again on the top. It will change nothing. It's been difficult the last four days for me, but football is this - sometimes you can lose. I don't think that we deserved to lose this game. I should say that Swansea played very well in the first 30 minutes. They played very good football."
Manchester United 2-0 West Brom
Sir Alex Ferguson: “It was a great performance. We took a bit of time to get the rhythm of the game right but once we got that we played some exciting stuff and some really good football. We could have scored a lot of goals today. If there is a criticism then that is it. We created a lot of chances and missed them. It becomes worrying because you need the second one to take the pressure off you. Fortunately we got the second goal and we still missed chances after that, but we kept our drive for the whole game, which was good. The players didn’t stop; they tried to score from every attacking situation, which is always pleasing.”
Roy Hodgson: "I think it was a penalty - I don't think there is any question about that. It wasn't one of those penalties where Evra deliberately tried to foul Odemwingie or even make a challenge - but he did definitely trip him up I don't think there can be too many doubts about that when it's seen time and time again on the TV. We could argue, with a bit of luck, that might have helped us and got us back into the game. But the decisive moment was Jonas' sending off. There aren't that many teams of our ilk that come here and put United under enormous pressure."
Norwich City 1-1 Wigan Athletic
Paul Lambert: "It was a tough game, but it was always going to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest, because of the expectancy. We could have lost it at the end, so it is another point for us to be safe. I have always thought that if you can't win it, don't lose it. We showed great resilience and we had to. We could have won it at the end with Morison's header, but I will take a point."
Roberto Martinez: "You have seen today why we are in the position we are in because we cannot really show that little bit of composure or have that bit of luck in front of goal. We created enough chances to win and grew into the game. After giving away the early goal, I felt we were really strong, we kept the ball well, and created numerous chances. Clearly it was a good performance for us, but only one point to show and that is what we have to rectify from now until the end."

Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/premier-league-managers-mancini-defiant-despite-defeat.html

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England manager-elect Harry Redknapp has expressed his concerns over the nature of international management.

Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager following the Italian's resignation last month although no approach has yet been made to Tottenham.
The Spurs boss is clearly the leading English contender having won the FA Cup with Portsmouth and taken Tottenham to the Champions League, but his skill-set is widely believed to be weighted towards operations in the transfer market.
Now Redknapp has told French newspaper L'Equipe in a lengthy interview that he does have some reservations over the amount of control an international manager can wield.
"When you have a club, if you need a striker, you buy one," Redknapp said. "When you're the national coach, you have to make do with the players your country has.
"If you don't have a striker, you just don't have one. Moreover you almost never see the players. Two days every two months: it's very difficult."
When pressed over whether he would like the England job, Redknapp replied: "I am not sure. I have a very good job at Tottenham and I'm happy there. But I don't know. Wait and see."
Sir Alex Ferguson has said Redknapp is the obvious choice to take charge of England ahead of Euro 2012 and when asked about the endorsement of such an influential figure, he replied: "I know. Well ... I love my life at Tottenham."
Redknapp is still planning for a future at White Hart Lane and has made Lille midfielder Eden Hazard a key target for the summer.
The Belgium international has been linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid in recent months yet Redknapp says Spurs are ready to make a substantial offer for Hazard, even if Ferguson and Roberto Mancini are also tracking the player.
"Our owner is ready to pay for an exceptional talent like Eden Hazard," Redknapp said. "I have seen him several times.
"But I know Manchester United are also following him very closely. City too. It will be difficult to sign him. But I love him. Last year, I loved Gervinho too (before his move from Lille to Arsenal)."


Source:http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032012/58/euro-2012-redknapp-admits-reservations-england.html

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Rape Survey Shock: One In 10 Are Victims

As many as one in 10 women in the UK claim to have been raped, according to new research by parenting website Mumsnet.
The survey of 1,609 women found a tenth of those who responded had been raped and a third had been sexually assaulted.
More than four in five of the victims did not report their perpetrators to the police because of concerns over low conviction rates, embarrassment and shame.
The findings come as Mumsnet launches a week-long campaign called 'We Believe You' to highlight the extent of rape and sexual assault, and "the obstacles that society puts in front of those who report them".
Mumsnet co-founder Justine Roberts said: "We simply shouldn't accept that we live in a country where one in 10 women are raped and over one third sexually assaulted.
"Things are made worse by the feeling among many women that they can't talk about these crimes for fear of being treated unsympathetically, denying them access to practical and emotional support when they need it most.
"The message from the men and women on Mumsnet is clear: we believe you - and we want others in society to start believing you too."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) welcomed the campaign, saying rape and sexual assault were dreadful crimes.
Allison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, said: "I support the message of the We Believe You campaign, its aim to raise awareness of the extent of these crimes, and to challenge preconceptions.
"As a society we need to be aware of the myths and stereotypes that members of the public who become jury members may hold and which have the potential to influence court outcomes and ultimately lives.
"We need to challenge these myths and stereotypes which prejudge victims and add to their ordeal."
She said prosecutors have done a lot of work to dispel the stereotypes and that the situation was improving.
Ms Saunders added: "I am determined to ensure that victims are confident in coming forward and reporting these crimes and I believe the Mumsnet campaign will help us to achieve this."


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rape-survey-shock-one-10-victims-033859293.html

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Brother charged in torso canal case

The brother of a former EastEnders actress whose headless body was found dumped in a canal is due to appear in court charged with her murder.
Gemma McCluskie's limbless torso was discovered floating close to Hackney's Broadway Market last week, days after she attended a high-profile hospital opening ceremony in east London.
Her 35-year-old brother Tony was formally charged by police on Saturday night as divers continued their searches for Miss McCluskie's remaining body parts.
The actress, 29, who played Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap in 2001, went missing following the opening of the £650 million Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.
Friends launched extensive searches across east London in a bid to find her and former EastEnders co-stars Natalie Cassidy and Brooke Kinsella both appealed on Twitter for help.
Miss McCluskie's remains were discovered on Tuesday when a member of the public reported a suspicious object in Regent's Canal.
A post-mortem examination has proved inconclusive.
Tony McCluskie, of Pelter Street, Hackney, is accused of killing his sister between February 29 and March 6.
He will appear in custody at Thames Magistrates' Court in east London.
Miss McCluskie's character arrived in Walford as a friend of Zoe Slater and the great-niece of the late Ethel Skinner. She briefly dated Robbie Jackson and got him to propose to her.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/brother-charged-torso-canal-case-025738611.html

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Hague faces suit over Pakistan drone strikes

LONDON (Reuters) - Lawyers for the family of a man killed in a U.S. drone attack in Pakistan said they would begin legal action against Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday, accusing him of complicity in strikes they say broke international laws.
London law firm Leigh Day & Co said it had "credible, unchallenged" evidence that Hague oversaw a policy of passing British intelligence to U.S. forces planning attacks against militants in Pakistan. It plans to issue formal proceedings against Hague at the High Court in London on behalf of Noor Khan, whose father was died in a drone attack last year.
Malik Daud Khan was part of a local "jirga", or council of elders holding a meeting in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan when a missile fired from the drone hit the group, the law firm said.
Attacks by pilotless U.S. aircraft have become a key weapon in President Barack Obama's counter-terrorism strategy in Pakistan and officials say they have helped to weaken al Qaeda's leadership in the region.
However, the attacks have become a source of friction between Washington and Islamabad and have angered many Pakistanis who see them as a breach of their sovereignty and the cause of frequent civilian deaths.
Leigh Day & Co will argue that those involved in armed attacks can only claim immunity from criminal law if they are "lawful combatants" taking part in an "international armed conflict".
Khan's lawyers will say that staff working at UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in southwest England, Britain's main intelligence monitoring centre, may have broken the law. As civilians, they are not classed as combatants and could be prosecuted, the law firm said.
They will also say that Pakistan is not involved in an international conflict.
"There is credible, unchallenged evidence that (Hague) is operating a policy of passing intelligence to officials or agents of the U.S. government and that he considers such a policy to be in 'strict accordance' with the law," Richard Stein, head of human rights at Leigh Day, said in a statement.
"If this is the case, the Secretary of State has misunderstood one or more of the principles of international law governing immunity for those involved in armed attacks on behalf of a state."
A Foreign Office spokesman said it did not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. Asked whether Britain helps the United States in drone attacks, the spokesman added: "We don't comment on intelligence matters".
A key ally of Washington in neighbouring Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, Britain has around 9,500 soldiers in the country. The deaths of six British soldiers in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday brought the British death toll to more than 400.
(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Ben Harding)


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hague-faces-suit-over-pakistan-drone-strikes-054623055.html

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Teenager held over stabbing deaths

A teenager is being quizzed by detectives in connection with the deaths of two young women who were found stabbed in a flat.
The bodies of Kimberley Frank, 17 and Samantha Sykes, 18, were discovered at an address in the Eastmoor area of Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
A post-mortem carried out on Sunday night revealed they both died of stab wounds.
A 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the killings remains in police custody, while a 19-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who were arrested on suspicion of murder were released without charge.
Kimberley, of Barden Road, Eastmoor, and Miss Sykes, of California Drive, Horbury, West Yorkshire, were found in the first floor property early on Saturday morning.
Officers from West Yorkshire Police were called to Barden Road after they were contacted by colleagues in Kent.
They said a 19-year-old woman in Dover had raised concerns for the safety of two women from the West Yorkshire area. The bodies were found after the flat was searched.
Forensic examinations have continued in Barden Road over the weekend.


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/two-women-flat-stabbed-death-225551654.html

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Lib Dems target the rich in pre-budget gambit

NEWCASTLE (Reuters) - Liberal Democrats proposed targeting the rich with a "tycoon tax" only days before they and their Conservative Party coalition partner present an annual budget, in a high stakes gamble to revive the party's flatlining poll ratings.
The last-minute proposal is one of several levies on the rich the Lib Dems want included in the budget to pay for the party's key policy of additional tax cuts for the lower paid.
But Clegg is unlikely to get all of his tax plans adopted.
The widely publicised plans look set to strain ties with the Conservatives, the senior party in the coalition, who may block or water down the moves and make the Lib Dems look ineffectual.
The Conservatives are traditionally the party of the wealthy, but are on the defensive as bankers continue to receive millions in bonuses even as state spending is cut to bolster a faltering economy.
The Lib Dems hope to harness public fury over soaring executive pay amid harsh austerity measures to pressure finance minister George Osborne, a Conservative, to take on their proposals when he presents the budget on March 21.
"The sight of the wealthiest scheming to keep their tax bill down to the bare minimum is frankly disgraceful," Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg told party members on Sunday at the end of the Lib Dems' annual spring conference.
"So, we will call time on the tycoon tax dodgers," he said.
The centre-left Lib Dems have seen their popularity slump in coalition government, and have been abandoned by many supporters amid accusations of ignoring party values to share power with the Conservatives, ideological opponents on many issues.
Clegg hopes targeting tax avoidance and the wealthiest will fund a flagship budget proposal to speed up a plan to cut taxes on poorer workers, clawing back grassroots support and distinguishing the Lib Dems from the Conservatives.
"The budget in ten days time ... must offer concrete help to hard-pressed, hard-working families," Clegg said.
A Lib Dem source close to Clegg said: "To raise the stakes like this, 10 days out from a budget in a conference speech, shows the personal attachment Clegg is putting to this fundamental front page manifesto policy."
"INDUSTRIAL SCALE TAX DODGING"
The Lib Dems want four key levies on the rich, but the so-called tycoon tax - inspired, Clegg says, by reports U.S. presidential candidate and multi-millionaire Mitt Romney only pays 13.9 percent tax - is likely to grab the most headlines.
Clegg said he expected the levy to tax the overall income of wealthy people by at least 20 percent, a move similar to U.S. President Barack Obama's "Buffett Rule" proposal to tax at least 30 percent of the income of people making more than $1 million.
The Lib Dem source said the proposal would close loopholes and the use of tax relief to prevent the rich "tax dodging on an industrial scale by paying an army of fancy accountants".
He said initial research had found that hundreds of Britons with annual income over a million pounds ($1.6 million) paid less than 20 percent tax overall. Britain sets thresholds for increasing rates of tax with 50 percent being the top rate.
Yet the plan, aired for the first time on Saturday, is preliminary and seems unlikely to be included in the budget, with some of the party's top ministers still vague on details.
Lib Dem party heavyweight Business Secretary Vince Cable told Reuters he knew little of the new tax: "I haven't seen the details of the proposals, so I can't give you a very informed comment ... (but) the idea is an interesting one."
The proposal may be aimed at filling a gap made by the Conservatives' likely rejection of the Lib Dems' cherished "mansion tax" proposal, a levy on expensive homes.
Clegg told a British newspaper the property tax was a "sensible" idea but it was better to focus on tax avoidance.
The two remaining levies - reducing tax relief on pension contributions for wealthier people and tightening tax rules on property sales, known as stamp duty - are less controversial.
Observers say Clegg is likely to have had assurances that at least some of his party's proposals, in particular faster tax cuts for poorer workers, will be included in the budget in some form for him to air the plans so publicly.
Clegg has broken Britain's convention of secretive budget negotiation by announcing his party's demands in advance, a change reflecting the arrival in of the country's first coalition government in generations after elections in 2010.
Yet Clegg also risks losing credibility if the budget appears to contain little of his input, a very real risk given the lack of clarity surrounding his tycoon tax proposal and Conservative resistance to his mansion tax.
"I think it's a real lesson for them. It's all very well having 700 policies in opposition, but in government you can't fly quite so many kites and abandon things quite so quickly. I do think that's a serious issue for them," said Andrew Russell, politics professor at Manchester University.

Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/lib-dems-target-rich-pre-budget-gambit-021613502.html
(Writing by Mohammed Abbas; Editing by Louise Ireland)


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EDF Energy stops Hartlepool nuclear unit to refuel

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's largest nuclear power producer, EDF Energy, stopped its 620-megawatt (MW) Hartlepool 2 nuclear reactor on Saturday for a short refuelling outage, the company said.
"Reactor 2 at Hartlepool power station was taken off line on March 10 for a short planned refuelling outage," a spokesman said.
The utility is also undertaking planned outages on its Dungeness B and Heysham 1 nuclear plants, while its Sizewell B units stopped for an unplanned outage in early March.
(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; Editing by Kim Coghill)


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/edf-energy-stops-hartlepool-nuclear-unit-refuel-072341758.html

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BAA traffic boosted by surge in flights to Brazil

LONDON (Reuters) - Traffic at airports operated by BAA rose by 2.5 percent in February, compared with the same period the previous year, with London's Heathrow benefiting from a surge in demand for flights to Brazil.
BAA, which is Britain's main airport operator and majority owned by Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial, said on Monday that its airports carried 7.3 million passengers last month. The figure was inflated by an extra day because February was a leap year.
Nearly 4.8 million passengers passed through Heathrow, a rise of 3.8 percent on the year before.
"BAA's airports have continued to demonstrate their resilience in the weak economic environment we currently face," said BAA's Chief Executive Colin Matthews.
At Heathrow, the best performing destination was South America which saw passenger numbers rise 51.5 percent, with Brazil showing an increase of 89 percent.
Matthews said, however, that capacity constraints were in danger of preventing Britain's airports from adding new routes from other airlines which could bring jobs and growth to the UK. He noted that Britain's airports will add one new route to China this year compared to seven by European competitors.
"The centre of gravity in the world economy is shifting to emerging markets and we need to forge new links with them. Instead, because of capacity constraints, we are drifting towards a future where the UK will be cut off from some of the world's most important markets," Matthews said.
BAA said there was strong demand for all destinations except Britain and Ireland. North Atlantic flights were up 7.4 percent, with other long haul destinations up 1.3 percent.
Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said on Monday it had not found evidence Heathrow's airport charges were unreasonably discriminatory following a complaint from Lufthansa's UK unit bmi.
Bmi had complained Heathrow had discriminated against it and other short haul airlines on domestic services following changes to charges introduced in April 2011.
(Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Sarah Young)


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/baa-traffic-boosted-surge-flights-brazil-075427529.html

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Dozens Of Bodies Found After Syria 'Massacre'

The bodies of 47 women and children have been found dead after a "massacre" in the Syrian city of Homs, the opposition and activists have said.
The 26 children and 21 women - some bearing stab wounds - were discovered in the Karm el-Zaytoun and Al-Adawiyeh neighbourhoods, according to Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist in the besieged central city.
"Some of the children had been hit with blunt objects on their head, one little girl was mutilated and some women were raped before being killed," he said.
The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition group, has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the "massacre", which it said took place on Sunday.
State television blamed "armed terrorist gangs" for the killings, saying they had kidnapped residents of Homs, killed them and then made video footage of the bodies in an attempt to discredit Syrian forces.
The reports follow talks between UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and President Bashar al Assad over the weekend.
Former UN secretary- general Mr Annan said he was "optimistic" a deal could be reached to end the bloodshed, but the Syrian leader said no political solution was possible while "terrorist" groups were destabilising the country.
:: Annan 'Optimistic' After Assad Talks
More to follow...

Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/dozens-bodies-found-syria-massacre-074627510.html


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Taliban Vows Revenge For US Soldier's Attack

The Taliban has threatened revenge attacks after an American soldier killed 16 civilians, including nine children, in Afghanistan.
In a statement on their website, Taliban militants said they would "take revenge from the invaders and the savage murderers for every single martyr".
"A large number from amongst the victims are innocent children, women and the elderly, martyred by the American barbarians who mercilessly robbed them of their precious lives and drenched their hands with their innocent blood," the statement said.
The US embassy in Kabul has issued an alert, saying there is a risk of anti-American protests in coming days.
Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Kabul, said: "The Afghan government is absolutely furious about this and there are expectations of protests to come."
The embassy alert comes after US President Barack Obama called the incident "tragic and shocking".
In a written statement, Mr Obama said: "I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and to the people of Afghanistan, who have endured too much violence and suffering.
"This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan."
The president offered his full backing to a US investigation "to get the facts as quickly as possible and to hold accountable anyone responsible".
The US leader has spoken to Afghan President Hamid Karzai , who earlier demanded an explanation for what he termed an "assassination" that "cannot be forgiven."
According to the New York Times , the attacker broke into three homes after he walked more than a mile from his base.
It said that 11 victims were in one home and included four girls under the age of six.
US defence secretary Leon Panetta also assured Mr Karzai in a phone call that a "full investigation" was under way.
"A suspect is in custody, and I gave President Karzai my assurances that we will bring those responsible to justice," Mr Panetta said.
The defence secretary added that he is "shocked and saddened that a US service member... clearly acting outside his chain of command" has been linked to the incident.
Mr Panetta said he told Mr Karzai "that the American people share the outrage" felt by the Afghan leader and his people.
The gunman was believed to be a lone rogue soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord , near Tacoma in Washington state, who went from house to house in two villages in southern Kandahar during the night.
Officials said the shooting began at around 3am on Sunday, and neighbours said they awoke to crackling gunfire and that the soldier had appeared drunk.
Relatives of the victims claimed chemicals were poured over the dead bodies to burn them. Pictures of the scene appeared to show the remains of burning in at least one of the houses.
Other pictures showed blood-splattered walls where the children died.
The gunman, reported to be an army sergeant with possible mental health problems, returned to his base after the spree and is said to have turned himself in.
Sky's Ramsay said the soldier was involved in "village stabilisation operations", in which army personnel supported special force Green Berets.
Ramsay said: "Their job is to create, in effect, an armed neighbourhood watch that work with trusted village elders."
US officials confirmed the suspect in custody was a "conventional soldier" and not an elite Green Beret.
The soldier's base in Washington state, home to about 100,000 military and civilian personnel, was described as the America's "most troubled base" by military newspaper Stars and Stripes .
It added that the major US army unit in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province is the 1st Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division.
In 2010, four Lewis-McChord soldiers were convicted in the deliberate killings of three Afghan civilians and in a separate incident a former soldier shot and injured a Utah police officer.
Last January, a 24-year-old Lewis-McChord soldier who served in Iraq sparked a man hunt after he shot and killed a park ranger in Washington.
The Panjwayi district is about 20 miles west of the provincial capital of Kandahar and is considered the spiritual home of the Taliban and a hive of insurgent activity.
International forces have fought for control of the area for years as they have tried to subdue the militants in their rural strongholds.
The two villages where the rampage happened, Balandi and Alkozai, are around 500m from the US base.
The US commander of the Nato -led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) vowed to hold "fully accountable" anyone found responsible for the "deeply appalling" killings.
"I am absolutely dedicated to making sure that anyone who is found to have committed wrong-doing is held fully accountable," General John Allen said.
The incident adds new tensions to a relationship already severely strained over US forces burning Muslim holy books on a base in Afghanistan.
Although US officials apologised and said the burning was an accident, the incident sparked violent protests and attacks.
Six American soldiers have been killed in attacks by their Afghan colleagues since the Koran burnings came to light. Britain also pulled out civilian advisers from buildings in Kabul as protests spread.
The controversy followed an outrage over a video showing US marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters.




Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/obama-vows-swift-probe-afghan-gun-spree-014306659.html


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New-house buying scheme launched

A scheme designed to provide a helping hand to home buyers shut out of the housing market is being launched.
The NewBuy Guarantee scheme is forecast to help as many as 100,000 people buy a new-build home with a deposit of 5% or 10% rather than the 20% typically demanded by lenders.
The Government initiative is part of a package of measures unveiled last year aimed at kick-starting the flagging housing market as well as boosting the construction industry.
It was initially intended to help the first-time buyer portion of the market which shrunk back to a three-year low last autumn but the Government has widened the scheme to include home movers.
NewBuy has been masterminded by the Home Builders Federation and the Council of Mortgage Lenders but it still remains unclear how many lenders are ready to offer products. Lenders' support is vital to the success of the scheme and fears have also been raised that rising mortgage rates could put would-be buyers off the initiative.
Developers would contribute 3.5% of the purchase price while the Government guarantees 5.5%. The scheme is available on flats and houses up to a maximum value of £500,000 in England only.
Those behind the initiative believe lenders will see it as less risky as it is backed by an insurance scheme contributed to by the building industry and Government. But one banking source said last week that some lenders will need more time to get to grips with the idea.
"It's not a scheme that's going to change the housing market," the source said. "It's there to support housebuilders, not necessarily to support home buyers as a priority."
The Financial Times reported last week that a dispute has emerged over the price banks are prepared to charge for a 95% loan-to-value mortgage. It suggested they are looking to charge 5% or more but housebuilders believe this may put people off the scheme.
However, a spokesman for the Council of Mortgage Lenders expressed a more positive view, saying: "We are anticipating a number of lenders are working on plans to support the scheme. There is lender support and interest in the scheme. This is part of a wider approach to stimulating demand in the economy and it is part of a growth package and a series of measures."


Source:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/house-buying-scheme-launched-071529115.html

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