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Noticias del Reino Unido
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The Guardian World News Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:21:20 GMT |
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Syria's murderous regime is doomed, says defiant William Hague
UK foreign secretary warns President Assad he risks all-out civil war if he remains in power, despite collapse of UN resolution William Hague has described the Syrian regime as "doomed" and "murdering" and warned that the country is moving closer to an all-out civil war following the dramatic collapse of a major diplomatic effort to call for President Bashar al-Assad to stand down. The foreign secretary said hopes now rested on the Arab League to increase pressure for political change in the light of this weekend's setback. On Saturday, a UN security council resolution calling for the president to resign was vetoed by Russia and China, angering western diplomats. Activists attacked Syrian embassies across the world as news of the vetoes spread. "This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime. There is no way it can get its credibility back either internationally or with its own people," Hague said on Sky. "Because the regime is so intransigent, because it is conducting ten months unmitigated violence and repression – more than 6,000 killed with 12,000 or 14,000 in detention and subject to every kind of torture and abuse – it is driving some opponents to violent action themselves. That is tipping Syria closer to something that begins to look like a civil war," he said. In Syria, dozens were reported killed on Saturday in one of the bloodiest days since protests began last March. Rebel groups and opposition activists said the regime launched an assault on the city of Homs on Friday night using mortar and tanks to bombard civilian areas. One opposition group said it had confirmed 62 deaths in Homs, while other organisations gave death tolls in excess of 200. Hague, said that Russia and China's veto had emboldened Assad's position. "I think Russia and China do bear increased responsibility and that means in the Middle East and Arab world there will be a great deal of anger at the positions that Russia and China have taken. "This underlines the need for a political transition and in our view for Assad to go, or in the plan of the Arab League to hand over to his deputy and form a unity government. That's a sensible way forward," he said. He said, however, that he would continue to work alongside the Russian and Chinese governments, and planned to contact Russia's foreign minister when he returns from a visit to Syria later this week. "We will continue to work with Russia and China on this. We want them to change their position," Hague said. Asked about plans by Arab countries to expel Syrian diplomats, Hague said that Britain's diplomatic options wre constantly being reviewed but any announcement would first be made to parliamentt. "We haven't taken any decisions to sever our diplomatic links at the moment but the Arab League is playing a very strong role … This is the main way forward now, for the Arab League to pursue their plan because they don't need the UN to do that although it would have been good to have had a clear mandate from the United Nations. "They should pursue their plan and intensify their own pressure on the Assad regime to stop the killing and allow a peaceful political transition." Hague said the UK had reduced its embassy operations in Syria to an absolute minimum and reiterated the government's position of ruling out military intervention, stressing the differences with last year's regime change in Libya. "In Libya we had the authority of the UN to take all necessary measures. Given what has happened this weekend, we could not pass such a resolution. Secondly, the consequences would be far more difficult to foresee in Syria than they were in the relatively straightforward Libya because of the knock on effects across the region. Thirdly it would have to be on a dramatically bigger scale in Syria in order to be effective," he said. The Sino-Russian veto was intended to promote a political settlement, China's state news agency Xinhua said in an article today. It "aimed at further seeking peaceful settlement of the chronic Syrian crisis and preventing possible drastic and risky solutions to it," the piece said. "With the veto, Russia and China believed more time and patience should be given to a political solution … which would prevent the Syrian people from more turbulence and fatalities." The opposition Syrian National Council condemned Moscow and Beijing for obstructing the passage of the draft resolution. The veto drew an angry response from Washington's UN envoy Susan Rice, who wrote on Twitter that she was disgusted and said Russia and China would have blood on their hands. The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, criticised the UN resolution, saying it made too few demands of anti-government armed groups, and could prejudge the outcome of a dialogue among political forces in the country. Russian news agencies reported that Lavrov and Russia's foreign intelligence chief, Mikhail Fradkov, would meet Assad in Damascus on Tuesday. Syria has been a key Russian ally since the Soviet era and Moscow has opposed any UN demands that could be interpreted as advocating military intervention or regime change. Earlier on Saturday, Tunisia decided to expel Syria's ambassador in response to the "bloody massacre" in Homs and said it no longer recognised the Assad regime. As news of the violence spread, a crowd of Syrians stormed their country's embassy in Cairo and protests broke out outside missions in Britain, Germany and the US.
Travel disruption as snow blankets the UK
Heavy snowfall causes transport chaos with trains delayed, cars abandoned on roads and flights cancelled across Britain
• Have you taken any great snaps of snow or travel chaos? Send them to us at pictures@guardian.co.uk and we'll feature the best A thick blanket of snow, 16cm deep in places, has settled across parts of the UK, grounding planes, stranding motorists and leaving roads icy and treacherous. Although the worst of the flurries will move eastwards, swaths of the UK have been placed on amber alert, with the Met Office warning of icy conditions across much of England, Scotland and Wales. Church Fenton in North Yorkshire and Wattisham in Suffolk recorded 16cm of snow, while up to 15cm was forecast for parts of Cumbria, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, North Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Midlands. Many motorway drivers were forced to spend the night in their cars as the snow brought traffic to a standstill. The Highways Agency has urged motorists to take extra care on the roads. A third of today's flights have been axed at Heathrow because of the snow and the possibility of freezing fog. A spokesman for the airport said: "We have about 850 of our usual 1,231 flights scheduled for today. That's been agreed with the airlines, but we are asking people to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport." A full schedule of flights is planned for Gatwick, but passengers have been warned of possible disruptions because of the weather. Stansted, Birmingham, Luton and Manchester airports were forced to suspend operations for a period last night as snow piled up on the runways, but normal service was expected to resume on Sunday. Six flights were cancelled in Birmingham, where some passengers were forced to spend the night in a terminal. A spokesman said the airport would catch up on Sunday, providing temperatures did not drop much lower. In Luton, flights were "fully operational" with some delays due to snow clearing. A couple of departures were cancelled at Stansted, but a spokesman said there was "movement" on and off the runway, adding: "Flights are subject to delays of up to about one hour". A Gatwick spokesman said all scheduled flights had taken off and arrived safely, despite 8cm of snow. There were no cancellations. On the roads, motorists faced what the RAC described as a "dangerous cocktail of driving conditions" and were urged to stay at home where possible. Some minor routes were closed altogether. Drivers on sections of the M25 in Hertfordshire were trapped in gridlock throughout the night. One motorist, Tom Jones, was stranded in his car for more than seven hours. He told the BBC: "We joined the back of a tailback, never realising we would be spending the night on the motorway." He said the Highways Agency had to deal with much bad driving, and that he had seen several cars stuck in ditches and many blocking the hard shoulder. Thames Valley police said the snow had caused a tailback between junctions nine and four southbound on the M40 from about 9pm until the early hours of Sunday. Police in Kent warned people not to travel unless absolutely essential, and urged people not to cause an obstruction if forced to abandon their vehicles. A spokesman advised people using the Port of Dover to check with their ferry operator before travelling. A North Yorkshire police spokesman said there had been some 60 minor road accidents across the county since Saturday afternoon as a result of the weather. The area's fire and rescue service said a crew returning to their base at Robin Hood's Bay had helped several motorists who became stuck in "severe" snow drifts. The Highways Agency has issued an amber alert, advising people to take extra care while travelling because of "the increased risk of adverse driving conditions". Kevin Andrews, RAC patrol ambassador, said the wintry weather and sub-zero temperatures had left roads extremely treacherous. The motoring organisation said it had attended 70% more breakdowns than normal, while a spokesman for the AA said it dealt with about 1,500 callouts per hour on Saturday. The total figure was predicted to reach 15,000 by the end of Saturday, almost double the usual number of 8,500. Rail services have also been affected, with disruption set to continue throughout Sunday. Southern Railway said trains were subject to delay and cancellation, with journey times extended by up to 30 minutes. In the capital, all bus routes were operating morning after a few "curtailments" to night bus services, Transport for London said. Tube services were said to have started well but delays and suspensions soon set in on most lines. The Met Office's amber alert, which urges people to be prepared, applies to most of England, Wales and central, south-west and eastern Scotland. A yellow alert, which warns people to be aware, was in place for the Highlands and Northern Ireland. The icy spell has seen daytime temperatures plummet four or five degrees lower than average for February, traditionally the coldest month of the year. The Department for Transport has said it was better prepared than ever for severe winter weather. Salt stocks across Britain stand at more than 2.4m tonnes, a million more than last year.
Kandahar bomb kills at least seven in southern Afghanistan
Five police officers and two civilians killed after car bomb blast at police headquarters, with at least 19 people wounded A car bomb has exploded at the police headquarters in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, killing at least seven people. The blast went off in a car park, according to Faisal Ahmad, a spokesman for the provincial government. Five police officers and two civilians were killed, and least 19 people were wounded, he said. The explosion was large enough to shatter the windows of nearby buildings. It appeared the bomb was in a parked vehicle and remotely detonated, said Zalmai Ayubi, another government spokesman. No one has yet claimed responsibility. Although the international military coalition in Afghanistan has poured resources into Kandahar and surrounding areas as part of a push to take back insurgent strongholds, the area has remained dangerous and there have been repeated attacks against government installations. The UN reported on Saturday that 2011 was the deadliest on record for civilians in the Afghan war, with 3,021 killed as insurgents ratcheted up violence with suicide attacks and roadside bombs. Civilian deaths from military or other pro-government forces decreased slightly. A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, said on Sunday the report was "biased" and accused the UN of falsifying the figures. The commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, John Allen, said the report reflected the effort the international coalition has put into decreasing civilian casualties. He added that international forces would "continue to do all we can to reduce casualties that affect the Afghan civilian population". Meanwhile, police in northern Afghanistan said an American soldier shot and killed an Afghan guard at a US base, apparently because the American thought the guard was about to attack him. There have been a growing number of attacks by Afghan soldiers against international forces in Afghanistan in recent years, some the result of arguments and others by insurgent infiltrators. Last month, an Afghan soldier shot and killed four unarmed French troops at a base in eastern Afghanistan. Friday's shooting in Sari Pul province, northern Afghanistan, resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, said Sayed Jahangir, the deputy police chief for the province. Afghans guard the outside perimeter of the base and Americans guard inside. Jahangir said that the Afghan guard – a man named Abdul Rahim – wanted to go into the base and started arguing with the American at the door. Rahim did not raise his weapon, but the American thought he was about to do so and fired, Jahangir said. "Our initial reports show that the American thought he was acting in self-defence," Jahangir said. Rahim was a private guard, not an Afghan soldier or policeman, Jahangir said. US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings said US forces were "aware of an incident in northern Afghanistan" and were investigating, but did not give further details.
Clinton calls for 'friends of democratic Syria' to unite against Bashar al-Assad
US secretary of state says UN has been 'neutered' by double veto but that international community has duty to halt bloodshed Hillary Clinton has called for "friends of democratic Syria" to unite against President Bashar al-Assad following China and Russia's veto of a tougher UN response to his regime, which she described as a "travesty". Speaking in Sofia a day after the collapse of the UN security council resolution, the US secretary of state said the international community had a duty to halt ongoing bloodshed and promote a political transition that would see Assad step down. She said the "friends of Syria" should work together to promote those ends. Clinton was harshly critical of Saturday's veto by Russia and China that blocked UN action against the continuing violence in Syria. "What happened yesterday at the United Nations was a travesty," she said. "Faced with a neutered security council, we have to redouble our efforts outside of the United Nations with those allies and partners who support the Syrian people's right to have a better future," Clinton told reporters after meeting top Bulgarian officials. The creation of a formal group of like-minded countries to co-ordinate assistance for Syria's opposition, similar to the Contact Group on Libya that oversaw international aid for opponents of Muammar Gaddafi, is possible. However, in the case of Libya, the group also co-ordinated Nato military operations to protect Libyan civilians, something that is not envisioned in Syria. US officials said a group would work to further squeeze the Assad regime by enhancing sanctions, unite disparate opposition groups inside and outside the country, and provide humanitarian relief. William Hague earlier described the Syrian regime as "doomed" and "murdering" and warned that the country was moving closer to an all-out civil war following the collapse of the UN's diplomatic effort. The UK foreign secretary said hopes now rested on the Arab League to increase pressure for political change in the light of this weekend's setback. "This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime. There is no way it can get its credibility back either internationally or with its own people," Hague said on Sky News. "Because the regime is so intransigent, because it is conducting ten months unmitigated violence and repression – more than 6,000 killed with 12,000 or 14,000 in detention and subject to every kind of torture and abuse – it is driving some opponents to violent action themselves. That is tipping Syria closer to something that begins to look like a civil war," he said. In Syria, dozens were reported killed on Saturday in one of the bloodiest days since protests began last March. Rebel groups and opposition activists said the regime launched an assault on the city of Homs on Friday night using mortar and tanks to bombard civilian areas. One opposition group said it had confirmed 62 deaths in Homs, while other organisations gave death tolls in excess of 200. Hague said that Russia and China's veto had emboldened Assad's position. "I think Russia and China do bear increased responsibility and that means in the Middle East and Arab world there will be a great deal of anger at the positions that Russia and China have taken. "This underlines the need for a political transition and in our view for Assad to go, or in the plan of the Arab League to hand over to his deputy and form a unity government. That's a sensible way forward." He said, however, that he would continue to work alongside Moscow and Beijing, and planned to contact Russia's foreign minister when he returns from a visit to Syria later this week. "We will continue to work with Russia and China on this. We want them to change their position," Hague said. Asked about plans by Arab countries to expel Syrian diplomats, Hague said that Britain's diplomatic options were constantly being reviewed but any announcement would first be made to parliament. "We haven't taken any decisions to sever our diplomatic links at the moment but the Arab League is playing a very strong role … This is the main way forward now, for the Arab League to pursue their plan because they don't need the UN to do that although it would have been good to have had a clear mandate from the United Nations. "They should pursue their plan and intensify their own pressure on the Assad regime to stop the killing and allow a peaceful political transition." Hague said the UK had reduced its embassy operations in Syria to an absolute minimum and reiterated the government's position of ruling out military intervention, stressing the differences with last year's regime change in Libya. "In Libya we had the authority of the UN to take all necessary measures. Given what has happened this weekend, we could not pass such a resolution. "Secondly, the consequences would be far more difficult to foresee in Syria than they were in the relatively straightforward Libya because of the knock on effects across the region. Thirdly it would have to be on a dramatically bigger scale in Syria in order to be effective," he said. The Sino-Russian veto was intended to promote a political settlement, China's state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday. It "aimed at further seeking peaceful settlement of the chronic Syrian crisis and preventing possible drastic and risky solutions to it," it said. "With the veto, Russia and China believed more time and patience should be given to a political solution … which would prevent the Syrian people from more turbulence and fatalities." The opposition Syrian National Council condemned Moscow and Beijing for obstructing the passage of the draft resolution. The veto drew an angry response from Washington's UN envoy, Susan Rice, who tweeted that she was disgusted, adding that Russia and China would have blood on their hands. The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, criticised the UN resolution, saying it made too few demands of anti-government armed groups, and could prejudge the outcome of a dialogue among political forces in the country. Russian news agencies reported that Lavrov and Russia's foreign intelligence chief, Mikhail Fradkov, would meet Assad in Damascus on Tuesday. Syria has been a key Russian ally since the Soviet era and Moscow has opposed any UN demands that could be interpreted as advocating military intervention or regime change. Earlier on Saturday, Tunisia decided to expel Syria's ambassador in response to the "bloody massacre" in Homs and said it no longer recognised the Assad regime. As news of the violence spread, a crowd of Syrians stormed their country's embassy in Cairo and protests broke out outside missions in Britain, Germany and the US.
Ed Miliband: we have just three months to save the NHS
Labour leader urges cross-party campaign to block Andrew Lansley's health reform bill Labour leader Ed Miliband is calling on the public to join a three-month campaign to kill off the government's controversial NHS reforms as pressure mounts on David Cameron to withdraw the coalition's flagship health and social care bill from parliament. Ahead of a crucial week for the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, during which the bill will return to the Lords where it can expect a further mauling, Miliband describes the plans as a dangerous "leap in the dark" that will impose a "free market free-for-all" on the NHS. With much of the medical profession now opposed to the plans and Downing Street increasingly concerned, Miliband says an effective cross-party campaign in parliament, backed by patients, could deliver Lansley's plans the last rites. "It is not too late to stop this bill," Miliband says in an article for the Observer. "We have three months to prevent great harm being done to the NHS. Now is the time for people of all parties and of none, the professions, the patients and now peers in the House of Lords to work together to try to stop this bill." The worst option, he argues, would be to press on with a bill just so that the government can save face. Ominously for the government, Labour, Liberal Democrat and crossbench peers are discussing joint strategies to torpedo further elements of the bill when it begins its report stage in the Lords on Wednesday. The latest action to amend the bill – which would devolve power over commissioning to GPs and open the service up to more competition – comes despite the government offering a string of concessions when it put down 136 amendments in addition to the 1,800 already tabled. One peer involved in cross-party discussions said the aim was to continue amending the bill until ministers had to concede there was no further point in pressing ahead. Labour and some Lib Dem peers, including Shirley Williams, are now training their sights on the part of the bill that would open the NHS to a greater role for the private sector. "This is the core of the bill," said one peer. "This is what really matters." Labour and the Lib Dems, with some crossbench support, are tabling further changes which they say will limit the extent to which the private sector can compete to provide services across the NHS. Peers predict the government could suffer a series of defeats between now and March. Privately, many Tory MPs question whether it is wise to press ahead with a bill not backed by most of the medical profession. Last week, physiotherapist leaders joined the Royal College of GPs in calling for the health bill in England to be scrapped, becoming the latest medical group to set its face against the plans. Changes agreed by ministers last week, intended to win peers round, include making it clear the health secretary would retain ultimate control over the NHS, and strengthening the requirement of the regulator, Monitor, to ensure different providers competing for patients also work together. But there are signs that peers are going for more concessions. The Observer understands that some prominent Tory peers may soon break cover to voice concerns about key elements of the bill relating to its provisions on competition. Miliband is keen to stress his party is not against all reform. "The NHS needs reform, but not David Cameron's. A sign of a reform being on the right track is whether it slowly builds support, as the Labour government did with the tough action we took to get waiting times down, including using the private sector where appropriate." Defending the reforms, Lansley said: "The NHS faces unprecedented challenges from our ageing population and new, more expensive treatments. "Our plans to improve the NHS are essential if it is to be sustainable for the future. Doctors and nurses support the core principles – giving more power to clinicians to design services for patients, getting patients the information they need to make proper choices and promoting democratic accountability, with councils leading health improvement. Any reform of something as important as the NHS will cause controversy. "Trade unions like the BMA opposed the very creation of the NHS. Labour used to support reform but now they are jumping on the bandwagon of opposition in order to please their trade union masters. My father worked for the NHS on the first day it came into existence, I want the NHS to still be here to support my children in the future. I care passionately about maintaining an NHS that is free for all which is why I am pursuing a programme of reform to make it sustainable for future generations," he said.
Joey Barton says 'make me a martyr' following John Terry tweets
• 'I will gladly go to jail for a month,' midfielder says on Twitter
• Attorney general's office has examined tweets from Barton Joey Barton has invited the authorities to "make him a martyr" after the attorney general's office said it was looking into his tweets over the impending John Terry trial. "I will gladly go to jail for a month, in the name of free speech. I have no problem with what I said. Make me a martyr …" the Queens Park Rangers captain tweeted on Sunday. The attorney general's office said it had been made aware of a series of robust observations made by Barton on the stripping of the England captaincy from the Chelsea defender following an allegation of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a match at QPR last year. Terry, who denies the charge, will stand trial in July, just a matter of days after Euro 2012 finishes. Barton, who was playing in the match at Loftus Road in October, has defended his comments on the grounds of free speech. However a spokesman for the attorney general's office said: "I can confirm the Tweets have been brought to our attention and have been viewed." Dominic Grieve QC is the current attorney general. He is the government's senior law officer and part of his remit is to make sure people facing criminal allegations receive a fair trial.
Egypt football protests continue into fourth day
Riot police fire teargas at stone-throwing protesters demanding army hand over power outside the interior ministry in Cairo Protesters demanding a swift presidential election and an early handover of power by the army threw stones at police guarding the Egyptian interior ministry on Sunday and were forced back with volleys of teargas. It was the fourth day of clashes outside the ministry, during which seven people have died. Protesters accuse the ministry of failing to prevent the deaths last week of 74 people after a football match in Port Said. Five more people have died in Suez. Some protesters believe that remnants of the Mubarak regime were behind the violence, which was triggered by a pitch invasion after a football match between Al Ahly and Al Masri on Wednesday. They see it as part of a plot to create chaos in an attempt by the old guard to reassert its influence. Political figures and a civilian advisory body to the military have suggested bringing the presidential vote forward to April or May, from the June date foreseen in the transition timetable of the army, which took power after former president Hosni Mubarak quit. Police and protesters, some waving Al Ahly flags, threw stones at each other and police fired volleys of teargas to push the lines of mostly young protesters back from the ministry building on Sunday. The authorities put up concrete barriers to block streets leading to the ministry. Some earlier barricades had been torn down. "The demand is that the army step down politically and announce the start of nominations for the presidential election immediately," said Waleed Saleh, 30, an activist, speaking near the ministry. The military council, which took charge when Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising on 11 February last year, has promised to hand over power by the end of June after an election. Calls for a quicker handover have been mounting, and the Muslim Brotherhood - which has the biggest bloc in parliament - added its voice on Saturday to those calling for a faster transition. An army-appointed civilian council set up to advise the military is proposing that nominations for the presidency be accepted from 23 February, nearly two months earlier than the 15 April date previously announced. "If the army adopts that proposal, it will reduce the level of tension," said Saleh, who also voiced a view popular among activists that the army might still try to influence policy from behind the scenes even with a civilian president in place. Saleh is among hardened activists who have kept a permanent presence in Tahrir Square since 25 January, the anniversary of the eruption of protests against Mubarak. Other protesters also called for the army to quit now and demanded retribution after the football deaths and for those killed in protests. There has been intense speculation about the cause of Egypt's worst ever football violence. "Those people over there are the reason for the deaths in Port Said," said 25-year-old Mahmoud Gaber, pointing to the police lines. Moments later, a police riot van advanced and fired teargas on youths in the street, briefly pushing them back. Many are angry that there has not been a deep clear-out in the police force, and that officers use the same heavy-handed tactics against protests as in Mubarak's era. The interior minister has blamed the incident on provocations by rival fans. Many Egyptians are increasingly worried by the continued turmoil, and some see the army as the only institution able to guard the country from a descent into chaos. Newly elected independent parliamentarian Yasser Qadri, a member of the assembly's national security committee, said his committee was proposing drawing lines near state buildings. "Those who cross the red line would be dealt with according to the law that gives security the right to protect state buildings from attacks," he said. But that could prove a provocation to protesters who have ignored big concrete barriers. Among the hundreds injured in the four days of clashes was Ahmed Maher, a leader of the 6 April movement which helped galvanise the protests against Mubarak. He was in hospital on Sunday with a head injury but was stable, the group said.
Anti-Putin protesters march through Moscow
Up to 120,000 Russian anti-government protesters demand political reform as Putin supporters stage counter-rally Tens of thousands of demonstrators have braved temperatures of -18C in Moscow to march through the city shouting "Russia without Putin" and calling for a rerun of disputed elections. In the latest of a series of mass gatherings since allegations of widespread government vote-rigging at the parliamentary poll on 4 December, the protesters walked an agreed route from Oktyabrskaya metro station to Bolotnaya Square, near the Kremlin. Much of the protesters' anger is focused on the prime minister and defacto leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who earlier likened their white ribbons – worn as a symbol of solidarity – to condoms. "Under Putin, so many thieves have come to power," said Ivan Frolov, 28, an engineer. "The authorities are totally closed, they don't talk to the people. We want to choose leaders who listen to us. And we don't want to worship a single person." Analysts say nascent discontent – especially among the urban middle class – grew in September when President Dmitry Medvdev, who is perceived as being a more liberal figure, announced he would not run for a second term, leaving Putin free this spring to return to the presidency, which he held from 2000 to 2008. Protest organisers claimed up to 120,000 people attended the march while police put the figure at 35,000. There was an irreverent atmosphere: some came dressed as clowns, or knights on cardboard horses, while others banged drums. Groups of communists waved Soviet flags, and several hundred nationalists marched in in a phalanx crying in unison: "Russia for ethnic Russians!" However, the majority of demonstrators showed no party or group allegiance, and many had fashioned their own placards. Natasha Orekhova, 26, a public relations specialist with a real estate firm, stood next to a friend who carried a fork with a pretend snake spiked on its tines, a reference to Putin calling the protesters Bandar-logs, the monkeys hypnotised by a python in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. "Suddenly there is a feeling of unity in our discontent," said Orekhova. "The people coming to protests are beautiful, clever, educated. It's very pleasant." Many spoke of the ruling elite treating ordinary people with contempt. Galina, a linguist in her 50s who declined to give her surname, said: "We want our dignity back. The authorities despise us. Recently, I was travelling to visit my sick mother in hospital and they closed the road for an hour because Putin's cortege was taking him somewhere to drink tea with someone. I sat in my car crying tears of rage and frustration." Several opposition leaders spoke from a stage. Sergei Udaltsov, a radical leftwing activist, drew cheers when he tore up a portrait of Putin. The protesters are demanding a rerun of the parliamentary elections, the resignation of the head of the central election commission, reform of the political system and the release of political prisoners. So far, the only sop offered by the Kremlin is a simplified process for registering political parties and the return of direct elections of regional governors, but it remains unclear when these changes will come into effect. Attention now turns to the presidential election on 4 March. Putin is the clear frontrunner in that race and a rally of his supporters in a park on the edge of Moscow on Saturday also drew large crowds. However, he admitted this week that he may not get the 50% required to win in the first round of the vote, which would erode his authority. Police deployed about 9,000 officers for the protests. No serious incidents were reported.
Heaviest snowfall in decades wreaks havoc across Europe
Hundreds of people die in Arctic conditions across continent, with more than 120 reported dead in Ukraine alone Freezing weather paralysed parts of central and southern Europe over the weekend, with Bosnia and Italy experiencing their heaviest snowfall for decades. After more than 200 people were killed in Arctic temperatures in eastern Europe, the pattern of snowfall moved west, dumping two metres (6.5ft) of snow in parts of Bosnia. On Sunday, the authorities used helicopters to evacuate sick people and deliver food to thousands cut off by the country's highest snowfall on record. More than 100 remote Bosnian villages were cut off by the snowfall. A state of emergency was declared in the capital, Sarajevo, which has been under more than a metre of snow since Friday, with schools closed, trams stuck in snowdrifts and people trapped in cars. With roads closed and no public transport in much of Sarajevo, some neighbourhoods reported water shortages and residents struggled to reach the shops to buy food. In neighbouring Serbia, about 70,000 people remained cut off from services. Rare snowfall on Croatia's Adriatic coast left three dead, and the army was called in to help clear snow. Ukraine had the greatest death toll with more than 120 people freezing to death, most of them at the end of last week, in temperatures that plunged to -30C at night. Most died from hyperthermia or frostbite in the street. Bodies continued to be found, some buried in snow in remote parts of the country. In Poland, the worst affected were homeless people. In Bulgaria, the poorest country in the EU, 16 people died owing to the cold weather. Most were from remote villages and were found dead at the side of the road or in unheated houses. As the snow moved west, deaths were also reported in France. Two elderly people with Alzheimer's disease died after leaving home in the poor weather. One, an 82-year-old man from Moselle in north-eastern France, had left home in only his pyjamas. He was found dead just over half a mile from his home in temperatures that fell to -14C. France was bracing itself for a two-year high in electricity consumption as temperatures plunged to -20C in Reims and Mulhouse. On Sunday, the government warned French consumers to be cautious about energy use. Meanwhile, Rome was paralysed by its heaviest snowfall in 27 years, which left buses struggling to navigate the icy roads and people stranded in cars for hours. The city's mayor was criticised over a lack of snow ploughs and salters. About 4,000 government-issued shovels were handed out in several main piazzas to Romans trying to clear their streets before a freeze forecast for Sunday evening. There were a handful of deaths in Italy due to the weather conditions, including a man in southern Naples found dead in his snow-covered car at the side of the road. Snow also fell on Spain's Balearic islands in the Mediterranean, as well as Sardinia and Corsica. The Algerian capital, Algiers, saw a freak snowfall of at least 10cm, the first in eight years. Even Greece was not spared from the vicissitudes of the continental weather system. An 80-year-old woman drowned and dozens more were trapped in flooded houses in the western city of Pyrgos after almost 15cm of rain fell overnight, the Associated Press reported.
Chris Huhne's successor faces clash as Tories attack wind farms spending
Demand for £400m subsidies to be slashed threatens claim to be the 'greenest government ever' The challenge facing the new Liberal Democrat energy secretary, Ed Davey, has been laid bare by the revelation that 101 Tory MPs are demanding drastic cuts to the £400m-a-year government subsidies for wind farms. The demands from Conservative MPs, made in a letter to David Cameron, came as a former Liberal Democrat leader, Menzies Campbell, warned that there would be serious trouble from his party's activists if there was any rowing back from the coalition's commitment to run the "greenest government ever". Policy on wind farms threatens to become a major fault line between the Tories, many of whom say they are expensive and inefficient, and the Lib Dems, who see the building of 4,500 more turbines as an essential part of the drive to cut carbon emissions. In the letter, the Tory MPs tell the prime minister they are becoming "more and more concerned" about the commitment to "support for onshore wind energy production". The letter is evidence of growing pressure from Conservatives to resist Liberal Democrat pressure to promote green policies which many Tories believe have no proved economic or environmental benefit. The warning came as Campbell said the Lib Dem grassroots would tolerate no rowing back from the green agenda that is central to their purpose in government following the resignation of Chris Huhne. Huhne, one of the Lib Dems' toughest operators, resigned as energy secretary to mount a "robust defence" of claims that he persuaded his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, to take his penalty points for a speeding offence in 2003. The MP for Eastleigh, Hampshire, and his ex-wife, who faces a related charge, will appear before Westminster magistrates on 16 February. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Campbell told the Observer that the Lib Dems' credibility rested on the new energy secretary taking as tough a line on green issues as Huhne and not giving in to the demands of the Tory right. "Liberal Democrat voters, and in particular Lib Dem activists, will not be content if there is any rowing back on the green agenda," he said. "Commitment to the environment has an iconic place in the Lib Dem approach and if we were seen to water that down, publicly and privately, things could get very tough." Environmentalists expressed dismay at the loss of Huhne from the heart of government. Greenpeace said he had been "a vocal advocate for the green agenda in a government whose green credentials are looking more than a little tarnished". Huhne was furious when the chancellor, George Osborne, suggested in his autumn statement last November that the government could not put green policies before the need to create jobs. "We are not going to save the planet by shutting down our steel mills, aluminium smelters and paper manufacturers," the chancellor said. "All we will be doing is exporting valuable jobs out of Britain." Davey, 46, the former consumer affairs minister, , who has had a relatively low-profile career in the party until now, will join Nick Clegg at an event which officials insist will demonstrate the party's determination to keep green policies at the top of the government's agenda. Clegg is due to give a major speech on the environment within weeks, before Osborne's budget next month. Lib Dem sources said Davey, Clegg and others would be working on ideas on how to raise money to pay for more tax cuts for low earners through pollution taxes, most probably on aviation. On his promotion to the Cabinet, Davey said he was "particularly conscious of the impact on consumers' households across the country of high energy bills". He made clear he would continue with Huhne's plans to increase the number of wind farms and "a green economy where there's lots of green jobs to help growth in our economy". He added: "I am determined to work to follow on Chris's priorities, the Liberal Democrats' priorities, the coalition government's priorities and make them my priorities."
Nevada caucuses: Romney trounces rivals but Gingrich vows to fight on
Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney wins 48% of votes as main rival Newt Gingrich prepares for protracted campaign The Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney coasted to victory in the latest of the party's presidential nomination contests, the Nevada caucuses, but his main rival, Newt Gingrich, vowed he would not drop out. Romney won about 48% of votes compared with 23% for Gingrich, 19% for Ron Paul and 11% for Rick Santorum, according to a near-complete tally early on Sunday. The former Massachusetts governor has now won three of the five opening contests. But Gingrich sought to ruin Romney's post-election celebrations, calling a press conference to deny he planned to quit and blaming exit rumours on the Romney camp. "I am not going to withdraw," he said. Gingrich instead set out a strategy for a protracted campaign. He claimed he would have near-parity with Romney by the Texas primary on 3 April and a chance to take the lead afterwards. He pledged to fight on to the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, in August. Underlining the extent of division and bitterness created by the contest, Gingrich again described Romney as "blatantly dishonest", a line that Democrats will happily replay if Romney becomes the nominee to face Barack Obama for the White House in November. Romney, in his victory speech in Las Vegas, was in a bullish mood, recalling that he had won Nevada in his failed bid for the Republican nomination in 2008. "This is not the first time you have given me your vote of confidence and this time I am going to take it all the way to the White House," he said. Gingrich, at a Las Vegas press conference, was defiant, predicting conservatives in the forthcoming contests would not vote for a pro-abortion, pro-gun control Massachusetts moderate. "Our commitment is to seek to find a series of victories which by the end of the Texas primary will leave us about at parity with Governor Romney and from that point forward to see if we can't actually win the nomination. We will continue to campaign all the way to Tampa," he said. Gingrich's defiant tone came after a meeting with about 60 financial backers, including the billionaire casino and hotel owner Sheldon Adelson. Gingrich described Nevada as a "very heavily Mormon state" in explaining his rival's big win. A survey of caucus-goers showed about 25% were members of the religious group. In the 2008 nomination battle 95% of Mormons who took part in the caucuses voted for Romney. Romney was helped too by having had full-time staff and volunteers working in the state for months. Gingrich and Santorum only began organising over the last few weeks. The winner in the Republican race needs to secure 1,144 delegates to the party convention in August. Nevada has 28 delegates, distributed among the candidates based on share of the vote. Although Romney takes the biggest share, Gingrich and Paul will receive a portion. Ominously for Obama, for whom Nevada is a swing state in November, four out of 10 of those surveyed going into the caucuses said their priority was to force him from office. They also cited the economy as their primary concern. Nevada is one of the most recession-hit states, with high unemployment and a collapsed housing market. Although Romney has established himself as favourite, there is still a route available to Gingrich if he can take big states such as Ohio, Georgia and Texas in March and April and sweep up the remaining southern states. Paul and Santorum did not stay in Nevada to watch the results. Paul spent the day campaigning in Minnesota; Santorum did the same in Colorado. Both states vote on Tuesday. The Maine caucuses have begun and are due to be completed on Saturday. Romney spent the day campaigning in Colorado before returning to Nevada for his election-night speech. He plans to take Sunday off, a sign of confidence about the forthcoming contests, and also recognition of the futility of trying to compete with the Super Bowl. Although Santorum came in fourth he indicated he was not planning to quit soon, claiming to be hopeful of a decent result in Colorado and Minnesota. Before Nevada, Romney had 87 delegates; followed by Gingrich with 26; Santorum with 14; and Paul with four.
North-south divide grows as jobs are lost at four times the rate elsewhere
Unemployment figures give new impetus to calls for an elected assembly for the north of England Jobs in the north of England are being lost at four times the rate in the rest of the country, deepening the economic divide and prompting new calls for devolution of powers to an elected assembly for the north. About 98,000 jobs were lost in the north-east, north-west, Yorkshire and Humberside in 2011, according to an analysis by the centre-left thinktank IPPR North. This was an 18% increase on the previous year, dwarfing the 4.5% rise in the rest of England. In the most extreme case, in the north-east, 12% of the working-age population are unemployed compared with 6.5% in the south-west, 6.4% in the south-east and 9.9% in London. The figures will bolster the growing movement calling for a "voice for the north" through an elected assembly. In the Observer, a letter from six Labour MPs from across the north, supported by parliamentary colleagues from other regions, says that the debate over Scotland's potential move to further devolution or independence should not "ignore the growing political marginalisation of the north of England, with a cabinet dominated by southern politicians who seem to know little, and care even less, of the economic and social problems of the north". It demands that the north is given a "stronger say in its own destiny" and calls for a debate on the benefits of directly elected regional government. The MPs, who are patrons of a new thinktank, the Hannah Mitchell Foundation, established to campaign for an elected assembly, said: "We need to move on from the pessimism that descended on politicians after the defeat of the referendum for north-east devolution in 2004, and recognise that the UK has changed." Barry Sheerman, the MP for Huddersfield and a signatory of the letter, said the movement aspired to create an assembly, but in the short term he believed that each region should have a commission made up of business and academic leaders to protect its particular interests. "I am very passionate about this. The north has a much larger population than Scotland, and look at London, which has an assembly and a powerful mayor to protect its interests. With the scrapping of the regional development agencies, we don't have a body to deal with strategic problems and issues for the north. "As I keep telling the prime minister and chancellor, the northern regions have been in recession for years." Linda Riordan, MP for Halifax, said: "The disparities between the north and south are widening and demand action and it is extraordinary that the government is getting rid of the regional development agencies that provided us with some support." The government is funding 164 projects through a regional growth fund, "creating and safeguarding" more than 330,000 jobs, supported by more than £6bn of private investment. In November, the chancellor announced an additional £1bn for the fund, bringing the total to £2.4bn.
Gun experts raise doubts over Jeremy Bamber murder verdict
New review of ballistics evidence 'shakes safety of convictions' in 1986 Essex killings Some of the world's most eminent ballistics experts have uncovered "the first evidence directly pointing to the innocence of Jeremy Bamber", convicted of a notorious multiple murder 27 years ago. Bamber was found guilty in October 1986 of shooting his adoptive parents, June and Nevill, his sister Sheila Caffell and her six-year-old twins, Daniel and Nicholas, at their Essex farmhouse. He has consistently maintained his innocence, although his last attempt to win freedom was rejected by the Criminal Cases Review Commission 12 months ago. However, a new legal team has submitted evidence to the commission, the authority that investigates miscarriages of justice, claiming to have unearthed evidence that "shakes the safety of Bamber's convictions to their core". Detailed reports, compiled by British and US medical and ballistics analysts, corroborate the initial police view that Bamber's schizophrenic sister Sheila Caffell committed the White House Farm murders in 1985. During the immediate aftermath of the killings on 7 August, detectives and the pathologist thought Caffell, 28, had murdered her parents and sons before turning the gun on herself. Yet the theory was cast into doubt when three days after the shootings a cousin of Bamber found a silencer in a cupboard at the farm, apparently with Caffell's blood on it. Central to the prosecution case in the Chelmsford crown court trial was evidence that Caffell's blood was on the silencer; if so, she could not have shot herself then placed it in a cupboard downstairs. Jurors heard how the silencer was responsible for scratch marks on a kitchen shelf, allegedly made in a struggle between Bamber and his 61-year-old adoptive father. The trial was unusual in that the jury were told the killings could have been carried out only by Caffell or Bamber. The issue of the silencer was vital in persuading the jury, with the judge instructing them the silencer "could, on its own, lead them to believe that Bamber was guilty". Now the conclusions of a peer-reviewed pathology assessment of the evidence relating to Caffell's death, obtained by the Observer, appear to demolish the case against Bamber. They suggest that a silencer – so pivotal to Bamber's conviction – was never used. One report by David Fowler, chief medical examiner of the US state of Maryland, who has reviewed the files of more than 3,000 shooting homicides, states: "In my professional opinion, the [burn marks] complex just described of the lower entrance and two abrasions is consistent with the rifle not having a silencer." Fowler believes no silencer was involved. His conclusion is supported by Ljubisa Dragovic, chief medical examiner of Oakland county in Michigan, and Marcella Fierro, former chief medical examiner of Virginia. Leeds-based Simon McKay, Bamber's new solicitor advocate, said: "The evidence of three senior and respected pathologists that the wounds to Sheila Caffell are consistent with the rifle having been fired without the silencer fitted shakes the safety of Jeremy Bamber's convictions to their core." McKay added: "The fresh expert evidence aligns itself with what police officers found at the scene on the morning of the killings and the combined views of those who assessed the position then: namely, and tragically, [that] Sheila Caffell murdered her family, then took her own life." Evidence that the fatal wounds had been fired by a rifle without a silencer are corroborated by further fresh analysis of burn marks on Nevill Bamber's back. The findings are supported by firearms experts working for Dr John Manlove, an Oxfordshire-based forensic scientist. Manlove states: "From its size and shape, this mark could possibly have been caused by the hot muzzle of a firearm, without a sound moderator." He says that further testing is required with the murder weapon, an Anschütz 525 rifle, to underpin his initial assessment. Manlove's conclusions are corroborated by gunfire tests conducted last month in Arizona. A report by Daniel Caruso, chief of burn services at the Arizona Burn Centre and executive chair of the department of surgery at the University of Arizona, states: "In my professional opinion, the three wounds sustained by Ralph [Nevill] Bamber are consistent in size, shape and diameter with a threaded end of a model 525 Anschütz rifle barrel heated sufficiently to cause injury." McKay is adamant that the CCRC has no option but to refer the case. During the trial, the jury struggled to reach a verdict, requesting to see the evidence relating to the blood on the silencer, before returning with a 10-2 majority. McKay added: "A picture is emerging that exculpates Jeremy Bamber and implicates his sister." Until the finding of the silencer, he says, there was no reason to doubt the initial view of detectives that Caffell committed the murder then killed herself. The pathologist, Dr Peter Vanezis, added: "My examination did not reveal anything to contradict the suicide theory." Although the burn marks were raised at the trial, McKay said they were dismissed as a "mystery". A senior forensics expert in 1985 raised the possibility that the rifle muzzle may have been responsible but no evidence exists that he pursued this line of inquiry. Bamber's lawyers have recently obtained a copy of a note from the Home Office database endorsing that tests were needed to ascertain how hot the silencer became after firing, but again no proof is available that this was pursued.
10 die as Dominican Republic migrant boat sinks
Dozens missing after vessel probably headed for Puerto Rico sank at night, say officials An overloaded boat carrying migrants from the Dominican Republic overturned in the pre-dawn darkness on Saturday, killing at least 10 people and leaving dozens missing, officials said. The migrants had left from near the town of Nagua, on the country's north-east coast, and were apparently headed to the US island territory of Puerto Rico, a frequent destination for migrants from the Dominican Republic. Rescue teams from the country's civil defence department and volunteers were searching by air and sea in Samana Bay for any signs of survivors. Authorities had rescued nine people and some said there were as many as 60 people on board, according to Jeffrey Pimentel, a fire chief in Samana province. The bodies of 4 women and six men had been recovered. Thousands of Dominican migrants try to reach Puerto Rico as illegal immigrants in open boats that are ill-suited to the journey.
Lord Ashcroft's Caribbean bank asked to hand over documents
Court gives insolvency practitioner tracing assets of collapsed company power to demand information from Tory peer's bank The Caribbean bank of Tory peer Lord Ashcroft faces demands to hand over documents relating to the collapse of a company whose subsidiary is accused of benefiting from a culture of corruption. An insolvency practitioner appointed by the British Virgin Islands courts to trace the assets of Oxford Ventures Limited has been granted powers to request information from the British Caribbean Bank (BCB), an Ashcroft business based in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Oxford Ventures, which collapsed in 2010, is the ultimate parent company of Johnston International, a construction and engineering firm that went bust in the same year with debts of $30m and is now under scrutiny in the TCI and the UK. Oxford's main creditor was BCB. Last week, in a libel action brought by Ashcroft against the Independent, the paper's lawyers claimed the Tory peer was linked to Johnston which, they alleged, had benefited from a property boom in the TCI "knowing this boom was being created through systematic corruption". Ashcroft insists he has had no "economic beneficial or legal interest" in Johnston since he sold it in 1999. Documents obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme, however, suggest its chief executive, Allan Forrest, who was also a director of Oxford Ventures, reported to Ashcroft and also believed the peer owned Oxford. Chris Johnson of CJA Associates, the insolvency practitioner charged with unpicking Oxford's collapse, was last week given new powers by the TCI courts to request documents from Ashcroft's bank. BCB has previously declined to provide Johnson with requested documents. On Friday the bank confirmed it would hand over Oxford's bank statements. "We have now obtained a court order in the Turks which empowers us to receive such documents," said Johnson. The Lib Dem peer, Lord Oakeshott, said he would be tabling parliamentary questions to establish what British officials in the TCI knew about Johnston.
Andaman Islands abuse: new videos reveal Indian police role
Jarawa girls told to dance semi-naked for the camera as two videos offer fresh proof of official involvement in 'human safaris' Two videos obtained by the Observer offer fresh proof of official involvement in "human safaris" to see the protected Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands. A three minutes and 19 seconds clip, shot on a mobile phone, shows half-naked girls from the tribe dancing for a seated Indian police officer. A second, shorter clip again focuses on a girl's nudity, while men in military uniform mill around. The new evidence comes as authorities in Orissa state set an example to their counterparts in the Andamans by moving swiftly to end human safaris to see the Bonda tribe, another abuse revealed by an Observer investigation. The Indian government had ordered both sets of officials to take swift action to investigate and prevent abuse. In an interview last week, tribal affairs minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said exploitation by outsiders had to be stopped. A preliminary report quickly commissioned by the Orissa government concluded that the Bonda needed greater protection. Officials suggested that tourists would in future be banned from photographing the tribe and all cameras would have to be deposited with officials before they could enter the area. Two tour operators have already been charged with selling tribal tours "in an obscene manner". Police in the Andamans have repeatedly denied any involvement in human safaris after an Observer investigation last month found evidence that officers had accepted bribes to allow tourists to meet and film the Jarawa. A video of young Jarawa women being ordered to dance in return for food caused outrage in India and around the world. But the new videos raise fresh questions about the complicity of officers who are supposed to be protecting the tribe. An off-camera voice at the start of the longer clip is heard to tell the girls: "Dance". Initially, the camera is focused on the breasts of the oldest girl. A few second later, the man tells the girls: "Move back, move back a little, a little more". They do, until they are all in shot. The girls are young, wearing red string skirts and jewellery. "Do it," the voice tells them, and they start to dance again, swaying their hips and clapping. Halfway through, the camera pans round briefly to show a police officer sitting by the side of the road, watching. For the opening seconds, the camera focuses on the girls' baskets: inside are items including a packet of Parle-G biscuits – a popular Indian brand. The second video is less structured and shows a group of young Jarawa being filmed with military personnel. The camera points first at a bare-breasted girl. A male voice, off camera, tells her, "isko to de" ("at least give me that"), which prompts her to run to protect her basket of belongings. The clip ends with a male voice saying, "chal chal" ("get lost"). The words are spoken in Hindi. The speakers are, it appears, members of the Indian defence forces (the Andamans is unusual in that it has a force structure combining all three military services, known as the Andaman and Nicobar Command). Neither video is datestamped, but the longer one is understood to have surfaced about two months ago in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indian government ordered a crackdown on human safaris after the Observer revealed that hundreds of tourists drove through the Jarawa jungle every day on the Andaman trunk road, taking photos of the tribe and throwing them fruit, biscuits and other snacks. The Jarawa are believed to have lived on the islands for tens of thousands of years but did not make contact with outsiders until about 14 years ago. Campaigners say police are heavily involved in abusing the trust of the Jarawa. Six years ago, a report for the Indian government's National Advisory Council, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, president of the ruling Congress party, warned about the sexual exploitation of Jarawa women and the involvement of police. Despite reports of Jarawa girls being seen entering police huts at night, and the birth of a non-Jarawa child, no action was taken. The original Observer investigation found evidence that some police officers were taking bribes to allow tourists to meet and film the Jarawa inside their jungle reserve, both of which are illegal. The Indian government has taken a hard line, ordering the governments of the Andamans and Orissa to investigate and take action to prevent future abuse. The tribal affairs minister said last week that the government would review its policy on the Jarawa within the next 12 months, and promised to consult the tribe. He said: "Their land rights have to be protected. Their sources of livelihood have to be protected. Finally, their exploitation by outsiders has to be checked." The minister has also written to the Orissa government and promised to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of culprits. Although Orissa has taken swift action, there was embarrassment for ministers last week when it was revealed that tribal people were being paraded for visitors to a state-run exhibition. Human rights activists protested that the government was "making a circus" out of the tribes. Several tribal people had been brought to the exhibition in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, and told to sit outside models of tribal houses for visitors. In the face of protests, organisers quickly withdrew the human exhibits. Andaman police failed to respond to the new allegations, claiming to be unable to view evidence submitted by the Observer because of problems with their internet connection. Earlier the commander-in-chief of defence forces on the islands had promised to take "appropriate action" if evidence was found of the involvement of military personnel. Denis Giles, the campaigning editor of the islands' Andaman Chronicle newspaper, says the tribespeople believe the police are protecting them; the reality is that they are being used. He says police have taught the Jarawa to beg. Officers take the money they collect and give them tobacco, which they never previously used, and food. The possibility of abuse is obvious, and Giles says there have been cases where women have given birth to children fathered by outsiders. The babies are not accepted by the Jarawa and are killed, he says. Like many previously uncontacted tribes, the Jarawa are vulnerable to new diseases. They have started succumbing to measles and mumps and even malaria, to which they previously appeared to have some sort of immunity.
Tottenham Hotspur in talks to open free school at their new stadium
Michael Gove wrote to Premier League football clubs urging them to back his plans for free schools and academies Tottenham Hotspur football club is in talks to host a free school at its stadium after Michael Gove, the education secretary, wrote to every Premier League club urging them to back his reforms. Following the letter from Gove, the club, whose manager Harry Redknapp is on trial for tax evasion, is planning to build a new stadium close to its current ground, White Hart Lane, with space set aside for "educational use". The club said it had held talks with a number of groups interested in establishing a free school at the stadium but had yet to decide who would take the space in the 56,000-capacity arena. The development, which was uncovered by the BBC'S Sunday Politics London show, adds a new twist to the controversial free schools programme. Gove wrote that he hoped football clubs might meet him to discuss sponsoring an academy or setting up a free school. He said: "It would be possible to ensure that training is incorporated effectively into the school day without disrupting pupils' academic studies." He added: "Football clubs… are pillars of their communities and invest time, money and energy into young people. The work you are doing is having a positive impact on young people's lives. Your experience and drive would be hugely beneficial to children in your local area, who would be inspired by going to a school that their local football club is involved with." Redknapp and Milan Mandaric, his former boss at Portsmouth Football Club, are accused of colluding to conceal payments of £187,000 in a Monaco bank account. Both deny the charges. A group of parents and teachers called the Academy of Entrepreneurship and Sporting Excellence (AESE) is campaigning for a free school in Tottenham and has partnered with the charity founded by Lord Harris, owner of Carpetright. The Harris Federation runs 13 academies and is expected to submit plans for the new free school to the Department for Education by the end of the month. Meanwhile, Tottenham has dropped its campaign to move into the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, and the club is committed to its original plan for a new stadium near White Hart Lane. A spokesman for the Harris Federation said: "We would certainly look to work closely with Tottenham Hotspur if the free school gets the go-ahead to open, wherever in the area it is located, just as we would wish to partner any major organisation in the areas our schools serve." Adam Davison, head of community relations at Spurs, told the Sunday Politics London show, which airs today, that the club was exploring its options. He said: "Tottenham Hotspur Football Club believes education has the potential to play an important role in the new stadium redevelopment and could bring great benefit to the wider community. "The club has been approached by groups and organisations who are interested in exploring the opportunities on the Spurs site but is not endorsing any one proposal at this time and is keen to explore all the options before committing to anyone. All options for education provision will be considered in the context of the club's vision and ethos, community benefit and financial viability."
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