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Celebrations mark 91st date of admiral Mandela
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New escalation in Mexico drug war

Ten Mexican personnel officers hit been detained in connection with the torture and remove of 12 federal agents during a field escalation in the take war.

The arrests come as more than 5,000 personnel and federal personnel are deployed in the western land of Michoacan.

The crowd surge, digit of the large in the anti-drugs campaign, comes after a topical take association launched co-ordinated attacks in 10 cities last week.

The land governor has protested against the "military occupation".

The federal polity feature they are investigating course between the municipal personnel and take traffickers in the remove of the agents, whose bodies were found bound and gagged and effort through the nous incoming to a field highway.

Earlier this assemblage 10 mayors in the land were inactive by the federal polity on suspicion they were employed with the take gangs.

Cocaine transit

Troops with automatic weapons and ski masks to armour their identity hit set up roadblocks crossways Michoacan, President Felipe Calderon's bag state, in a field exhibit of force.

Nineteen personnel were inactive in digit diminutive town, 10 of whom are ease being held in custody patch questionable course with take gangs are investigated.

The BBC's Charles Scanlon in the US municipality of Algonquin says Michoacan has long been an entry point for South American cocaine, from which it is transported northerly to the US border.

The federal polity believes that topical personnel and officials hit long been in the clear of the take gangs.

The Michoacan gang, famous as the "Family", declared itself as a alarming newborn force three years past when its hitmen tossed the severed heads of fivesome victims onto a dancefloor in a municipality nightclub.

Troops hit set up roadblocks crossways the land in a field exhibit of force, but analysts feature federal agents rest highly undefendable in a region where take gangs crapper easily get intelligence most their movements.

This article is from the BBC News website. © nation Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not answerable for the noesis of outside internet sites.

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UK set to take back Brazil waste

The UK is working with Brazilian polity to return more than 1,400 tonnes of cyanogenic squander to Britain, the Environment Agency has said.

Head of squander Liz Parks said plans were existence prefabricated to alter backwards the rubbish, but it could verify a sort of weeks.

An inquiry into how the waste, including syringes, condoms and bags of blood, was dispatched to threesome Brazilian ports has been launched by the UK.

The Environment Agency says those answerable could face prosecution.

Ms Parks told the BBC's Newshour she understood the waste, institute in about 90 transport containers, was currently existence held by the Brazilian authorities.

"They haven't still free it, as far as I'm aware. But arrangements are existence prefabricated for that to happen. And it will verify a sort of weeks for the squander to be returned," she said.

'Unlimited fines'

She also warned the British courts took the dumping of dangerous squander rattling seriously.

"We do act people. We've had a sort of flourishing prosecutions in past years.

"And in fact in the honor court, grouping can be punished oceanic amounts and prison sentences are imposed."

On Saturday, Brasil demanded the squander be dispatched backwards to Britain.

Roberto Messias, chair of the Brazilian surround agency, Ibama, proclaimed that Brasil was "not a bounteous rubbish shitting of the world".

The authority also said the achievement of the cyanogenic load had violated the Basel Convention on the shitting of dangerous waste, of which both the UK and Brasil are signatories, which came into obligate in 1992.

Ingrid Oberg, regional chief of Ibama, later told the BBC the load mainly consisted of domestic waste.

"It's a aggregation of matter containers and cleaning product containers. We institute old clothes, shoes, papers, a aggregation of old newspapers.

"In whatever of the containers fresh institute there were also whatever technological products, same DVDs, pieces of computers, impressible stuff. But mainly it's domestic garbage."

British companies

As substantially as the proximity of syringes, condoms and bags of blood, the rubbish was deemed dangerous because the table of the containers were feat rotten.

"There were larvae and then there's a bounteous venture of contamination," said Ms Oberg.

"We are attractive care so that it's not taken discover of the containers. So it doesn't alter some dirtying to our soil," she added.

Reports in the UK media feature the squander was dispatched from Felixstowe in England to the port of Santos, nearby Sao Paulo, and two another ports in the gray land of metropolis Grande do Sul.

It has also emerged that two companies titled by Brasil as suspected exporters of the squander are owned by a Brazilian.

The director, who is based in England, told BBC Brasil the containers should hit contained impressible for recycling and some another table were the domain of his suppliers.
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Turkey smoke ban extends to bars

Turkey has long an existing forbiddance on respiration in open places to all bars, cafes and restaurants.

The forbiddance has come into force despite contestant from some forbid and restaurant owners who fear losing business.

It comes after the polity illegal respiration from most enclosed open spaces in May last year in an try to meliorate the nation's health.

Turkey has more than 20 meg smokers but polls declare 95% of grouping support the ban.

"We are employed to protect our future, to spend our youth," said Health Minister Recep Akdag.

Anyone caught lighting up in a designated smoke-free Atlantic faces a dustlike of 69 liras ($45:£28) patch forbid owners who fail to enforce the forbiddance could be punished from 560 liras for a prototypal offence up to 5,600 liras.

Local polity hit hired thousands of extra staff to track downbound smokers and bill the fines.

Many grouping in Stamboul said they intellection the forbiddance was a good move.

"We were existence destroyed in the places where you were allowed to respiration inside," said Stamboul restaurant patron Hanife Demirm.

"I was choosing the non-smoking places automatically, but after the forbiddance is long I module not requirement to be selective. I'll be very easy in every place that I go," he told the AP programme agency.

'Unnecessary stress'

But the BBC's David O'Byrne in Stamboul says some Turkish grouping wager the forbiddance as an wearing of their egalitarian rights and hit titled for bars to be healthy to administer for a respiration licence.

Some restaurant owners hit also said they were concerned the forbiddance would drive absent customers.

"They module only yield and never come back, or we would get in trouble for letting them smoke," said Stamboul restaurant owner Selahattin Nar.

"Then both we and they would be filled with unnecessary stresses. In the end they module not be healthy to relax and we module hit to shut down."

But Mr Akdag said there was no reason for restaurant and forbid owners to be worried about a modify in trade.

"The open supports a smoke-free surround and the only ones to undergo module be the fag producers and sellers," he said.

A no respiration conception has been in place for the past 15 months in polity offices, workplaces, shopping malls, schools and hospitals.

All forms of open transport, including trains, taxis and ferries, are also strained but there are exemptions for primary zones in medicine hospitals and prisons.
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Astronauts on ISS spacewalk

Astronauts have begun the prototypal of five spacewalks to be performed by the gathering of the shuttle Endeavour at the International Space Station (ISS).

American astronauts Tim Kopra and Dave Wolf are preparing Japan's expanse lab Kibo for the artefact of its test piece - a super external platform.

It module be utilised in experiments requiring materials to be unclothed to the disagreeable surround of space.

Endeavour cropped on Friday, uniting a record 13 astronauts at the ISS.

Saturday's spacewalk was expected to last more than sextet hours.

The 1.9-tonne papers module be attached to Kibo's digit controlled modules that were delivered to the expanse send last year.

Once the pieces are ready, the astronauts module movement the robotic blazonry on the send and locate the country into locate with the help of the digit spacewalkers.
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Murderer Meehan hands himself in

James Meehan, who was guilty of the remove of saint McFadden on Wednesday, has bimanual himself in at Strand Road personnel send in Londonderry.

Mr Meehan unsuccessful to invoke up for court on Tuesday.

More information to follow.
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Tour de France spectator killed

A blackamoor has been killed and digit another grouping injured when they were impact by a personnel cycle patch watching the Tour de author wheel race, personnel said.

The blackamoor was struck as she decussate the road in a village along the line of the 14th stage of the race, nearby Colmar in north-eastern France.

Police said the driver lapse off the bike, which ran into the crowd.

An happening on the Tour in 2002 claimed the life of a child who was impact by a automobile from the publicity caravan.

Saturday's happening happened in the municipality of Wittelsheim, nearby the 38.5-km (24-mile) mark, on the line of the three-week wheel vie that covers 199km (124 miles) from Colmar to Besancon.

"A blackamoor decussate the road and was impact by a politico Guardsman on a motorcycle," Alain Fontaine, a spokesman for the gendarmerie, told Reuters programme agency.

"Then the cycle slid and impact digit or digit more people," he added.

Both are due to endure the accident, personnel said.
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Rights group halts Chechnya work

The Slavonic human-rights assemble Memorial has suspended its activities in Chechnya mass the remove of its striking activist Natalia Estemirova.

"We cannot venture the lives of our colleagues even if they are primed to carry on their work," grownup Memorial member herb Cherkasov said.

Ms Estemirova, who investigated questionable abuses by Chechnya's Moscow-backed government, was shot dead on Wednesday.

The Kremlin confiscated the murder, which has caused international concern.

Ms Estemirova was abducted from her home in the Caucasian top city and her bullet-riddled embody was institute dumped in a land a few hours later.

Memorial has accused the polity of Chechnya's Kremlin-backed President, Ramzan Kadyrov, of responsibility for the murder.

Mr Kadyrov denied some status and promised to analyse the ending personally.
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Festival fashion

By Mark SavageEntertainment reporter, BBC News, Latitude Festival

When Anna Wintour - the notorious, violent application of Vogue - attends a style show, you crapper bet she doesn't sit on a deck chair.

But then, Wintour has probably never been to a style exhibit at a penalization festival, in the middle of the bulrushes, at the centre of a lake, on the easterly coast of England.

For forty-five minutes on Friday, the concern of wellies collided with broad fashion, broad tent and broad drama at the Latitude Festival, as London's House Of BlueEyes unreal what it claimed was the prototypal ever penalization festivity style show.

Inspired by the Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil, the theme of the assemblage was Rock and Roll Vampires.

The predominant colouration plot was black and red, emblazoned across knitted burning suits, deficient leather jackets and modify skimpier skintight jeans.

As the exhibit began, New royalty action creator Angel Betsy scampered onto the initiate in a trend black shawl and red tights, and dusted the catwalk with shine - exclusive for it to move away, as the runway was subsurface under water.

Technical hitch

Undeterred, she feature the show's manifesto in poem form.

"Please don't take the devil. The devil's trick is mighty disentangle 'Shove them every aside,' he says, 'Do what you can, to vex the next man.'"

The message was that this extravaganza was every most equality.

The models ranged from the usual, prowling stick-monsters of city and Paris, to fuller, rounder figures and (Anna Wintour would be appalled) short people.

"I conceive style is for everybody," says designer Johnny BlueEyes, "regardless of your age, colour, sexuality, ethnic status."

He added: "Some of my friends are models and some of my friends are painters and decorators, and I conceive the exhibit should emit that."

What he fails to mention is that some of his friends are also sway stars (he styles for the likes of Beth Ditto) and inspire queens.

In fact, his background as a cabaret act came to the forward at the exhibit after a technical hitch threw the opening number off-kilter.

As the engineer struggled with a skipping CD, Johnny - not the smallest of men - flailed around in a black leather basque and five-inch grayness heels, rubbing himself with a organization diddley and cracking whips onto the stage.

Some of the children in the audience looked a lowercase confused.

Golden Ticket

Once the exhibit got back on track, however, the true stars were revealed.

When the catwalk circumstance was prototypal advertised, Johnny BlueEyes gave five members of the open the chance to be models for the day.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was digit of my favourite films when I was really young," he explains.

"I conceive style is for everybody regardless of your age, colour, sexuality, socia"

Johnny BlueEyes

"I utilised to feel awkward - not bonny or primary - but I eventually got to a locate where I fell in fuck with myself, in the nicest doable way.

"With the Golden Ticket I desired to share that."

Among today's winners was Michelle, whose swain Pete volunteered her for the show.

His telecommunicate submission read: "Michelle is fundamentally and purely the most bonny person in the world, in every single way, far beyond the esthetical and deep within.

"I am blessed to undergo this example on a regular foundation in the artefact she looks, speaks and acts, but more profoundly in the artefact she deals with grouping and those around her."

When the telecommunicate arrived, Johnny says, "it brought tears to my eyes".

After meet a period of rehearsals, Michelle looked every progress the catwalk pro, in a adventurous leather and lace outfit, set soured with a two-tier neckband and mini fungus skirt.

Also joining the cabaret were 47-year-old prizewinning friends Sue and Joy, who were dressed as dark diamante dancehall divas.

Joy dispatched in the Golden Ticket telecommunicate - meet digit sentences, explaining that her and Sue had been "mates for 32 years".

"It was a surprise," admits Sue later, as she shows soured her wear ("it's a dead kestrel, apparently").

"I wouldn't normally do anything same this. No way. My mate's an exhibitionist but I'm quiet."

In the end, however, she came out of her bomb and "enjoyed every minute of it," as she sashayed across the lake, but maybe not as much as her game companion.

"Would I same to do this full time" asks Joy.

"Definitely. But exclusive if they paying me for it."
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UK pupils in China quarantine

A assemble of 52 UK schoolchildren and their teachers hit been unintegrated in Peiping after quaternary children were institute to hit swine flu, the BBC has learned.

The quaternary are existence aerated in a Peiping hospital and every are said to be in a steady condition.

The children had just started a meet to the land to learn about Asiatic culture and language.

China drew critique in May when it unintegrated a assemble of Mexican tourists who complained they were badly treated.

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Beijing, says that three of the quaternary children were institute to hit high temperatures when they arrived in Peiping earlier in the week.

They were condemned straightforward from the airfield to a hospital where it was addicted they had the virus. A fourth classmate lapse stricken after in the week.

The assemble is mostly 14-year-olds from schools crossways England.

Their parents hit been told that the quarantine - in a four-star Peiping hotel - should terminal a week.
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UK children quarantined in China

A assemble of 52 UK schoolchildren and their teachers hit been unintegrated in Peiping after quaternary children were institute to hit swine flu, the BBC has learned.

The quaternary are existence aerated in a Peiping infirmary and all are said to be in a steady condition.

The children had meet started a visit to the land to see most Chinese society and language.

China drew critique in May when it unintegrated a assemble of Mexican tourists who complained they were badly treated.

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Beijing, says that threesome of the quaternary children were institute to hit high temperatures when they arrived in Peiping early in the week.

They were condemned straightforward from the airport to a infirmary where it was confirmed they had the virus. A ordinal acquaintance fell stricken after in the week.

The assemble is mostly 14-year-olds from schools crossways England.

Their parents hit been told that the quarantine - in a four-star Peiping hotel - should last a week.
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Oldest WWI veteran dies aged 113

Henry Allingham, the world's oldest Negro and digit of the terminal surviving World War I servicemen, has died at the geezerhood of 113, his care bag has said.

Mr Allingham served with the Royal Naval Air Service during WWI, after transferring to the Royal Air Force and bringing at Ypres.

Bosses at his care bag said everybody was "saddened by Henry's loss and our disposition goes discover to his family".

Last month, Mr Allingham, born in 1896, became the world's oldest man.
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Hunt on for Jakarta bomb plotters

Police in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, are studying polymer and another evidence to essay to refer those behindhand the noxious attacks on digit hotels on Friday.

At small nine people, including digit suicide bombers, died in the attacks on the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott.

At small half of the victims are said to be foreigners but they are ease to be formally identified.

A crowning anti-terror official was quoted as locution Malaysian crusader Noordin Muhammad Top was linked to the attacks.

The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Djakarta says the Asiatic people hit been truly shocked by these attacks as they thought they had put events same this behindhand them.

'Shoulder to shoulder'

Investigators on weekday recovered an unexploded bomb and another explosives touchable from what they said was the "control centre" for the attacks - shack 1808 in the Marriott.

See transpose of area

The attackers paid to stay at the hotel and smuggled in the explosives before detonating them in digit restaurants on Friday.

CCTV footage showed digit attacker act a container actuation a bag on wheels into the Marriott restaurant, followed by a flash and smoke.

"I strongly objurgate the attacks that occurred... in Djakarta and modify my deepest condolences to every of the victims and their idolized ones"

Barack Obama

Eyewitnesses: Djakarta attacks

Attack inactivity to happen

Indonesia braces for tourism blow

Profile: Jemaah Islamiah

A senior counter-terrorism official, Ansyaad Mbai, was quoted by the state-run Antara news agency on Sat as locution the attacks were "clearly linked" to Noordin Muhammad Top.

He is believed to lead a splinter assemble of Jemaah Islamiah, which was blamed for the noxious 2002 island bomb attacks and a number of others in Indonesia.

Friday's bombs contained nails, ball bearings and bolts, identical to ones used by Jemaah Islamiah, personnel said.

Security has been tightened across state in the consequence of the attacks, with 500 troops put on histrion to hold personnel in the capital.

A new Zealander, bourgeois Tim Mackay, has been addicted killed.

Australia fears for threesome absent nationals, including functionary Craig Senger and Perth bourgeois Nathan Verity.

But details of the victims are ease not confirmed. One upbeat ministry inform said the identified departed included digit Australians, a New Zealander, a Singaporean and an Indonesian.

At small 17 foreigners were among the wounded, including eight Americans.

Other external nationals wounded included visitors from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea and the UK.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono confiscated the attacks as "cruel and inhuman".

US President Barack Obama said: "I strongly objurgate the attacks that occurred... in Djakarta and modify my deepest condolences to every of the victims and their idolized ones."

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen adventurer is cod to arrive in Djakarta on Saturday.

He said he desired to defence "shoulder to shoulder with state at this terrible time".

The metropolis United sport team had been booked to stay in the Ritz-Carlton incoming week aweigh of a game in Jakarta.

The team has cancelled the Asiatic handicap of their tour.

The attacks come meet weeks after the tranquil presidential elections.

The country of 240 meg people has been praised in past years for maintaining a pluralist ism patch finding and punishing immoderate Islamists responsible for the program of bombings more than fivesome years ago.

Back to story
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Clinton seeks goodwill in India

By Jill McGiveringBBC News

US Secretary of State Hillary politico arrives in Bharat presently at the start of a high-profile visit fashioned to reenforce semipolitical and scheme ties.

Ms politico is also due to quiet Bharat that the current US alinement with Pakistan is not at India's expense.

At present, the US focus is on Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the effort against Taliban insurgents in both countries.

But the Obama brass is stabbing to address concerns in Bharat that Delhi's interests are being neglected.

Mrs Clinton's visit is an important gesture, fashioned to exhibit that Bharat still matters.

It is part most business.

The commendation which ended a three-decade forbiddance on the sale of noncombatant nuclear profession to Bharat was a centrepiece of the terminal Bush administration.

Now Bharat is due to name digit sites where US companies crapper build nuclear noesis plants.

It is business worth billions of dollars.

Mrs politico is also likely to advise Amerindic politicians to resume pact talks with Pakistan.

On Thursday, Bharat and Pakistan's prime ministers met in Egypt and made panoptic commitments to employed together.

These were greeted with cagy optimism but stayed unclear in terms of detail.

The relationship was tangled soured track by the city attacks terminal November.

India wants Pakistan to punish those answerable and verify thickened state against crusader groups.

The US has been employed hornlike behindhand the scenes to line both sides backwards into dialogue.

If tensions along Pakistan's border with Bharat were reduced, the Pakistani expeditionary would be able to focus more fully on the north-west and handling with its possess insurgency there.

India may verify some persuading.

Pakistan is now promising to address the concerns most militants - but some in Bharat are sceptical, saying they have heard promises from Pakistan before which resulted in very lowercase change.
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Life peers to get right to resign

Life peers are to be given the correct to depart from the House of Lords - something transmissible peers hit been able to do since 1963.

The manoeuvre module be included in a Constitutional Reform Bill, cod to go before Parliament on Monday.

The calculate module also alter an end to the transmissible principle.

The changes would mean peers, such as nobleman Mandelson, would be liberated to provide their titles, defence as MPs and mayhap take up more grownup polity posts.

Although nobleman Mandelson is the government's prototypal secretary, the jobs of foreign secretary, premier of the finances or maturity rector would bear constitutional difficulties for an unelected peer.

Asked terminal month by the Financial Times whether he might relinquish his aristocracy and defence again as an MP, nobleman Mandelson said: "It's not legally doable to do that. I am trapped. I believe it is for life."

The peer, who insisted he was "teasing", added: "Of course, you could ever modify the law."

Dwindling hereditaries

MPs voted in 2007 for an 80% or 100% elected bunk concern - something that Gordon emancipationist has indicated module feature in Labour's generalized election manifesto.

At the time all peers are appointed, unconnected from the 92 hereditaries, who survived the prototypal form of Lords improve during Tony Blair's prototypal term as maturity minister.

Government sources hit said the Constitutional Reform Bill module face whatever of this unfinished Lords improve business.

For example, by-elections are currently used for replacing transmissible peers when one of their sort dies, keeping their numbers lidded up.

The calculate would piece that device, so the sort of transmissible peers in the House of Lords would gradually lessen to none.
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'Upturn signs' in housing market

The structure market is display the first signs of an upturn since 2006, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has said.

The body's survey of Britain's field bag builders found 60% of those asked had seen an increase in sales compared to the same instance terminal year.

The HBF says the business has been finished the economic equivalent of a tsunami, with an estimated 250,000 cerebration jobs forfeited in a year.

It says the biggest jumping to feat is today the availability of mortgages.

Chancellor Alistair Darling is to foregather with the banks incoming hebdomad to inform them of their legally-binding obligation to lend more money to homebuyers.

Steve Turner, spokesman for the HBF, said the survey results were a recognize boost.

"Confidence is tardily reaching backwards because grouping have got to advise on with their lives"

James CorcoranHousebuyer

"It's been a very arduous year, but what we are starting to wager is a consistent ordered of overmodest but constructive results today in cost of traveller levels, in cost of reservations.

"I conceive for the first instance in a number of months the business is starting to see more positive."

But BBC newswriter Keith Doyle said experts were warning that the business was still fragile because although newborn bag sales had increased, they were at an extremely low take terminal year.

James Corcoran, who is a few weeks absent from completing on a newborn home, said he felt it was the correct instance to buy.

"Confidence is tardily reaching backwards because grouping have got to advise on with their lives - same myself.

"I've got a teen kinsfolk and requirement to advise so I'm comfortable that the decision I've prefabricated is the correct one for me and my family."
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Shuttle crew welcomed onto ISS

The gathering of expanse shuttle Endeavour has begun preparing to cut with the International Space Station (ISS).

Before docking, regular for 1755 GMT, the shuttle module action a backflip, allowing the ISS aggroup to picture and inspect Endeavour's modify shield.

When the digit crews join together, there module be a achievement 13 astronauts on the orbiting outpost.

During their 11-day visit, the shuttle aggroup module closing work on a Japanese investigate work called Kibo.

Endeavour was eventually launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Wednesday after five unsuccessful attempts.

The previous efforts to begin the 16-day assignment were hampered by intense weather and fuel leaks.

The seven-strong gathering on Thursday, their prototypal flooded period in space, carried discover a routine five-hour inspection of the craft's energy endorsement grouping using the shuttle's robotic arm.

Mission experts backwards on Earth examined the accumulation and gave the shuttle an initial all clear.

Officials for the US expanse authority said they were not overly afraid most whatever detritus that was seen touch the shuttle during launch.

"It didn't hurt us ostensibly on this flight because because it came soured so late," shuttle trainer John Shannon is quoted as locution by the foetoprotein programme agency.

A position report issued by Nasa on weekday said: "The primeval review indicates exclusive a whatever minor dings in whatever [thermal protection] tiles... cod to whatever unheralded losses of diminutive foam pieces from the outside tank."

Shortly before the shuttle docks with the expanse station, the equipment module action a nine-minute backflip, known as a "Rendezvous Pitch Manoeuvre", allowing the ISS gathering to verify up to 300 photographs of the shuttle's energy endorsement system.

These images module be examined by engineers backwards at assignment curb to secure there is no damage that could jeopardise the shuttle's re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere.

Once the backflip is completed, Commander Mark Polansky module gently guide Endeavour towards the ISS.

Although the shuttle module advise towards the expanse send at most 3cm per ordinal during the arrival procedure, both satellite module be travelling at 28,160km/h (17,500mph), 350km (220 miles) above the Earth.

Finishing touches

During the mission, five spacewalks - apiece expected to terminal 6.5 hours - are regular to be completed.

The first, regular for Saturday, module add a papers to the Japanese work complex, Kibo, which crapper be used for experiments that order materials to be unclothed to the harsh surround of space.

The gathering module also establish new batteries to one of the solar arrays, which wage noesis to the expanse station, and action other maintenance tasks.

In addition, Endeavour module deliver a new long-stay US gathering member, Tim Kopra, to the ISS and alter backwards Japan's Koichi Wakata, who has lived aboard the papers for more than threesome months.

The $100bn expanse station, now most the filler of a four-bedroom house, has been low cerebration for more than a decade.

This is the 127th expanse shuttle flight, the 29th to the station, the 23rd for Endeavour and the third in 2009.

Seven boost flights to the papers remain before the shuttles retire in 2010.
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US TV news legend Cronkite dies

The past US TV newscaster director Cronkite, famous to millions as "the most trusty Negro in America", has died at the geezerhood of 92.

An executive for the CBS news steer said Mr Cronkite died at his New royalty bag with his family at his side.

He was reportable to hit been ill for whatever time.

Mr Cronkite presented the daytime news information for CBS from 1962 to 1981, serving the information to embellish the most watched bulletin in the US.

His occupation awninged much field global events as the assassination of past US President Evangelist F Kennedy, the moon landing, Watergate, past President Richard Nixon's resignation and the start of Saigon.

In 1972, he was deemed by a enquiry of the US public to be, "the most trusty Negro in America", fighting presidents, members of congress and another journalists.

He ended his broadcasts with his mode sign-off: "That's the artefact it is."

Mr Cronkite's instrument was so trusty by the US public that when he criticised the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon B President is reportable to hit said: "If I've forfeited Cronkite, I've forfeited middle America."

Linda Mason, the vice-president of CBS, said Mr Cronkite had died at 1942 topical instance (2342 GMT) on weekday after a long illness.
Technorati

Postal staff set to strike again

Industrial state at the Royal Mail is ordered to increase with accomplish state regular for three life next week, the BBC has learned.

The accomplish state on 25, 27 and 28 July comes on top of Friday's one-day walkout by 12,000 Royal Mail employees.

The escalating state is in defence of workers who, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) say, are being unduly pressured by Royal Mail managers.

The Royal Mail has accused the organization of standing in the way of modernisation.

Union members in author and another designated regions are to downbound tools in the disagreement over employ cuts and working conditions.

This could termination in no deliveries of mail on Sat 25 July, and no impact at Royal Mail's author organisation centres on 27 and 28 July, says BBC playing newswriter Joe Lynam.

The CWU has accused Royal Mail managers of trying to "break the organization for good" and accused them of "illogical and arbitrary" employ cuts.

The Royal Mail employs more than 150,000 people in the UK, most of whom are represented by the CWU.

Earlier on Friday, about 400 employees marched on Westminster to deliver letters of protest to the Business Secretary nobleman Mandelson.
Suchmaschine

Shuttle crew welcomed onto ISS

The gathering of expanse shuttle Endeavour has begun preparing to cut with the International Space Station (ISS).

Before docking, regular for 1755 GMT, the shuttle module action a backflip, allowing the ISS aggroup to photograph and inspect Endeavour's modify shield.

When the two crews join together, there module be a record 13 astronauts on the orbiting outpost.

During their 11-day visit, the shuttle aggroup module finish impact on a Asian investigate work titled Kibo.

Endeavour was eventually launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on weekday after fivesome unsuccessful attempts.

The preceding efforts to begin the 16-day assignment were hampered by intense defy and fuel leaks.

The seven-strong gathering on Thursday, their prototypal full day in space, carried out a turn five-hour inspection of the craft's energy endorsement system using the shuttle's robotic arm.

Mission experts backwards on Earth examined the accumulation and gave the shuttle an initial all clear.

Officials for the US expanse agency said they were not overly afraid about whatever debris that was seen touch the shuttle during launch.

"It didn't perceive us ostensibly on this grace because because it came soured so late," shuttle trainer John technologist is quoted as saying by the foetoprotein news agency.

A position inform issued by Nasa on weekday said: "The primeval analyse indicates exclusive a few secondary dings in whatever [thermal protection] tiles... due to whatever unheralded losses of small sparkle pieces from the external tank."

Shortly before the shuttle docks with the expanse station, the orbiter module action a nine-minute backflip, known as a "Rendezvous Pitch Manoeuvre", allowing the ISS gathering to verify up to 300 photographs of the shuttle's energy endorsement system.

These images module be examined by engineers backwards at assignment curb to secure there is no damage that could jeopardise the shuttle's re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere.

Once the backflip is completed, Commander Mark Polansky module gently pass Endeavour towards the ISS.

Although the shuttle module move towards the expanse send at about 3cm per ordinal during the docking procedure, both satellite module be travelling at 28,160km/h (17,500mph), 350km (220 miles) above the Earth.

Finishing touches

During the mission, fivesome spacewalks - apiece due to last 6.5 hours - are regular to be completed.

The first, regular for Saturday, module add a platform to the Asian work complex, Kibo, which can be used for experiments that require materials to be unclothed to the disagreeable surround of space.

The gathering module also establish newborn batteries to digit of the solar arrays, which provide noesis to the expanse station, and action other maintenance tasks.

In addition, Endeavour module have a newborn long-stay US gathering member, Tim Kopra, to the ISS and bring backwards Japan's Koichi Wakata, who has lived aboard the platform for more than threesome months.

The $100bn expanse station, today about the size of a four-bedroom house, has been low construction for more than a decade.

This is the 127th expanse shuttle flight, the 29th to the station, the 23rd for Endeavour and the third in 2009.

Seven boost flights to the platform remain before the shuttles retire in 2010.
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Army pushes for more helicopters

The deployment of more helicopters to Afghanistan would save soldiers' lives, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup, has said.

Following critique of the polity for failing to give organisation air support, Sir Jock said more helicopters would "quite patently" preclude casualties.

The polity insists that the expeditionary has never been so well resourced as it is at present.

Meanwhile, the 185th British modification of the conflict has been confirmed.

A shirker from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles died in an discharge patch on foot guard nearby Gereshk in central Helmand, the Ministry of Defence said.

He was the 16th to die this month, as the Army continues an opprobrious aimed at crescendo security aweigh of Asian elections planned for incoming month.

'No panacea'

Prime Minister Gordon emancipationist spent 40 transactions with Sir Jock Stirrup on weekday morning.

Afterwards, Sir Jock told the BBC he was "busting a gut" to get more helicopters redeployed to Afghanistan.

"I hit ever said that there's no much thing as sufficiency helicopters in an activeness campaign," he said.

"In a status where you hit lots of temporary exploding devices, the more you crapper process your tactical flexibility by moving grouping by helicopter, then the more uncertain, more unpredictable your movements embellish to the enemy.

"Therefore, it is quite patently the case that you could save casualties by doing that."

He said effective commanders could ever "do more and do things better" with player helicopters, but recognized they were "no panacea".

His comments become after the nous of the army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said he was backward from Afghanistan with a "shopping list" of equipment to protect British organisation from margin bombs.

Sir Jock said he did not undergo how much this would cost, but said much things were non-discretionary and had to be provided.

BBC semipolitical newswriter Carole Walker said his remarks hit intensified the pressure on the maturity minister, who has insisted the polity is providing the equipment and resources that are necessary for the underway operations.

'Critical'

The maturity minister's spokesman said Sir Jock would go into further discourse most equipment requirements in the future.

"Of course, we module take decisions in the reddened of that expeditionary advice," additional the spokesman.

He said there would be a wider review of crowd numbers, both at UK and Nato level, in the autumn.

"We module review the position on organisation along with our allies after the election," he added.

The polity has promised to study demands for more equipment to protect UK forces in Afghanistan from margin bombs.

The nous of the British army, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, says he was assembling a "shopping list" including surveillance and intelligence equipment.

More from Today programme

Soldier dies in Asian explosion

Military doctor insufficiency warning

Downing Street says the PM module take decisions in "light of expeditionary advice" and review crowd levels with allies.

Gen Dannatt, who steps downbound from his persona incoming month, told the BBC it was "critical" to face the difficulty of temporary bombs.

Doing this required more alinement or Asian organisation to physique intelligence, better "overhead surveillance" of Taleban state and greater technical knowledge to wager where they were planting explosives, he said.

"That module be a shopping list that I'll alter back," he added.

The BBC's accumulation newswriter Carolingian poet said: "He's talking most things same UAVs [or pilotless drones]... that could spot where the Taleban are birthing bombs."

However, she said with polity budgets lessening it was unclear whether the Ministry of Defence would be given resource to meet these requests.

Business helper nobleman Mandelson said the general's views on troops' equipment requirements would be taken "very seriously".

"They module not go without some they requirement to carry discover their very essential dealings in Afghanistan," he said.

Gen Dannatt had said that, despite reports, the expeditionary never made a candid letter for 2,000 player personnel.

But he warned that reducing drawing to 8,300 would be criminal and that Nato strength communicate for more organisation for a 12 to 18-month period.

Conservative leader David Cameron said the polity staleness listen to expeditionary commanders.

"The maturity rector has been informing us every week that they hit got sufficiency helicopters and actually now we undergo they don't," he said.

He refused to feature whether his party would pay more on accumulation if it was in government, claiming it was most "commitment" rather than funding.

With commitment, he said, sextet Chinook helicopters which had been grounded by machine problems since their acquire at a outlay of £250m octad eld ago could hit been in action.

Earlier, shadow accumulation helper Dr Liam Fox had said it was "extremely likely" that a American polity would agree to a letter for more British organisation in the short term.

What are your experiences of the equipment used by the British expeditionary in the earth Are you mitigated that the outfit is up to fellow and fit for determine Send us your stories using the modify below.

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Watson & Marino lead at Turnberry

The 138th Open, TurnberryDate: 16-19 JulyCoverage: Live TV news on BBC Two, Online and the Red Button, springy on Radio 5 Live and book commentary online on every quaternary days

By Mark OrlovacBBC Sport at Turnberry

Veteran blackamoor technologist produced a stunning fightback to verify a share of the central advance on a arduous period for scoring at the 138th Open at Turnberry.

The five-time Open succeeder struggled early on but digit birdies in his approaching threesome holes put him on fivesome under.

Together with unexpected dweller Steve Marino they are digit ahead of Mark Calcavecchia, patch England's doc Fisher is in the group on threesome under.

World sort digit Tiger Woods effort a 74 to woman his prototypal Open cut.

The 33-year-old joins the likes of 2003 Open succeeder Ben Curtis and Colin Montgomerie in gesture discover of the competition before the weekend.

It is exclusive the ordinal instance that Woods has unsuccessful to attain the central evaluation in his professional career and exclusive the ordinal instance in a major.

After a sunny and benign opening day, the players had to converse with windy and wet weather on period digit - with exclusive a some managing to shoot low par.

"I'm still emotive after that... it's as if the spirits are on my side"

Open co-leader blackamoor Watson

Watson went into the ordinal ammo meet digit effort behind overnight cheater Miguel falls poet but a horrid front figure seemed to modify the individual of a tale Open challenge.

After a birdie at the first, the 59-year-old then went on a separate of fivesome bogeys in six holes as the conditions wreaked havoc.

But Watson, who won the ordinal of his fivesome Open titles in the famous 'Duel in the Sun' title at Turnberry in 1977, stopped the deteriorate with birdies at figure and 11.

The best was yet to come, however, as superb 60ft putts at the 16th and the 18th gave him a share of the lead.

ROB HODGETTS' BLOG

"American Steve Marino blew discover of the liquid every of Thursday's theories about undergo being the key to instruction golf"

"I'm still emotive after that," admitted Watson, who won the terminal of his octad conference in 1983. "It's as if the spirits are on my lateral and I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I'd get it.

"The front figure is the toughest part of the sport instruction but I told myself that if I played sharp reaching home I would attain some birdies.

"On the front figure the exclusive abstract I was disagreeable to do was endeavor digit effort at a instance and disagreeable to get the birdie that would stem the tide. I did that at nine."

Marino, playing in his maiden Open, was a late call-up to the title field and exclusive played his prototypal ammo of instruction sport this week.

But he defied the inclement conditions to post a stunning 68, the ordinal minimal reason of the day, which included quaternary birdies and an eagle.

606: DEBATE

"Would a near-60-year-old success at Open be a depressing instrument of the state of sport today"

Digbert

The 29-year-old produced some of the shots of the ammo as well, chipping in with a smoothen wedge from 116 yards at the ordinal and holing from the bunker at the par-three sixth.

"I've rattling enjoyed myself here, I'm having a blast," said Marino. "I fuck the contest that this instruction presents. You have to meet patient and meet positive.

"I'm looking nervy to playing sport here the next some days."

Calcavecchia, 49, who won the Open at Troon in 1989, carded quaternary birdies in his 69 and admitted he was happy meet to attain the cut.

"I'm commonly strangulation so intense reaching down the terminal some holes on Friday because I poverty to endeavor the weekend," said the American.

Fisher, who finished ordinal at this year's US Open, leads the British contest thanks to a 68 that included a separate of threesome birdies in the approaching quaternary holes.

But the 28-year-old reiterated his intention to depart the competition if his expectant spouse Jo started to go into labour.

"I'd fuck to be here for every quaternary life but obviously my spouse comes first," said Fisher. "If she were to go into have later on this daytime or tomorrow I've got no choice.

"I poverty to be there. It's feat to be a enthusiastic undergo and digit that I don't poverty to miss."
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Superb England dominate Australia

Second Ashes Test, Lord's (day two): England 425 v state 156-8Match scorecard

By Oliver BrettBBC Sport at Lord's

James playwright took quaternary wickets as England seized curb of the ordinal Ashes Test at Lord's with a large bowling display New on the ordinal day.

Replying to England's 425, state had recovered from a slummy start in which they slid to 10-2 and soon after repast had reached a solidified function of 103-2.

But an outstanding streaming grownup by royalty Broad at dustlike handicap to end Simon Katich's innings on 48 triggered a founder in which the Aussies crashed to 152-8, losing six wickets for 49 in 15 overs - a passage of endeavor that module springy daylong in the memories of those who witnessed it.

At stumps, with intense light having eventually suspended Australia's harrowing slump, state were still 269 runs behindhand on 156-8, and needing additional 70 to refrain the follow-on.

With a five-man bowling move at his disposal captain saint composer module be tempted to bill the follow-on should he impact the choice to do so on Saturday.

Anderson, tripping the ball both structure under a thick blanket of grey cloud, ended the period with 4-36 having started it with a boisterous 29 in a 47-run partnership for the terminal opening with choreographer Onions.

Anderson was substantially supported by the other three seamers in England's attack, and it was Onions who took the alive opening of Katich, before saint Flintoff additional an equally essential strike, removing archangel Hussey for 51.

The excitement shapely as a power gathering stayed daylong beyond the scheduled 1800 BST closing - the delay imposed mass digit half-hour breaks for fall between meal and tea.

And, to the delight of the bag crowd, the wickets kept coming, with floodlights - used for the prototypal instance in a Test at Lord's - permitting the endeavor to continue.

England's eventual first-innings total from an daylong 364-6 did not countenance outstanding on paper. But presented that composer failed to add to his daylong 161 (bowled ordinal ball by Ben Hilfenhaus as he shouldered arms), and that both Graeme Swann and royalty Broad were swiftly despatched, it was not a intense termination at all.

Anderson struck fivesome boundaries soured the contradictory Mitchell Johnson, with whatever inventive shot-making finished the off-side.

Ominously, the ball was swinging, but it was meet that state were bowling poorly at England's 10 and 11. However, the crowd's recreation was eventually ended when Johnson switched to ammo the opening and playwright edged to gully.

Johnson ended with pricey figures of 3-132 from 21.4 overs. Here, as at Cardiff, he had been comfortably outshone by his new-ball relation Hilfenhaus (4-103).

The cricketing gods were sure sunshiny on Anderson, who distant Phillip aviator for quaternary in his ordinal over, the ordinal of the state innings, as he alas gauntleted a slummy ball down the leg-side to Matt Prior.

And he also bowled whatever dustlike deliveries at Ricky Ponting, arrowing several balls at his off-stump, patch also tripping whatever away. It was the non-swinging conveying that ended the innings of the Australian captain - in curious circumstances.

Anderson dispatched down a full-length ball which impact Ponting's aggrandize in face of the stumps, and the hat directly appealed for lbw. The ball then cannoned into Strauss's safekeeping at artefact and there was a secondary attractiveness - for a catch.

Umpire Rudi Koertzen consulted his associate at square-leg, Billy Doctrove, who united the grownup had carried to composer - and Ponting was duly presented out caught. As it happened, the replays showed it was lbw as no wink was involved, but the Australian captain was not exactly thrilled with the outcome.

The salutation conference began 10 transactions New to statement for the fact that the players had been presented to the Queen, and was otherwise filled with showers and whatever manful batting between Katich and Hussey.

Hussey was the more fluent of the digit Aussie lefties, his cover-drive for quaternary soured Broad transfer up the 50-run stand.

606: DEBATE

"To oblige the follow-on, or not Bat on, attain at small 250 and ordered them a near impracticable target"

Silk

Onions was the terminal of the quaternary seamers to be presented a go but, meet as Broad before him, struggled for periodicity and when repast was condemned New at 1620 BST state were in such meliorate appearance at 87-2.

Things reinforced boost for the tourists when they upraised the aggroup 100 without boost expiration in an Onions over costing 10, but composer gave the metropolis Negro additional over and he repaid that faith with a well-directed guard at Katich.

Broad, at fine-leg, picked up Katich's top-edged hook early but had to sprint 20 yards to his correct to intend to the chance, and, when he did, took the ball on the dive with both safekeeping for a stunning catch.

Flintoff had been intelligently rested since meal and in the midst of a ferocious six-over speech picked up the next insight - the large digit of Hussey, who chose to leave a conveying pitching meet back of a length, which hurried on and crashed into the top of off-stump.

Just quaternary balls later, state vice-captain archangel Clarke was making the daylong walk back to the pavilion, after flicking Anderson's inswinger to brief midwicket, where Alastair Cook took a good, low grownup and at 111-5 state were in bounteous trouble.

Brad Haddin played brightly, but Marcus North's contribution was a 14-ball duck, which ended when he bottom-edged a pull soured playwright onto his stumps.

Johnson has developed a reputation as a fearless lower-order hitter but exclusive bothered the scorers for 11 deliveries, whereupon he crooked Broad straightforward to unfathomable square-leg.

Cook easily swallowed that grownup before collecting his ordinal of the conference when Haddin, who had played rattling substantially for his 28, completely misjudged his own pull shot and lobbed additional cushy quantity to the county opening batsman.
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Woods could miss first Open cut

The 138th Open, TurnberryDate: 16-19 JulyCoverage: Live TV news on BBC Two, Online and the Red Button, springy on Radio 5 Live and book statement online on all quaternary days

Tiger Woods is in danger of absent the revilement at the Open for the prototypal instance in his career after a ordinal ammo 74 mitt him fivesome over at Turberry.

The concern sort digit and selection for the circumstance dropped heptad shots in six holes either side of the turn, including double-bogeys at 10 and 13.

Woods has uncomprehensible the revilement in exclusive digit major as a professional, the 2006 US Open following the modification of his father.

Americans blackamoor Watson and Steve Marino advance by a stroke on fivesome under.

Woods has exclusive uncomprehensible fivesome cuts in his whole career as a professed and had never unsuccessful to accomplish the weekend in his 14 previous Opens.

He prefabricated pivotal birdies at 16 and 17 and got up and downbound from soured the green to spend par at 18, but it looks implausible to be sufficiency to ready him in the tournament.

More to follow.
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Two die as car crashes into lorry

A Negro and a woman hit been killed in a agency happening in County Down.

It is believed the two victims were the utility and front-seat passenger of a car which crashed into a parked lorry. No-one was in the motortruck at the time.

It happened on the A1 Newry Road between Loughbrickland and Newry at about 1330 BST on Friday. The agency is winking and a diversion is in place.

The obloquy of the two people who were killed hit not still been free by the police.
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Ex-royal officer guilty of scam

A past stag endorsement officer is covering jail after existence convicted of a £3m sporting and concept scam.

Paul Page, 38, of Grays, Essex, had denied conning colleagues and others out of five and six-figure sums as part of a simulated investment scheme.

He was institute blameable of fraud, but unwooded of a calculate of intimidation.

During his effort at Southwark Crown Court, he claimed colleagues played cards for cash and traded porn in breaks during Buckingham Palace shifts.

Many of Page's "innocent dupes" included personnel officers guarding the Queen, the effort heard.

Page - who module be sentenced on 30 July - was told by Judge Geoffrey Rivlin that he faced a "substantial declare of imprisonment".

"But then I conceive you already undergo that," said the judge.

Last month Page's spouse Laura, 42, was unwooded of every wrongdoing.

She had been accused of serving her economise clean money defrauded from friends and colleagues.

She was also unwooded of discouraging and threatening to kill one of their victims after he spoke to police.
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Smith regrets lack of training

Jacqui adventurer feared she was not up to existence bag helper and wished she had been meliorate drilled for the role, she reveals in a magazine interview.

She told Total Politics magazine she had "never separate a major organisation" before accepting the employ in 2007.

"I wish I did a beatific employ but if I did it was more by phenomenon than by some kind of utilization of those skills," she adds.

Ms adventurer says she quit as bag helper terminal period over a "horrible" media assail close her expenses.

She said her prototypal activity on discovering that her economise had claimed for porn films on her expenses was to verify him: "I am feat to hit to resign".

She adds: "I then had to go into a meeting which was the hardest abstract I hit ever had to do. However, it was the weekday before the G20 and grouping said to me - not the maturity minister, you see - that they didn't conceive the Prime Minister or the government were feat to impart me for resigning meet before the G20."

'Dysfunctional'

She also speaks of her prototypal weekend as bag secretary, in July 2007, when she had to move to the unfruitful terror attacks in bicentric author and Glasgow airport.

"I'm not trusty I understood, I'm ashamed to say, when I prototypal heard it, quite how serious it was.

"I intellection it was fantastic that you could hit a important bag that wasn't where your kinsfolk lived"

Jacqui Smith, past bag secretary

"When somebody rings you up and they feature 'a automobile has been institute in Haymarket and it seems same it might hit been set up to explode', your prototypal activity is 'oh, that's interesting'. You then conceive 'well, today I'm bag secretary, so I hit responsibility for that'.

"The saucer at which I felt a bit of cold separate finished my veins was on the Sat in the duty when the Jeep ran into Glasgow Airport."

She describes the artefact ministers are touched from digit government employ to added in Cabinet reshuffles as "pretty dysfunctional in the artefact that it works" but adds that it is "not meet this government".

She says: "I conceive we should hit been meliorate trained. I conceive there should be more induction.

"There's more today than when I started as a rector but it's ease not enough. I conceive there should be more inflection presented to supporting ministers more generally in terms of nonindustrial the skills necessary to advance big departments, for example."

Talent spotting

Asked if she worried that she was not up to the job, she tells Total Politics: "Well, every single time that I was ordained to a ministerial employ I intellection that."

She said she "didn't rest for a week in 1999 when I got my prototypal ministerial job".

Ms Smith, who was the prototypal woman to hold the employ of bag secretary, is not the prototypal rector to impart doubts most their noesis to do the job.

Former pedagogue Estelle moneyman quit as education helper in 2002 after admitting she was not up to the employ and Margaret Beckett, despite eld of ministerial experience, confessed in May 2006 after attractive conception in talks most Iran's nuclear ambitions at the UN that she was "flying by the seat of her pants" in her newborn role as external secretary.

There has been criticism of the artefact in which MPs are parachuted into departments, ofttimes without some preceding noesis or undergo of the contract area, and due to control huge bureaucracies and multi-billion blow budgets.

Ms adventurer tells Total Politics that she wanted to improve the grouping of soiling forthcoming ministers on the back benches and upbringing them up for limited roles when she was Labour's chief whip, the employ she held before decent bag secretary.

"It was digit of the things I wanted to develop and we were never healthy to do that, but I conceive you requirement to pass that you are managing your large asset, people, and you requirement to keep replenishing talent," se says.

She also describes existence at the edifice of a media assail over her expenses as "horrible" and says that if it had not happened she would not hit hopeless as bag secretary.

On criticism of nominating her sister's author bag as her important bag for expenses purposes, she says: "I intellection it was fantastic that you could hit a important bag that wasn't where your kinsfolk lived," but stresses that she had acted on advice from the Commons Fees Office and was confident she would be unwooded by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

Asked what the most romantic abstract she has ever done, she replies: "Probably not making my economise rest on the sofa in the terminal sextet months."
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Troops need more, says Army head

The nous of the UK Army has said meliorate equipment is necessary to protect personnel from margin bombs in Afghanistan.

General Sir Richard Dannatt told the BBC personnel "needed more" and additional that he would be assembling a shopping itemize of what was required.

Gordon emancipationist has repeatedly insisted the Army has sufficiency equipment and denied claims of a eggbeater shortage.

The general's comments module be seen as careful "parting shots", says the BBC's accumulation newswriter Carolingian Wyatt.

Gen Dannatt gave his discourse as he embattled to step downbound as nous of the nation Army incoming month.

"We requirement more and that module be a shopping itemize that I'll alter back"

General Sir Richard Dannatt

Our newswriter says Gen Dannatt has long been "a vocal advocate" of the requirement for the commonwealth to verify tending of the goodness of its Armed Forces.

In convey for their service, he says more money needs to be spent on equipment for nation forces in Afghanistan

The general, who is on his last activate to Afghanistan before he stands down, earlier reportedly furious Downing Street when he prefabricated it country he had been flown in an dweller helicopter, thus making country no nation deciding had been available.

In response, ministers hit spinous out that every alinement helicopters in Afghanistan are acquirable for use by every NATO allies.

Last week the communicatory generalized drew fire when comments he prefabricated most the presence of UK personnel in Irak were interpreted as "unconstitutional".

Now his recent comments most the questionable insufficiency of equipment in Afghanistan hit impact a nakedness nerve in a period in which 15 nation soldiers hit died in Helmand - 12 killed by margin bombs.

Extra troops

The sensitivity of the subject was underlined on Thursday, when the prime minister avoided giving a candid respond to a NGO of MPs as to whether he had received or unloved a letter for an player 2000 personnel in Helmand.

HAVE YOUR SAY

" Helicopters are essential in some struggle where the adversary is birthing mines or IEDs. To feature otherwise is a country communication that Gordon emancipationist does not value the lives of nation servicemen and women"

Roger Hart, Deal

Send us your comments

But patch Gen Dannatt has previously titled for more "boots on the ground", he has stressed the player resources could be British, dweller or Afghan.

In his latest discourse he said that surveillance of the Taliban necessary to be reinforced so that the Army could see where the bombs were being laid.

Gen Dannatt added: "We requirement more, and that module be a shopping itemize that I'll alter back."

The big increase in UK casualties has become as alinement personnel carry a military opprobrious fashioned to increase section ahead of Asian elections incoming month.

So far, 184 UK assist personnel hit now died in Afghanistan since 2001 - more than the 179 who were killed during the struggle in Iraq.
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Failures to 'join up' transport

Important instrumentation projects much as high-speed kick and agency course between Cambria and England are not existence given sufficiency priority, MPs say.

The Brittanic Affairs Select Committee is occupation for meliorate co-operation between UK and Brittanic ministers to create a joined-up open instrumentation policy.

It also suggests the after streaming of trains to and from southward Cambria to promote recreation and tourism.

Both UK and Brittanic governments feature ministers are in near communication.

The committee's inform on cross-border instrumentation warned that important agency course were not existence funded as they were not a antecedency for arts regions.

It also said trains were not beatific enough.

It advisable that broad peak-time fares were demoralizing grouping from leaving their cars at home.

Those passengers who did end to verify to the condition found there was often depleted rolling stock, especially at laboring times.

Track upgrades

The NGO said there had been only minor improvements to the assist on the First Great Western important line, and the generalized verify of assist remained "unacceptable".

"If grouping are going to be persuaded to yield their cars at bag and verify open transport, then the services they ingest staleness be up to scratch," said the NGO chairman, Dr Hywel Francis.

"The DfT, the Brittanic Assembly Government and topical polity on both sides of the abut staleness analyse their priorities and ensure fireman working"

Dr Hywel Francis, MP

"Although we heard of whatever examples of beatific practice, for warning in the north-east, likewise whatever opportunities for improvements are existence missed."

Top of the itemize of priorities for the MPs is the electrification of the kick distinction between London and Swansea.

The NGO said it would advance to significantly meliorate services for passengers.

The inform also advisable that after streaming of trains from southward Cambria would support promote recreation and business in the area, something it said had been seen in cities like metropolis and in Yorkshire.

Both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Brittanic Assembly Government said kick instrumentation was a alive supply for them.

"The polity module be finance £15b in the kick meshwork crossways England and Cambria over the next five years, and we have been employed intimately with the Brittanic Assembly Government to investigate the careful housing for electrification of the Great Western important distinction between London and Swansea," said a DfT spokesperson.

'Closer working'

"We wait to attain an declaration on this in due course"

But in their report, MPs were also unhappy at the way the DfT allowed regional polity in England to verify whatever decisions on agency priorities.

It said it was not unexceptionable for the division to yield much matters to bodies with restricted budgets and remits.

"The DfT, the Brittanic Assembly Government and topical polity on both sides of the abut staleness analyse their priorities and ensure fireman working," additional Dr Francis.

The NGO was also grave of open instrumentation course to field airfield hubs, much as Birmingham, metropolis and Manchester.

Scrapped

It said that cross-border reciprocation could also be low if capital airfield served more destinations.

However, the name of capital airfield in the inform module be contentious, reaching meet life after it was declared that plans for a new airfield access agency in the Vale of Glamorgan were existence dropped.

The area's MP Evangelist Smith said the selection was "economic lunacy" and a "reckless selection for the Brittanic economy".

The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn designer also declared on Wednesday that plans for a six-lane M4 comfort agency around Newport were existence scrapped, after the cost chromatic to £1bn from its £340m judge in 1998.

Responding to the MPs report, a representative for the assembly polity said officials and the Deputy First Minister continuing to impact intimately with their UK counterparts.

"We also impact intimately with topical polity to meliorate planning and conveying of instrumentation issues in Wales, for warning in the utilization of the domestic instrumentation plan," additional the spokesperson.
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