Jenjie

CHANNEL 4 is stepping into a religious minefield again by signing up a strict Muslim woman for its life- switch series Wife Swap. And the mum — who wears a traditional hijab — will swap with a woman whose 16-year-old daughter is a LESBIAN. The Muslim woman, her husband and three children live by strict Islamic law. They all pray five times a day and shun alcohol. She and an “arty” liberal mother will swap homes for two weeks, spending the first week living by the others’ rules. In the second week they will introduce their own rules. A show source said: “Yes, it sounds like a gimmick, but there is a serious point to this. “Like every Wife Swap, it’s about forcing people to confront their views in bringing up kids and running a home.” The stunt follows Channel 4’s move to have a veiled Muslim woman read its alternative Christmas message. That programme was attacked for being deliberately controversial. Meanwhile, Channel 4 has confirmed that magician Paul Daniels and his wife Debbie McGee will star in a Celebrity Wife Swap special, as predicted by TV Biz. They will switch homes with chat show host Vanessa Feltz and her musician fiance Ben Offoedu. The specials will air next month as part of the next series of Wife Swap. Producers RDF also plan to include a Muslim swap for the show’s US series. They are offering families £10,000 to take part. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001320029-2007110474,00.html

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent Published: 10 March 2007 Eight Afghan boys who stowed away on the back of a lorry bound for Britain made a disastrous mistake. Instead of slipping undetected across the Channel, they hid themselves on a vehicle delivering bread to a giant American air base, one of the most heavily guarded sites in Britain. The moment the terrified youngsters were discovered at RAF Lakenheath, they were surrounded by armed American soldiers on permanent high alert for terrorist attack. The boys could even have been forgiven for thinking they had arrived in the United States itself. Although the base in Suffolk is owned by the Ministry of Defence, it is set up like a small American town, with burger bars, cinemas and a bowling alley. Lakenheath is home to the USAF 48th Fighter Wing, with the 5,000 American personnel on site maintaining and flying F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15C Eagle fighters. One resident said: "These poor kids must have been petrified when they were found. Security is constantly very high and everybody and every vehicle coming in and out is searched by armed soldiers." He said the boys, aged between 11 and 16, were discovered during a routine search of the lorry at the entrance to the base. "It would have been a terrifying experience to be surrounded by soldiers with their guns trained on you," the resident said. "The soldiers would have taken their discovery extremely seriously and it would have taken a while before they were dismissed as stowaways." The boys are believed to have boarded the lorry, which began its journey in Germany, as it travelled through France. One theory is that they slipped under its tarpaulin covers at Calais before it was loaded on to a cross-Channel ferry to Dover. After being caught at Lakenheath, they were checked by a doctor, who gave them a clean bill of health despite their ordeal. British military police were called in and the boys were handed over to the immigration authorities. An MoD Police spokes-man said: "There's no suggestion they knew the lorry would be going to a military base. I think they were very surprised to find themselves surrounded by American security guards." The continuing turmoil in Afghanistan means tens of thousands of refugees flee abroad every year. Last year, 2,400 Afghans claimed asylum in Britain, the second largest national group after Eritreans. More than 3,000 child asylum-seekers arrive alone in Britain each year. Under new Home Office plans announced last week, they could be dispersed around the country while their applications are assessed and forcibly deported if they fail. A Home Office spokes-woman confirmed that the eight Afghan boys were now in the custody of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2344829.ece

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent Published: 10 March 2007 Students at Manchester University have banned Coca-Cola in protest at the American company's alleged abuses of human rights and the environment. A motion banning the company's fizzy drinks from the student union's shops and bars because of its behaviour in Colombia, Turkey and India won overwhelming support at a meeting this week. The decision, approved by 400 votes to about 20, means the 36,000 undergraduate and postgraduates at one of Britain's biggest universities will now drink Virgin or another cola rather than the world's number one soft drink. The company is accused of a range of unacceptable actions in Third World countries, including siphoning water from rivers in India for its factories, leaving farmers without crucial irrigation supplies. The students' ban gives support to a growing campaign to eject Coke from campuses across the UK which is being co-ordinated by an internet group called ukstudentsagainstcoke. Activists at Oxford, Edinburgh, Bristol, Bradford, Middlesex and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) have railed against Coca-Cola in motions presented to their unions. Students are now expected to call for the National Union of Students to instruct its commercial arm NUS Services to end its supply contract with Coke at its national conference later this month. A similar motion was defeated at an NUS conference recently. In the motion, the Manchester student union listed a series of allegations made against the company that have been publicised by campaigners, all relating to alleged malpractice in developing countries. Following its approval on Wednesday, Rob Owen, general secretary of Manchester student union and a member of George Galloway's Respect coalition, said: "The significance of this is that students buy Coke through NUS Supplies and it's one of Coke's biggest customers. "There's a ban in places like Leeds, SOAS and Sussex, and there's growing pressure to remove Coke at a national level. If that happened, it would be a massive blow to the company not only in public relations terms, but financially." Manchester's student union - one of the biggest in Europe - will now no longer order Coke for its two shops and five bars and intends to lobby Manchester University to introduce the ban in its bars and restaurants. Coca-Cola rejects claims it has behaved badly in its global operations. The company is making strong profits in Britain despite obesity fears over the sugar content of its drinks. Coca-Cola was contacted yesterday but was unavailable for comment. Student power * Eminem Sheffield University had the rapper banned from its radio station in 2001 because of homophobic lyrics. It also banned Bacardi products in protest at US trade embargoes against Cuba * Narconon A drug counselling group linked to the Church of Scientology was banned from Edinburgh University amid fears it could be used recruit new members. * The Daily Mail Sussex University banned the sale of the Daily Mail in 2003, blaming the paper's tone on asylum-seekers. * Evangelical Christian Union Banned from Birmingham University in 2006 for refusing membership to non-Christians. http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article2344769.ece

Cafédirect to go head to head with US cappuccino giant By Danny Fortson and Lauren Veevers Published: 11 March 2007 Selecting a coffee can be a complicated affair: American-owned outlets have introduced a generation of Britons to all sorts of often baffling sizes, types and milk-fat combinations. Now, though, all this is about to boil down to one key choice: would you like your coffee with ethical feelgood factor to go? Cafédirect, the UK's largest Fairtrade hot drinks company, is planning to roll out a network of city-centre bars, sparking coffee wars on British high streets. With the UK Fairtrade market soaring to the £200m mark, the company is seeking to challenge the omnipresent Starbucks, criticised last year for its alleged unfair bargaining with Ethiopian coffee farmers. Penny Newman, chief executive of Cafédirect, said: "We want to get our message across, and a coffee bar is a good way to do that." Part of the profits from the stores will be sent back to the communities of 250,000 coffee-bean growers in Latin America and Africa. Ms Newman said: "It's not just about giving a fair price. It's about championing a different way of trading coffee. It is also about being a business, not about being a charity. You've got to be a business to be able to change the rules." Starbucks has grown into a business with an annual turnover of $7.8bn (£4bn) - not far behind Ethiopia's entire gross domestic product. Starbucks was recently caught in a public relations disaster after it was revealed that while Ethiopian farmers get about $1.10 (57p) per pound of coffee, retailers can make about 52 espressos from a pound of coffee, worth up to $160 (£83). Cafédirect's formation was prompted by the end of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989, which led to a collapse in global coffee prices, driving many small farmers into poverty. The Fairtrade coffee market around the world was valued at £13.7m nine years ago, but by 2005 it had grown to £65.8m. In October 2006, more than 1.5 million disadvantaged producers were directly benefiting from Fairtrade, while another five million benefited from Fairtrade-funded projects. The UK has the biggest Fairtrade market of 20 countries across Europe, Japan, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. The first Cafédirect outlet has opened in Regent's Street in London, and its success has prompted the plan to roll out stores across the country. Ms Newman used her prior experience at the Body Shop, the original ethical business pioneer, to shape Cafédirect's business. She spent a great deal of time talking to local growers to ensure that the end product was much better. Ms Newman says she wants to make sure that Cafédirect doesn't meet the same fate as the Body Shop, which was bought last year by cosmetics giant L'Oréal. She said: "I'd love it to end up like the Body Shop in terms of turnover and being a global brand, but I would hate for it to be taken over by somebody who is not ethically centred. I want to go on championing the idea of a truly global, ethical brand." http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2347538.ece

Unemployed single parents are receiving free massages and beauty treatments - paid for by taxpayers. Under the Government-backed scheme, being tested around the country, they are being given the treats to 'boost their confidence'. So far, more than 1,000 people, mainly women, have taken advantage of 'pamper days' at salons as part of the project, called Big Brother. It has been justified on the grounds that if jobless people are happier and more presentable, it will be easier for them to find work. But critics say the project is a waste of public money. So far the cost to taxpayers is at least £60,000, but the figure is likely to spiral. The scheme - in operation in Hereford, Worcester, Northumberland, Durham and Greater Manchester - is open to any single parent over the age of 18 who has been unemployed or on disability benefit for at least six months. They can choose from a range of treatments, including a massage, a haircut, new make-up, a facial, a manicure and even ear-piercing. They can also claim a separate £30 handout to spend on a shopping trip for new clothes, and are eligible for free lunches and childcare. The Big Brother scheme is run by Inspire2Independence, a private company based in York. It is backed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the European Union. Neither the DWP nor Inspire2Independence would say how much public money was being spent on the scheme. A teenage girl who works in a salon used by the single parents was critical of the initiative. 'They didn't look like they needed their confidence boosting - they were all very loud,' said the girl, who did not want to be identified. 'They seemed to have a really good time. One of them was talking into her mobile phone and laughing and joking with a friend about how she was still drunk from the night before when she woke up that morning. Many of them had tattoos and were wearing crop-tops.' A man whose teenage daughter works at a salon in Northumberland said: 'My daughter was baffled when she was told these women were getting treatments for nothing. They had make-up done, had facials, had their nails filed and some even had their ears pierced. 'When you think of all the staff needed to organise this, as well as the fancy leaflets, it must cost a fortune. My daughter earns the minimum wage in the salon while she studies at college. She doesn't get a penny from the Government and earns less than these single mothers get in benefits. What message does this send out to teenage girls?' Martin Callanan, the Conservative Euro MP for the North East, said: 'I'm sure there are lots of other parents, not to mention pensioners, who would like the State to pay for their pampering. 'Using a private consultancy to organise all this and taking people on shopping trips is a poor use of public funds. It is very suspicious that they are unable to tell us how much this is costing taxpayers.' Steve Munzer, head of marketing for the project, said last night: 'Some of these women really lack confidence. Many have been out of work for a long time and some are even scared to leave the house. They are taken to buy interview clothes, treated to a massage and sometimes a facial. It's nice if they do find work but success is not necessarily judged on that.' A DWP spokeswoman declined to say how much had been paid to Inspire2Independence, claiming it was 'commercially sensitive'. She said: 'The main purpose of the course is to remove some of the barriers lone parents face, to enable them to enter the labour market and to mentor them with a view to progressing to further support through the New Deal for Lone Parents. 'Participants find the course very rewarding and a significant number move on to the New Deal for Lone Parents, where further tailored support and advice is available.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=441445&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=

Young drivers could face a two-year ban on driving at night under a radical overhaul of the driving test system being proposed to cut road deaths. The shake-up would force teenagers to wait an extra year - until they are 18 - before taking their test. And if they pass, they will then be subject to the two-year night-driving curfew and be restricted to carrying no more than one passenger. The restrictions would be lifted only if they passed a second test at the age of 20, effectively making them learner drivers for up to three years. The ideas are being put forward by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which sets the driving test, to try to halt an increase in the number of fatal crashes involving drivers aged between 17 and 20. In 2005 there were 542 fatalities in such crashes and statistics show that young drivers are significantly more likely to have an accident after dark and when they have a car full of friends. But some driving campaigners say the proposals are so draconian they will be counterproductive -encouraging more teenagers to drive illegally, especially as the cost of getting a licence would soar from about £1,000 to £3,000, largely because of the extra lessons involved. Kevin Delaney, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "The expense and complications of these proposals will surely increase the already soaring numbers of young people who are driving without qualification and insurance. "Learning to drive would become too expensive. It would be impossible to enforce curfews and the temptation to break the law would be enormous. There would be more accidents, not fewer." He said that young people were involved in more crashes because of their lack of judgment and experience. "Their control of a vehicle in test conditions is usually pretty good and their reactions are fast, so making the driving test harder is not the answer. "These suggestions would simply raise a lot of revenue for driving instructors. The answer lies in motoring education." The Association of Chief Police Officers, however, has welcomed the debate and is discussing the proposals with the DSA and other motoring organisations. Professor Peter Russell, of the Driver Education Research Foundation, insisted that changing the driving test would help new drivers to cope better. "We need a test that assesses a new driver's ability to find a route and to follow it safely while coping with all the various traffic conditions that may arise," he said. "The two most significant changes being discussed are an upgrading of the hazard-perception test (HPT) and enhanced practical on-road tests. "To many young drivers, the HPT is like a computer game, not a genuine test of safe driving observation. "In future, new drivers will have to demonstrate their reaction times and show they know the correct action to take. "Instead of using a computer, the test is more likely to be in a driving simulator." Eddie Barnaville, chief executive of the Driving Instructors' Association, backs the new proposals but denies his members are thinking just of the extra income. "Any rise in the cost of learning to drive will be a valuable investment if lives are saved,' he said. "The skill is undervalued at its current level of £1,000. Driving schools have very narrow profit margins when rising fuel costs and insurance are taken into account." A DSA spokeswoman said: "We are very early in the consultation process and no time frame has been attached to possible changes to driving tests. "We are gathering information and many different ideas are under consideration. Proposals will eventually be put before the Department for Transport." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=441423&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=

Referee Chris White has apologised to Wales over the "misunderstanding" at the end of Saturday's Six Nations defeat to Italy in Rome. Wales were incensed when White blew for time after they had kicked into touch believing there was time for a lineout. "I have apologised to the Wales coaching and playing staff for the misunderstanding," said White. "I would like to thank them for the good grace with which my apology was accepted." Wales were awarded a penalty near the end of the game and decided to kick for touch and go for a match-winning try instead of taking a shot at goal to secure a draw. White was heard telling Wales' James Hook there were 10 seconds left to play, and so the centre assumed they had time for one final play. But as Wales prepared for the lineout, White received instruction from the fourth official that time was up and blew his whistle. The decision left the Wales players bemused and frustrated, and coach Gareth Jenkins said White had got it wrong. "A mistake has been made here and we could have come away with a result if we had been clear on the situation," said Jenkins at the end of the game. The International Rugby Board law book would appear to back up Jenkins' claim, as Law 5.7 (e) states: If time expires and the ball is not dead, or an awarded scrum or lineout has not been completed the referee allows play to continue until the next time that the ball becomes dead... However, television replays suggest that time had expired by the time Hook kicked into touch, so the fourth official told White to end the game with the ball dead. Italy scrum-half Alessandro Troncon had no sympathy for the Wales players, blaming them for taking too long to take the penalty. "Wales had 10 seconds left to play but the referee was correct because the Welsh players were talking about what to do and they took their time," he said after Italy's historic 23-20 victory. "Fortunately for us the official correctly decided to blow the final whistle." http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6439245.stm

US time switch set to save energy The US has switched to daylight saving time, or summer time, three weeks earlier than usual to cut fuel consumption and help the environment. At 0200 EST (0700 GMT) clocks moved forward by an hour, shifting an hour of daylight from morning to evening. Summer time will last until 4 November, a week later than in previous years. The extra four weeks are expected to help cut energy consumption, as demand falls for electricity in the evening if it is still light. The measure was signed into law two years ago as part of the Energy Policy Act which aims to encourage new energy technologies. Representatives Edward Markey and Fred Upton, who sponsored the amendment to the original bill, said it was expected to save $4.4bn in energy bills by 2020 and avoid the need to build more than three large electric power plants. They said it also would save 279 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and avoid nearly 10.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions. "The change in the beginning of daylight saving time is just one step towards making our country more efficient in its usage of energy and conscious of our environment," Mr Markey said on Wednesday. "Not only will Americans have more daylight at their disposal for four additional weeks in the year, but we will also see wide energy saving, less crime, fewer traffic fatalities, more recreation time and increased economic activity. "Ultimately, daylight saving just brings a smile to everybody's faces." Critics of the measure say the early switch may potentially lead to computer failures and cause minor headaches such as electronic calendars being out of synch, leading to missed appointments. Canada also advances its clocks this weekend, with all provinces moving forward an hour, except Saskatchewan which does not observe Daylight Saving Time. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6438563.stm

Disney's next animated fairy tale, The Frog Princess, will feature the studio's first black princess. Maddy is an African-American girl living amid the faded grandeur of New Orleans' French quarter. The movie will also see a return to the hand-drawn animation process, instead of using computer animation that has become the industry standard. The film will be made by John Musker and Ron Clements, the team behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Cajun charm Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said: "The film's New Orleans setting and strong princess character give the film lots of excitement and texture." Composer and singer Randy Newman will provide music for the film, which promised an "unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm," a Disney spokesman said. The studio said its new princess will be added to its collection of animated princesses used at the company's theme parks and on consumer products. The film is set for release in 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6434485.stm

An abandoned consignment of marijuana with a street value of $20m (£10.3m) was found in California when a policeman went to check on a lorry. The vehicle was unlocked and the engine warm, but no-one was in the cab. The patrolman found plastic-wrapped bundles of the drug in the back of the rental vehicle near Los Angeles after smelling marijuana, AP said. A spokesman said there were "no suspects and no real leads". Local authorities plan to destroy the drug. "Somebody's going be in some major trouble for walking away and leaving that quantity sitting on the side of the freeway," said Sgt Telfinues Preszler Jnr of the California Highway Patrol . "I'm glad I'm not him." He suggested the engine might have overheated, causing the vehicle to be abandoned along with three tons of marijuana on a slip road in the city of Ontario late on Wednesday. The drug has been turned over to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which will seek a court order to destroy it, a spokeswoman said. A recent report estimates that despite intensive eradication plans, $35bn worth of the marijuana a year is produced in the US, making it the country's top cash crop. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6438987.stm

Two British cross-country skiers have frozen to death in bad weather on a Norwegian mountain, local police say. A third skier is in a stable condition in hospital after suffering severe hypothermia. The man was only alive thanks to a Red Cross patrol that found him by chance, the mountain rescue service said. The three men, believed to be from Scotland, began their trek through the western Hardangervidda region on Friday in cold and foggy conditions. Anders Bang-Andersen, a spokesman for the Norwegian mountain rescue service, said he did not know how the men died or their identities. The survivor was taken to hospital on a snowmobile. A spokesman for the police office in the town of Kinsarvic, close to the mountain range, said: "Two Scottish men died but we cannot say more until their families have been contacted. "We know they were from Scotland because the man who was injured informed us of that. He is recovering in hospital." A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the reports and we are following up on that. Consular officials are looking into it but we can't confirm anything at the moment." Hardangervidda is Europe's largest mountain plateau, and is home to thousands of reindeer and a large national park that is a popular tourist attraction. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6440353.stm

Weird!! Ours has stayed the same, so we won't be putting the clocks forward until 25th march

Great advert for Alders isn't it?

A Belgian man has been charged with dangerous driving over an incident in which a lorry damaged cars while doing a U-turn in a Cornwall cul-de-sac. The foreign-registered lorry was carrying 23 tonnes of coal when it became trapped while manoeuvring in Whiterock Road in Wadebridge. A roundabout and six parked cars were damaged, with one car left trapped under the lorry's trailer. A 45-year-old man is due before East Cornwall Magistrates on 15 March. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6437057.stm

A woman who was awarded £48m in what was thought to be the biggest divorce settlement in Britain's legal history has been robbed at her Kent home. Beverley Charman, 53, was tied up by a gunman wearing a balaclava, at her £2.75m home and robbed of her jewels. Kent Police said the man broke into the house on a private road surrounded by high walls and electric gates on Friday night. No violence was used. Jewellery worth several hundred thousand pounds was taken, police said. Mrs Charman is the ex-wife of insurance magnate John Charman. High-profile divorce Last week, he was in the Appeal Court to challenge the £48m divorce ruling by the High Court which was given out last year. Police said the woman was alone at home on Friday night, when the man broke in and threatened her with what could have been an imitation gun or a BB gun. She was forced to open a safe and hand over valuable jewellery. One of her two grown-up sons found her bound, but not gagged, when he returned home 20 minutes after the incident. One line of inquiry is that the high-profile divorce case could have made her a target for criminals. The force said a safe was also targeted in the incident. The man who broke in was described as white, and wearing a balaclava, and dark clothing. Mrs Charman was not hurt during the ordeal. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6439141.stm

Got 2 books on the go - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and slightly lighter Quentins by Maeve Binchy

I loved that one so much more than Girl With A Pearl Earring

Music & Lyrics - 8/10. I don't always like Hugh Grant so was a little dubious. Was a very good film, everything a romantic comedy should be. The Good Shepherd - 3/10. I''m sure there was a good storyline in there somewhere, unfortunately it was so complicated I had no idea what was going on for most of the film. It was also far too long. Even if I did want to watch it again to make sense of it, I wouldn't bother sitting through all 3 hours.

Congrats mrs!! That is one gorgeous baby you have there.

By Steve Rosenberg BBC News, Strasbourg, France In his tiny flat on the edge of Oslo, Paul Hansen shows me his family album. It doesn't take long. He only has three photos. One picture shows Paul as a toddler, the other two - the mother who abandoned him - and the father he never knew. Paul was the product of a brief encounter between a Norwegian woman and a German soldier: a family history which was to make his life a living hell. "At the end of World War II, I was locked away in a mental home," Paul tells me. "Later I found out it was because I was the son of a German soldier. They called me a 'Nazi brat'. But it wasn't my fault I was born this way. Hitler, the war, none of it is my fault. I was just a child." It was Adolf Hitler's henchman, Heinrich Himmler, who had encouraged liaisons between German troops and Norwegian women: part of his plan to breed an Aryan master race of blonde-haired, blue-eyed babies for the 1,000-year Reich. They were known as the Lebensborn (Fountain of Life) children and - after the war - they became targets for revenge. "In the Norwegian population, there was a hatred directed at us children," explains Bjorn Lengfelder. Bjorn is one of more than 10,000 Norwegians fathered by German soldiers. He says he knows many cases of abuse. "A small brother and sister, five years old, were placed in a pig sty for two nights and two days," claims Bjorn. "Then in the kitchen they were put in a tub and scrubbed down with acid till they had no skin left 'because we have to wash that Nazi smell off you'." Search for justice Once too ashamed to go public with their stories, now 150 war children are demanding justice. They have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights - accusing the Norwegian state of discrimination. Eight of the group attended the packed hearing on Thursday in Strasbourg. As their stories of abuse were read out to the court, some of the former Lebensborn children sat in tears. Historian Lars Borgesrud was commissioned by the Norwegian government to research the war children's stories. He has convinced they have suffered state discrimination. "Between 1946-1958 special rules and regulations in social laws were adopted, which actually excluded sections of war children and created poor economic conditions for these children." Norway has offered limited compensation in the past. But the authorities are still refusing to take the blame. "The government has acknowledged that several war children have been subject to harassment in society," says government lawyer Thomas Naalsund. "But it is highly difficult to say now, 50 years later, that the government was responsible for these events." 'German whore' Deep underground in Norway's national archive, I accompany former war child Gerd Fleischer as she hunts for her Nazi-era Lebensborn file. "I've found it," she says triumphantly, "Look, I'm Lebensborn No 2620." This is how Gerd began her life - as a four digit number in a Nazi experiment, filed away in the list of the chosen. The file contains bills showing how the Nazis covered the midwife bill when Gerd was born, just because her father was a German soldier. But after the war, Gerd joined the ranks of the hated. At school, she was branded a "German whore". At home, she was beaten by her step father for being a Nazi child. She believes the state must be made to pay for the way she was treated. "Norway is a stinking rich oil nation," Gerd tells me. "We feel that justice cannot be done without an economic compensation. Words are very cheap." Only then - Gerd believes - can Norway's war children finally gain their self-respect, after 60 years living in fear and in shame. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6432157.stm

A licensing regime for premium rate TV phone service providers is to be set up following complaints that viewers have been ripped-off. Regulator Icstis met broadcasters to discuss allegations some shows did not give callers a chance of winning. It has asked programme makers to carry out a thorough review of all current and forthcoming premium rate services. Earlier, broadcaster Five suspended quiz shows using premium rate services after an audit revealed "problems". Concern centred on Five's show Brainteaser, made by Big Brother creators Endemol. TV watchdog Ofcom is to investigate, while Five's chief executive Jane Lighting apologised to viewers, saying she was "shocked and disappointed" that their standards had not been maintained. Endemol issued a statement backing the suspension and saying it would work to rectify the situation. 'Public trust' Following Thursday's meeting with broadcasters, producers and telephone service operators, Icstis chairman Sir Alistair Graham said a full review of services should be carried out as an "absolute priority". He said the licensing regime could be introduced within three months. "There is no doubt that public trust and confidence in these services has been damaged by the allegations that have been made in the last few weeks," said Sir Alistair. "It is in everyone's interest to ensure that services are reliable and trustworthy as well as entertaining and fun." Other measures announced were a systematic monitoring of premium phone services and the publication of clear rules on competitions. Icstis is already investigating six shows: Channel 4's Richard and Judy, the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV programmes the X Factor, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Soapstar Superstar and I'm A Celebrity. Allegations of irregularities include viewers being encouraged to enter competitions after the winners had been chosen. On Tuesday, ITV suspended all its premium-rate phone-in competitions and votes in a move which saw its quiz channel ITV Play taken off air. Industry magazine Broadcast said media analysts at Credit Suisse estimated the suspension could be costing the broadcaster £1.5m. The BBC's Saturday Kitchen is also being examined after viewers were asked to phone in to appear on the following week's programme, despite it being filmed just minutes after the live show. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6429213.stm

A woman who drove on to a railway line after being told to by her satellite navigation system made "a bad but honest mistake," police have said. The woman who drove on to the track near Eastbourne, blocking the Hastings to Brighton lines, has not been named. She was waiting at a level crossing at Norman's Bay, Sussex, in January, when the device told her to turn left. Pc Christine Holyoake, from British Transport Police, said the 52-year-old Surrey driver would not be charged. Case closed The woman from Dorking was investigated for obstructing the railway and driving without due care. Police said they looked into the matter and investigated possible faults with the sat-nav device but found no fault. They also took into consideration the fact that it was dark. Officers decided it had been a mistake and that a prosecution was not in the public interest. The matter is now closed, they said. Trains were delayed for an hour by the incident. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6430859.stm

A Somerset rector has suspended his choir amid claims of "unholy backbiting" in the ranks. The choristers at St John's Church in Wellington said the Reverend Colin Randall had accused them of lacking in "Christian discipleship". In notes of a meeting between the two, it is claimed some members had failed to make new recruits feel welcome. Dismissed choirmaster Colin Drummond said: "I am very saddened." Mr Randall has declined to comment. The meeting notes claim that Mr Randall said: "Several of those who joined the choir for the carol service, for example, were made to feel extremely unwelcome by a minority of existing choir members." Mr Drummond added: "Less than a year ago, we had a large choir that was very well known for its outreach. Now there is nothing." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/6429481.stm

A man who dressed up as Buho, a female elf, has been convicted by a jury at Belfast Crown Court of taking underwear from a shop in a knifepoint raid. Robert Boyd, 45, from Broadlands in Carrickfergus, held up staff at the Orchid shop in Belfast disguised in a wig, hat and glasses. He told the court he had been in a role-playing game at the time and may have blurred reality and fantasy. Boyd was released on bail. Sentencing was adjourned for probation reports. In court on Thursday, ten jurors dismissed Boyd's defence and two believed it. During the three-day trial, the jury heard that Boyd wore a disguise of a blonde curly wig, reading glasses and a beany hat. He armed himself with a knife before stealing two sets of bras, pants, suspender belts and stockings from the lingerie shop on the Lisburn Road. The Queen's University senior lab technician was arrested within moments of the robbery on 14 December 2005. In his defence, Boyd claimed that due to pressures that he was suffering in his work and marriage and his indulgence in a role-playing game called "Shadow Run", he thought he may have been playing the part of criminal elf Buho when he threatened the lone female shop owner at knifepoint after asking for a discount. He claimed he had gone to the upmarket lingerie shop to buy the two sets of red and black undies as a Christmas box for his wife. Fantasy Describing how Buho was a character he had assumed while playing the game, Boyd further claimed that he had blurred the lines between fantasy and reality and did not intend to rob the shop. "I didn't mean it to happen," he later told detectives. His claims were supported by consultant psychiatrist Dr Jane O'Neill who told the court she thought that Boyd may have been dissociated from reality. However her opinion was directly contradicted by consultant psychistrist Dr Frederick Brown. He said he could find nothing to suggest that Boyd was suffering from a mental disorder that prevented him from distinguishing between fantasy and reality. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6430683.stm

Catholic teenager is suing a council for placing her in the care of Protestant foster parents. The 18-year-old is demanding £70,000 from Highland Council. A judge has ruled that the Court of Session in Edinburgh should consider the case. Lord Uist said it involved "novel and difficult questions of law". The teenager has also complained about being sent to schools which did not meet her needs by providing lessons suitable for her learning disabilities. Lord Uist had been asked to rule on a procedural question - whether the claim should be heard by a sheriff or by a judge. In his written ruling he said: "I think that the only appropriate forum for this action is the Court of Session." The judge added: "Indeed, I think that the unusual nature of this action qualified it for the Court of Session more than many personal injury actions, some of very low value, which are customarily raised here." In papers submitted to the court the teenager, who has only been identified as AR, told how she moved from the south of England to the Highland town of Alness with her mother, stepfather and brother. In May 1997, she was taken into care and remained under the supervision of social workers and foster parents for most of the next nine years. She said that during that time she was sent to live with two sets of foster carers, but that her needs were not properly met. The teenager alleged Highland Council had "failed to facilitate" her religious persuasion throughout that period, the court was told. Suffered anxiety The girl also complained about being sent to schools which did not provide lessons suitable for her learning disabilities, spelling and hand-writing problems. She claimed the local authority's treatment breached the European Convention on Human Rights. The girl claimed that as a result she suffered anxiety, depression and educational impairment and was still being treated by doctors. She also claimed that she found it hard to get a job and has suffered loss of earnings as a result. No date has been set for any further hearings. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6431579.stm