Jenjie

doesn't that effectively make it the world cup if they did that?

Liverpool's two main football teams are joining forces to clean up the area around their stadiums. Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs are behind a campaign to keep litter off the streets and curb bad behaviour around Anfield and Goodison Park. The Respect the Club, Respect the Area, scheme was launched at the city's derby match at the weekend. Enforcement teams will be around the grounds on match days, with fines issued to offenders. Players at the derby, which ended 0-0, wore t-shirts during the warm-up, in support of the campaign. Extra bins will be provided to keep the streets around the grounds clean. Others promotions include posters and billboards and advertising on beer mats and sandwich bags. The scheme is also supported by Merseyside police and Liverpool City Council. Councillor Marilyn Fielding, the city council's executive member for housing and neighbourhood services, said: "Residents in the shadows of and on the approaches to the two grounds alerted us to these issues. "They have been suffering for far too long and we take their concerns seriously. "There will be zero tolerance. Littering is disgusting, dangerous and illegal. Abusive language and aggressive behaviour is simply unacceptable. "We are calling on all football fans and visitors to both Goodison and Anfield to have a little thought and to be respectful of where they are and behave responsibly," she said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6329275.stm

but if everything in your country is going right, and you don't need those sort of measures, you wouldn't implement them. why would you spend millions on policing a football match if you didn't need to?

Vets working to contain bird flu Government vets have been working through the night at a poultry farm in Suffolk to contain an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. A cull of nearly 160,000 turkeys has begun at the plant near Lowestoft. The virus can be fatal if passed on to humans but experts said the outbreak posed little danger to people's health. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has imposed controls on the movement of poultry flocks near the Bernard Matthews site. A three-kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have now been set up around Holton, which is approximately 27km south-west of Lowestoft. A much wider restricted zone covering 2,090 sq km is bordered by the A140 to the west and the A47 to the north and almost to Felixstowe in the south. Defra said experts had spent the night gassing birds at the farm. A spokeswoman said the carcasses of gassed birds were being transported in "sealed, leak-proof lorries, fully covered with tarpaulin" for destruction at a Staffordshire plant. Farmers in the restricted area have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds and any movements licensed. The avian flu which killed 2,600 turkeys at the farm in Suffolk has been confirmed as the Asian strain of the H5N1 virus. It is the first case on a UK commercial farm. The setting up of the restriction zone is a precautionary measure to control the spread of the disease. The United Nations' Co-ordinator for bird flu, David Nabarro, has said farmers will have to get used to the presence of the disease in the UK as it is "going to be in bird populations for several years to come". He said: "The way in which we'll deal with it is by implementing the well-rehearsed plan, which is to stamp it out at source. We've got to learn to accept that, not see it as a serious problem and just get on with normal poultry-rearing and consumption." Health Protection Agency chief executive Professor Pat Troop stressed that the virus "doesn't pass easily from bird to human" and the risk to the general population from the outbreak was "very, very low". Asked about stocks of Tamiflu - a vaccine used to protect against H5N1 - she said Britain was "very well prepared". The strain has killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. However, the virus is not thought to be able to pass easily from human to human at present. So far, all those who have been infected worldwide have come into close contact with infected birds. The government department earlier said the flu was the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain, similar to a virus that was found in Hungary in January. Kitchen hygiene In that incident, the first time bird flu had occurred in the European Union since August 2006, a flock of 3,000 geese was killed. A spokesman for the Bernard Matthews company, which runs the farm in Holton, said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and there was no risk to public health. Professor John Oxford, a virologist at the London Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, addressed fears about the safety of eating poultry. He told BBC News people need to wash their hands when handling raw meat to "get the hygiene level in the kitchen high". Prof Oxford said that once the meat had come out of the oven it would be "perfectly safe - 100%". Fred Landeg, Britain's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, said an investigation was under way but the most likely source of the outbreak was wild birds. In May last year, more than 50,000 chickens were culled after an outbreak of the H7 bird flu in farms in the neighbouring county of Norfolk. One member of staff at the farm contracted the disease and was treated for an eye infection. In March 2006, a wild swan found dead in Cellardyke, Fife, was found to have the H5N1 strain of the virus. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6328889.stm

It was ace! And i'm sorry to say but i found his discomfort over the whole dancing girls on the staircase really amusing!

as the commentators said, one of the key differences was putting players in the positions that they play in their clubs. playing in a role that they know how to do is sensible, rather than putting them in a random position that they're not used too. and as much as it pains me to say so, having jonny back was good. his kicking was amazing.

the only reason it never happens in the uk any more is due to the amount of money spent on preventing violence. city centres become no go zones, and it costs an absolute fortune every match to keep rival supporters separate inside and outside the ground. still don't understand why this only happens in football though. you can go to a rugby match, take your pint to your seat, sit next to a group of rival fans & enjoy abusive banter, and enjoy the match. afterwards, you can go to the pub with the same group of rival fans and enjoy some more banter over a few more pints. with football supporters, you have to have them in separate zones, have police surrounding the buses of the rival fans outside the ground, have separate pubs for both sets of rival supporters, and a police escort for any rival fans to get to and from the train station. depending on the match, any pubs around the ground will shut down for a few hours rather than risk getting trashed. what is it about football that attracts the sort of people who do these things?

A former secretary at Coca-Cola has been found guilty of plotting to steal the company's secrets and sell them to its rival Pepsi. Joya Williams could face up to 10 years in prison when sentencing takes place at a later date. The court heard that Williams stole confidential documents and samples of new products, passing them to two men to sell to Pepsi for at least $1.5m. The men - Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney - have already pleaded guilty. The three were charged last July with stealing product samples and confidential documents from Coca-Cola and trying to sell them to PepsiCo's Pepsi unit. After the offer was made, PepsiCo contacted Coca-Cola and co-operated with FBI officials who held undercover meetings with Mr Dimson. Investigators arranged a fake sale of the material for $1.5m (£800,000) and caught Ms Williams on camera putting papers and samples in her bag, the prosecution said. She was an administrative assistant for Coke's global brand director at the firm's Atlanta headquarters. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6325895.stm

Top Gear insulting, says charity The handling of Richard Hammond's return to Top Gear has been branded "insensitive" and "insulting" by a charity for people with brain injury. Headway said it had been inundated with complaints particularly over comments made by presenter Jeremy Clarkson. At the start of Sunday's show, Mr Clarkson asked Mr Hammond if he was mental, while James May offered him a tissue in case he started dribbling. The BBC said the show was not intended to cause any offence. Headway chief executive Peter McCabe said: "This has created such anger among members of Headway. It really was offensive and insulting to all those people living with brain injuries. "I think the whole way the show handled the issue was wrong. They should not have shown the crash. "It just glamorised fast driving and gives the impression people can make a full recovery from head injuries. "That is not always the case." Complaints The charity said it had received 50 complaints via the telephone helpline and through email from members and has now announced it will be making a complaint about the programme. Mr Hammond, 37, was left fighting for his life in September following the crash in when his jet-powered car came off a runway near York at 280mph. The BBC Two show featured footage of the crash. A BBC spokesman said: "Top Gear's audience is familiar with the irreverent tone of the programme and this was typical of the type of exchanges that take place between the presenters. It was certainly not intended to cause any offence. "The item showing Richard's crash could not have been a clearer illustration of the dangers and excitements of speed." The programme has also fallen foul of Brake, the national road safety charity. It said it was "shocked and appalled" by Mr Clarkson's comment that "speed kills" just after pointing at Mr Hammond following clips of the crash. Jools Townsend, from the charity, said: "Clarkson's comment was highly irresponsible and offensive to anyone who has been bereaved or injured at the hands of a speeding driver. "A shockingly disproportionate number of young male drivers are dying on our roads and it is highly irresponsible for the BBC to allow Top Gear, with its target audience of young males, to openly make light the deadly act of speeding." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6324129.stm?ls

By Mike Baker Education correspondent, BBC News When my elder daughter spent a term in junior high school in the USA she was required to learn, by heart, the names of all the American presidents. Her class also started to memorise the names of all the individual states. It seemed that, wherever you came from, you were expected to learn the core facts of mainstream American history. By contrast, in her 13 years in school in Britain she never learned the chronology of the British kings and queens. Equally, I'm not sure that she could locate on the map of the British Isles many of the counties of England, never mind Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I don't write this to embarrass her (I'm sure she is past being embarrassed by her dad) but to make a point about this week's report into the teaching of British identity through the citizenship curriculum. What should we be taught if we are to gain a better understanding of British identity? Judging by the responses to our own Have Your Say section, many of you have strong opinions on this. Social cohesion Let us return, for a moment, to this week's report on Diversity and Citizenship, commissioned by the government from the former head teacher Sir Keith Ajegbo. There had been an expectation that it would be about how schools could do more to teach ethnic minority children about British culture and values. It was, after all, commissioned amid concerns about social cohesion after the London bombings and the race riots in the north of England. Britain was puzzling over how a few young Muslim men, born and educated in Britain, could feel so alienated that they wanted to blow up their fellow British citizens. Yet the way the report was presented this week, it seemed to be far more about white, particularly working class pupils, who, the report said, felt "disenfranchised" and who had "negative perceptions" of British identities. The report's conclusion was that as much effort needed to be put into providing "diversity education" to white pupils as to ethnic minority groups. Somehow it seemed to slide between teaching about "Britishness" and about teaching "mutual understanding and respect". 'The lens of history' It was hard to tell whether this was about the teaching of citizenship or history. Indeed, at a news conference, Sir Keith Ajegbo said British identity should be "studied through the lens of history". So he recommended that pupils should be taught about key historical topics: the Commonwealth, the legacy of Empire, slavery, equal rights legislation and devolution. While these subjects are important to understanding why Britain is a multicultural society, it is less clear how they will make white pupils feel any less "disenfranchised". Don't they need to know more about their own white, English inheritance? The report's aims were confusing. Was it recommending that all children, whatever their background, should understand their identity through a study of British history? Or was it about tackling racism and understanding that modern Britain is a multicultural society? If it was the latter, then it makes sense to understand the legacy of Empire, slavery, the Commonwealth and immigration. Family trees But if it was the former, then where is the secondary school history that relates to the great majority of the population, and in particular the English, white, working class pupils to whom the report refers? Their cultural inheritance lies in English history. It lies in society-shaping themes such as the 17th Century revolution and civil war, the agrarian and industrial revolutions, urbanisation, the agricultural depression, industrialisation, the rise of the trade unions, universal suffrage and the growth of the welfare state. Among adults there is a strong desire to know about their own particular family's past. There has been a phenomenal growth of interest in genealogy. For the great majority of the white pupils that family history will include ancestors who, until the mid 19th Century, were agricultural labourers living in the shires. After 1851, when for the first time a majority of Britons lived in the towns, it is more likely that our ancestors worked in textile factories, iron and steel plants, on the railways, as small shopkeepers and tradesmen or in the vast army of Victorian clerks. Yet how much of the history curriculum covers these core parts of our social history? Not much, it seems. Pupils are far more likely to study the Weimar Republic, the Russian Revolution, or the politics (but not social history) of the Tudors. My children have certainly learned far more in school about Hitler, Stalin and Henry VIII than about how our society was shaped by the agricultural depression or the phenomenal growth of English cities in the 19th Century. Yet their ancestors were generations of Somerset agricultural labourers whom poverty drove off the land and into cities in the late 1800s. That is a familiar inheritance for many, probably most, of us. The study of a narrow period in depth is, of course, invaluable for developing important skills such as source analysis. But the history curriculum in English schools seems to have sacrificed a sense of the narrative history of the "common people". No wonder, then, that so many feel confused about their identity. For many adults, that loss of identity is being tackled through genealogy. It can give us a strong sense of identity with a particular parish or town and with the agricultural way of life that was the norm for generations of our ancestors until as recently as 150 years ago. Schools could learn much from this and, indeed, the Ajegbo report recommends a national week of events devoted to investigation of pupils' roots. The BBC family history series 'Who do you think you are?' has done far more to raise issues of identity and cultural inheritance than any of the ludicrously overblown debate about a certain Channel 4 programme which - unlike just about every other journalist, it seems - I have vowed not to mention. If we really want to reawaken a greater sense of British identity, then it is time to bring back more British history, not just about the great and the good, but about the ordinary people. Yes, of course, we need to remind ourselves that immigration has always been a factor of British culture, from the Normans and the Huguenots to the Jews, West Indians and Ugandan Asians. But let us not allow political correctness to blot out the story of the ordinary lives in British history. British identity is certainly bolstered by an understanding of the multi-cultural origins of our society, but it is fundamentally underpinned by a clear sense of the social history of the British Isles. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6303901.stm

Teachers have steered the Shakespeare curriculum for younger pupils in England away from Othello and Henry IV Part I in favour of lighter texts. After a poll, plays set for 13 and 14-year-olds in England could include Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It. Othello did not make the list because more than half of those questioned said the themes of sexual jealousy and racism were not suitable for that age. Teachers say the exam system impedes the enjoyment of Shakespeare anyway. A survey of attitudes to Shakespeare's plays among teachers and other experts was commissioned by England's curriculum and exams body the QCA. There is a rolling curriculum for Shakespeare, which for this year involves Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III and The Tempest. The QCA canvassed teachers and local authority advisers on what they thought about particular plays and their suitability for teaching to children in Key Stage 3. Children in state schools generally do not study Shakespeare until they are 13 or 14, in Year 9. In the survey, people were asked to rate seven Shakespeare plays on their suitability for this age group. Top of the list came Romeo and Juliet, with 91% saying the play was suitable or very suitable. Many said the themes of young love and family made the play very accessible for pupils. Sexual jealousy The idea of including Othello prompted the most objections - with 55% saying it was not suitable. Many teachers said the play should be kept for A-level study and that the themes were "too mature and sensitive for this age group". The report said: "Many stated that the topic of racism was not appropriate for Key Stage 3 study and the theme of sexual jealousy was widely felt to be beyond the experience of Year 9 children." Those who supported the inclusion of Othello said the play's strong themes of love, jealousy, cultural stereo-typing and the treatment of minorities in society would engage pupils. There was little support for the idea of 13 and 14-year-olds studying Henry IV Part I. Some 66% said it was not suitable and just 6% that it was "very suitable". Critics said the historical context and a lack of action made the play boring and inaccessible for many pupils. 'Teaching to the test' Contributors were also asked to suggest plays which were not listed. Macbeth - a tale of ambition and murder - was the most popular. The QCA has announced that as a result of the consultation, plays said to be suitable for setting will include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It and Julius Caesar. Ian McNeilly, director of the National Association for the Teaching of English, said he could understand the teachers' favourite choices. Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Julius Caesar were all great plays, he said. And while the race theme in Othello might be appropriate for the age group, the theme of sexual jealousy might not be. But the real question was not so much the choice of plays on offer but the way some teachers were driven to teach them. They were being forced to "teach to the test", with children often studying just a few scenes instead of getting to enjoy and appreciate a whole play. Plays were not being studying in context, he said. "We are less concerned with which plays are taught than with the methods of the assessment process that some teachers are in thrall to," he said. Last autumn, The Royal Shakespeare Company complained "boring lessons" were putting pupils off Shakespeare for life. Pupils had to concentrate on a few scenes and did not have enough opportunities to act out the plays, it said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6317297.stm

Broadcaster Channel 4 has postponed a series of programmes themed around masturbation. Three shows, including a documentary about a charity "masturbate-athon", have been removed from the schedule. "The programmes are not currently scheduled but will be shown in due course," said a spokesman. Channel 4 has faced strong criticism over the recent series of Celebrity Big Brother, which prompted a record number of complaints over alleged racism. Media watchdog Ofcom is investigating the controversy. The regulator is also reviewing the broadcaster's funding, with Channel 4 seeking a new form of government subsidy, possibly a share of the TV licence fee, to help fund the switch to digital. The subsidy would replace the free broadcasting space given to the channel when it launched in 1982, which will become redundant when the UK completes the move to digital TV in 2012. 'Provocative' Originally planned for March, the masturbation season has been "moved around repeatedly", said a spokesman, who added that schedule changes were normal for any television station. But industry paper Broadcast reported that several Channel 4 board members had expressed concern at the series. It was due to contain a documentary about a female masturbation coach and a programme following two men trying to give up the habit. The "masturbate-athon", billed as the first of its kind in Europe, was filmed in central London last August. Organisers said the event, which involved several charities, was to promote discussion of sexual health issues. Channel 4 commissioner Andrew MacKenzie previously said the series was the type of "provocative and mischievous" material that the channel should be covering. Last year, Channel 4's founding chief executive Sir Jeremy Isaacs criticised its "obsession with adolescent transgression and sex". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6323997.stm

Rap star Sean Combs has been asked in court to remove his alias "Diddy" from websites after an earlier settlement with a musician known by the same name. The rapper settled out of court with Richard "Diddy" Dearlove last year, agreeing not to use the name in the UK. Mr Dearlove's lawyer, Iain Purvis QC, told London's High Court that Mr Combs had made changes to two of his websites but "Diddy" was still used on others. He said Mr Combs had refused to make changes to sites not under his control. "We want him either to use a neutral name like P Diddy or to shut them down," he said. Mr Dearlove, best known for his remix of the Blondie hit Atomic, has traded under the name "Diddy" since 1992. The 41-year-old wants Mr Combs to erase "Diddy" from sites including YouTube and MySpace. Mr Purvis said it could be difficult for Mr Combs to do this but that it was his responsibility. "What we say is he has given these undertakings and it is up to him to make sure they are complied with." Earlier agreement Mr Purvis said that in keeping with an earlier agreement, Combs made sure UK visitors to his own international website http://www.diddy.com were diverted to a British site where "Diddy" was not used. Under the settlement with Mr Dearlove, Mr Combs is allowed to use "P Diddy" in the UK and "Diddy" outside the UK. If the judge rules that Mr Combs has breached the agreement, Mr Dearlove will ask for an injunction barring him from continuing to do so. Mr Dearlove could then seek damages. Mr Combs, 37, changed his name from Puff Daddy to P Diddy in 2001, later dropping the "P" from his name in 2005. Sites like YouTube and MySpace have proved useful marketing tools for musicians - Mr Combs's MySpace profile has been visited 10 million times. The hearing continues. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6323233.stm

Rowling unveils last Potter date The last instalment of the Harry Potter saga will be published on 21 July, author JK Rowling has announced. She confirmed the date fans will be able to get their hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on her website. Rowling has said two characters die in the final book and fans are wondering whether Harry is one of them. The Potter books have sold 325 million copies worldwide, have been translated into 64 languages and spawned five blockbuster movies. This is the 10th anniversary of the first book of the hugely successful series being published Shops opened at midnight and queues formed when the last book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released. It sold 2,009,574 copies in Britain on the first day of its release, publisher Bloomsbury said. The firm said it would publish a children's hardback edition, an adult hardback, a special gift edition and an audio book on the same day. As well as making Rowling a dollar billionaire, the books have been credited with bringing children back to reading and reviving the British film industry. When asked about Harry's fate, Rowling has said she could understand authors who killed off their characters, to stop others writing new adventures. 'Much anticipation' But she admitted being worried about the reaction from fans if the boy wizard came to a sticky end. Rowling always made it clear the series would be in seven parts and much of the plot was almost set in stone. In a recent web posting, she said: "I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more." The latest film based on the books, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released in the UK on 13 July 2007. Wayne Winstone, children's manager for Waterstone's book store, said: "Not only will this be the biggest selling book, it will also break all records to become the fastest selling book of all time." "There are not many people who want to wait to find out what happens and risk hearing the news from their friends." Head of books at online retailer Amazon, Christopher North, said: "It may be a long time before we see another book that commands as much anticipation, attention and demand as this final book in the Harry Potter series." E-mails sent to the BBC backed up this sense of excitement. "Heck, yeah! The party to end all parties - I am NOT missing that, I've been imagining the moment since I was eight!" wrote one fan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6320733.stm

but from what was said, the fighting took place outside the ground. you don't need to be a football fan with a ticket to be stood outside the ground and cause trouble.

that was a good match. Not seen them play that well for ages. be interesting to see how the confidence boost of playing well & reclaiming the Calcutta cup will work

you want to be careful where you're waving that magic wand, you'll have someone's eye out!!

i haven't seen it yet. a certain somebody forgot to record it whilst i was at work :rolleyes: will watch the repeat at 19:00 on wed

i'll quite happily pay for individual roads, as long as the parliamentary reform which brings it into practice abolishes the yearly road tax

from the sound of the article, and from what i remember, that's likely to be the contribution to school dinners for the entire week in a primary school. whether that's the subsidised rate for lower income families or not i wouldn't have a clue

seems straight forward to me. you get your money on wednesday and set aside the lunch money in an envelope until mon. daughter then takes lunch money in to school on mon. child eats, company gets money, everyone is happy.

The "despicable" behaviour of scavengers has forced the authorities to invoke ancient legislation to stop looters raiding cargo on a Devon beach. Powers not used for 100 years will be used to force people to return goods recovered from the stricken container ship MSC Napoli. Separate laws will also be used to ban the public from Branscombe beach. The police said organised gangs were targeting the beach and were behind some of the worst looting. Over the last two days scavengers have descended on the beach, taking away goods that included BMW motorbikes, wine, face cream and nappies. Officers closed roads to the beach to deter treasure-seekers and to allow contractors to start the clear-up operation, which is expected to begin at 0700 GMT on Wednesday. That meant people had to walk several miles to the beach but that did not deter about 200 scavengers who were rummaging through the cargo. The numbers dwindled later after the beach was sealed off by a 100ft-long metal fence. 'Sheer greed' Mark Rodaway, the Acting Receiver of Wreck, said the "despicable" behaviour of scavengers had persuaded him that special powers dating back to the Merchant Shipping Act 1854 were needed to force people to return goods. "Personal belongings, not goods for sale, were being rifled through and strewn on the beach. "I would ask anyone to reflect quietly on how they would feel if that was their belongings. "From what I witnessed it was clear that there was no intent to store safely or record goods with the appropriate authorities, as such we will be utilising legislation available to prevent people removing more goods and if necessary using the law to prosecute people through the courts." Pc Sharon Newman of Devon and Cornwall Police said local people had had "their whole world turned upside down". It was organised gangs travelling from miles away who were responsible for much of the looting, she said. Pc Newman rejected suggestions that the police had not acted quickly enough to stop the looting, saying they did not yet have the power to remove people from the beach or issue search warrants to recover items. She was unable to say when those powers would be introduced A phone number and e-mail address will be issued on Wednesday for people who want to return recovered goods. The Receiver of the Wreck also has the authority to offer a reward for information on the whereabouts of location of recovered goods. Coastguard officials have accused scavengers of "sheer greed". That view was reflected by one family who were shocked to see pictures of their belongings being looted from one crate on the beach. Map: Devon coastline and wreck site Anita and Jan Bokdal's possessions were being transported on the MSC Napoli from their native Sweden to South Africa, where they have bought a winery. They were horrified to see pictures in the media of their belongings, including photographs, family heirlooms and clothing for poor communities in South Africa, being emptied on to the beach. She said the police should have done more to stop the looters. "For me it's stealing our things....as far as I know the police should have been there in the beginning and stopped this. The law must do something about it, " said Mrs Bokdal. Later she learned that she will be reunited with some of her belongings because a member of the public had reported them to the authorities. Seabirds affected Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, it is an offence for people to remove items from a wreck if they conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it. People must fill out a form to tell the authorities what they have removed and they must store it for 28 days in case the owners want it back. But some of the items plundered from the container ship have already been listed on the internet auction website eBay. BMW steering wheel airbags - advertised as coming from the Napoli - were up for sale online. A team of divers plugged a gap in the ship after fuel oil started leaking. The process of heating thick fuel oil on the ship to turn it into a consistency that can be pumped on to another vessel is due to start. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it may take a week to pump 3,500 metric tons of oil to stop more leaks from the ship. And it may take up to a year to lift the 2,318 containers on the vessel and recover those that have fallen to the bottom of the sea. The Napoli suffered structural damage during last Thursday's storms and was deliberately grounded a mile off Branscombe to stop it breaking up in deep water. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reported that 900 guillemots and 200 gulls had been found suffering from the effects of oil. Some have been found up to 25 miles away, near Torbay http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6290887.stm

Eleven children have been excluded from a school after they walked out saying there were too many supply teachers. There have been protests at Berryhill Sports College and High School in Stoke-on-Trent on Monday and Tuesday, with dozens said to be involved. Chairman of the governors, Terry Crowe, said the 11 pupils, who are aged about 15, were told to stay away for two weeks. "Parents who have taken part with the children are irresponsible," he said. Police were called during a protest on Monday, a spokesman for the school in Bucknall said. Head teacher Ruth Poppleton said pupils were getting a good education. "I think some pupils quite rightly are concerned we are having some supply teachers in school. "I think it shows some pupils are worried about the quality of their education." One of those to have been excluded, Nikita Bailey, told the BBC that about 60 pupils were involved in Monday's demonstration. She said: "All the students are just getting to the point where they don't want supply teachers any more. "They just want a proper education with proper teachers and everyone's just getting sick of it, so we just walked out to get heard really. "The teachers and the head teacher won't listen to us and we thought we would get heard if we walked out." Issues resolved One parent who was outside the school on Tuesday, Mandy Moore, said: "I believe the children have a right (to protest). Nobody seems to be listening." The school said those who have been excluded were the protagonists and some issues had been resolved. Mr Crowe said staff had said there had been complaints over school uniforms and body piercing. The school said it could not give specific reasons why pupils had been excluded but it was not aware of an issue to do with uniforms. Mr Crowe said: "I've been the chairman of governors for 20 years and I won't be bullied by children or parents to do things I don't think are compatible with what the school is about. "Staff have got a hard enough job these days without parents egging them on. It's not good for school discipline." The school said it was available to listen to the views of parents and students. Deputy head Mark Ranford said: "A small number of pupils engaged in an unacceptable demonstration against school rules at the school gate. "Four representative pupils were invited into the school and discussed with senior staff ways of resolving their issues. "Several students then returned to lessons as normal. The vast majority of students enjoyed a normal school day." The school said a meeting had been arranged with the chair of governors later this week to allow further dialogue between students, parents and senior staff. The city council said it was concerned about the situation but the issue of school discipline was a matter for the head teacher and the governors. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/6290281.stm

Noooooooooooooo!! you can't show it on the 28th, I'm working 1-9's that weekend :angry:

Organised criminal gangs are putting lives at risk by deliberately causing car accidents in a £200m rip-off, insurance fraud investigators warned last night. Experts warned that the growing “crash for cash” epidemic presents a particular threat to women as offenders target vulnerable motorists. There are already 22,000 known cases of staged crashes - used to lodged lucrative insurance and personal injury claims - and this is set to soar in coming months. The problem was highlighted in Norwich Union's annual fraud report and by the Insurance Fraud Bureau which claim there will be a further 20,000 deliberate crashes on the nation's road over the next 18 months - and with an increasing number of cases in East Anglia. Chris Hill, the company's head of claims fraud, said criminals brake suddenly or carry out dangerous manoeuvres in a bid to force other motorists to hit their vehicles. This allows them to exploit the virtually automatic admission of liability by the victim's insurers. They then claim up to £30,000 which is often used to fund other crimes including drug trafficking, terrorism and money laundering. Mr Hill added: “Those responsible are indiscriminate in their choice of targets - we know of cases in which commercial drivers have been victims but equally we know of cases involving mothers with their children in the car.” South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon will today use a parliamentary debate to call for increased government action saying the crimes pose a serious threat to public safety and have led to a significant increase in insurance premiums. Mr Hill said: “We believe this started in the north of England but is quickly spreading as criminals franchise the operation out to other gangs and it is now a real danger in all regions including the east. “Since 1999 there have been more than 22,000 such 'accidents' but it is growing so quickly that we expect to see almost the same number over the next year and a half.” There are thought to be about 40 sophisticated gangs carrying out the offences aided by legal firms and mechanics across the country. Often they have accomplices in another vehicle to act as witnesses to support their claim. They have even been known to detach brake lights to make their actions less predictable. “There are three main concerns,” Mr Hill said. “Firstly the serious risk to public safety, followed by the effect on insurance premiums and the knock-on effect of funding other organised crime. “It is impossible to estimate the increase in premiums as a result of this but we know this scam is worth £200m-a-year and rising.” Mr Bacon said the government must take action by urging police to treat it as a priority and by providing forces with the necessary resources. He said: “Crash for cash scams are putting innocent drivers in danger, particularly women driving alone and with children. They are nearly risk-free for the perpetrators and provide many millions of pounds to invest in other areas of crime. “Unfortunately, the government has made insurance fraud a low priority for the police so the problem continues to grow. I will be asking ministers to take action to protect the public and to make stamping out this harmful and dangerous activity a high priority.” Norwich Union also acknowledged that the traditional assumption by insurance companies that the person driving the vehicle which collides with another vehicle is responsible for the accidents may have to be reviewed. In an earlier answer to a parliamentary question lodged by Mr Bacon, solicitor general Mike O'Brien moved to reassure the public that the police and Crown Prosecution Service take such a threat seriously. Mr O'Brien said: “Offenders often make false claims to state benefit based on injuries that they claim to have suffered. This criminal activity has been found to have links with serious organised criminal gangs. “The fact that innocent road users are effectively targeted and endangered is a matter of considerable concern, as is the significant financial impact on insurers estimated to run into hundreds of millions of pounds which is then passed on to members of the public. “The CPS considers each case on its merits. If, in a particular case, the evidential test is met, there is likely to be a strong public interest to prosecute as the offence will usually have been premeditated, involve a group acting together, the potential or actually pecuniary advantage will be great, and importantly, there will be a real risk or actual occurrence of physical injury to another.” http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED16%20Jan%202007%2008%3A35%3A30%3A040