Jenjie

EU alcohol ruling cheers traders Retailers have responded with relief to a European Court ruling allowing consumers to buy drinks and cigarettes online at lower duties from abroad. The decision means shoppers buying cheaper goods abroad will still have to accompany the goods back themselves. Shopkeepers said a different ruling allowing an internet bargain hunt would have hit them hard, while the Treasury said it was a victory for commonsense. The UK loses duty of more than £1bn per year because of "booze cruises". And it would have lost a lot more if the ruling had gone the other way and more shoppers had turned to buying low-duty goods online. "This clear win for the government is a victory for commonsense," said a Treasury source. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6175646.stm

The European Court has ruled against making it easier for European consumers to buy cigarettes and alcohol from countries where excise duties are low. High-duty countries like the UK had risked losing large amounts of revenue. It means that shoppers who want to take advantage of low duty and VAT in other states will still need to go there and bring back the goods themselves. Had the ruling gone the other way, consumers of alcohol and tobacco could have gone on an internet bargain hunt. Observers had predicted an end to Britons, Danes, Swedes and Finns going on "booze cruises" to neighbouring countries to buy cheaper alcohol. The UK government already loses duty of more than £1bn (1.5bn euros) per year because of booze cruises, and would have stood to lose a lot more. Duty on a bottle of wine varies from nothing in 13 EU countries, to 2.1 euros in Ireland, and the price of cigarettes varies by a factor of 12. Wine lovers The European Court was asked to interpret EU law by the Dutch Supreme Court, after a Dutch wine club objected to being charged duty on a lorry-load of wine delivered from France. An official adviser to the European Court of Justice said the club chairman who ordered the delivery should only pay duty in France. But on this occasion, the judges rejected the adviser's argument. The court ruled that in order for products to be exempt from excise duty in the state of importation: They must be for the use of the private individual who has bought them - not for other people, such as other members of a wine club They must be transported personally by the private individual The EU directive in question states: "As regards products acquired by private individuals for their own use and transported by them... excise duty shall be charged in the member state in which they are acquired." The Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish and UK governments had argued that "transported by them" should be strictly interpreted. A UK government source said the ruling was a victory for common sense. The judgement makes clear that someone shopping abroad cannot bring back more than the maximum guideline levels - 90 litres of wine, 110 litres of beer, 10 litres of spirits and 800 cigarettes - by arguing that part of it is for someone else. The European Commission has proposed a change to the directive that would make this possible - but it will only become law if all EU countries agree to it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6175370.stm

Serious dangers exist from the growth of government databases on children, a report has said. The Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) said guidelines ignored family values and privacy. The study was carried out for the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) which said the details on databases need to be "looked at carefully". The government said child protection was a top priority but it had serious reservations about the report. Databases relating to children have recently been established across social services, education, crime and health. The report said one concern was so-called "e-discrimination" where police attention was more likely simply because of a child's records in areas such as education and health. "This raises serious data protection concerns relating to the appropriateness of collecting, processing and retaining the data," the report said. The study said there was a "cavalier interpretation" of data protection and privacy, which included police sharing data on a nine-month-old baby without the parents' consent using the excuse of "crime prevention". Sharing information can actually do harm, the report added. In a "disturbing" case a nine-year-old was wrongly taken into care after social workers misunderstood medical information. 'Risk of harm' ICO assistant commissioner Jonathan Bamford said there had been "substantial growth" in the amount of stored details. "Just because technology means that things can be done with personal information, it does not always follow that they should be done," he said. "Public trust and confidence will be lost if there is excessive unwarranted intrusion into family life or if some of the issues that have been identified actually materialise." Among the databases included were Information Sharing Index, due to be introduced by 2008, the National Pupil Database, and "ASSET", a database which contains profiles of young offenders. Next year the ICO, an independent public body which promotes access to official information, is expected to help public sector organisations share information and make sure they adhere to the Data Protection Act. The ICO is also considering whether to provide more information - such as guidance for young people aged 12-18 on consent issues. "It is important to emphasise that there is a sharp distinction between child protection and child welfare," said Mr Bamford. "Data protection should never be used as an excuse for failure to protect a child from a real risk of harm." 'Respect privacy' A Department for Education and Skills (DfES) spokesman said: "We have some serious reservations about this report's objectivity and evidence base. "It is important to remember that it is not the view of the information commissioner himself." He said the department took its responsibilities over data protection seriously and the databases had been developed in consultation with professionals. "The support, protection and safeguarding of children is our top priority but in fulfilling it, we are conscious of the need to respect personal privacy," he said. Liberal Democrat families spokeswoman Annette Brooke said: "This report raises real concerns that human rights and data protection laws will be violated." The report comes after "nanny state" concerns over experts being drafted into 77 areas of England to try to improve the standard of parenting. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6171224.stm

Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films, has voiced dismay over the decision to drop Peter Jackson as director of The Hobbit. "I'm very sad as I should have relished revisiting Middle Earth with Peter again," the actor wrote on his website. "It's hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country." Jackson refused to discuss working on the Hobbit until a DVD royalty dispute with New Line Cinema was settled. But New Line said it had only "limited time" to make the film and was proceeding without the Oscar-winning director. Angry fans The announcement has led to an online petition of 1,100 people asking for Jackson to be reinstated. The petition created calls for The Hobbit to be filmed "the way it was meant to be or not at all". A website has also been set up urging a boycott of New Line, and fans have used weblogs and forums to question the studio's judgement. The petition argues that a Hobbit movie without Peter Jackson and his writers and special effects team is not what fans want. "The characters and scenery will all be new and unfamiliar and props, costumes, and the backdrop of New Zealand will all be lost," it said. "Most likely even the original actors will not sign on to do it - can you imagine someone other than Ian McKellen playing Gandalf the Grey?" A user of fan site theonering.net has registered the domain name boycottnewline.com, which links to another petition. "Something must happen to get New Line and Jackson to talk about the [legal case], which has been hanging over future Tolkein-related productions since 2005," the owner has written. "The only way to get New Line to budge is to boycott future New Line productions until they sit down and hash things out with Peter Jackson." 'Wrong guy' Before the story emerged this week, there was already a site - thehobbitfilm.com - encouraging fans to ask top studio executives to get on with making the movie with Jackson. It urged people to send letters or postcards because "the only way we are going to reach our goal of having a live-action version of The Hobbit from Peter Jackson and his team is by keeping after the studios who own the rights". However, other fans were more relaxed about the way the project was progressing. "That's the best news I've heard concerning Peter Jackson in about five years," wrote one person on the ringbearer.org site. "He's exactly the wrong guy to handle The Hobbit in any way shape or form." Another, on theonering.net, said: "I'm sure The Hobbit will turn out to be a success even without the help of the great Peter Jackson." A spokesman for distributor MGM told Variety newspaper that the matter was "far from closed", leaving some people hoping Jackson would return. "Hopefully they will see the light and involve the two people who have proven worth in telling the stories," one person wrote in the chatroom at theonering.net. Neither New Line nor MGM was available for further comment. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6173178.stm

were there more pictures? got link to the article?

A Marks and Spencer employee was swept off her feet at work when her boyfriend re-enacted a scene from hit movie An Officer And A Gentleman to propose. At first Martine Diamond, 39, a store displays manager in Talbot Green, south Wales, thought she was being asked to deal with a difficult customer. But instead she was confronted by Tony Brown, 37, in a white naval uniform. He took the Richard Gere role from the 1982 film to pop the question. She said yes - and they plan to marry in 2008. She said: "I went into work as normal. It was my birthday and my boyfriend had asked me to meet him after work to go for a meal. "When I got into work, every time I went to go on a break I was asked to do something else. "Then I was asked to see a customer who was complaining about a transaction, so I came out onto the floor and I had a weird feeling because there were lots of people there. "Then I heard our song, Robbie Williams' 'Feel' being played and I noticed Tony on the escalator wearing a white Officer and a Gentleman uniform." She met her boyfriend, from Cathays, Cardiff, five years ago on a blind date and had told him previously that the film scene was her fantasy proposal. In the 1982 film, Gere's character Zack goes to a factory in full uniform, to propose to Paula, played by Debra Winger. The movie is also well known for its theme song, Up Where We Belong. She said: "When we watched the film I said to him 'can you imagine that? A Monday morning and you just get whisked away. What a beautiful way to propose to someone'. Spa day "But I just couldn't believe he had actually done it. It was incredible. "He got on one knee and said 'Martine Diamond, will you marry me?'. I just said 'Of course I bloody will'. "I wasn't aware at the time but all my friends and my mum and dad were there watching." Her partner, who owns a locksmith firm, carried her off for a spa day and champagne at a nearby hotel. "I just can't believe the amount of planning that went into it and my colleagues can't stop talking about it," she said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6170350.stm

should have fried him

Seinfeld star 'sorry' over racism Ex-Seinfeld star Michael Richards has apologised for directing a racist insult at a heckler during a stand-up comedy performance in Los Angeles. The 57-year-old, who played eccentric neighbour Cosmo Kramer in the long-running sitcom, said he "went into a rage" when his act was interrupted. "I'm really busted up over this and I'm very, very sorry," Richards said. His former co-star Jerry Seinfeld said he felt "sick" about what he branded a "horrible, horrible mistake". "It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt," Seinfeld added. Furious response Richards had been performing at the Laugh Factory on Friday when two black audience members appeared to shout at him that he was not funny. He paced across the stage in a fury and repeatedly taunted the men for disrupting his routine. While some people in the crowd were heard to chuckle, another was audibly horrified. The events were captured on video and passed to the TMZ.com entertainment website. In a statement, Richards said: "I was at the comedy club trying to do my act and got heckled. I took it badly and went into a rage." He apologised to "those people in the audience - the blacks, the Hispanics and the whites, everybody who was there and took the brunt of that anger and hate and rage, and how it came through". Career 'ruined' Seinfeld was not the only member of the entertainment industry to condemn Richards. Veteran publicist Michael Levine said the remarks were inexcusable. "I've never seen anything like this in my life," he said. "I think it's a career-ruiner for him." Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who co-owns the Laugh Factory, said he had banned the performer from the well-known venue. "It was unfortunate, it was sad," he said. "I was at the back watching this, and I kept waiting for a punchline that could justify the words before it. It didn't come." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6167920.stm

Heroin should be prescribed to drug addicts to tackle crime, the deputy chief constable of Nottinghamshire has said at a drugs conference. Howard Roberts told an Association of Chief Police Officers' conference in Manchester the idea should be assessed. He said the treatment would cost £12,000-a-year per addict but added that drug users steal on average £45,000-worth of property a year. The idea is being piloted in London, the south east and north of England. "At the moment across the country we see levels of burglary, robbery and murder being committed by drug-fuelled addicts who are doing so in order to get the money to buy the drugs," Mr Roberts told the drugs conference. Fundamental measures "One of the things I have found that as treatment has been highly effective in actually helping to reduce crime, we've seen good levels of falls in drug-related acquisitive crime. "However there is still a considerable problem and what I am suggesting is that we need to explore, as part of a treatment programme, the prescribing of heroin to addicts in order to take them out of the illegal market." He added: "Of course, getting people off drugs altogether must be the objective. "But I do believe that we have lived with the terrible consequences of relatively uncontained addiction for far too long. "If we are to make a greater impact we need to fundamentally address the method of operation of the criminal marketplace for heroin." Improve treatment The manager of a Nottinghamshire-based support service for families of drug users, supported the police chief's call. "I'm delighted that police are taking drug treatment options more seriously and have been doing so over the last few years," said Nina Dauban, manager of Mansfield-based Hetty's. "In the past police have been forced to go down the enforcement and criminal justice route that doesn't always solve the problem. "There is a lot of criminality around drugs, reducing the level of criminality is really important in improving treatment for addicts. "All tribute to him saying this, it's typical of Nottinghamshire Police not to be frightened to speak about their convictions. "We're not here to win a popularity contest we're out to improve services for drug users." Martin Barnes, chief executive of drugs charity DrugScope, said: "There is compelling evidence that heroin prescribing, although more expensive than some forms of drug treatment, is cost-effective in reducing drug-related crime and other costs to communities." In the Department of Health pilots 300-400 drug users receive heroin for their addiction, a report on the study is expected next month. Similar schemes in Holland and Switzerland reported some users turning away from crime to feed their habits. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/6172392.stm

A woman left infertile after cancer treatment is making a final appeal to a court for permission to use frozen embryos fertilised by a former partner. Natallie Evans, of Trowbridge, Wilts, and Howard Johnston began IVF treatment in 2001 but he withdrew consent for the embryos to be used after they split up. She turned to the European courts after exhausting the UK legal process. Ms Evans, 34, says her appeal to the Grand Chamber of the European Court is her last chance to have a baby. Ms Evans, of Trowbridge, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001, but six of her fertilised embryos were frozen and stored prior to her treatment. But she and Mr Johnston, who lives in Gloucester, split up in 2002 and he wrote to the clinic asking for the embryos to be destroyed. Ms Evans took the case to the High Court in 2003 asking for permission to use them without Mr Johnston's permission. She has argued Mr Johnston had already consented to their creation, storage and use, and should not be allowed to change his mind. Current UK laws require both the man and woman to give consent, and allow either party to withdraw that consent up to the point where the embryos are implanted. She lost both the case and the appeal and was told she could not take the case to the House of Lords. Ms Evans then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights which again ruled against her earlier this year. Court sympathy A panel of seven judges made the ruling, which read: "The court, like the national courts, had great sympathy for the plight of the applicant who, if implantation did not take place, would be deprived of the ability to give birth to her own child." But, in a majority verdict, it was ruled that even in such exceptional circumstances as Ms Evans', the right to a family life - enshrined in article eight of the European Convention of Human Rights - could not override Mr Johnston's withdrawal of consent. It also ruled unanimously that the embryos did not have an independent right to life. Her final route of appeal is before the Grand Chamber of the European Court. Ahead of the hearing, she told the BBC's Heaven and Earth show: "I've got nowhere else to go after this. This is the end of the legal battle. "Those embryos are potential children to me. I'm their mum and I'm their voice. "No-one is speaking up for them so I'm speaking up for them." Consent removed James Grigg, the lawyer representing Mr Johnston, said Ms Evans had little chance of convincing the European Court of Human Rights. He said the law "clearly" stated the use of the embryos requires the consent of both parties. He said: "My feeling is that the application is bound to fail. "There must surely be consent to parenthood in the interests of any child born as a result of IVF. "In this case, if Howard's consent was removed and if Natallie Evans chose to proceed with IVF, he would be forced into becoming a parent." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6168154.stm

Motorists who get stopped by the police could have their fingerprints taken at the roadside, under a new plan to help officers check people's identities. A hand-held device being tested by 10 forces in England and Wales is linked to a database of 6.5m prints. Police say they will save time because people will no longer have to go to the station to prove their identity. Officers promise prints will not be kept on file but concerns have been raised about civil liberties. Bedfordshire are the first force to use the equipment, which is being distributed among the forces in Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, as well as to British Transport Police and the Metropolitan Police, over the next two months. It is primarily aimed at motorists because banned or uninsured drivers often give false names, although pedestrians could also be asked to give prints if they are suspected to have committed an offence. Police Minister Tony McNulty said: "The new technology will speed up the time it takes for police to identify individuals at the roadside, enabling them to spend more time on the frontline and reducing any inconvenience for innocent members of the public." Under the pilot, codenamed Lantern, police officers will be able to check the fingerprints from both index fingers of the suspect - with their permission - against a central computer database, with a response within a few minutes. "The handheld, capture device is little bigger than a PDA," said Chris Wheeler, head of fingerprint identification at the Police Information Technology Organisation PITO. "Screening on the street means they [police] can check an identity and verify it." Currently an officer has to arrest a person and take them to a custody suite to fingerprint them. Electronic safeguards The device will be used with the Automatic Number Plate Recognition team, who identify vehicles of interest. If a vehicle is stopped, police will be able to identify the driver and passengers. At present about 60% of drivers stopped do not give their true identity. Inspector Steve Rawlings, based in Luton, said it takes two sets of fingerprints and the fingerprints are not retained. "The encounter can be 15 minutes on the roadside rather than three hours in the police station," he said. The device has an accuracy of 94-95% and will be used for identification purposes only, say police, and there are electronic safeguards to prevent misuse. It sends encrypted data to the national ID system using GPRS - a wireless system used by many mobile phones. More than 6.5 million fingerprints are cross-referenced and sent back to the officer. Mark Wallace, who represents the civil liberties group the Freedom Association, told BBC Radio Five Live that he had "concerns" about the scheme. "I don't think we should be reassured by the fact that at the moment it's voluntary and at the moment they won't be recorded," he said. "Both of those things are actually only happening in the trial because the laws haven't been passed to do this on a national basis compulsorily and with recording." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6170070.stm

quick reminder time: healthy debate = discussing the issues, NOT calling each other names, accusing each other of murder, etc, etc.

the pro-choice view http://www.abortionrights.co.uk

hey ladies & gents, if we're opening a new debate, lets keep the personal insults out of this. the previous debate is here for anyone who is interested. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26142 unbiased viewpoint is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/abortion/child/alive_1.shtml will carry on when home from work.

Still readin Little Friend by Donna Tartt. I've only got 100 pages to go!! Feels like I'm never going to get there

Christians at a Devon university are threatening legal action against their students' union because of a row over equal opportunities. Exeter University's Guild of Students says the Christian Union (CU) is not open to all - because members must sign a form saying they follow Christ. The guild said some privileges afforded to societies had been suspended because of the CU's constitution. The CU said it was challenging the ruling under Human Rights laws. Declaration signing The 50-year-old CU said in a statement that it had been temporarily suspended from the official list of Guild of Students' societies. The CU said it appeared that unless it disassociated itself from the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowships, and stopped asking committee members and speakers to sign a declaration, it could be permanently banned from the guild. The declaration includes the phrase: "In joining this union, I declare my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God". Guild of Students President Jemma Percy said the requirement to sign the declaration meant "participation in the society was not open to every student". She said: "We have a duty to represent them and uphold equal opportunities." Barrister hired She added that the union had not been suspended: "The ECU remains one of our 109 societies." The CU on Tuesday sent a letter to the guild advising that legal proceedings would start after 14 days unless its was fully re-instated as a student society. Action would be taken under the Human Rights Act and the Education Act 1986, said the CU - which has retained a barrister. "This is a fundamental issue of freedom of speech and of common sense," said CU worker Emma Brewster. She added: "Legal action is the last thing we want to take." The CU was told to change its name after a vote involving 899 of the 13,800-strong student body saying it should be known as the Evangelical Christian Union. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6159456.stm

That Take have scored their first UK top 10 single for 10 years with their comeback song Patience. The track has reached number four from download sales alone and has beaten former member Robbie Williams's single Lovelight, which rose to number eight. Rapper Akon has claimed the top spot with Smack That featuring Eminem, followed by Justin Timberlake at two. George Michael's greatest hits collection Twenty Five is straight in at number one on the album chart. The albums rundown is dominated by Best Of compilations, with Jamiroquai at two, a new entry from the Sugababes at three and Girls Aloud at four. Girl group All Angels debut at nine with what is being claimed as the fastest-selling debut album by a classical act in UK chart history. Take That's single is the band's first hit since 1996's How Deep Is Your Love and could rise further when released on CD on Monday. It follows a sold-out comeback tour earlier this year, which sold more than half a million tickets. Robbie Williams's Lovelight, meanwhile, entered at 28 last weekend on the strength of downloads alone and has now jumped 20 places after its CD release. Akon, who lives in the US but spent time in Senegal, has had one previous number one single, 2005's Lonely. He is known for combining silky, West African-styled vocals with US East Coast and Southern hip-hop and R&B influences. His song has beaten Justin Timberlake's strong climber My Love into second place and left last week's number one, Westlife's The Rose, at three. George Michael last had album success in 2004 when Patience topped the UK chart. The release of Twenty Five has coincided with his first tour in 15 years, the UK leg of which began on Friday. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6163632.stm

Lost ratings fall with Sky debut Ratings for the first episode of the new series of Lost fell by more than one million, after the cult US drama series moved from Channel 4 to Sky One. The double bill, beginning at 10pm, drew 1.4m viewers, but audience figures fell to 1.2m after the first hour. When Lost premiered on Channel 4 in 2005, it attracted six million viewers. The second series double bill debuted in May with 3.9m, dropping to 2.8m. A spokesperson for Sky said they were "delighted" with the audience figures. Viewing records The figures exceeded the launch of other hit US dramas on Sky One including 24, Nip/Tuck and Bones. In October, trade paper Broadcast reported that the channel had paid £20m for the rights to the show. But the Emmy award-winning drama failed to outstrip viewing records for the channel, with an episode of Friends in 2000 still leading the way with an audience of 2.8m. An episode of The Simpsons, written by Ricky Gervais, secured one of the highest ratings for Sky in 2006, with viewing figures of 2.3 million. Sunday night's first episode of Lost, which follows the aftermath of an air crash on a desert island, made Sky the third most watched channel across all television networks, including terrestrial. The second episode put Sky behind Channel 4, who topped the ratings with The Return of the King - the final instalment of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6165448.stm

C harlie Hodgson and Andrew Sheridan will miss the rest of the season after suffering knee and ankle injuries in England's win over South Africa. The Sale duo were carried off in Saturday's 23-21 victory at Twickenham. And further analysis showed fly-half Hodgson has ruptured his cruciate knee ligament, while prop Sheridan has a broken left ankle and ligament damage. They will both be operated on in the next week but are certain to miss England's Six Nations campaign. Hodgson's injury ends a miserable autumn series for the Sale fly-half after he struggled to reproduce his outstanding Guinness Premiership form on the international stage. And with Jonny Wilkinson sidelined until the new year while he recovers from kidney damage, England's number 10 shirt is now likely to be contested by Andy Goode - Hodgson's probable replacement against South Africa again next Saturday - Toby Flood and Olly Barkley. Hodgson's injury is a repeat of the problem he suffered, albeit in his other knee, in 2003, which ruled him out of England's World Cup campaign. Sheridan, like Hodgson, now faces a long rehabilitation period after undergoing surgery. England coach Andy Robinson said: "Everyone feels for Charlie and Andrew, and we wish them all the best for their recovery. "Charlie and Andrew are key members of the squad and they have contributed massively this autumn. Their absence will be a real blow to England and Sale Sharks." While England contemplate a Six Nations season without Hodgson and Sheridan, Sale's hopes of defending their Premiership title has taken another major hit. They have also revealed that Scottish international flanker Jason White has also been laid low by a season-ending injury. 606 DEBATE: Who will replace Hodgson for the Six Nations? "This is a terrible blow for the players, for England and for Sale Sharks," said rugby director Philippe Saint-Andre. "Our thoughts are with the players at this moment but we know that they will receive the very best treatment available to ensure that they return, for club and country, as soon as is possible. "Of course, their loss is a blow to our aspirations to retain our title, and also to our chances in the EDF Energy and Heineken Cup competitions." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6165648.stm

Was a very good film, fits in with the others perfectly. Just the right amounts of romance, action & sarcasm!!! Daniel Craig isn't quite James Bond, but I was less opposed to him by the end of the film. He's definitely a better BOnd than Pierce Brosnan but no-one beats ROger Moore!

I definitely don't agree with increasing the price of alcohol. Why should my purse suffer because some members of society can't bring their children up properly? The more cynical side of me sees it as the government thinking of a brilliant new way to rake more taxes in from the GBP. If they up the price of alcohol they could easily make millions more from VAT. The other thing is the teaching side of things. Have they not learnt from sex education? Teaching children/teenagers about sex & the dangers hasn't led to a decrease in underage sex or underage pregnancies. Do they really think that teaching you all about alcohol & the various illnesses is going to stop the "cool kids" from going down to the park on a sat night and drinking bottles of cider? The whole country is a mess because parents aren't able to sufficiently discipline or control their children. Some because they are incapable, others because the government has slowly stripped them of their disciplinary powers & the legal deterrents just aren't there.

Excessive drinking by young people has seen a 20% rise in hospital admissions in England, a BBC inquiry has revealed. Using NHS statistics, Panorama found 20 cases a day of under-18s diagnosed with conditions like alcohol poisoning. Royal College of Surgeons president Prof Ian Gilmore said alcohol should be made more expensive to deter the young. Figures from the NHS Information Centre showed that between 2004 and 2005 the number of admissions was 7,500, up from 6,288 in the previous year. The government said tackling binge drinking was a priority. Panorama examined statistics provided by the NHS Information Centre. Ian Foster, of the North West Ambulance Service - which covers Cheshire and Merseyside, one of the worst-hit areas - said: "It's not unusual for a child to have drunk a litre of vodka. That would have me on my back for three or four weeks. "Resources are quite sparse anyway so to be dragged from pillar to post all over the city for underage drinking, which is avoidable, is keeping us from the patients that we're trained to treat." 'Nanny state' Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "I think the fact that we're seeing things getting worse, rather than better, two years after a harm reduction strategy, means we need to revisit this very urgently." And he added alcohol should be made more expensive to deter youngsters. "The government does not want to be accused of being in the nanny state. But I think we're in a situation at the moment of where nanny knows best and if we don't do something, we're going to regret it in a few years time." Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Anybody who has stood in an A&E department and seen a 15-year-old comatose from drinking a bottle of vodka will understand this is a serious and worsening issue. "Young people are too ignorant about alcohol. They appear increasingly careless of the damage they are doing to themselves and are too susceptible to peer pressure. "We have to empower young people to know the hazards of excessive drinking and encourage a sense of responsibility and self awareness to resist the pressure." A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "Tackling binge drinking is a priority. "Although levels of binge drinking are no longer rising, there is no room for complacency." However, she pointed out progress was being made with police clamping down on town centre drinking and education campaigns on sensible drinking. The government was also working with the drinks industry to establish a voluntary agreement on responsible drinking labelling http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6156026.stm

Junk food advertising during programmes targeted at under-16s is to be banned, regulators have announced. Ofcom said the banned foods include any that are high in fat, salt and sugar. The organisation had spent 12 weeks consulting on options which would tighten the rules on the timing and content of adverts. But the measure does not go as far as health campaigners - who were calling for a total ban before the 9pm watershed - wanted. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6154600.stm

Oscar winner George Clooney has been named the "sexiest man alive" by US magazine People. Clooney, 45, beat a host of Hollywood rivals including Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Patrick Dempsey, star of medical drama Grey's Anatomy, came second, with fellow actor Ashton Kutcher third. It is the second time Clooney has won the award - the first was in 1997. The actor joked that fellow two-time winner Brad Pitt "was going to be upset". The pair, who are friends, recently completed shooting film sequel Ocean's Thirteen. Clooney won the best supporting actor Academy Award for his role as a CIA agent in Syriana earlier this year. "His big movies came out at the end of last year, he has been active in the campaign to help people in Darfur, obviously he's great looking," People magazine's Cynthia Sanz, a member of the selection panel, told Reuters. "We just thought he was the total package this year." "It's a little more fun when the sexiest man alive is available," she added, referring to the actor's single status. Others in the top 10 included Jake Gyllenhaal and Without A Trace star Enrique Murciano. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6154940.stm

Police are investigating death threats made to Reading duo Ibrahima Sonko and Stephen Hunt in the wake of their side's recent Barclays Premiership game with Chelsea. The pair were involved in the incidents which saw Blues goalkeepers Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini hospitalised during the Royals' 1-0 Madejski Stadium defeat last month. Thames Valley Police said on http://www.bbc.co.uk: "The club is helping us with our inquiry and the matter is being investigated." A Chelsea spokesman added: "There is nothing to suggest these threats came from genuine Chelsea fans." According to the Reading Chronicle newspaper, one letter said: "We are going to kill you for what you did to our players." The first letter was treated as a joke and pinned up on the door of Reading's training ground dressing room, but the arrival of subsequent letters saw the police called in to investigate. Hunt was involved in a first-minute collision with Cech, who suffered a fractured skull which is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season. "The club is dealing with all my letters and I don't want to say any more," said winger Hunt. Cudicini was carried off on a stretcher following a final-minute collision with Sonko and required oxygen. He only recently returned to action, while Cech is still out. Sonko confirmed he had received a letter but made no further comment. Neither player faced any sanction from the Football Association. Chelsea's spokesman added: "Naturally, we condemn any threats of this nature and we will assist the police fully if - and we stress if - there is any evidence linking theses threats to any of our supporters." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=416825&in_page_id=1779