Jenjie

Updated news report A passenger plane carrying 50 people has crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in Kentucky, killing all but one on board. The Comair CRJ-100 jet, bound for Atlanta, Georgia, went down in woods about a mile (1.6km) from Lexington's airport at about 0610 (1010 GMT). The sole survivor, co-pilot James Polehinke, is in critical condition and undergoing surgery in hospital. It is the worst US air accident since November 2001. Aviation experts said there were indications that Flight 5191 may have taken off from the wrong runway, one that was too short to handle that type of plane. The plane was supposed to take off from a 7,000ft (2.1km) runway, but aviation experts have told news agencies that the position of the plane on crashing suggested it might have used a 3,400ft (1 km) runway instead. Airline officials said they would not be drawn into speculation about the causes, although terrorism appeared to have been ruled out, and the weather was good at the time of take-off. Search operations are under way at the site, where a temporary morgue has been set up. The plane was carrying 47 passengers and three crew members. Captain Jeffrey Clay and flight attendant Kelly Heyer died in the crash, as did all the passengers. First officer Mr Polehinke was pulled from the wreckage of the crash by a police officer who was unable to reach any other victims, said police. He is seriously hurt and is being treated at the University of Kentucky Hospital. President 'saddened' The plane exploded into flames on crashing, said Fayette county coroner Gary Ginn, and most of those on board the plane died from burns rather than trauma or smoke inhalation. "It was a hot fire," he said. Family and friends have been gathering at the Atlanta airport At a news conference, Comair president Don Bornhorst expressed the "sincere sadness that all at Comair feel". He said a family care centre had been set up in Lexington to help bereaved relatives. He said his company had much experience in flying the plane that crashed, and that Comair would co-operate fully with the investigation into the cause. The plane's "black boxes" - its flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder - have both been retrieved and sent to Washington DC for analysis. That investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). US President George W Bush was "deeply saddened" by the crash, a White House spokeswoman said. Comair had bought the aircraft new in 2001 and it had a clean maintenance record, with more than 12,000 cycles of take-offs and landings, Mr Bornhorst told reporters. Comair is a unit of Atlanta-based Delta airline. Flights resumed at Lexington's Blue Grass airport about four hours after the crash. This is the worst US air accident since November 2001, when an American Airlines plane crashed in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff from JFK airport, killing 265 people. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5290760.stm?ls

Police to quiz brick attack boy Police are to question a four-year-old boy who has left hospital two days after suffering a fractured skull when he was battered with a brick. An 11-year-old boy arrested on Saturday on suspicion of assaulting Charlie Davis near his home in Hessle, East Yorkshire, has been released on bail. Charlie, who had surgery on a damaged ear, was released from Hull Royal Infirmary on Saturday evening. Police said the boy was now recovering at home with his parents. Until now he has not been well enough to tell police how the attack came about. A Humberside Police spokeswoman said: "Today, officers will be speaking to him and taking a full statement from him regarding the incident and the full circumstances surrounding it." 'Open mind' She said there was no evidence yet to back up reports that he had been dragged 200 yards by his attacker and then tied to a tree. "It is currently unclear how the child got to the area," she said. "He may have gone of his own accord, he might have been chased there or he may have been taken by someone against his will. "At this stage police do not know what happened and are keeping an open mind." The youngster was assaulted on a strip of land between the Hull-to-Hessle railway line and Station Road, Hessle, 200 metres from his home in Danes Road. The incident happened shortly before midday on Thursday after Charlie had gone out to play with a friend. Police described the attack as "particularly nasty" and said the victim had suffered "horrible injuries". He suffered a slight fracture to the base of his skull, and underwent reconstructive surgery on his ear to repair cartilage damage. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/5290010.stm

I can't believe you guys have been slagging the film off without even seeing it. If there's one thing I've learnt since getting a cinema card its that you can't judge a film by its trailers. The Break-Up - Reasonable film, but most of the funniest bits appeared in the trailers. Snakes on a Plane - the trailers give you the briefest idea of what the film is. I went to see it semi-sceptical, knew there were going to be jumpy bits but didn't expect anything like the humour. The one thing i did know, is that i couldn't think of a bad film that Samuel L Jackson has been in, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt in his choice of work. there's some cracking lines in there, even if some of them are blatant product placement. "all hail the power of the Playstation" or however that quote goes!!

You, Me & Dupree 8/10 liked it even with Owen Wilson. I can't decide whether I like or hate the guy, and he was alright in this. Motherfuckin Snakes on the motherfuckin Plane - 8/10 kind of had a plot, was very jumpy, lots of action, not too cheesy, liked some of the snake-inflicted deaths, ending wasn't soppy. but then it was a Samuel L Jackson film.

apparently there was confusion over different animal laws across EU countries. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/5286722.stm

depends on which version of that news article you read. the BBC version has the police stating that he was cautioned for the other offensive hand gestures he directed at the crowd before the game, and making the sign of the cross wasn't one of them. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5288184.stm

They going to sub-categorise it then? They need something stronger than picking up litter for some of the persistent shoplifters. And what about the violent ones or the ones who carry weapons? Charge them with aggravated shoplifting? We lose hundreds of pounds a week to shoplifters, not to mention the time spent monitoring them, and the paperwork that goes with it. And most of the repeat offenders in our area carry weapons, and aren't afraid to use them when challenged.

Retailers have attacked a plan which would see most people who are arrested for shoplifting avoid a jail term. The Sentencing Advisory Panel suggested jail should be reserved for cases with "aggravating" factors such as violence. The British Retail Consortium said the plan would give would-be thieves the "wrong message" on an offence which cost the UK £588m in 2004. The panel also suggested an alternative plan - to jail "seriously persistent" shoplifters for up to eight weeks. 'Licence to take' In its first plan, the panel, which is seeking views on both proposals, said the top sentence should normally be a "high-level community order". Richard Dodd, of the British Retail Consortium which represents 85% of retailers in the country, said it was "disgusted" by the plan. "It is like offering a licence to people to go into stores and take things without paying," he said. But pressure group SmartJustice, which campaigns for alternatives to custody, says most jailed shoplifters re-offend after being released. "You've got to look at is why these people are committing these crimes," said SmartJustice's Sinead Hanks. "It's mainly for drugs. We support the use of drug rehabilitation... to stop them offending in the first place." The proposals come as the prison system in England and Wales is nearly full. 'Radical departure' The Sentencing Advisory Panel is a government-appointed body which recommends sentencing changes to the Sentencing Guidelines Council. Its report recognised that the "no jail" option would be a "radical departure" from the present practice. "The most severe sentence for a standard offence of theft from a shop would be a high-level community order, even where an offender may have failed to comply with such an order in the past," it added. Factors which could lead to a custodial sentence included using violence, operating in gangs, using children to commit the offence or targeting vulnerable victims. A second option would allow jailing for a standard offence when committed by a "seriously persistent" offender. Responses to the paper can be made up to 16 November, before the panel considers its final report. The BRC said the cost of the offence worked out as adding £1 on the weekly shopping for every household in the country. "It is not a victimless crime," Mr Dodd said. 'Visible work' Shadow home affairs minister Edward Garnier called the panel's proposals "a significant softening" of the punishment for shoplifting. And Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Hunter called for a "better system of public service sentences" for offences such as shoplifting such as litter-picking and cleaning up graffiti. In 2004, 61,670 adults in England and Wales were sentenced for shoplifting, with about 21% of them jailed. Since November 2004, police have been able to deal with shoplifting cases up to the value of £200 with on-the-spot fines. Just over 14,000 fines were issued in the first nine months of 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5284288.stm

A four-year-old boy was left with a fractured skull and part of his ear hanging off after he was battered with a brick on wasteland near his home. Charlie Davis was found on wasteland near his home in Danes Drive, Hessle, near Hull, East Yorkshire, on Thursday. He is at Hull Royal Infirmary where he has had surgery to repair his ear. A scan showed his brain was not injured. A Humberside Police spokeswoman said: "This little boy has suffered a nasty attack and has some horrible injuries." She said officers were following a number of lines of inquiry. "There has been information suggesting possible suspects and these form one of the lines of inquiry being pursued," she added. The incident is thought to have happened just before midday on Thursday after Charlie went to play with a friend. The attack took place about 200 metres from his home on a strip of wasteland next to Station Road close to the Hull-Hessle railway line. He was found by a couple walking in the area. The police spokeswoman said: "It is currently unclear how the child got to the area. He may have gone of his own accord, he might have been chased there or he may have been taken by someone against his will." She said officers had been unable to get an account from the child as he was still in hospital and a specially trained officer would be required to take his statement. Statements had been taken from his parents and other witnesses. "We do understand that the victim was struck with a brick which has resulted in his injuries," the spokeswoman said. "But, clearly, until police can get an account from the four-year-old victim it is not possible to confirm any more details of the incident." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/5288580.stm

Thatcher dropped & charged by FA A Manchester City defender has been suspended by his club and charged by the Football Association following his challenge on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes. Ben Thatcher must answer a charge of serious foul play by 12 September. And a statement on City's website said: "Ben Thatcher has been suspended from first-team action. "This is pending the results of the club's internal investigation into the incident involving Pedro Mendes during the game with Portsmouth on Wednesday." The statement continued: "The player will miss tomorrow's home fixture with Arsenal. Ben Thatcher fully agrees with this decision." Thatcher was shown only a yellow card after knocking Mendes out with his arm. But although referees are not allowed to retrospectively upgrade yellow cards, the FA said "the incident is being considered as an exceptional case". "The FA contends that the challenge was sufficiently serious that had Thatcher been sent off, an additional sanction would have been merited." Greater Manchester Police have also confirmed it had received complaints which it is "duty bound" to investigate. Mendes needed oxygen at the pitchside and was later taken to hospital after Thatcher's arm propelled the Portuguese midfielder into advertising hoardings. Manchester City have confirmed that Thatcher has written to Mendes to apologise for his actions. Thatcher added: "Immediately after the game I tried to find out how Pedro was. I have written to him today apologising for what happened." A statement on City's website said: "The club does not condone such action and the matter has been dealt with internally by manager Stuart Pearce." Greater Manchester Police will be talking to both clubs, Mendes and Thatcher. A GMP statement added: "From those talks, GMP will decide whether any further action will be taken. "There is no official criminal investigation but GMP is duty bound to investigate the complaints." Pompey boss Harry Redknapp was incensed by the challenge and urged the FA to take retrospective action against Thatcher. Redknapp said: "The FA have to do something, it is there for all to see. "I do not want to see anyone suspended but how could that possibly not be a red card? "What do you have to do to get a red, kill someone?" Mendes travelled back to Portsmouth after overnight observation and a club statement said: "He will continue to be under medical and neurological supervision during the forthcoming week." Meanwhile the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association has warned that Thatcher has left himself open to legal proceedings from Mendes. Gordon Taylor said: "Players have a duty, which is a legal duty as well. "In the eyes of the courts the referee has deemed it a foul and if it is considered reckless the player could have to pay a sum of money. "Any contact with an elbow to the head has got be eradicated. It's not just football, it's the law of the land." Specialist sports lawyer Mel Stein echoed Taylor's thoughts. Stein said: "The injured player can take civil action for carelessness or recklessness. "It's a bit like driving around Trafalgar Square at 100 miles per hour. You may not mean to cause harm, but are likely to do it." Meanwhile, the PFA have offered to help Thatcher with any disciplinary problems he may have. Taylor added: "The PFA has a duty to protect our members. We want to eradicate any reckless play that would endanger a fellow professional. "I've known Ben since his time at Millwall. He's a robust defender who epitomises the physical side of football ,but that doesn't mean that someone like that is reckless." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/5281686.stm

An American Airlines flight from Manchester to Chicago has been diverted following a security scare. The FBI said AA flight 55 landed in Bangor, Maine at 1257 local time after the authorities learned of a "reported threat" to the aircraft. It said the pilot took the decision to land the Boeing 767-300. Passengers and crew members would be interviewed and the plane would be searched. American Airlines said 167 passengers and 12 crew members were on board. The company said it was hopeful of being able to complete the flight later in the afternoon. Plane searched The US Transportation Security Administration said: "Given the current threat level, the agency, in conjunction with other federal authorities, took prudent action to assure the safety of the passengers and crew. "The plane has landed safely and passengers are being de-planed while TSA canines search the airplane. "Responders are on the scene and the FBI will be interviewing the passengers and crew to further assess the situation." The uncovering of an alleged plot to bring down planes more than two weeks' ago has seen an increase in security at airports. The incident was the third time a flight from the UK had been diverted since then. An Excel Airways plane from Gatwick to Hurghada in Egypt was diverted to Brindisi in Italy after a note was found saying a bomb was on board. A United Airlines' flight from London's Heathrow to Washington DC landed in Boston after concern over the behaviour of a female passenger. Explosives residue Meanwhile, in the US a college student's luggage on a Continental Airlines flight from Argentina was found to contain traces of dynamite. Federal authorities are investigating why he had the explosives residue which was discovered by a sniffer dog at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston. An Aer Lingus flight from New York to Dublin was evacuated during a scheduled stopover in the west of Ireland following a bomb threat that turned out to be unfounded. A US Airways jet from Phoenix to Charlotte was diverted to Oklahoma City after a federal air marshal was reported to have subdued a passenger who was involved in an incident with a flight attendant. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5287768.stm

Cows have regional accents like humans, language specialists have suggested. They decided to examine the issue after dairy farmers noticed their cows had slightly different moos, depending on which herd they came from. John Wells, Professor of Phonetics at the University of London, said regional twangs had been seen before in birds. The farmers in Somerset who noticed the phenomenon said it may have been the result of the close bond between them and their animals. Farmer Lloyd Green, from Glastonbury, said: "I spend a lot of time with my ones and they definitely moo with a Somerset drawl. "I've spoken to the other farmers in the West Country group and they have noticed a similar development in their own herds. "It works the same as with dogs - the closer a farmer's bond is with his animals, the easier it is for them to pick up his accent." Peer pressure Prof Wells felt the accents could result from their contemporaries. He said: "This phenomenon is well attested in birds. You find distinct chirping accents in the same species around the country. "This could also be true of cows. "In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group." Dr Jeanine Treffers-Daller, reader in linguistics at the University of the West of England in Bristol, agreed that the accent could be influenced by relatives. She said: "When we are learning to speak, we adopt a local variety of language spoken by our parents, so the same could be said about the variation in the West Country cow moo." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5277090.stm

The US space shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off on Sunday on a construction mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Its six-strong crew is taking giant new power-generating solar arrays to the ISS. The mission marks only the third shuttle flight since the loss of Columbia and seven astronauts in 2003. The half-built $100bn space station must be completed before 2010, when the shuttle fleet is due to be retired. Atlantis and its astronauts are scheduled to lift off at 1630 local time (2030 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission's main objective is to fit the P3/P4 truss, a 17-tonne segment of the station's truss backbone that includes a huge set of solar arrays and a giant rotary joint to allow them to track the Sun. The second of four sets of solar arrays, they span 240ft (73m) when fully extended. The wings will provide power for three science laboratories, two living chambers and other systems onboard the ISS. They effectively double the station's current ability to generate power from sunlight. The Atlantis crew arrived at Cape Canaveral on Thursday for final launch preparations. "There's been a lot of talk in the press lately about Nasa being back," commander Brent Jett told reporters. "But we have a saying back in Texas: 'It's time to walk the walk'." Jett will fly with pilot Chris Ferguson, flight engineer Dan Burbank, and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, and Steve MacLean of the Canadian Space Agency. During the 11-day mission, the crew will undertake three spacewalks to complete their construction duties. "I can assure you that we are ready for the challenge," Jett said. "All we need is a little good weather on Sunday and we'll be out of here." Some 16 shuttle flights are needed to finish the ISS. Nasa hopes one orbiter flight can also be found to service the Hubble Space Telescope. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5284820.stm

Horror writer Stephen King is among the nominees for US book award The Quills. The veteran author is on the shortlist for his science fiction thriller Cell, about a virus spread via mobile phones. Former US presidential candidate Al Gore is also nominated in the politics and history category for The Inconvenient Truth. JK Rowling won overall book of the year in 2005 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - the first time the awards were contested. Recognition The writer also picked up the prize for best children's book. Rock singer Bob Dylan also won in the best biography and memoir category for the first volume of his autobiography. The Quills are regarded as a challenger to the more established Pulitzer Prize and National Book Awards, and are designed to promote literacy and gain recognition for nominated authors. The nominations, across 19 different categories, were chosen by 6,000 booksellers and librarians across the US, with the public determining the award winners in online voting. The awards will be presented on 10 October, and the ceremony will be broadcast on the NBC network on 28 October. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5277348.stm

Former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller says he is developing a TV fashion show for ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. "It will be more serious than a reality show but will still be entertaining because Victoria is so funny," he told Broadcast magazine. Fuller, who manages both Victoria and David Beckham, is responsible for the hit shows Pop Idol and American Idol. In the interview, Fuller, 46, said he was also planning a sitcom based around another former Spice Girl, Emma Bunton. "Emma wants to get into TV," he said. "She went to drama school and it's in her blood. We're going to give her a shot." Fuller has also been approached by comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams to develop Little Britain for the United States. "We are on the brink of confirming something rather special," he told Broadcast magazine. "Comedy of that quality always crosses the Atlantic." Long career Fuller began his career by identifying up-and-coming talent for record company Chrysalis. He named his company 19 Entertainment, after the 1985 number one single by Paul Hardcastle, whom he discovered. Although Fuller did not bring together the Spice Girls, he secured the record deal which would see their debut hit Wannabe top the charts in 37 countries. He also launched pop group S Club 7 and then doubled his fortune with the TV talent show Pop Idol. In 2003, he sued Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell, saying his ITV1 show, X Factor, copied the Pop Idol format. Fuller dropped the lawsuit in return for a stake in X Factor, but now says he thinks TV talent shows have passed their peak. "There have been too many talent failures this year. It's been carnage," he said. "People have lost a lot of money. I think it's time to move on." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5281974.stm

Climatic changes could lead to more outbreaks of bubonic plague among human populations, a study suggests. Researchers found that the bacterium that caused the deadly disease became more widespread following warmer springs and wetter summers. The disease occurs naturally in many parts of the world, and the team hopes their findings will help officials limit the risk of future outbreaks. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The bacterium Yersinia pestis is believed to have triggered the Black Death that killed more than 20 million people in the Middle Ages. Rodent hosts The international team of scientists, who focused their research on Kazakhstan, said the disease was widespread among rodent populations. Writing in the paper, co-author Nils Stenseth from the University of Oslo said: "The desert regions of Central Asia are known to contain natural foci of plague where the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is the primary host. "Plague spread requires both a high abundance of hosts and a sufficient number of active fleas as vectors transmitting plague bacteria between hosts," the Norwegian scientist added. Fleas became active when the temperature exceeded 10C (50F), so a warm, frost-free spring led to an early start to breeding. The flea population continued to grow when the spring was followed by a wet, humid summer, the researcher wrote. The combination of the two seasons' climatic conditions lead to an increase in the number of the insects feeding off the great gerbils, resulting in a greater transmission of plague. The study showed that just a 1C (1.8F) rise in the springtime temperature led to a 59% increase in the prevalence of the disease. The greater prevalence of plague in the region's wildlife increased the risk of local people becoming infected. Each year, up to 3,000 cases of humans contracting bubonic plague are reported in Asia, parts of Africa, the US and South America. The researchers studied data on infected gerbils, flea counts and climate patterns from 1949 to 1995. Professor Stenseth added that their findings also helped shed light on two of the world's worst plague outbreaks; the medieval Black Death and the Asian pandemic in the 19th Century, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people. "Analyses of tree-ring proxy climate data shows that conditions during the period of the Black Death (1280-1350) were both warmer and increasingly wet. "The same was true during the origin of the Third Pandemic (1855-1870) when the climate was wetter and underwent an increasingly warm trend," he added. The researchers hope their findings will help health officials put measures in place to limit the impact of future outbreaks. But Professor Stenseth warned that recent changes to the region's climate suggested that warmer springs were becoming more frequent, increasing the risk of human infections http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5271502.stm

Murder victim 'beaten to death' An 11-year-old boy found dead along with his mother, brother and sister at their home in Greater Manchester had been beaten to death, tests show. Police believe the four bodies found in Cheadle Hulme are those of Uzma Rahan and her three children - Adam, 11, Abbas, eight, and six-year-old Henne. An international manhunt is under way for Rahan Arshad, who is believed to be the husband and father of the victims. The 36-year-old's BMW 320 diesel car has been found at Heathrow Airport. Officers are making inquiries with the airport and airlines to establish if Mr Arshad had travelled from there recently. The car, which had been parked at Heathrow for several weeks, is being transported to Greater Manchester for forensic examination. Although the victims have not officially been identified, police believe they are the occupants of the house on Turves Road. A post-mortem examination carried out on Tuesday revealed that one of the victims, who is believed to be Adam Arshad, died from head injuries. The results of tests on the other three bodies are expected to be released on Wednesday. Their bodies were found on Sunday night after neighbours became concerned about the family. Police had been called to the house last Friday but when officers first called they believed there was no "immediate concern" for the safety of the family. Neighbours got back in touch with police after noticing a smell coming from the home. The children's head teacher at Bradshaw Hall Primary School said staff and pupils were "shocked and saddened." Jill Lowe said the siblings were "lovely, cheerful children" who were "a joy to teach". Uzma Rahan worked as a lunchtime organiser in a school canteen, police said. The family had lived in Turves Road for 18 months. Det Supt Martin Bottomley appealed to Mr Arshad, a local taxi driver, to get in touch with police or for anybody who has seen him to contact them. "We are concerned for his welfare. We are treating it as a murder inquiry, therefore we need to speak to him," he said. "There are a number of strands to the inquiry but the most immediate one is to trace the whereabouts of Mr Arshad. "We have alerted every police force in the country. We want to speak to him in relation to the horrendous events in the house." Neighbours said that the family had not been seen for several weeks. Det Supt Bottomley added: "The bodies may have been lying there for up to four weeks and you can imagine in the hot weather we have been faced with a devastating scene." British-born Mr Arshad is known to have a large extended family both in the UK and Pakistan, and Greater Manchester Police said they had been liaising with police forces abroad. Searches by scenes of crime officers are continuing at the house. A formal identification of the bodies could take some time, police have said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5273490.stm

Madonna defies prosecution threat Madonna has gone ahead with a concert in Dusseldorf despite warnings that German prosecutors were considering legal action over the show's content. Prosecutors said they were to monitor the performance after receiving a complaint that the US pop star's act breached German laws against blasphemy. In one scene Madonna is seen in a mock crucifixion, wearing a crown of thorns. A German Lutheran bishop has called for concert-goers to boycott all dates on the German leg of Madonna's tour. Madonna says the performance is part of an appeal for Aids charities. 'Attention seeking' The segment where she appears on a cross has provoked controversy in several countries and been criticised by the Vatican and Russian Orthodox Church. But the German prosecutors admitted they would rely on media reports of the concert rather than send their own observers to decide whether further action should be taken. Protestant Bishop Margot Kaesmann told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that concert-goers should boycott the show. "I thought Madonna was better than this because she claims to be a religious person," she said. "But maybe the only way an aging superstar can attract attention is to offend people's religious sentiments." "I advise people to ignore Madonna. Stars come and go, but the Christian faith endures," Bishop Kaesmann added. Madonna's New York-based spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, denied that the star's show was insulting. "The context of Madonna's performance on the crucifix is not negative nor disrespectful toward the church," she said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5269684.stm

The body of a dead baby may have been dumped in a bin in the toilets at Heathrow Airport, police have said. Officers were called on Monday morning to the Hygiene Waste Company in Park Royal, west London, after an employee found the body of a baby girl in a bin. Police, who are treating the death as suspicious, said the clinical waste bin was believed to have been collected from the airport. A toilet block at terminal three has been sealed off by detectives. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a post-mortem examination has been scheduled for Wednesday http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5272338.stm

and its pointless shopping, because most of their stock is showing up as new & used only.

Grrrr!! Its back but my shopping basket is empty! Hopefully, the message below means I'm going to get my basket back again: We're sorry! There was an internal error in our system. We logged the problem and will investigate it later. Our apologies for the inconvenience. Continue Shopping on the Amazon.co.uk home page. I need my shopping basket back!! I've spent 12 months adding to the save for later bit, and can't remember all 3 pages worth of stuff

By Darren Waters Technology editor, BBC News website in Edinburgh The videogames industry is continuing to fail women by not producing suitable content, a senior executive at Electronic Arts (EA) has said. David Gardner, chief operating officer for EA's worldwide studios, was speaking to a conference in Edinburgh. He said: "We have all been talking about this for a long, long time." EA's own research found that 40% of teenage girls played video games versus 90% of teenage boys and most girls lost interest in games within a year. Viewing figures "We are only reaching a small proportion - not only geographically but also genetically," said Mr Gardner. He said if EA cracked the problem the firm "could add a billion dollars to its sales." He said the industry had to learn from the film business. "The movie industry doesn't just make films for boys. "Star wars was the biggest film of all time until Titanic came along; Titanic became the biggest because women went to see it and women went to see it multiple times. "Just boys saw Star Wars multiple times." Mr Gardner said one of the biggest problems was that the content aimed at women gamers was not appealing. "They don't want 'pink games'. Thy are not trying to play girly games where Paris Hilton and Britney Spears go shopping and put make-up on. "Those kind of things have not been that successful." But he said games such as The Sims and websites such as Pogo.com proved there was a market for women gamers. "Most of the Sims players are girls - 70% are women under 25," he said. "The Sims is really a game about relationships - and that's what girls want - they want relationships, they want to be able to chat." The Sims, which is published by EA, is arguably the world's most successful game - with more than 40 million copies sold. Mr Gardner said the industry needed to "create some mega hits in the girl space." He added: "One of the things that is going to make games for girls happen is creative teams. It's going to be new people and experiments. Four of our 11 studios around the world are run by women. That's an important start. "Investing in new and upcoming talent is critical." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5271852.stm

Take That star Mark Owen has become a father after his girlfriend, Emma Ferguson, gave birth to a baby boy. Elwood Jack Owen was born on Saturday, two weeks overdue, and weighed in at 9lbs 2oz, said a spokeswoman for the pop singer. "Both mother and baby are in great health," she added. Owen, 34, recently completed a comeback tour with boy band Take That - minus Robbie Williams. The group are currently recording a new album. The baby is the first child for the singer and his partner, who have been together for two years. Owen, from Oldham, Lancashire, was one of the most popular members of Take That at the height of their fame in the 1990s. He launched a solo career when the band split in 1996, and later won the second series of Celebrity Big Brother. Ms Ferguson is an actress, who has appeared in TV series such as The Bill and Doctors http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5272588.stm

A murder investigation is under way after a woman and three children, aged five to 11, were found dead in a house. Officers were called to the home in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, on Sunday night, after neighbours raised concerns about the occupants' welfare. Greater Manchester Police said they want to trace 36-year-old Rahan Arshad - the fifth person living at the house - who has been missing for four weeks. The dead woman and two boys and a girl are believed to be related. Det Supt Martin Bottomley appealed to Mr Arshad, a local taxi driver, to get in touch with police or for anybody who has seen him to contact them. He may be driving a BMW 320 diesel M sport coupe, registration number SC06 HLZ. "We are keen to trace the fifth occupant of the house, Mr Arshad," Det Supt Bottomley said. "We are concerned for his welfare. We are treating it as a murder inquiry, therefore we need to speak to him. "There are a number of strands to the inquiry but the most immediate one is to trace the whereabouts of Mr Arshad." Mr Bottomley said a cause of death had not yet been established and post-mortem examinations were yet to take place. He added: "The bodies may have been lying there for up to four weeks and you can imagine in the hot weather we have been faced with a devastating scene." He appealed for anyone who sees the missing man to contact police immediately. "We have alerted every police force in the country. We want to speak to him in relation to the horrendous events in the house. We are liaising with forces abroad," Mr Bottomley said. "If anybody has any information or sighted any members of the family up to four weeks ago, please contact police." Neighbours at Turves Road told BBC Radio Manchester that they contacted police when they saw flies around the house. Locals said the children living at the four-bedroom end-of-terrace house were thought to be of primary school age. The property is cordoned off with police tape as scenes of crime officers carry out a search of the property. Winifred Lomax, 74, a retired shop worker who lives across the road, said: "They had not been seen for a few weeks and someone looked through their letterbox and there was a nasty smell." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5270004.stm

shame!! I'd just left the shopping basket open whilst we washed the pots, so no-one will be taking my credit card details today :smug: