Jenjie

The number of UK-based pupils entered for a maths GCSE aimed at the overseas market trebled in 2006, figures show. The Edexcel exam board said 7,500 in the UK sat the International GCSE (IGCSE) in maths this summer, compared with 2,500 the previous year. For the first time, the number of entries from the UK exceeded those from abroad, which stood at 3,800 this year. The exam-based IGCSEs were designed for overseas centres where coursework could not be externally moderated. Now they are being taken up increasingly by schools in the independent sector, which tend to regard them as more stretching. These schools are also reported to prefer the fact that coursework is optional and not compulsory. State schools are not able to enter their pupils for IGCSEs as they only receive funding for approved exams - and these have not been accredited by the regulator, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The qualifications are not taken into account in the school league tables. Centres 'doubled' The Edexcel exam board also revealed 320 UK-based pupils sat an IGCSE in biology this summer, compared with 35 in 2005. "Certainly the interest is there," a spokeswoman for Edexcel said. "Some centres have expressed interest for next year, although we won't know until next March when entries are made." The board also sets IGCSEs in English language and literature, geography, history, chemistry, physics, business studies and ICT. They are also offered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). That board does not give details of entry numbers, but told the BBC the number of centres entering candidates for the exams had doubled in the past year from 100 to 200. A spokeswoman said the international element of the exams was popular among private schools. "Students can go on and study at universities across the world, it's very much an international qualification," she said. 'Let the market decide' The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, which represents leading private schools, said state schools should be allowed to enter pupils for these exams as well. "On what grounds should the government deny maintained schools this choice?" said HMC secretary Geoff Lucas. "They are set by reputable exam boards, recognised by all universities and standards are comparable." Mr Lucas said the IGCSEs had a "slightly different content" and a syllabus that gave teachers "more freedom to teach creatively". "They also provide more opportunities for the high-flying, more able pupils to stretch themselves while providing a challenge for the more average students," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4776727.stm

Random drugs testing should be extended across UK schools and regarded as a matter of "responsible behaviour", a leading US official has said. John Walters, director of drug control policy at the White House, said it was important to tell children substance abuse was not a "fashion statement". He added that searches did not constitute an "invasion of privacy", according to the Guardian. Mr Walters has met Schools Minister Jim Knight to discuss drugs policy. Pilot scheme Random testing has been introduced in some schools in Kent. The former education secretary, Ruth Kelly, has spoken of its benefits. In the Guardian, Mr Walters is quoted as saying: "Some schools in the United States say a child needs to have a TB test. "It's not considered to be an invasion of privacy. It's responsible behaviour. I believe we're very close to be able to think about that in terms of substance abuse." Up to 700 schools in the US had adopted random drug testing, he said. Last month the education watchdog, Ofsted, warned that schools in England should do more to teach children about the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. There was a "very mixed picture" across the country, with too little emphasis on the mental health problems linked to substance abuse, inspectors found. A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "Many schools are doing excellent work in teaching children about the dangers of drugs. "But there can never be room for complacency. "Drugs have a devastating impact on young people's lives. Teachers know drugs can contribute to poor behaviour in the classroom and can mean young people are more likely to fail at school and drop out. "That's why we are 100% committed to zero tolerance towards drugs both in and out of schools." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4779221.stm

Two authors who lost a copyright battle over best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code earlier this year will have three days to appeal once the case resumes. A preliminary hearing at London's Law Courts also agreed the Court of Appeal judges presiding over the case would have two days of "pre-reading" time. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh claim Brown took his central theme from their book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. No date has yet been set for the appeal, but it is expected in January. Central theme Baigent and Leigh lost their legal action against publishers Random House for breach of copyright. They argued that Brown had copied their theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child and the bloodline survives to this day. This was central to Brown's book, they claimed. But the judge ruled the idea of a central theme was "artificial" and had been created solely for the purposes of the court case. At today's directions hearing before Lord Justice Jacob, John Baldwin QC, for Random House, said unless Baigent and Leigh could show there was a central theme "they cannot succeed" in their appeal. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4776657.stm

Authorities in Malaysia have fined the organisers of a recent Pussycats Dolls concert for flouting decency laws, a local newspaper has reported. Promoters Absolute Entertainment have been fined 10,000 Ringgits (£1,436) for allowing the female US act to perform "sexually suggestive" routines. The penalty was imposed by the council which manages the Kuala Lumpur suburb where the event took place on 26 July. Malaysia has a history of censoring films and banning musicians. In 2003 US rock band Linkin Park were banned from wearing shorts while performing in the country, while in 2004 singer Mariah Carey was asked to comply with dress regulations. 'Sensuous elements' The fine followed a complaint from Malaysia's culture minister Rais Yatim, who said the group's concert featured "scantily dressed performers" and "sensuous elements". "I believe the way the Pussycat Dolls behaved on stage amounted to gross indecency," he was quoted as saying in the Malay Mail. No local officials were present at the concert, which took place at the Sunway Lagoon theme park, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. The six-strong troupe, who started out as burlesque dancers in 1995, have scored UK number one singles with Don't Cha and Stickwitu. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4778993.stm

Man arrested over mosh pit death Authorities in the US have arrested a man in connection with the death of a fan at a concert by rock group Korn. Andy Richardson, 30, died in hospital on 1 August after being attacked in the mosh pit at the HiFi Buys Amphitheatre in Atlanta two days earlier. Atlanta resident Michael Scott Axley, 24, was arrested on suspicion of his murder on Monday, said the AP agency. The band were said to be "appalled" by the "senseless act" and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Cancelled Earlier this month Mr Richardson's mother Gloria called for whoever was responsible for her son's death to surrender to the authorities. "It's not right that someone could go a concert for a good time and wind up dead," she said. Korn cancelled their European tour earlier this year after lead singer Jonathan Davis was diagnosed with the rare bleeding disorder ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura). The California-based band have sold more than 25m records worldwide. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4780089.stm

KERRANG! AWARDS 2006 FULL NOMINATIONS Best British Newcomer (sponsored by Myspace.com) Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine, Kerrang.com and Myspace.com Nominees: Bring Me The Horizon Brigade The Automatic Mendeed Enter Shikari The Blackout The Answer Best International Newcomer Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: Aiden Panic! At The Disco The Academy Is... Wolfmother Angels And Airwaves From First To Last Best Live Band (sponsored by Carling) Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: Muse Bullet For My Valentine Trivium Mastodon Dragonforce Best Single Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down Bullet For My Valentine - Tears Don't Fall Muse - Supermassive Black Hole Trivium - Dying In Your Arms Lostprophets - Rooftops Placebo - Infrared Best Album (sponsored by Virgin Megastores) Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now Muse - Black Holes And Revelations Lostprophets - Liberation Transmission Bullet For My Valentine - The Poison Best Video Voted for by the viewers of Kerrang! TV Nominees: Muse - Supermassive Black Hole Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down AFI - Miss Murder Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California Green Day - Jesus Of Suburbia Best British Band (sponsored by Roadrunner Records) Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: Muse Lostprophets Bullet For My Valentine Hundred Reasons Fightstar Funeral For A Friend Best Band On The Planet Voted for by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine and Kerrang.com Nominees: My Chemical Romance Fall Out Boy Trivium Avenged Sevenfold HIM Lacuna Coil Other Awards on the night: Classic Songwriter Spirit Of Independence Hall Of Fame (sponsored by Island Records) Icon Award http://www.kerrang.com/nav?page=kerrang.news.detail&fixture_news=5351814&resource=5351814

London, UK (BANG) - A film about Britain's Princess Diana's death will compete at the Venice film festival. 'The Queen', which follows the British Monarchy's response to the public grief over Diana's death, is one of 21 films vying for the Golden Lion award next month. Dame Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II who in the film, retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle seemingly "unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy". Mirren believes she has accurately portrayed the monarch and hopes the queen will approve. She said, "I'd be devastated if she feels that I've betrayed her in my portrayal of her. I find her duty and self-sacrifice incredible virtues." Diana was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 along with her companion Dodi Al Fayed - son of Harrods store owner Mohammed Al Fayed. The princess' Mercedes car was being pursued at high speed by photographers on motorbikes when it hit a pillar and smashed into a wall. In the days after her death, thousands of mourners gathered at the princess' London home, Kensington Palace, to lay flowers. Other titles competing for the prestigious award include 'The Fountain' starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz and 'The Black Dahlia' with Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank. 'The Queen' will be released in September. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004360873

well they didn't have anything else to read! you'd have to be that bored to read an inflight magazine

you cheat!!!!!!! Can't believe you watched it without me :cry: will have to wait til tomorrow night :angry:

A serial shoplifter has been banned from almost every retail premises in Lincolnshire for a year. Janet McKeever, 46, from Lumley Road in Skegness, is prohibited from entering any shop other than W M Morrisons, Peacocks and Moody's Chemist. If she breaks the order, known as an Exclusion Requirement, McKeever will go back to court for re-sentencing. The public are being asked to help prevent such behaviour by reporting incidents to the police. East Lindsey District Council's anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, Chris Avis, said: "This sentence acts as a warning to others - shoplifting will not be tolerated." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4779617.stm

A plane carrying about 200 people had to be evacuated shortly before take-off from Manchester Airport. It is believed a passenger found a threatening letter inside an in-flight magazine on the TCX 017 Thomas Cook flight to Lanzarote on Thursday. All the people on board were taken back inside the terminal and a full search of the aircraft was carried out. Thomas Cook said it was "complying with heightened security measures" in the light of the UK's terror alert. A statement said: "Thomas Cook can confirm a security alert on board a Thomas Cook airlines flight at Manchester Airport. "All passengers have been disembarked and are in the terminal." The plane was on its way to the runway at about 0815 BST when an incident forced the plane to return to the airport. A spokesman for Manchester Airport said the incident was believed to be unrelated to Thursday's terror arrests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4779877.stm

Cross-country running at school could be a form of physical abuse, a textbook for teenagers suggests. A chapter of the book, distributed by Co-ordination Group Publications, says children have the right to protection from physical and emotional abuse. It lists bullying and cross-country runs as possible examples. Margaret Talbot, chief executive of the Association for Physical Education, said this "trivialised" abuse and was based on an "outdated notion" of PE. 'Just sloppy' More than 30,000 copies of the book, designed for 14 to 16-year-olds studying citizenship, have been distributed to schools. The chapter which mentions cross-country running is called "Your legal rights". Prof Talbot said: "I think what is in the book is just sloppy. They haven't researched it properly. "It gives ammunition to backroom lawyers. This is counter-productive, as so many PE teachers try so hard. "Cross-country is not the blunt instrument that everyone remembers when they think of school sport. It's not a case of the whole school doing it anymore just because the playing fields are out of use." Rates of child obesity have tripled during the last 20 years. If current trends continue, half of all under-18s in England could be obese by 2020, according to government figures. 'Popular' Prof Talbot said cross-country running could help overcome this, adding: "It is becoming very popular in primary schools and for pupils who don't like sports where they compete directly with others, like football. "Top athletes such as Paula Radcliffe use it as part of their training regime. "What we must not try to do is put children off sport. The book is using an outdated notion of what cross-country running is all about." But a Co-ordination Group Publications spokeswoman said the guide was "light-hearted" and intended to make citizenship subjects "accessible" to teenagers. She said: "It is used as an aid for starting discussions. It seems the part about cross-country has been taken as a serious suggestion, but it is simply a way of getting students involved." A Department for Education and Skills spokesman added: "It is not official guidance. We encourage all children to do at least two hours of high-quality PE a week." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5252036.stm

The low-frequency, seismic rumblings of volcanoes are being transformed into delicate musical scores in an effort to predict when they will erupt. Researchers in Italy have already created a concerto from the underground movements of Mount Etna on Sicily. They are now creating melodies from Ecuador's recently erupted Tungurahua. By correlating the music with precise stages of volcanic activity on both volcanoes the team hope to learn the signature tune of an imminent eruption. "If you can identify the musical patterns that warn of an eruption then you can implement civil protection measures, days or even hours before the event," said Professor Roberto Barbera of the University of Catania. Difficult predictions At the moment there is no definitive method to predict the eruption of a volcano. Scientists monitor seismic waves, the number of earthquakes and the intensity of a specific type of quake known as harmonic tremors in the run up to eruptions. Other researchers monitor the change in the shape of the volcano or concentrations of gases emitted from the cone. This week, researchers in Italy also put forward a new technique, known as seismic tomography, which may help to monitor volcanic hazards in the future. The method, reported in the journal Science, gives detailed snapshots of magma movements inside the volcano in a similar way to a medical CAT scan. The technique has been used to show magma movement during Mount Etna's pre-eruptive and eruptive phases between 2001 and 2003. The musical method, known as data sonification, adds a further tool to the vulcanologist's tool box. Musical scores Data sonification transforms complex data into audible sounds. It has previously been used to analyse astronomical data from the Shoemaker Levy comet collision with Jupiter. The data sonification software used on Mount Etna was invented by Dr Domenico Vicinanza at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. It transforms the inaudible seismic waves that travel through the Earth into music. Researchers in Hawaii have previously listened for the sound signature of a pre-eruptive volcano using infrasound - low-frequency sound beyond the scope of the human ear. The Pacific team used the global infrasound network, a "listening system" that was originally intended to detect nuclear explosions to verify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The system put forward by the Italian researchers creates music audible to the human ear. To create the volcanic score, the team take a seismogram - a graphical record of an earthquake that records the timing and intensity of seismic waves - and trace the peaks and troughs on to blank music bars. They then overlay the contours with musical notes. A digital synthesiser can then play the score. "It's like a musician playing a piano. You would never imagine it was a volcano playing the music," said Professor Barbera. Data tap To look for tell tale signatures in the tunes the team use music pattern recognition software. The software has previously been used to analyse symphonies by Mozart to look for similarities between different compositions and to detect copyright fraud. Because there is a huge amount of data to crunch the team distribute the data on a grid network. Grid computing uses a distributed approach to solving one problem. The processing power of hundreds of computers are tapped, vastly cutting down on the time it takes to get a result. "You can send data to France, Argentina, Mexico and Italy and then merge the results," said Professor Barbera. "You can grab computing power wherever it is." The team use the two grid networks run by the EU funded Enabling Grids for E-science (EGEE) and the E-Infrastructure shared between Europe and Latin America (EELA) projects. So far the team have crunched several hours of music from Etna and have found some distinctive patterns. They are now expanding the analysis to Tungurahua in Ecuador to check whether the same tunes reoccur. The Latin American project is still in its early stages but the team have big hopes for their technique. "The volcanoes are completely different but from the musical point of view perhaps we can identify some similarities," added Professor Barbera. Because there is a huge amount of data to crunch the team distribute the data on a grid network. Grid computing uses a distributed approach to solving one problem. The processing power of hundreds of computers are tapped, vastly cutting down on the time it takes to get a result. "You can send data to France, Argentina, Mexico and Italy and then merge the results," said Professor Barbera. "You can grab computing power wherever it is." The team use the two grid networks run by the EU funded Enabling Grids for E-science (EGEE) and the E-Infrastructure shared between Europe and Latin America (EELA) projects. So far the team have crunched several hours of music from Etna and have found some distinctive patterns. They are now expanding the analysis to Tungurahua in Ecuador to check whether the same tunes reoccur. The Latin American project is still in its early stages but the team have big hopes for their technique. "The volcanoes are completely different but from the musical point of view perhaps we can identify some similarities," added Professor Barbera. Because there is a huge amount of data to crunch the team distribute the data on a grid network. Grid computing uses a distributed approach to solving one problem. The processing power of hundreds of computers are tapped, vastly cutting down on the time it takes to get a result. "You can send data to France, Argentina, Mexico and Italy and then merge the results," said Professor Barbera. "You can grab computing power wherever it is." The team use the two grid networks run by the EU funded Enabling Grids for E-science (EGEE) and the E-Infrastructure shared between Europe and Latin America (EELA) projects. So far the team have crunched several hours of music from Etna and have found some distinctive patterns. They are now expanding the analysis to Tungurahua in Ecuador to check whether the same tunes reoccur. The Latin American project is still in its early stages but the team have big hopes for their technique. "The volcanoes are completely different but from the musical point of view perhaps we can identify some similarities," added Professor Barbera. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4777565.stm

and lots of other countries round Europe are suspending flights to the UK. but if you were going to put bets on how long til Al Qaida are mentioned, all bets are now off......

Crude oil prices fell nearly $1 a barrel Thursday after thwarted attacks on airplanes led many carriers to cancel flights, and could mean lower demand for jet fuel and dent consumer confidence. Light, sweet crude for September delivery dropped 85 cents to $75.50 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. September Brent crude futures on London's ICE Futures fell 98 cents to $76.30 a barrel. "The price fall this morning is on the back of the airline bomb plot which is negative jet demand and consumer confidence," said Olivier Jakob at Petromatrix. Gasoline futures dropped 4 cents to $2.1280 a gallon. Heating oil futures fell 3 cents to $2.0750 a gallon, and natural gas futures lost 15 cents to $7.500 per 1,000 cubic feet. But traders felt the fact that there was no actual attack would limit the price impact, with underlying sentiment for higher prices focused on lower gasoline inventories, geopolitical worries and production cuts from a pipeline shutdown in Alaska and unrest in Nigeria. In Nigeria, officials said gunmen seized two foreign oil workers Thursday amid the surge of violence targeting the petroleum industry in Africa's oil giant. Southern Nigeria, where most of the nation's crude is pumped, has seen violence against the petroleum industry rising. The kidnappings and attacks have forced a nearly 20 percent reduction of Nigeria's usual 2.5 million barrel daily production. Prices also continue to be inflated by the standoff between the United Nations and Iran over the nuclear program of the No. 2 oil producer in OPEC, as well as fighting in the Middle East between Israel and Hezbollah, which threatens to disrupt production in the region. On Wednesday the U.S. government reported drops in crude, gasoline and distillate fuel inventories aggravating concerns about a supply shortage from the shutdown of a major pipeline in the U.S. state of Alaska. U.S. crude inventories fell 1.1 million barrels to 332.6 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, still more than 4 percent above year-ago levels. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=2295605

Airline and travel shares have fallen across Europe after Scotland Yard said it had disrupted a plot to blow up planes flying between the UK and US. Security at all UK airports has been tightened and flights cancelled, resulting in long delays and fears that the problems will hurt businesses. The FTSE 100 fell more than 1% with shares in British Airways down 5%. Analysts said that the costs to business would depend on how quickly normal services resumed. Shock waves BA said it was too early to estimate the cost of the disruption, adding that it had temporarily halted all short-haul flights to and from Heathrow. Airport operator BAA said that Heathrow had been closed to all incoming flights not already in the air and warned passengers to stay away. BAA was bought by Spain's Ferrovial in June, and its new owner's shares dropped 2.6% in Madrid. Other airline shares also fell, including Easyjet, which shed 2.8%, and Ryanair, which lost 3.3%. Duty-free operator Alpha Airports slid 3.9% and holiday firm MyTravel fell 5%. Shares in German airline Deutsche Lufthansa dropped after it announced that it had cancelled all flights to the UK until at least 1200 GMT. Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline, said it had halted flights from Paris and cancelled some from Amsterdam. Spain's Iberia, Italy's Alitalia and Greece's Olympic Airlines all have halted services, while Brussels airport has stopped all fights to London. Ryanair said that it would not be charging passengers for hand-luggage that has to be checked in to the plane's hold. FlyBe, one of the first budget airlines to introduce charges for baggage that is checked in, said it had suspended the fees. Business heart The worry for many firms is that, while the short-term costs may be limited to a couple of days, consumers may develop a heightened and longer-term fear of flying that would prompt them to cancel trips and put off holiday plans. Travel companies went through a very difficult period following the 11 September attacks in the US, and any dip in consumer demand could hit earnings that already are under pressure because of record oil and fuel costs. "This is at the very heart of business," airline consultant Derek Jewson told BBC News 24, adding that about 1,000 business people flew in to London every day and any disruption would hit service firms such as taxi companies. Marco Rivaro is a trader at Merrill Lynch in London and had to cancel a two-day business trip to Italy because of the problems. "The most important meeting is on Friday, so I will see if I can get out there later today or tomorrow," he said. "Otherwise I will have to cancel hotel bookings and internal flights." A spokesman for airport retailer Alpha said that passengers booked on flights to the US were not being allowed to take anything in glass bottles onto planes - hitting sales at duty-free shops. 'Bounce back' The timing of the alert has come just as the global tourism industry has been pulling itself out of a trough prompted by earlier terrorist attacks, an outbreak of the deadly SARs virus and the Asian Tsunami. According to a report by tourism group VisitBritain, the number of US and Canadian visitors to the UK rose by 9% in the first six months of 2006 from a year earlier, while visitors from western Europe increased by 6%. Henk Potts, equity strategist at Barclays Stockbrokers, said that the latest bomb plot highlighted the "risks in investing in the airline sector". However, he added that "markets tend to be pretty resilient". "When we have seen events in the past, such as the London attacks, stocks have bounced back," Mr Potts explained. "You will always see a sell-off based on the headlines today, but investors and analysts will now be waiting to see the depth of issues," he said. One positive is that the majority of problems have been limited to passenger flights. BA said its cargo services from Stanstead airport were running as normal, though there may be delays due to air-traffic control problems. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4778747.stm

Fears of 'parallel terror group' A massive security operation is under way at Britain's airports despite several arrests of suspects overnight. This is an operation that will have been ongoing for some time. Security sources are saying that this was a group that was being watched for some period, perhaps even months. But in the last five days new intelligence came in which set off alarm bells inside MI5 Headquarters in Thames House and led the security services to believe they had to move fast. They believed this was a group who were actively developing the capability to carry out their intentions, and not just talk. '9/11 level' This means it is likely the police and security services believed they were putting together material to carry out this attack. The attack which was disrupted has been described as imminent but was not thought to have been planned for the day of the raids but possibly within a week or two. It would have targeted US airlines carrying passengers from London to the US. They would have been blown up using explosives carried on as hand luggage by suicide bombers. The explosive was thought to be some kind of liquid. It is not clear exactly how many flights were being targeted but it could have been up to 10 which would make this one of the most significant terrorist plots to have been seen and which could have killed people on a scale comparable to 9/11. US link One of the concerns and one of the reasons we've seen the threat level moved up to its highest - critical - is the fear that maybe this isn't all they know. Intelligence is often fragmentary and partial, so the fear perhaps is that there is another, parallel group or other individuals who are also going to carry out similar attacks. What if they remain at large and what if they decide to move because they've seen another group disrupted and arrested? That's why a lot of security measures are being taken. We know that overnight the US Department of Homeland Security raised its threat level on flights to the UK and put in place tighter security. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778889.stm

Travel chaos grips UK's airports Stringent security measures have been put in place at UK airports, causing passengers severe delays, following a police anti-terror operation. All short-haul inbound flights to Heathrow airport have been cancelled. Some flights in and out of Gatwick have been suspended. German carrier Lufthansa and the Spanish airline Iberia have cancelled flights to the UK. Security has been increased at Channel ports and the Eurotunnel terminal. Fifteen flights have been delayed at Edinburgh Airport. Most of those flights were scheduled to fly to London. Air France said it had cancelled five flights from Heathrow to Paris. BAA has said that at Heathrow all short-haul inbound aircraft have been cancelled. Inbound long-haul flights continue to operate but with severe delays. For outbound flights at Heathrow, check-in across all four terminals is severely affected and there are lengthy delays. Some airlines have cancelled outbound short-haul flights. Virgin West Coast has said it will accept any London to Manchester air tickets dated with today's date on its trains. Passenger concern The BBC News website's Krishan Ramakrishnan at Heathrow said travellers at the airport were not as worried by the security operation as by the inconvenience of being allowed to take just passports and medicines on the plane. Courteney Dane, who is travelling back to Australia, said: "I'm worried about the cost and the fact I've got a 24 hour flight with nothing to read. I'm not really worried about the security, it's just a nuisance." Our reporter said there was an enormous queue to get into the Terminal Four building. He said many travellers were working out ways to travel to Europe by alternative methods, such as Eurostar. He also described Terminal Three as a "sea of people", as a huge queue built to get in to the departure lounge. Charlotte Demant, a make up artist, has been in Ghana for two weeks and was on her way home to Denmark. She said: "I can understand why they are worried about security but the airline has not been helpful. "We should have at least been given something to eat and drink and money to phone home. I'm going to end up spending the night here in the cold airport." Increased security Scotland's airports are busy but passengers are still being advised to turn up even though there may be long queues for check-in. There were extra security checks at Glasgow airport and Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Prestwick and Dundee were experiencing delays. At Glasgow airport, Michelle Standaloft, from Rothesay, said: "Everyone's quite calm now, but when you come and you see the police and everything, you are a bit concerned." She added: "We know it's for our own benefit, in fact it's probably the safest day to fly." Manchester airport has said there are delays on all flights of between one and three hours. The only flights from the airport cancelled were those BMI and BA flights destined for Heathrow. Stansted airport is open, with flights arriving and departing but passengers are experiencing waits of up to three hours to get through checks. Over 2,000 passengers clutching their plastic bags snake around the terminal queuing to pass through customs. Toni and Ray Haslam were on their way for a short break to Limoges but had heard their flight was one of many that have been cancelled. "At least we can go back home, and it was just a pleasure trip. It's really bad for those who really have to be at their destination," Mrs Haslam said. Extra police have been drafted in to many UK airports. At Gatwick, airport worker Warren Tarling said he had never seen the airport so busy. "There's thousands upon thousands of people. All flights out of the airport have been delayed," he said. "Most people have been polite but some have been angry. Generally people have been understanding because of the nature of the problem." Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said all airports and airlines operating into and out of the UK would be on a heightened state of security. "Maximum security unfortunately will involve immediate and severe disruptions for passengers with significant delays likely at all UK airports," he said. "What these changes mean in practice is that all hand baggage will now have to be checked in with only a small number of essential items allowed through search controls. "Exceptions will be in place for those travelling with infants and for prescription medicines." Passengers are being asked to check in most items of baggage, apart from wallets and purses, identity and travel documents, prescription medicines, spectacles and sunglasses and keys. Those travelling with children will be allowed items essential for caring for them on the flight. Passengers wanting detailed information are being advised to contact the airline they were due to travel with. Information would also be available on the Home Office, the Department for Transport and Foreign Office websites. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778871.stm

Current news from Channel 4. They think the plan was to blow up at least 10 airliners over the atlantic. They aren't sure if the plot was imminent but there's a suspicion it was possibly going to be on the 5th anniversary of 9/11. And current disruption to airlines is a safety precaution. If any of their intelligence is even slightly out, and something were to happen, they couldn't be seen to have taken no action.

I've recently started knitting again, and was looking for charity projects to work on. Came across this, and as its suitable for any level of knitter, thought I'd post it on here.

Teenager missing with baby found A teenage girl has been found safe and well after she went missing with her baby cousin. Amy Jones, 17, was found with her 18-month-old cousin Ellie Johnson in Harrow, west London, on Tuesday afternoon. Police said Amy went missing with Ellie after she visited her house in Fulham, south-west London, last Thursday. A Metropolitan Police spokesman would not say the condition the girls were in but thanked the public for their help. He said: "They have been found safe and well and both mothers are aware of this. They are absolutely delighted as we all are." The cousins were last seen at 1700 BST on Thursday in King's Street, in Hammersmith. Amy and Ellie were believed to have left the child's family home to visit a neighbour http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5236428.stm

I don't read books, I devour them!! I read whenever I can, which is alot of the time, and tend to split any spare time between reading/cross stitch/knitting. I can't afford to keep up with my reading addiction and have to borrow loads of books. And every so often, I have to go through my bookcases and find some to sell. Which I hate doing because you can't have too many books.

Brazilian Cristiano da Matta had surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head after a collision with a deer during Champ Car testing. The former Toyota F1 driver, 32, is in intensive care after the crash at the Road America track in Wisconsin. Da Matta has 12 Champ Car victories and claimed the series title in 2002. Eye-witness reports suggest he collided with the deer head on, with the animal hitting his head as his car crashed into the barriers at full speed. The deer had run from the woods onto the Elkhart Lake track near turn six, track officials said. Da Matta underwent emergency surgery on Thursday for a subdural hematoma at the Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wisconsin. "Cristiano da Matta continues to recover from a serious head injury sustained yesterday during Champ Car Open Testing at Road America," Champ Car director of medical affairs Chris Pinderski said in a statement on Friday. Da Matta competed in 28 grands prix for Toyota in 2003 and 2004, scoring 13 points. The Toyota team issued a statement from the Hungaroring, venue for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. It read: "When he was with Toyota, Cristiano was always a fighter and everyone involved in the team wishes him the best as he fights for his recovery." Da Matta's RuSport team have withdrawn his team-mate, Yorkshireman Justin Wilson, from the remainder of the testing session. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/5244386.stm