Sea swimmers take chilly plunge

26 December 2012 Last updated at 11:30 GMT More than 900 swimmers shook off the festive cobwebs at Sandy Bay, Porthcawl Brave and hardy sea swimmers have taken the plunge into chilly waters at Porthcawl for the annual Christmas Day swim.

More than 900 swimmers shook off the festive cobwebs at Sandy Bay for the 48th anniversary of the charity swim.

Around 2,000 spectators watched people of all ages, some in fancy dress, run down to the shore and dive in.

Among festive swims taking place on Wednesday were ones in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and Llandudno, Conwy.

The Porthcawl swim reported conditions were "comparatively spring-like" to previous years.

Organiser Ian Stroud said, "The swim is a truly family event with many different generations of the same family taking to the sea and many in fancy dress."

Welsh flag Swimmer Peter Owens, from South Africa, was visiting family in Porthcawl with his sons Thomas, 20, and Jamie, 18.

Mr Owens said: "The two boys were very keen to enter the swim. Every year back at home we always follow the tradition of the Christmas morning swim and carry the Welsh flag to the waters edge.

"Of course, the climate and the sea is much warmer in South Africa."

Chair of the organising committee, Nicola Willis, added: "Once again we have been grateful to all who supported our swim and the number of people who turned up was fantastic.

"Collections are made during carol singing and during the swim. We hope the bucket collections and swimmers sponsorship will help us to make some generous donations in the new year."

The two main beneficiaries of this year's swim were Porthcawl RNLI and the Wales Air Ambulance.

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VIDEO: Fatal plane crash 'like rollercoaster'

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Money woes 'causing family strain'

27 December 2012 Last updated at 03:17 GMT The survey was designed to assess the impact of current economic difficulties on relationships The UK's ongoing financial problems are putting an increasing strain on family relationships, a survey has suggested.

Of 2,742 people polled by the Relate charity, 59% were worried about their economic prospects for the new year.

Covering their own household bills remains the top concern for most, while 38% admitted financial worries had led to more family arguments and stress.

Relate said politicians should take into account the cost to the economy of families breaking up.

Living costs

The study was designed to assess the impact of current economic difficulties on relationships.

More than half of those asked were worried about prospects for themselves or their families, and most were more stressed about meeting day-to-day living costs than about illness or keeping their jobs.

Some 93% said that, in tough times, their family relationships were important to them.

The survey found that almost six out of 10 people shared their fears and concerns about financial or other worries with their partner, and four in 10 turned to other family members.

Women worried more about covering everyday costs - with 55% expressing this fear compared to 49% of men.

'Nearest and dearest'

Relate estimated that the cost of family breakdowns to the economy was £44bn a year, and said politicians should take families into account when formulating policy.

Relate chief executive Ruth Sutherland said: "The most striking thing about this survey is what it tells us about the value of our personal relationships.

"When times are tough and when all else fails, we turn to our nearest and dearest to get us through, and it's in our best interests to support people to make the best of their relationships at home."

The charity's chairman Andrew Ketteringham said the findings "send a strong message to politicians and public figures".

"Our personal relationships are even more important to us in the age of austerity as we turn to them for support," he said.

"Government should give equal weight to measuring the impact of policy on families and relationships as with economic considerations. Economic impact cannot continue to trump social wellbeing."

"Government must recognise the importance of relationships and families as the basis of a thriving society."

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Flooding funds system opened up

26 December 2012 Last updated at 12:00 GMT On the High Street in Stonehaven, flood water is believed to have been contaminated by raw sewage Emergency funds are being opened up to areas in the north east of Scotland hit by flooding and severe weather.

The Scottish government said it would consider claims under the Bellwin Scheme after heavy rains saw flooding deluge Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.

Ministers have already opened the scheme to claims after gales battered coastal towns in Aberdeenshire and Moray earlier this month.

Continue reading the main story

My thoughts are with the households and businesses that have suffered flood damage”

End Quote John Swinney Finance Secretary Highland Council is also seeking Scottish government emergency funding.

The government said ministers would consider emergency financial assistance for Aberdeenshire Council to help deal with the costs of flood damage in recent days.

Finance Secretary John Swinney added: "Communities across Scotland, but particularly in the north east, have had to endure exceptional weather in recent days.

"After the storms that battered coastlines earlier in December has come flood damage, most severely in Stonehaven.

"My thoughts are with the households and businesses that have suffered flood damage, at the cruellest possible time so close to Christmas.

"Clean up work is ongoing, and I commend everyone involved for their hard work."

Residents were evacuated from Stonehaven after it was hit by flooding on Sunday when the River Carron burst its banks.

Members of the public donated gifts for those who have lost their homes.

Michael Innes, chairman of the local community council, said: "A big thank you to all who donated at Stonehaven Town Hall on Christmas Eve, to help the flooding victims in our town. The response was fantastic and overwhelming."

He said the town hall was opening from 11:00 on Boxing Day, to allow residents to pick up any items they need.

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Microsoft research boss steps down

28 December 2012 Last updated at 12:08 GMT Mr Mundie is one of the longest serving executives at Microsoft Microsoft's research boss Craig Mundie is stepping down ahead of his retirement in 2014.

A 20-year veteran of the company Mr Mundie has overseen the work of Microsoft's security program and R&D.

He was picked for the role by Bill Gates in 2008 when the Microsoft co-founder ended his day-to-day involvement with the firm.

Prior to retirement Mr Mundie will act as a senior adviser to Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer.

Team talk

Since 2008 Mr Mundie ran Microsoft Research, its Trustworthy Computing programme and its technology policy group. These roles let him decide where Microsoft spent its sizeable research budget and how it improved software security.

Responsibility for these roles has now passed to Eric Rudder, formerly Microsoft's chief technical strategy officer.

As an advisor to Mr Ballmer, Mr Mundie will work on "key strategic projects" within Microsoft and liaise with government and businesses "on technology policy, regulation and standards" according to his updated biography on the Microsoft website.

The Seattle Times reported that the move was part of efforts by Mr Ballmer to install a team that could help Microsoft cope with an increasingly mobile and web-centred industry.

Mr Mundie is the second senior executive to step down at the firm in less than a month.

In November Steven Sinofsky, then head of Microsoft's Windows division, left unexpectedly. His departure came only weeks after he choreographed the launch of Windows 8, the most recent version of its flagship operating system.

As the public face of Windows 8, Mr Sinofsky was expected to stay and oversee the continued development of the software and future versions of Windows.

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Leap in winter vomiting numbers

20 December 2012 Last updated at 18:55 GMT People with norovirus are advised to drink plenty of fluids New figures show a big jump in the number of cases of the winter vomiting bug in Wales compared to last year.

Wards in hospitals around the country remain closed to new admissions as norovirus continues to cause problems.

There have been 557 confirmed cases so far in 2012, compared to 334 in 2011 - a 66% increase - says Public Health Wales.

But with many sufferers choosing not to see a doctor, officials say the true figure could be over 150,000.

Dr Marion Lyons, director of health protection for Public Health Wales, said numbers varied each year but the virus seemed to have "hit early" this time.

Continue reading the main story

If you take an example of a child vomiting in a school hallway, no matter how good the cleaning is, you can still identify the virus a week later on the surfaces”

End Quote Dr Marion Lyons Public Health Wales "Occasionally we get outbreaks in the summer as well - we had one a couple of summers ago - but this time of year we do now see quite a lot of norovirus circulating," she said.

"It's just a feature of the virus, it's a common virus. It's easily transmitted from person to person.

"If you take an example of a child vomiting in a school hallway, no matter how good the cleaning is, you can still identify the virus a week later on the surfaces.

"You only need a little of the virus to make other people ill which is why we see so much of it because it's so easy to spread and because it likes the environment in which we live and it can last on the surface."

The picture across Wales sees:

Four wards remain shut at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr TydfilTwo wards are closed to new admissions at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in LlantrisantThe University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff has six wards closedThe University Hospital Llandough in the Vale of Glamorgan has two wards shut.35 people were taken ill in four hospitals across north Wales on Monday and two wards are still shut at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. Health officials say the situation is improving but people with symptoms were being advised to stay away.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was urging visitors with diarrhoea and vomiting not to go to hospital until 48 hours had passed.

Norovirus is highly contagious and involves a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea, with possible temperature, headache and stomach cramps.

'Plenty of fluids'

The illness usually lasts one or two days and there are no long-term effects.

Dr Lyons said it was important for people with symptoms to take care not to spread the bug.

"We're asking these people if they are unwell and they think it's norovirus because of the symptoms and the short duration of them, that they don't attend A&E departments or their GP practice," she said.

"If they need to see a GP, they should ring in the first instance.

"The important thing is they take plenty of fluids so they don't become dehydrated."

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Our job to anchor coalition - Clegg

28 December 2012 Last updated at 01:51 GMT Nick Clegg: "The Liberal Democrats will continue to anchor this coalition"

The Liberal Democrats will continue to "anchor the coalition in the centre ground" in 2013, party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says.

Writing in a New Year message to party members, he warned of continuing economic uncertainty but said ministers would "stay the course on the deficit".

He said Lib Dems were "about" a fairer society "where everyone can get on".

And he said the Olympic year featured "shared experiences" and he anticipated "more great moments" in 2013.

"The last 12 months have been lit up by moments that will stay with us forever," he said.

"When Mo Farah approached the final stretch of the 10,000m final, who wasn't up on their feet, screaming at the TV?"

The year ahead, though, would feature "big challenges", he said.

"Many families are still feeling the squeeze.

"Look at the world around us and you see continuing economic uncertainty - particularly in our European backyard. We are living through fluid, difficult times.

Continue reading the main story

I want you to hear it from me, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, that this coalition government is not going to lurch one way or the next”

End Quote Nick Clegg "What I can tell you is that, whatever 2013 throws at us, the Liberal Democrats will continue to anchor this coalition in the centre ground and we will hold firm to our key purpose in this government."

The Liberal Democrats were "building a stronger economy, in a fairer society, enabling every person to get on in life", he added.

He said people deserved "the reassurance that your government has a plan to steer the country onto better times - and that we're going to stick to it".

"So I want you to hear it from me, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, that this coalition government is not going to lurch one way or the next."

In the New Year, the coalition will publish a mid-term report setting out plans for child care, transport, social care and youth unemployment.

"We will stay the course on the deficit," Mr Clegg said.

"We will cut income tax bills and help with childcare bills. We will invest in boosting jobs and we'll reform welfare to get people into work."

BBC political correspondent James Landale said that both the coalition and Mr Clegg had experienced their share of problems in 2012.

Mr Clegg had lost a Cabinet minister to an alleged traffic offence, lost his plan to reform the House of Lords and "lost loads of elections".

The economy had double-dipped and forecasts were grim, our correspondent added.

But the small flicker of optimism was that the Lib Dems and the Conservatives had remained united on cutting the deficit.

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Final push towards US fiscal deal

31 December 2012 Last updated at 04:17 GMT Senator Reid said there were still significant differences between the two sides US Congressional leaders have one more day to stop the threat of steep tax rises and spending cuts, known as the "fiscal cliff", after talks ended with no deal.

Senators will continue to seek a compromise deal on Monday to send to the House of Representatives.

Failure to reach agreement by 1 January could push the US back into recession.

Earlier, President Obama increased pressure on Republicans to accept a deal, blaming them for the deadlock.

He said their "overriding theme" was protecting tax breaks for the rich.

Fallback plan Continue reading the main story Adam Blenford BBC News, Washington

Few in the US capital could talk of anything but who would win Sunday's must-win showdown. For most, that meant an NFL game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys; on Capitol Hill the stakes were somewhat higher.

Cliches and aphorisms abounded in the Senate corridors as reports spread of a breakdown in deal-making. "The fat lady hasn't sung yet," one Republican declared, obscured by the pack of reporters following him down the hallway. "These things always happen at the end," said Chuck Schumer, a senior Democrat.

But it was the retiring senators, three days away from their final goodbyes, who spoke the most openly. Failure would "send a message worldwide that we don't have the capacity to work across political aisles on critical issues", said Olympia Snowe, Maine's outgoing Republican.

"The world has gotten used to this so they are no longer shocked," Ben Nelson, a retiring Nebraska Democrat said. "They see this as just more of the same and hope that one of these days maybe Congress will get its act together."

Talks ended on Sunday with no deal after a day that saw Republican and Democratic senators wrestle over detail and seek to shape a final bill.

Sticking points included the fate of expiring Bush-era tax cuts, an estate tax and steep cuts in spending known as the sequester.

If no agreement is reached on Monday, senators are expected to be given the chance to vote on a fallback plan proposed by President Obama.

That would renew tax cuts on earnings under $250,000 (£154,000) and extend unemployment benefits, but does not address the steep spending cuts.

The current stand-off has its roots in a failed 2011 attempt to tackle the government debt limit and budget deficit. Republicans and Democrats agreed then to postpone difficult decisions on spending until the end of 2012, and imposed a threat of compulsory cuts if no deal was reached by 31 December.

Analysts say that even if a deal is reached on the fiscal cliff, it will do little to reduce the original problem of the deficit and the government debt limit, raising the prospect of further political in-fighting early in the new year.

Parties divided

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell were locked in negotiations over the weekend.

The two senators appeared to admit not long before the 15:00 deadline (20:00 GMT) that negotiations were at a standstill, with their two parties still divided over core ideological issues about tax and government funding.

Senator Reid said the Democrats were as yet unable to make a counter-offer to an apparent Republican proposal to slow cost-of-living increases for social security recipients, known as "chained CPI".

Continue reading the main story On 1 January 2013, tax increases and huge spending cuts are due to come into force - the so-called fiscal cliff Deadline was put in place in 2011 to force president and Congress to agree ways to save money over the next 10 yearsDate coincides with expiry of Bush-era tax cuts, which would affect all income groups and many businessesFear is that raising taxes while massively cutting spending will have a huge impact on households and businessesExperts believe it could push the US into recession, and have a global impact on growthMeanwhile Senator McConnell said he had asked Vice-President Joe Biden for help in breaking the deadlock.

"I'm concerned with the lack of urgency here. There's far too much at stake," he said. "There is no single issue that remains an impossible sticking point - the sticking point appears to be a willingness, an interest or courage to close the deal."

In his interview with NBC's Meet the Press, broadcast on Sunday, Mr Obama said the priority was to ensure taxes do not rise for middle-class families, saying that would "hurt our economy badly".

"That's something we all agree on. If we can get that done, that takes a big bite out of the 'fiscal cliff'," he said.

There is also debate over where to set the threshold for tax rises. Democrats say the Bush-era tax cuts should be extended for all Americans except the richest - those with annual earnings of more than $250,000 (£155,000).

Republicans - some of whom have pledged never to vote for increased taxes - say the deficit is a consequence of excessive government spending.

They want the tax threshold set higher, at around $400,000, and for revenue to be raised by economic growth and cuts in social security and other services states are legally bound to provide.

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Swazi police's mini-skirt warning

24 December 2012 Last updated at 11:19 GMT The police warning does not apply to women in traditional clothes Women in Swaziland risk arrest if they wear mini-skirts or tops which expose part of their stomach, a police spokeswoman has said.

Wendy Hleta said police would enforce an 1889 law which bans "immoral" dressing if they receive a complaint.

She also said women in the deeply conservative kingdom make it easier for rapists by wearing mini-skirts.

Last month, police reportedly blocked women in mini-skirts marching against rape in the second city, Manzini.

However, the colonial-era law does not apply to traditional costumes worn by women during ceremonies like the annual reed dance, where the monarch may choose a new wife.

In 2000, the government introduced a law requiring school girls aged 10 years old and above to wear knee-length skirts to curb promiscuity as part of attempts to halt the spread of Aids.

The country has a population of more than 1.2 million and one of the highest HIV/Aids rates in the world.

'Undressing people with their eyes'

Ms Hleta said the 1889 law had not been enforced recently, but police wanted to alert women about its existence after receiving complaints from some men in Manzini about women wearing mini-skirts.

Anyone arrested and guilty of "immorality" under the Crimes Act of 1889 could receive a fine of up to $10 (£6) or a jail-term of up to six months if they failed to pay the fine, she said.

Women should be careful about wearing revealing clothes, the police spokeswoman said.

"We do not encourage that women should be harmed, but at the same time people should note acceptable conduct of behaviour," Ms Hleta is quoted by the privately owned Times of Swaziland newspaper as saying.

"The act of the rapist is made easy because it would be easy to remove the half-cloth worn by the women," she said.

Women who wear "skimpy clothes" also draw unnecessary attention to themselves, Ms Hleta said.

"I have read from the social networks that men and even other women have a tendency of 'undressing people with their eyes'. That becomes easier when the clothes are hugging or are more revealing," Ms Hleta is quoted as saying.

However, the law excluded exposure of the body due to breast feeding and wearing cultural regalia, she said.

Swaziland is a patriarchal society, ruled by sub-Saharan Africa's only absolute monarch, King Mswati III.

He has 13 wives and is often accused of leading a flamboyant lifestyle.

But in a move that was widely welcomed by rights groups, Swaziland's Ellinah Wamukoya was last month consecrated as the first woman bishop in Africa by the Anglican church.

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Toyota agrees $1bn US recall deal

26 December 2012 Last updated at 23:05 GMT Toyota said reaching a settlement was a "difficult decision" but it was time to turn a page Japanese carmaker Toyota has agreed to pay an estimated $1.1bn (£680m; 830m euros) in a settlement of hundreds of lawsuits from US owners.

The deal would compensate owners for economic losses and for the cost of safety changes to their cars.

Since 2009, Toyota has recalled more than 14 million vehicles worldwide after floor mats became trapped under the accelerator.

The settlement will have to be approved by a US judge.

Toyota owners argued that the company's technology rather than trapped floor mats was responsible for sudden cases of acceleration.

In a statement, Toyota US group vice president Christopher Reynolds said the settlement was "a difficult decision" because the accelerator controls had been confirmed as safe. But, he said, it was better for the company and its customers to turn the page.

US District Judge James Selna is expected to consider the deal on 28 December.

Badly tarnished

The company paid almost $50m in fines in 2010 because of the recall scandal, and the US Congress carried out a lengthy investigation.

But problems with pedals becoming trapped in floor mats have continued to dog Toyota.

Earlier this month the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Toyota had agreed to pay $17m for allegedly failing to report a safety fault this year in two Lexus models "in a timely manner".

Other recalls have involved faulty window switches, fuel leaks and, most recently, steering wheels and water pumps.

The company's reputation was badly tarnished by the repeated recalls and it lost its place as the world's biggest carmaker in 2011.

However, the Japanese firm said earlier on Wednesday that it anticipated a 22% increase in group sales for 2012, reaching 9.7 million vehicles globally, and returning it to the position of biggest car manufacturer.

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London Market Report

27 December 2012 Last updated at 08:35 GMT Continue reading the main story

Continue reading the main story

(Open): The FTSE 100 index opened little changed in its first trading day after the Christmas break, despite a strong start from mining firms.

In the first half hour of trading it was down just three points at 5,951 points.

Steel firm Evraz was the highest climber, up 3%, after its purchase of coal firm OJSC Raspadskaya was cleared by Russian authorities.

Drinks giant Diageo was the biggest faller, down 1.7%.

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Uefa to appeal against U21 bans

European football governing body Uefa has decided to appeal against sanctions imposed by its own disciplinary body on Serbia and England's Under-21 players.

England's Steven Caulker and Thomas Ince and four players and two coaches from Serbia were banned, after a brawl at the game in Krusevac in October.

Uefa also ordered Serbia to play their next competitive under-21 match behind closed doors and fined them £65,000.

The sanctions have been widely viewed as being too lenient.

The game ended with scuffles over alleged racist chants from Serbian fans towards England players.

Racist chanting sparks scuffles

A statement on Uefa's website read: "Uefa, via the Uefa disciplinary inspector appointed to the case, has decided to appeal all the sanctions imposed by the Control and Disciplinary Body relating to incidents which took place at the 2013 Uefa European Under-21 Championship play-off second-leg match between Serbia and England on 16 October 2012".

The UEFA disciplinary inspector now has until 8 January to lodge an appeal, the same deadline that applies to any appeals the FA and the Serbian Football Federation may make.

Uefa president Michel Platini had hinted that he might appeal against the sanctions after comparisons in the media with the 100,000 euros (£80,000) fine Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner received after revealing a sponsor's logo on his underwear during a Euro 2012 game. 

England alleged that racist chants were aimed at England's Danny Rose, which sparked the incident after England's 1-0 qualifying win. Rose claimed he had been subjected to racist taunts throughout the game.

The Football Association has already said it will appeal against Ince and Caulker's bans of one and two games respectively. The banned Serbia players will miss between two and four games each.

In the aftermath, two Serbia coaches were banned from football for two years for their part in the brawl.

In 2007, Serbia were fine £16,000 for a similar offence in an under-21 international in the Netherlands in which England defender Nedum Onuoha was racially abused.

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Long Run win impresses Henderson

Trainer Nicky Henderson says victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton has returned Long Run to the elite.

The gelding, ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, beat Captain Chris by a neck on Boxing Day to win the race for a second time.

Henderson, 62, now hopes Long Run will become the second horse after Kauto Star to reclaim the Cheltenham Gold Cup after relinquishing it.

Halloween - 1952 & 1954 Mandarin - 1957 & 1959 Wayward Lad - 1983 & 1985 Desert Orchid - 1986 & 1988 See More Business - 1997 & 1999 Kauto Star - 2009 & 2011 Long Run - 2010 & 2012 "Long Run is back where he belongs at the top of the tree," the two-time champion trainer told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He loves Cheltenham and I'd like to think he can improve on that again."

Henderson feels the seven-year-old, who finished second to Kauto Star in last year's King George VI Chase after winning in 2010, can win more Grade One races in the future.

"Yesterday's performance doesn't necessarily make him the world beater but he's still got it and he's still young enough to get back to where he was, which was the very, very top," he said.

Henderson hopes the Robert Waley-Cohen owned gelding will add the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup to his 2011 triumph.

"He was the best horse two years ago and at least he's reclaimed his King George. Now we've got to concentrate on getting it back at Cheltenham in March," he said.

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VIDEO: Fish tank shatters over shoppers

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'Lucky escape' as wall collapses

23 December 2012 Last updated at 16:58 GMT Craig Stewart and Salman Khan describe the damage to their homes in Pontypridd

Residents have described how they had a lucky escape when a wall collapsed after heavy rain, bringing tons of earth and rubble on to their homes.

A section of the retaining wall, described as six metres (20ft) tall, collapsed at about 22.30 GMT on Saturday in Berw Road, Pontypridd.

Residents described a noise "like thunder" and said it was lucky nobody was killed. Four homes were evacuated.

Rhondda Cynon Taff council said the wall was the residents' responsibility.

Continue reading the main story

Just as we were starting to run down the stairs you could hear the whole thing crash and it was like thunder”

End Quote Craig Stewart However, it said it was working with them to make the area safe, and said it would "investigate the history of the issue".

Some residents claim fears about the safety of the wall had previously been reported to the council.

Resident Craig Stewart had to flee his home with his partner and seven-month-old baby.

He said: "I was in the living room. I started hearing noises outside.

"I went upstairs to look out of the window to see what the noise was.

"The last noise I heard was creaking wood, so I knew it was the support that we've got up, because it's the only wood around here.

"So then I knew the wall was putting pressure on it."

He said he and his partner left the house with their baby, adding: "Just as we were starting to run down the stairs you could hear the whole thing crash and it was like thunder."

He said his extension "could fall down any minute" and a neighbour's kitchen had "completely caved in".

"Anybody stood in there would've been dead basically," he added.

Mr Stewart's father, David, said the terrace included about 10 miners' cottages.

Part of the collapsed wall in Pontypridd

He said: "There's a black expanse of rubble and earth.

"The rubble is up to the bedroom windows in some cases, and one kitchen has disappeared. How nobody was killed, I don't know."

'Massive bang'

Another resident, Salman Khan, said his wife and son were at home when they heard a "massive bang". He said his family had been "very lucky".

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 22:57 GMT on Saturday, and left the scene at 00:18 on Sunday.

Continue reading the main story

The council will also be investigating the history of the issue with the residents so that the situation can be resolved”

End Quote Rhondda Cynon Taf Council A spokeswoman said four homes were evacuated - numbers 21-24 - and a Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) council surveyor was assessing the structural damage.

In a statement, RCT council said was alerted to the collapsed wall on Sunday, following "severe weather that the county borough has been experiencing".

It added: "As a result a number of residents have been evacuated from their homes whilst the council liaise with residents to make the area safe.

"However this wall remains the responsibility of the residents and is a private matter, but the council will continue to work with those affected to make the area safe in the short-term.

"The council will also be investigating the history of the issue with the residents so that the situation can be resolved."

Elsewhere, 11 homes were evacuated overnight in Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley after a landslip due to flooding.

Affected residents spent the night in a nearby leisure centre, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said four homes remained evacuated on Sunday.

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) said flooding disrupted services between Cardiff Central and Bridgend, and Caersws and Machynlleth in Powys.

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Stonehenge marks winter solstice

21 December 2012 Last updated at 00:01 GMT People visit Stonehenge each December to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year People are gathering at Stonehenge later to mark the winter solstice.

More revellers than usual are predicted to congregate at Salisbury Plain this year as the date coincides with the end of the 5,125-year "long count" cycle of the Mayan calendar.

Druids and pagans are among those who head to Stonehenge each December to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon will be leading the celebrations.

He said he would be making a "political statement" which he hoped would be heard around the world.

'Stay together'

"I will be asking for an end to war, an end to economic slavery and, basically, a cleaner, greener planet."

This year's solstice date also marks the conclusion of the long count cycle of the Mayan calendar, which some people believe indicates the end of the world.

Although the exact time of the solstice this year - when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun - is at 11:11 GMT, English Heritage will be providing access to the stones earlier in the morning.

The National Trust has asked people who do not normally visit for the solstice to be fully prepared for poor weather conditions.

General manager Jan Tomlin said: "We suggest that anybody wanting to celebrate the solstice should bring extra layers to wear, check the weather forecast before you go and, if you are visiting with friends, stay together."

Last year more than 1,000 people visited Stonehenge to mark the winter solstice.

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Man hurt and horses die in crash

25 December 2012 Last updated at 09:55 GMT Three horses died and a man in his 20s was critically injured when four vehicles crashed into the animals on the A14 in Suffolk.

The crash happened at Sproughton, near Ipswich, at 22:20 GMT on Christmas Eve after the horses had got loose.

A 26-year-old Ipswich man was later arrested on suspicion of causing danger to road users.

Paramedics took the injured man to Ipswich Hospital. Police said he had life-threatening injuries.

A section of the westbound A14 between Copdock and Sproughton was closed for several hours in order to recover the vehicles and horses.

The arrested man was questioned at Martlesham police station.

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Shops hope for Boxing Day bounce

26 December 2012 Last updated at 12:48 GMT Bargain hunters have been out early in the traditional post-Christmas sales Shoppers are hitting the high streets as retailers hope for a Boxing Day boost to their sales figures.

Doors at some shopping centres across Scotland opened at 06:00 for the traditional post-Christmas sales.

Concerns over "underwhelming" retail figures in November have been easing after reports of a busy week in the run-up to Christmas Eve.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has repeated a call for a freeze in business rates.

In Aberdeen, the Union Square centre said 1.2 million people had come through its doors in the December run-up to Christmas Eve.

General manager Ryan Manson said: "The final week of trading before Christmas was buzzing, and we recorded some of our busiest days on record.

"Momentum amongst shoppers continued to build throughout the month with each week proving busier and busier."

'Respectable Christmas'

Glasgow's Braehead Shopping Centre said it was having a very busy Boxing Day.

General manager Peter Beagley said: "Our car parks were full by mid-morning and we've been exceptionally busy for Boxing Day with tens of thousands of shoppers in the centre by 11am - it was just like a busy Saturday."

Ian McLelland, centre director at East Kilbride Shopping Centre said: "Judging from the numbers coming through the doors today, Boxing Day has proved yet again to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year."

However, the SRC said 2012 had been one of the most challenging years it had seen for sales.

Policy adviser David Martin said most stores would have had a respectable Christmas but that sales had fallen in the high street for much of the past year.

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Bhutto son in first major speech

27 December 2012 Last updated at 12:56 GMT Benazir Bhutto was campaigning for election when she was assassinated The son of Pakistan's murdered ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is giving his first major speech at a rally marking his mother's death five years ago.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is addressing many thousands of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supporters gathered near his family's shrine in Sindh province.

Mr Bhutto Zardari, whose father is President Asif Ali Zardari, has so far kept a low profile as PPP chairman.

Ms Bhutto died in a gun and bomb attack during her 2007 election campaign.

In remarks carried by Pakistan state television, Mr Bhutto Zardari said the people were "the source of power".

"Benazir sacrificed her life to uphold democracy," he said. "The beacon of democracy continue to shine."

The 24-year-old Oxford graduate has been PPP chairman since his mother's assassination by Taliban militants. He cannot contest an election until his 25th birthday.

Show of strength

Security was tight as activists carrying portraits of Ms Bhutto and her father, former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, gathered at the family's shrine in the city of Larkana.

Mr Bhutto Zardari was expected to use the occasion to articulate his vision for the party, says the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani.

With parliamentary elections set to be held in 2013, the governing PPP is keen to use the rally as a show of strength to demonstrate that despite widespread criticism over its performance during the past five years, it still enjoys popular support, our correspondent says.

Oxford graduate Bilawal Bhutto Zadari has so far kept a low profile because of his inexperience

Mr Bhutto Zardari's father, President Zardari, has been at the forefront of the party until now but faces dwindling support over corruption allegations.

Those fed up with President Zardari's politics are looking to his son to help revive the party's mass appeal, our correspondent says.

The Bhutto dynasty has been a major political force since Pakistan gained independence in 1947.

Ms Bhutto, whose father founded the PPP, was prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996.

On both occasions she was dismissed from office for alleged corruption.

No-one has been charged with her assassination.

A UN inquiry in 2010 found that her murder could have been prevented and that the subsequent investigation was bungled.

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Gangnam Style hits one billion views

21 December 2012 Last updated at 19:38 GMT The BBC's Rory Cellan Jones on the Gangnam phenomenon

Gangnam Style has become the first video to clock up more than one billion views on YouTube.

The South Korean dance track was posted online in July, propelling pop star Psy to worldwide fame.

It has inspired hundreds of parody clips, from members of the British army, Thai navy and Minecraft gamers, among others.

YouTube's owner, Google, said the video had been watched seven million to 10 million times a day on average.

It overtook the previous record holder - Justin Bieber's music video Baby - on 24 November.

"Psy's success is a great testament to the universal appeal of catchy music - and er, great equine dance moves," wrote Kevin Allocca, YouTube trends manager, on the service's blog.

Globalised Gangnam The video's YouTube hit counter added a dancing Psy animation after it hit the one billion milestone

One industry watcher said the fact so many people continued to post their own versions of Gangnam Style had played a huge part in the clip's success.

"I've seen a statistic which reckons the one song will have generated something like $8m [£5m] by the end of the year from money that comes directly from YouTube through advertising plus download sales, its uses in adverts and TV programmes," Chris Cooke, business editor of the CMU music news site, told the BBC.

"It shows that YouTube - which is a free-to-use as a promotional platform for the music labels - can lead to substantial income.

"Should every artist be trying to think of a funny video that will go viral and be mimicked? I don't know whether it's a template that can be copied, but it certainly shows how quickly an eye-catching clip can spread thanks to social networks and YouTube."

Sir Martin Sorrell - chief executive of advertising giant WPP - paid tribute to the achievement by making a link between Psy and one of the west's most influential economists.

"Another great example of Theodore Levitt's 'globalisation' and the power of K-pop," he told the BBC.

Scott Mills, the BBC Radio 1 DJ who championed the song on his show, said he was amazed by the phenomenon that the song had become.

"The thing that interests you in the video is the fact that you don't understand the lyrics.

British troops in Afghanistan have made their own version. Footage courtesy BFBS: British Forces News

"The first time I saw it was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in America and I just thought it was a bit of fun, but I didn't expect it to be as big as it was.

"Psy came into my Radio 1 show and The Guinness World Records presented him with a plaque for the most 'liked' YouTube video of all time and the amazing thing is he is just a guy, he hasn't tried to do any of this."

D C Han, a South Korean hair stylist who worked in Gangnam before starting a business in London, added that he was proud to see the song become such a massive hit.

"I was amazed" he told the BBC.

"K-Pop is getting stronger and stronger, everywhere in Asia they are listening to it - China, Hong Kong, Taiwan. Maybe even in Japan but they might not admit it."

Gangnam Style passes 1bn hits

Cumulative views (millions)

Clicks on Psy's video rocket while interest in Justin Bieber's Baby wanes

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VIDEO: Swapping guns for groceries

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Home rental costs record rare dip

21 December 2012 Last updated at 11:01 GMT Rents have generally been rising over the last year across England The cost of renting a home has fallen for the first time since March, dropping by 0.4% in November, a survey says.

However, rents remained 3.4% higher than the same month in 2011, according to LSL Property Services, which owns Your Move and Reeds Rains.

The average cost of renting a home in England and Wales was £741 a month.

The largest month-on-month drop in rental costs was in the south east of England, the survey found.

The region saw a 1.9% drop. There were also falls in the north west of England (down 1.1%) and in the West Midlands (down 1%) compared with October.

'Not enough homes'

The drop across England and Wales returned prices to the same level as they were in September.

The fall would have been greater, but for rental rises in London and Wales, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber.

"Landlords look to avoid having properties empty over the Christmas period, and are often more flexible on pricing at this point in the year," said David Newnes, director of LSL.

"But the rental market has not ground to a halt by any means. The housing market is still haunted by the demons of undersupply of new homes and tight credit conditions for buyers with the smallest deposits, which is pushing up tenant demand."

Sales increase

First-time buyers still require a large deposit to get on the housing ladder.

However, there has been a pick up in house sales recently, with the latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs showing that completed sales in the UK in November were at their highest monthly level for three years.

The provisional figures show there were 91,000 sales during November - up 10,000 on the same month last year, but still well down on the levels seen during the property boom.

The LSL figures showed that the total amount of late or unpaid rent fell to its lowest level since June 2010, equating to 7.4% of all rent across England and Wales.

"A drastic improvement in the jobs market in recent months has made a real difference to tenant arrears," Mr Newnes said.

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VIDEO: Flooding: Two escape flooded Porsche

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UN envoy in fresh Syria peace bid

24 December 2012 Last updated at 12:18 GMT The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, meets Lakhdar Brahimi

International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has held talks with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, in a fresh bid to end the conflict.

Mr Brahimi said they discussed "many steps to be taken in the future", but he did not elaborate.

On Sunday, opposition activists said dozens of people had been killed in a government air strike in the rebel-held town of Halfaya in Hama province.

Syrian state media blamed a "terrorist group" for the attack.

Mr Brahimi drove into Syria from Beirut on Sunday, after fighting closed Damascus airport.

Continue reading the main story

The main activist groups put the number of dead from the Halfaya incident at more than 90. But they named or otherwise identified only 23 of them, all men.

Several video sequences of the incident and the collection and burial of victims also showed only the bodies of adult males, despite assertions that many women and children were at the site when it was hit. However, crowds outside bakeries are often largely composed of men.

It is not conclusively evident from the footage that the targeted building was a bakery.

With independent investigation and reporting not possible, it is not out of the question that regime jets managed to strike a concentration of rebel fighters - though the activist account of a bakery being hit may well be true.

The government itself made no claim of having struck rebels in that area, but it does not acknowledge the use of its air power in the struggle.

"I had the honour to meet the president and as usual we exchanged views on the many steps to be taken in the future," he said after meeting President Bashar al-Assad on Monday.

President Assad expressed support for "any effort in the interest of the Syrian people which preserves the homeland's sovereignty and independence", the state-run Sana news agency reports.

It is the third visit to Damascus by Mr Brahimi since he was appointed joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria in August.

However, he has made little progress on a peace process so far and it is unclear what new ideas he may be bringing.

Rebels have been fighting Mr Assad's government for 21 months. Opposition groups say more than 44,000 people have been killed.

In the latest violence, activists said a government air strike had struck a bakery in Halfaya on Sunday.

They put the number of dead at more than 90, but the BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon says they named or otherwise identified only 23 of them - all men.

One activist in Halfaya, Samer al-Hamawi, told Reuters news agency: "There is no way to really know yet how many people were killed. When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground.

"We hadn't received flour in around three days so everyone was going to the bakery today, and lots of them were women and children. I still don't know yet if my relatives are among the dead."

Syrian state TV blamed an "armed terrorist group" for the attack, saying the group had then filmed the incident to blame it on government troops.

Five days ago, the rebel Free Syrian Army declared Halfaya a "liberated area" after taking over army positions there.

Our correspondent says the rebels want to take control of the whole of Hama and link up the territory they control.

As has happened many times before, he adds, the government has hit back with massive firepower at the areas it has lost.

A UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said there had been other air strikes on Sunday, including one on the town of Safira in northern Aleppo province, which killed 13 people.

It said more than 180 people had been killed across the country on Sunday.

The SOHR is one of the most prominent organisations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. The group says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be independently verified.

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MBE for Bletchley codebreaker

29 December 2012 Last updated at 01:12 GMT Capt Roberts has campaigned for his colleagues to be recognised A Bletchley Park codebreaker who has been appointed MBE in the New Year Honours said he still hopes his whole team will one day be recognised.

Raymond "Jerry" Roberts, 92, receives the honour for services to the WWII decryption centre and to codebreaking.

Mr Roberts, of Hampshire, was among four founder members of the Testery section tasked with breaking the German High Command's Tunny code.

The decrypts are credited with helping shorten the war by at least two years.

Capt Roberts worked at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, until the end of the war then spent two years at the War Crimes Investigation Unit, before moving on to a 50-year career in marketing and research.

'Gesture to guys'

He is now the last survivor of the nine cryptanalysts who worked on Tunny, and has spent the past four years campaigning for acknowledgement of his colleagues.

Capt Roberts, from Liphook, has been working for recognition for Bletchley Park's "4T's" - the Testery as a whole, and three colleagues responsible for major discoveries.

They are Alan Turing who broke the naval Enigma; Bill Tutte who broke the Tunny system to help shorten the war; and Tommy Flowers, who designed and built the Colossus, which sped up some stages of the breaking of Tunny traffic.

Capt Roberts said he and his wife Mei were delighted with the MBE, and he paid tribute to his so-far unrecognised team in the Testery.

Capt Roberts said he and his wife Mei were delighted

"I was very pleased and Mei was very pleased - she is delighted," he said.

"She is very pleased that something has come through; we both wish it could have been a bit more, not because we are fixed on titles, but just in gesture to those other guys - the Testery.

"They did a brilliant job, we were breaking 90% of the German traffic through '41 to '45.

"We worked for three years on Tunny material and were breaking, at a conservative estimate, just under 64,000 top line messages.

"It was an exciting time because once you start getting a break on a message and seeing it through and getting it."

Capt Roberts, who has a total of seven children and stepchildren, as well as a grandson, said his family were delighted.

But he said he would like to see the Testery itself formally honoured for its work, adding: "There were 118 of us altogether doing various different functions. There's one other person still alive that I know of."

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Retailers launch online bargains

24 December 2012 Last updated at 17:20 GMT Studies show that UK shoppers spend on average about £1,000 a year online The battle for the consumer has moved online with retailers bringing forward the start of sales after reports of lacklustre spending on the High Street.

Marks & Spencer and John Lewis are among major names to start discounting online in the hope that shoppers will be browsing sites over Christmas.

Sales online have traditionally begun on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

Reports that millions of consumers will spend the holiday shopping online prompted a warning from Church leaders.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said Christmas was a "special time" and should be spent with family and not logging-on. "We are now in danger of the gadgets taking over our lives and we are not in control of them," he said.

And Steve Jenkins, a spokesman for the Church of England, urged people to make time to go to church and "maybe spend a bit of time online spending their new Christmas vouchers".

But with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) warning that Christmas sales generally were likely to be "acceptable" rather than "exceptional", retailers are looking for every opportunity to maximise sales.

M&S began its sales online at midday on Monday, while department store John Lewis said it would cut online prices when its stores close at 1700 GMT.

Debenhams has already started its online sale. Online giant Amazon will start its sale on Christmas morning, a day earlier than usual.

Continue reading the main story

We suspect that people will likely be more careful in buying - or reluctant to buy - items that they don't really want or need in the sales”

End Quote Howard Archer IHS Global Insight A report from Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, has estimated that shoppers spend an average £1,000 a year online each year. This is more than in any other country, including the US.

The popularity of online retailing contrasts with continued problems for the High Street.

'Modest'

The BRC forecast that £5bn would be spent in the shops on Saturday and Sunday combined, the last weekend before Christmas. But Richard Dodd, the BRC's head of Media and Campaigns, said that was nothing to get excited about, adding: "It's been a very busy weekend which will be crucial to delivering a Christmas that is acceptable, rather than exceptional."

He forecast a modest increase in cash spending on a year go, but not necessarily any significant increase because household finances are under pressure.

Economist analyst Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight said the weakening in household finances could not come at a worse time for retailers, and it highlighted why Christmas spending was so modest.

"The suspicion has to be that consumers will be especially keen to take advantage of genuine major bargains in the sales to acquire items that they cannot otherwise afford or are reluctant to make at the moment," he said.

"However, we suspect that people will likely to be more careful in buying - or reluctant to buy - items that they don't really want or need in the sales."

Nevertheless, some shops reported brisk trading.

Sainsbury's reported its busiest ever hour in terms of customers served from midday to 1pm on Sunday, while 35 branches opened at midnight and traded until 6pm on Monday.

More than a million visitors were expected in London's West End during the three-day period from Saturday to Christmas Eve, during which more than £100m was expected to be spent.

'Critical condition'

Bluewater shopping centre in Kent was also anticipating a surge in sales on Monday as Saturday's footfall was up 14% from the previous week.

And the problems facing retailers was underlined on Monday in a report by business recovery group Begbies Traynor. It estimated that tough Christmas trading conditions had left nearly 140 firms in a "critical" condition.

Book retailers were among those in significant distress, hit by competition from players such as Amazon, while convenience stores have suffered from the rising dominance of supermarkets.

However, online retailers have seen sales figures improve, Begbies said.

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Day in pictures: 18 December 2012

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N Ossetia Muslim leader shot dead

27 December 2012 Last updated at 09:40 GMT A Muslim spiritual leader has been shot dead in the Russian Caucasus republic of North Ossetia.

Deputy mufti Ibragim Dudarov was hit by several bullets fired at his car as he was driving home late on Wednesday, near the regional capital Vladikavkaz.

There have been similar attacks on Muslim leaders this year in the Russian republics of Dagestan and Tatarstan.

The motive in Dudarov's case is not clear. The mufti said his deputy "was not in conflict with anyone".

He called the attack "a stab in the back", linking it to Dudarov's work in a local Muslim spiritual organisation. But he said Islamist militants - blamed for many attacks in nearby Dagestan and Chechnya - were not active in North Ossetia.

North Ossetia is a mainly Christian republic which was ravaged by fighting between Christian Ossetians and Muslim Ingush in the early 1990s.

Dudarov, 38, lived in the village of Chmi near Vladikavkaz with his wife and four children, the youngest being a girl born just a month ago, Russia's Newsru.com website reports.

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VIDEO: Hoax eagle snatch video exposed

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Queen due at Christmas service

25 December 2012 Last updated at 01:58 GMT In her Christmas message, the Queen praises the ''skill, dedication, training and teamwork'' of the Olympic athletes

The Queen is this expected to attend church on Christmas morning, after recovering from a cold which prevented her from attending a service on Sunday.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are at the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk and will be present for the sermon at St Mary Magdalene Church.

Her Christmas speech, to be broadcast at 15:00 GMT, will pay tribute to the UK's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The address will, for the first time, be broadcast in 3D.

The Queen traditionally spends the festive period with her family at Sandringham, but this year will not be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are with the duchess's family in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Prince William and Catherine are expecting their first child, after the duchess was admitted to hospital following an acute bout of morning sickness.

Prince Harry will also be absent from the celebrations, as he is currently serving as an Apache helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps in Afghanistan.

'Excitement and drama'

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the Queen's self-penned Christmas speech, broadcast to the UK and Commonwealth, will focus on "service, achievement and the spirit of togetherness".

She will hail the "splendid summer of sport" in the pre-recorded address and will highlight how the sportsmen and women allowed spectators to feel part of the "excitement and drama".

The Queen will say: "As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes."

The Queen had her own starring role in the London Olympics, declaring them officially open after appearing to parachute into the stadium with James Bond - played by current 007 Daniel Craig.

Behind-the-scenes footage of the Christmas message, made on 7 December, has been released showing the Queen meeting senior staff from Sky News which produced the broadcast this year.

In other footage she wears 3D glasses as she watches part of the broadcast, which will be transmitted on both TV and radio at 15:00 GMT.

Her use of 3D technology comes 80 years after George V first broadcast a Christmas speech on the radio and started the 25 December tradition.

It has been an eventful year for the royal family, with the Queen celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in June, marked with celebrations in the UK and Commonwealth.

She also became the first British monarch to reach a 65th wedding anniversary.

But there were health scares, with Prince Philip, 91, forced to miss some key events during the Jubilee celebrations after being taken to hospital with a bladder infection.

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Two dead after head-on road crash

24 December 2012 Last updated at 07:29 GMT A man and woman have died and two people have been injured after a two-car crash in the Scottish Borders on Sunday afternoon.

The collision happened on the A697 at Carfraemill at about 14.55.

A man and woman in their 50s were rescued from one of the cars but the woman died at the scene and the man died later in hospital.

A man and woman in their 40s escaped from the other car and were taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

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VIDEO: Rwandans' new love for cricket

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'Italian' ship raided off Nigeria

24 December 2012 Last updated at 15:44 GMT Pirates have kidnapped four sailors after attacking their vessel off Nigeria's coast, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said.

The hostages were foreigners - three of them Italian, AP news agency reports.

Gunmen stormed the vessel off Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta region, before seizing the four and fleeing, the IMB said.

Kidnapping is a lucrative enterprise worth millions of dollars a year in Nigeria, Africa's main oil producer.

Most people in the Niger Delta are extremely poor.

Oil workers and other foreign nationals are often targeted because companies pay high ransom money to secure their employees' release, correspondents say.

'Naples-based company'

The IMB said the latest attack happened about 40 nautical miles (28km) off Nigeria's Bayelsa state.

"Pirates armed with guns attacked, boarded an offshore supply vessel... and kidnapped four crew members," the AFP news agency quotes the IMB statement as saying.

The remaining crew sailed the vessel to safety, the IMB said.

It did not identify the shipper nor the sailors who were abducted.

However, AP reports that an Italian foreign ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that three of the four sailors were Italians.

The vessel attacked was the Asso Ventuno, operated by Augusta Offshore SpA, a Naples-based shipping company in southern Italy, it reports.

Earlier this month, five Indian crew members were abducted after gunmen stormed an oil tanker in the Niger Delta.

Gunmen also kidnapped six employees of the South Korean firm Hyundai off the Nigeria coast. They were later freed.

The mother of Nigeria's Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was also snatched from her home in the Delta state. She was freed after five days.

The minister said the kidnappers had demanded her resignation because of her campaign to curb corruption in the lucrative oil sector.

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UK troops to enjoy festive lunch

25 December 2012 Last updated at 04:45 GMT Troops from the Royal Scots Borderers are among those marking the festivities with games and a traditional turkey dinner All UK servicemen and women serving in Afghanistan are set to enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch after a major logistical effort.

Turkey, potatoes and mince pies were among the items flown into the country by the armed forces, to bring a little festive cheer to the troops.

Military chefs will travel to forward operating bases to ensure everyone gets a freshly-cooked meal.

About 9,000 UK service personnel are currently deployed in Afghanistan.

Carol services, pantomimes and sporting competitions are also being laid on at many military outposts.

At the main operating base in Lashkar Gah, troops are due to take part in the Lash Dash, a 5km Christmas Day fun run with prizes for the best costumes.

Major Mark Yates, who serves with 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, is among a group of personnel putting on a production of the panto Aladdin in Lashkar Gah.

Continue reading the main story

To ensure the troops get a festive lunch, food was flown in from the UK including:

2.5 tonnes of turkey850kg of Brussels sprouts350kg of Christmas pudding23,500 mince pies40,000 chocolate mintsMore than 1,000 packets of shortbreadThe 40-year-old from Manchester said: "We're all away from our families but we want to make sure we remember Christmas as it is a link with home.

"Many of us have young children and would probably have gone to see a panto at this time of year.

"It's been a bit of fun between work but not at the cost of any of our operations," he added.

About 130 tonnes of Christmas post has been delivered to bases around the country from friends, family and well-wishers.

Senior-ranking officers in the British army will keep up the tradition of serving their soldiers tea and coffee on Christmas morning.

Task Force Helmand spokesman Major Laurence Roche said: "It's always tough being away from home at Christmas.

"We have a job to do here but we make sure that as many people as possible get to sit down and have a big Christmas lunch.

"Every effort is made to ensure the troops enjoy the day and in some small way bring a little bit of home to Afghanistan," he added.

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Iran 'fends off new cyber attack'

25 December 2012 Last updated at 15:19 GMT Iran has regularly claimed success in defeating computer viruses A power plant and other industries in southern Iran have been targeted by the Stuxnet computer worm, an Iranian civil defence official says.

But the cyber attack has been successfully rebuffed and prevented from spreading, Iranian media report.

Iran's nuclear enrichment efforts were hit hard in 2010 by the Stuxnet worm, which was also blamed for problems at industrial plants and factories.

Tehran accused Israel and the US of planting the malware.

Provincial civil defence chief Ali Akbar Akhavan said Iranian industry was constantly being targeted by "enemy cyber attacks" and companies in Hormozgan province had recently been infiltrated, the semi-official Isna news agency reported.

"The Bandar Abbas electricity supply company has come under cyber attack," he told a news conference. "But we were able to prevent its expansion owing to our timely measures and the co-operation of skilled hackers."

The Bandar Abbas plant, on Iran's southern coast in the Strait of Hormuz, is said to supply power to neighbouring provinces as well as Hormozgan.

Spyware

Iran has regularly claimed success in defeating computer viruses, such as Stuxnet and Flame, which have affected its industries.

In April, a malware attack on Iran's oil ministry and national oil company forced the government to disconnect key oil facilities, including the Kharg Island oil terminal that handles most of Tehran's exports.

Late last year, Iran said some of its computer systems were infected by the Duqu spyware which was believed to have been designed to steal data to help launch further cyber attacks.

The attacks have affected its energy exports as well as its controversial uranium enrichment programme, which Western countries suspect is aimed at constructing nuclear weapons. Tehran insists it is solely for peaceful purposes.

Continue reading the main story Stuxnet worm hits Iranian centrifuges - from mid-2009 to late 2010Iran complains facilities hit by Stars malware - April 2011Duqu trojan hits Iran's computer systems - November 2011Flame virus targets computers in PCs across the Middle East, including Iran and Israel - June 2012Iran says Stuxnet worm returns - December 2012The biggest cyber attack so far was from the Stuxnet worm, believed to be the first known virus specifically targeted at infrastructure such as power stations.

In 2010, Iran accused the West of trying to disrupt its nuclear facilities with the Stuxnet worm.

Researchers estimated that five industrial processing organisations in Iran were hit repeatedly between June 2009 and April 2010 by the worm which they believed had been created by a "nation state" in the West.

Iran said centrifuges used in uranium enrichment had been sabotaged and the UN nuclear watchdog said the enrichment programme had been temporarily brought to a halt.

Reports suggested that the worm had infected the personal computers of staff at Iran's first nuclear power station at Bushehr.

In September this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly that time was running out to stop Tehran having enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb.

US President Barack Obama has said the US will do "what we must" to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

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Anti-abortion plea by Cardinal

26 December 2012 Last updated at 10:28 GMT Cardinal Brady has reiterated the church's stance on abortion The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has used his Christmas message to reiterate the church's stance on abortion.

Cardinal Sean Brady urged everyone who believed in the right to life, to put their views in writing to politicians.

His comments have been made against the backdrop of the Irish government preparing to introduce legislation when the mother's life is at risk.

It follows the death of Savita Halappanavar in October.

News of her death at the University Hospital Galway led to a series of protests against Ireland's abortion laws.

Cardinal Brady said in his Christmas message that he hoped "that everyone who believes that the right to life is fundamental will make their voice heard in a reasonable, but forthright way to their representatives, reminding them that the right to life is conferred on human beings not by the powerful ones of this world but by the Creator".

The Church of Ireland primate of all-Ireland, Archbishop Richard Clarke, has called for a renewal of faith in his Christmas message.

He said when people stopped connecting with their religious faith, they lost confidence in themselves and those around them.

"There can be surely little doubt that when people stop connecting with their religious faith - their sense that they are in the hands of a God who loves them - they may easily then start to lose faith in themselves, and hence lose faith also in those around them, and so become angry, embittered and fearful," he said.

The Presbyterian Moderator, the Rev Roy Patton, said the challenge was to live out the love and hope of the Christmas message "all year round".

"Think about those living in our communities who feel socially isolated, abandoned, frustrated, disconnected, and discontented; second class citizens, those with little sense of aspiration for something better," he added.

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NHS staff felt 'targets pressure'

20 December 2012 Last updated at 16:50 GMT From Democracy Live: Health Secretary Alex Neil says there was no fiddling of waiting times outside Lothian

Some NHS staff in Scotland said they felt under pressure to say patients were "unavailable" for appointments in order to meet waiting times targets.

The finding appeared in an NHS Tayside report sparked by allegations of fiddled waiting times figures.

All 14 Scottish health boards had been asked to review their practices in light of the NHS Lothian accusations.

NHS Tayside has apologised, adding it had now put controls in place to ensure such practices had been eradicated.

It had also allowed two members of staff who had been suspended to return to work.

In a statement to parliament, Health Secretary Alex Neil said the reports showed no evidence of deliberate manipulation of the figures, but there were improvements in waiting times management that could be put in place.

He told the chamber that the ability to list a patient as "socially unavailable" no longer existed.

Continue reading the main story

Other health boards have retrospectively adjusted their figures, social unavailability is at an all-time high of almost 21,000 at June 2011, now dropped to 9,500 as of September 2012 - that is nothing short of a miracle”

End Quote Jackie Baillie Labour's health spokeswoman Mr Neil said it would be replaced by a new system where patients would decide themselves when they wanted to be treated.

He added: "Staff need a system which is easy to work with, where the rules are clearly understood and which are transparent to patients and their carers.

"Improvements in IT are already taking place and I have been clear this work should be finished by April 2013.

"An investigation of this scale into the management practices of waiting times has never been done before, with over 2.5 million transactions over a six-month period reviewed to identify any trends which needed further investigation."

The focus on waiting times logging came about when NHS Lothian was criticised in October for removing patients from the 18-week waiting list when they refused to travel to England for treatment.

Some patients were referred to Northumberland but, when they declined to go, they were marked as "unavailable for social reasons" and not included on the waiting list.

In a heated chamber exchange, Labour's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, told Mr Neil the reports' contents demonstrated "beyond any doubt" that the "SNP waiting times scandal has just deepened".

She said Mr Neil's statement "was a whitewash and full of assertions".

Ms Baillie added: "Nicola Sturgeon assured this chamber that she had spoken to all health boards and this was only a problem in Lothian.

"Then came NHS Tayside - evidence revealed today of blatant waiting times manipulation, serious allegations of bullying and pressure being applied to staff.

"And the problem is wider - other health boards have retrospectively adjusted their figures, social unavailability is at an all-time high of almost 21,000 at June 2011, now dropped to 9,500 as of September 2012 - that is nothing short of a miracle.

"The one thing is clear, the manipulation for waiting times is rife."

However, the Tories Jackson Carlaw welcomed Mr Neil's statement and said he was relieved to see that widespread systematic failures were not evident.

He told the chamber: "This scandal began because we accepted at the time the cabinet secretary Nicola Sturgeon was serially misled by Lothian health board at the time - the allegation thereafter that there was a widespread systemic collapse across Scotland was the reason this investigation was undertaken.

"I think patients across Scotland will actually be relieved to find that the suggestion that is the case is not borne out by the detail in the investigation that has taken place."

However, he added that the recommendations now being made should have been in place without having to be asked for.

Staff misunderstanding

After publishing its report, NHS Tayside said it was disappointed that "unacceptable practices" had been identified in a "small area" of waiting times management.

A spokesman said: "We very much regret that this has happened, apologise to patients and reassure them that we have put controls in place to ensure these practices have been eradicated.

"Patients are our priority and, therefore, as soon as we were alerted to a potential issue by our internal auditors, we immediately carried out an in-depth review of the patients involved.

"We can reassure the public that all patients have already been treated or are on the appropriate care pathway and undergoing treatment."

He added that the board's internal audit - which looked at a sample of statistics - found no evidence of "deliberate instructions" being given to members of staff regarding the "inappropriate use of waiting times codes".

NHS Lanarkshire also admitted using the "unavailability" classification incorrectly.

But it stated that wrong usage was based on "misunderstandings" rather than any "deliberate manipulation". It added that staff had not reported feeling under pressure to hide breaches or to manipulate data.

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N Koreans 'have 10,000km rocket'

23 December 2012 Last updated at 10:07 GMT South Korea has retrieved parts of the Unha-3 rocket North Korea's recent rocket launch shows it has the ability to fire a rocket more than 10,000km (6,200 miles), South Korean officials say.

The estimate, which would potentially put the Western US in range, was based on an analysis of rocket debris.

However, there was no confirmation that the North had the re-entry technology needed to deliver a missile.

Experts believe North Korea is also years away from gaining the ability to mount a nuclear bomb on a missile.

North Korea launched the Unha-3 rocket on 12 December, in defiance of sanctions and international warnings.

It was the first time the North had made successful use of a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into orbit, and observers said it appeared to mark a step towards fielding an intercontinental range ballistic missile.

"As a result of analysing the material of Unha-3 (North Korea's rocket), we judged North Korea had secured a range of more than 10,000km in case the warhead is 500-600kg," a South Korean defence ministry official told journalists.

Continue reading the main story Charles Scanlon BBC News Asia analyst

The South Koreans - and others - have long alleged that the North Koreans are trying to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting the US. The South Korean defence ministry says its analysis of the remains of the first stage of the rocket fired on 12 December backs up that view - that North Korea has dual use technology that could potentially propel a missile onto the US mainland.

They acknowledge that there's no evidence that the North has the guidance systems or re-entry capability needed to mount an actual strike. Experts also believe that many more rocket and nuclear tests will be needed before North Korea can make a warhead small enough to fit its rockets and claim a credible nuclear delivery system.

North Korea still maintains that the latest rocket is purely part of a civilian space programme. But it also wants its frequent threats to foes and rivals to be taken seriously. A credible nuclear deterrent, from Pyongyang's perspective, would strengthen the prestige of its leader, warn off potential aggressors and enhance its negotiating position in any future talks.

'Crude' The official said the type of oxidiser container that was found from the first stage of the rocket launch would rarely be used by countries with advanced space technology.

"Welding was crude, done manually," the official said.

South Korea would not be able to tell whether the North had the technology to achieve re-entry until debris from the second and third stages of the rocket launch was analysed, the defence ministry said.

"As the additional pieces are salvaged, we will be able to look deeper into the function and structure of North Korea's long-range rocket," an official was quoted as saying by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Experts believe many more rocket and nuclear tests will be necessary before North Korea can boast a credible delivery system.

North Korea insists the rocket it launched is part of a civilian space programme.

But BBC Asia analyst Charles Scanlon says the North clearly wants its threat to be taken seriously, believing this to be the best way of deterring potential aggression, boosting the prestige of its leader, and being granted equal diplomatic status.

The North has been happy declare itself a nuclear power, he adds, and it frequently threatens neighbouring countries, and the US, with massive retaliation for perceived slights.

The UN Security Council condemned this month's rocket launch.

It said it violated two UN resolutions banning Pyongyang from missile tests, passed after it conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

The rocket was celebrated extravagantly in North Korea, with a mass rally held in the capital, Pyongyang.

The North's leader, Kim Jong-un, called for the development and launching of "a variety of more working satellites" and "carrier rockets of bigger capacity" at a banquet to mark the launch on Friday, North Korean state media reported.

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Second man held over 'plebgate'

21 December 2012 Last updated at 03:37 GMT Paul McKeever of the Police Federation said he welcomed the investigation

A second man has been arrested in connection with the Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" investigation.

The 23-year-old, who is not a member of police staff, was held on Wednesday night and has been released on bail. This follows the arrest of a police officer on Saturday.

Mr Mitchell quit as chief whip after it was alleged he called Downing Street police "plebs", which he denies.

CCTV footage has cast doubt on the original police accounts of the row.

The man was arrested in north London at around 20:00 GMT on Wednesday "on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence of misconduct in a public office on or around last Friday". His home was also searched.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said this had been "about the time police received fresh information about it [Plebgate]".

Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking during a visit to Afghanistan, said a "full-scale police investigation", supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, was needed.

"I think that's very important. Let's get to the truth," he said.

Operation Alice Continue reading the main story Gary O'Donoghue Political correspondent, BBC News

I understand that Andrew Mitchell has met Pat Gallan - a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, who is in charge of the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards, and the officer running Operation Alice, as it's been named.

I also understand that Mr Mitchell regards Ms Gallon as "extremely good" though he no longer has confidence in the Met commissioner himself.

That is because Bernard Hogan-Howe earlier this week publicly backed the two original officers who were present during the altercation in Downing Street.

There has also been what is described as an "unsatisfactory" exchange of letters between Mr Mitchell and the commissioner, which has further eroded his confidence.

The Met Police said they had no comment to make at this stage.

The offence allegedly took place a day before a Diplomatic Protection Squad officer, aged 52, was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

But the Met confirmed the latest arrest was not over allegations of "conspiracy" to give false information about the argument between Mr Mitchell and police in September.

Thirty officers are working on the investigation - known as Operation Alice - which is looking into claims that someone on the force gave false evidence over the incident.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales - which represents rank and file officers - said the organisation had taken "a very clear line" nationally not to call for Mr Mitchell's resignation, although he could not account for all 43 local federations.

Asked if he felt local federation members had been unfair to wear t-shirts reading "PC Pleb" and calling for the politician to be sacked, Mr McKeever told the BBC: "We have to wait for this investigation to take place to find out exactly what has happened - and we are supporting that investigation absolutely."

If Mr Mitchell had been done "a calumny" he would be "the first in the queue to apologise," he promised.

Mr McKeever added: "I understand those who say the federation stoked up some of the media attention in relation to Andrew Mitchell. I think we can all say we could have done things better."

The former chief whip admitted swearing but denies using the word 'pleb'

But former Conservative home secretary Kenneth Baker said the federation was in "real trouble".

He told BBC2's Daily Politics programme it had "decided to become... an extremely aggressive lobbying body, determined to get a minister... because they were very opposed to what the home secretary is doing looking into their pay, pensions and early retirement."

'Gutter language'

Earlier this week Channel 4 News alleged that an officer had sent an email purporting to be from a member of the public who had witnessed the row.

The email was sent to Deputy Chief Whip John Randall, who passed it on to No 10. It contained claims that Mr Mitchell "shouted obscenities" and used "gutter language", adding that people watching were "appalled", with some possibly "inadvertently" filming what was going on.

Continue reading the main story 19 September - Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell allegedly calls police officers "plebs" during argument in Downing Street20 September - The story is revealed in The Sun21 September - Mr Mitchell denies using word "plebs" but apologises for being disrespectful to police17 October - Labour leader Ed Miliband says Mr Mitchell is "toast", as poor media coverage continues19 October - Mr Mitchell resigns15 December - Police officer arrested on suspicion of misconduct18 December - CCTV coverage casts doubt on police officers' version of events19 December - 23-year-old man arrestedBut CCTV coverage suggests there were few, if any, members of the public within earshot of Mr Mitchell, the Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield.

A senior Downing Street source told the BBC that Mr Mitchell was in a "much stronger position" following the latest developments in the plebgate story.

His friends have urged Mr Cameron to restore him to office, with some Tory MPs complaining that the prime minister should have moved more quickly to try to exonerate his former cabinet colleague.

Mr Cameron told the Commons on Wednesday: "A police officer posing as a member of the public and sending an email potentially to blacken the name of a cabinet minister is a very serious issue and does need to be seriously investigated."

And the Met says it is taking the issue "extremely seriously".

Mr Mitchell has admitted swearing at officers but denied calling them "plebs". He resigned from the government in October, following several weeks of criticism in the media.

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