Why readers love their moustaches

21 May 2012 Last updated at 23:07 GMT Following the Magazine feature on how to grow a four-metre moustache, readers have been sending in pictures of their own follicly fertile upper lips.
Manly pride, a political statement or some fundraising fun.
No readers have gone to the lengths of India's Ram Singh Chauhan, but what their moustaches lack in substance, they more than gain in personal significance.
Here is a selection of their stories.

France's Hollande Delivers on Government Parity

French President François Hollande has made good on his campaign promise to deliver government parity with his recent appointments of ministers. However, most of the key posts were still given to men.
 Christiane Taubira, New France's Minister of Justice, Photo by Guillaume Paumier on Flickr, under Creative Commons 2.0New French President François Hollande made good on a campaign promise, reported BBC News, by appointing Wednesday as many women as men in the new French government: 17 of the 34 ministers are women.

N Korea launch site in 'upgrade'

23 May 2012 Last updated at 03:40 GMT North Korea is making 'rapid progress' on a major upgrade to its rocket launch site Satellite images show that a ''major upgrade'' is underway at North Korea's rocket launch site, says a United States institute.
Work at the Musudan-ri site showed "rapid progress" since mid-2011, the analysis said.
The report came as Pyongyang accused Washington of trying to ''incite confrontation'' over speculation it may carry out a third nuclear test.
North Korea ''never envisaged'' such an act, said a foreign ministry spokesman.
The remarks followed a US warning that a nuclear test would lead to a "swift and sure response" from the region.

Donna Summer track joins registry

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:00 GMT Disco icon Donna Summer died of cancer last week aged 63 The Donna Summer classic I Feel Love has been named as one of 25 songs and other sounds to be inducted into the US National Recording Registry.
The hit joins The Grateful Dead's 1977 concert at Cornell University on the list of sounds of cultural signifiance.

Sardinian Town Bows to Italy's 'Pink-Street' Project

Italy has very few women's names on its signs for streets and plazas, according to female geographers. In an effort to end this "cultural invisibility," they are pushing for a 50-50 division in male-female signage.
ROME (WOMENSENEWS)--Street names in Italy are still being counted, but one village isn't waiting to add more women to their signs, as an advocacy group here began urging earlier this year.
On March 8, International Women's Day, Olmedo, a village among Sardinia's 377 councils, agreed to name 19 places after important women.

Call for convictions law change

23 May 2012 Last updated at 09:34 GMT England and Wales already have rules which allow previous convictions to be used as evidence Prosecutors should be able to use previous convictions as evidence in Scottish trials, according to the Scottish Law Commission.
In a report, the commission concluded that Scots law should be changed as evidence of this kind can be highly relevant to guilt or innocence.

Trent Bridge suits England - Stewart

By Alec Stewart Former England captain and BBC Radio 5 live summariser Venue: Trent BridgeDate: 25-29 MayStart: 11:00 BST dailyCoverage: Ball-by-ball commentary on Test Match Special (BBC 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 LW and available worldwide via BBC Sport website); updates on BBC Radio 5 live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website
England made a good start to their international summer with a pretty convincing win over West Indies at Lord's, but there were a couple of hiccups along the way that they will want to rectify, starting at Trent Bridge on Friday.
In the first innings, they had an opportunity to bat West Indies out of the game by posting a score in excess of 450. However, they failed to fully build on the platform laid down by Andrew Strauss's fine century and if West Indies had batted in their first innings anything like they did in their second, the game could have been even closer than it was.

Guinea-Bissau army cedes control

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:21 GMT More regional troops are expected in Guinea-Bissau over the coming days Guinea-Bissau's military junta says it has handed back power, six weeks after staging a coup that derailed presidential elections.
But correspondents say the army remains influential - and the transitional government includes as defence minister one of the coup leaders.
A regional peace force has started deploying to help bring stability.
No elected leader in nearly 40 years of independence has finished their time in office in the tiny West African state.

Nations need food security goals

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:53 GMT By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News Researchers are calling for a concerted approach to agricultural policy, based on science The biggest environmental summit for a decade must make meaningful progress on global food security and sustainable agriculture, say researchers.
CGIAR, the world's largest publicly funded research body, has published a seven-point "call to action" plan.
Ahead of the Rio gathering, scientists are calling for an improved commitment to deliver nutrition security and lessen the need to aid.
Agriculture is estimated to provide jobs for 40% of the world's population.

Teen Blogger: Feminism's Future is Online

The Internet is a big boost to the feminist movement says teen blogger Julie Zeilinger in this excerpt from her new book, "A Little F'd Up: Why Feminism is Not a Dirty Word." How else would she meet a co-blogger from Jordan?
(WOMENSENEWS)-- One of the attitudes older feminists seem to have about my generation is, essentially, that we need to get our asses into gear.
After all, they petitioned door-to-door for the Equal Rights Amendment. They held conscious-raising sessions. Hell, they slammed their livid bodies against the doors of the Playboy Club to protest violent pornography. So when they watch us tapping away on our computers and calling it activism, it makes sense that they'd be like, "Um, no, I think you're confused. That's not activism, that's actually the ancient art of sitting on your ass."

Skydiver to jump without chute

23 May 2012 Last updated at 08:43 GMT Gary Connery's flight will take about 50 seconds A stuntman is to leap from a helicopter at a height of 2,400ft (730m) and land without using a parachute.
Gary Connery, from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, will attempt the stunt at 13:00 BST on Wednesday wearing a specially developed wingsuit.
The 42-year-old will make the jump above Ridge Wood in Buckinghamshire and land in an area containing 18,600 cardboard boxes.

Michaela accused 'had confessed'

23 May 2012 Last updated at 11:09 GMT Avinash Treebhoowoon (left) and Sandip Moneea arrive for the second day of the trial One of two men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey signed a confession, the trial jury has heard.
The daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte was found dead at the Legends Hotel in Mauritius during her honeymoon on 10 January 2011.
Prosecutors said Avinash Treebhoowoon admitted she "caught them red-handed" in her room and could identify them.

Scissor Sisters: 'Albums are a waste of songs'

23 May 2012 Last updated at 01:19 GMT "I think we've put our own notch in the wall. We occupy our own space, which was always the goal," says frontman Jake Shears (top of picture) Flamboyant New York pop group Scissor Sisters, famous for songs like Take Your Mama Out and Laura, are about to release their fourth album, Magic Hour. But, they tell the BBC, they're worried that some of the songs will never be heard.
"I just did The Voice with my fly unzipped!"
Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears is reliving the moment when, at the end of the band's performance on BBC One, he "looked down and noticed my trousers were wide open".
It was the one misstep in a week that saw the band's latest single, Only the Horses, enter the Top 10 and a fan propose to his girlfriend during the first of two sold-out shows at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.
"We had no expectations for this campaign, so I'm thrilled," Shears says.
The singer is also looking forward to playing the Tower of London as part of the London 2012 Festival in July.

Fiat and Mazda in car alliance

23 May 2012 Last updated at 09:11 GMT An Alfa Romeo model will be produced in Mazda's Hiroshima plant from 2015 Fiat and Mazda have formed an alliance to develop two-seater sports cars.
The alliance will work on a car for Fiat's Alfa Romeo brand and a roadster with a different engine and styling for Mazda.

Could a human body hide a bomb?

23 May 2012 Last updated at 00:28 GMT By Gordon Corera Security correspondent, BBC News The underwear bomb that surfaced in Yemen this month has reignited concern that al-Qaeda's bomb-makers are finding innovative ways to hide explosive devices - even placing them within the body. How worried should we be?
A body cavity device would be just the latest chapter in the deadly cat and mouse game played between al-Qaeda and Western security officials when it comes to aviation. The terror group has consistently sought out new means of evading airport security regimes.

Schools saw 87,000 racism cases

23 May 2012 Last updated at 00:32 GMT By Divya Talwar BBC Asian Network "I was so low," says Khadeja Fahat, 14, who suffered daily abuse
Nearly 88,000 racist incidents were recorded in Britain's schools between 2007 and 2011, the BBC has found.
Data from 90 areas shows 87,915 cases of racist bullying, which can include name calling and physical abuse.
Birmingham recorded the highest number of incidents at 5,752, followed by Leeds with 4,690. Carmarthenshire had the lowest number with just 5 cases.
A racist incident is defined as any situation perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
In response to the local authority figures, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, the Department for Education said racism needed to be "rooted out".

In pictures: Chelsea Flower Show

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Peru denies dolphin death claims

23 May 2012 Last updated at 00:00 GMT The dolphins were washed up in Chiclayo, in the north of Peru A Peruvian minister has denied claims that explosions used in oil exploration are to blame for the deaths of hundreds of dolphins.

Fisheries Minister Gladys Triveno said a government investigation showed that natural causes were to blame.

She contradicted a study by an environmental group which suggested that explosions had caused the deaths.

The animals have washed up along Peru's northern coastline since the beginning of the year.

Ms Triveno said the official government report by Peru's Maritime Institute (Imarpe) ruled out oil exploration, or infection by a virus or bacteria, as triggers for the deaths of the dolphins.

"We have reached the conclusion that the deaths were from natural causes. It's not the first time that this has happened," Ms Triveno said, citing similar cases of dolphin deaths in New Zealand and Australia.

She was speaking on Peruvian radio hours before the release of the official government report.

'Food problem'

However, environmental group Orca said it had tested 30 dead dolphins and found they had broken ears and damaged organs, consistent with the animals suffering from decompression sickness.

Orca has blamed the deaths on the noise and pressure waves caused by explosions it linked to oil exploration in the area.

Along the same stretch of shoreline, thousands of sea birds have also been found dead over the past months.

Ms Triveno announced there would be a separate report into the death of more than 1,200 pelicans, but that she could already rule out a bacterial or viral infection.

She said their deaths were related to a "food problem".

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Powers begin Iran nuclear talks

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:12 GMT Iran is enriching uranium in its heavily fortified underground plant at Fordo, near Qom Six world powers have begun a fresh talks with Iran about its controversial nuclear programme.

The talks are being held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, at Iran's request.

They come a day after the UN's nuclear watchdog held talks with Iran to try to gain better access to the regime's nuclear installations.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says any efforts by Western powers to put pressure on Iran at the talks would be "futile".

But he told a news conference in Tehran on Wednesday that there were reasons to be optimistic about the negotiations.

"The ideas fielded to us speak of the fact that the other side would like to make Baghdad a success. We hope that in a day or two we can bring good news."

Tehran insists its uranium enrichment programme is for peaceful purposes, but the West fears Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany are seeking to persuade Iranian officials to scale back their nuclear programme.

Security is tight, with about 15,000 Iraqi police and troops protecting the venue inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Continue reading the main story James Reynolds BBC Iran correspondent, in Baghdad

These talks mark a strange reunion - for eight years in the 1980s, Iran fought against Iraq. Then, in 2003, America and Britain led the invasion of Iraq.

US soldiers once fought their way to Baghdad because of suspicions of weapons of mass destruction.

Now, US diplomats come back to the same country to talk about the same subject. This time the country in question is Iran, not Iraq.

No-one expects a breakthrough at this round of talks. Nor do they expect a breakdown either.

Previous talks in Istanbul in mid-April managed to find enough common ground to arrange a further meeting in Baghdad.

Correspondents say Wednesday's talks will put these renewed efforts to the test.

A senior Western official quoted by Reuters said that the six - led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton - would make Iran "a detailed proposal that will include confidence-building measures".

However, no details were given on what those measures might be.

Analysts say the main goal of the six powers will probably be an Iranian agreement to shut down the higher-grade uranium enrichment programme that it launched in 2010.

Sanctions

Iran has since expanded the enrichment process at an underground plant at Fordo, outside the northern city of Qom.

Continue reading the main story

UK ministers are discussing not just the possibility of a military confrontation but what role, if any, Britain might play and whether any involvement would be legal.”

End Quote On Tuesday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said an agreement with Iran over nuclear inspections was expected "quite soon" following his recent talks in Tehran.

He said the deal could increase Tehran's co-operation with IAEA investigations into its atomic activity.

The IAEA wants its inspectors to have greater access to Iranian sites, nuclear scientists and documents.

The EU, the US and the UN have all imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

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Montreal marks 100-day protest

23 May 2012 Last updated at 01:34 GMT Tens of thousands of demonstrators have filled the streets of Montreal to mark 100 days since protests began against a planned rise in student tuition fees.

People chanted "Our streets!" and carried signs and red banners. There were no reports of arrests.

An emergency bill passed by Quebec's government on Friday was aimed at curbing the protests by requiring marches to follow pre-approved routes.

Rallies since then have turned violent, with 300 arrests on Sunday alone.

Protesters say the law, Bill 78, infringes their democratic right to express themselves. They have pledged to contest it in court.

Continue reading the main story

Other societies with rights and freedoms to protect have found it reasonable to impose certain constraints, first of all to protect protesters, and also to protect the public”

End Quote Robert Dutil Quebec Public Safety Minister Quebec has the lowest tuition rates in Canada. The government's proposal would raise them by 80%, in increments of $254 per year (£160) for seven years.

'Massive, collective disobedience'

Most of Tuesday's protesters followed a route submitted to police in advance, in accordance with the emergency bill.

However, some protesters linked with Classe, a student group with a no-compromise reputation, chose to defy the law and break away from the crowds.

Classe also said it would continue to agitate through the summer, a time of year when Montreal hosts outdoor festivals and attracts large numbers of tourists.

"Thousands of people have come to demonstrate with us, not only against the rise in tuition rates but with the intention to signal their disapproval of the special law," Classe leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois told the Associated Press news agency.

"The gesture made by tens of thousands is one of massive and collective civil disobedience."

Classe protesters were at the heart of the demonstration

But Quebec's minister of public safety, Robert Dutil, countered that many cities - including Geneva, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto - have implemented comparable legislation.

"Other societies with rights and freedoms to protect have found it reasonable to impose certain constraints, first of all to protect protesters, and also to protect the public," Mr Dutil told reporters.

The bill requires activists to provide the police with eight hours' notice of when and where protests are planned to take place, or face heavy fines.

Small protests took place in New York and Paris on Tuesday in solidarity with the movement in Montreal.

In Quebec, the provincial government has not backed away from the proposed increases of tuition fees, and Premier Jean Charest has been criticised by opposition parties for his handling of the protests.

Mr Charest must call an election before 2013.

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Waitress's Wages Leave Little to Take Home

A waitress in a family-style restaurant in Detroit says it's a struggle to make ends meet. Most servers are women and they are subject to a sub-minimum wage that hasn't been raised since 1991. Family members often provide a crucial safety net.
(WOMENSNENEWS)--The greatest challenge of Zhanneta Dunder's work as a server in a family-style restaurant in Detroit is not carrying heavy trays of food, but stretching her earnings of $300 a week to support herself and her 11-year-old daughter.
"It is a struggle to pay the rent, let alone gasoline, car insurance and my daughter's school supplies," said the 41-year-old waitress. "But I'm grateful for the job because I like the people I work with and the customers are nice."

Young Entrepreneur Revives Old Craft in Kashmir

The quality and export of Kashmiri rugs have declined, but one young woman is putting pride and decent wages back into the traditional craft. In a region where such female entrepreneurship is a rarity, she says training makes all the difference.
SRINAGAR, Kashmir, India (WOMENSENEWS) -- Arifa Jan began making namdas, rugs created from felted wool, when she knew that the traditional craft was at a low point.
Just 10 years earlier, 98 percent of the namdas that were produced in Kashmir were exported, Jan says. But since then, this had fallen to 2 percent.

EU's austerity agenda challenged

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:42 GMT Francois Hollande says he wants all options discussed European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Wednesday are expected to hear the new French president challenge the EU's German-led austerity drive.
Francois Hollande has said he wants the focus shifted to growth, and will raise the idea of shared-debt eurobonds as a way of heading off the eurozone crisis.
Germany is firmly opposed to eurobonds - but has accepted there is a need to stimulate growth.
The meeting comes amid concern that Greece may have to leave the euro.
Even though that prospect is not formally on the agenda, correspondents say it is sure to be discussed.
The informal dinner in Brussels on Wednesday evening will be chaired by the European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy.

Murphy announces Irish retirement

Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy has revealed he is quitting international rugby after failing to make the squad for the tour to New Zealand.
The Leicester Tigers skipper had been pondering his Irish future, and being left out of Declan Kidney's panel seems to have made his mind up.
"You know when it's time to hang up your boots at any level," Murphy told the Leicester Mercury. 
"It is time for some young lads to come in and prepare for the next World Cup."
Murphy said he planned to contact Ireland coach Kidney to tell him of his international retirement.
"I have had some tremendous memories with the squad," said 34-year-old Murphy, who played in two of Ireland's matches at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Murphy won 74 caps for Ireland and was in the team that won the Grand Slam in 2009.
He was on the 2005 British and Lions tour to New Zealand.
Murphy is the latest in a string of Ireland players to announce their retirement, following on from Shane Horgan, Jerry Flannery, Denis Leamy and David Wallace.

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Chariots of Fire sprints on stage

23 May 2012 Last updated at 08:02 GMT By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News The production sees actors sprinting through the theatre's converted auditorium A stage version of Chariots of Fire has premiered in London and is now set for a West End run during the Olympics.

The production, at the Hampstead Theatre, sees its actors sprinting through an auditorium that has been converted into a race track.

"You can feel the wind as they rush past," said Mike Bartlett, who adapted his version from Colin Welland's Oscar-winning screenplay.

The play also features the original music theme by Vangelis.

Bartlett's play retells the story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams' quest to become the fastest men on earth at the 1924 Paris Olympics despite religious obstacles.

Directed by Edward Hall, the cast of 21 includes James McArdle as Abrahams and Jack Lowden as Liddell.

Early reviews are positive. "Even if the piece sometimes plays too easily on our emotional responses, it is an ensemble triumph that will clearly enjoy the longest of runs," said The Guardian's Michael Billington.

"You can't help thinking of Starlight Express in the race track that travels around the theatre," tweeted The Stage's Mark Shenton after Tuesday's opening night.

"On its own terms Chariots of Fire definitely delivers (especially if you've not seen the film) and I reckon will be a huge popular success."

The 1981 film starred Ian Charleson and Ben Cross and won four Oscars, including best picture and best music.

James McArdle (left) and Jack Lowden play Abrahams and Liddell

Its director Hugh Hudson, who was at Tuesday's opening night, said it was important to retain Vangelis's acclaimed score.

"Vangelis's music is part of the drive and emotion - it is essential," he said. "People expect it."

Bartlett - whose plays include Earthquakes in London and Love, Love, Love, currently at the Royal Court - said he was aware the film still meant a lot to people.

"The question was always, 'Why bother making the film into a play?'" he told the BBC.

"The answer was always in the running - come and see them run! You can feel their sweat as they rush past you.

"There's a real link between the drama of a sporting event and the athleticism of a drama."

Hampstead Theatre artistic director Edward Hall said he knew from the outset he wanted the play to feature real athletics.

"We trained very intensively when we were rehearsing," he said. "And since we started here they warm up for about 45 minutes before they begin and warm down after."

The actors had to go through auditions for acting, singing and physical fitness and have a physiotherapist and a fitness coach to keep them in shape.

That Chariots of Fire is being staged in the year of the London 2012 Olympics is important, Hall went on.

"It's about two great British heroes. Both of them are outsiders and to me it encapsulates everything that is great and inclusive about Britain.

"You've got the son of an immigrant Lithuanian Jew and a Scottish Christian fundamentalist and both of them become heroes of the British establishment."

Bartlett admits it is unusual for him to come up with a "feel-good" play. "We're used to theatre that's very provocative and I've written a lot of that theatre," he said.

"It's quite unusual for me to write something that's uplifting and celebratory. [But] what better time to be doing that?

"A lot of people can't get a ticket to the Olympics. If you can't get a ticket to the Olympics, get a ticket to this!"

Chariots of Fire is at the Hampstead Theatre until 16 June and will then transfer to the Gielgud Theatre in central London.

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Financial advice call over cancer

23 May 2012 Last updated at 05:55 GMT Ceredigion Welfare Benefits Adviser Lisa Bray with Nikki Cox, whose husband Ian has cancer A charity is urging the Welsh government to ensure all cancer sufferers are given financial advice when diagnosed with the disease.

Macmillan Cancer Support said people were often unprepared for the financial cost of cancer and do not know of benefits they are entitled to.

An average patient in Wales faces over £1,500 in extra costs, including travel to hospital, on top of loss in income.

The Welsh government said it was working to ease the financial burden.

Research published by Macmillan suggested some 95% of patients face an increase in travel costs as they travel back and forth to hospital for treatment and follow-up appointments.

On average, this amounts to an estimated £275 per patient in the first year, rising to £400 over five years.

It found that an average £400 is spent on new clothes over five years as patients often lose or gain weight while undergoing treatment such chemotherapy, while wigs may also be needed.

Continue reading the main story

Ian Cox from Ceredigion was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in June 2011.

He ran a building firm and employed both his sons but was soon too ill to work.

The bank then recalled a loan, they were made bankrupt and the family home was repossessed.

Mr Cox and his wife Nikki were rehoused by the council but their sons had to find other accommodation.

"Cancer is expensive. It costs money to travel to hospital; it costs money to heat the house, to buy new clothes and specialist foods - the bills don't stop coming," said Mrs Cox, who now works part time and cares for her husband.

"At one point we had no money between June and October.

"It's the little things which you don't think of. Ian needed new clothes as he lost so much weight and we needed thicker duvets to keep him warm.

"We also needed £500 to fill up the oil tank for winter."

After receiving advice, Mrs Cox added: "There should be something in place so you don't have to worry about money. That should be automatic."

Energy bills also rise as a patient is often home more and other costs can include childcare and household modifications.

It comes at a time when sufferers may also face a reduced income if they are unable to work, the charity said in its report, Counting the Cost of Cancer.

It added that some cancer sufferers may also lose money due to UK government changes to the welfare system.

The charity said it wanted every person affected by cancer in Wales to be made aware of their financial rights and entitlements from the point of diagnosis.

It is urging the Welsh government to ensure that health professionals offer the information and advice as soon as possible.

Susan Morris, general manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said the financial impact of cancer was a growing problem in Wales.

"When people think of cancer they don't usually think of money," she said.

'Alleviate anxiety'

"But the sad fact is that for many people who get cancer, money is one of their biggest worries."

She added: "Access to timely and appropriate benefits advice can significantly reduce financial hardship, alleviate anxiety and stress, improve quality of life and help people make informed choices throughout their cancer journey."

Continue reading the main story More than 50% of people with a cancer diagnosis say they are worried about their finances.The average person loses anPeople living in Powys Deal with the largest hike in outgoings, with an estimated extra £2,500 for increased costs over five yearsPeople in the Vale of Glamorgan experienced the greatest loss of income - up to an estimated £18,000 over five years43% in employment at the time of diagnosis experience loss of income.More than four in 10 cancer patients say the financial impact has made them feel more stressed or anxious.About a quarter say it has caused a strain on their personal relationships.Source: Macmillan Cancer Support At the moment, patients and their families are not routinely offered financial advice and support when they receive a diagnosis.

Fewer than half of people with a cancer diagnosis in Wales say they receive financial advice or support from any source, said the charity, which has its own welfare benefits advisers.

This figure falls even further among the over-65s, where fewer than one in three receive support, the research found.

The Welsh government said its Cancer Delivery Plan says that more care and treatment should be provided at local hospitals, reducing the need for patients to travel.

"But for rarer cancers, patients may still need to travel to specialist cancer centres to ensure the best outcome," a spokesman said.

"It also makes clear that following diagnosis, a patient's needs are assessed and information is provided on access to financial help and support.

"In addition, patients on certain benefits are entitled to reclaim some or all of their travel costs or those with a clinical need can arrange transport through the Patient Care Services."

He added that cancer patients also benefit from free prescriptions and free hospital car parking in Wales.

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Egyptians vote in landmark poll

23 May 2012 Last updated at 11:12 GMT The BBC's Lyse Doucet speaks to voters at a packed polling station in Cairo

Egyptians are voting in their first free presidential election, 15 months after ousting Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring uprising.

Fifty million people are eligible to vote, and large queues have formed at some polling stations.

The military council which assumed presidential power in February 2011 has promised a fair vote and civilian rule.

The election pits Islamists against secularists, and revolutionaries against Mubarak-era ministers.

But the BBC's Wyre Davies, in the second city of Alexandria, says that for many people the election is not about religious dogma or party politics, but about who can put food on the table.

The frontrunners are:

Ahmed Shafiq, a former commander of the air force and briefly prime minister during February 2011 protestsAmr Moussa, who has served as foreign minister and head of the Arab LeagueMohammed Mursi, who heads Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice PartyAbdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent Islamist candidate

Until a new constitution is approved it is unclear what powers the president will have, prompting fears of friction with a military which seems determined to retain its powerful position.

Continue reading the main story Jeremy Bowen BBC Middle East editor, Cairo

A mixture of optimism and trepidation has been running through the queues of voters at the polling stations I've visited this morning.

The optimism comes from the simple fact that they can vote for a leader at long last, and the hope that the winner will be able to get to grips with Egypt's serious problems. The most common call this morning is for a "strong leader".

That's because of the trepidation they're feeling about the size of the challenges Egypt faces. The biggest are economic (not enough jobs) and about security (crime and violence has spiked since the police collapsed during the revolution last year).

The leading candidates are Islamists and former ministers from the old regime. The secular activists who led the campaign to oust President Mubarak have not been able to seize the imagination of the Egyptian people.

'Free choice'

Voting began at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT), with queues observed at many Cairo polling stations.

BBC correspondents say the atmosphere is calm, with people waiting patiently for their turn.

There have been no reports of violence on the day, although a police sergeant died after being shot during clashes between rival supporters in Rawdh al-Faraj on Tuesday evening, officials said.

"It's a very big day," one woman told the BBC. "This is a real great moment for the Egyptians to change."

Another, when asked how long she had been waiting to vote, replied, with a laugh: "Thirty years."

One man said it was most important for the new president to have his own programme.

"Actually he has to be in the revolution, or he has to be a strong part in the revolution. This is something which is not negotiable," he said.

Mr Mursi was originally the Muslim Brotherhood's reserve candidate, but he was thrust into the limelight after its first choice, Khairat al-Shater, was disqualified by the Higher Presidential Electoral Commission (HPEC) over an unresolved conviction.

Continue reading the main story

We want a people's democracy for Egypt, not an Egyptian republic for retired generals”

End Quote Gigi Ibrahim Journalist and activist The Brotherhood has nevertheless likened Mr Mursi,US-educated engineer and MP, to an underrated football substitute.

"In any match there is the reserve who plays in the last 10 minutes, scores the goal and wins the match. Mursi is our reserve player," said cleric Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud while addressing a crowd of Brotherhood supporters on Sunday.

A run-off vote is scheduled for 16 and 17 June if there is no outright winner.

The election is being hailed as a landmark for Egyptians, who have the opportunity to choose their leader for the first time in the country's 5,000-year recorded history.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), worried about potential post-election unrest, has sought to reassure Egyptians that it will be the voters themselves who decide who will be the next president.

"It is important that we all accept the election results, which will reflect the free choice of the Egyptian people, bearing in mind that Egypt's democratic process is taking its first step and we all must contribute to its success," it said in a statement on Monday.

The 15 months since Mr Mubarak was forced from power has been turbulent, with continued violent protests and a deteriorating economy.

Continue reading the main story Muhammad al-Awwa, Islamic thinker Hisham al-Bastawisi, leading judge Abu al-Izz al-Hariri, Socialist MP Khalid Ali, Left-wing rights activist Hamdin Sabbahi, co-founder of Nasserist Karama party Foreign direct investment has reversed from $6.4bn (£4bn) flowing into the country in 2010 to $500m leaving it last year.

Tourism, a major revenue generator for the country, has also dropped by a third.

The new president will also have to reform the police to deal with the rash of crime that followed the uprising.

As many as a third of voters are reported to be undecided about which candidate to choose.

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia last year when weeks of protests forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power, inspiring pro-democracy activists across the Arab world.

Mr Mubarak, who was in power for three decades, resigned on 11 February 2011 after 18 days of protests in Cairo and other cities.

He is on trial for his alleged role in the deaths of protesters, and a verdict in the case is due on 2 June.

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Robin Gibb's life in pictures

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Microsoft opens up So.cl network

22 May 2012 Last updated at 13:54 Students are invited to build visual collages of their search results and share them with others Microsoft has opened up its So.cl social networking service to the general public.

The website is designed to let users share and comment on interesting search results and connect with "like-minded" people.

It is targeted at students and had formerly been restricted to invitees at universities and schools in the US.

The service integrates with Facebook and is being pitched as an "experiment" rather than a rival to other networks.

Microsoft noted that the product was developed by its Fuse Labs unit as a "research project... focused on the future of social experiences and learning."

Members are invited to create "collages of content" using the firm's Bing search engine technology and external links which they can then share with others.

Users can then identify people who are interested in the same topics, monitor their associates' feeds and take part in "video parties" during which members watch online videos together, commenting on them via a chat function.

Members can sign in using their Facebook log-in details, but their So.cl activities do not show up on Facebook's pages unless the option is activated.

Quiet roll-out

The move to open up the service was taken over the weekend with little fanfare, prompting some analysts to speculate that Microsoft only had limited ambitions for the project.

So.cl lets users watch and comment on videos from YouTube and other sites at the same time

"The fact that So.cl is targeted at students echoes Facebook's beginnings and has made many assume it is a Facebook clone," said Eden Zoller, principal analyst at technology consultants Ovum.

"But So.cl is, as Microsoft stresses, an experiment designed to be a layer on existing social networks.

"Microsoft is being sensible in positioning So.cl in this way - the opposite approach of Google, which entered social networking all guns blazing with a full on service, and is having modest success."

Boosting Bing

Mr Zoller added that the project could also help Microsoft further improve Bing's search capabilities.

A study by Comscore suggested that Microsoft had a 15.4% share of the US search market in April compared with Google's 66.5% lead. Earlier surveys have suggested the gap is even wider in the UK and parts of Europe.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced another tie-up with Facebook to integrate tips from the social network into Bing's results.

Users in the US are shown a new sidebar which identifies "friends" who can help answer queries based on topics they had "liked" or posted photos about.

Google has also shown interest in being able to use Facebook to improve its search results but has criticised the fact that the site has refused to sign a data-sharing agreement.

In a recent interview on the US network PBS, Google's chief executive Larry Page described the situation as "unfortunate" adding that "in general , I think we'd like to see content on the internet being made more open".

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Why are fountain pen sales rising?

22 May 2012 Last updated at 17:08 GMT By Steven Brocklehurst BBC News Magazine You might expect that email and the ballpoint pen had killed the fountain pen. But sales are rising, so is the fountain pen a curious example of an old-fashioned object surviving the winds of change?

For many people, fountain pens bring back memories of school days full of inky fingers, smudged exercise books and piles of pink blotting paper.

But for others, a fat Montblanc or a silver-plated Parker is a treasured item. Prominently displayed, they are associated with long, sinuous lines of cursive script.

Sales figures are on the up. Parker, which has manufactured fountain pens since 1888, claims a worldwide "resurgence" in the past five years, and rival Lamy says turnover increased by more than 5% in 2011.

Online retailer Amazon says sales so far this year have doubled compared with the same period in 2011. They are four times higher than 2010.

Quill penmakers failed to innovate in the face of competition

Stationery giant Ryman has seen a 10% increase in fountain pen sales over the last six weeks compared with the same period last year.

But the rush to fountain pens is not part of a wider handwriting boom. Sales of ballpoint pens are stable.

Instead the fountain pen is a classic story of how an object's status is affected by waves of new technology.

Fountains pens once ruled, but by the 1960s the perfection of ballpoint pen technology established a remorseless rival. It would have taken an optimistic soul then to predict anything other than extinction for the fountain pen - a trip to the technological graveyard alongside the quill pen or the mangle.

But they didn't die. The way people think about them has changed and is still changing.

"The relationship we have with a fountain pen is changing from it being a working tool towards more of an accessory," says Gordon Scott, vice-president for office products at Parker pens in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Continue reading the main story

English author Neil Gaiman explains why he write his novels with fountain pens

"It started in 1994 when I wrote the novel Stardust - in my head I wanted it to be written in the same way as it would have been in the 1920s, so I bought a big notepad and Waterman pen.

"It was the first time I'd used a fountain pen since I was about 13. I found myself enjoying writing more slowly and liked the way I had to think through sentences differently. I discovered I loved the fact that handwriting forces you to do a second draft, rather than just tidying up and deleting bits on a computer. I also discovered I enjoy the tactile buzz of the ritual involved in filling the pens with ink.

"Now when I write novels I have two fountain pens on the go, with two different colour inks. One is always my favourite, but I alternate between the two, so I can see what I have written each day. I also love the way people react when I sign books with fountain pens. I try to sign them in different colours such as brown, green or grey as it is really nice to show that it's obviously been done by a human being.

"I don't have any time for incredibly fancy pens and use a different 'lead' pen for each novel. Right now I am using a Twsbi, which is an incredibly robust but smooth writing pen from Taiwan. My current favourite is a Visconti because it has a magnet in the lid which goes clunk when I put the top on - I am easily satisfied. I probably have between 40 and 60 fountain pens, which is a bit silly, but once people are aware that you like them, they like to give them as gifts."

"People want the memory of a fountain pen in a contemporary pen."

Somehow, the fountain pen became a luxury item and found a niche.

If a president signs a treaty, they don't do it with a Bic Cristal. If you give a loved one a pen, your thoughts might be more fountain than ballpoint.

It is the stuff of graduation presents and good luck on your first day at work.

And those who buy them for themselves are making a very self-conscious choice. They are saying: "I want to write in the old way."

Daily Telegraph readers recently created their own appreciation society after one letter writer asked: "When did you last see someone using a fountain pen?"

The question prompted a wave of heartfelt testimonies from fanatical fountain penmen.

The fountain pen has had to deal with both the ballpoint menace and the general threat to handwriting from the rise of email and other electronic messaging types.

But for the aficionados, an iridium nib is a statement.

They are "simple and honest" in a world governed by ubiquitous modern computer technology, says Martin Roberts, of online pen specialist The Writing Desk.

"There is a McDonald's on every High Street but it does not prevent people from enjoying good, simple, home-cooked food."

Your nibs? From left: Waterman, Sheaffer, Parker, Graf von Faber-Castell, Sheaffer, Pelikan

In the early years of the ballpoint threat, fountain penmakers tried price wars and innovation but failed to stem the tide. What stemmed it was a hardcore of affection.

When the typewriter makers fought their last-ditch battle against the personal computer, they failed. Gimmicks such as electronic screens or automated liquid paper dispensing were no match for the attacker.

But the fountain pen found a way.

Sharon Hughes, a buyer for John Lewis, says people relish returning to solid, traditional objects to make sense of a difficult and complex world.

"They are an old-fashioned thing but people like the personal touch. It is nice for things to be handwritten and not having everything via email," she says.

According to Eva Pauli, from German manufacturer Lamy, the digitisation of everyday life has led to a change in writing by hand.

"Writing is becoming more and more exclusive and personal. This will probably be the reason that some people speak of a comeback of the fountain pen," she says.

"From our perspective, it has never really gone. In many European countries, the students continue to learn to write by hand with a pen."

Doctors, lawyers and teachers have long used them to bestow an extra layer of respectability to official documents.

Continue reading the main story

It is difficult to be specific about its origins, says Andreas Lambrou, author of Fountain Pens of the World. "It came into vogue after the manufacture of the first steel nib took over from the quill.

"In the mid-19th Century, Birmingham was the strongest manufacturing city in the world for the steel nib. You had to keep ink next to you and once dipped, the pen would only write about one or two lines.

"This remained popular until the early 1900s and then the stylographic pen was developed, which carried its own ink. At this time there was a proliferation of fountain pen designs and filling mechanisms, but they were not very good writers and the ink flow wasn't smooth. In 1883, American LE Waterman invented what we know as the 'first practical pen', apparently after he got annoyed because a contract he was signing was ruined by a blot of ink.

"The US led the market for a while with companies such as Waterman, Parker and Sheaffer.

"Then in Europe, in particular UK, companies sprang up and they gradually developed their own designs and materials. Germany was very strong in the field, with Montblanc for example. Nowadays the manufacture is very strong in Europe and weaker in the US.

"We have seen a resurgence of popularity in the last 10 to 15 years. Who knows whether this is because people expect a greater range of pens, or whether it's from nostalgia - we have seen greater production of vintage-style pens, for example."

In the world of business too, a good fountain pen can be seen as declaration of intent.

Dragons' Den regular Peter Jones is thought to favour a Yard-O-Led Viceroy, which sells for about £500.

And Nick Hewer, Lord Sugar's adviser in the BBC series The Apprentice, is often seen chewing on the end of his Lamy pen as he takes notes on the misadventures of candidates.

In an interview with the Daily Express he said: "I'm not one for ostentatious treaty-signing type pens but I do think in business making an effort with the little things sends out a signal that you are serious about what you are doing."

Others argue that writing "properly" is connected to standards of etiquette and politeness.

But not everyone is a fan of fountain pens.

If you're writing on a Post-It Note or a clipboard or filling in a form today, you'll probably use a ballpoint. To a vast majority, fountain pens are an affectation.

It used to be the case that schools forced pupils to use them. That has long fallen by the wayside.

One headmaster at a school in Stockport even made headlines because he banned GCSE pupils from using fountain pens over concerns it would affect their exam performance.

But there are still traditionalists who associate them with a disciplined learning environment.

Bryan Lewis, headmaster of The Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville junior school in Edinburgh, requires that all written work in the final two years is completed using a fountain pen.

He admits it is difficult for 10-year-olds brought up on the latest computer technology to get to grips with fountain pen writing but says the practice is part of children "aspiring to be excellent".

"Life is about challenge and hard work and we are doing children a disservice if we let standards drop," he says.

And does Lewis use one himself?

"I have been using a fountain pen all morning to write school reports," he says.

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Marr: Labour 'favoured' reporters

23 May 2012 Last updated at 11:08 GMT Stephen Dorrell: "I tried, when I was writing minutes within government, to write them in English that didn't require decoding"

New Labour favoured certain reporters, including ones who worked for Rupert Murdoch's papers, BBC journalist Andrew Marr has told the Leveson Inquiry.

He said he felt the Labour government thought having a good relationship with some newspapers was "well worth doing".

Earlier former Heritage Secretary Stephen Dorrell told the inquiry into press ethics he explored ways of "doing nothing" about proposed privacy laws.

Ex-Labour minister Lord Reid and the BBC's Jeremy Paxman will speak later.

The inquiry into press standards is looking into the relationship between politicians and the media.

'In the wilderness'

Mr Marr said he believed the Labour government thought it was important to have a positive relationship with News International titles as well as newspapers such as the Mirror and the Guardian.

But he said reporters from some papers, such as the Daily Telegraph, found themselves "out in the wilderness".

He also said the rise of internet news had meant people did not buy newspapers to simply find out what had happened and papers had adapted and now looked to get readers "emotionally engaged in the news".

Mr Marr said he "mourned" the old distinction between news and comment but thought there was "no going back".

'Do nothing option'

Earlier the inquiry heard from Conservative MP Stephen Dorrell, who was national heritage secretary in the mid-90s under John Major, and has responsibility for media policy.

Mr Dorrell told the inquiry the government at the time preferred to avoid statutory regulation of the press and said he was "personally hostile for any proposal for official regulation of freedom of expression".

He said when privacy laws were suggested, the government explored ways of "doing nothing" about it and he was asked to "dress up a do nothing option".

And he said was not in favour of having government policy determined by press coverage but also not in favour of having policy set out "blind to press coverage".

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Welfare 'letting addicts down'

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:07 GMT Some say withdrawing benefits from drug users would lead them into crime The state should intervene further to help drug and alcohol addicts recover and make them employable in future, a senior cabinet minister will say.

In a speech to Alcoholics Anonymous, Iain Duncan Smith will argue that addicts who are unable to work are being let down by the welfare system.

The BBC understands removing benefits from people refusing treatment will be an option but a "hypothetical" one.

One drug charity said such a move would set a "dangerous precedent".

In 2010, the Home Office considered plans to remove benefits from addicts who refused treatment as part of the government's drug strategy but these were not pursued.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions, 40,000 people claim incapacity benefits - citing alcoholism as their primary condition. Of these, about a third have been claiming for more than a decade.

The government also says 80% of the UK's 400,000 "problem drug users" are claiming out-of-work benefits.

'Road to recovery'

In a speech in Parliament, Mr Duncan Smith will say "the outdated benefits system fails to get people off drugs and put their lives on track".

"We have started changing how addicts are supported but we must go further to actively take on the devastation that drugs and alcohol can cause," he will say.

"We want to do more to encourage and support claimants into rehabilitation for addiction and starting them on the road to recovery and eventually work."

Continue reading the main story

There is no evidence that using the stick of benefit sanctions will help people to positively engage with treatment and support their recovery”

End Quote Martin Barnes DrugScope Mr Duncan Smith will say the introduction of a single, consolidated benefit known as Universal Credit from next year - more details of which will be published on Thursday - will simplify the benefits system and provide more financial incentives for employment, helping all claimants.

"Getting people into work and encouraging independence is our ultimate goal," he will add.

"Universal Credit will put people on a journey towards sustainable recovery so they are better placed to look for work in future."

The BBC's political correspondent Chris Mason said Mr Duncan Smith, in his speech, would hint that a lack of willingness to seek help for addictions could lead to a cut in benefits.

But a source close to the minister emphasised that the universal credit would make it easier to "track people through the system" and ensure they get the help they need.

"Hypothetically people could lose benefits," the source told the BBC. "You do have to have sanctions. But very few people refuse treatment."

'No evidence'

Charities said many addicts were not receiving the support they needed at job centres and through the government's flagship welfare-to-work programme.

One of these, DrugScope, said it would be asking ministers to "clarify" their position on sanctions for refusing treatment.

"We are surprised and concerned at reports that ministers believe that stopping benefits is an appropriate or effective way of engaging people with drug or alcohol treatment and supporting their recovery," said its chief executive Martin Barnes

"If accurate, this would be a reversal of the government's publicly stated position."

It said ministers had dropped plans, proposed by the previous Labour government, to require all those attending job centres to answer questions about possible drug and alcohol use.

"There is no evidence that using the stick of benefit sanctions will help people to positively engage with treatment and support their recovery," Mr Barnes added.

"Indeed, the risk is that people will disengage from support services, potentially worsening their dependency and the impacts on their families and communities. Linking benefit to a requirement to undergo treatment would set a dangerous precedent for people with physical or mental health problems."

All those claiming employment and support allowance - which has replaced incapacity benefit - are currently being re-assessed under plans aimed at getting more people into work and reducing the welfare bill.

Critics have complained that the medical tests being used are flawed and too many people are being deemed fit to work when they are not.

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Day in pictures: 22 May 2012

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Alert over allergy injector fault

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:53 GMT Adrenaline injectors are used to treat severe allergic reactions to things such as wasp stings People using a certain type of adrenaline injector for severe allergic reactions are being told to consult their doctors after a fault was found with the product.

Anapens - used by 35,000 people - have been recalled as the adrenaline was being released too slowly, drug regulator the MHRA said.

But patients are being advised to keep using them until they see their doctor.

No problems have yet been reported by individual patients.

Instead, the fault was identified in testing by the manufacturer Owen Mumford.

Gerald Heddell, of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said: "This is a precautionary recall.

"People should continue to use their existing injectors until they can obtain an alternative product."

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Khan to fight Garcia on 14 July

Amir Khan says he will fight WBC light-welterweight champion Danny Garcia in Las Vegas on 14 July.
Khan, 25, was originally scheduled to face Lamont Peterson earlier this month in a rematch for the WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles.
However, that bout was cancelled after the latter tested positive for elevated testosterone levels.
That left Khan looking for another opponent and he tweeted:  "May the best man win on 14 July. Khan vs Garcia."
Born: March 20, 1988 Nickname: Swift Total fights: 23 Total wins: 23 (14 by KO) Titles held: WBC light-welterweight (March 2012- ) Garcia, 24, is undefeated, with 23 wins including 14 knockouts.
"I feel like this is how it's supposed to be: the best versus the best, both of us in our prime and giving the fans a great fight," Garcia told www.espn.com.
"I'm just happy - I feel like I have what it takes to beat this guy.
"I've watched Khan a lot. He's a good fighter, but I don't think he's what people say he is, getting all this credit.
"I feel like he will leave himself open for some big shots and we'll see if he can take them. I can box and I can punch. I'm going to hit him with stuff he won't see. I can't wait."
Garcia recently secured the vacant WBC light-welterweight title with victory by a unanimous decision over Mexican legend Erik Morales,  who had been stripped of the belt for failing to make the weight.
It is not yet clear what titles, if any, will be at stake between Garcia and Khan.
Khan's promoters, Golden Boy, is trying to have the result of the Peterson-Khan fight from December overturned to a no decision and the WBA and IBF belts returned to Khan.
However Garcia tweeted on 19 May:  "If he [Khan] doesn't get his belts back, we can't fight. A unification bout is the only fight that can not let me fight my mandatory."
Garcia is due for a mandatory defence against Ajose Olusegun but, should Khan be given one or both belts back, the WBC would sanction Garcia-Khan because unification bouts take precedence over mandatory fights.

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Trafficked: Sex slaves seduced and sold

BBC News - Trafficked: Sex slaves seduced and sold Accessibility links Skip to content Skip to local navigation Accessibility Help bbc.co.uk navigation News Sport Weather Travel Future TV Radio More Search term: US & Canada Home UK Africa Asia Europe Latin America Mid-East US & Canada Business Health Sci/Environment Tech Entertainment Video US Election 2012 22 May 2012Last updated at 10:36 GMT Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Trafficked: Sex slaves seduced and sold Every year thousands of women are forced into prostitution and traded from Mexico to the United States. The BBC investigates the sex trafficking business, which makes some men very wealthy at the expense of vulnerable young women.

Warning: Viewers may find some of the video content disturbing.

Continue reading the main storyRural traffickers' townSold for sexBrothels on wheels'John School' for clientsTraffickers' town

Tenancingo is a Mexican town built on sex trafficking - with little alternative employment, it's become the only way to make money. Young women from across Mexico are duped into becoming sex slaves by wealthy men living in grand homes, offering them work or even marriage. Needing money for their families, the women discover too late they're being sold into prostitution, often in the US. One Mexican charity estimates there are 1,000 traffickers in Tenancingo, out of a total population of 10,000.

Global trafficking figures$32bnAnnual human trafficking industry (almost £20bn)9.8mTotal involved in unpaid work or prostitution800,000People trafficked across borders every year79%Of people trafficked are women/girlsSource: Congressional Research Service/UN global report on trafficking/ILOSold for sex

"Maria" was 17-years-old when she was lured to Mexico with promises of a new life. Instead she was forced into prostitution and sold from one bar to another. For those women trafficked in Mexico, the capital, Mexico City, is a central hub. From there, many are smuggled to the US, or exploited in border towns and tourist resorts. The Mexican Congress has plans to crack down on trafficking; those accused will be jailed during trial and victims guaranteed anonymity. Corruption among Mexican officials at state level has hampered prosecutions in the past.

Trafficking figures in Mexico100,000Latin Americans trafficked across borders per year47New prosecutions in Mexico City in 20104Trafficking offenders convicted4-17 yearsLength of sentencesSource: Congressional Research Service/Mexico Attorney General's Office'Brothels on wheels'

Many trafficking victims are taken to New York, where they often work gruelling shifts of 10 hours or more. Some women live and work in a brothel, only leaving the building when their pimp moves them to a new location. Other women are advertised on "chica cards", distributed in the street. Customers call the number on the card and women are delivered by car to a customer's house or hotel room. The women live in fear, frequently assaulted by their pimps and customers.

Trafficking figures in New York14-19Average age of victims25-30Average number of male clients per shift$30Average amount paid for 15 minutes$5,250Average a brothel makes a week per womanSource: National Human Trafficking Resource Center'John School'

The US has a federal anti-trafficking law and New York state has its own tough penalties. Though strong laws are in place, the problem is enforcing them. Women who co-operate in trafficking investigations can receive special visas allowing them to work legally. But convicting pimps is still difficult as many of their victims are too terrified to give evidence against them.

Reducing the demand for prostitution is seen as one key to ending sex trafficking. In Brooklyn, New York, the district attorney's office runs a controversial programme to treat men convicted of using prostitutes. Called "John School" the men are taught that the women they are soliciting may be the victims of a sex trafficking operation.

Trafficking figures in the US103Human trafficking cases prosecuted in 2009/10181Individuals charged141Convictions11.8 yearsAverage prison sentenceSource: Trafficking in persons report 2011, US Dept of State Produced by Laura Trevelyan, David Botti, Ignacio de los Reyes, Chuck Tayman, Nada Tawfik, Mark Bryson, Claire Shannon, Luke Ward.

Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print More US & Canada stories RSSMontreal marks 100-day protest

Tens of thousands of protesters fill the streets of Montreal to mark 100 days since the start of protests against a rise in student tuition fees.

Concerns grow over Facebook dealDonna Summer track joins registry Services  Mobile  Connected TV  News feeds  Alerts  E-mail news About BBC News Editors' blog BBC College of Journalism News sources Media Action More … CBBC CBeebies Comedy Food Health History Learning Music Science Nature Local Travel News Full A-Z of BBC sites BBC links Mobile site Terms of Use About the BBC Advertise With Us Privacy BBC Help Ad Choices Cookies Accessibility Help Parental Guidance Contact Us BBC © 2012 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

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Adviser attacks 'socialist' Cable

23 May 2012 Last updated at 11:03 GMT Mr Cable's objections to cutting "red tape" are damaging the economy, Adrian Beecroft says Vince Cable is a socialist who "appears to do very little to support business", a No 10 adviser on employment law says.

Venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft hit back at the business secretary who had dismissed his proposals to make it easier to fire workers as "nonsense".

The Conservative donor told the Daily Telegraph Mr Cable's objections to his suggestions, published in a report this week, were "ideological not economic".

But No 10 said it was doing everything possible to support business.

Downing Street said "some of (Mr Beecroft's recommendations) are being taken forward and some are not".

The businessman was asked to review employment law by Downing Street after David Cameron called for British industry to be freed from "red tape".

His recommendations were broadly supported by Conservative MPs but Mr Cable said plans for so-called no-fault dismissals were "the wrong approach", and it was not the job of government to "scare the wits" out of people.

'Go nuclear threat'

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Beecroft said of Mr Cable: "I think he is a socialist who found a home in the Lib Dems, so he's one of the Left.

"I think people find it very odd that he's in charge of business and yet appears to do very little to support business."

Mr Beecroft blamed the Conservatives' coalition partners, the Lib Dems, for blocking his plans, accusing leader Nick Clegg of always "threatening to go nuclear and dissolve the whole thing if he doesn't get his way with this, that and the other".

Continue reading the main story He is one of the UK's leading venture capitalistsAfter working for computer firm ICL in the 1960s, he joined Boston Consulting Group and then Apax - where he invested in start-up firms and, as senior managing partner, represented its interests on the board of 20 major public and private firmsHe has donated more than £500,000 to the Conservatives under David Cameron's leadershipHe is an honorary fellow of Queen's College Oxford and a big cricket fanHe also criticised the Treasury for failing to "drive growth".

Mr Beecroft told the Telegraph that if all of his recommendations were introduced there would be a 5% increase in growth.

He confirmed he backs the delay of new family friendly rules, such as flexible parental leave, although that proposal did not appear in the final version of his report and suggested that key Conservative figures - including former No 10 adviser Steve Hilton - initially backed all his recommendations.

"I'm talking about Steve Hilton, that group and they assured me that David Cameron wanted to do the whole thing. Whether that's right or not I'm not sure but that was the strong impression I got," he told the newspaper.

His report, which was published on Monday, proposed making it easier for firms to sack under-performing staff.

It suggested ending a mandatory 90-day consultation period when a company is considering redundancy programmes and instead called for a standard 30-day period and an emergency five-day period if a firm was in severe distress.

'Long-term approach'

The report said outdated regulations were harming the economy and preventing companies from creating jobs.

Changes to employment law, it has been argued, would improve the supply of suitable staff to firms, who would be less afraid of having to make large payouts or face legal action when laying off those who were no longer needed.

In response, No 10 said the government was "doing everything we can to support business and growth".

Asked if the prime minister objected to Vince Cable being described by Mr Beecroft as a socialist, the spokesman said: "I thought Vince Cable was a Liberal Democrat".

Labour leader Ed Miliband had said of the report: "We need an economy based on long-termism, investment and training.

"We need to get away from an economy based on a short-term, take-what-you-can, fire-at-will culture."

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Campus 'Safety' Bill Endangers Rape Prosecutions

Last year the government began pushing colleges to do more for rape victims under Title IX, and many colleges stepped up. But a few powerful schools held out and have manipulated a falsely named "campus safety" bill to endanger all that.

(WOMENSENEWS)-- Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., is leading a bill that he says will help fight sexual assault on campuses by requiring schools to take swift and strong action in response to gender-based violence on campus.

Bravo, right?

Wrong. The Campus SaVE bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

It is cleverly worded to look good but if enacted as currently written, it will effectively destroy important provisions released last year by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

On April 4, 2011, Vice President Joe Biden announced with unprecedented clarity and strong language the responsibilities of school officials whose job it is to enforce Title IX, a gender equity mandate that has long obligated schools to deal "promptly," "equitably" and "effectively" with campus-based reports of violence "based on sex."

Biden's advisory--delivered in a so-called Dear Colleague letter--was a desperately needed affirmation of legal principles that comprise the doctrinal contours of Title IX's guarantee of women's equal access to education. The letter made it clear that non-compliant schools would be held accountable. A lengthy discussion of the points addressed in the letter soon followed and it was endorsed by dozens of advocacy groups across the nation.

Even before the letter was issued, the Office for Civil Rights had routinely enforced the points addressed in it, and the vast majority of schools were already in compliance. But a handful of schools openly refused to abide decisions that had been issued against other universities.

One example: A ruling requiring Georgetown University to apply a "preponderance of evidence" standard (about 51 percent proof) to sexual assault charges was often ignored or dismissed by other universities who claimed the ruling "only applies to Georgetown." These schools continued to utilize a stricter "clear and convincing" standard (about 75 percent proof).

This significant disparity in application of the proper standard of proof, and piecemeal approach to Title IX enforcement, inhibited uniformity and effectiveness in sexual assault prevention.

The preponderance standard is crucial to the fair and equal treatment of women because it avoids the presumption, inherent in a higher standard of proof, that the word of a victim is always less weighty than the denial of an offender.

Despite the clarity on this point in the Dear Colleague letter, a small number of schools continued to resist the preponderance standard. They called it burdensome and unfair in matters involving violence "based on sex," even though they enforce the same standard in matters involving violence "based on" race, religion and ethnicity.

Several schools agreed recently to amend their policies. The University of Virginia was forced to adopt the preponderance standard after a student filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights criticizing the school's application of a higher standard. The University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University stepped up to embrace the preponderance rule in response to the Dear Colleague letter.

But a few schools are still dragging their feet, including Harvard Law and Princeton University, both of which are currently under federal investigation for multiple violations of Title IX, including application of the clear and convincing evidence standard.

A few influential schools have threatened outright noncompliance with the entirety of the letter on the grounds that a "letter" from the Department of Education is not an enforceable legal mandate. "It's merely suggestive guidance," they claim, which they can take or leave as they see fit.

In the face of this ongoing, if petty, reluctance to comply with the Dear Colleague letter, many groups that support the letter took steps to codify some of its key provisions in order to make it a congressionally enacted, enforceable mandate. They called the bill the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act, or the Campus SaVE Act.

The initial draft included language requiring schools to apply a "preponderance of evidence" standard, but that language was soon removed, effectively allowing schools to apply a standard of their own choosing.

Schools that prefer the harmful clear and convincing evidence standard will gleefully use this change in the language to argue that because the preponderance standard was initially in the bill, and then removed, it can be inferred that Congress specifically intended to enact a law allowing schools the freedom to choose their own standard.

No doubt Harvard Law and Princeton officials are hoping the Office for Civil Rights investigations, which have been pending against them for more than 18 months, will continue to be delayed until Campus SaVE is enacted so they can point to Congress in defense of their decision to hold victims to an unfair burden of proof.

Other provisions in the bill will similarly undermine the value and impact of the Dear Colleague letter, and essentially erode the value of Title IX. For example, the bill allows schools to delay the "final determination" of a sexual assault complaint for years, literally until the eve of graduation. This will enable schools to violate Title IX's "promptness" mandate while forcing victims to submit to an ongoing hostile educational environment and unequal access to education for the entirety of their college careers.

Women's safety advocates have not aggressively criticized the removal of the preponderance standard, or any of the other problematic language in Campus SaVE.

One reason for this disturbing silence is that the bill includes "training" requirements for schools, which means advocacy groups will stand to collect paychecks if the bill passes. Silence can also be explained by the tacking on of the bill to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA).

Although Campus SaVE was recently removed from the VAWA on jurisdictional grounds, advocates knew that raising a ruckus about the dangers of Campus SaVE would delay the flow of the VAWA funds, and no one wants that.

Co-optation is hardly a new tactic, but trading piddly funding streams for women's fundamental civil and human rights to be free from gender-based violence in education is unacceptable, especially in light of data that show "training and education" initiatives have failed to make a difference.

One recent study found that when campus-based law enforcement officials were "trained" to better understand and respect the reactions of victims, they became even more biased against them. In fact, the training programs enabled officials to use the training to make unfair investigations look unbiased.

If enacted in its current form, either as a stand-alone proposal or tacked onto some other funding bill, the Campus SaVE Act will allow all schools, not just Harvard and Princeton, to ignore Biden's advisory by claiming that a federal statute trumps a "letter."

If Sen. Casey really cares about violence against women, as he claims, then he should reveal whether and to what extent certain elite schools' lobbyists had a hand in redesigning the language of Campus SaVE.

He should also explain why he sponsored a bill that detracts from the Dear Colleague letter and threatens to expose women to even higher risks of gender-based violence in education by allowing schools to avoid compliance with Title IX.

The solution to pervasive, unequal and inadequate justice for campus sexual assault victims can be found in Title IX, but only if the law is effectively enforced. The Campus SaVE Act promises anything but.

Wendy Murphy is an adjunct professor at New England Law/Boston where she teaches a seminar on sexual violence. She's a former sex crimes prosecutor and author of "And Justice For Some." An impact litigator who specializes in violence against women, Murphy consults and lectures widely on sex crimes, violence against women and children and criminal justice policy.

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Apple's Jonathan Ive is knighted

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:45 GMT Sir Jonathan has said he tries to develop products that "seem inevitable" Jonathan Ive - the British designer responsible for Apple's iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad - has been knighted at Buckingham Palace.

Apple's senior vice-president of industrial design has said he is "both humbled and sincerely grateful" for the "absolutely thrilling honour".

Sir Jonathan, 45, told the Daily Telegraph he was "the product of a very British design education".

He was born in Chingford, east London, and studied at Newcastle Polytechnic.

In a rare interview, published in the paper on Wednesday, he said that, "even in high school, I was keenly aware of this remarkable tradition that the UK had of designing and making".

"It's important to remember that Britain was the first country to industrialize, so I think there's a strong argument to say this is where my profession was founded."

The "Bondi blue" iMac G3 was launched in 1998

After graduating from Newcastle Polytechnic - now Northumbria University - he began working as a commercial designer before founding design agency Tangerine with three friends.

One of the agency's clients, Apple, was so impressed with his work it took him on as a full-time employee in 1992.

Sir Jonathan, who now lives in San Francisco with his British wife and two sons, has led the Apple design team since 1996.

He was described by Steve Jobs as his "spiritual partner", according to the late Apple co-founder's biographer Walter Isaacson.

His eye for design, combined with Mr Jobs' attention to detail, has helped to turn Apple into one of the biggest technology companies in the world.

The iPod was launched in November 2001

Over the past 15 years, the company has created a series of products which are all considered to be design classics.

They include the iMac G3 - the "Bondi blue" computer launched in 1998 - and the iPod, released in 2001, which helped to revolutionise the music industry.

"We try to develop products that seem somehow inevitable, that leave you with the sense that that's the only possible solution that makes sense," Sir Jonathan told the Telegraph.

Sir Jonathan said Apple products were tools "and we don't want design to get in the way".

In 2005, he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

Other figures being honoured by Princess Anne on Wednesday include Sir Peter Bazalgette, of Endemol - the TV company behind Big Brother - who is being knighted for services to broadcasting.

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S Africa illegal miners trapped

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:59 GMT Three illegal miners in South Africa digging for diamonds have been killed and 15 others remain trapped after some tunnels collapsed, police have said.

Thirty men were in the Bontekou mine in Kleinzee in Northern Cape province when the accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police said 11 people had managed to escape and raised the alarm.

The rescue operation has been halted to stabilise the area as loose gravel continues to cave into the tunnels.

The tunnels where the accident occurred were closed by the mine early last month.

A national rescue team has now arrived to help with efforts to free the men, the police in Northern Cape said in an statement.

Kleinzee residents gathered at the mine on Wednesday to wait for news of family and friends trapped underground, the South African Press Association reports.

The body of one of the diggers has been recovered.

Another two bodies are visible, but the unstable conditions are preventing rescue workers from retrieving them, the police said.

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Sister 'drank bleach in Pakistan'

23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:47 GMT Shafilea Ahmed was given marriage proposals in Pakistan, her sister told the jury Schoolgirl Shafilea Ahmed drank bleach during a family trip to Pakistan after her mother told her she would not be returning to the UK, a court heard.

The 17-year-old went missing from her home in Warrington, Cheshire, in 2003 and was found dead six months later.

Her parents Iftikhar, 52, and Farzana Ahmed, 49, are on trial at Chester Crown Court where both deny murder.

Giving evidence, Alesha Ahmed said her elder sister was given marriage proposals while in Pakistan.

There were no actual wedding plans in place, she added.

'Holding her stomach'

Speaking from behind a curtain, Ms Ahmed, 23, told the court that during the trip her sister thought she would be kept there and had been unhappy.

She said: "My mum made a remark to Shafilea which I think was what triggered her into drinking bleach.

"She told Shafilea she would be staying in Pakistan and wouldn't be going back."

The witness added: "Shafilea went to the bathroom. Everyone just heard her screaming and shouting.

"We went outside and she was holding her stomach."

The trial continues.

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