Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please?

An embarrassing shortage of security guards, fears over airport queues and questions about the capital's creaking transport system have overshadowed preparations for the Games. And two stories from American and Australian athletes did little to dispel the sense of farce. US 400m hurdler Kerron Clement, twice a world champion, claimed he spent four hours on a bus after the driver got lost on the way to the London 2012 Olympic village. Games organisers are expecting a busy day with hundreds of athletes checking in but it's not all been smooth running according to Clement - who takes on Dai Greene, Great Britain's current world champion, in the 400m hurdles next month. "Um, so we've been lost on the road for 4hrs. Not a good first impression London," he tweeted. "Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please?"

A Muslim university student was held for seven days without charge as a suspected terrorist after police "made up" evidence against him.

Rizwaan Sabir was accused by police of downloading an al-Qaida training manual for terrorist purposes. Photograph: Rizwaan Sabir

 

Documents from the professional standards unit of West Midlands police reveal that officers fabricated key elements of the case against former University of Nottingham student, Rizwaan Sabir.

The highly controversial case generated a debate over the extent of Islamophobia within UK universities and also an international furore over academic freedom led by renowned US scholar Noam Chomsky.

Sabir was researching terrorist tactics for a master's at the University of Nottingham in 2008 when he was detained under the Terrorism Act and accused by police of downloading an al-Qaida training manual for terrorist purposes.

The 27-year-old, however, had downloaded a manual from a US government website for his research which could be bought at WH Smith, Waterstones and Amazon as well as the university's own library. After seven days and six nights in police custody, Sabir was released without charge or apology.

The incident so incensed the university's sole terrorism expert Dr Rod Thornton, a lecturer at its department of Politics and International Relations that he published an article condemning the University's handling of the arrest and treatment of Sabir.

In a paper prepared for the British International Studies Association, he alleged the university attempted to smear the student. Following publication of the article, Thornton was suspended by the university in Spring 2011 provoking an international outcry over academic freedom with an international coalition of professors and doctors, including Chomsky, demanding his "immediate reinstatement".

The 67 figures, from universities around the world, said they were "deeply concerned" and called for an inquiry into the affair.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal that the arrests were mentioned in a report, cited and disseminated by the Home Office, called Islamist Terrorist Plots in Great Britain: Uncovering the Global Network.

Now, however, the results of the internal West Midlands police professional standards investigation into the affair following complaints by Thornton over the police's handing of the case is complete. It found that officers effectively invented what Thornton, the university's sole terrorism expert, told them about the al-Qaida training manual in a police interview.

During the interview Thornton said that he merely told police that Sabir was studying al-Qaida, but was never asked to discuss the manual. Thornton says that officers invented claims that he had concerns over the manual which he says are an apparent attempt to justify the arrest and police anti-terror operation, codenamed Minerva.

The findings of the force's standard's inquiry upheld Thornton's claim that officers "made up what he said about the al-Qaida manual."

It also states that the actual minutes of the Gold Group meeting of the detectives assigned to the case "incorrectly recorded" their conversation with Thornton.

Internal notes from the Gold Group meeting, dated May 17 2008, actually reveal police quoting Thornton as believing the manual was a "tactical document" and could not be considered relevant to Sabir's academic research into terrorism.

Thornton has now referred the police treatment of him to the IPCC. The standards board, however, says that no officers will be investigated for misconduct.

Thornton, a former counter terrorism officer in the British army who earlier this year left his post at Nottingham University by mutual agreement, said: "The police were totally unprofessional. After their mistakes they tried to cover them up. I've seen some altered police notes, I've seen evidence made up. The whole thing seems to be a complete tissue of lies, starting from the cover up of their mistakes in the first place."

Sabir, now a PhD student at The University of Bath, said: "I have known that the police lied and deceived in order to justify my arrest and treatment and this has now been proven.

"What should raise alarm bells is how and why the police think it is acceptable to make up information to send innocent Muslims to prison as terrorists. The onus is now on the IPCC to conduct a full and proper investigation into this matter."

West Midlands police chief inspector Julian Harper, from the force's Professional Standards Department, said: "While certain aspects of his complaint were upheld, investigating officers found there was no case to answer in respect of misconduct.

"As is standard practice, we advised the complainant that he could appeal this decision through the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

"As he has chosen to take this course of action, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further."

As pre-Olympic panics go, it's a pretty big one: the fastest man in the world, perhaps the biggest single star of the entire Games, is no longer even the fastest man in his own training group.

 

Usain Bolt - clown prince of track and field, the athlete who changed the paradigm for how sprinters behave and blew apart the record books with four runs so far beyond the possible that the times still barely make sense - suddenly has some serious problems on his king-sized plate.

“You see people on TV false start and you think, that must be bad luck. And then you feel how bad it is. It's awful”

Usain Bolt

Those two defeats to Yohan Blake over 100m and 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials last month, while seismic, were not the start or end of it.

From the moment he clocked 10.04 seconds in Ostrava at the end of May - the slowest 100m of his senior career - the whispers began that some of the old showboating magic might be missing.

Bolt appeared as nonplussed as the watching world. "My legs kind of felt dead," he admitted afterwards, "and I don't know the reason."

There were stories of late nights out, of tight hamstrings and a troublesome back, of a return to the parties and fun times of previous post-seasons rather than hard yards and fast times that took him to the top.

Many of them were nonsense or exaggeration. Bolt's celebrity and charisma is such that he attracts rumours and hangers-on like no other track star in the world.

A week after that sluggish start in Ostrava, he ran a blistering 9.76 secs in Rome - 15 hundredths of a second faster than he had run by the same point in his record-breaking season of 2009.

Even now, with less than two weeks to go until the start of the London Olympics, he has three of the five fastest 100m times in the world this year, with that showing in Rome, into a headwind of 0.1 ms, probably worth more than Blake's season's best of 9.75 secs with a 1.1ms tailwind.

For any other athlete that would be enough to still the alarm bells and send them to Stratford with a smile on their face and a strut in their step.

See how the men's 100m and 200m sprint world records have progressed over time with BBC Sport's Olympic graphics.

• How have sprint world records changed?

But Bolt is not any other athlete. When you have won the sprint double at the previous Olympics by margins so vast your rivals were barely in the freeze-frame (he took the 100m in Beijing by 0.2 secs, the 200m by a staggering 0.66 secs) you inhabit a stage all of your own.

Few remember that Richard Thompson took 100m silver four years ago, or Shawn Crawford silver in the 200m. Should Bolt finish second in either, no-one will forget in an age.

Before the Jamaican trials, Bolt hadn't lost a 200m in four years. When Blake defeated him, not only by three hundredths of a second but by coming through and past when Bolt had led with 50 metres to go, it left spectators trackside with hands on heads and mouths agape.

Blake, of course, had beaten Bolt to 100m gold at the World Championships in Daegu last summer. But that, after the most famous false-start in the history of the sport, had felt different - the story almost entirely the disqualification, rather than the coronation.

As Blake celebrated in Kingston, Bolt was on the ground, receiving treatment from his physio for tight hamstrings.

A few days later he flew to Munich to see celebrated sports doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt - a session described as a routine check-up by his agent - but when followed by his withdrawal from the Diamond League meeting in Monaco on 20 July, his final competitive outing before the Olympics, it appeared to take on greater significance.

Leading 100m times in 2012

• 9.75 seconds - Yohan Blake
• 9.76 - Usain Bolt
• 9.79 - Usain Bolt
• 9.80 - Justin Gatlin
• 9.82 - Usain Bolt
• 9.84 - Yohan Blake
• 9.85 - Asafa Powell
• 9.86 - Keston Bledman
• 9.86 - Tyson Gay
• 9.86 - Usain Bolt

On numbers alone Bolt does not appear to be in vastly different shape than he was in his biggest years.

By the middle of June in the last Olympic year of 2008 his fastest 100m time was 9.72 secs, just four-hundredths faster than his Rome showing a fortnight earlier this time around. In 2009, the year he went to the Worlds in Berlin and blitzed even those Beijing records to bits, his quickest run at the same point was just 9.91 secs.

So what is different this year?

There are rivals out there who know how to beat him - Blake, Tyson Gay. There are others who, years after their supposed peaks, will quietly be fancying their chances anew - former world record holder Asafa Powell; Justin Gatlin, the disgraced former Olympic champion back from his doping ban.

Then there is Bolt himself.

At the peak of his powers, laughing into the pre-race cameras, beaming on the blocks as others shook, he didn't appear to feel the same pressure as the others. It all seemed part of a wonderful game, and his exultant performances felt like part of the same glorious show.

Now? Now we're not quite so sure, and neither is he.

That World Championship final 11 months ago in Daegu may have triggered a more lingering malaise than many realised.

On that Sunday morning in South Korea Bolt was 20-1 on with some bookmakers to retain his 100m crowd. When he jumped the gun - not by a flinch, but by a street - we saw something new on his face, alongside the disbelief and despair: doubt.

"I just couldn't believe it," he tells a BBC One documentary to be shown on Monday. "You see people on TV false start and you think, that must be bad luck. And then you feel how bad it is. It's awful.

"I was in great shape, I was running fast, I was good. I was sure I was going to get my medal.

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Bolt out before Blake takes gold in Daegu

"To know it's going to happen and then lose - not even lose, not make it to the finish line - it's hard, very hard.

"I pretty much squandered it, I'd say. All I could hear was something saying GO! in my head, and I just went, and after I thought, 'What the hell just happened?'"

Bolt's start, something he had turned from average to respectable over the previous three seasons, remains his greatest weakness.

He is a remarkable 3-1 with the bookies to be disqualified for a false-start in this year's Olympic final; as Michael Johnson, his predecessor as world 200m record holder and now BBC pundit says: "I am absolutely concerned that we could lose a Bolt."

Bolt is currently lying low in west London, living near Heathrow and training at nearby tracks as he does most summers before he heads, this year, to Jamaica's Olympic holding-camp in Birmingham early next week.

He has always talked of his desire to make history by retaining both Olympic sprint titles. Carl Lewis, who knows a thing or two about such things, isn't entirely convinced he will do so.

"The reason it hasn't been done is because it's hard to stay at that level for a long period of time," says Lewis. "People are always trying to beat you when you are a champion.

"Blake has beaten Bolt two years in a row now after the World Championships in 2011, and we don't know what Bolt's head is like when he loses."

No-one is writing Bolt off. A man who has defied logic and precedent as he has done lives under different rules of physics to the rest of us.

"Last 10 metres, you're not going to catch me," insists Bolt.

"No matter who you are, no matter what you're doing, no matter how focused you are, no matter how ready you think you are, you're not going to catch me, because that last 10 metres is going to take me three and a half strides to pass the finish line."

Athletes arriving for Olympic Games

The BBC's Luisa Baldini at Heathrow Airport in London: ''This is a very challenging time for the airport''

Continue reading the main story

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• Olympic Route Network interactive map
• May defends Games security plans
• G4S shares hit by Olympics woes

Athletes and officials are arriving at the Olympic Village, with 11 days to go until the London Games open.

Heathrow Airport is expecting its busiest day on record and on the main route out - the M4 - the first priority "Games Lane" is in operation.

Work is also starting at the lab which will conduct some 6,000 drugs tests.

Meanwhile, it has emerged police have had to deploy extra officers from nine UK forces at short notice to help with security work for London 2012.

This follows the news last week that 3,500 troops had been drafted in to plug gaps after private security firm G4S failed to recruit enough guards for the Games.

In the Commons, Home Secretary Theresa May answered an urgent question on Olympics security from shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper saying that it was "untrue" that ministers knew last year that there would be a shortfall in the numbers of security personnel they had been promised.

"G4S repeatedly assured us that they would overshoot their targets," she said.

Mrs May said the government had taken immediate action after becoming aware of the shortage last Wednesday.

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Not a good first impression London”

Kerron ClementUS athlete

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison said: "Whilst some of the activity police officers are undertaking was not anticipated, plans were put in place to allow us to do this.

"Forces are making sure they make the best use of their resources locally to do all they can to minimise the impact on local policing."

The forces involved include Dorset, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Northumbria, South Wales, Strathclyde, West Midlands, Thames Valley Police, and Greater Manchester Police.

In Salford, only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up for work at an Olympic team hotel and front-line officers had been pulled in to cover, the chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Authority said.

G4S said measures were being taken that should lead to the withdrawal of officers from private security roles "over the coming days".

The Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang has proved as quick in fleeing poorweather as he is over the hurdles, abandoning his British training camp in London due to the cold

China's Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang, who won gold in Athens 2004. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

The Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang has proved as quick in fleeing poorweather as he is over the hurdles, abandoning his British training camp in London due to the cold, Chinese media have reported.

The gold medallist appears to have done what many in the UK long to do, escaping the British summer in search of sunnier climes – as have other Chinese athletes, his coach claimed.

Liu arrived in London late last week and was due to train at St Mary's University College in Twickenham, where members of the South African, Japanese and Irish teams are also preparing.

But days later he turned around and headed to Germany instead, the Xinmin Evening News reported.

"Due to the low temperatures in London many Chinese athletes and other sports teams have chosen to look for other training bases. Liu Xiang is not the only one," his coach Sun Haiping said, according to the newspaper. It added that St Mary's did not have an inside track.

Most of the Chinese team are training in Leeds, but the newspaper said there were too many people there and conditions were not suitable for Liu. Düsseldorf was chosen for the broadly similar climate and minimal time difference to the UK and because he has trained there before. He will return to Britain in early August.

Liu became a national hero as the first Asian man to take gold in an Olympics track event, winning the 110m hurdles at Athens in 2004.

But at the Beijing Games he stunned and disappointed his compatriotsby pulling up injured before he had reached even the first hurdle of the opening race, shocking spectators into silence.

He quit the Diamond League final in London on Friday because of a back injury, but his coach said he had pulled the athlete out for the sake of caution and that Liu would "fight to the end" in the Olympics.

A spokesman at the State General Administration of Sport in Beijing said staff had read news of Liu's move but could not comment, as the body had little contact with athletes while they were in Europe.

St Mary's has yet to respond to requests for comment.

It is unclear whether Liu's new base will be an improvement; this week'sweather forecast for Düsseldorf looks much the same as that for London.

Wu Feng, a coach for the track team, told the Xinmin Evening News that the weather would not pose a problem for Liu when it came to the actual event. He pointed out that the hurdler's impressive performance in Eugene, Oregon, in June – which appeared to equal the world record, but was disallowed due to wind assistance – came on a rainy day.

nine police forces are drafted in to plug G4S Olympic security gap

Only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up for work, according to Paul Murphy, chairman of the Greater Manchester Police authority. This forced Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to reassign officers from front-line duties so they could guard athletes staying at the Marriot Worsley Park hotel over the weekend. GMP's Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: "On Saturday, Greater Manchester Police became aware of a shortfall in security services for athletes participating in the 2012 Olympic Games. "On Sunday, policing operation was set up by GMP officers to assist with the security operation to protect athletes staying at the main Olympic team hotel in Worsley. "At no point was their a failure to provide security for the athletes.

Three people suffered injuries after being stabbed during Swedish House Mafia's show in Milton Keynes on Saturday (July 14).

Photo: PA

The gig, which took place at Milton Keynes Bowl, was marred by three incidents in which two 23-year old men and one 24-year old man were stabbed. 

According to Thames Valley Police, a 23-year-old man from the West Midlands area is currently in Milton Keynes General Hospital and is being treated for a punctured lung. 

Another, a 24-year-old man from the West Midlands, received a cut to his head and arm but has been discharged from hospital. Another 23-year old man was treated for minor injuries onsite by St John's Ambulance. 

Speaking about the incident, Detective Chief Inspector Justin Fletcher said: "This appears to have been an isolated incident, and overall we are very pleased with how the event passed off, but we would like to trace the person responsible for this assault."

Police have also said that they are keen to speak to a man who is described as white, aged in his early 20s, wearing a blue Nike T-shirt, a black jacket and black jogging bottoms, in connection with the assault.

A police spokesman said: "Anyone who witnessed the incident, particularly if they captured it on their camera or mobile phone, is requested to contact the police."

During the concert, three people were also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class-A drugs. They are a 19-year-old man from Liverpool, a 26-year-old man from London, and a 37-year-old man from Ipswich.

This is the second time in a week that a Swedish House Mafia show has been marred by stabbings. Nine people suffered injuries after being stabbed during their show in Dublin last Saturday (July 7) and a man passed away after a drug overdose. 

Swedish House Mafia are currently completing their farewell tour.

Hundreds of police officers are drafted in as security guards after G4S fails to provide staff at dozens of Olympic venues.

Police officers in several forces have been asked to help security

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Police forces where Olympic Games venues are located have been asked to provide extra security, after G4S failed to provide enough staff.

Sky News understands that nine out of 12 police forces have been drafted in to help the embattled firm ensure the Games are kept secure.

The forces providing additional personnel include Strathclyde, West Midlands, Thames Valley, Greater Manchester and Dorset.

Sky News home affairs correspondent Mark White said: "The police say at this stage they have deployed hundreds of officers rather than thousands, but that could change in the coming days as more Olympic venues go into security lockdown."

"The need for extra officers will depend on whether G4S can meet its security commitment in the coming days and whether the military can deploy to those venues in time."

Only 15% of G4S staff allocated to the Gateshead Hilton arrived for duty

Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, the Police National Olympic Security Coordinator, told Sky News: "Whilst some of the activity police officers are undertaking was not anticipated, plans were put in place to allow us to do this.

"Forces are making sure they make the best use of their resources locally to do all they can to minimise the impact on local policing.

"Delivering a safe and secure Games is a priority, but we will not compromise on keeping our local communities safe."

The details emerged after Northumbria Police were called in to help G4S with Olympic football security.

Sky Tyne and Wear discovered that less than 10 G4S guards reported for duty out of an expected 58 staff, as Northumbria Police Federation called the security firm's blunder "shambolic".

Chairman Charlie Munro said: "We are an emergency service and of course we will provide cover. The situation really is shambolic.

"I really think G4S needs to be looked at. They are a very big organisation and they've had long enough to plan for this. It really doesn't fill us with confidence."

G4S boss Nick Buckles (c) is under pressure over the security chaos

A spokesperson for G4S said: "As the games get closer, security is being tightened at venues around the UK, before the full complement of accredited staff have been assigned.

"Some venues are being supported by police in the short-term while the private security workforce is being mobilised.

"This situation is being rectified over the coming days, which should lead to the withdrawal of police from those roles assigned to private security."

The new revelation comes as Home Secretary Theresa May told the Commons about details behind the Olympic security crisis.

She said G4S only revealed last Wednesday that it had a staffing problem and the Government "took immediate action" in response.

"I want to be clear, this was the first time G4S told any minister about not being able to fulfil the contract," Mrs May told Parliament.

"G4S had repeatedly assured us it would overshoot their targets."

Defence minister Andrew Robathan told the Commons that the Olympic security situation was a "debacle".

The crisis has escalated since it was revealed last week that thousands of troops were needed to provide venue security after G4S admitted it may not be able to provide its full complement of 10,400 staff.

Mrs May said 20,000 G4S staff had been vetted and accredited, however the main problem was a shortfall when the company tried to allocate staff among venue.

She confirmed that no member of the armed forces would be out of pocket or losing leave entitlement over the need to deploy and supplement G4S staff.

The G4S share price plunged around 10% on Monday as investors fled the firm and newly-appointed chairman John Connolly agreed to meet key City investors to discuss the crisis and its impact on the company.

Meanwhile, embattled CEO Nick Buckles appears increasingly likely to become a victim of the debacle, which has been estimated to cost the firm £50m.

Some experts, however, expect the damage to be much deeper than the company has calculated and G4S' plans to nearly double its UK Government outsourcing are now under threat.

The company has been advertising for a new HR director, to be paid a six-figure sum, to manage 3,500 staff as they launch "ambitious plans" to reach a turnover of £400m by 2015.

Labour MP Keith Vaz has called into question the firm's role in outsourcing and said the company has "let down" the country.

Bankers face the prospect of jail as Serious Fraud Office launches criminal probe into interest-rate fixing at Barclays

Hearing: Former chief executive Bob Diamond left Barclays over the matter, before appearing before MPs this week

A criminal investigation has been launched into alleged rigging of the Libor rate within the banking industry, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) confirmed today.

SFO director David Green QC formally accepted the Libor issue for investigation after Barclays was fined by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) last week for manipulating the key interbank lending rate which affects mortgages and loans.

The claims ultimately led to the resignation of Barclays boss Bob Diamond and have become the focal point of a fierce political debate over ethics in the banking sector.

The investigation could ultimately lead to criminal prosecutions and bankers facing charges in court.

The SFO's update came after it revealed earlier this week that it had been working closely with the FSA during its investigation and would consider the potential for criminal prosecutions.

The Government department, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious and complex fraud, said on Monday the issues surrounding Libor were "complex" and that assessing the evidence would take time.

Under fire: Barclays former chairman Marcus Agius (right) with former CEO Bob Diamond (centre), and former chief executive John Varley (left)

As the SFO prepares its investigation, Labour leader Ed Miliband continued to push for an independent inquiry into the banking scandal despite MPs rejecting the demands.

The Labour leader said that while the party would cooperate with a parliamentary investigation, its remit was too "narrow" and a judge-led probe was still needed.

Mr Miliband also defended the conduct of Ed Balls after the shadow chancellor engaged in a bitter war of words with his opposite number George Osborne in the Commons.

 

 

Diabetes drug makes brain cells grow

The widely used diabetes drug metformin comes with a rather unexpected and alluring side effect: it encourages the growth of new neurons in the brain. The study reported in the July 6th issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, also finds that those neural effects of the drug also make mice smarter. See Also: Health & Medicine Brain Tumor Stem Cells Nervous System Mind & Brain Brain Injury Intelligence Neuroscience Strange Science Reference Neural development Stem cell treatments Diabetes mellitus type 2 Embryonic stem cell The discovery is an important step toward therapies that aim to repair the brain not by introducing new stem cells but rather by spurring those that are already present into action, says the study's lead author Freda Miller of the University of Toronto-affiliated Hospital for Sick Children. The fact that it's a drug that is so widely used and so safe makes the news all that much better. Earlier work by Miller's team highlighted a pathway known as aPKC-CBP for its essential role in telling neural stem cells where and when to differentiate into mature neurons. As it happened, others had found before them that the same pathway is important for the metabolic effects of the drug metformin, but in liver cells. "We put two and two together," Miller says. If metformin activates the CBP pathway in the liver, they thought, maybe it could also do that in neural stem cells of the brain to encourage brain repair. The new evidence lends support to that promising idea in both mouse brains and human cells. Mice taking metformin not only showed an increase in the birth of new neurons, but they were also better able to learn the location of a hidden platform in a standard maze test of spatial learning. While it remains to be seen whether the very popular diabetes drug might already be serving as a brain booster for those who are now taking it, there are already some early hints that it may have cognitive benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease. It had been thought those improvements were the result of better diabetes control, Miller says, but it now appears that metformin may improve Alzheimer's symptoms by enhancing brain repair. Miller says they now hope to test whether metformin might help repair the brains of those who have suffered brain injury due to trauma or radiation therapies for cancer.

Spanish Tourism Industry Prepares for Difficult Summer

Spain's tourism industry is bracing itself for a painful slowdown in bookings this summer, driven by a steep decline in local tourism, according to the country's leading hotel association. Reservations by Spanish vacationers for the month of July are 30% lower than last year, amid persistently high unemployment and a protracted economic recession, said Juan Molas, president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations. An influx of visitors from Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe has compensated somewhat for the decline in local tourism, but weak local demand is expected to weigh on an industry that accounts for about 11% of Spain's annual economic output. Hotel owners are concerned that the government may raise the industry's value-added tax to 18% from the current 8%, in a bid to reduce its yawning budget deficit, making Spain less attractive to foreign tourists compared with other less expensive destinations "If the VAT rises to 18%, it will be absolutely catastrophic for the sector," Mr. Molas said at an event Thursday in Madrid. Spain's government is working to secure €100 billion ($126 billion) in aid for its struggling banking sector from the European Union and plans to meet with EU officials next week to discuss new measures to improve its public finances. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already implemented €45 billion in austerity measures, but weak tax revenue threatens to undermine his administration's goal of trimming its shortfall this year to 5.3% of gross domestic product from 8.9% last year. Sentiment in the hospitality industry is at its lowest level since 2009, according to an index developed by the hotel association and consulting firm PwC. Based on a survey of hotel firms, 57% of operators expect international tourism will hold steady this year, while 76% expect domestic tourism to decline. "The parts of the country that will suffer the most are those that cater to national tourists," Mr. Molas said.

Holidaymakers in Spain this summer are facing a surprise new airport tax imposed by the Spanish government

Holidaymakers in Spain this summer are facing a surprise new airport tax imposed by the Spanish government as it tries to balance its books. Some airlines are passing the new departure tax on to passengers, even if they booked their flights months ago. Some passengers have received emails telling them either to pay an extra charge of up to seven euros (£6) per person - or to cancel their flights. Other airlines are deciding whether to absorb the cost themselves. The budget airline Ryanair said Spain's 2012 budget, passed into law at the end of June, obliged airlines to pay increased taxes. Spain is implementing drastic measures to try to slash its budget deficit to 5.3% from 8.5% in 2011. It has been promised bailout funds of up to 100bn euros for its banks, but wants to avoid a full state bailout. Retrospective The European travel agents' association ECTAA said the amount of the extra levy varied depending on which airport people used. It said the average rise in the tax was 18.9%, but at some of the larger airports it would almost double. For instance, at Madrid-Barajas the tax would rise from 6.95 euros to 14.44, while at Barcelona's El Prat airport it would rise from 6.12 euros to 13.44. Ryanair said it would pass the cost on to passengers, even those who had already paid in full for their flights, because the tax applied "retrospectively to customers who booked flights before 2 July 2012 and are travelling from 1 July onwards". It said for bookings made on or after 2 July, the increased tax would have been included in the price. The Spanish low-cost airline Vueling is also passing on the cost. It sent emails to passengers giving them seven days to cancel their flight, or the extra payment would be debited automatically from the card they used to book. British Airways and Iberia told the BBC they had not yet decided whether to pass on the cost or absorb it. ECTAA said in a statement it was "dismayed" by the rise, which was imposed "without proper consultation of airport users nor appropriate implementation time". It said travel agents faced a "technical and financial nightmare to recover the extra charge".

Each three-mile lap around central London would take the cars about 94 seconds.

Each three-mile lap around central London would take the cars about 94 seconds. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian

If Bernie Ecclestone gets his way – and he is not a man particularly at ease with compromise – central London could soon echo with the roar of F1 cars tearing down Piccadilly at speeds previously matched only by midnight minicab drivers bearing peaky-looking fares.

The billionaire Formula One supremo, who has long dreamed of staging the world's biggest grand prix in the capital, has now offered to stump up the £35m needed to pay for the event.

Ecclestone believes that an F1 race in the heart of the city, with cars zooming past landmarks including Nelson's Column and Buckingham Palace, would eclipse the glamour of the Monaco circuit and pay for itself quite comfortably.

According to the Times, plans drawn up for the event – due to be unveiled on Thursday night – suggest it would be watched by 120,000 people in grandstands along a three-mile route and attract a global television audience in the tens of millions, generating as much as £100m for London's economy.

"With the way things are, maybe we would front it and put the money up for it," Ecclestone told the newspaper. "If we got the OK and everything was fine, I think we could do that."

He added that the financial benefits for both the capital and England would far outstrip the money brought in by the events taking place in east London and elsewhere this summer.

"Think what it would do for tourism," he said: "It would be fantastic, good for London, good for England – a lot better than the Olympics."

The proposed route would see cars lining up on the Mall, buzzing the Ritz, skirting Green Park, passing Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament before speeding along the Embankment, and hurtling through Trafalgar Square before nipping under Admiralty Arch and back to the Mall. Each of the 59 laps would take an F1 car a mere 94 seconds, with speeds on the Piccadilly and Birdcage Walk straights reaching 180mph.

The plans come at a time when governments around the world are queuing up to buy the rights to stage a grand prix for up to £30m per race.

A study by global design practice Populous has examined the feasibility of staging a London grand prix. Assistant principal John Rhodes told the Times the event would not cause major disruption, taking five days to set up equipment and three to dismantle it.

Others believe the revenue generated by an F1 race in London could even exceed Ecclestone's predictions.

Nigel Currie, the director of the leading sports marketing agency brandRapport, said the grand prix could represent a "commercial bonanza" for the capital.

"Maybe it would be two or three times that £100m," he told the Times. "A successful London Olympics will show that there is an appetite for big events and bringing a grand prix to the people on their doorstep will attract massive attention."

This British brand caters to the sizing needs of the petites -- which is a crucial key point in its success and rapid growth in Asia.

Miss Selfridge opened in Greenbelt 5, Makati City last Wednesday, the brand’s official introduction to the Philippine market. It currently has around 250 stores in the UK, Europe, Middle East, and in Asia -- Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Its rapid growth in the region, noted Oliver Solomon, international visual merchandising coordinator of Miss Selfridge, can be attributed to the brand’s offering of a petite range, a perfect fit for most Asians.

It’s assumed the brand wants to replicate the kind of success experienced by its sister brand, Topshop, here in the country when it first offered its petite range.

Topshop and Miss Selfridge are both under the same mother group, Arcadia, with Miss Selfridge the feminine, trendy, more outgoing child.

“Someone who wears the brand,” said Mr. Solomon, “is young spirited, very feminine, girly, and considers shopping as a social activity. She’s very flirty and very sexy.”

Sasa Domingo, brand manager of Miss Selfridge, said “the brand is more outgoing than Topshop. Topshop is edgier, while Selfridge is more going out, smart, fashion forward, and very on trend.”

Miss Selfridge is anything but a new brand.

It began as the young fashion section of London’s Selfridges department store in 1966 -- “The swinging ’60s,” Mr. Solomon pointed out. “The time when fashion became popular and accessible to everyone.”

“[The reason the brand has lasted as long as it has is because] It’s always been at the forefront of young people’s fashion,” he said.

“The dresses are amazing. We dont have really have basics, it’s all fashion, embellishments, studding, panelling... and all designs... are [by] in-house [designers], and are unique to the brand.”

According to Ms. Domingo, prices start at P595 for its basic line to P7,195 for its premium line. Its going-out dresses start at P3,995.

“Filipinos like affordable prices. The pieces might be pretty pricey but fans know they’re paying for brand exclusivity, exclusive prints, and pieces exclusively made for Miss Selfridge,” she said.

One more store will be opening this year, said Ms. Domingo, who did not reveal its exact location but said it would be at one of the newer Robinsons malls.

Fashion retailer Coast will open its biggest store on Friday – a £1 million outlet in London’s Oxford Street.

Customers will be invited to make appointments with friends and be served drinks while trying on clothes. 

Upmarket: Customers will be invited to make appointments with friends and be served drinks while trying on clothes

About a third of the store, which is four times the size of a typical Coast outlet, has been devoted to fitting rooms.

But the range has also increased by 40 per cent compared with a typical store to reflect better the products available online. 

Margaret McDonald, managing director at Coast, said: ‘The fitting room experience  is critical. 

‘We have found that the longer customers spend trying on clothes, the more likely they are to buy.’

The brand is best known for its clothes for special occasions, but has recently tried to broaden the range.

Assange seeks political asylum

On Tuesday night WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange applied for political asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after failing in his bid to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. The 40-year-old Australian is currently inside the building in Knightsbridge, having gone there on Tuesday afternoon to request asylum under the United Nations Human Rights Declaration. The country's foreign minister Ricardo Patino told a press conference in the South American country that it was considering his request. In a short statement last night, Mr Assange said: "I can confirm that today I arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy and sought diplomatic sanctuary and political asylum. This application has been passed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital Quito. I am grateful to the Ecuadorian ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application." The computer expert, who was on £200,000 bail after failing in several attempts to halt extradition, attracted several high-profile supporters including Ken Loach and socialite and charity fundraiser Jemima Khan, who each offered £20,000 as surety. Other supporters included Bianca Jagger and veteran left-winger Tony Benn. The Swedish authorities want him to answer accusations of raping a woman and sexually molesting and coercing another in Stockholm in August 2010 while on a visit to give a lecture. Assange, whose WikiLeaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments and international businesses, says the sex was consensual and the allegations against him are politically motivated. The Supreme Court last month ruled in favour of a High Court ruling that his extradition was legal. Last week the Supreme Court refused an attempt by him to reopen his appeal against extradition, saying it was "without merit". He had until June 28 to ask European judges in Strasbourg to consider his case and postpone extradition on the basis that he has not had a fair hearing from the UK courts. A statement issued on behalf of the Ecuadorian Embassy said Mr Assange would remain at the embassy while his request was considered.

Smartphone users 'risking health' with overuse of devices

People are risking their health by working on smartphones, tablets and laptops after they have left the office, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. It says people have become "screen slaves" and are often working while commuting or after they get home. The society said poor posture in these environments could lead to back and neck pain. Unions said people needed to learn to switch off their devices. An online survey, of 2,010 office workers by the Society found that nearly two-thirds of those questioned continued working outside office hours. The organisation said people were topping up their working day with more than two hours of extra screentime, on average, every day. The data suggested that having too much work and easing pressure during the day were the two main reasons for the extra workload. 'Posture' Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Individuals who find themselves unable to leave their work in the office should talk to their managers and learn to switch off their smartphones” Brendan Barber Trades Union Congress The chairwoman of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Dr Helena Johnson, said the findings were of "huge concern". She said: "While doing a bit of extra work at home may seem like a good short-term fix, if it becomes a regular part of your evening routine then it can lead to problems such as back and neck pain, as well as stress-related illness. "This is especially the case if you're using hand-held devices and not thinking about your posture. Talk to your employer if you are feeling under pressure." The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Brendan Barber, said: "Excessive work levels are not good for anyone. Overworked employees are not only unlikely to be performing well at work, the stress an unmanageable workload causes is also likely to be making them ill. "By the time someone is so overloaded they constantly feel the need to put in extra hours every night of the week at home, things have clearly got out of hand. "Individuals who find themselves unable to leave their work in the office should talk to their managers and learn to switch off their smartphones."

Victoria hit by 5.2-magnitude earthquake

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake has shaken Melbourne and parts of Victoria. Windows were rattled and floors rocked as the tremor hit around 8.55pm (AEST) and lasted for around 30 to 40 seconds.

Police study Murdoch's 'secret' iPhone account

Scotland Yard detectives investigating phone hacking at the News of the World are examining the call records of four newly discovered Apple iPhones issued to senior executives at News International. The smartphones, issued by O2 in a contract beginning in October 2009, included a handset given to James Murdoch, the former chairman and chief executive of News Corp Europe. Despite billing for the phones totalling nearly £12,000 between June last year and May this year, neither Operation Weeting nor the Leveson Inquiry was told of the existence of the smartphone accounts. Phone text messages and emails sent and received by News International executives and advisers have provided some of the most controversial evidence heard by Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press practices and ethics. It had been assumed that the email and text traffic from key News International executives was centred solely on their company BlackBerry account with Vodafone. In accounts seen by The Independent, issued through 02's corporate customer services at Arlington Business Park in Leeds, Mr Murdoch's iPhone account is listed as "active". Mr Murdoch is said to have told 02 that he specifically wanted a "white iPhone" when the smartphone was issued to him in the summer of 2009. Katie Vanneck-Smith, listed as News International's chief marketing officer, also has an active account. Two other NI executive numbers are described as disconnected. Between June last year – just before The Guardian revealed in July that the mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked into – and the beginning of the Leveson Inquiry in November, the NI iPhone accounts were billed for £9,650. Last night, Labour MP Tom Watson said people would be "shocked" to learn that the smartphones had been issued to key NI executives, while the company's disclosures focused only on the BlackBerry Vodafone accounts. Mr Watson said he hoped that News Corp's Management and Standards Committee, which is responsible for all matters relating to phone hacking, would enforce its own promise of full transparency and appropriate disclosure, by revealing all the data and logs held on the discovered phones to both the police and the Leveson Inquiry. Last night, a spokeswoman for News International, said: "Mr Murdoch fully co-operated with the Leveson Inquiry. It is ridiculous to suggest that James Murdoch keeps or kept a 'secret phone'." Meanwhile sources close to the Leveson Inquiry have denied that Lord Justice Leveson threatened to quit his judicial investigation following comments made in February by Michael Gove. The Education Secretary told a gathering of political journalists that the inquiry into press ethics and practices was creating a "chilling atmosphere" towards press freedom. During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons the day after Mr Gove's lobby speech, David Cameron appeared to back his cabinet colleague's view. Concern that Mr Gove might be the Prime Minister's advance messenger prompted Lord Justice Leveson to call the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood. Whitehall sources say Lord Justice Leveson wanted to learn directly from Mr Cameron whether his inquiry was wasting public money on an ultimately futile exercise or whether his initial remit stood. Although the reassurances from No 10 took two days to arrive, sources claim there was no threat from the judge to resign from his own inquiry.

A ban on a nine-year-old girl taking photographs of her school meals has been lifted.

Martha Payne, from Argyll, got more than two million hits on herNeverSeconds blog in just a few weeks.

Argyll and Bute Council said press coverage of the blog had led catering staff to fear for their jobs.

But council leader Roddy McCuish later told the BBC that he had instructed senior officials to lift the ban immediately.

Local MSP Mike Russell, Scotland's education secretary, had written to the council's chief executive in his capacity as local MSP, calling for the "daft" ban to be overturned.

Martha began publishing photographs of her Lochgilphead Primary School lunches on 30 April.

She gave each meal a 'food-o-meter' and health rating, and counted the number of mouthfuls it took her to eat it.

But in a post published on Thursday evening, Martha said her headteacher told her not to take any more photographs for the blog.

Under the headline "Goodbye", the post stated: "This morning in maths I got taken out of class by my head teacher and taken to her office. I was told that I could not take any more photos of my school dinners because of a headline in a newspaper today.

"I only write my blog not newspapers and I am sad I am no longer allowed to take photos. I will miss sharing and rating my school dinners and I'll miss seeing the dinners you send me too."

The council's decision to impose the ban came after the Daily Record newspaper published a photograph of Martha alongside chef Nick Nairn under the headline "Time to fire the dinner ladies.."

Charity blog

Martha had been using the blog - which she started with the help of her father Dave - to raise money for the Mary's Meals charity.

An explanatory note posted on the blog by her father read: "Martha's school have been brilliant and supportive from the beginning and I'd like to thank them all.

Continue reading the main story

AnalysisRory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent

The decision, according to her father, was not taken by the school, which has been very supportive, but by the Argyll and Bute council.

It's not quite clear why - perhaps there is a ban on taking photos inside schools, or maybe there is some concern about the damage to the reputation of the school meals service.

I prefer to think there is another explanation - and that this is all a cunning plan by the councillors to draw attention to their beautiful region with its dramatic coastline, and fine cuisine.

It seems to be working - the case of the banned blog is rapidly becoming a cause celebre, with emails, tweets, and presumably phone calls arriving at council headquarters from around the world.

• Read more from Rory

"I contacted Argyll and Bute Council when Martha told me what happened at school today and they told me it was their decision to ban Martha's photography.

"It is a shame that a blog that today went through two million hits, which has inspired debates at home and abroad and raised nearly £2,000 for charity is forced to end."

Mr Payne later told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme his daughter was not happy about the council's decision.

He added: "I can see that the photographs at the start didn't look the most appetising, but Martha marked the last school meal 10 out of 10.

"I understand that it's brought pressure from around the world and media interest, but that is really out of our control.

"But we are very supportive of the school - the fact that she has been encouraged to blog and she got permission to do this is testament to them.

"Everyone in the kitchens has been wonderful to Martha and she enjoys going into lunch every day."

In a statement released on its website, Argyll and Bute Council claimed media coverage of the blog had led catering staff to fear for their jobs.

It added: "The council has directly avoided any criticism of anyone involved in the 'never seconds' blog for obvious reasons despite a strongly-held view that the information presented in it misrepresented the options and choices available to pupils.

"However this escalation means we had to act to protect staff from the distress and harm it was causing.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

If you had met with the staff at the school yesterday, the level of distress that was there - It was palpable. It was very significant for them. People were in tears”

Cleland SneddonArgyll and Bute Council

"In particular, the photographic images uploaded appear to only represent a fraction of the choices available to pupils, so a decision has been made by the council to stop photos being taken in the school canteen.

"There have been discussions between senior council staff and Martha's father however, despite an acknowledgement that the media coverage has produced these unwarranted attacks, he intimated that he would continue with the blog.

"The council has had no complaints for the last two years about the quality of school meals other than one from the Payne family received on 6 June and there have been no changes to the service on offer since the introduction of the blog."

Cleland Sneddon, the executive director of community services at Argyll and Bute Council, told the BBC that school catering staff had been left "in tears" by press coverage.

He added: "Newspapers have a significant impact on public opinion. They have a significant impact on this particular staff group.

"If you had met with the staff at the school yesterday, the level of distress that was there - it was palpable. It was very significant for them. People were in tears. This was a culmination of a period of seven weeks of this level of coverage and we had to take some action to protect our staff."

However, Mr McCuish later told the BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that he had instructed senior officials to lift the ban immediately.

Martha's blog was featured by media across the globe, with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver tweeting: "Shocking but inspirational blog. Keep going, big love from Jamie x."

Martha gave this cheeseburger a health rating of just 2/10

After hearing about the ban, Oliver tweeted on Friday morning: "Stay strong Martha" before urging his 2.3 million followers to retweet the message to show their support for the schoolgirl.

Martha had been raising money through a Justgiving page for the Mary's Meals charity, which helps feed some of the poorest children in the world.

Publicity caused by the ban helped her smash through her £7,000 target - with total pledges of more than £16,000 being made by Friday lunchtime.

The total stood at only about £2,000 on Thursday evening.

A Mary's Meals spokesman said: "Martha's support for Mary's Meals has been amazing and we are extremely grateful for everything that she has done to help us reach some of the hungriest children in the world.

"We are overwhelmed by the huge response to her efforts today which has led to so many more people donating to her online donation page.

"Thanks to this fantastic support, Martha has now raised enough money to build a kitchen in Malawi for children receiving Mary's Meals as part of our Sponsor A School initiative and has broken the record for hitting a Sponsor A School online fundraising target in the quickest amount of time".

Among the pictures Martha published on her blog was one featuring her £2 lunch of a pizza slice, a croquette, sweetcorn and a cupcake.

Martha wrote: "I'm a growing kid and I need to concentrate all afternoon and I can't do it on one croquette. Do any of you think you could?"

London tourist's illegally parked car blown-up by police

A London tourist had his car blown up by anti-terrorist officers after it broke down - and he was also given a parking ticket. Nima Hosseini Razi, 32, said his Ford Mondeo had broken down in early hours of Wednesday close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. He said he had left a note on the car to say: "This car is broke. Please do not fine me," before going sightseeing. But when he returned hours later, "the boot was blown off". A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We can confirm there was a suspect vehicle at Storey's Gate at 10.20am on Wednesday and a controlled explosion took place... the incident was subsequently deemed as non-suspicious." Westminster Conservative Councillor Daniel Astaire said: "On this occasion the driver was parked in a very dangerous place, on yellow lines, so police instructed our parking attendant to issue the driver with a ticket." 'Extremely arrogant' Mr Razi, who is studying for an MBA at the University of Wales, said he had left a note on his car explaining: "Dear Sir or Madam, this car is broken. I am just waiting for the AA to arrive. Please do not fine! Thank you, yours sincerely." He said he had gone off to visit some of London's sights, including Buckingham Palace, but when he returned to the car "the windows were smashed in pieces. I was completely shocked". "Police wanted to remove the car. They covered the car with some of my stuff left in it. "On the window, they had fined me." He added: "The police's actions were extremely arrogant and unprofessional. "They treated me like a terrorist. They were never interested in listening to my real story." Scotland Yard has not responded to Mr Razi's comments.

Man attacked with Samurai sword in his East Ham home

A man has been stabbed with a sword in his east London home, prompting an appeal to trace three youths. The man, 65, tried to scare the youths off from his garden in Barking Road, East Ham, at about 01:30 BST on Saturday. But the group got inside his house, and one then stabbed the man with a Samurai sword which was inside the building. Police said the victim was in a stable condition with multiple wounds at an East London hospital.

Britain is at risk of being lashed by a once in 50 years storm, forecasters warned today.

The Weather Channel said rivers would be overwhelmed and warned of a 'major flooding event' as Nasa released this satellite picture of a huge low sweeping in from the Atlantic.

Forecasters at the Met Office have already predicted 60mph hurricane-force winds will bring three months of rain over the next three days, making June the wettest since records began.

Flying high... while they can: Paragliders take advantage of break in the miserable weather over Beachy Head and Eastbourne in East Sussex today

 

Making the most of it: The paragliders may have to back up they chutes soon, though, as more downpours are sweeping their way across the UK today

 

Emergency services issued a flood alert in the South-West and Wales last night with eight inches of rain expected as a massive front of terrible weather sweeps in from the Atlantic.

Forecasters said England and Wales’ appalling June weather is officially the worst since records began more than 100 years ago. The countries are on course for the wettest ever June, temperatures are up to 10C below normal and sunshine is down 60 per cent.

 

 

More...

• Lovely weather for slugs: Wet summer creates ideal conditions for slimy creatures and means more bad news for your garden

 

After a dry period of respite for many parts of Britain yesterday and today, the wet weather will return this evening and get worse going into tomorrow as a slow-moving area of low pressure brings thundery showers and strong winds.

It's coming: NASA's Terra satellite took this stunning image of today's 70mph Atlantic storm at 12.45pm as it span towards the South-West

 

Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: 'There’s a 50 per cent possibility of extreme downpours seeing over 80mm of rain in 12 hours in south and east Wales, which is a once-in-50 years event.

'The greatest intensity of rain will be early Thursday night and again on Friday daytime. Overall, up to 110mm is expected in Wales in just over 48 hours to midnight Saturday.

With yet more rain and stormy weather forecast, Freya Kirkpatrick , 4, takes a last chance to play in the sunshine with her dog, Monty, in a giant field of ox eye daisies on the edge of Blithfield Reservoir near Rugeley, Staffordshire

'This rainfall will be widespread across river catchment areas and could completely overwhelm rivers downstream. There is a high risk of flooding, with situation made even worse by ground being saturated from previous rain this week.'

MeteoGroup forecaster Julian Mayes said: 'We cannot find a period of June weather worse than this month since records began. For a 12-day period, it’s as bad as it can be.

'There’s no parallel with this month’s combination of very high rainfall, very low sunshine and very low daytime temperatures.

'The outlook is unsettled and although we don’t yet know for sure if it will be the wettest June, it’s well on the way.'

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said its 650 firefighters and 100 support staff were ready to take flood action.

A spokesperson said: 'Ourselves, the police and county council are monitoring the weather forecast and will take appropriate action when needed. We have vast experience dealing with flooding, in particular floods which devastated Cornwall in November 2010.'

Bank of England meets amid talk of £50bn stimulus

Bank of England policymakers meet today to decide whether to change interest rates or to pump in more money into the ailing economy, with leading economist saying they may opt to inject a further £50bn of stimulus.

Europe is on the verge of financial chaos.

Global capital markets, now the most powerful force on earth, are rapidly losing confidence in the financial coherence of the 17-nation euro zone. A market implosion there, like that triggered by Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008, may not be far off. Not only would that dismantle the euro zone, but it could also usher in another global economic slump: in effect, a second leg of the Great Recession, analogous to that of 1937. This risk is evident in the structure of global interest rates. At one level, U.S. Treasury bonds are now carrying the lowest yields in history, as gigantic sums of money seek a safe haven from this crisis. At another level, the weaker euro-zone countries, such as Spain and Italy, are paying stratospheric rates because investors are increasingly questioning their solvency. And there’s Greece, whose even higher rates signify its bankrupt condition. In addition, larger businesses and wealthy individuals are moving all of their cash and securities out of banks in these weakening countries. This undermines their financial systems. 423 Comments Weigh InCorrections? Personal Post The reason markets are battering the euro zone is that its hesitant leaders have not developed the tools for countering such pressures. The U.S. response to the 2008 credit market collapse is instructive. The Federal Reserve and Treasury took a series of huge and swift steps to avert a systemic meltdown. The Fed provided an astonishing $13 trillion of support for the credit system, including special facilities for money market funds, consumer finance, commercial paper and other sectors. Treasury implemented the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program, which infused equity into countless banks to stabilize them. The euro-zone leaders have discussed implementing comparable rescue capabilities. But, as yet, they have not fully designed or structured them. Why they haven’t done this is mystifying. They’d better go on with it right now. Europe has entered this danger zone because monetary union — covering 17 very different nations with a single currency — works only if fiscal union, banking union and economic policy union accompany it. Otherwise, differences among the member-states in competitiveness, budget deficits, national debt and banking soundness can cause severe financial imbalances. This was widely discussed when the monetary treaty was forged in 1992, but such further integration has not occurred. How can Europe pull back from this brink? It needs to immediately install a series of emergency financial tools to prevent an implosion; and put forward a detailed, public plan to achieve full integration within six to 12 months. The required crisis tools are three: ●First, a larger and instantly available sovereign rescue fund that could temporarily finance Spain, Italy or others if those nations lose access to financing markets. Right now, the proposed European Stability Mechanism is too small and not ready for deployment. ●Second, a central mechanism to insure all deposits in euro-zone banks. National governments should provide such insurance to their own depositors first. But backup insurance is necessary to prevent a disastrous bank run, which is a serious risk today. ●Third, a unit like TARP, capable of injecting equity into shaky banks and forcing them to recapitalize. These are the equivalent of bridge financing to buy time for reform. Permanent stability will come only from full union across the board. And markets will support the simple currency structure only if they see a true plan for promptly achieving this. The 17 member-states must jointly put one forward. Both the rescue tools and the full integration plan require Germany, Europe’s strongest country, to put its balance sheet squarely behind the euro zone. That is an unpopular idea in Germany today, which is why Chancellor Angela Merkel has been dragging her feet. But Germany will suffer a severe economic blow if this single-currency experiment fails. A restored German mark would soar in value, like the Swiss franc, and damage German exports and employment. The time for Germany and all euro-zone members to get the emergency measures in place and commit to full integration is now. Global capital markets may not give them another month. The world needs these leaders to step up.

Diamond Jubilee: Rain could force cancellation of RAF flypast planned as climax of weekend's celebrations

The Ministry of Defence said a decision will be taken tomorrow morning on whether the line-up of Second World War aircraft and fast jets can go ahead. Experts said that if visibility falls below three miles or if clouds descend below 1,500ft, the display will have to be abandoned, and forecasters said the conditions would be “on the edge” for safe flying. Yesterday a planned flypast of nine Naval helicopters flying in a diamond formation behind a Second World War Swordfish torpedo bomber was scrapped as torrential rain hit the Thames Diamond Jubilee Flotilla. The Met Office is forecasting rain over London for the time of tomorrow’s planned flypast at 3.30pm, which is due to feature the Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfires of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, followed by the Red Arrows. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The decision will be taken tomorrow on whether it can go ahead.

London fire crews attend false alarms 'every 10 minutes'

False fire alarms are attended by London Fire Brigade (LFB) almost once every 10 minutes at a cost of £37m per year, figures have revealed. In 2011, LFB attended 55,719 false alarms with hospitals and Heathrow Airport being the main call-outs. But the number of call-outs from false alarms has steadily decreased annually from 71,679 in 2007. LFB said it had worked hard to reduce the number of false fire alarms it was called to but it was still too high. False alarms are when automatic fire alarms are wrongly activated or when people set off alarms when there is no emergency. A LFB spokesman said: "The Brigade works closely with organisations across the capital, such as hospitals, universities, hotels and airports, in a bid to reduce the number of false alarms it is called out to. "Staff from the Brigade visit these organisations to offer advice on how to manage and maintain their fire alarms properly."

A Facebook crime every 40 minutes

A crime linked to Facebook  is reported to police every  40 minutes. Last year, officers logged 12,300 alleged offences involving the vastly popular social networking site. Facebook was referenced in investigations of murder, rape, child sex offences, assault, kidnap, death threats, witness intimidation and fraud.

Prince Philip in hospital

The Duke of Edinburgh has been taken to hospital with a bladder infection and will miss the rest of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip, 90, had been taken to the King Edward VII Hospital in London from Windsor Castle as a "precautionary measure". The Queen is still expected to join 12,000 others at the Jubilee concert which is under way at the palace. The prince will remain in hospital under observation for a few days. The prince had appeared to be in good health when he accompanied the Queen on Sunday on the royal barge the Spirit of Chartwell, which formed part of the rain-drenched Jubilee river pageant. He and the Queen stood for most of the 80-minute journey, as they were accompanied by 1,000 boats travelling seven miles down the river to Tower Bridge.

Luka Rocco Magnotta, the 'Canadian Psycho,' arrested in Berlin

Luka Rocco Magnotta was arrested in Berlin Monday after a four-day international manhunt that spanned three countries. The 29-year-old Canadian wanted over a horrific Montreal ice pick murder and decapitation of a Chinese student that he allegedly filmed and posted to the Internet, was arrested in or near an Internet cafe, Berlin police said. Montreal police confirmed they are aware of the reports that Magnotta was arrested, but said they are still in the process of contacting their Berlin counterparts. The arrest comes after French authorities said they were investigating a tip that Magnotta travelled from Paris to Berlin via bus on the weekend. “Somebody recognized him and (then) all the police recognized him,” Berlin police spokesperson Stefan Redlich told CP24 Monday. Handout (Click to enlarge) Magnotta's alleged victim is Lin Jun, a 33-year-old Concordia University student from Wuhan, Hubei, China. He was last seen on May 24, police said, and reported missing on May 29. Redlich said police were called in by a civilian who spotted Magnotta and he was arrested after police asked for his identification at about 2:00 p.m. local time in Berlin. Reuters is reporting it was an employee of the cafe, Kadir Anlayisli, that recognized Magnotta. The cafe is on Karl Marx Strasse, a busy shopping street filled with Turkish and Lebanese shops and cafes in the Neukoelln district of Berlin. German television quoted the owner of the cafe saying Magnotta was surfing the Internet for about an hour before his arrest. Redlich said Magnotta has been taken into custody without incident and will go in front of a judge Tuesday. Canadian officials are expected to start the extradition process for Magnotta in the near future.