Learn Rugby 101 with the Philippine Volcanoes in ‘Us Girls’

Dubbed as the Volcanoes, the Philippine national rugby team is popularizing rugby football in the country as it continues to get international attention by crushing other countries’ squads.

Guest host Cesca Litton and the highly touted Volcanoes will give a crash course on rugby tomorrow (Sep 29) in “Us Girls.” Get to know the players and learn why the sport is starting to engage our athletic Kabarkadas.

Iya Villania, Angel Aquino, and Chesca Garcia-Kramer, on the other hand, will take you to an extraordinary restaurant that boasts a creative menu of celebrity-named dishes such as Pokwang Baboy, Rice Ganda, and Sam Milky.

Also, get to watch the exclusive unveiling of mom-to-be Chesca’s clothing line and get a sneak peek of beauty queen turned TV host Bianca Manalo’s “home away from home” or her very own car.

All these and more tomorrow (Sep 29) in “Us Girls,” 9:30 PM on Studio 23, or watch it online on http://www.studio23.tv.

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‘My Neighbor’s Wife’ Grosses P25.99-M, ‘Ikaw ang Pag-ibig’ Takes P5.5-M in 2 Weeks

The sexy drama “My Neighbor’s Wife” has grossed P25.99 million in 2 weeks. The inspirational movie “Ikaw ang Pag-ibig” raked P5.5 million in the same period.

“My Neighbor’s Wife” is a sexy drama movie from Regal Films which is topbilled by Dennis Trillo, Jake Cuenca, Lovi Poe and Carla Abellana. It debuted at no. 2 at the local box-office last week and maintained the same spot on its second week.

Star Cinema’s inspirational film “Ikaw ang Pag-ibig” premiered at no. 6 and now at no. 9 on its second week. The must-see movie stars Jomari Yllana, Ynna Feleo and Marvin Agustin.

Johnny English Reborn ruled Philippine box-office for two weeks in a row.

Meanwhile, “Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi” starring Toni Gonzaga and Eugene Domingo placed 16th on its last and 4th week and has now raked-in P37.46 million.

On the other hand, “Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington,” is still alive at the box-office on its 4th week. The first zombie comedy movie in the Philippines has grossed P32.28 million in 4 weeks and now at no. 10 of the Top-Grossing Filipino movies for 2011 list.

Here’s the Philippine box office tally (Top 10) for the opening weekend of September 21 to 25, 2011 according to Box Office Mojo (premiering movies are highlighted in yellow):

Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington

HIGHEST-GROSSING FILMS IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR 2011
(As of September 27, 2011)

1. Transformers: Dark of Moon – P415.74-M
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – P295.96-M
3. Kung Fu Panda 2 – P198.24M
4. Thor – P173.98M
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – P155.32M
6. X-Men: First Class – P154.92M
7. Captain America – P153.3
8. Green Lantern – P132.3M
9. Fast Five – P126.8M
10. Catch Me…I’m In Love – P120.21M

TOP-GROSSING PINOY FILMS FOR 2011 SO FAR
(As of September 27, 2011)

1. Catch Me…I’m In Love – P120.21M
2. In the Name of Love – P117.2M
3. Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak! – P72.31M
4. Bulong – P67.27M
5. Temptation Island – P60-M
6. Who’s That Girl? – P58.31M
7. Forever and a Day – P44.73M
8. My Valentine Girls – P44.26M
9. Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi – P37.46M
10. Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington – P32.28-M *
====================================
11. Tween Academy: Class of 2012 – P32.23M
12. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank – P30.26M
13. My Neighbor’s Wife – P25.99M *
14. Way Back Home – P25.78-M
15. The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles – P19.84-M
16. Tumbok – P10.53M
17. Ikaw ang Pag-ibig – P5.5M
18. Tum: My Pledge of Love – P5.16M
19. Thelma – P1.35M

Note: All movies marked with an asterisk (*) are still showing in theaters

Figures are estimates from third party tabulator Box Office Mojo

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Japan falls out of love with skyscrapers

24 September 2011 Last updated at 13:23 GMT By Roland Buerk BBC News, Tokyo None of Japan's skyscrapers fell in the massive earthquake that hit the country in March, but they shook violently - and with experts saying a big quake under Tokyo is overdue, the city's love affair with the high-rise lifestyle may be coming to an end.

When Emiko Yamamoto opens her curtains in the morning, she is rewarded with a spectacular view, right across Tokyo.

From the 30th floor, she can see the high-rises and elevated expressways, the bullet train and even, on a clear day, the snow-capped cone of Mount Fuji, far in the distance.

It is the kind of outlook Tokyo dreams are made of, but Emiko cannot wait to leave.

Back in March, she was inside her apartment when the earthquake hit.

Tall buildings crowd Tokyo's skyline

The building swayed alarmingly, books came off shelves, furniture crashed around her and she thought she would die.

Then when she tried to get out, she found the lift was not working. It was a long, long walk down the stairs as the aftershocks rumbled through.

Now she and her husband are looking for a house. Another flat would do at a push, but nothing higher, they say, than the second floor.

People in Tokyo have always known their city is built on major fault lines. Periodically throughout history, it has been destroyed by earthquakes, only to be rebuilt.

So a big quake with its epicentre under the capital is a possibility at any moment. Seismologists say it is not a question of if, but when. The last was in 1923 so the next is, in fact, already well overdue.

Reality check

Until the big earthquake in March, it was something Tokyo residents seemed able to put largely to the back of their minds while they got on with their lives.

That is the only way to deal with an ever present threat about which little can be done.

The epicentre of that quake was well to the north, off Japan's coast, but it still gave Tokyo the most dramatic shake most people have ever experienced.

Engineer Jun Tagami from Kajima Corporation shows Roland Buerk the company's earthquake testing facility

Scientific opinion is that shifting strains in the Earth's crust make a big one under the capital more likely, not less.

So it has forced Tokyo residents to confront the uncomfortable reality.

These days, a great view is not the selling point it once was. Adverts and brochures for new apartment blocks now lay far more emphasis on earthquake-proofing - the elaborate foundations, the stocks of emergency meals, water and generators.

And the quality of the ground underneath. Reclaimed land - and there is a lot of it in Tokyo - is judged less safe, vulnerable to liquefaction.

Sales of high-rise apartments plummeted after the earthquake in March. Some renters, who were able to, have moved.

It has all got one of Japan's most successful property developers thinking.

Akira Mori has become a billionaire, the country's third richest man, by building some of its biggest towers.

The proportion of low-rise housing in Tokyo is set to increase in line with demand

Now, he says, the era of skyscrapers reaching ever higher is over. He is calling for a new vision of Tokyo with lower, wider buildings, designed to be refuges in times of crisis.

They would be equipped to be self-sufficient for a week or more, so their residents could stay put, while normality returns outside.

Mr Mori told me he never liked skyscrapers personally - he once tried living on the 20th floor but found it inconvenient getting down to street level, and anyway the sun blazed through the plate windows.

Now he sees a change in the psychology of the Japanese. For decades his fellow countrymen have wanted to live and work up high.

Not by chance, he says, were so many Japanese firms on the upper floors of the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

Not any more.

Fear factor

The irony is, of course, that during the earthquake back in March, not a single tower fell in Japan, even up in Sendai, the city nearest to the epicentre.

Yes, some walls were cracked and pavements were crumpled, but the buildings themselves remained standing throughout.

They swayed, though, even long after the tremors had stopped, as the forces of the Earth lurching about were distributed through the structure.

Being inside made people feel seasick, and then there was the fear too.

The lesson Japanese engineers have taken is that making buildings resilient is not enough.

The other day I went to a development centre run by one of Japan's biggest construction companies. Inside a massive concrete building, the size of a large church, a big table was mounted on machinery which could throw it in any direction, for testing structures.

They ran it through an exact simulation, taken from seismograph readings, of the quake back in March. It was quite an eye-opener.

During the real thing, everything around was moving together, there was nothing still to give context. Now I could see just how much the ground moved.

Japanese engineers have already developed foundations mounted on rubber to insulate entire buildings, and bracing to reinforce structures.

They are designed to sway, bending and flexing rather than snapping.

But the challenge now, they say, is to make towers that do not just withstand earthquakes, but to make the people inside believe they will too.

How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent:

BBC Radio 4:

A 30-minute programme on Saturdays, 1130.

Second 30-minute programme on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only).

Listen online or download the podcast

BBC World Service:

Hear daily 10-minute editions Monday to Friday, repeated through the day, also available to listen online.

Read more or explore the archive at the programme website.

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Labour votes on 'refounding' plan

25 September 2011 Last updated at 17:31 GMT By Victoria King Political reporter, BBC News, in Liverpool Labour delegates have been debating the party's future Delegates at the Labour conference have voted on a series of measures to amend the party's constitution and the way its leaders are elected.

The proposals, known as "Refounding Labour", were designed by Ed Miliband to breathe new life into the party.

Shadow Welsh secretary Peter Hain, who has led the project, said it would open Labour up to new supporters, but some argued it had been rushed through.

The result of the vote will be revealed on Monday.

The proposals would give members of the public the right to become official Labour "supporters" without formally joining the party.

These supporters would then have the power to vote in leadership elections - at present, only MPs, MEPs, party members and members of an affiliated group, such as a trade union, can have a say.

Mr Miliband also wants to abolish the system of multiple votes in leadership elections under which individuals who are members of different affiliated organisations can vote more than once.

He wants to reform what he sees as the party's arcane procedures and make it more welcoming to outsiders, as well as forging links with other voluntary groups in the community.

But the some of the proposals have proved controversial with party members who fear it will reduce their influence.

'Dose of medicine'

Mr Hain told delegates at the conference in Liverpool: "We have to build a people's movement for Labour in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, that is what we mean by Refounding Labour."

He said "revitalising Labour in this way" would help "ensure that lessons leaned on the doorsteps" could be transmitted all the way up to manifesto level.

Some have expressed concern that the ideas are designed to dilute union influence, but several union representatives spoke in support of them.

Paul Kenny, of the GMB, said Refounding Labour was "a harsh but required dose of medicine", adding: "We desperately need fresh ideas and new energy."

Wendy Nichols, from Unison, said her union would support the changes "even though we have concerns", especially about having to cast a single vote on "hundreds of changes".

But she said that when union members were "under the cosh" as now - with fights on public sector cuts and pension changes" - "Refounding Labour isn't exactly top of the agenda".

'All or nothing'

Ahead of the debate on the proposals, several delegates expressed concern at the speed at which they were being pushed through.

They also objected to having to vote on the proposals as a whole rather than one by one.

Dominic Curran, of Vauxhall constituency Labour Party, said: "I'm really, really disappointed and, frankly, outraged about how Refounding Labour has been dealt with.

"It's all or nothing, conference isn't being trusted to properly deal with this document.

"I thought the party had moved on, but I'm beginning to question that."

But the calls for an extended study were rejected following an unclear show of hands, sparking cries of "Carve up!".

Earlier, Liam Byrne, chair of Labour's policy review, which is half way through its two-year task, said there was a "new centre-ground in British politics" which the party had to fight for.

"It's not a place that the party gets to pick. The centre-ground is where voters say it is.

"Our challenge now is to change and move in and say once more the centre-ground is our home-ground, and this is where we fight."

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China 'to investigate land sales'

25 September 2011 Last updated at 16:55 GMT This wall was torn down during the protests The Chinese authorities have agreed to investigate local government land sales that prompted several days of sometimes violent public protests, media say.

Villagers in southern China say they are being pushed off farmland for property development.

Unrest broke out on Wednesday, but the situation now appears to be calmer.

Officials said protesters in Lufeng in Guangdong province injured police officers and damaged government buildings during the protest.

Several hundred people were reported to have attacked a police station and government buildings, and to have used earth-movers to smash down a wall around the seized land.

Chinese reporters who visited the area on Saturday evening said it appeared to be calm.

They said protest banners had been taken down and restaurants were open for business.

Locals, however, said they remain angry and expect the government investigation to expose what they say is an unfair transfer of farmland to build factories.

"We want our land returned to us," said a woman who took part in the protests.

'Mass incidents'

There are tens of thousands of mass incidents, as they are known, in China every year.

Some of the highest-profile recent protests have been in Guangdong province, whose factories turn out about a third of China's exports.

One often-heard complaint is that corrupt officials collude with developers to sell off farmland without giving farmers the proper compensation, correspondents say.

Laws are in place to protect farmers, but are often ignored at local level.

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Enrique Gil Photo Scandal?

Enrique Gil was photographed being kissed on the right cheek by a guy.

Who is that guy?

Will this picture ignite a “gay” or “gay benefactor” rumor for Enrique? It it does, then sikat na nga talaga si Enrique.

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Satellite falls off US west coast

24 September 2011 Last updated at 16:13 GMT By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News The BBC's Andy Moore says where debris came down is "a bit of a mystery"

Nasa says its six-tonne UARS satellite plunged to Earth over the Pacific Ocean, off the US west coast.

It appears likely the decommissioned craft came down between 03:23 and 05:09 GMT - with a best estimate of 04:16.

If correct, this means any debris that survived to the surface probably went into water and not on land.

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the largest American space agency satellite to return uncontrolled into the atmosphere in about 30 years.

The fall to Earth was monitored by the Joint Space Operations Center (JSPOC) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Its best estimate for the timing of the re-entry would have seen UARS come in at a point well out into the North Pacific.

However, if UARS re-entered many minutes after 04:16, it is possible debris could have reached the American landmass.

There were some unconfirmed reports of glowing wreckage moving across the sky in western Canada, but Nasa said it had yet to receive credible evidence that this was so, less still that any debris items had been found.

"I've got no reports that I've seen that talk about people who think they might have recovered debris," Nick Johnson, Nasa's chief scientist for orbital debris at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters during a media teleconference.

"Obviously, we're going to continue to keep our eyes and ears open, and if we receive any reports like that we'll try to go verify."

Most of the 20-year-old satellite should simply have burnt up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, but modelling work indicated perhaps 500kg could have survived to the surface.

Calculations estimated this material would have been scattered over an 800km path. Nonetheless, with more than 70% of the Earth's surface covered by water, many experts had offered the view in recent weeks that an ocean grave was going to be the most probable outcome for UARS.

"Because we don't know where the re-entry point actually was, we don't know where the debris field might be. If the re-entry point was at the time that JSPOC has its best guess of 04:16 GMT then all that debris wound up in the Pacific Ocean," Nick Johnson reiterated.

UARS was deployed in 1991 from the space shuttle Discovery on a mission to study the Earth's upper atmosphere.

It contributed important new understanding on subjects such as the chemistry of the protective ozone layer and the cooling effect volcanoes can exert on the global climate.

Astrophotographer Thierry Legault's video of the falling UARS

In the past few days, Nasa had warned members of the public not to touch any pieces of the spacecraft that might survive the fall to land, urging them to contact local law enforcement authorities instead.

"I've seen some things that have re-entered and they tend to have sharp edges, so there's a little concern that they might hurt themselves if they try to pick them up," said Mark Matney, an orbital debris scientist from Nasa's Johnson Space Center.

Under the terms of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the US government retains ownership of the debris and could, if it so wished, seek to take possession of any items found on the ground.

With those ownership rights also comes absolute liability if a piece of UARS is found to have damage property or injured someone.

"There is something called international responsibility; they're internationally liable," explained Joanne Wheeler of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, and an expert representative for the UK on the UN Subcommittee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

"The Americans have to retain jurisdiction and control, and that pretty much can be interpreted as ownership. So they own it up there, they own it if it comes down to Earth and they're liable if it crashes into something."

Tracking stations will typically witness the uncontrolled return of at least one piece of space debris every day; and on average, one intact defunct spacecraft or old rocket body will come back into the atmosphere every week.

Something the size of UARS is seen perhaps once a year. Much larger objects such as space station cargo ships return from orbit several times a year, but they are equipped with thrusters capable of guiding their dive into a remote part of the Southern Ocean.

UARS orbited the Earth between 57 degrees North and SouthNasa calculated some 26 components might survive the fall to EarthThe largest was a moveable instrument platform weighing almost 160kgIn total, about half a tonne could have made it all the way to the surfaceThe risk of any one of 7bn people being hit was 1 in 3,200, Nasa saysJonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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Schwarzenegger to write memoirs

23 September 2011 Last updated at 11:51 GMT Schwarzenegger was elected Republican governor of California in 2003 Hollywood star-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger is to write his memoirs, his New York publisher has confirmed.

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story will offer "a larger-than-life portrait" of the Terminator star, said publisher Simon & Schuster.

"Truly, Arnold is one of the most fascinating figures of our time, and one of the greatest success stories in the world," said Jonathan Karp.

Schwarzenegger began working with a ghost writer earlier this year.

The biography will follow Schwarzenegger from his native Austria, via his body-building success, to his roles in blockbuster hits such as True Lies and Predator and, eventually, to political office in 2003.

"Nobody has a life story even close to his," said Mr Karp, of Simon & Schuster.

"To go from poor immigrant to world class athlete to the biggest movie star in the world to governor of California is an incredible journey."

Marriage troubles

There is no indication as to whether the memoirs will address his recent separation from his wife, Maria Shriver.

The actor separated from Shriver, his wife of 25 years, in May, amid revelations that he had fathered a child out of wedlock.

Shriver filed for divorce in July. The couple have four children together.

The former Governor of California left political office in January this year, planning to resume his career in Hollywood.

Following a cameo in 2010's The Expendables, he is due to make his return to the big screen in Western movie The Last Stand, playing a border-town sheriff.

His memoirs are scheduled for publication in October next year.

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Tropical Storm Pedring Enters PHL

Tropical Storm “Pedring” entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

but it was still too far to affect any part of the country, according to the weather bureau.

No storm signals were raised by the weather bureau as of Sunday night because it was still too far to affect any part of the country.

Pedring was spotted 1,030 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, as of 4 p.m. of Saturday, and was moving west northwest at 19 kilometers per hour. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

The country would experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms as it’s expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

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Wall Street's unwelcome warriors

23 September 2011 Last updated at 11:04 GMT By Jill Martin BBC News, New York The Wall Street protesters have a wide range of different issues they are concerned about They are the kind of people who would normally find no reason to linger in New York's financial district - people wearing hooded tops, biker jackets and plaid shirts - but for a week they have been camping there.

All are anti-Wall Street protesters, but with barricades and swarms of police officers in front of the New York Stock Exchange the closest they can get to their target is Liberty Street, a good three streets away.

An online activist group called Adbusters organised the gathering and the word spread through social media.

With attention focused sharply on the financial markets and many US citizens suffering hardships undreamed of in the 1980s and 1990s, campaigners thought they could pull in thousands to join them but although the campaign - broadly known as "Occupy Wall Street" - has attracted people from thousands of miles away, only about 50 people are currently involved.

Wet weather

The small numbers have not dampened the group's enthusiasm - but the weather has.

"When it rains, people go home," said Luke Richards, one of the few who has been a part of the group from the beginning.

On the ground alongside their camp, the group has an array of signs spelling out their disparate goals.

They include "Tax the rich", "Another American against corporate greed" and "Peace".

Among those the appeal attracted was at least one man there for personal reasons.

"My family was directly affected by the floating interest rate loans that a lot of Wall Street banks extended," said Jay, a 22-year-old dairy worker from Vermont. "They lost their house because of that."

He has been a part of the protest since the beginning, which he hopes will make financial institutions take responsibility.

Protester Jay: "My family lost their house"

Those who have weathered this week's rains in New York are clearly tired by the effort: the ground at their base camp is dappled with sleeping protesters, who are covered in blankets and tarpaulin.

And they are heavy sleepers. Even though the raucous daily protest march past the New York Stock Exchange involves a cacophony of drumming and chanting, several manage to slumber through it.

Protesters chant such slogans as: "Abolish the Fed! Stop building up the debt!"

The parading demonstrators are flanked by a small army of police officers, tourists, members of the media, and people who are trying to get to work.

Topless

Over the week some have performed other stunts to draw attention to their pet annoyance, including at one point this week a topless protest to graphically illustrate their view that 1% of the world has the shirts off the backs of the other 99% - a move that certainly engaged passing workers' eyes if not their minds.

Locals may be looking, but they are not necessarily comprehending.

Several passers-by said they did not know why the protesters were there. And they were not overly concerned about finding out.

But the demonstrators are patient. "Now that we have taken the square, we are setting up a platform for public debate," said Vlad Teichberg, a self-described media activist.

He has camped there since Saturday, and plans to stay indefinitely. "I don't know how long it's going to take," he said.

Telly Liberatos takes his OccuPie pizza, a tribute to the Wall Street protesters, out of the oven 'Stop sending pizza'

Not all those in the area are indifferent.

At least one local business got a big boost from the protest.

Telly Liberatos says that the name of his downtown pizza parlour grabbed the attention of the protesters, and their followers.

Occupy Wall Street put Liberatos Pizza's phone number on its Twitter page, allowing supporters to send pizzas from his restaurant to the protesters.

Orders came from across the country, and from as far away as New Zealand.

Telly described how the movement helped his business to rebound from a recent lull.

He would not give a precise figure on how much Occupy Wall Street helped to boost his bottom line, only to say that it was a big boon - especially after a slow few months. "It was a tough summer," he says.

Liberatos Pizza even named a pie in honour of the protesters.

The OccuPie features a line of pepperoni across the middle, in the shape of a slash, intended to represent protester anger.

But even free, thematic pizza can be too much of a good thing: an online message from Occupy Wall Street said that they had enough food, and pleaded with benefactors: "Stop sending pizza."

If the economy and the markets carry on into further dire straits, some of those currently in the protesters' firing line may find themselves stepping in to take their unwanted slices of pizza.

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Dowlers in 'no-win, no-fee' plea

23 September 2011 Last updated at 08:38 GMT The Dowler family urged David Cameron not to change the law over 'no-win, no-fee' The family of Milly Dowler says planned changes to "no win, no fee" cases would have stopped them seeking compensation from News International.

A letter from the Dowlers urges David Cameron not to take "rights away from ordinary people so that large companies could print whatever they like".

The government says its plans are intended to prevent "spurious cases".

It is understood the Dowlers are to receive a £2m settlement over the hacking of the murdered girl's phone.

The deal is thought likely to also involve a personal donation of £1m to charity by company boss Rupert Murdoch.

A government spokesman said: "We are absolutely committed to ensuring that people can access the justice system, regardless of their financial situation, which is why we are committed to maintaining 'no-win, no-fee' arrangements."

But in the letter to the prime minister, the Dowler family said they were "lucky" they were able to claim under the current system, and without the insurance that the conditional fee agreement provided, they "would not have been able to start a case or even threaten it".

In March, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke announced plans to change "no win, no fee" cases in England and Wales.

He said lawyers would no longer be able to claim "success fees" from the losing side, and should instead receive a share of the damages.

'Ordinary people'

The Dowlers said they understood the new law would "affect thousands of people who want to sue News International and other newspapers" and urged Mr Cameron not to change it.

"We had understood that you were on the side of the people, not the press. Please do not change the law so that the ability to sue the papers is lost.

"Although we may have received a sum that meant the cost of the insurance would have been affordable, most cases finish with settlements that do not cover the cost of insurance and so people will not bother," the letter said.

It went on: "We are sure that you do not want to go down in history as the prime minister who took rights away from ordinary people so that large companies could print whatever they like and break the law without being able to challenge them."

'Humbled'

The Law Society, which has warned that the proposed changes seriously undermine access to justice, welcomed the Dowler family's letter.

Des Hudson, the society's chief executive, said: "After all they have been through, we welcome - and are humbled by - the intervention of the Dowler family in this debate.

"They have succeeded in making it clear to the prime minister that it is ordinary families with terrible life challenges that will be impacted the most. They will be the losers.

"As a society we need to protect them and their access to justice."

Levi Bellfield was jailed for life earlier this year for murdering 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who went missing in 2002.

In July, it emerged the girl's phone had been hacked for the News of the World.

The revelations that a private investigator had hacked into the phone after the murdered schoolgirl went missing and deleted messages, giving the family false hope that she was still alive, brought intense pressure on News International, which responded by shutting the paper down.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "There are many deserving cases brought before the courts. But we have to stop the abuse of the system by others pursing excessive, costly and unnecessary cases. Under the current arrangements, innocent defendants can face enormous costs, which can discourage them from fighting cases. This simply isn't fair.

"So, in order to ensure that the no-win, no-fee cases continue to provide fair access to justice for all, we have to make changes.

"By balancing the costs more fairly between the claimant and defendant, these changes will ensure that claimants will still be able to bring deserving claims, and receive damages where they are due. Most importantly they will make the no-win, no-fee system sustainable for the future."

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Drug submarine seized in Colombia

25 September 2011 Last updated at 03:15 GMT The submarine cost about $2m and could hold a crew of five, officials say Police in Colombia have seized a submarine belonging to Farc rebels which had the capacity to carry at least seven tonnes of drugs.

The 16m-long (52ft) vessel - equipped with a sophisticated navigation system - was captured near the Pacific port city of Buenaventura.

The police said the submersible was about to be used for the first time to deliver its load.

The vessel would have been able to travel as far as Central America.

"It was going to be used by the narco-terrorist 29th front of the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in alliance with organisations of drug traffickers who operate in this southern area of the country," drugs police chief Gen Luis Alberto Perez told Efe news agency.

He added that it was "probably one of the biggest" drug ships seized in Colombia in recent years.

The authorities believe it cost about $2m (£1.3m) and could hold a crew of five.

Many cocaine traffickers are based in Buenaventura, where poverty and unemployment are high.

Colombia is the centre of the world's cocaine trade, and traffickers are increasingly seeking new ways to avoid detection - including going underwater.

The drugs are mostly smuggled to Mexico or Central America by sea and onward by land to the US and Canada.

Colombia is also the source of most European cocaine.

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VIDEO: What comes after HD for TV viewers?

The world of TV is fast moving and technology firms are always looking forward to the next big thing.

Dan Simmons looks into the future to find green technologies, super high definition and screens that you can see right through.

MORE FROM IFA 2011

Follow the Click team on Twitter - @bbcclick

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World Bank increases drought aid

24 September 2011 Last updated at 21:40 GMT A refugee camp in Mogadishu has been sheltering this severely malnourished child from southern Somalia The World Bank has announced it is increasing funding for the drought in the Horn of Africa to nearly $2bn.

It says that the funds are needed to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people.

The World Bank says countries across the region face one of the worst droughts in more than half a century.

The conditions, it says, are causing increasing malnutrition and food insecurity, and are displacing large numbers of people.

Over the coming years, the body will provide $1.8bn (£1.2bn) in assistance - nearly four times the amount originally pledged in July.

But it says there is still a billion-dollar shortfall to provide for the estimated 13 million people who are in need in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

Providing humanitarian assistance to Somalis remains the biggest challenge because of its continuing civil conflict and the soaring cost of food, the BBC's Marcus George reports from Washington.

The UN has estimated that 10,000 people have died across the region and the crisis could get worse in the coming weeks.

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Ministers to be firms' 'buddies'

23 September 2011 Last updated at 10:32 GMT By Victoria King Political reporter, BBC News The Department for Business said firms had welcomed the idea of a hotline Plans are under way to give the heads of the UK's 50 top companies a hotline to individual government ministers.

The ministerial "buddies", including Business Secretary Vince Cable, will be just a phone call away for firms like BP, British Gas and GlaxoSmithKline.

The Department for Business said the idea - designed to boost investment - had been welcomed by the companies.

But Labour said it was an admission that big business had "lost confidence" in the government.

The scheme, first reported in the Times newspaper, is being set up by trade and investment minister Lord Green - the former chairman and chief executive of HSBC.

The Department for Business said it was at a "very, very early stage", but there was "a need for strategically important companies to have a single point of contact in the government".

It could be expanded in the future to include more firms.

Ministerial code

Six ministers are expected to take part in the scheme, including Mr Cable, who is said to be in line for a link-up with BP, British Gas and Shell. Before entering politics, Mr Cable worked as chief economist for Shell.

Continue reading the main story

Sorting out problems for individual companies is not a substitute for the government working with business to produce a clear vision and growth plan for the UK economy”

End Quote John Denham Shadow business secretary Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to be in touch with communications and information companies, while enterprise minister Mark Prisk is said to be planning to team up with automotive companies like Nissan and Honda, and aerospace firms.

Universities and science minister David Willetts is expected to "buddy up" with healthcare companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis, while Lord Green himself is reportedly set to link up with General Electric.

Lord Sassoon, commercial secretary to the Treasury, is also expected to play a role in the programme.

A spokesman for Lord Green said the scheme would "fit with the ministerial code of conduct to avoid conflicts and potential conflicts of interest".

The Department for Energy and Climate Change said it would build on existing relationships between ministers and business.

"Departments will still talk with their stakeholders during the normal course of business," a spokesman said.

"It does not necessarily follow that the best minister to lead on a company would be the one who was most vulnerable to lobbying from that company."

For Labour, shadow business secretary John Denham said the scheme was "an admission that big companies have completely lost confidence in the ability of government to understand their concerns and priorities".

"But sorting out problems for individual companies is not a substitute for the government working with business to produce a clear vision and growth plan for the UK economy to enable us to compete in the world," he said.

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How do you create a new TV character?

23 September 2011 Last updated at 15:55 GMT By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter More than 28 million people tuned in to see Ashton Kutcher (right) replace Charlie Sheen on Two And A Half Men What do you do when the star of your TV show quits?

It's a problem that's been plaguing Hollywood this summer, with Laurence Fishburne (CSI), Steve Carell (The US Office) and Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men) all leaving hit shows, for a variety of reasons.

All of the programmes have opted to continue, with new characters stepping in to fill the void.

But writing a new actor into an established series creates a peculiar set of problems for the writers.

How can the new recruit be distinct without destroying the show's premise? How will the cast dynamic change? How will audiences react?

As controller of the drama production at the BBC, John Yorke has first-hand experience of placing new characters into series like EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors and Holby City.

He shared his "golden rules" for writers grappling with the problem.

The Slater family were deliberately created to "cause havoc" in Albert Square

I was always very fond of the way we brought the Slater family into EastEnders, although there is a caveat - which is that the audience weren't!

It's really fascinating in a show like EastEnders, where the regular cast are the viewers' family by proxy. When a group of people you don't know suddenly come in and start shouting at people you do know, immediately your hackles rise. You think, "who are these people who've invaded my living room?"

But that can be a good thing. It doesn't seem like a good thing, but what it does is create intrigue immediately. Almost every new EastEnders character is hated for a month and then, you know, 60% of them go on to become loved.

Spooks character Harry Pearce, played by Peter Firth, has a specific role to fulfil in the drama series

If you just create a carbon copy of a character that's gone before, you're going to be in terrible trouble.

One of the most brilliant examples of creating a new role is how they re-cast the colonel in M*A*S*H [actor Harry Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson, who left after the third series].

In the early years, they had someone very ineffectual and useless in charge. When he left, at a time when the show was enormously popular, his replacement seemed to be the complete opposite - a very brutal, almost dictatorial character. But essentially they fulfilled the same function in very different ways.

So you have to know the character's function within the narrative of the show.

For example, if Harry left Spooks - which he hasn't done - you know that the function of any replacement character has got to be to corral that disparate group of elements together to fight the enemy.

A really good writer will say "sod the exposition" and remove it altogether.

Good writers know you don't need to explain who someone is, you get to know them through what they do. Now, you'll need a little bit of a story to explain why they've arrived - but a really good writer will make it a mystery.

Mystery is what keeps you watching. It's the prime narrative motor of most drama.

An entire season of Dallas was explained away as being Pam Ewing's dream

When Bobby Ewing came out of the shower in Dallas, the producers were thinking "we need Bobby back for the show to be successful". They explained an entire season of Dallas away as a dream, and the audience thought, "you think I'm an idiot, don't you?". It's hugely dangerous.

On EastEnders, we'd never recast Michelle Fowler, even though it's unlikely that Suzanne Tully will ever want to come back, because, as far as we're concerned, Sue Tully is Michelle. I don't think we'd ever bring Cindy Beale back either. First of all, she's dead, but also Michelle Collins played her fantastically.

With some of the lesser-known characters, or ones who haven't been on screen for 10 or 15 years, you can sometimes do it. Normally we send them up the stairs for a couple of months and they come back different.

But it's a dangerous road to go down, because the audience are on some level thinking, "why are you lying to me?" It breaks that bond of trust.

As with M*A*S*H, if you're replacing a character, a good trick is to make them appear different to the previous person but, underlying that, they do exactly the same thing.

Spooks is a rather brilliant example. Over 10 years, it has continually managed to re-cast itself with characters that look very different but who are finally revealed to have very similar functions.

Most shows die after three years because you run out of stories. But by introducing new characters with new stories, you get another three years life expectancy. You've just got to get it right. Skins is another programme that's proved that you can very successfully re-cast each year.

Continue reading the main story 1994 - Script editor, EastEnders1998 - Storyline consultant, Casualty2002 - Deputy head of drama, BBC2003 - Head of drama, Channel 4 - commissions Shameless, Omagh2004 - Controller of Continuing Drama, BBC2009 - Controller of Drama Production, BBCYou'd be foolish to ignore the viewers, but you'd be just as foolish to instantly react when they're unhappy.

The great thing about a show like EastEnders is that you have time to adjust and tweak as you listen to feedback. It was very interesting with the Slater family that everyone on the show felt very strongly from before we started filming that we had something very special.

It was one of those rare occasions where a really good cast bounce off each other. There were four or five months of fairly virulent abuse. Then it calmed down until, eventually, they became some of the most-loved characters of all.

The turning point was when the audience discovered that Kat was Zoe's mum, because it showed she was vulnerable. Everyone thought she was this loud-mouthed and gobby person, when in fact she was caring and selfless.

This was long before Zoe found out, which took about another year, but about three months in we let the audience in on this secret, and that changed everything.

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VIDEO: Webscape: How CVs are evolving

Kate Russell tests out a new way of job hunting with labels.io which uses tagging to generate a quick and effective summary of your skills to catch the eye of potential employers.

And Vizualize.me launched this week with a service that visualises your CV by taking the information you have put into LinkedIN and turning it into a sharable infographic.

There is now a free epilepsy app for smartphones for anyone who wants to know more about epilepsy, including essential first aid tips and a seizure diary to help sufferers keep track of their condition.

Planning a big night out with your friends can be stressful, especially when it comes to getting everyone to chip in their fair share when the bill comes in - but with friendfund.com you can set up a pool and invite others to contribute ahead of time.

Follow the Click team on Twitter at @bbcclick

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Google to put South Sudan on map

22 September 2011 Last updated at 15:33 GMT Google has recognised the newly independent nation of South Sudan by including it on Google Maps.

The online separation from Sudan followed a campaign by 1,600 members of the group Change.org, calling for the new nation to be marked on web maps.

But South Sudan is still missing from Yahoo!, Microsoft and National Geographic maps.

It became independent in July this year, following decades of conflict in which some two million people died.

Six weeks after his home country gained independence, John Tanza Mabusu, a journalist from South Sudan living in Washington, launched a petition on Change.org.

It called on online mapping services to update their maps to include the new nation.

"The inclusion of South Sudan will give the people of that new nation pride and a sense of belonging, as citizens of a sovereign nation on the map," said Mabusu.

"I'm hoping that now that Google has officially recognised South Sudan on their maps, the other major online mapping services will quickly follow suit."

He said: "The people of South Sudan fought long and hard for their independence and suffered greatly. It's time these maps reflect their efforts and catch up."

Change.org says it is the world's fastest-growing platform for social change, with more than 400,000 new members a month.

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World Bank increases drought aid

24 September 2011 Last updated at 21:40 GMT A refugee camp in Mogadishu has been sheltering this severely malnourished child from southern Somalia The World Bank has announced it is increasing funding for the drought in the Horn of Africa to nearly $2bn.

It says that the funds are needed to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people.

The World Bank says countries across the region face one of the worst droughts in more than half a century.

The conditions, it says, are causing increasing malnutrition and food insecurity, and are displacing large numbers of people.

Over the coming years, the body will provide $1.8bn (£1.2bn) in assistance - nearly four times the amount originally pledged in July.

But it says there is still a billion-dollar shortfall to provide for the estimated 13 million people who are in need in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

Providing humanitarian assistance to Somalis remains the biggest challenge because of its continuing civil conflict and the soaring cost of food, the BBC's Marcus George reports from Washington.

The UN has estimated that 10,000 people have died across the region and the crisis could get worse in the coming weeks.

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F1 revs up Singapore's economy

22 September 2011 Last updated at 23:06 GMT By Puneet Pal Singh Business reporter, BBC News, Singapore Chef Ahmad is preparing for one of the busiest weekends of the year for his team Chef Reyaz Ahmad is busy preparing kathi rolls in the kitchen of Go India restaurant in Singapore. It has taken him five minutes to wrap freshly cut greens and grilled chicken flavoured with exotic Indian spices into a toasted roll of bread.

The rolls are one of the best selling items on the restaurant's menu. There is just one problem though.

Chef Ahmad and his team will have to make 12,000 of them over the next three days as the restaurant sets up a kiosk at the Formula One circuit in the city.

The hard work does have its rewards. As many as 18,000 people buy food from its kiosk at the venue during the weekend, making a substantial contribution to its earnings.

"We have a revenue jump of close to 30 to 40% for the month, due to our sales at the Formula One kiosk," Pankaj Tandon, managing director of Go India, tells the BBC.

Winning formula?

Its just not the businesses that are benefiting. The government's investment into bringing Formula One to Singapore is paying off as well.

According to initial estimates, the cost of hosting the Grand Prix is 150m Singapore dollars ($115m; £75m) per year. As much as 60% of that is being invested by the Singapore government through the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in a bid to attract more visitors to the island nation.

Continue reading the main story

Because there is so much wealth that comes in this week, the demand for tables at top clubs outstrips supply. The Formula One weekend is the best time to throw a party”

End Quote Michael Van Cleef Ault The Pangaea Group If tourist numbers are anything to go by, the authorities have succeed in their objective.

According to the STB, the country generated an extra S$160m in tourism revenue in 2010 as a result of hosting the race. The figure was S$93m in 2009 and S$168m in 2008.

Analysts say that along with this, Singapore is also reaping intangible rewards.

"After the first year, people stood up and took notice, Singapore just exploded on the world stage," says Ben Heyhoe Flint of sponsorship consultancy Fuse.

"It showcased that the city had a lot more to offer than just being a transit point for trans-Pacific travellers," he adds.

It is little surprise then, that businesses can't seem to get enough of it.

"Formula One has become one of those events which we look forward to year after year," Go India's Mr Tandon says.

"It lets us break away from the regular monotony of a restaurant and get into something much bigger, much larger," he adds.

'World stage' Tables at Pangaea nightclub sold out far in advance of the race weekend

While existing businesses and the government reap profits, new ones are looking to join the bandwagon as well.

Pangaea, one the world's most famous nightclubs, has timed the launch of its Singapore branch to coincide with the race weekend.

With tables priced as high as S$20,000 per night, its not surprising to see why the club is keen to tap in to the Formula One frenzy.

"All the billionaires, the lead corporate chief executives and lots of celebrities are going to be in town for the weekend," Michael Van Cleef Ault, principal of The Pangaea Group, tells the BBC.

"It is a great time to open, because you get a world stage automatically presented to you without a lot of work," he adds.

Despite the high prices, Pangaea is sold out for the entire race weekend and is expecting revenue of as much as S$1m during the period - almost 10% of the total cost of setting up the place.

"Because there is so much wealth that comes in this week, the demand for tables at top clubs outstrips supply," Mr Ault explains.

"The Formula One weekend is the best time to throw a party."

Target achieved?

Singapore's current Formula One contract expires next year. While the venture has been successful, the government has yet to decide whether it wants to renew the agreement.

Analysts say that it will be a tricky decision for the authorities to make.

"Singapore has achieved what it set out to achieve," says Mr Flint of Fuse.

"Whether it wants to build on that success, maintain that profile and carry on the brand further, time will only tell," he adds.

While uncertainty remains about the long-term future of Formula One in the city-state, in the short-term, the car engines are ready to rev up and the fans are in place to set the cash registers at Go India and Pangaea ringing.

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Uganda police 'assaulted' author

22 September 2011 Last updated at 12:46 GMT Uganda's government says it will not tolerate attempts to depose President Yoweri Museveni A Ugandan author has accused police of assaulting and threatening to kill him after detaining him for a controversial book about President Yoweri Museveni.

Vincent Nzaramba told the BBC he was unlawfully detained for five days for publishing People Power - Battle the Mighty General.

A police spokesperson said Mr Nzaramba had been interrogated for incitement.

This year Uganda has been hit by a series of protests against Mr Museveni's 25-year rule.

Mr Nzaramba said police arrested him on Saturday after ransacking his home in the capital, Kampala, and confiscating copies of his book, laptop and phone.

"I was arrested without an arrest warrant, which is illegal.

"I was beaten up. I was flogged. They told me: 'Don't you know we can kill you?'," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

'Gandhi-inspired'

Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba confirmed that Mr Nzaramba, who was released on Wednesday, had been "interrogated" over the book.

"It's not the first time we are holding people for inciting material," she said.

Mr Nzaramba told the BBC he doubted that the police had read the book, which has a photograph of President Museveni in his military attire with the words "he is finished" underneath.

The book advocates peaceful change and he had been inspired by US civil rights activist Martin Luther King and Indian pacifist Mahatma Gandhi when he wrote it, he said.

"Every dictator fears this concept [of peaceful resistance]. It sweeps dictators away faster than any other concept," Mr Nzaramba said.

Earlier this year, Mr Museveni - who won controversial elections in February - warned that he will not tolerate an Egypt-style uprising.

Nine people were killed in April after security forces intervened to end an opposition protest about the rising cost of living.

Last year, police impounded a consignment of the book, The Correct Line? Uganda under Museveni, authored by Olive Kobusingye, a sister of opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

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Contender rejects unionist label

25 September 2011 Last updated at 23:08 GMT Ken Macintosh wants to lead Labour in Scotland Scottish Labour leadership contender Ken Macintosh has said he would lead the party as a "devolutionist", not a "unionist".

As the party begins a six-week process to choose a successor to Iain Gray, Mr Macintosh outlined his views on the supporters' blog "Labour Hame".

Mr Gray is preparing to use his address to the Labour conference to criticise the SNP's record on the economy.

The nationalists have dismissed Mr Gray's comments as "nonsense".

In his address to party members, Mr Macintosh said: "Scottish Labour's review and the forthcoming leadership election provide Scotland's Labour party with the opportunity to renew and refresh our relationship with the Scottish people.

"I want to keep Britain together - I don't describe myself as a unionist.

"I consider myself to be a devolutionist and I believe devolution has given Scotland the opportunity not only to get the simple things right, but to be the shining light for others."

Scotland's record

Iain Gray is expected to use his speech to the Labour conference in Liverpool to attack directly the Scottish government's record.

Speaking ahead of his appearance on the platform, he said: "I know you will have seen Alex Salmond on the Six o'clock News talking about his Plan MacB.

"Well I am telling you Plan MacB is nothing but MacBull."

His arguments have been rejected by the SNP business convener Derek MacKay.

He said: "Iain Gray is talking nonsense on tax, nonsense on the economy and utter rubbish when he talks down Scotland's record on health, safety and education."

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Rafael Nadal Unveils his New Emporio Armani Underwear Ad

Rafael Nadal has been stripping down once again for his second campaign with Emporio Armani.

The above photos are for Emporio Armani’s Fall/Winter 2011 campaign, featuring Rafael Nadal for the second time in underwear.

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Pensions and Isas hit by turmoil

23 September 2011 Last updated at 11:45 GMT Shares dropped sharply on Thursday after some weeks of volatility The pension income bought from retirement savings has fallen by 14% compared with the start of the year owing to market turmoil, experts say.

The effect of falling share prices and annuity rates means that a 65-year-old's £100,000 pension pot would buy a retirement income that was £926 lower.

The figure, from Hargreaves Lansdown, shows the effect of market turmoil on those with personal pensions in the UK.

Meanwhile, separate figures show how popular shares Isas have also been hit.

An average shares Individual Savings Account of £10,000 at the start of the year would now be worth £8,778, a 12.2% fall in value, according to financial information service Moneyfacts.

This would only directly affect people who chose to cash in this investment.

'Turned over'

The turmoil on the financial markets, especially falling shares values, has particularly affected people who have had money saved in personal pension plans and who are now cashing them in to buy an annual pension, known as an annuity.

John Frary was approaching retirement and faced a tough financial choice

Not only have some seen their pots shrink, but the annuity rate - the amount of annual pension they can obtain for any set sum of money - has also fallen too.

John Frary from Bedfordshire, a company director in the motor racing industry, had £108,500 saved in his private pension fund.

But between 6 July and 15 August this year that dropped in value by £7,471 to £101,047.

He particularly wanted to use the pension rules to get 25% of that in tax-fee cash for the benefit of his daughters, while buying a pension with the rest.

The fall in his fund values meant that instead of a lump sum of £29,000 he only got £26,500, with a monthly pension of £420.

"That money had just gone in two or three weeks due to a very sharp downturn in a very short period of time," he said.

"That affected me very badly in just a few weeks. I did not want to lose any more so it was time to cash in."

Continue reading the main story

Those approaching retirement at the moment will find themselves between a rock and hard place”

End Quote Billy Burrows Better Retirement Group The most recent falls show that waiting another month or so could have pushed down his retirement income even more.

The experience has made him question the whole idea of pension saving.

"I really would be quite cautious about pensions," he said.

"I mainly put money in bricks and mortar and have done better than many friends who ploughed money into pensions over the years - they have been turned over," he said.

Annuity timing

A personal pension pot for a 65-year-old has dropped in value to £91,840 since the start of the year. So the prospective annuity income has fallen from £6,497 to £5,571, the Hargreaves Lansdown figures show.

The effect on annuities in recent weeks has also been striking, according to financial adviser Billy Burrows, of the Better Retirement Group.

He said that for every £100,000 invested, the annuity income has fallen on average by as much as £360 a year, or 6%, since July 2011.

"Those approaching retirement at the moment will find themselves between a rock and hard place," he said.

"Those who have not seen the value of their pension pots fall over the last few months may wish to bite the bullet and buy an annuity because even though rates have fallen there are still some reasonably good rates around.

"Those who have suffered the double whammy of falling pension pots and falling annuity rates are in a more difficult position and perhaps some type of phased or flexible approach to retirement should be considered."

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New Zealand growth almost stalls

22 September 2011 Last updated at 02:09 GMT About 180 people died in the February earthquake in Christchurch and many businesses were affected New Zealand's economy slowed to almost a standstill last quarter, sending the currency sliding.

Gross domestic product rose 0.1% in the three months to June, compared with the previous quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.

It comes after a surprise acceleration in the first three months of the year despite a devastating earthquake.

The dollar slid as investors bet the weak figures mean the central bank will keep interest rates steady.

The data came in significantly below expectations, with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand projecting 0.6% growth in the three months to June.

Overstated?

However, analysts warned that the numbers may be giving a skewed idea of economic growth for the year so far.

"The data likely overstates the weakness in the economy, much like how the strength in [the first quarter] was overstated," said Khoon Goz of ANZ.

Continue reading the main story

There are risks globally but unless confidence in other things start sliding there is no other reason why we won't have a solid second half”

End Quote Robin Clements UBS Between January and March, the economy grew by 0.9%, said Statistics New Zealand.

"A more accurate picture is likely that the economy expanded at an underlying rate of 0.5% a quarter, which is in line with our view of where trend growth is."

The New Zealand dollar fell three quarters of a cent against the US dollar in early trade to $0.7975 from $0.8050.

Recovery on track

Thursday's data showed strength in the financial and farming sectors, but falls in construction and manufacturing.

Financial markets have been cautious of the continuing debt crisis in the eurozone weighing on an improving economy in New Zealand.

But analysts said they expect growth to return in the second half of the year.

"There are risks globally, but unless confidence in other things start sliding there is no other reason why we won't have a solid second half," said Robin Clements from UBS.

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OnLive cloud gaming comes to UK

22 September 2011 Last updated at 14:27 GMT OnLive said it would be making 150 games available for its UK launch. OnLive, the cloud based video game service, has launched in the UK.

The system, which went live in the United States last year, allows users to play games without owning a traditional console.

Instead, the applications are all run on remote servers with the video streamed across the internet.

Run in conjunction with BT, OnLive requires a broadband connection faster than 1Mbps and works on PC, Macs, Tablets and net connected TV's.

Because the system uses video streaming and players effectively remote control their game, bandwidth is a crucial issue.

Speaking to BBC News, OnLive's chief executive Steve Perlman said that the project had overcome numerous hurdles during its decade-long development.

"The first thing we had to do was come up with a new form of video compression," he said.

"We had to deal with the internet not working, the time delays that occur with different communication methods [e.g. wifi, broadband]."

Mr Perlman said that they had managed to get the limits down to 1Mbps for a tablet device, but a large screen HD TV would need a minimum of 5Mbps.

OnLive games can be played on a ranges of devices, including tablets.

Because the game is a video stream, rather than a direct link to the TV or monitor from hardware in the home, there are limitations on the resolutions it can display.

However, it allows games not designed for certain platforms, such as Windows PCs or Macs, to be played on those machines.

Gamers without a computer or connected TV can use an OnLive "micro console" to access the system. The box plugs into the back of a conventional television.

Cloud gaming

The games themselves are hosted on cloud servers. In Europe, these are based in London, Luxembourg, and Brussels.

Currently OnLive offers around 150 titles, but said it planned to expand that.

Joe Martin, Games Editor at Bit Gamer, told BBC News that OnLive posed a threat to both retail and hardware manufacturers.

"At present the threat is small, but it will grow. In fact the only drawback I can see is in terms of visual compression, which has been sacrificed to remove lag," said Mr Martin.

"From what I can see, the system works and it's not just retailers and console manufacturers who are going to be threatened. It's hardware firms like nVidia and ATI and every gaming platform," he added.

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Kiefer Ravena is UAAP Season 74 Rookie of the Year

Kiefer Ravena is UAAP’s run away winner of Rookie of the Year.

This was revealed after the announcement of the UAAP Mythical 5 which also includes Ravena together with Greg Slaughter of AdMU Blue Eagles, Bobby Ray Parks of NU Bulldogs, Alex Nuyles of the Adamson Falcons and Aldrech Ramos of FEU Tamaraws.

Parks was named this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) by virtue of his 66.64 statistical points. Slaughter came 2nd in the MVP race with 63.35, followed by Nuyles (59.0), Ramos (57.57) and Ravena (56.35).

Ravena was only a replacement for Karim Abdul of UST Growling Tigers who is supposedly 3rd in the MVP race with 60.3 statistical points, but later disqualified after being suspended in their last game of the season.

Parks, Slaughter and Ravena are said to be shoo-ins for the Philippine basketball team that will compete in the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia this November.

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China hits out at US-Taiwan deal

22 September 2011 Last updated at 14:37 GMT The US says it will upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of F-16 fighters China has reacted angrily to a US deal to upgrade Taiwan's ageing fleet of US-built F-16 fighter planes.

Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said the $5.85bn (£3.77bn) deal would "inevitably undermine bilateral relations", including military and security co-operation.

He also summoned US Ambassador Gary Locke to protest against the deal.

China traditionally reacts strongly to US military co-operation with Taiwan, which it considers its territory.

Last year, when the US sold missiles and other hardware to Taiwan, China suspended military exchanges with the US.

Correspondents say harsh words from China were expected, but it remains to be seen whether it takes any action to show its displeasure.

Zhu Feng, professor of international relations at Peking University, told the BBC he believed the Chinese reaction was aimed at a domestic audience.

"China's grandstanding gesture - with very little action - is an attempt to avoid giving Chinese people the impression that despite the US's ongoing arm sales to Taiwan, the authorities are not responding in a robust manner," he said.

Some future bilateral military exchanges could be postponed as a result, but the US-China relationship would not suffer long-term damage, he said.

'Must cancel'

The US deal, revealed on Wednesday, falls short of what Taiwan had requested.

Continue reading the main story

The US decision, though widely expected, still came as a disappointment for Taiwan.

Despite improved relations between Taiwan and China, Beijing continues to build up its military strength. And that build-up is widely seen as targeted at Taiwan, to warn the island it still claims as its province against becoming formally independent.

Analysts say Washington has become reluctant to sell Taiwan big-ticket items in recent years, for fear of angering Beijing. The US needs China's co-operation on many issues - from trade, to North Korea and buying US bonds to deal with its debt.

Washington faces a tough balancing act trying to juggle its relationship with China and its commitment to help its longtime ally Taiwan defend itself.

The announcement suggests the US will not now sell Taiwan a newer generation of F-16 fighters, as Taipei had hoped. It will instead upgrade its older-generation F-16 fleet.

US officials said the F-16 A/B fighters will undergo a retrofit which will bring them up to the same standards as the more advanced C/D models.

Mr Zhang called on Washington to "immediately cancel the wrong decision".

China's defence ministry, meanwhile, said that the US action had "caused serious damage to Sino-US military relations".

But Taiwanese officials appeared to welcome the news.

"After the upgrade, the air force's combat capability will be advanced hugely," Taiwanese Defence Minister Kao Hua-chu said at a press conference in Taipei.

The defence ministry said Taiwan remained under threat from China's military expansion.

"Improving our defence capability is a crucial... measure to sustain regional security and stable development across the strait," it said in a statement.

Taiwan also said it would continue its attempts to purchase more than 60 of the C/D planes, which are considered more of a match for China's latest war planes.

Taipei said that decision was still pending in the US and urged officials to agree to it.

Washington's decision will now pass to Congress for approval.

Some analysts say the decision to approve an upgrade - rather than provide more advanced fighters - is designed to appease Beijing, which had warned that relations would suffer if the sale went ahead.

In recent years China's military superiority over Taiwan has steadily increased, and the US is legally bound to help Taiwan defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act passed in 1979.

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Oxfam warns against 'land rush'

22 September 2011 Last updated at 08:33 GMT Among the worst affected by so-called land grabs are women, Oxfam says An increasing number of land deals are displacing farmers and leaving poor communities homeless, campaigning charity Oxfam has warned.

It says up to 227m hectares (560m acres) have been sold or leased worldwide since 2001.

Half of all deals that have been verified are in Africa, amounting to an area the size of Germany - 35m hectares, Oxfam says.

Vulnerable communities in Uganda and South Sudan have been affected.

The report also focuses on Honduras, Guatemala and Indonesia.

'Frenetic competition'

The organisation's Chief Executive, Barbara Stocking, said the "blinkered scramble" for land by investors was ignoring the needs of those who live on the land and depend upon it for their survival.

"Many of the world's poorest people are being left worse off by the unprecedented pace of land deals and the frenetic competition for land."

Oxfam says that among the worst affected by these so-called land grabs are women, who despite producing up to 80% of food in some poor countries, are often more vulnerable as they have weaker land rights.

"Investors, no matter how noble they pertain to be, cannot sweep aside the needs and rights of poor communities who depend on the land they profit from," she said.

The organisation said that land grabs had accelerated especially since 2008, when soaring prices highlighted the issue of food security.

It said an increasing demand for food, combined with climate change and the increase of agricultural land being used to grow biofuels, meant that the number of such deals would be likely to only rise in the future.

It called on the EU to scrap its target of obtaining 10% transport fuels from renewable sources by 2020 - which has fuelled the planting of crops for biofuels - and asked investors and governments to implement policies to ensure land deals are fair and those affected are properly consulted.

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Cuba-US swimmer abandons crossing

25 September 2011 Last updated at 16:40 GMT Diana Nyad was seeking to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage US endurance athlete Diana Nyad has abandoned her attempt to swim 103 miles (166km) from Cuba to Florida, after being stung by a dangerous jellyfish.

She ended the bid after doctors warned that another sting from a Portuguese Man-Of-War could be life-threatening.

The 62-year-old had swum about 49 miles (79km) in shark-infested waters after setting out from Havana on Friday.

The Los Angeles woman was trying to break her own record for open-water swimming without a shark cage.

Her first attempt at the swim, in August, had been cut short by an asthma attack.

Her website says she decided to end her latest swim at 11:00 on Saturday (15:00 GMT), after swimming for more than 40 hours.

"The medical team said I should not go another two nights in the water and risk additional likely Man-of-War stings which could have a long-term cumulative effect on my body," Ms Nyad says.

"But for each of us, isn't life about determining your own finish line? This journey has always been about reaching your own other shore no matter what it is, and that dream continues."

Ms Nyad first attempted the Cuba-Florida crossing, inside a steel shark cage, in 1978 when she was 28, but heavy seas forced her to give up.

A 22-year-old Australian, Susan Maroney, completed the swim - in a shark cage - in May 1997, Reuters news agency reports.

Ms Nyad had said she hoped the swim would inspire others to lead active lives as they age, as well as help foster an increased understanding between the US and Cuba.

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UBS boss quits over trader's loss

24 September 2011 Last updated at 12:28 GMT Mr Gruebel was brought out of retirement in 2009 to reform UBS after it almost collapsed The chief executive of Swiss bank UBS has resigned over an alleged £1.5bn ($2.3bn) rogue-trading loss.

The move is part of a major shake-up at the bank which will also see it shrink its investment banking division to reduce its risks.

"Oswald Gruebel feels that it is his duty to assume responsibility for the recent unauthorised trading incident," Chairman Kaspar Villiger said.

London-based trader Kweku Adoboli has been charged over the affair.

Rogue trader

Mr Adoboli was arrested last week and charged with fraud and false accounting. He has been remanded in custody until 20 October.

Mr Adoboli, from east London, made no application for bail and gave no indication of how he would plead when he appeared in court on Thursday.

His lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, said Mr Adoboli was "sorry beyond words for what had happened".

"He went to UBS and told them what he had done, and stands now appalled at the scale of the consequences of his disastrous miscalculations," he said.

UBS changes

UBS said Europe, Middle east and Africa chief Sergio P Ermotti would take over as interim chief executive.

The trading losses are an embarrassment to the bank which is still recovering from its near collapse during the 2008 financial crisis.

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UBS's investment bank will be shrunk significantly - it will take less risk, have a smaller balance sheet and use less capital”

End Quote Robert Peston Business editor, BBC News The firms biggest shareholder, Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) has expressed its "disappointment and concern" at lapses at the bank which may have led to the losses.

The bank's board said it would seek to adopt "mitigation measures" to deal with any failures.

Mr Villiger also promised the bank would be more 'client centric' in future.

"The Investment Bank will be less complex, carry less risk and use less capital to produce reliable returns," he said.

This is likely to mean the bank will take less risk, especially in its investment banking division.

Mr Villiger praised the work of Mr Gruebel, 67, since he was brought out of retirement in 2009 to reform UBS after it almost collapsed under the weight of more than $50bn of toxic assets.

A regular UBS board meeting that had been scheduled to finish on Friday is continuing by conference call, reports said.

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