Scientists call for action to tackle CO2 levels

Scientists are calling on world leaders to take action on climate change after carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere broke through a symbolic threshold. Daily CO2 readings at a US government agency lab on Hawaii have topped 400 parts per million for the first time. Sir Brian Hoskins, the head of climate change at the UK-based Royal Society, said the figure should "jolt governments into action". China and the US have made a commitment to co-operate on clean technology. But BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin said the EU was backing off the issue, and cheap fossil fuels looked attractive to industries. The laboratory, which sits on the Mauna Loa volcano, feeds its numbers into a continuous record of the concentration of the gas stretching back to 1958. 'Sense of urgency' Carbon dioxide is regarded as the most important of the manmade greenhouse gases blamed for raising the temperature on the planet over recent decades.
Human sources come principally from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Ministers in the UK have claimed global leadership in reducing CO2 emissions and urged other nations to follow suit. Sir Brian Hoskins said a greater sense of urgency was needed But the official Climate Change Committee (CCC) last month said that Britain's total contribution towards heating the climate had increased, because the UK is importing goods that produce CO2 in other countries. The last time CO2 was regularly above 400ppm was three to five million years ago - before modern humans existed. Scientists say the climate back then was also considerably warmer than it is today. Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London, said a greater sense of urgency about tackling climate change was needed. "Before we started influencing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, over the last million years it went between about 180 and 280 parts per million," he said. "Now, since the Industrial Revolution and more in the last 50 years, we've taken that level up by more than 40% to a level of 400 and that hasn't been seen on this planet for probably four million years. "But around the world, there are things happening, it's not all doom and gloom," he added. "China is doing a lot. Its latest five year plan makes really great strides." China's plan for 2011-2015 includes reversing the damage done by 30 years of growth and increasing the use of renewable energy.

Osborne: G7 agree to target tax evasion and avoidance

The G7 group of industrialised nations have agreed that there must be collective action against tax evasion and avoidance, the UK's finance minister has said. Chancellor George Osborne said after the talks that it was "incredibly important" that firms and individuals paid the tax they owed. The members agreed on more policy issues than had been assumed, he added. The G7 comprises the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, Italy, France and Canada. In a news conference held jointly with Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King, Mr Osborne said the countries, meeting in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. had also agreed it was important to ensure that no bank was "too big to fail". "We must put regimes in place... to deal with failing banks and to protect taxpayers and to do so in a globally-consistent manner," he said. The issue of tax avoidance had been raised by Britain, Germany and other big countries earlier this year. They asked the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - which advises rich nations on tax policy - to examine possible changes to address the problem of multinational companies using transfer pricing rules to shift profits into tax havens. Continue reading the main story Analysis Joe Lynam BBC News Major international summits tend to throw up unusual bedfellows. Here in Aylesbury, we have George Osborne - scion of a Eurosceptic Conservative party - on the same side as the German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. Both politicians think that spending cuts and deficit reductions are the cure to the economic malaise. They are often referred to as Austerians. The UK and Germany are up against the US and France - the latter two rarely being on the same side of many debates. I bumped into the French finance minister strolling in the beautiful garden here in Aylesbury. He told me the debate was clearly austerity versus stimulus. Both the US - represented here by the new Treasury Secretary Jack Lew - and French administrations believe that economies grow quicker out of slumps after they have been stimulated by government spending. America is growing steadily. Germany is performing well, but France and the UK are barely growing at all. The thing about bedfellows is, they are sometimes fleeting. BBC News correspondent Joe Lynam said the latest talks were an important step towards a new global standard on tax. Britain wants all EU countries to sign up to a pilot scheme where tax authorities share information with each other, our correspondent said, including low tax countries such as Luxembourg and Austria. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the UK and US are currently signed up to the scheme. Luxembourg has said it will join too, but Austria has yet to confirm if it will take part. The chancellor said the discussions had "reaffirmed that there are still many challenges to securing sustainable global recovery, and we can't take it for granted". But he added: "We are committed as the advanced economies in playing our part in nurturing that recovery and ensuring a lasting recovery so that we have prosperity in all our countries." Prior to the meeting, Mr Osborne had said the group still wielded "major economic firepower" as they represented around half the global economy between them - although the larger G20 was now the "primary economic forum for setting the global rules of the game". There had been talk ahead of the meeting that Japan would be criticised for a massive stimulus plan that had pushed down the value of its currency, the yen. But Japan was not censured during the talks, despite some countries being concerned that Tokyo is engineering an export-led recovery that could hinder other regions' ability to grow. Mr Osborne said the G7 had reaffirmed its commitment made in February that its "fiscal and monetary policies have been and will remain orientated towards meeting" its members' respective domestic objectives and "will not target exchange rates". The chancellor faced pressure recently over the pace of the UK's austerity measures. Last month, the International Monetary Fund's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, reiterated his belief that the chancellor should slow down the pace of the cutbacks. But on Saturday, Mr Osborne said that while the UK's economic situation was difficult, "we are making progress and the economy is healing".

Landmark Pakistan election marred by Karachi unrest

Unrest in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi has marred landmark national and provincial polls. A high turnout was reported nationwide but Pakistan's election commission said it had been unable to carry out "free and fair elections" in Karachi. In the worst election-day violence, 11 people were killed in the bombing of a political office in the city. The vote marks Pakistan's first transition from one civilian government to another in its 66-year history. Voting was extended for an hour across the country before closing at 18:00 (13:00 GMT). Counting has now begun in some areas. But polls are expected to remain open for three hours in seven constituencies in Karachi where voting was delayed because ballot boxes and papers had not arrived on time. Continue reading the main story Latest Lyse Doucet Chief international correspondent lyse doucet @BBCLyseDoucet ECP announces re-polling 40+ polling stations NA-250. Ordered polling these constituencies stopped immediately. Via @dawn_com #pakvotes 7 minutes ago lyse doucet @BBCLyseDoucet A salute to #Pakistan journalists incl colleagues @BBCUrdu - covering every twist & turn of election & making a difference #pakvotes 58 minutes ago lyse doucet @BBCLyseDoucet #Pakistan polling has ended in all constituencies except 7 in Karachi. Now its the counting..then the conclusions! #Pakvotes 1 hour ago lyse doucet @BBCLyseDoucet "99% of voting #Pakistan has been fine, so why are you focusing on the 1%? I don't think this is right" ECP presser #pakvotes 1 hour ago lyse doucet @BBCLyseDoucet "People should without fear..military has assured me they will increase security next few hours" ECP presser #pakvotes #Pakistan 1 hour ago loading Content from Twitter. Learn more about content from Twitter . Read more from Lyse Pakistan's election commission said it was "investigating reports of threats made to election officials" and that there would be "no compromise" on the fairness of the poll. Turnout is believed to have been high. An election commission spokesman said they hoped for a figure of 60-80%. The turnout in 2008 was 44%. Karachi violence The Pakistani Taliban have threatened to carry out suicide attacks. About two hours after polling started, a bomb attack was reported in Karachi, apparently targeting an Awami National Party (ANP) candidate outside the party's political office. Eleven people were killed and more than 40 others were wounded, police told BBC News. Local ANP candidate Amanullah Mahsud was injured but not seriously. The attack happened in the Landhi district of Karachi, which known for Taliban activity. Another ANP candidate and his son were shot dead close to the area last week. Sporadic violence linked to the election was reported in several other areas of the country. Seven people were hurt outside a polling station in the north-western city of Peshawar when a bomb went off attached to a motorcycle A suicide bomber blew himself up after police prevented him from entering another polling station in Peshawar, police told AFP A clash between two groups at a polling station in Chaman on the border with Afghanistan left least three people dead and several others hurt An explosion was also reported in Quetta in the south-west At least four people were hurt in a blast in Mardan in the north-west Counting is now underway in some districts The Taliban have been blamed for numerous attacks throughout the campaign on Pakistan's three most prominent liberal parties. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) along with the Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the ANP have been singled out for threats, and were forced to curtail their campaigning as a result. Militants have so far avoided targeting the campaigns of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Nawaz Sharif and the Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party of Imran Khan, who is recovering in hospital after a fall at a party rally. Pakistan's election commission said in a press conference that two ballot boxes had been stolen in Punjab and that they could be "accounted for". 'We want change' Tens of thousands of troops had been deployed at polling stations to ensure security. In the run-up to the election, more than 100 people died in election-related violence. Before polls opened, Pakistan sealed its borders with Iran and Afghanistan in an effort to keep foreign militants at bay. Continue reading the main story 11 May elections Polls opened at 08:00 local time (03:00 GMT) and close at 17:00 86,189,802 registered voters 5,000 are standing for 342-seat National Assembly, 272 are directly elected. 11,692 Provincial Assembly candidates 51 candidates are vying for the NA-48 constituency seat in Islamabad More than 600,000 security and army personnel will be deployed to guard against possible attacks More than 73,000 polling stations - 20,000 of which are deemed a security risk Polls will mark the first time that a civilian government has completed a full five-year term and handed over to an elected successor Politicians and parties Bid to end ballot box fraud Economy confronts Pakistan's leaders Officials said the borders would remain closed for the next three days. Queues started forming before polling stations opened at 08:00 (03:00 GMT) on Saturday. Abdul Sattar, 74, said: "We want change, we are really fed up with old faces coming back to power every time and doing nothing for the nation." While the streets of Islamabad were largely deserted, areas around polling stations were described as filled with crowds. At a polling station on the outskirts of the capital, BBC World Affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge said around 1,000 of the 4,000 registered voters had cast their ballots by midday, including a large proportion of women. The BBC's Saba Eitizaz in Peshawar reported long queues of women, with many first-time voters. Right-wing religious party Jamaat-e-Islami complained that some of its voters had been harassed and announced it was boycotting the vote in Karachi and areas of Hyderabad, reports said. Mr Sharif, who was deposed as prime minister in a military coup 14 years ago, is seen as favourite to return for a third term of office. As he voted in Lahore, the former PM said he was hopeful of victory.

Abu Qatada 'would return to Jordan'

Radical cleric Abu Qatada would voluntarily return to Jordan if the Jordanian government ratifies a treaty drawn up with the UK government, a court has heard. The treaty deals with the use of evidence obtained by torture. Abu Qatada's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald QC, told the court of the decision during a hearing to decide whether he should be released on bail. Downing Street said it was "determined" to send the cleric to Jordan. Abu Qatada faces terrorism charges there after being convicted in his absence in 1999 - but his lawyers claim he would not get a fair trial. He has never been charged with an offence in the UK, although the government has been trying to deport him for almost eight years, during which time he has been in and out of jail. The cleric is currently in prison after being arrested in March for allegedly breaching his strict bail conditions. Last year, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac), which adjudicates on national security-related deportations, ruled Abu Qatada should not be removed from the UK because of fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him in Jordan. The government lost an appeal against the ruling and it also failed in its bid to get the case referred to the Supreme Court. Continue reading the main story Analysis Dominic Casciani Home affairs correspondent Six home secretaries have battled to banish Abu Qatada - and the cleric has fought and fought and fought. So make no mistake, today's statement from his lawyers that he may now be prepared to leave voluntarily is something that many in government thought they would never hear. The reason for this major development is simple. Abu Qatada's willingness to go comes down to the strength of legal guarantees in the extensive UK-Jordan treaty signed in March. The document provides very clear and unambiguous guarantees of fair treatment and a trial free of evidence extracted by torture. It goes much further than a previous deal with the UK. And that's what his legal team have always argued: Live up to what we tell other nations and don't send people back to regimes that don't respect human rights. Read more from Dominic Treaty signed Home Secretary Teresa May said she was subsequently applying directly to the Supreme Court for permission to challenge the ruling. Last month, the government signed a mutual assistance treaty with Jordan - including guarantees on fair trials. Mrs May says she believes the treaty will provide the courts with assurance that Abu Qatada would face a fair trial in Jordan. Mr Fitzgerald told the court: "There has been a development in the form of a treaty signed on 24 March. "That treaty is clearly designed to meet the requirements laid down by Mr Justice Mitting as to evidence admissible at a retrial, if there is a retrial. "If and when the Jordanian parliament ratifies the treaty, Mr Othman will voluntarily return to Jordan." Abu Qatada is also known as Omar Othman. Robin Tam QC, appearing in court for the home secretary, said the treaty would be laid before the Jordanian parliament within the next few weeks, and the UK side of the process should be finished by late June. Police raid The BBC's Dale Gavlak, in Amman, says that according to a Jordanian minister, the newly-revised treaty between the UK and Jordan has to go through various parliamentary bodies before it is voted on by the lower house of the Jordanian parliament. The minister of information told our correspondent that the process could take weeks or months, but that in his view it is likely to go ahead. Security minister James Brokenshire said: "The home secretary's focus remains on seeing Abu Qatada returned to Jordan at the earliest opportunity. We continue to pursue this case before the courts and to work with the Jordanian government to achieve this." Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This could be very good news if it means Abu Qatada returns to Jordan as soon as possible - as we all agree he should stand fair trial there so justice can be done. "Abu Qatada should have made this decision a long time ago as this legal process has dragged on far too long. We will watch the next steps closely until he departs, but I hope this saga can now be brought to an end." Theresa May signed the fair trial guarantee treaty with Jordan in March The Siac court also heard on Friday that Abu Qatada's house was searched on 7 March. Police found 17 mobiles in his house, six of which were switched on. They also found three USB sticks, an SD card, five digital media devices and 55 recordable CDs or DVDs. Abu Qatada was arrested shortly afterwards. Mr Fitzgerald told the court on Friday that his client should be released on bail, adding: "There comes a point when detention goes on for too long." The hearing has been adjourned until 20 May, meaning Abu Qatada will remain in a high security jail until then. Meanwhile, following a series of raids in London - including the one at Abu Qatada's home - police in Copenhagen arrested and charged a man but will not say who he is or what he is charged with. Scotland Yard alerted the Danes as part of its probe into whether the preacher published extremist material online while on bail.
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Moody's downgrades Co-op Bank's debt rating to 'junk'

Ratings agency Moody's has downgraded the Co-operative Bank's debt rating to "junk" status, citing fears that it is vulnerable to potential losses. The agency warned that the bank may need "external support" if it could not strengthen its balance sheet. The Co-op said it was "disappointed" by Moody's decision. The news preceded the resignation of chief executive, Barry Tootell, following the bank's failure to buy 631 branches from Lloyds Banking Group. Continue reading the main story “
Start Quote What I think the downgrade highlights... is whether the Co-operative group, with its leading position in supermarkets and funeral homes (for example), is the best owner of a bank, at a time when profit margins in banking are so low, and may remain so” Robert Peston Business editor Read more from Robert Mr Tootell will be replaced temporarily by Rod Bulmer, the bank said. 'Clear plan' Responding to the Moody's downgrade, the Co-op said it had a "strong funding profile" that was "significantly above the regulatory requirements". But in a statement, the bank admitted there was a "need to strengthen our capital position in light of the broader economic downturn and the pending introduction of enhanced regulatory requirements". It added: "We have a clear plan to drive this forward throughout the coming months." These plans include selling off its life and general insurance businesses, and simplifying its operations. In March, the Co-op Bank reported annual losses of £674m for 2012. Moody's reckons the bank's "problem loan ratio" rose to 10.9% in 2012, up from 8.1% in 2011, reflecting a deterioration in its commercial property portfolio. Most of Co-op Bank's problems stem from bad loans associated with its takeover of Britannia Building Society in 2009.

Dhaka building collapse: Woman pulled alive from rubble

A woman has been pulled alive from the ruins of a building that collapsed in a suburb of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, 17 days ago. The head of the fire service earlier said the woman, named Reshma, had been found in the remains of the second floor of the eight-storey Rana Plaza. She had no serious injuries and had been talking with rescuers, he added. The dramatic news came after the army said more than 1,000 people were now known to have died in the disaster. The death toll is expected to keep climbing, as work crews using heavy machinery have begun removing rubble from the worst-damaged areas. On Friday afternoon, army officers ordered workers to stop clearing the site when the woman's cries were heard. Within minutes, hundreds of rescuers gathered close to where she was found. Not long afterwards, rescuers pulled her from the rubble. She has been taken to a military hospital.

US government orders removal of Defcad 3D-gun designs

The US government has demanded designs for a 3D-printed gun be taken offline. The order to remove the blueprints for the plastic gun comes after they were downloaded more than 100,000 times. The US State Department wrote to the gun's designer, Defense Distributed, suggesting publishing them online may breach arms-control regulations. Although the files have been removed from the company's Defcad site, it is not clear whether this will stop people accessing the blueprints. They were being hosted by the Mega online service and may still reside on its servers. Also, many links to copies of the blueprints have been uploaded to file-sharing site the Pirate Bay, making them widely available. The Pirate Bay has also publicised its links to the files via social news site Reddit suggesting many more people will get hold of the blueprints. Continue reading the main story Analysis: 3D printing's Wild West Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service Earlier this week, I saw Cody Wilson fire his gun for the first time. Small, white and made from plastic, the firearm looked like a toy. But as the shot rang, you could feel the force of this weapon. Hours later, and the blueprints had been placed online. Mr Wilson describes himself as a crypto-anarchist, and his belief is that everyone has a right to a gun. Through this project he aimed to export this idea to the rest of the world - whether the rest of the world wanted it or not. However a week is a long time in the Wild West of 3D printing, and now Mr Wilson has been ordered to remove the plans. But with more than 100,000 downloads already, the designs have already been widely circulated, and there is now little that can be done to halt their spread.
The Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance wrote to Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson demanding the designs be "removed from public access" until he could prove he had not broken laws governing shipping weapons overseas by putting the files online and letting people outside the US download them. Explosive force "We have to comply," Mr Wilson told news magazine Forbes in an interview. But he added the State Department's fears were ungrounded, as Defense Distributed had been set up specifically to meet requirements that exempted it from the arms-control regulations. He welcomed the US government's intervention, saying it would highlight the issue of whether it was possible to stop the spread of 3D-printed weapons. Unlike conventional weapons, the printed gun - called the Liberator by its creators - is made out of plastic on a printer. Many engineering firms and manufacturers use these machines to test prototypes before starting large-scale production. While desktop 3D printers are becoming more popular, Defense Distributed used an industrial 3D printer that cost more than £5,000 to produce its gun. This was able to use high-density plastic that could withstand and channel the explosive force involved in firing a bullet. Before making the Liberator, Mr Wilson got a licence to manufacture and sell the weapon from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Bureau told the BBC that any American could make a gun for their own use, even on a 3D printer, but selling it required a licence. Mr Wilson, who describes himself as a crypto-anarchist, said the project to create a printed gun and make it widely available was all "about liberty".