Italy gunman 'targeted politicians' in Rome shooting

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A gunman who shot and seriously injured two policemen outside the Italian PM's office in Rome was acting out of anger at politicians, prosecutors allege. A suspect named as 49-year-old Luigi Preiti was arrested at the scene. Rome prosecutor, Pierfilippo Laviani, said the gunman had hoped to target politicians but as he was unable to, he shot the police officers instead. The attack came as a new government was sworn in across the city at the Quirinale Palace. Democratic Party Deputy Leader (PD), Enrico Letta, 46, becomes prime minister at the head of a "grand coalition" including Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party (PDL). 'Isolated act' Mr Preiti was reported to be an unemployed man from the southern region of Calabria with no criminal record. A man believed to be the gunman is detained at the scene The Ansa news agency said the gunman, dressed in a dark business suit, fired several shots outside the Chigi palace, about a kilometre (mile) away from the Quirinale and had acted alone. There had been earlier reports that the gunman may have suffered mental problems. Ansa quoted Mr Preiti's brother as saying that Mr Preiti suffered no such disorders and that the family was shocked at what had happened. The agency reported that Mr Preiti had separated from his wife, with whom he has a son. Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani said Mr Preiti had "lost his job, he had lost everything". "He has confessed everything. He doesn't seem to be a deranged individual," Mr Laviani said. Continue reading the main story Analysis David Willey BBC News, Rome A new wave of political optimism reigns, after dire predictions of the possible institutional and economic collapse of the eurozone's third largest economy. With their backs to the wall, the seriously fractured Democratic Party, and Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party decided to bury their ideological differences and will now try to co-operate in a last-ditch attempt to remedy a social and economic crisis that threatened to get out of hand after an indecisive February election. The history of the very few "grand coalition" experiments in Italy since World War II does not inspire hope for long-term success. But Italy's former ruling parties, which monopolised power in Rome for many decades after the end of WWII, have long since disappeared. Optimism greets Italy's grand coalition The new Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said it appeared the shooting was an "isolated act" and that there were no concerns for "the general situation of public order in the country". The most seriously hurt police officer was named as Giuseppe Giangrande, who suffered neck or spinal injuries and is being treated at the Policlinico Umberto. The second officer was also seriously hurt, with a leg wound, while a pregnant woman who was passing by was slightly injured. Mr Preiti was being treated at a separate hospital. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said shortly after the shooting: "It's not an act of terrorism but certainly the [political] climate of the past few months has not helped." Italy had been in political deadlock since February's general election. A new government was agreed on Saturday. Correspondents say the new "grand coalition" between Italy's current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance. Mr Berlusconi will not be a minister but Mr Alfano, the PDL secretary and one of Mr Berlusconi's closest political allies, is the deputy PM as well as interior minister. Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni heads the powerful economy ministry and Emma Bonino is foreign minister. The third strongest force to emerge from the Italian election, the Five Star movement led by former comedian, Beppe Grillo, has refused to take part in a coalition.

Google acquires news stream service Wavii

Google has acquired news stream service Wavii for an estimated $30m (£18m). Wavii, which was launched last year, offers customised news feed to users, summarising news stories, tweets and blogs related to their interests. Apple had also been keen to buy the start-up. According to reports, it wanted to incorporate the technology in the Siri function of its devices. Last month, Yahoo acquired a news summarisation app, Summly, for "dozens of millions" of pounds. Yahoo subsequently added the facility to its iPhone app earlier this week. Neither Google or Wavii have revealed the price of the deal, but most reports say it was about $30m. Wavii was created by engineers who previously worked for Amazon and Microsoft and offers services via the web or as a smartphone app. It is closely integrated with Facebook. That may change since the social network competes against Google+. 'Structured feed' According to its website, Wavii claims that the basic idea behind its service is to summarise everything that users care about into a customised news feed on the lines of a Facebook wall. "We knew that we really liked what Facebook did… clearly summarizing everything our friends are doing into a simple, structured feed, and adding in related events and photos," it explains. "Why can't we get all of our news that way? "Wavii set out to solve this by making a similar feed that covers every topic in the news you might want to follow… or as we sometimes describe it, to make Facebook out of Google," it adds. Its connection with Facebook does not stop there. Along with allowing users to select at least 12 topics of interest it also detects their likes based on their previous Facebook activity. It can process up to 1,000 articles per minute and then summarize the most important bits to the user via a personalized news feed. "We do it by teaching computers to read everything that is reported or shared on the internet, and automatically produce interesting social content about it," it says on its site. According to some analysts, the technology could be used by Google to improve search results for news stories.

'Problems' as Maracana stadium reopens in Rio

Rio's world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014. Workers who helped with the renovation and their families were treated to an exhibition match between teams of stars past and present. But leading newspapers reported problems with the new facility. The reopening follows controversy over delays, costs and the future privatisation of the site. The renovation was completed four months behind schedule. Days before the test event, seats were still being installed and pavements laid near the venue. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Eduardo Paes were among the 30,000-strong crowd watching the friendly between teams captained by Ronaldo and Bebeto. But the Jornal do Brasil said Saturday's visitors "needed patience to deal with the many problems" at the venue, arising from the rush to complete it. It highlighted uneven flooring with small gaps and holes, flooding in the VIP area and a dysfunctional lift, and said some staff had tried to prevent journalists taking pictures of the affected areas. Workers were still finishing building a stadium wall, and ticket offices, turnstiles and gates were not working, said another paper, the Folha de Sao Paulo. International test But in a statement quoted by the Folha de Sao Paulo, the Rio de Janeiro state government pointed out that this was a test event, using only 30% of the stadium's full capacity, and did not represent the full reopening. It said it was "natural" that some more work remained to be done. The Maracana stadium development has led to a series of protests "Maracana will be delivered fully ready on the date set by Fifa: 24 May," it reportedly said. Former Brazil star striker Ronaldo, who captained one team for the exhibition match against former teammate Bebeto, said the stadium looked "amazing". "I'm happy to see the stadium ready again. The Maracana is a symbol of this country," he said, according to the Assoociated Press news agency. Former Brazil coach and player Mario Zagallo said he had "goose-bumps" when he arrived, AP said. The first major international test of the facility will be a friendly between Brazil and England on 2 June before the Confederations Cup begins two weeks later. There has been criticism of the cost of the renovation - nearly $500m (£320m) - because the stadium has already seen a number of upgrades. A Brazilian indigenous group, the Aldeia Maracana (or Maracana tribe), have also protested at the site against their eviction from a former indigenous museum, built in 1862. Plans to privatise the Maracana have run into controversy too, with demonstrations against the demolition of local facilities to make way for an arena with bars, restaurants and shops. Critics say privatisation will return much less to the government than it invested in the project. The Maracana is seen as an iconic venue. Nearly 200,000 people watched the 1950 World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay - the largest crowd ever to have watched a football match at a stadium.

Dutchman arrested over huge web attack

Spanish police have arrested a Dutchman suspected of being behind one of the biggest ever web attacks. The 35 year-old-man was detained in Barcelona following a request from the Dutch public prosecutor. The attack bombarded the websites of anti-junk mail outfit Spamhaus with huge amounts of data in an attempt to knock them offline. It also slowed data flows over closely linked networks and led to a massive police investigation. The man arrested is believed to be Sven Kamphuis, the owner and manager of Dutch hosting firm Cyberbunker that has been implicated in the attack. "Spamhaus is delighted at the news that an individual has been arrested and is grateful to the Dutch police for the resources they have made available and the way they have worked with us," said a Spamhaus spokesman. He added: "Spamhaus remains concerned about the way network resources are being exploited as they were in this incident due to the failure of network providers to implement best practice in security." Spamhaus servers were hit with a huge amount of data via an attack technique known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This attempts to overwhelm a web server by sending it many more requests for data than it can handle. A typical DDoS attack employs about 50 gigabits of data every second (gbps). At its peak the attack on Spamhaus hit 300 gbps. Cyberbunker is thought to have kicked off the attack in late March after Spamhaus blocked some servers hosted by the Dutch firm. Cyberbunker bills itself as a firm that will host anything but child pornography and terrorism material. Non-profit Spamhaus maintains what are known as "block lists" which many organisations use to spot sources of spam and other junk mail to stop them clogging mail servers and inboxes with unwanted messages. Mr Kamphuis took exception to Spamhaus's action saying in messages sent to the press that it had no right to decide "what goes and does not go on the internet". In a statement, the Dutch public prosecutor said the Dutchman, who it only identifies as "SK", was "suspected of unprecedented heavy attacks" on Spamhaus. The house where SK was stayed was searched at the time of his arrest and Spanish police confiscated computers, phones and hard drives. It said it expected SK to be transferred to the Netherlands very soon. A spokesman for the Dutch police said they were co-operating with British and American authorities on the investigation into the attack.

Cameron fears Iraq effect holding West back in Syria

Deals of the Week in Electronics and PC Cameron fears Iraq effect holding West back in Syria UK PM David Cameron has expressed concern that international action in Syria may be being held back because of fears of a repeat of the Iraq war. It follows evidence from the US and the UK that Syrian government troops may have used chemical weapons. Mr Cameron said world leaders must look at Syria and "ask ourselves what more we can do." Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said proof the weapons had been used on civilians would be "a game changer". The US president has pledged a "vigorous investigation" after US intelligence found Syria may had used the nerve agent sarin. Mr Obama had said previously that chemical weapons use would cross a "red line" and provoke a major American response. The UK government has also said it has "limited, but growing" evidence of the use of chemical weapons in the conflict. Syrian officials have denounced the allegations as "lies". 'Proper processes' Mr Cameron told the BBC he worried Western leaders might fail to act in Syria because of the experience of foreign intervention in Iraq. Continue reading the main story Analysis Gordon Corera Security correspondent, BBC News The US, Britain, Israel and others have been collecting evidence to try and determine whether chemical weapons have been used in Syria. The signs so far are that they have been, but politicians are being cautious of over-selling their level of certainty. This is partly because of the lesson of Iraq, when too much was based on too little hard information and all the caveats and cautions surrounding intelligence were lost. And also partly because this time the political context is different. With Iraq a decision had been made to go to war and the intelligence was brought into the public domain to make the case for it. This time political leaders - especially in Washington - seem much more reluctant to intervene and so the emphasis is precisely on the caveats and cautions. Given the problems of getting access to a warzone to gain conclusive evidence, finding absolutely definitive evidence may be hard and take time. This may buy politicians in Washington and London time to work out what they do if something is found. But he insisted lessons about acting on intelligence reports had been learned. Speaking to the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson, Mr Cameron said: "I choose my words carefully, but what I see does look very much like a war crime is being committed in our world, at this time, by the Syrian government." The prime minister then addressed concerns about the quality of the UK's intelligence and fears that unreliable evidence could again be used as a justification for the West to become involved in a Middle Eastern conflict. He said: "I would want to reassure people and say the lessons of Iraq have been learned. "There are proper processes in place to try and make sure that what people say is properly backed up by the information. "If anything, I would argue that because people are so worried about what happened in Iraq, it's actually quite important now to come forward - as the Americans have done and I think [US President] Barack Obama has done it in a very clear and measured way." Mr Obama warned in December that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would face "consequences" if he used chemical weapons. Mr Cameron has said he agrees with the White House's warning that chemical weapons use would be a "red line", although he has ruled out sending British troops into action and has spoken instead of support for rebel forces. However, former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has criticised what he called "red line diplomacy". Sir Menzies said on the BBC's Any Questions that the Syria situation was "a very good argument against so-called red line diplomacy". Continue reading the main story What is Sarin? One of a group of nerve gas agents invented by German scientists as part of Hitler's preparations for World War II Huge secret stockpiles built up by superpowers during Cold War 20 times more deadly than cyanide: A drop the size of a pin-head can kill a person Called "the poor man's atomic bomb" due to large number of people that can be killed by a small amount Kills by crippling the nervous system through blocking the action of an enzyme that removes acetylcholine - a chemical that transmits signals down the nervous system Can only be manufactured in a laboratory, but does not require very sophisticated equipment Very dangerous to manufacture. Contains four main ingredients, including phosphorus trichloride Syria's chemical weapons stockpile How to investigate allegations "It encourages your adversary to go as close to the red line as he can possibly manage... and you are prejudging the circumstances which might be months or even years down the line." Libya Asked directly if he was concerned the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which toppled Saddam Hussein, was having an impact on the way in which Western leaders were dealing with the conflict in Syria, Mr Cameron said: "I do worry about that." "Let me absolutely clear, I think the Iraq lesson must be about how we marshal and use information and intelligence and I think that lesson has been learnt - but I think it is very important for politicians and leaders of this generation to look at what is happening in Syria and ask ourselves what more we can do." He said that before any action was taken in Syria it was necessary to ensure you could "achieve the result you want". "The reason we could act in Libya was because we had an opportunity, if we acted quickly, to stop a dictator in his tracks. We could do that. It is very important that the ability is there and we have to think about that carefully." On Friday, the White House insisted there was no timeline on how long it would take to corroborate the evidence on the use of chemical weapons and admitted that the case was "not airtight". Deals of the Week in Electronics and PC

Boeing 787 Dreamliner returns to service in Ethiopia flight

Buy great products at Amazon click link above Boeing 787 Dreamliner returns to service in Ethiopia flight An Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner has flown from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, the first commercial flight by the Boeing aircraft since all 787s were grounded in January. The 50 planes around the world were grounded due to battery malfunctions that saw one 787 catch fire in the US. Over the past week teams of Boeing engineers have been fitting new batteries to the aircraft. This was after aviation authorities approved the revamped battery design. The Ethiopian Airlines plane took off at 09:45 local time (07:45 GMT) and landed in Nairobi, Kenya, some two hours later. Engineering team Each 787 has two of the lithium-ion batteries which caused problems. In addition to new versions of the batteries which run at a much cooler temperature, the batteries are now enclosed in stainless steel boxes. These boxes have a ventilation pipe that goes directly to the outside of the plane. Boeing says this means than in the unlikely event of any future fire or smoke, it would not affect the rest of the aircraft. Continue reading the main story At the scene Richard Westcott BBC transport correspondent, Nairobi Flight ETH 801 between Addis Ababa and Nairobi wasn't exactly a run-of-the-mill flight. For starters, it was full of Boeing executives and the boss of Ethiopian Airlines. Several passengers on board asked me what was going on, why was the BBC on a routine flight in Africa? Many didn't realise that they were the first passengers to fly in a Dreamliner since it was dramatically grounded in January. There were plenty who knew about the safety scare surrounding the plane, although only a couple that we spoke to said it had made them a little more tentative about flying. Boeing still has a huge job on its hands, convincing passengers that its most high-profile, most hi-tech airliner is safe. Two senior Boeing executives went out of their way this week to tell me that they'd happily put their family on the plane. It's the kind of quote that sounds good. Still, Boeing will be desperately hoping that its Dreamliner nightmare doesn't come back to haunt it. Boeing said it put 200,000 engineer hours into fixing the problem, with staff working round the clock. On Thursday, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a formal "air worthiness" directive allowing revamped 787s to fly. Japanese airlines, which have been the biggest customers for the new-generation aircraft, are expected to begin test flights on Sunday. A total of 300 Boeing engineers, pooled into 10 teams, have in the past week been fitting the new batteries and their containment systems around the world. Boeing is expected to complete repairs on all 50 of the grounded Dreamliners by the middle of May. In addition to the Dreamliners in service with airlines, Boeing has upgraded the 787s it has continued to make at its factory in Seattle since January. The Dreamliner entered service in 2011. Half of the plane is made from lightweight composite materials, making it more fuel efficient than other planes of the same size. The two lithium-ion batteries are not used when the 787 is in flight. They are operational when the plane is on the ground and its engines are not turned on, and are used to power the aircraft's brakes and lights.

Debit card customers tied down by time limit on refunds
Customers who want a refund from their bank after paying for services on their debit card may run up against problems with time limits for their claim. The issue has been highlighted by the collapse of the firm Go Ballooning this month. Card scheme rules say claims must be submitted within 540 days of a transaction being made. But some customers seeking refunds bought flight vouchers in 2007. Refund routes An estimated 14,000 customers are still waiting to see if they will get their money back after the collapse of Go Ballooning. The company has few assets to repay the estimated £2 million it owes, so the directors have recommended that customers apply for a refund through their bank if they have paid by debit or credit card. Customers who paid on a credit card can claim their money back from the card company through provisions under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. In that case, their credit card company pays. But the bank will probably first attempt something called chargeback, where under Visa and Mastercard rules they can try to get a refund from the bank of a business that has failed to supply goods or services. Credit and debit card customers can also request their bank to do this but there are some time limits, a potential problem when some Go Ballooning customers bought their vouchers several years ago. Time limits John, from Lancashire, made at least eight attempts to get on a Go Ballooning flight in the Lake District since buying his vouchers as a birthday present for his wife in 2009. Each time the flights were cancelled because of the weather. When John first phoned Yorkshire Bank to get a refund on his credit card, he was told he had missed the deadline: "She said unfortunately because you're over the 540 days, which is the period from when you actually purchased the vouchers, there was nothing Yorkshire Bank could do for me." A chargeback claim must be made within 120 days of when the cardholder was made aware they would not receive the goods or service. John had beaten that deadline, but card scheme rules also say a chargeback is also supposed to be claimed within 540 days of the transaction. And as he had bought the tickets in 2009, Yorkshire Bank said in that initial call that he was outside that time limit. But after John provided further details to the bank, and Money Box also made contact, this week he got his money back. The bank had realised that even if he was too late for a chargeback, he would still be eligible for a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Still waiting Yorkshire Bank said: "We have processed his claim, and the money is now back in his account. Initially we do this under the chargeback scheme in an attempt to recover the funds. If this is declined, we will use Section 75 and write off the amount." Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote We have no chargeback rights and cannot get a refund for him ” Lloyds Banking Group But others who paid on their debit cards are still waiting. Jason paid £105 on his Lloyds debit card for a flight for his mother-in-law in September 2011. She tried to fly on six separate occasions, but, as in John's case, each flight was cancelled. Because Jason did not use a credit card, so far Lloyds is sticking by the Visa chargeback rules. It said: "The customer's chargeback was rejected because the original transaction took place more than 540 days before he raised the dispute. Unfortunately, under the Visa chargeback rules, this means we have no chargeback rights and cannot get a refund for him." Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote The dispute resolution process must be within 540 days from the date of the transaction” Visa Visa confirmed that claims going back more than 540 days would not be valid: "Chargeback is not a guarantee but, depending on the circumstance, it may be considered for cases involving goods not arriving, arriving damaged, arriving not as described, or where the merchant has ceased trading. "Our rules are that the maximum timeframe for the completion of the dispute resolution process must be within 540 days from the date of the transaction." Money Box is broadcast on Saturdays at 12:00 GMT on BBC Radio 4 and repeated on Sundays at 21:00 GMT. You can listen again via the BBC iPlayer or by downloading Money Box podcast. Have you struggled to get money back via the charge back process? Let us know your views.

Dhaka building collapse: Factory owners arrested
Two owners of garment factories in the building that collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka have been arrested. Mahbubur Rahman Tapas and Balzul Samad Adnan are suspected of forcing staff to work in the eight-storey building, ignoring warnings about cracks. At least 336 people are known to have died after the Rana Plaza in the suburb of Savar collapsed on Wednesday. On Saturday morning, at least 24 more people were rescued from the rubble. Rescuers and volunteers, who worked through the night, cheered as they were brought to safety. Continue reading the main story At the scene Andrew North South Asia correspondent I have just seen a woman pulled alive from deep inside the rubble of the Rana Plaza, four days since this huge garment factory complex collapsed. She was crying as she emerged into the light on what was once the roof of the building. Rescuers shouted Allahu Akbar (God is great) as she was brought up on a rope and then carried away on a stretcher. Emergency personnel say up to 14 more people are still trapped on what was the fifth floor of the building and work is under way to free them. Hundreds of volunteers are still helping army and emergency services. Bodies are also still being retrieved from this massive tangle of concrete and metal. There have been more clashes with police and protesters near the site as anger simmers over the disaster. We passed dozens of riot police on the drive here, some were guarding other nearby garment factories following attacks on several others. Read more from Andrew Earlier, rescue teams said they had located about 40 survivors on the collapsed third and fifth floors of the building. Officials said they were working to extricate the remaining survivors and had passed oxygen cylinders and water to those still trapped. Among those pulled out alive after three days in the rubble was Marina Begum, 22, now recovering in hospital. "It felt like I was in hell," she said. "It was so hot, I could hardly breathe, there was no food or water. When I regained my senses I found myself in this hospital bed." More bodies of victims were also retrieved overnight and on Saturday morning. Some 3,000 people are believed to have been working in the building at the time of the collapse and about 600 are still missing. Rana Plaza housed three garment factories, a bank and a number of shops. Watching the operation are hundreds of relatives of those still missing, many clutching photographs of their loved ones. Abul Basar wept as he awaited news of his wife who worked in one of the garment factories. "My son says that his mother will come back some day, she must return," he cried. 'Negligence' Mr Tapas and Mr Adnan, the owners of the New Wave Bottoms and New Wave Style factories, were remanded in custody for 12 days by a court on Saturday. They were arrested earlier in the day after turning themselves in. Deputy chief of Dhaka police Shyami Mukherjee said the two were accused of causing "death due to negligence". The owners reportedly told their employees to return to work on Wednesday, even though cracks were visible in the building a day earlier. Three other clothing factories were reportedly operating in the building. Police are also questioning two municipal engineers who are reported to have approved the safety of the building a day before it collapsed. The owner of Rana Plaza, Mohammed Sohel Rana, is said to have gone into hiding. "Those who're involved, especially the owner who forced the workers to work there, will be punished," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told lawmakers on Friday. "Wherever he is, he will be found and brought to justice," the prime minister added. There is widespread anger in Bangladesh over the disaster and fresh clashes between police and protesters erupted again on Saturday. Rescuers say many people are still trapped. Picture: Andrew North On Friday, police used tear-gas and rubber bullets to break up crowds that had blocked roads, set fire to buses and attacked textile factories. Protesters are demanding that the government arrests all those responsible for the disaster and improves conditions for garment workers. Police are guarding other garment factories in the area. Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, providing cheap clothing for major Western retailers that benefit from its widespread low-cost labour. But the industry has been widely criticised for its low pay and limited rights given to workers and for the often dangerous working conditions in garment factories. Primark, a clothes retailer with a large presence in Britain, confirmed that one of its suppliers was on the second floor of the Rana Plaza, and said it would work with other retailers to review standards. Labour rights groups say the companies have a moral duty to ensure their suppliers are providing safe conditions for their employees. UK fashion designer Katharine Hamnett has called on fashion brands to insist on safer working conditions for garment workers internationally. "The price of clothes may be low but they are paid for with human lives," she is reported to have said at the Vogue Festival in London on Saturday. "We should demand credible, certifiable inspections on building structures and industry standards." She added: "This is a very dark day for the clothing industry." Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Communist Party and left-leaning Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal party have called a general strike on 2 May to demand punishment for those found responsible for the deaths. More at BBC

Blaze kills 38 at psychiatric hospital near Moscow

A blaze has engulfed a wing of a psychiatric hospital in a village near Moscow, killing 38 people, with just three survivors, officials say. Fire broke out in Hospital No 14 in Ramenskiy shortly after 02:00 (22:00 GMT Thursday), when most of the victims are believed to have been asleep. Investigators say an alarm went off but the duty nurse only managed to evacuate two patients because of heavy smoke. Reports suggest a patient who ignored a smoking ban may have started the fire. It quickly consumed the one-storey, brick-and-wood building. Firefighters dispatched to the scene took more than an hour to arrive instead of the standard 20 minutes because a river crossing had been closed due to flooding, Russian media report. Several fires at state institutions across Russia in recent years resulted in heavy loss of life. In 2009, 23 people died in a blaze at an old people's home in Komi while in 2007, 63 died at a home in Krasnodar. In 2006, a fire at a Moscow drug rehabilitation clinic killed 45 women. Safety checks According to a list of victims being circulated online, 36 were patients and two were members of staff. Believed to be local people, they ranged in age from 76 to 20. A statement by Russia's Investigative Committee says that, according to preliminary information, the source of the fire was a sofa used in a common room. Continue reading the main story Recent major fires in Russia Dec 2009 - 156 die in a fire at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, in the Urals Mar 2007 - A fire in a nursing home in the Krasnodar region, southern Russia, kills 63 Dec 2006 - 45 people die in a fire at a Moscow clinic for drug addicts Nov 2003 - 44 students at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia die in a dormitory fire in Moscow A surviving patient told investigators that a drug addict had been admitted with withdrawal symptoms on Thursday, and had been smoking constantly despite warnings from staff. The Investigative Committee added that it was examining other theories such as a short circuit or arson. A fire safety inspection was carried out at the hospital last year and action taken to improve safety measures, the hospital's chief doctor, who was not named, told Russian media. The doctor described the patients who died as a "very tough group of people, psychiatric patients with chronic illnesses and frequent attacks" who had suffered from alcohol and drug addiction. Patients were under sedation and most of them did not wake up, emergencies official Yuri Deshevykh told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. Bars on windows may also have been a factor in the high death toll. A police source quoted by Interfax news agency said that following the blaze, a hole 1.5m (yds) deep was found beneath the charred remains of the building. One of the patients may have been digging an escape tunnel, the source added. Are you in the area? Please send your comments using the form below.
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South Korea 'to withdraw staff' from Kaesong zone in North

South Korea 'to withdraw staff' from Kaesong zone in North
South Korea says it is withdrawing its remaining workers from a jointly-run industrial complex in North Korea. The announcement came from the unification minister shortly after Pyongyang rejected an offer of talks. North Korea blocked access to the Kaesong zone - once a symbol of inter-Korean co-operation - earlier this month and later pulled its workers out. The move followed weeks of high tension in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test in February. "Because our nationals remaining in the Kaesong industrial zone are experiencing greater difficulties due to the North's unjust actions, the government has come to the unavoidable decision to bring back all remaining personnel in order to protect their safety," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said. "North Korea must guarantee the safe return of our personnel and fully protect the assets of the companies with investment in Kaesong," he added. He did not give a timescale for the withdrawal. A total of 175 South Korean workers are currently in the complex, which is home to South Korean factories staffed by North Korean workers. Continue reading the main story Timeline: Korean tensions 12 Dec: North launches a rocket, claiming to have put a satellite into orbit 12 Feb: North conducts underground nuclear test 11 Mar: US-South Korea annual military drills begin 30 Mar: North says it is entering a "state of war" with South 2 Apr: North says it is restarting Yongbyon reactor 3 Apr: North blocks South workers from Kaesong industrial zone 9 Apr: North pulls its workers from Kaesong zone 10 Apr: North moves two mid-range Musudan missiles to its east coast 26 Apr: South Korea announces withdrawal of all remaining South Korean workers Q&A: Kaesong Industrial Complex Analysis: The North Korea threat Missile defences in the region Picking apart the bluster The remaining South Koreans were believed to be running out of food and medicines, because the North had refused to allow fresh supplies in. But an association representing the South Korean companies in Kaesong had earlier suggested staff could be reluctant to pull out, because they wanted to protect their assets from seizure. In 2011 North Korea said it seized assets from Mount Kumgang, a mothballed tourism site run by the two countries. South Korea called for talks on the issue on Thursday, asking for a response by noon on Friday. Pyongyang rejected the offer, saying the South Korean "ultimatum" risked exacerbating tensions. 'Litmus-test' The Kaesong complex is the biggest contributor to inter-Korean trade and provides the North with much-needed hard currency. The stoppage has also taken a heavy toll on South Korean firms, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean President Park Geun-hye as saying. The zone is seen as a litmus-test of relations between the two countries, and analysts consider such an extended shut-down to be a considerable setback. In 2009 North Korean authorities briefly shut off entry to Kaesong industrial park after US-South Korean military drills, leaving hundreds of South Korean workers effectively trapped. The current Kaesong ructions follow weeks of strong rhetoric from North Korea, which has been angered by tightened UN sanctions imposed after its 12 February nuclear test and by current joint US-South Korean military drills. The past two months have seen unusually high tensions on the Peninsula, and while the rhetoric on both sides has softened slightly, the situation remains unresolved, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul reports.

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North Korea embraces 3G service

North Korea embraces 3G service The figure has been confirmed by 3G provider Koryolink, a partnership between Egyptian telecoms firm Orascom and the North Korean government. The service can only be used to make voice calls, and all international calls are banned. At the start of 2012 Koryolink claimed to have one million 3G subscribers. In January 2013 the government began allowing visitors to the country to bring in their mobile phones for the first time. Unlike residents, they would now be able to use the 3G network for mobile internet access as well, by purchasing local SIM cards, the country said at the time. However last month a Chinese tour operator called Koryotour, which specialises in tourist visits to North Korea, posted a note on its website saying that 3G was no longer available for visitors. North Koreans only have access to a very limited, state-run set of internet pages. When Google Chair Eric Schmidt visited the country at the start of the year he urged the government to allow citizens access to the wider internet and said it would be "easy" for the 3G network to include data access.

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Spain unemployment hits record high

Spain unemployment hits record high Spain's unemployment rate soared to a new record of 27.2% of the workforce in the first quarter of 2013, according to official figures. The total number of unemployed people in Spain has now passed the six million figure, although the rate of the increase has slowed. The figures underline Spain's struggle to emerge from an economic crisis which began five years ago. A big demonstration in Madrid is being planned against the austerity measures. On Friday, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will unveil fiscal and policy measures aimed at halting recession in the eurozone's fourth-largest economy. "These figures are worse than expected and highlight the serious situation of the Spanish economy as well as the shocking decoupling between the real and the financial economy," said Jose Luis Martinez, strategist at Citi. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Next year we will have growth and jobs will be created in our country” Mariano Rajoy Spanish prime minister Last week, the International Monetary Fund cut its 2013 forecast for Spain's growth to a 1.6% contraction from 1.5% and said the unemployment rate would peak at 27% this year. Peak reached? The unemployment figure is the highest since at least 1976, the year after dictator Francisco Franco's death began Spain's transition to democracy. The jobless rate, which stood at 7.9% in mid-2007, has risen relentlessly since the collapse in 2008 of a Spain's labour-intensive property boom. On Wednesday, Mr Rajoy told parliament that the job situation for the entire year "will not be good, but it will be less bad than in the preceding years". "Next year we will have growth and jobs will be created in our country," he said. Meanwhile, in France, the second biggest eurozone economy, official figures to be released later on Thursday are also expected to show a record number of jobless workers. Are you in Spain? Have you been affected by unemployment? What is your reaction to the increased unemployment rate? Send your experiences using the form below.

UK economy avoids triple-dip recession

The Office for National Statistics said its preliminary estimates for gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew by 0.3% in the first three months of the year. The figure means the economy avoided two consecutive quarters of contraction - the definition of a recession. The growth figure was better than expected and Chancellor George Osborne said it was an "encouraging sign". There had been fears the UK would enter its third recession in five years, a so-called triple-dip recession. Economists say the news should give a small psychological boost to consumers and businesses, but the broader picture of the economy remains the same. The UK economy has been on a plateau since the financial crisis hit in 2008, with small spurts of growth and contraction. 'Making progress' Continue reading the main story Analysis Hugh Pym Chief economics correspondent, BBC News There were no doubt sighs of relief in the chancellor's office when these figures arrived 24 hours ago ahead of today's publication. Growth of 0.3% is not much to write home about and there may be revisions in the light of subsequent data. The overall picture, according to the ONS, is a flat economy. But the growth number was above expectations and there were no special factors like the Olympic effect to flatter the figures. The dominant services sector provided much of the impetus, including a strong bounce-back for retail, hotels and restaurants. In the end the cold weather proved to be no hindrance because North Sea oil and gas output was boosted to keep up with higher demand. Construction and manufacturing, however, were weaker. After a difficult week with criticisms from the IMF and ahead of the Fund's visit to the UK next month, the chancellor will be grateful to have some growth to report. GDP explained The better-than-expected rise in GDP for the first quarter was largely down to strong growth in the services sector and a recovery in North Sea oil and gas output. The ONS figures also showed that GDP had risen by 0.6% when compared with the first quarter of 2012, the strongest year-on-year increase since the end of 2011. Chancellor George Osborne said: "Today's figures are an encouraging sign the economy is healing. Despite a tough economic backdrop, we are making progress. The deficit is down by a third, businesses have created over a million and a quarter new jobs, and interest rates are at record lows. "We all know there are no easy answers to problems built up over many years, and I can't promise the road ahead will always be smooth, but by continuing to confront our problems head on, Britain is recovering and we are building an economy fit for the future," he added. Matt Basi, from CMC Markets UK, said: "Growth of 0.3% is hardly cause for celebration, but may ease some of the pressure that has been piling on the government's austerity plans." The chancellor has faced calls from the International Monetary Fund to rethink the pace of the austerity programme. But the government insists its austerity measures are vital to bringing down borrowing, and guarantee growth in the long-term.

Student

Sixth-form funding dip 'could stymie' talent, Gove warned

A funding dip for sixth-formers "could stymie" teachers' efforts to cultivate talent, post-16 education experts have warned the education secretary.

In a letter, associations representing schools and colleges have asked Michael Gove to redress a growing funding gap.

On average, sixth formers attract almost £1,000 less funding each year than younger pupils, says the group.

The government said it was spending £7.5bn on education and training for 16-19-year-olds this year.

The letter warns the disparity will cause "significant and adverse consequences for 16-19 education".

The government's next comprehensive spending review "should re-evaluate the resources needed for a good education for all 16-19 year olds in state education", it urges.

'Unwelcome anomaly'

The group draws on Department for Education figures which show that in 2011-12 the median funding for each secondary pupil was £5,620 compared with £4,645 for each sixth former.

During the same year the average fee per university student was £8,414 according to an estimate from the Office for Fair Access (Offa) which monitors fairness in university admissions.

The group describes this as "a growing and unwelcome anomaly... threatening the economic benefits that good 16-19 education brings."

They add that there is no funding gap in the independent sector, where figures suggest that schools charge higher day fees for sixth formers than for under-16s.

A briefing paper attached to the letter suggests that a slide in 16-19 funding, which began three years ago, is due to worsen with a further fall of 3% next year and more cuts planned after 2015.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

We cannot deliver good quality 16-19 education on these levels of funding, both current and projected”

Malcolm TrobeAssociation of School and College Leaders

The group fears that average funding may drop to less than £4,400 per student.

Malcolm Trobe of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said: "The message is that we cannot deliver good quality 16-19 education on these levels of funding, both current and projected."

Mr Trobe said he feared in particular for some smaller school sixth forms which would be unable to make economies of scale.

He said that inadequate funding would mean that pupils would face less teaching in bigger classes and that some sixth forms might be forced to drop less popular subjects, such as languages.

'Double whammy'

An ASCL survey suggested that more than 80% of heads of further education colleges, sixth form colleges and schools with sixth forms believed they would have to reduce the choice of courses they offered while 83% said they believed this age group should attract more rather than less funding than younger pupils.

James Kewin of the Sixth Form Colleges Association told BBC News that his members would be particularly badly affected.

"We really get a double whammy. We are in the worst-funded part of the education world and sixth form colleges in particular suffer other educational inequalities. Unlike schools and academies, colleges are unable to claim back Value Added Tax and so have to pay it in full.

"Sixth form colleges are the highest performing and most efficient part of the post-16 educational establishment. We think that instead of penalising us the government should invest."

The letter was also signed by the Association of Colleges, the Independent Academies Association, the Principals Professional Council and the Freedom and Autonomy for Schools National Association.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said its spending was "giving young people the opportunity to continue their studies and go on to skilled employment or higher education".

She added: "We are also raising the age of compulsory participation in education to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015. As the participation age increases, we are providing funding to ensure schools and colleges can offer places in education or training to all young people who want them.

Technology

Dead customer Virgin Media bill goes viral on Facebook

A broadband bill sent to a deceased man, which included a fine for late payment, has been shared more than 53,000 times by Facebook users.

Social media experts say it is a reminder of the importance of responding quickly and publicly to complaints made on social networks.

The man's son-in-law, Jim Boyden, posted a photograph of the bill, along with a message addressed to Virgin Media, on the social media network.

Virgin Media said sorry to the family.

"We obviously apologise for the bill and have spoken to Mr Boyden to bring this account to a close more sensitively," a spokesperson told the BBC.

At time of writing Mr Boyden, who put the bill online on Monday night, had not visibly mentioned the apology on Facebook himself.

"I've just placed a little reminder on their Facebook page. This actually amused me to start off with, but their complete lack of response irks me somewhat," he added as a comment to the original complaint last night.

Virgin Media publicly apologised on the site this afternoon.

While the unfortunate action of bills being sent to those who have recently died is far from new, the viral nature of this complaint should serve as a warning to companies, said one social media expert.

"Corporations are very good at promoting themselves, they recognise that everyone needs a Twitter and a Facebook account, they are aware the networks exist but they don't have the strategies in place to deal with the issues that can arise from those networks," said Dr Lisa Harris, head of the digital marketing masters programme at the University of Southampton.

"If they do make a mistake they should say that they are human using the channels they have created themselves."

"A lot of people as a result of seeing this will now think, 'I had that problem as well' - it can mushroom. Companies need to recognize that people have more power than they used to."

BT Head of Customer Services Warren Buckley told the BBC that 40% of its customer feedback now originates on Twitter.

"Clearly we are dealing with customers who aren't happy, and we are doing that very much in public eye, but lots of customers respect the fact that we are on Twitter at all," he said.

"The key is to be honest."

Account closed

In an updated statement for the BBC, Virgin Media said the account has now been closed.

"We offer our sincerest apologies for the wording that appeared on the bill. Automated responses from banks should not appear on customer bills and we're investigating how this happened," said a spokesperson.

"We have a team in place to ensure bereavements are managed sensitively and will ensure this wording is removed from our billing system. As soon as Mr Boyden brought this to our attention, we looked into this matter straight away and can confirm the account has now been closed, with all late payment charges removed."

Source:BBC news/Technology

See more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22283453

                  Boston manhunt officer remembered

Thousands of mourners have held a memorial for a university police officer killed during the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

US Vice-President Joe Biden spoke at the service in memory of 26-year-old Sean Collier at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About 4,000 students, staff and police officials from around the country attended the ceremony.

Authorities say Collier was killed by the brothers suspected of the bombing.

Wednesday's service was held as anonymous US officials told the Associated Press that the bombs had been triggered by remote-controlled detonators.

But the devices - which killed three people and injured more than 260 - were not sophisticated and had to be set off within a few blocks of the explosives, said the officials.

'Completely genuine'

Collier had worked for the prestigious university's police department for more than a year and had been involved in campus activities, in addition to his role as an officer.

MIT students remembered Collier as involved in campus life

Queues of mourners stretched for about half a mile (0.8km), an hour before Wednesday's ceremony started.

They made their way through tight security, including metal detectors and bomb-sniffing dogs.

During the ceremony, Collier's brothers thanked police officers and others for their support.

Mr Biden told the family: "My heart goes out to you. I hope you find some solace in this time of extreme grief."

He also said the university's diversity and record of innovation represented a "nightmare" for those who hated and would attack America.

"The only way they can gain ground is to instil fear that causes us to jettison our values, way of life, for us to change," Mr Biden said.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Chief John DiFava remembered how the young officer had once asked to volunteer at a homeless shelter.

"He hoped to 'maybe deal with issues before they became problems'," Chief DiFava said.

Collier was laid to rest in a private funeral on Tuesday.

"He is one of the nicest people that I've ever met," Kelly Daumit, an engineering student who hiked with Collier as part of a university social club, told AP news agency.

"Everything people are saying about him is completely genuine; it's not because of what happened."

Suspects' parents 'interviewed'

Collier was shot dead in his car on 18 April, three days after the bombing.

The shooting led to a huge manhunt that ended in the death of suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the wounding of his younger brother and alleged accomplice, Dzhokhar.

In a court hearing on Monday before a federal magistrate judge at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged at his hospital bedside with crimes that could result in the death penalty if convicted.

US officials say the ethnic Chechen brothers planted and detonated two pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on 15 April. Ten people lost limbs in the bombing.

The area around the marathon finishing line on Boylston Street reopened on Wednesday, nine days after the attacks.

Fresh cement was reportedly still drying on the street as a Starbucks coffee shop reopened for the first time, allowing customers to pick up belongings left behind in the chaos after the bombing.

Many other businesses, banks and restaurants on Boylston Street remain closed.

US investigators are in contact with the bombing suspects' parents in southern Russia, an American embassy official said on Wednesday.

An unnamed official told the AP news agency that US investigators were working with the Russian security services, the FSB.

He would not say how long the Americans planned to stay in Dagestan, a region in the southern area of the country.

The father was quoted as telling the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that both parents planned to fly to the US on Thursday.

source: BBC News
more news at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22286328