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".

Italy court upholds Berlusconi tax fraud conviction

An appeals court in Italy has upheld the conviction for tax fraud of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The court also reinstated a four-year prison sentence and five-year ban from public office he was handed in October. Mr Berlusconi was convicted of artificially inflating prices of film distribution rights bought by his company, Mediaset, to avoid taxes. He is now expected to appeal against Wednesday's ruling at Italy's highest court, the Court of Cassation. The 76-year-old has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated. Time limit But instead of overturning October's verdict, the Milan appeals court on Wednesday upheld his conviction for tax evasion and re-instated the original jail sentence. The four-year term had been cut to one year by a lower court because of his age. Continue reading the main story Silvio Berlusconi's trials Accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute: Verdict due Convicted and sentenced to a year in jail for arranging leak of police wiretap Accused of tax fraud over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films: Convicted in October 2012; Sentence upheld by appeals court in May Two other corruption cases involving tax evasion and bribery of a British lawyer: Expired under statute of limitations Q&A: Silvio Berlusconi on trial "We knew it would go like this," Mr Berlusconi's defence lawyer Niccolo Ghedini told reporters. There is however no real prospect of Mr Berlusconi being jailed, as he will exercise his right to appeal and the case will actually soon expire under a time limit, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome reports. Nevertheless, this is another major legal blow for Mr Berlusconi, whose People of Freedom (PdL) party is part of Italy's new coalition government, he adds. Our correspondent says that in the eyes of the law Mr Berlusconi is a convicted fraudster, but he will argue as he always does that all his legal troubles are the simply the work of his political enemies - left-wing elements in the judiciary. In March, Mr Berlusconi was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of arranging for a police wiretap concerning a political rival to be leaked and published in a newspaper run by his brother. He denied the charges and is expected to appeal. Mr Berlusconi is also currently on trial for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute, and later abusing his powers by putting pressure on the police to release her from custody. He has admitted sending her money, but insists the funds were meant as a gift. In other trials over the years, Mr Berlusconi has been accused of charges including accounting fraud, perjury, bribery and corruption. He has denied all the accusations against him and has either been acquitted or let off under statutes of limitations.

Windows 8 update public preview to be released in June

Microsoft has announced it will offer a preview version of its first major update to Windows 8 next month. The news comes amid growing criticism of the software's user interface. Microsoft said the revision to the operating system (OS), codenamed Windows Blue, would be released at Build, a three-day developers event in San Francisco starting on 26 June. However, while the company said it had listened to "feedback", it has still not disclosed what changes are planned. Microsoft added that a final version of Windows Blue would be released before the end of the year, and highlighted that it had already sold more than 100 million licences for the system. FT accusation The Verge, ZDNet and other tech blogs have reported that the update could mean Microsoft reversing its decision to remove the start button from the system's desktop environment. They also suggested it would give users the option of booting their PCs directly into Windows 8's desktop mode rather than having to visit the tile-based Start menu screen first. On Tuesday the Financial Times ran a front-page story suggesting that a U-turn over key elements of Windows 8 would mark "one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola's New Coke fiasco nearly 30 years ago". This was a reference to the beverage makers' decision to launch and then abandon a new version of its fizzy drink. Windows 8 support for touch controls has spurred manufacturers to release new computer designs The FT's article followed a news briefing given by Microsoft to mark the first six months of Windows 8. The tech company has issued a statement taking issue with the report. "It is unfortunate that the Financial Times did not accurately represent the content or the context of our conversation about the good response to date on Windows 8 and the positive opportunities ahead on both Windows 8 and Windows Blue," it said. "Our perspective is accurately reflected in many other interviews on this topic as well as in a Q&A with [chief financial officer] Tami Reller posted on the Windows blog." The FT told the BBC it stood by its story. Confused More than 1.5 billion devices used Windows 7 and earlier versions of the system at the time of Windows 8's launch, making the OS both the most popular of its kind and one of the company's key sources of revenue. However, Microsoft was aware that sales of tablets and other touch-controlled devices had been growing at a much faster rate than PCs. This helped prompt it to introduce a new start screen, initially dubbed "Metro", containing resizable tiles that could be tapped and swiped to launch and navigate apps. Users can still switch to a more traditional desktop mode by clicking on an icon, but the environment lacks the start menu button offered since Windows 95. This caused some people to become confused about how to shut down their PC and carry out other tasks. Several third-party developers subsequently released their own software allowing users to restore the facility. "Many people have recoiled in horror at Windows 8 because it is such a stark change over what they had become used to over the past 15 or so years," Chris Green, principal technology analyst at consultants Davies Murphy Group Europe, told the BBC. "Unless you are using it on a brand-new computer or laptop with a touchscreen display it's not as intuitive to use as Microsoft makes out - and these are still premium-priced products." PC sales still outpace those of tablets, but the latter are growing at a faster rate Since businesses traditionally wait until at least a major service pack has come out before updating their computers to a new OS, the major impact of the changes has mostly been limited to consumers. But Mr Green added that it would be a worry for Microsoft if companies now opted to skip Windows 8 in the same way many had previously decided not to install Windows Vista. "Microsoft wouldn't necessarily miss out on revenue from their largest blue-chip customers because they pay an annual subscription fee for access to its tech whether they use it or not," he said. "But it's the mid-sized companies - who buy computers and software as they need it - which is where the big money and margins are." Touchscreen focus Microsoft has acknowledged that "there is a learning curve [to Windows 8] and we can work to address that," but it also points out it has sold a similar number of licences for the OS as were achieved over the first six months of Windows 7's life. "It's too early to say that it's flopped," said Benedict Evans, a digital media specialist at research firm Enders Analysis. "However, there's clearly a lot of pushback from consumers and corporates about the radical change the firm wants to make in the user interface. "The broader issue is that Microsoft is building an operating system designed with a touchscreen in mind. That's essential for its future because computing is shifting to tablets and mobile, where Microsoft has been irrelevant." "What in effect they've done is compromise the desktop experience to create a great tablet and mobile experience. The problem is that it's the desktop buyers that pay for everything right now."

Cleveland officials hail bravery of missing women

Police have praised the bravery of three women found alive on Monday evening in a house in Cleveland, Ohio, after they vanished about a decade ago. Amanda Berry, who disappeared in 2003 aged 16, escaped with a neighbour's help while her alleged captor was away. Gina DeJesus, who went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight, who vanished in 2002 aged about 19, were also rescued from the property. A school bus driver and his two brothers have been arrested. The three women were taken to hospital for a check-up and to be reunited with their relatives before being discharged on Tuesday morning. A six-year-old girl also rescued from the house was believed to be the daughter of Ms Berry, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba told a news conference. 'Tied up' FBI Special Agent Stephen Anthony said: "The nightmare is over. These three young ladies have provided us with the ultimate definition of survival and perseverance. The healing can now begin." Continue reading the main story At the scene Jonny Dymond BBC News, Cleveland It is difficult to believe that Seymour Avenue could be home to such a crime: a quiet tree lined street with houses knocked about and sometimes boarded up, a red-brick church and traffic humming back and forth at either end. But it is the residents and neighbours who are most surprised. Aurora Marti, 75, has lived across from 2207 Seymour Avenue for 27 years. Ariel Castro used to come and sit on her porch and chat with her. He took her granddaughter out for bike rides at a nearby park. When the nearby area was being dug up in the search for Amanda Berry's remains, he talked to her about it. All the while he is alleged to have held Amanda and two other women just across the road. Read more from Jonny "Yes, law enforcement professionals do cry," he added. He vowed prosecutors would "bring the full weight of justice" on those responsible in the "horrific case". School bus driver Ariel Castro, 52, and his two brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50, have been taken into custody. Police Chief Michael McGrath said the women were believed to have been tied up at the house. Officials said they may also investigate other properties. Ms Berry, now 27, escaped on Monday evening when a neighbour heard her screaming and kicking a door, while her alleged captor was out of the house. Rescuer Charles Ramsey said he had helped kick in a metal door so that Ms Berry could climb outside and phone police. In a recording of Monday's emergency call, she says: "I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here. I'm free now." 'Home seemed vacant' Ms Berry identifies herself to the 911 dispatcher, saying she has been on the news for the past decade, and begging for help to arrive before her captor returns. A neighbour, Charles Ramsey, tells reporters: "We had to kick open the bottom of the door" Police Chief McGrath told Tuesday's news conference: "Thankfully, due to Amanda's brave actions these three women are alive today." Neighbour Anna Tejeda said she had refused to believe the young woman at first. "You're not Amanda Berry. Amanda Berry is dead," she said, according to the Associated Press news agency. Other neighbours in the working-class district said they did not realise anybody was living at the house at 2207 Seymour Ave. During the news conference, Public Safety Director Martin Flask said that in March 2000, Mr Castro had called the authorities to report a fight on his street, but no arrest was made. In January 2004, police called at Mr Castro's home, but no-one answered. They were alerted by children's services after a child was left at a depot on a school bus that Mr Castro had been driving. Authorities concluded there had been no criminal intent. Ms Berry had last been heard from aged 16 when she called her sister on 21 April 2003 to say she would get a lift home from her job at a Burger King restaurant. Mother's 'broken heart' In 2004, Ms DeJesus - who is now 23 years old - was believed to have been on her way home from school when she went missing. 911 call: "Help me I'm Amanda Berry... I've been missing for 10 years" Their disappearances made local headlines in Cleveland, and many assumed the girls were dead. The case of Michelle Knight, who was older than the other women when she disappeared and is now 32, was less widely publicised. Her grandmother, Deborah Knight, was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on Monday as saying the authorities concluded she had run away. The victims' families have responded with stunned joy. Sylvia Colon, a relative of Gina DeJesus, said they had never given up hope. But Ms Berry's mother, Louwana, died in March 2006, three years after her daughter went missing. A local politician said the mother had died of a "broken heart". In an extraordinary twist, it emerged that Ariel Castro's son - also called Ariel, although he goes by his middle name Anthony - wrote an article about the disappearance of Gina DeJesus for his local newspaper in 2004. Police have not commented on the case of a fourth missing girl, Ashley Summers, who disappeared in the same area in July 2007 when 14 years old.

Kickstarter crowd gives glowing plant the green light

A glowing plant that could provide a sustainable light source has caught the imagination of backers on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. With a month still to go, the project has raised $243,000 (£157,000). Its initial goal was $65,000. Backers are promised seeds for glowing plants, although delivery will not be until next May at the earliest. The "biohacking" team behind the project said that in future trees could act as street lights. The researchers are keen that their mix of DIY synthetic biology and sustainable lighting remains open-source. "Inspired by fireflies... our team of Stanford-trained PhDs are using off-the-shelf methods to create real glowing plants in a do-it-yourself bio lab in California," said project leader Antony Evans. "All of the output from this project will be released open-source, the DNA constructs, the plants etc," it said on its website. Commercially appealing The research team, led by synthetic biologist Omri Amirav-Drory and plant scientist Kyle Taylor, aims to transplant a fluorescent gene into a small plant called Arabidopsis, a member of the mustard family. The team has chosen this plant as it is easy to experiment with and carries minimal risk for spreading into the wild. However, it hopes that the same process will work for a rose, which it considers to be more commercially appealing. The team will work with luciferase, an enzyme common in fireflies as well as some glowing fungi and bacteria. The researchers have already designed the DNA sequences using software from a company called Genome Compiler, which allows people to easily design genetic sequences. They will then "print the DNA" and the final stage will be to transfer this to the plants. 'Great inspiration' Initially the genes are transferred to agrobacteria, increasingly used in genetic engineering because they can transfer DNA between themselves and plants. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Biology is very energy-efficient and energy packets are more dense than batteries. Even a weakly glowing flower would be a great icon” Prof George Church Geneticist, Harvard Medical School This method will only be used for prototypes as the bacteria are plant pests and any use of such organisms is heavily regulated. For the seeds that will be sent to the public, the team will use a gene gun that effectively coats nanoparticles with DNA and fires them into plants. This method is not subject to regulation. George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School who is backing the project, said that biology could provide great inspiration for more sustainable light sources. "Biology is very energy-efficient and energy packets are more dense than batteries. Even a weakly glowing flower would be a great icon." The team is not the first to create glowing plants. 'Pretty enticing' In 2008 scientists at the University of California created a glowing tobacco plant, using luciferase. And in 2010 researchers from the University of Cambridge was able to make bacteria glow sufficiently to read by. Theo Sanderson, a member of that Cambridge team, has blogged about the new attempt. "Nobody can deny that the idea of walking down a path lit by glowing trees is pretty enticing... what has disappointed me has been the lack of discussion as to what the team actually plan to do with the funds raised, and whether the science stacks up," he said. "My prediction is that this project will ship plants which have a dimly visible luminescence in a pitch-black room."

Deadly gas tanker explosion in Mexico City suburb

A gas tanker has exploded on a motorway in a suburb of Mexico City, killing at least 20 people and injuring 36, officials say. Television images showed damaged buildings and cars in the area of Ecatepec on Tuesday morning. The explosion happened at about 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on the highway between Mexico City and Pachuca. The driver of the truck is under arrest in hospital, where he was being treated, officials say. 'War zone' A giant plume of smoke rose over the area, about 14km (8.6 miles) north-east of the Mexican capital. The gas tanker was thought to be travelling north when it crashed into another vehicle, BBC Mexico correspondent Will Grant reports.
At least 30 homes and 20 cars were damaged, according to local media. Salvador Neme Sastre, secretary for citizen security in Mexico State, confirmed the casualty figures on Twitter but officials fear the number of dead could still rise. Some of the casualties were asleep in homes in poor areas along the edge of the road. Children were among those hurt. Other vehicles were caught up in the explosion on the highway north-east of Mexico City Television images showed firefighters and rescue workers sifting through the wreckage, but there was no initial explanation as to what caused the crash. The Mexican government announced measures in 2012 to lower the maximum allowed weight of freight vehicles after a series of crashes involving overloaded trucks. However, such accidents are still very common, our correspondent says. Mexican media said the area resembled a "war zone," with nearby homes and cars completely burned out. "It was a ball of fire," resident Carlos Gonzalez Silva told local radio, according to Reuters. "We opened the door and it was like fire had blown through the whole of the garden." Mexican radio station Formato 21 said a family of four, including two children aged 11 and 6, were among the dead. Dozens of ambulances were at the scene. The highway was set to reopen gradually, officials said.

Peterborough ditch bodies: Joanna Dennehy charged with murders

A woman has been charged with the murders of three men whose bodies were found lying in ditches. Kevin Lee, 48, was found in a ditch in Newborough on 30 March. He died from stab wounds to the chest. Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, was stabbed in the heart. John Chapman, 56, was stabbed in the neck and chest. They were found at Thorney Dyke on 3 April. Joanna Dennehy, of Peterborough, who is in her early 30s, has been charged with the three murders. Grace Ononiwu, the chief crown prosecutor for the east of England, said Ms Dennehy, who is in her early 30s, would appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court at a later date. Three other people have been charged in connection with the case.

Former Tory chancellor Lord Lawson calls for UK to exit EU

The former chancellor of the exchequer, Lord Lawson, has called for the UK to leave the European Union. Writing in the Times, he said British economic gains from an exit "would substantially outweigh the costs". He predicted any changes achieved by David Cameron's attempts to renegotiate the terms of the UK's relations with the EU would be "inconsequential". But Downing Street said the prime minister remained "confident" that his strategy "will deliver results". Mr Cameron is facing calls to bring forward a promised referendum on the UK's EU membership. 'Warm embrace' He says he will hold a vote early in the next parliament - should the Conservatives win the next general election - but only after renegotiating the terms of the UK's relationship with the EU. Continue reading the main story Analysis Louise Stewart Political correspondent, BBC News Cabinet ministers took to the airwaves over the weekend to pledge draft legislation would be introduced on an EU referendum before the next election. But if David Cameron thought that would appease those in the party who want to see a referendum sooner than 2017 he was wrong. Now, Lord Lawson, Margaret Thatcher's long-serving chancellor, has stepped up the pressure by calling for the prime minister to lead the country out of the EU altogether. His intervention is damaging for David Cameron. After losing support to UKIP in the local elections he wanted to get on the front foot over Europe. Instead the issue has again exposed deep divisions within his party over the issue which dogged the leaderships of John Major, William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith before him. However, Lord Lawson said any such renegotiations would be "inconsequential" as "any powers ceded by the member states to the EU are ceded irrevocably". The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said Lord Lawson's intervention was a "big moment" in the EU debate. The peer - who was Margaret Thatcher's chancellor for six years - voted to stay in the European Common Market, as the EU was known in 1975, but said: "I shall be voting 'out' in 2017." He said he "strongly" suspected there would be a "positive economic advantage to the UK in leaving the single market". Far from hitting business hard, it would instead be a wake-up call for those who had been too content in "the warm embrace of the European single market" when the great export opportunities lay in the developing world, particularly Asia. "Over the past decade, UK exports to the EU have risen in cash terms by some 40%. Over the same period, exports to the EU from those outside it have risen by 75%," he added. Withdrawing from the EU would also save the City of London from a "frenzy of regulatory activism", such as the financial transactions tax that Brussels is seeking to impose. Lord Lawson said his argument had "nothing to do with being anti-European". "The heart of the matter is that the very nature of the European Union, and of this country's relationship with it, has fundamentally changed after the coming into being of the European monetary union and the creation of the eurozone, of which - quite rightly - we are not a part. "Not only do our interests increasingly differ from those of the eurozone members but, while never 'at the heart of Europe' (as our political leaders have from time to time foolishly claimed), we are now becoming increasingly marginalised as we are doomed to being consistently outvoted by the eurozone bloc." 'Clear timetable' At the local elections last week, the UK Independence Party - which campaigns for the UK to leave the EU - made substantial gains, while the Conservatives lost control of 10 councils. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote As it happens, those who run our biggest companies would tend to be horrified at the idea of withdrawal from the EU.” Robert Peston Business editor Read more from Robert The UKIP surge prompted a call from senior Tory MP David Davis to bring forward the planned referendum - while other Conservatives, including former chairman Lord Tebbit, urged Mr Cameron to take steps to give the public more confidence that a referendum would indeed take place if he wins the next general election. Reacting to Lord Lawson's comments, a Downing Street spokesman said: "The PM has always been clear: we need a Europe that is more open, more competitive, and more flexible; a Europe that wakes up to the modern world of competition. In short, Europe has to reform. "But our continued membership must have the consent of the British people, which is why the PM has set out a clear timetable on this issue." The BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said No 10 was pointing to the UK's success in obtaining a cut in the EU's budget earlier this year as evidence that a new relationship could be secured. However, he said Lord Lawson's comments would give major impetus to those believing the UK's future best lay outside the EU and were also significant for his critique of Mr Cameron's negotiating strategy. 'Serious divisions' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that leaving the European Union would "make us less safe because we cooperate in the European Union to go after criminal gangs that cross borders". He said it could put 3m jobs at risk and made it difficult to deal with cross border threats like climate change and would also see Britain "taken less seriously in Washington, Beijing, Tokyo". UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said Lord Lawson's intervention "legitimised" his party's longstanding argument that the UK could prosper outside the EU while exposing "serious divisions" in the Conservatives. Former Labour Europe minister Peter Hain said he totally disagreed with EU withdrawal but believed Lord Lawson was right in suggesting David Cameron's approach could not succeed as "EU members will not agree Treaty changes". Political commentator and Times' comment editor Tim Montgomerie told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the article would add fuel to the debate on Europe within the Conservative Party that Mr Cameron had hoped could wait until further down the line. "Lord Lawson will give much more confidence to those people who do want to leave the EU to go public with those views," he added.

Three US women missing for years rescued in Ohio

Three young women who vanished in separate incidents about a decade ago in the US state of Ohio have been found alive in a house in Cleveland. Amanda Berry disappeared aged 16 in 2003, Gina DeJesus went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight disappeared in 2002 aged around 19. Their discovery followed a dramatic bid for freedom by Amanda Berry on Monday, helped by a neighbour. Three brothers have been arrested in connection with the case. City officials are to hold a news conference on Tuesday morning. Cleveland police said the suspects are Hispanic, aged 50, 52 and 54, and one of them had lived at the house on Seymour Avenue. One was named as Ariel Castro, who has worked as a school bus driver. Police have said a six-year-old was also found at the home. They have not revealed any further details, although a relative of Amanda Berry said she told him she had a daughter. The women's families reacted with shock and delight at news of their discovery, and many people gathered outside the home where they had allegedly been imprisoned. "It's been a whirlwind kind of day. It's surreal," said Gina DeJesus' relative, Sylvia Colon. She said the family had never given up hope, holding vigils every year and keeping memorials outside the house. "We were living every day in the hope she would come home - and she did," she told the BBC. Ms Colon said the women would now "need to be given some space. They have been away from us for a very long time." A doctor said the three women were in a fair condition and were being kept in hospital for observation. To cheers from spectators, Dr Gerald Maloney told reporters outside Metro Health hospital in Cleveland that the women were able to speak to hospital staff, but he declined to give further details. The disappearances of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus had been big news in Cleveland, and many had assumed them to be dead. Little was made of the disappearance of Michelle Knight, who was older than the other two girls. Gina DeJesus' aunt Sandra Ruiz: "She knew we were looking for her" Her grandmother, Deborah Knight, was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on Monday as saying that the authorities concluded she had run away. 'Here a long time' The dramatic events unfolded after Amanda Berry attempted to flee the house when her alleged captor went out. Neighbour Charles Ramsey said he heard screaming. "I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside," he told reporters. He said he suggested the woman open the door and exit, but she told him it was locked. "We had to kick open the bottom," he said. "Lucky on that door it was aluminium. It was cheap. She climbed out with her daughter." Both Mr Ramsey and Ms Berry called 911. In her frantic call, released to the news media, Ms Berry told the operator: "I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped. I've been missing for 10 years. I'm free. I'm here now." She identified her kidnapper as Ariel Castro and said other women were in the house. Continue reading the main story After disappearing a decade ago at the age of 16, Amanda Berry (centre) is finally reunited with her sister (left). Continue reading the main story 1/5 Mr Ramsey said he was stunned by the developments. He said he had shared barbecues with Mr Castro and never suspected a thing. "There was nothing exciting about him... well, until today," he said. An uncle, Julio Castro, who has a shop nearby, confirmed his nephew had been arrested, and said Ariel Castro had worked as a school bus driver. The Cleveland school district confirmed he worked for them, but did not give specifics. In an extraordinary twist, it emerged that Ariel Castro's son - also called Ariel although he now goes by his middle name Anthony - wrote an article about the disappearance of Gina DeJesus for his local newspaper in 2004. Anthony confirmed to a journalist that he had written about the neighbourhood's heightened concern for safety in the Cleveland Plain Press, and told her that Monday's developments were "beyond comprehension". Charles Ramsey's 911 call after he helped free Amanda Berry "He was stunned that something like this could possible happen," WKYC reporter Sara Shookman told CNN. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has said an investigation into the "many unanswered questions regarding this case" will be held. High-profile cases Ms Berry was last heard from when she called her sister on 21 April 2003 to say she would get a lift home from work at a Burger King restaurant. In 2004, Ms DeJesus was said to be on her way home from school when she went missing. Their cases were re-opened last year when a prison inmate tipped off authorities that Ms Berry may have been buried in Cleveland. He received a four-and-a-half-year sentence in prison for the false information. Amanda Berry's mother, Louwana, died in March 2006, three years after her daughter's disappearance. Although much is still not yet known about this case, it recalled a series of recent high-profile child abduction cases. Jaycee Lee Dugard was 11 years old when she was dragged into a car as she walked to a bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe, California in 1991. Photos of Berry (left) and DeJesus were distributed widely after they went missing She was discovered in August 2009, having spent 18 years held captive in the backyard of Phillip and Nancy Garrido in Antioch, some 170 miles from South Lake Tahoe. She had two children. In Austria, Natascha Kampusch was abducted on her way to school at the age of 10. She was held for eight years by Wolfgang Priklopil in the windowless basement of a house in a quiet suburb of Vienna. She managed to escape in 2006 while Priklopil was making a phone call. He committed suicide hours after she had fled. Elizabeth Smart was 14 when she was taken from the bedroom of her Utah home in June 2002 and repeatedly raped during nine months of captivity. She was rescued in March 2003 less than 20 miles from her home. Her abductor, Brian David Mitchell, was jailed for life in 2011.

Google's Russian YouTube challenge fails

A test-case brought by Google to challenge tough Russian laws on internet content has failed. The case related to a video clip uploaded to Google-owned YouTube, which portrayed, using a blunt razorblade and fake blood, a woman cutting her wrists. Russian regulators demanded the clip be removed, saying it provided information about how to kill oneself. Google complied - but in February it filed an appeal, which has now been rejected by a Moscow court. The search giant argued the clip was intended as entertainment rather than to promote actual suicide. In response to the ruling, Google said: "We do not believe the goal of the law was to limit access to videos that are clearly intended to entertain viewers." Google added it would "review the decision and consider our options". Ukrainian Darina Snegova, 20, who made the video, told the Wall Street Journal the clip had been intended as an example of how make-up could be used. 'Protecting children' The clip, entitled "Video lesson on how to cut your veins", was deemed by Russian regulators to break strict new rules on web content thought to be harmful to children. The rules, an amendment to Russia's Information Act, came into force in November and related to web posts showing drug use, suicide or child sex abuse. They allow the Russian regulator to request content it deems to promote any of these be immediately removed from the web. Google said it had received 114 requests to take down content in Russia in the second-half of 2012, up from just six for the first half of the year. According to the company, 107 of those requests were directly related to the new law. The Russian government insists the law is about protecting children but its ever-growing blacklist has caused controversy with human-rights groups who argue it has increased censorship. Blogging platform LJRossia has been targeted, as has a Russian version of discussion forum 4chan.