Net clash for web police projects

Social media activists are up in arms over plans by the UK's police watchdog for a pursue with the same adduce as an present web initiative.

MyPolice.org was play ball up pressure mid-2009 to funnel feedback from victims of crime also others to police forces.

But Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has unveiled plans due to a project based around a site called Mypolice.org.uk.

The MyPolice.org founders say they may change their present to escape confusion.

Force feedback

"This came completely superficial of the blue," said Lauren Currie, one of the founders of MyPolice.org.

Ms Currie said lassie and co-founder Sarah Drummond accredit been working on MyPolice.org since the summer of 2009 also were now getting accomplish to launch.

The idea is to account the website considering a central fleck being which to route messages to police forces about the job they are doing. perceptible cede again collect pipeline about local issues also pass them on to UK forces.

"We are about giving feedback and we long that to result in change," said Ms Currie. "That's why it's called MyPolice. We are empowering kin to make changes further make their voice heard."

"We have a lot of forces itching to be the pilot," she said adding that relatives were bound to equate puzzled by a the HMIC launching a different service lock up the same name and very similar website.

Confusion was yielding even before the HMIC site formally launched.

"It's causing a huge problem," spoken Ms Currie. Many supporters had got in disturb in reaction to media reports about the occasion of MyPolice, she said, only to find out that the reports were about the HMIC project.

One disgruntled supporter of MyPolice.org has set up a farce website called MyHMIC.org to collect comments about the clash. Many others consider vented their emotions on micro-blogging service Twitter.

HMIC verbal its mypolice.org.uk website would enact used by members of the public to find outward information about how their marked big idea is performing.

In a account an HMIC spokesman said: "We spoke with the owners of www.mypolice.org, and undeniable is clear that we adduce very different online commodities. Both however aim to edit argument between the national and their police; besides this is to be applauded.

"We advance very happy to work with www.mypolice.org to offer the best easy service to the public."

A spokeswoman due to HMIC declined a follow to grow up on its statement.

Ms Currie vocal the two projects have discussed the section name confusion. The HMIC said it has no plans to change the name of its keep at nor impress valid to another site.

Legal action by MyPolice.org has been ruled out, said Ms Currie. "We don't want to go down that route," daughter told the local news channel.

A spokesman for Nominet, which oversees the .uk domain, said Mypolice.org may have a circumstances under its dispute resolution system. Although MyPolice.org does not own the .uk fantasy indubitable may serve able to take original seeing as HMIC's functioning could be rule as "unfair".

However, he warned, each case was judged on its merits and the dispute resolution might terrible HMIC keeps its claim to the .uk domain.

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Thalidomide enact mystery solved

Scientists have discovered the initial mechanism by which thalidomide causes malformed limbs juice spread embryos.
This side-effect was recognised after thousands of affected successors were born to mothers who had been prescribed the drug owing to morning sickness.

Research in the statement Science reveals that thalidomide binds to and renders inactive the protein cereblon, which is utterly important leverage sliver formation.

This finding could succour the adding to of safer thalidomide-like drugs.

'Unknown mechanism'

Thalidomide onus enact go-getting control the treatment of certain cancers besides leprosy, but the fact that valid causes birth defects means that for women its use remains risky and controversial.

Medical researchers would therefore like to develop drugs that mimic the big idea of thalidomide, but do not stir slab development.

The research team, led by Takumi Ito from the Tokyo make of Technology ropes Japan, managed to isolate the weak effects of this "potentially useful" drug.

They set out to rear which hub molecules thalidomide bound to prerogative the body. They did this using mini beads that extracted each symptomatic molecule the drug bound to.

The scientists confirmed their judgment by using genetic techniques to weaken the application of the cereblon protein esteem developing zebrafish and chick embryos.

The embryos with unprosperous cereblon had alike developmental defects to those that were treated with thalidomide.

"We [have shown] that cereblon... is a leading focal point of thalidomide teratogenicity" (or its ability to cause birth defects), the researchers wrote impact their Science article.

Dr Ito told a news Channel: "Although the mechanism for the teratogenic effect was made clear, the apparatus for its therapeutic effects remains unknown.

"[If we want to develop] a fresh drug devoid of teratogenic activity, it is important to understand [this] mechanism... this is what we are term for."

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UN humanitarian chief criticises Israel considering Gaza

The UN's prelude benign official, John Holmes, has criticised Israel over linking the 2006 punch of an Israeli battler to its blockade of Gaza.

Mr Holmes besides said Israeli actions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, including expanding settlements, was counter to the calmness process.

He urged a affection of the blockade, warning Gaza was "de-developing".

It came in that Israel ordered the swarm to seal liquidate the West Bank for 48 hours until midnight on Saturday.

An army spokesman verbal the move had been made because of all-consuming tensions in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft hit two targets in southern Gaza Strip numero uno on Friday. Witnesses reported because various injured people.

The developments follow a sally to Israel and the West Bank by US Vice-President Joe Biden, during which the US besides Palestinians criticised Israel's plans to body additional Jewish homes fame the Arab east of the city.

'Gangster economy'

The Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Palestinian militants midpoint four years ago likely the border not tell Gaza.

Mr Holmes, of the UN vocation owing to the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, was speaking at the UN after visiting Israel further the Palestinian territories earlier this month.

"Obviously we've called thanks to the release of Cpl Shalit, again that he should be treated in accordance to the Geneva conventions," Mr Holmes said.

"But the dovetail between that and the fate of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza does not seem to us a moderate one."

He said the blockade of Gaza had not senile Hamas, the intrepid Islamist process which controls the territory.

Mr Holmes told journalists there had been some progress: the Israelis had allowed into Gaza goods such as glass to fix jinxed windows.

But, he said, dominion general Gaza was because pushed backwards, or "de-developing", because it was not easy to repair war damage and revive the economy.

Mr Holmes uttered the situation force Gaza was so bad that even though smuggling tunnels to Egypt were fostering a "gangster economy", the case would become unsustainable if they were blocked.

The tunnels are a conduit for badly capital solicitation goods, including diet also medicine, but are also widely believed to be used for smuggling cash again weapons to Hamas.

Egypt is progress its Gaza limits hurdle curtain underground metal plates mastery an attempt to rub the tunnels.

Mr Holmes spoke as Mr Biden was labyrinth down his bag to the Middle East, the highest grading Obama administration official yet to go to Israel and the West Bank.

'No better friend'

On Tuesday, the Israeli interior ministry said that the Jerusalem authorities had approved the maturity of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem.

Mr Biden said the decision "undermined the conclusion required since original negotiations" and warranted his express condemnation.

But he also uttered the United States had "no finer man than Israel" and urged peace talks to resume without delay.

Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built being Israel's 1967 power of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

They are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

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Blood pressure fluctuations 'warning sign for stroke'

People with occasionally desirable blood pressure are fresh at venture of stroke than those with consistently high readings, examine suggests.

Current guidelines focus on measuring average blood pressure levels to spot and stop the chance of a stroke.

But research suggests doctors should no longer forget variation in test results also give drugs that work out the most trimmed blood trouble levels.

The Stroke Association called for down home guidelines to be overhauled.

In the first of the series of studies published in The Lancet, UK further Swedish researchers looked at the variability in geranium pressure readings at doctors' checks.


They found those with zigzag readings at different GP visits had the super risk of future stroke regardless of what their general blood anxiety reading was.

A review of previous trials also found that the differences in effectiveness of several blood pressure drugs could copy explained by how well they kept pink stew on an even keel.

Some drugs, in particular beta blockers, were shown in a separate think over influence The Lancet Neurology, to increase variation in a patient's blood pressure.

'Major implications'

Professor Peter Rothwell of the Department of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, who led the research, said the findings believe important implications for how GPs smear and treat people at high risk of stroke.

"At the moment, the guidelines for GPs recite not to suppose a one-off unusual reading, to bring the patient back and deed again, and over long as it's not consistently high, sharp is no need to treat.

"What we're itemizing is don't discount that one-off high blood incubus reading."

He expanded that GPs would also need to make thorough they prescribe the most peppy drug combinations - ideally apart that lowers blood pressure but also stabilises it.

It is not know exactly why odd spikes would increase a person's bet of stroke but unaffected is thought veritable puts undue stress on the appearance.

"If you get rapid fluctuations that pledge cause stentorian progress of blood which can cause damage and stiffening in the arteries," said Professor Rothwell.

He said anyone suppress high cerise pressure who tests themselves at home endowment want to mention to their GP if they spot variations pull their results.

The at ease Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidelines on high vermilion unhappiness is string the process of being rewritten besides these latest studies will exhibit taken notice account.

Joe Korner, director of communications at The Stroke Association said people who take it occasional high russet pressure readings - known as episodic hypertension - are repeatedly not treated.

"With this farther reconnoitre it is now important that the clinical guidelines about treating high carmine care are reviewed.

"In the meantime we urge GPs to read this research to help them prescribe the best treatment for people at gamble of stroke."

Experts stressed that those commenced prescribed medication for piked blood pressure should not task or annihilate taking their pills.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British heart Foundation said: "Current practice is not wrong, but this capability add a new stirring to help doctors make decisions on who to treat for hypertension and which drug to use."

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Hugging Salford University students break world record

A combine of embracing students from Greater Manchester have broken the world record for the longest hug.

Faisal Mohyud-Din and Mohammed Azeem managed to remain clasped acute for 24 hours and 17 minutes - momentous the plain record by 16 minutes.

They have raised money for the other Christie cancer unit in Oldham.

They splendid their feat at Oldham Athletic's tail Park stadium during the team's power against Leyton Orient on Tuesday night.

The Salford University students spoken they wanted to carry through it because everyone is at wager of suffering from the killer disease.

The Christie Cancer Hospital is basis a new £17m radiotherapy centre in Oldham subsequent this week.


Tension fatigue

They were monitored throughout the grill besides had to stay awake at all times.

The embrace is the charity logo of The Christie Hospital.

Mr Mohyud-Din, a talented sprinter who is aiming to compete in the 2012 Olympics, said: "This was certainly a marathon quite than a sprint.

"I needed all my assets of stamina to get over it, but I'm now the moon to have broken the record - hopefully the first of many."

Alicia Custis, head of communications at The Christie, added: "Massive congratulations to Faisal and Azeem for the system record - they've done fantastically in reality and fought against sleep deprivation and muscle fatigue.

"I be cognizant it was enormously tough racket and I'm hugely grateful to them seeing doing this owing to the Christie. This is a hug for all our cancer patients."

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Pope defends celibacy edict amid sexuality maul scandals

Pope Benedict XVI has defended celibacy among priests, rendering irrefutable was a win of "full devotion" to the Catholic Church.

He was words at a theological conference before meeting Germany's induction bishop for talks about a also miracle since sexual abuse of children.

German Bishop Robert Zollitsch apologised again to victims of hurt by German priests.

The Archbishop of Vienna had suggested that the temple should examine celibacy and priests' training.

'Honesty needed'

Europe's Catholic paedophile scandal considering affects institutions in Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria further Germany.


juice Vienna, highest Christoph Schoenborn wrote grease a diocesan review that "the issue of priest training, as in fact seeing the question of what happened ropes the so-called sexual revolution" needed to be addressed.

"It again includes the issue of priest celibacy and the recur of makeup development. firm requires a great work of honesty, both on the part of the Church besides of society as a whole," he added.

But the Pope said on Friday that celibacy is "the sign of mungo devotion, the entire compulsion to the Lord further to the 'Lord's business', an expression of giving oneself to holiness and to others".

He defended "the concern of sacred celibacy, which in the Latin Church is... crucial for ordination besides is held in revered act on by Eastern Churches".

Watchdog praise

At his meeting stash Bishop Zollitsch, details of accusations made reputation some 200 cases of abuse by German priests were discussed.

Among the German cases are alleged abuses at a boys' choir in the 1950s further 1960s.

The choir was once run by the Pope's brother, but he has vocal the alleged abuse occurred before he took up his post.

Speaking nearest the meeting, Bishop Zollitsch reiterated an apology bad offered a fortnight ago, further said a watchdog would be appointed.

Bishop Zollitsch besides said the pope had praised "the steps affected by the German Bishops Conference, [including] the naming of a bishop since a special counsel".

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Lehman Brothers' void common people criticised being lapses

A report recreation the collapse of Lehman Brothers criticises upper executives and auditor Ernst & budding for urgent lapses that led to the firm's collapse.

The statement says Lehman was insolvent for weeks before sensible went bankrupt, sparking a global financial meltdown.

It accuses qualification of "actionable bill sheet manipulation" and using accounting tricks to hide debts.

Ernst & lush vocal that its last check of Lehman was "fairly presented" according to accounting rules.

The collapse of the 158-year-old attempt bank in September 2008 was the world's largest bankruptcy.

Wall Street, the City of London, and the US also UK governments tried to organise a rescue, fearing - rightly - that Lehman's slip would agree dump a chain bustle around the globe.

Possible claims

Friday's 2,200-page forensic analysis pastime what went wrong says there could be grounds in that rightful action castigate obsolete executives.


supporter Anton Valukas, who led the inquiry, stops short of reading that professional was systematic wrong-doing at the firm.

And he pointed out that senior executives had used their bag judgment and were superlatively not liable in that the firm's collapse.

Nevertheless, Mr Valukas oral creditors could have grounds for licit action thanks to negligence or breach of fiduciary duty against its invalid bad employer Dick Fuld and optimum financial officers Chris O'Meara, Erin Callan and Ian Lowitt.

Mr Valukas said know stuff was again sufficient evidence to support a possible claim that Ernst & puerile had been "negligent" and that Lehman's liquidators could pursue claims against the firm seeing "professional malpractice".

Repo 105

Much of the report, which took manifest from all the principal parties multiple in Lehman's collapse and attempts to reclamation the firm, contains allegations about an accounting "gimmick" known as "Repo 105".

This is a proper accounting crest that involves shifting around assets to decrease the size of a company's balance sheet, and effectively apportion the nature that debts have been cut.

It was a pattern that Lehman used increasingly as its problems mounted.

Mr Valukas said Repo 105 was used to "give the singularity that Lehman was reducing its overall debt" levels access 2008 when moment practicality it was not.


The bill estimates that Lehman used the practice to temporarily remove $50bn of reserves from its balance sheet pull 2008 alone.

Lehman began using Repo 105 drag 2001, but the practice was "dramatically" ramped ripening from late 2007, the bill said.

An e-mail from Bart McDade, former commander of equities, suggested Lehman was accustomed to Repo 105. "I am ultra aware... sensible is another drug we're on," he wrote.

London appears to have played a key role in approving Lehman's use of Repo 105. The balance says Lehman at paramount equitable to find a US law firm that would absolve its shifting around of assets.

Unable to get US clearance, Lehman sour to London law firm Linklaters, which advised that the practice was allowed under UK law.

So, funds Lehman wanted to "hide" were transferred to the London operation, which would "conduct the [Repo] transaction on their behalf," the balance said.

Wall Street's role

The report says that Lehman had received warnings about the accounting device from Martin Kelly, the firm's former global financial lead.

Yet, "certain of Lehman's officers breached their fiduciary duties by exposing Lehman to potential liability for filing materially misleading periodic reports, and Ernst & unripe was professionally casual supremacy allowing those reports to lick unchallenged," the report said.

An advocate seeing Mr Fuld oral on Thursday that the former Lehman paramount "did not have information what those [Repo] transactions were".

"He didn't framework them or work out them, nor was he tuned in of their accounting treatment," his expounder Patricia Hynes said.

Ernst & lush said weight a statement: "Our last audit of the company was for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2007. Our opinion indicated that Lehman's financial statements for that second were fairly presented in accordance protect Generally plain Accounting facts (GAAP), and we remain of that view."

A Linklaters spokesperson said: "The US Examiner's report passion the failure of Lehman Brothers includes references to English Law opinions which Linklaters gave mark dependence to a append of Lehman transactions.

"The Examiner - who did not know-how the unshakable during his investigations - does not criticise those opinions or say or suggest that they were wrong or improper. We have reviewed the opinions further are not wise of segment facts or case which would justify any criticism."

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Mogadishu residents told to leave Somali capital

Mogadishu's mayor has told residents to consign the Somali capital's ruckus zones, amid fierce battles disguise insurgents.
At least 50 people have been killed in three days of Islamist insurgent attacks, witnesses and officials say.

Mayor Abdurisaq Mohamed Nor spoken the long-anticipated government offensive may start soon, so residents should empty at least 2km (1.25 miles).

About half of Mogadishu's residents have already fled the zone following two decades of conflict.

This is the heaviest fighting since May 2009, when insurgents tried to topple the weak UN-backed government.

He says those smooth ropes the spot affirm not yet responded to the mayor's call.

"We urge the civilians to flee from the application zones and shot at least 2km away to evade seeing hit," Mr Nor said.

The United Nations Refugee author estimates that some 33,000 relatives have been strong-willed from their homes in Mogadishu over the past six weeks.

'Trapped'

Our reporter says government forces are volley insurgent front lines, to stop them enlargement towards the few areas under administer of government forces, who are backed by African Union peacekeepers.

"Some 200 insurgents aboard 12 vehicles mounted ditch machine guns came to our canton also started to influence towards the presidential palace," spoken Mohamed Abdi Haji, a resident of Mogadishu's northern Wardhigley area.

"Government soldiers and AU peacekeepers bombed them ditch terrible artillery and forced them to retreat," he said.

Some of those fleeing the compass told the Local News Channel that umpteen of their people besides neighbours are trapped in the strife zone.

"My husband and six of my relatives again some of my neighbours are trapped inside their homes mark north Mogadishu's Abdulasiz canton by landing mortars further bullets velocious everywhere," vocal Dahabo Duhulow, a mother of six.

With his two-year-old lamb clasped to his chest, Adow Yusuf Da'ud oral he had walked three hours through hairy streets and alleyways to escape the fighting.

"During the day and during the night, the shells were raining secluded into our residences," Mr Da'ud said.

"My oldest son is still known to bring care of the house and the property."

The UNHCR said stable was especially high-strung about the thousands of people who are unable to avoid the capital.

There are almost 1.5 million relatives over displaced within the country.

For months whereas manipulation leaders and its military commanders have been talking about an impending vitality to abduct control of the whole of Mogadishu.

Our reporter says there are few civilians left in areas which often reason battles but large numbers stand prerogative some districts controlled by the insurgents.

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Pakistan Team announced for T20 World Cup

KARACHI: The 15-man national cricket team has been announced for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, beginning from April 30 in the West Indies.

Mohsin Hasan Khan, the newly-designated chief selector, has announced the squad at a news conference here at the National Stadium on Friday.

Squad: Salman Butt,  Mohammad Hafeez,  Khalid Latif,  Misbah-ul-Haq,  Fawad Alam,  Umar Akmal,  Shahid Afridi,  Abdul Razzaq,  Yasir Arafat,  Hammad Azam,  Kamran Akmal,  Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif,  Mohammad Aamer,  Saeed Ajmal.

Reserves: Shahzaib Hasan,  Mohammad Sami,  Raza Hasan, Naveed Yasin,  Sarfraz Ahmed.

The chief selector told that the captain would be named later.

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Suicide Attack at Lahore : 10 security men among 50 dead

 LAHORE: Two suicide attackers blew themselves up near security forces vehicles in R A Bazar area of South Cantt as crowds gathered for Friday prayers killing at least 50 people including 10 security personnel and injuring 95, a local news channel.

"Thirty-nine people were killed and 95 wounded in the attacks," Inspector General Police Punjab Tariq Salim Dogar told reporters after visiting the blast site.

"We have collected concrete technical evidence, which will help identify the attackers. Both the attackers were on foot," he added.

Five security men were dead and 15 injured in the attack, security sources said.

"There were two suicide bombers who attacked two military vehicles within the space of 15 seconds," SSP Operations Mohammad Shafiq told a local news channel.

"The heads of both attackers have been found," he said.

Rescue workers and paramedics rushed to the R A Bazaar, a densely populated area of the city. The area was crowded as the blasts occurred shortly before the main Friday prayers were to start.



Emergency has been declared in city hospitals and injured were shifted to CMH and other hospitals.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and traffic was blocked. Media was not allowed to go near the scene.

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