Blue Peters Helen Skelton set to complete epic Amazon kayak journey

By Ben Leach Published: 9:00PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Helen Skelton, the Blue Peter presenter, is set to finish an epic tour to turn the initial lady to have kayaked 2,000 miles down the Amazon

She has paddled past crocodiles, 20-foot anacondas and shoals of piranhas whilst overcoming blisters, heatstroke and seasickness.

Barring a disaster the 26-year-old will finish the last 60 miles of her outing after roughly 6 weeks of paddling for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week on a stream mostly wider than the English Channel.

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In you do so she will have damaged dual universe records: the longest piece for one person vessel tour record, and the longest vessel by a lady in twenty-four hours jot down (75 miles).

But whilst drawn out acclamation is approaching on her lapse to Britain, uppermost in her mind is something most less glamorous the thought of receiving her dog, Barney, for a walk.

"It"s been 6 weeks of sitting in a vessel surrounded by zero but H2O and rainforest," she said. "There have been stretches of six, seven, or eight days where I haven"t even set one feet on dry land, and my crippled has the blisters to show for it.

"And I"ve longed for my dog terribly. So the initial thing I"m going to do will be to collect him up and take him for a great prolonged walk."

Skelton proposed her tour on Jan twenty in Natua in Peru, where the rivers Marañón and Ucayali stick on to form the Amazon, and ends it 2,010 miles downriver in Almeirim in Brazil where the stream becomes tidal.

On track she paddled past creatures together with anacondas, a class of lizard that squeezes the chase to death. She suffered from appalling blisters, sores and heatstroke but any kayaking experience prior to to her training.

She additionally had to overcome her most doubters. When she initial told James Cracknell, the stand in Olympic bullion medallist who scarcely died during his try to row the Atlantic with Sundaycolumnist Ben Fogle of her plan he told her: "You can"t do this." Skelton"s reply was typically defiant. "You don"t know me," she said.

"There were lots of people who told me I couldn"t do it" she said. "Three of the 4 experts we consulted prior to we proposed pronounced I wouldn"t be means to do it. Everyone thought the thought of you do it was laughable.

"But I"d contend never decider a book by the cover. Just since I can have things with gummy behind cosmetic doesn"t meant that I can"t mangle records."

Since afterwards she has been sent thousands of messages of await even one from Cracknell himself.

"He sent me a poetic message, but there have been most others, and it"s them that have got me by this.

"My friends and family have never doubted me and that"s unequivocally spurred me on as well. The thought of vouchsafing any one down is usually unbearable."

Skelton is no foreigner to pulling herself to her limits.

Last year, she demonstrated her implausible continuation when, in April, she became the second lady to finish the 78-mile ultra-marathon in Namibia, using the 3 uninterrupted marathons in twenty-three hours and 50 minutes.

Following that attainment Blue Peter motionless to theatre a attempt to lift recognition for Sport Relief this year and Skelton motionless she longed for even some-more of a challenge.

While it is not the initial time Skelton has pushed herself to her boundary of endurance, it is additionally unequivocally doubtful to be the last since nonetheless she has not nonetheless finished this challenge, she is already meditative of the subsequent one.

"I owe it to my friends and family to have a bit of rest when I get behind home," she said. "But I know what I"m similar to and I"ve already proposed articulate to the group here about what I can do next.

"So, yeah, there will be something else entrance along shortly something snow white hopefully, nonetheless I"m open to suggestions. I have thought about Mount Everest, and additionally about channel the Alps, so watch this space."

Although Skelton is already formulation her subsequent record-breaking plea her physique will be great out for rest.

Over the past 6 weeks she has paddled on 6 out of 7 days each week, for at slightest ten hours, from 5.30am until dark, with usually a short mangle for lunch when the feverishness became unbearable.

So punishing was her report that her rest day sounds anything but restful.

On the seventh day, she done drive-in theatre for Blue Peter and wrote a weekly mainstay for the Sunday Telegraph"s Travel territory about her adventures.

She additionally had assorted alternative media commitments, mostly receiving piece in 30-minute interviews true after rock climbing out of her kayak.

And she certified that there were times when she was close to giving up.

"The misfortune impulse was when I unequivocally proposed to onslaught with faintness and I was throwing up everywhere," she said.

"I was median by and I was meditative "If I"m struggling right afar afterwards it"s not going to get any improved it can usually get worse".

"I thought I would have to give up since my physique wouldn"t have been means to take anymore. Everyone was removing unequivocally carried afar about me reaching median but I was usually meditative "I"ve got to do all that again!"

"It was hideous since when you"re feeling that low you usually instruct your silent to put her arm around you, and she"s thousands of miles away."

But the great times have far outweighed the bad, she said.

"The last week"s been shining since I motionless to take the vigour off and try to suffer the experience a bit more. I"ve proposed to see at the trees and watch the birds and it"s been wonderful. I feel similar to I"ve non-stop my eyes for the initial time in 6 weeks."

It is that certain support of mind that should see her to the finish line this evening. And she pronounced her biggest instruct receiving her dog for a travel enclosed is that her actions enthuse others

"It"s not about proof people wrong or right it"s about proof to myself that I can do it and proof to the kids that you shouldn"t bashful afar from something since it"s tough. And you know what, if someone says it"s unfit afterwards make use of that as motivation.

"I"d rather contend get involved. Get stranded in. This has been incredibly formidable but it"s been one of the most appropriate experience of my life."

Skelton hopes her efforts will enthuse family groups opposite the UK to climb to their own plea for Sport Relief, come in the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st Mar and assistance lift income that will shift lives forever.

Go to www.sportrelief.com for details.

Sergeant Paul Fox killed while fighting the Taliban

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent Published: 6:37PM GMT twenty-seven Feb 2010

Sergeant Paul Maurice Fox was killed in Afghanistan on Friday twenty-six Feb Photo: PA/MoD

Sergeant Paul Fox, 34, of twenty-eight Engineer Regiment, died on Friday after being blown up by an makeshift explosve device whilst on feet unit in the Nad e"Ali area of executive Helmand.

His genocide the third in 3 days for UK forces brought the fee of British fatalities given the dispute began to 266.

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Sgt Fox, 34, who was portion with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) when he was killed was from St Ives, Cornwall, and leaves a wife, Charlotte, daughter Ruby, and sons Archie and Jack.

His family pronounced in a statement: "Paul was a fable not usually to his amatory wife, young kids and family but additionally to any one who ever knew him. Paul was a unapproachable infantryman who will be deeply missed."

Lieutenant Colonel Matt Brazeley, the autocratic military military officer of twenty-eight Engineer Regiment, added: "Sergeant Paul Fox was on tip of all else a utterly superb man.

"A extensive soldier, considerable leader, excellent engineer, great friend, enormous SNCO but predominantly only a great man.

"Sergeant Paul Fox was the Sergeant each Commanding Officer longed for underneath command, the SNCO each RSM trusted, the co-worker each alternative SNCO knew as a friend, the man each JNCO aspired to be like, and the personality each infantryman depended on.

"He was that good; he was my best."

His colleagues described him as a discerning witted and dedicated infantryman who desirous others as he led from the front.

Sgt Fox assimilated the Army and entered the Corps of Royal Engineers in Aug 1994 and was lerned as a fight operative and Welder Royal Engineer Class 1, in the future being posted to twenty-eight Engineer Regiment, 45 Field Support Squadron in 2006.

In 2008 he was endorsed by his Officer Commanding to stick on the Regiment"s Reconnaissance Troop and was selected for the Recce Selection Cadre, and carrying come tip of the march became a Troop Sergeant with the BRF.

Lieutenant Colonel Harry Fullerton, the autocratic military military officer of the Household Cavalry Regiment, added: "Sergeant Paul Fox was an well-developed infantryman who came to the BRF as an fervent volunteer.

"During preference and training, it was transparent from the commencement that he was one of the most appropriate in the Squadron.

"He was a unqualified professional, somebody who desirous others and led from the front. Such a arrangement of soldiering noted him out as special.

"He gave all for the great of his comrades and his genocide brings an infinite loss to B Squadron. Our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Islamic radicals infiltrate the Labour Party

By Andrew Gilligan Published: 10:00PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister

The Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) - that believes in jihad and sharia law, and wants to spin Britain and Europe in to an Islamic state - has placed sympathisers in inaugurated bureau and claims, correctly, to be means to grasp "mass mobilisation" of voters.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister, pronounced the IFE had become, in effect, a tip celebration inside of Labour and alternative domestic parties.

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"They are behaving roughly as an entryist organisation, fixation people inside of the domestic parties, recruiting members to those domestic parties, perplexing to get people comparison and inaugurated so they can practice domestic change and power, either the at internal supervision turn or inhabitant level," he said.

"They are utterly at contingency with Labours programme, with the await for secularism."

Mr Fitzpatrick, the MP for Poplar and Canning Town, pronounced the IFE had infiltrated and "corrupted" his celebration in easterly London in the same approach that the far-Left Militant Tendency did in the 1980s. Leaked Labour lists show a 110 per cent climb in celebration membership in one subdivision in dual years.

In a six-month review by this journal and Channel 4s Dispatches, involving weeks of growth filming by the programmes reporters:

IFE activists boasted to the clandestine reporters that they had already "consolidated … a lot of change and power" over Tower Hamlets, a London precinct legislature with a �1 billion budget. We have determined that the organization and the allies were awarded some-more than �10 million of taxpayers money, majority of it from supervision supports written to "prevent aroused extremism". IFE leaders were available expressing antithesis to democracy, await for sharia law or derisive black people. The IFE organized meetings with extremists, together with Taliban allies, a man declared by the US supervision as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and a man underneath review by the FBI for his links to the Sep eleven attacks. Moderate Muslims in London told how the IFE and the allies were enforcing their hardline views on the rest of the internal community, curbing poise they deemed "un-Islamic". The owners of a dating organization perceived a melancholy email from an IFE activist, notice her to close it. George Galloway, a London MP, certified in recordings performed by this journal that his warn feat in the 2005 choosing due some-more to the IFE "than it would be correct for them for me to say, adding that they played a "decisive role" in his delight at the polls.

Mr Galloway right away says they were one of majority groups that upheld his anti-war position and had never sought to change him.

The IFE has quite close links to Tower Hamlets council. Seven portion and former councillors pronounced Lutfur Rahman, the stream legislature leader, gained his post with the groups help.

Some pronounced they were canvassed by a comparison IFE central on his behalf. After Mr Rahman was elected, a man with close links to the group, Lutfur Ali, was allocated partner arch senior manager of the legislature with shortcoming for accede to funding.

This was notwithstanding a checkered practice record, a dubious CV and a disastrous inform from the headhunters allocated to cruise the candidates. The councils white arch senior manager was subsequently forced from his post.

Since Mr Rahman became leader, some-more legislature grants have been paid to a series of organisations that the review determined are closely related to the IFE.

Funding for other, physical groups was finished or cut. In the boroughs obvious Brick Lane area, legislature supports were switched from a mostly physical birthright route to a rarely argumentative "hijab sculpture", angering majority residents who indicted the legislature of "religious triumphalism".

Schools in Tower Hamlets are told by the legislature should close for the Muslim legal holiday of Eid, even where majority of their pupils are not Muslim.

Mr Rahman refused to repudiate that an IFE romantic had canvassed councillors on his behalf. He said: "There are assorted people opposite Tower Hamlets who get excited, who get involved."

He would not criticism on concerns about infiltration, observant they were "party matters". He said: "If you see at the flagship policies, similar to investing �20 million to plunge into overcrowding, you can see that we are operative for everyone."

The IFE pronounced it did not find to change the legislature and had not lobbied for Mr Rahman. "If anything, existent members of the Labour Party have assimilated the IFE, rather than the alternative approach round," it said.

The organization insisted it was not a fundamentalist or nonconformist organization and did not await violence.

Milan Fashion Week schedule turned into size zero

By Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director at Milan Fashion Week Published: 6:05PM GMT twenty-seven Feb 2010

The revised scheduling has been blamed on American Vogue"s editor-in-chief, Anna Winour. Right: models on the catwalk at Giorgio Armani Photo: EPA/ REUTERS

The truncation of the Milan Fashion Week schedule, that has effectively incited the normal seven-to-eight day calendar, in to a four-day nightmare, is causing pique and highlight all over the city.

The big fist - a catwalk homogeneous of perplexing to force a distance sixteen indication in to a distance 6 - has tattered tempers as shows, that routinely run at slightest half an hour late anyway, telescope in to one another.

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The complaint has been exacerbated by the occurrence of designers using dual shows one after another.

As an e.g. of the appalling complexity, today"s inform featured a Giorgio Armani show at 2.15pm, on one side of the city, and the Moschino show, scheduled to begin 45 mins later, on the conflicting side of locale - a great twenty mins to half an hour"s expostulate away.

The revised scheduling has been blamed on American Vogue"s Anna Wintour. According to a inform in The Dailyon Feb 10th, Mario Boselli, the boss of the Italian Fashion Chamber, said: "She wants designers to inform their shows during these 3 days. It has bad consequences for many, majority people concerned in the shows, from stylists to models to hairdressers. It"s positively crazy. She"s acquire in Milan but if she usually comes for a passing visit, maybe it would be improved is she stayed at home."

The disappointment reached hot point at the initial Gucci show, when a organisation of immature girls donned blonde, Anna Wintour-style bobbed wigs and sunglasses, with T-shirts temperament the aphorism "I will usually stay 3 days."

Apart from the stupidity of essentially removing to all the shows on each day"s programme - not to discuss the appointments and presentations, quite consequential to the silken repository editors and their teams - the parsimonious inform has an additional downside.

Milan"s restaurants can frequency be benefiting, since majority people I"ve oral to have not been out for cooking since they arrived.

This has since climb to the "Canape Syndrome" - a discerning surrounding of each catwalk venue to see if there are any snacks on offer!

Celtic talisman Robbie Keane is passed fit for crucial Old Firm derby at Ibrox

By Roddy Forsyth Published: 4:08PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Talisman: Celtic"s loan star Robbie Keane celebrates scoring opposite Dundee United Photo: PA

Celtic had been sweating on Keane"s fitness after he postulated an vague damage in the 1-0 feat over Dundee United last weekend, a outcome that brought them to inside of 7 points of the champions, who have a diversion in hand.

A feat for Rangers on Sunday would all but pledge Walter Smith"s side a second unbroken pretension and a pull would additionally keep the contingency heavily slanted in their favour. However, a Celtic win would throw the issue in to the shift again, generally with one some-more Old Firm derby to be played at Parkhead.

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Rangers remained wordless about the prospects for Allan McGregor. The goalkeeper complained to military about an damage he postulated on a night out in Glasgow last week finish but after precision on Friday he outlayed the afternoon in a city military hire assisting detectives with their inquiry.

The alternative debate that dominated the rave to this compare was the trickle by Celtic of a censure to the SFA about the customary of refereeing in Old Firm derbies this deteriorate and additionally about the genius of partner referees to cope with Keane"s attempts to kick offside traps. Tony Mowbray, the Celtic manager, dissociated himself from any idea that compare officials competence be inequitable opposite his team.

However, he suggested last night that he had educated his captain, Scott Brown, to subject today"s referee, Dougie McDonald, about judgments that go opposite Celtic. "I"ve essentially told him to be some-more outspoken with the officials in a small decisions that don"t go the approach because, if anything, we are utterly a pacifist team," pronounced Mowbray.

"Robbie Keane has already picked up a engagement since of his chirping and for me it"s piece of the veteran game. There"s zero wrong with asking a subject of a arbitrate and I don"t think we"ve finished that enough.

"We don"t wish to take that rival corner off Scott so that if the turn bounces in between dual players he"s got to do what he does. I think the actuality that he is skipper and he has an armband turn him will meant there"s a small voice in his head that calms him.

"That"s all it is one separate second to stay ease since of the shortcoming that he carries."

Mowbray additionally disclosed the efforts he has done to well-spoken out the wrinkles in Brown"s game, whilst praising the midfielder"s integrity to minister to the group notwithstanding an ankle damage that tormented him for months last year. "It"s a good credit to him that he soldiered on by the problems he had," pronounced the manager.

"Most players, when they"re not 100 per cent fit, don"t wish to put their boots on but Scott played on and in the finish it was a box of "Let"s put a stop to that and get him right". It did take him a small games to get him behind to being the player he wants to be.

"I don"t wish to shift him in to something opposite since I don"t wish to take afar that unrestrained and endeavour. We"ll try to have him a some-more courteous footballer, a player who can change a compare more. He"s got all the qualities to do that.

"He plays the diversion at such a inhuman speed all the time. Sometimes the most appropriate players have the capability to switch, in your mind you"ve got to delayed down and foreordain the dash of the game.

"We only have to ease him down, delayed him down and get him to assimilate that he can foreordain games."

South Africa reverse fortunes as India miss Sachin Tendulkars exploits

Bystaff Published: 4:48PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Success: Dale Steyn celebrates for South Africa Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Commanding centuries from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers helped South Africa steam to a 90-run feat over India in the last one-dayer in Ahmedabad.

Loots Bosman (68) and Hashim Amla (87) gave the Proteas a drifting begin with a 113-run mount for the opening wicket, whilst Kallis (104 not out) and De Villiers (102 not out) belligerent India"s conflict in to the dust as the visitors accomplished with a plain 365 for two.

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Virat Kohli (57), Rohit Sharma (48) and Suresh Raina (49) all got starts, but South Africa"s bowlers were as well great as the home side were bowled out for 275 inside 45 overs.

Bosman, at the back of at the tip of the sequence after being left out in Gwalior, blazed afar opposite India"s fresh attack, nonetheless the home side"s new-ball bowlers did themselves no favours with an haphazard display.

Bosman launched his conflict by hammering Sudeep Tyagi for 3 bounds in an over and, after being held off a no round on fourteen - Shantha Sreesanth overstepping on that arise - set India at the back of on their heels with a chanceless nonetheless mortal innings.

He brought up his second ODI half-century with a 6 off Yusuf Pathan"s initial delivery, wanting usually 37 deliveries to reach the mark, and lifted South Africa"s 100 with an additional soaring 6 off Ravindra Jadeja.

He in the future perished attempting the fifth 6 of his innings, miscuing Pathan to Jadeja at long-off.

Amla, far less belligerent, had by afterwards assembled an additional excellent hand, simply rotating the set upon and anticipating the bounds when breadth was offered.

He went on to reach his seventh ODI half-century and had total with Kallis to lift 79 for the second wicket when he was lured to his doom, top-edging a toil brush off Jadeja to debutant Murali Vijay at low block leg.

South Africa reached 200 in the 35th over and De Villiers helped the visitors change gears by attack Sreesanth for 3 bounds in 4 deliveries, whilst Kallis as well took off smoothly.

Kallis reached his century - his 17th in ODIs - with uninterrupted sixes off Sreesanth, whilst De Villiers lifted his sixth ODI ton and his second on the run by outstanding Rohit for a 4 and 6 off unbroken deliveries.

India leaked 122 runs in the last 10, together with 44 from the batting powerplay.

India"s follow began promisingly, but the home side were shortly struggling as Dale Steyn snared Dinesh Karthik (11) early and new-ball partner Lonwabo Tsotsobe private Vijay (25) early in the sixth over.

Rohit (48) and Kohli (57) afterwards regenerated the follow with a 95-run mount for the third wicket, but Tsotsobe returned to remove Rohit and Steyn broken India"s insurgency with the wickets of Kohli and dangerman Mahendra Singh Dhoni (nine) - both held at the back of by Boucher - in the same over.

The home side afterwards slipped serve to 179 for 6 with the passing of Pathan (five), but Raina (49) and Jadeja (36) gave the home side a spark of goal with a 54-run mount for the seventh wicket.

But the follow all but finished once Raina was prised out, Steyn and Tsotsobe finale with 3 wickets apiece.

Chile earthquake: tsunami warnings trigger evacuations across Pacific

By David Barrett Published: 1:37PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Previous of Images Next Chile"s President Michelle Bachelet declares a "state of catastrophe" Photo: AP An depletion of coastal areas on Easter Island was underneath approach as the tsunami was approaching to have landfall there imminently Photo: PA An picture generated by NOAA West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center shows the projected tsunami transport times following an trembler that struck Chile Photo: REUTERS

Michelle Bachelet, the Chilean President, pronounced an depletion of coastal areas on Easter Island, the Chilean domain important for the staggering statues, was underneath approach as the tsunami was approaching to have landfall there imminently.

British experts pronounced a tsunami was right afar radiating from the epicentre towards Hawaii and alternative settlements on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

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The border of the tsunami"s ferocity is not nonetheless known, but it has already reached the southern Juan Fernandez Islands, about 400 miles off the seashore of Chile, where it was reported to have caused "serious damage".

The islands embody one declared after Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe"s protagonist, and an additional declared after Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish soldier whose genuine hold up practice as a orphan are pronounced to have desirous the 1719 novel.

An rapt was released by the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre that likely repairs to the Hawaiian seashore from 9pm GMT today.

"Urgent movement should be taken to strengthen lives and property," the centre pronounced in a bulletin. "All shores are at risk no make a difference that citation they face."

The centre had progressing released a tsunami notice for Chile and Peru, and a tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Antarctica, all of Central America and French Polynesia.

New Zealand additionally released a tsunami alert, notice of a wall of H2O up to 10 feet high, with landfall due there at usually after 6pm GMT.

The New Zealand National Crisis Management Centre notice pronounced the biggest call heights were approaching in between 6 and twelve hours after the primary arrivals.

Dr Brian Baptie, the British Geological Survey"s Head of Seismology, said: "This is largest trembler to set upon executive Chile given a bulk 6.7 trembler in 2001.

"A 1.3 metre tsunami call was noticed at Valparaiso, 200 kilometres north of the epicentre about twenty mins after the earthquake.

"Tsunami waves in the low sea transport about the same speed as a jet craft and would take about fifteen hours to reach Hawaii and about twenty hours to reach the alternative side of the Pacific."

Dr David Rothery, from the Open University"s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: "This morning"s bulk 8.8 trembler close to the Chilean seashore has caused a tsunami that is right afar radiating afar from the epicentre and travelling at multiform hundred kilometres per hour opposite the Pacific Ocean.

"The initial waves are approaching to Hawaii at 11:19 Hawaii Standard Time but are additionally travelling along the South America seashore and will reach Colombia and Costa Rica after 1300 GMT.

He added: "A bulk 8 upheaval is a singular event. On normal there is usually about one of these per year globally."

Japan"s meteorological group warned of a tsunami risk opposite large areas of the Pacific, as far afar as the Antarctic, and in the Philippines officials warned low-lying coastal areas to hope for for a probable evacuation.

Chile earthquake: Easter Island evacuation as tsunami brings disaster to Pacific islands

By Fiona Govan, in Madrid, and David Barrett Published: 12:17PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Previous of Images Next In 1960, Chile was set upon by the world"s greatest trembler given annals dating behind to 1900 promulgation a tsunami that smashed Easter Island Photo: PA Residents transport by waste after 8.8-magnitude trembler struck executive Chile early Saturday in Santiago Photo: AP The trembler struck at around 3.34am internal time. Its epicentre was usually 75 miles from the coastal city of Concepcion, south of Santiago Locals take to the streets of Santiago Photo: EPA Video grab shows cars flitting by a domain of a highway shop-worn by a vital trembler in Santiago Photo: REUTERS Chile"s President Michelle Bachelet declares a "state of catastrophe" Photo: AP An picture generated by NOAA West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center shows the projected tsunami transport times following an trembler that struck Chile Photo: REUTERS

The quake, purebred at bulk 8.8 on the Richter scale, caused buildings and bridges to fall and led to power-black outs in tools of the Chilean capital, Santiago, 200 miles from the epicentre.

Michelle Bachelet, the Chilean President, pronounced an depletion of coastal areas on Easter Island, the Chilean domain important for the staggering statues, was underway as the tsunami was approaching to have landfall there imminently. She additionally reliable 78 people had been killed on the Chilean mainland.

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British experts pronounced a tsunami was right afar radiating from the epicentre towards Hawaii and alternative settlements on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The border of the tsunami"s ferocity is not nonetheless known, but it has already reached the southern Juan Fernandez Islands, about 400 miles off the seashore of Chile, where it was reported to have caused "serious damage".

The islands embody one spoken after Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe"s protagonist, and an additional spoken after Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish soldier whose genuine hold up practice as a orphan are pronounced to have desirous the 1719 novel.

An rapt was released by the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre that expected repairs to the Hawaiian seashore from 9pm GMT today.

"Urgent movement should be taken to strengthen lives and property," the centre pronounced in a bulletin. "All shores are at risk no make a difference that citation they face."

The centre had progressing released a tsunami notice for Chile and Peru, and a tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Antarctica, all of Central America and French Polynesia.

New Zealand additionally released a tsunami alert, notice of a wall of H2O up to 10 feet high, with landfall due there at usually after 6pm GMT.

The New Zealand National Crisis Management Centre notice pronounced the greatest call heights were approaching in between 6 and twelve hours after the primary arrivals.

Images promote on air wave in Chile showed waste had shop-worn off buildings in Santiago and crashed in to the streets below, as the city was plunged in to dark by energy failures.

Thousands of people fled their homes when the trembler struck at 3.34am internal time, entertainment in the streets with majority still dressed in pyjamas. Images showed a highway overpass that had collapsed trapping cars underneath it.

The vital upheaval lasted one notation and was quickly followed by a array of aftershocks trimming from 5.6 to 6.9 on the bulk scale.

An puncture executive pronounced the genocide fee stood at 76.

The Chilean President spoken a "state of catastrophe" and said: "With the upheaval of this magnitude, we cannot order out alternative casualties"

One man told internal a air wave headlines channel in the city of Temuco: "Never in my hold up have I experienced a upheaval similar to this, it"s similar to the finish of the world."

Dr Brian Baptie, the British Geological Survey"s Head of Seismology, said: "This is largest trembler to set upon executive Chile given a bulk 6.7 trembler in 2001.

"A 1.3 metre tsunami call was noticed at Valparaiso, 200 kilometres north of the epicentre about twenty mins after the earthquake.

"Tsunami waves in the low sea transport about the same speed as a jet craft and would take about fifteen hours to reach Hawaii and about twenty hours to reach the alternative side of the Pacific."

Dr David Rothery, from the Open University"s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: "This morning"s bulk 8.8 trembler close to the Chilean seashore has caused a tsunami that is right afar radiating afar from the epicentre and travelling at multiform hundred kilometres per hour opposite the Pacific ocean.

"The primary waves are approaching ot Hawaii at 11:19 Hawaii Standard Time but are additionally travelling along the South America seashore and will reach Colombia and Costa Rica after 1300 GMT.

He added: "A bulk 8 upheaval is a singular event. On normal there is usually about one of these per year globally."

Japan"s meteorological group warned of a tsunami risk opposite large areas of the Pacific, as far afar as the Antarctic, and in the Philippines officials warned low-lying coastal areas to hope for for a probable evacuation.

The trembler struck 60 miles north-west of the Chilean locale of Chillan, a orator for the US Geological Survey said, and 70 miles north-east of Concepcion, a city of about a million people.

Concepcion is expected to be the majority exceedingly influenced city and there were air wave reports of collapsed churches and alternative damage.

Teams of firefighters and military marched by the streets of Santiago propelling ease and arising instructions by megaphones.

One Spanish caller who was defunct in his room on the 17th construction of the Crown Palace road house in Santiago told Spanish air wave Cadena SER how he was woken by the earthquake.

"It was a flattering heated shaking," pronounced Victor Garcia de la Concha.

"The bedside lamp, that was utterly a weight fell from the list and shattered. The drawers in the dresser in front of the bed were rattled open."

He reported that the construction had not been shop-worn but guest were evacuated from their bedrooms and told to accumulate in the road house lobby.

Santiagos general airfield had postulated repairs in the upheaval with prejudiced fall of areas of on the second floor.

Initial reports prove that the upheaval could be felt opposite Chile and additionally sent tremors to multiform provinces in executive Argentina together with tools of the capital, Buenos Aires, 1,000 miles afar from the epicentre.

In 1960, Chile was set upon by the world"s greatest trembler given annals dating behind to 1900.

In that disaster, a 9.5 bulk upheaval ravaged the south-central city of Valdivia, murdering 1,655 people and promulgation a tsunami that smashed Easter Island and one after another as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

Today"s bulk 8.8 upheaval is personal as a "great" trembler that can means "tremendous damage," according to the US Geological Survey.

The trembler that ravaged Haiti"s collateral Port-au-Prince on Jan twelve was rated at bulk 7.0, whilst the one that struck Indonesia on Boxing Day 2004 totalled bulk 9.2.

Winter Olympics 2010: GB fury over bobsleigh crash

By Jacquelin Magnay in Vancouver Published: 12:35AM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

Down but not out: Great Britain"s four-man bobsleigh group will go on to run in the foe notwithstanding crashing in the second feverishness Photo: AP

The group had accomplished 11th after the initial feverishness and were in row to move up multiform places when they unsuccessful to come to terms the hazardous dilemma twelve that had additionally claimed a integrate of alternative teams.

But surprisingly the group stays in the foe for the last dual runs on Saturday after all 4 members stayed in the incline and crossed the finish line, despite in 21st place.

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Jackson had to be calmed down by the British Olympic Association staffer Adam Parsons prior to he chatted to the media.

"I done a mistake, I went a small bit as well high on the exit of 11, he said.

Obviously we"re disappointed, but we"re fine. We"ve got a integrate of bumps and bruises. The sled has a couple of scrapes. We"ll have a closer see at it later, but if it"s excellent we"ll be behind again tomorrow."

The United States second group additionally crashed heavily only after the Britons.

Met Office gets £12m bonuses

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent Published: 7:00AM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

The performance-related payout comes notwithstanding steady critique of the inhabitant go on service.

Forecasters were lambasted after their predictions of a barbeque summer incited in to a washout. This was followed by forecasts of a amiable winter that has incited out to be one of the coldest on record. The Met Office could be forsaken by the BBC for the initial time in 90 years when the stipulate expires in April.

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However, staff members, together with radio presenters in use by the Met Office, perceived normal bonuses of scarcely �1,500 each in the past year.

The bonuses were suggested in a parliamentary answer by Kevan Jones, the Defence Minister.

He pronounced staff at the go on forecasting use were handed a sum of �12,329,000 in between 2004 and 2009. In the last year alone staff perceived a sum of �2.72 million or �1,485 per staff member.

But he pronounced employees of the Met Office piece of the Ministry of Defence were wakeful their performance-related compensate indispensable to be "re-earned each year" by on condition that correct forecasts to commercial operation around the world.

"Met Office staff are authorised to embrace performance-related compensate formed on achievements opposite specific targets concluded and monitored by the Met Office Board, that are associated to the success of the Met Office at possibly individual, group or organisational level," he said.

"Payments are non-consolidated and paint piece of Met Office staff arrangement that is at risk and needs to be re-earned each year."

Piers Corbyn, owners of the eccentric forecasting commercial operation WeatherAction, pronounced the Met Office unsuccessful to envision the floods in 2007 and 2008.

"This is all unsuitable but wholly in keeping with the complicated direction to endowment bonuses for failure, such as for banks," he said.

Philip Eden, a former clamp boss of the Royal Meteorological Society, pronounced that nonetheless the Met Office in all does a great pursuit he was "surprised by the scale of the bonuses".

But a orator for the Met Office pronounced opening was not associated to anniversary forecasts since this is still a "developing science".

He fit joining every day or weekly predictions to compensate as this motivates staff to go on giving "extremely correct forecasts".

The ultimate foresee from the Met Office likely some-more sleet over the week end with inundate warnings for most tools of the country, quite in the south.

Meanwhile thousands of people in Scotland were left but energy due to complicated sleet bringing down physical phenomenon lines. A orator for Glencoe Mountain pronounced interpretation picked up by the British Ski Club showed the area experienced a tumble of 80cm progressing in the week, that was some-more than the Winter Olympics venues in Vancouver, Canada.

General Election: Gordon Brown ready to fight for premiership survival

Published: 8:00AM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

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We have got to get by an choosing campaign, says Gordon Brown Photo: EDDIR MULHOLLAND

Does he or Fabio Capello, the England coach, have the worse job? "Fabio has utterly a great time, doesnt he?" Mr Brown replies.

It is loyal that the antics of the widely separated inhabitant patrol cannot sincerely be compared to the Prime Ministers woes. In the past week, Mr Brown has been raid by allegations of bad rage and bullying, not to discuss the assign by his Chancellor that a openness on Britains mercantile predicament led to "the forces of hell" being unleashed.

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Yesterday, however, brought some-more contented headlines for Mr Brown. A check for this journal of those "absolutely sure to vote" put the Tory lead at usually five per cent, whilst Britains presentation from retrogression valid stronger than expected, with fourth entertain expansion revised to 0.3 per cent from a handicapped 0.1.

But even the softened rating looks well short of the 1.5 per cent expansion that Mr Brown foresee for this year the last time we met. Was he as well optimistic? "We have a incomparable monetary have use of zone than majority countries, and were a trade nation," he says. "Britain was firm to be strike hard." Nor, he warns, are the troubles over. "Its regularly going to be formidable as you begin to grow. Its going to be a challenge."

Naturally, he argues that the Tory tactic of slicing faster than Labour would endanger the economy. "Theyre as well big a risk. Theres a genuine possibility that their policies would lift Britain behind in to deeper recession." Mr Brown will be emphasising that summary in a debate in Wales today, revelation electorate that Labour has stable jobs and prevented home repossessions.

Behind this informed litany are issues that Mr Brown would cite not to confront. As he says: "The usually thing I havent been indicted of is murdering that man Archie Mitchell in EastEnders." More disclosures are approaching tomorrow in the second complement of a serialisation of Andrew Rawnsleys book. A leaked thoroughfare suggests that destiny nuggets competence embody a reported diatribe at Tony Blair in Sep 2006 over the timing of the former budding ministers departure, in that Mr Brown is purported to have announced regularly at Mr Blair: "You busted my life."

Did he have use of those words? "Its not true," he says. Nor does he recollect describing an essay by Alan Milburn, the former health secretary, created in await of Mr Blair, as "Trotskyism".

"I dont stop that. You have to decider with contempt any allegations in a book that has been shown not to be accurate." As an example, Mr Brown cites "a have a difference from the head of the Civil Service that he never lifted questions about [my] behaviour".

Presumably he concurs with Sir Gus ODonnells comment that he merely discussed with Mr Brown how to get the most appropriate out of officials. "We talked about the Cabinet and staff not about my behaviour. Hes done that positively clear."

But any try by Mr Brown to boot all upsetting allegations as report was derailed when his Chancellor gift a ban critique of those presumably conspiring opposite him. Never mind Capellos men. The "forces of hell" acknowledgement referred to that Nos 10 and eleven were on frequency some-more considerate conditions than Ashley and Cheryl Cole. "Ive met the Coles," Mr Brown tells us later. "But separately."

He does not hold what upheld in in in in between him and Alistair Darling, over gift a construction on his Chancellors behalf. "Alistair and I have been friends for twenty years. He doesnt for a impulse hold I systematic any sort of lecture opposite him." So the undermining of Mr Darling, following the Chancellors avowal that Britain faced the misfortune retrogression in 60 years, went forward but his neighbours knowledge?

"I wouldnt short opposite him, and I wouldnt ask any one else to short opposite him. I rebut the explain entirely. Weve worked together on unequivocally formidable things, and you have debates, obviously."

When we remind him that Mr Darling has formerly alluded to "healthy and diseased tensions" in in in in between Nos 10 and 11, he says: "I only pronounced that, didnt I? These are formidable relations since there are formidable questions to ask, but I dont meant formidable in the clarity that people dont get on. There are formidable problems that have to be dealt with in a attribute in in in in between a chancellor and a budding minister. Weve been friends. We still are unequivocally close friends."

Should Labour form the subsequent government, would Mr Darling still be Chancellor? "Well go on to work together," he replies. As PM and Chancellor? "You cant design me to have known such decisions. Alistair Darling has been a shining chancellor. Weve got to get by an choosing campaign."

Although Mr Darling did not name Damian McBride, he indicated that Mr Browns earlier turn alloy was a "force of hell". Is that true? "No direction came from me, and Damian McBride is no longer in the practice … That is where the have a difference rests."

Does Mr Brown mount by his avowal on GMTV that he never behaved in a "political" manner? "I think I was perplexing to contend the things I do are in the inhabitant interest. To have this pursuit is a outrageous honour and privilege. If I expostulate things hard, the since I have a clever clarity of my responsibility."

But removing indignant and hurling writings to the building is not an tasteful trait, we suggest, generally to voters. Mr Brown admits that he has been reflecting on this and branch to an old purpose model. "My father never unequivocally got indignant with anybody, but you could discuss it when he was displeased. I never listened him contend a bad word about anyone. So when I expostulate people forwards and get impatient, I keep meditative of my father and how he never lifted his voice."

Does he plan to obey that example? "Self-improvement is a unequivocally great thing to do. Im perplexing to lift all together. Were in an open-plan office," he adds, as if his staff need design no supernatural conversion.

High in the in-tray, on the sunrise we meet, is the Court of Appeals commentary about the "dubious" impasse of security officials in the indignity of Binyam Mohamed, the former Guantánamo Bay detainee.

Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, topsy-turvy a prior preference to H2O down his critique of the security services poise in the box of Mr Mohamed, who says he was tortured. The last version says that a little officials "appear to have a indeterminate jot down when it comes to human rights and coercive techniques".

Would Mr Brown validate Lord Neubergers opinion? "We have first-class security services. We do not acquit torture, and we will not concede it to take place," he says, adding that "we will be bringing in open discipline in the subsequent couple of days to have that clear".

When we ask again if he accepts the Master of the Rollss indictment, he replies: "This has been a have a difference for the courts, so one has to accept what the courts have said. But at the same time as condemning torture, I think the security services have a in few instances great jot down of traffic with security in terrorism issues."

But alternative detainees, we say, are already alleging torture? "If [cases] are raised, they will be entirely investigated. We will not bashful afar from any review if that is what is required."

Less grave, though still awkward, allegations have only flush surrounding Samantha Cameron, the mother of the Tory leader. Could it be loyal that someone in Labour competence be formulation to disprove her by suggesting she does less gift work than Sarah Brown? "Under no circumstances. I am not meddlesome in that, and if any one did it, I would reject it absolutely.

"It is not excusable behaviour. She is you do all she can to the most appropriate of her talents. I extol her." Even Mr Browns enemies competence onslaught to subject the frankness of his denial.

That frankness, seen in the Piers Morgan talk when he discussed his daughters death, is one aspect of a formidable personality. Certitude is another. This Friday, Mr Brown will outlay the day giving justification to the Iraq fight inquiry. Despite most conjecture that he was less eager than Mr Blair, Mr Brown will validate his predecessors war.

"It was the right decision," he says, even in retrospect. Although no weapons of mass drop existed, Mr Brown will disagree that Saddam Hussein had unsuccessful to encounter the conditions placed on him by the UN Security Council. "If general law and obligations are going to meant anything, countries have to honour the promises they have made."

In the entrance weeks, Mr Brown will have to step a formidable line in in in in between "character" (his word) and the luminary he affects to disdain. "Character is shaped not in the mountainous country but the valleys," he says.

The Prime Minister has stumbled by enough troughs to exam this theory, and nonetheless the check lead continues to close. He will not assume on a hung Parliament, or on measures that would combine the centre Left, though he claims that "we are relocating towards a created constitution, and that competence move fixed-term parliaments".

In Mr Browns view, Labour can still win. In Wales, he will highlight what he describes as "Tory risk - relocating serve in to recession, pursuit losses, abolishing cancer diagnosis guarantees". In addition, he will explain a "risk to the union". Mr Cameron, he claims, is not ancillary the Calman accord (for some-more devolution inside of the union) in Scotland and is "hell-bent on shortening Welsh MPs".

At the finish of a bruising week, the Prime Minister can be underneath no apparition about the charge ahead. No one could subject his ardour for the plea or his status quo for the fight, that is only as well. As he suggests, Capellos charge of handling his querulous patrol seems a zephyr compared to the conflict confronting Gordon Brown.

UK debt market concerns prompt Government to shelve interciy train plans

By Angela Monaghan, Economics Reporter Published: 7:29PM GMT twenty-six Feb 2010

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The target was to outlay billions replacing trains on the East Coast and Great Western main lines

Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, pronounced that miss of financial options, as well as the stirring ubiquitous election, meant that it would not be befitting to go on with the 30-year buying plans. The target was to outlay billions replacing trains on the East Coast and Great Western main lines, that date behind to the 1970"s.

"Over the march of the procurement...there has been a rebate in the genius of the debt marketplace to await the stipulate as creatively envisaged, and newcomer expansion has additionally slowed," he said.

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The intercity demonstrate programme buying began in 2007 and Agility Trains was voiced as elite bidder in Feb 2009. Lord Adonis pronounced that contractual negotiations had been lengthened to take in to comment the government"s joining with Network Rail to outfit with electric wiring the Great Western Main Line from 2016. As such, he said, those negotiations would not have been finished until midst Mar at the earliest.

"The negotiations are for a stipulate of scarcely thirty years, a multi-billion bruise outlay over the march of majority Parliaments. In all the circumstances, the Government does not hold it would be befitting to come in in to this sold stipulate in the evident run up to a ubiquitous election," Lord Adonis said.

He has asked Sir Andrew Foster, former controller of the Audit Commission, to yield an eccentric comment of the project"s worth for money, and the worth for income of any befitting alternatives. He has been asked to inform behind inside of 3 months.

"If Sir Andrew Foster reaffirms that the Intercity Express Programme is improved than the alternatives, my goal would be to ensue with the plan in the subsequent Parliament, theme to acceptable fortitude of all the contractual issues," the Transport Secretary said.

Theresa Villiers, shade ride secretary, pronounced the programme had been blighted by supervision "incompetence at each turn."

She added: "With the majority packed trains underneath Labour using at over 170pc capacity, Lord Adonis has really bad let down passengers by unwell to keep his promises on one more capacity."

Wall Street traders take to curling

By Nick Allen in Los Angeles Published: 6:02PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Great Britain"s Eve Muirhead in movement in the Winter Olympic competition that has perplexed US financiers Photo: PA

The recognition of the competition came about by collision as radio screens on trade floors altered to coverage of the games following the shutting bell.

Screens tuned to CNBC stopped display the commercial operation headlines of the day and were transposed by the steer of competitors pulling their stones down the curling course in Vancouver.

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Curling appeals to most traders since the resting competition provides a contrariety to the high octane vigour of the monetary world.

At the finish of the operative day smarts impeded with total tell by examination the ultimate events from Vancouver.

The New York Times initial beheld the materialisation and reported that curling is being enthusiastically watched inside the offices of vital monetary institutions together with Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and the US Treasury Department.

Traders and monetary analysts told the journal that examination the competition was similar to "drinking merlot" and pronounced they dignified the tactics, that done it similar to examination "chess on ice".

They are right away gearing up for the culmination of the curling contest with the men"s and women"s bullion award games this weekend.

Italian billionaire surrenders to police

By Nick Squires in Rome Published: 3:02PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Silvio Scaglia, the owner of the internet services provider Fastweb, was led afar by military when his in isolation jet overwhelmed down at Rome"s Ciampino airfield after drifting in from the Caribbean.

One of Italy"s richest businessmen, he is in between 56 people who are underneath review for the purported laundering of some-more than dual billion euros (�1.8 billion) by the feign invoicing of self-existent write and internet services in between 2003 and 2006.

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Italians are wearily informed with companies being held up in crime allegations but the range of this scandal, and the actuality that it reportedly involves the Calabrian mafia, has repelled most in the commercial operation world.

It has additionally ensnared at slightest one statesman an detain aver has been released for Nicola di Girolamo, a senator in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi"s regressive coalition.

Mr Scaglia, 51, founded Fastweb in 1999 but sole it to the telecommunications hulk Swisscom in 2007.

He has denied any indiscretion and is due to be questioned by investigators today.

He pronounced he was "totally confident" about the legitimacy of his conduct.

Fastweb is purported to have evaded scarcely 40 million euros (�35 million) in VAT but has claimed that it was the plant of fake poise carried out by "third parties".

Police pronounced they had seized a "treasure trove" of thousands of paintings and sculptures that had been paid for with the deduction from the purported racket.

Sparkle, a auxiliary of Telecom Italia, is additionally being investigated for the purported purpose in the scandal.

The arrests stirred Telecom Italia to make known on Thursday that it was postponing the recover of the 2009 monetary formula in sequence to fairly weigh Sparkle"s earnings.

It is not only corporations underneath the spotlight. Italy"s taxation group and rascal patrol voiced that they are questioning some-more than 2,000 Italians suspecting of perplexing to hedge dual billion euros in taxation by stealing their assets in unfamiliar taxation havens.

Tottenham players struck down by mystery virus

By John Ley Published: 2:42PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Floored: William Palacios is one of dual high-profile players to have been struck down by a pathogen at Tottenham Photo: EPA

Wilson Palacios and Vedran Corluka are along eighteen players and staff who have been strike by the seizure and disease bug.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said: "We"ve sealed the precision ground. It"s off limits. We"re only going to sight there and that"s it."

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Prior to the midweek FA Cup replay opposite Bolton, Redknapp had warned that a pathogen had shown itself but, following the 4-0 win, it has taken hold.

"We had a couple of down with it the alternative day," combined Redknapp. "Corluka had the pathogen and Palacios was not feeling good with it either."

Following the revisit of Everton, when Spurs can serve urge their chances of removing in to the Champions League, they face Fulham in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, a week tomorrow.

Redknapp added: "It has swept by the academy. There are about eighteen who work there or the kids who have all got it so the alloy motionless we couldn"t make use of it.

"It hasn"t disrupted us, we are still precision as normal and hopefully nobody else gets it but there have been so most alternative people who have left down with it, together with a couple of of the press boys who came over on Tuesday, it is positively spreading."

Redknapp, who switched his normal pre-match press discussion from the clubs Essex domicile to White Hart Lane, stays carefree that Palacios and Corluka will be fit for preference opposite Everton.

A Spurs matter read: "A series of (academy) scholars and multiform first-team players have reported feeling indisposed and, as a precaution, are being kept afar from the precision belligerent for a duration of 48 hours in sequence to equivocate the risk of spread.

"As an one more precaution, the bar has undertaken a extensive low purify of the complete precision ground"s comforts whilst all executive and academy staff have been educated to work from home until Monday."

It is not the initial time Spurs have been strike by seizure at a consequential juncture. Four years ago Tottenham indispensable to compare Arsenals outcome on the last day of the deteriorate but went down with a hitch of food poisoning.

Attempts to have the last game, at West Ham, deferred unsuccessful even though 10 players were left with illness. Spurs lost 2-1.

Squirrels blamed for attack on statue

Published: 10:40AM GMT twenty-six February 2010

There are assorted theories as to because squirrels nip at lead with a little experts desiring they do it to scold a vegetable imbalance in their system. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Staff at a nation estate beheld the design was lonesome in serrated outlines and thought someone had attempted to penetrate of the arms with a saw.

But wildlife experts who carefully thought about the statue suggested the outlines were left by a organisation of inspired squirrels.

Shortly thereafter one utterly bald squirrel was found and had to be put down by vets who pronounced it had suffered lead poisoning.

There are assorted theories as to because squirrels nip at lead with a little experts desiring they do it to scold a vegetable imbalance in their system.

Others contend they might be immoderate the lead as they eat insects on the statue"s aspect or the inspired squirrels could think the statue is a tree and inapplicable designation the lead for bark.

The statue, called Flora, is located in the ancestral gardens of Dartington Hall in Totnes, Devon.

Head gardener Neil Dyer pronounced a part of of staff beheld the repairs to the statue last week end and feared it had been struck by yobs.

He said: ""One part of of staff saw the punch outlines and thought it looked similar to a blade or saw had been taken to it so they insincere it had been vandalised.

""It seems a little of the squirrels have taken a fondness to to the statue and have been eating afar at it. It"s really strange.

""The military were called but we in the future realised what had been going on. It"s not a large volume of repairs but it will be really costly to repair.""

Steve Hussey, from the Wildlife Trust, pronounced the animals might be carnivorous of nuts and are chewing at the statue in an try to find food.

He said: ""Squirrels will nibble at anything and one thing that mostly happens is that they nibble by people"s electrics.

A military orator said: ""We were called to examine a probable situation of desolation but it was found to be non-suspicious and enquiries are no longer continuing.""

The statue was done in the 18th century by an different sculptor and was presented to the estate in 1967.

Dartington Hall is a Grade I listed Gothic skill that is right away a secretly owned road house and discussion centre.

Hockey World Cup 2010: Simon Mantell ruled out and replaced by Dan Fox

By Emily Benammar Published: 11:16AM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Let down: Simon Mantell will fly home from India after injuring his feet Photo: PA

Mantell, who had been a disbelief in the run up to the contest in Delhi after violation his feet at the finish of last year, postulated his ultimate damage during a precision compare opposite New Zealand.

The 25-year-old will be flown behind to the UK rught away to proceed diagnosis and has been transposed by Hampstead and Westminster"s Dan Fox who is approaching to stick on up with the patrol on Friday.

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The preference for Mantell to miss the 12-nation contest comes only days after it was voiced that Surbiton brazen Matt Daly had been ruled out after the 26-year-old tore his injure leg tendon at the squad"s precision stay in Doha, Qatar.

Daly is approaching to be out of movement for dual months.

England flog their debate in India off on Sunday opposite contest favourites Australia. They will go on to fool around pool matches opposite India, Pakistan, Spain and South Africa.

Cumbria restaurant guide: Gilpin Lodge, Cumbria

By Jasper Gerard in Cumbria Published: 11:00AM GMT twenty-six Feb 2010

Gilpin Lodge, Cumbria Photo: RII SCHROER

I wandered waste as a crowd. If Wordsworth returned to his dear Lake District he would find it still flooded, but not merely with water. Were he to counterpart by a periscope he would be confronted by call on call of humanity: flotillas of jauntily phony cagoules billowing similar to sails, a regatta of the storm-tossed and the half-drowned racing to a little far off horizon, their participation semaphored for miles to swift on swift of sandwich munchers, tacked tough to the soppy breeze similar to slot battleships.

How, the producer would demand, can the Lakes tarry such a deluge? Wander "lonely as a cloud" in the Lake District today? Get serious. As for those wispy white puffs of air, they are probably manager fumes. No consternation we have since up on poetry.

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Englands last undiscovered forest has been discovered. Latter-day Marco Polos have navigated the 7 motorways to reach the tip summits of England, afterwards planted their flags in the form of rejected packets of ready salted. If you unequivocally wish loneliness, revisit the selling emporia of Knightsbridge in the recession; you wouldnt confront a soul. But on foot in the Lakes you will confront the full collect n brew of humankind, bellyaching about their blisters and bunions.

Which is dispiriting for visitors anticipating they will, similar to Wordsworth, be dancing usually with daffodils. But there is an remedy to the tellurian race explosion. Its called Gilpin Lodge. After a sharpener in the nation hotels swish new bar, the tour to Cumbria will be forgiven and roughly forgotten, even Bradford. Its probable you competence leave no longer hating humanity.

I feared this place competence be all thickk thickk cream teas and doilies, with determined Lady Windermeres whipping their fans. But by far the nicest aspect of Gilpin, owned and run by the now likeable Cunliffe family, is the accessible informality, personified by Zoe Cunliffe and her grin that speaks of crumpets by the glow and worldly humour. Around Gilpin the air is uninformed but it has no airs. It is welcoming to all. And the full, naturally.

Weirdly, we are asked that of 4 dining bedrooms we prefer. They range from the chintzy to the glitzy, all serviced by the same kitchen. One is so normal you should book it for Mothers Day; an additional so voluptuous you should save it for a night with your mistress.

I motionless to examination this grill mid by my initial swig of

dinner oven baked by Gilpins new head chef, Russell Plowman, at a Relais & Châteaux trounce in London. I recollect meditative Id caper a prolonged approach for his lamb. This is Plowmans initial tip job, after earning his culinary spurs at LOrtolan and the Waterside Inn.

This sprawling structure proposed as a two-up, two-down. Myriad additions have left it higgledy-piggledy, but endearing. Id hit by the assorted dining rooms, formulating one grave grill and one buzzy brasserie. Id additionally facilitate the menu, now widely separated in between signature and "classic" dishes. And Id offer some-more "classics" since this is where Plowman excels. Chefs feel thankful to be avant garde it is the abuse of MasterChef but the caf� is mostly happier underneath the border of a conservative kitchen. After all, newness can receptive to advice improved than it tastes.

My difficulty about the menu is lost as I am introduced to ballotine of organic salmon, crowned with caviar, and a dollop of crème fraîche with a lemon and herb salsa that complements the greasy fish. Simple, tasty and protected to try at home.

The lamb is all I remembered. It is most appropriate finish from a internal group of Herdwicks, that if you wish a little unequivocally invalid report was saved as a multiply partly interjection to Beatrix Potter, who owned 2,500 of them and became the initial womanlike boss of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association. Tonight it is braised, with sweetbreads and a poetic garlic potato pristine with sauted ceps, dull off with vigorous, rosemary-infused gravy.

But Plowman likes to be clever, too. Particularly lifelike is twice-baked goats cheese souffl, well suited by a deconstructed Waldorf salad and red booze reduction. Here the grape and apple supplement required benevolence and sharpness.

Perhaps desirous by a plate at circuitously LEnclume, Plowman serves halibut with membrane of steep skin, carried by steep gravy. Sage and mushrooms supplement earthy, Cumbrian flavours. Roasted breast of corn-fed Goosnargh steep is really punchy, roughly similar to venison, and waddles along delightfully with buttery celeriac and potato gratin. Rather than a honeyed outcome such as orange, Plowman uses faintly green Bramleys, malleable usually a nick by cider sauce. A great thought as citrus fruits can have steep as well rich.

A pre-pudding of oven baked nutmeg thickk thickk cream with apple compote in shot eyeglasses is surpassed by pistachio and olive oil cake, macerated raspberries and yogurt sorbet. The baked sweat bread is winningly wet and crumbly, the pistachio most some-more engaging than walnut.

Some meals are still evolving, but thats no crime with a immature chef. We not asked to try Plowmans lunch, but I can suggest his cooking after a tough day in the Cumbrian fields. Not that a certain examination is needed, judging by the crowds.

Gilpin Lodge, Crook Road, Windermere, Cumbria (01539 488818; gilpinlodge.co.uk). Five-course cooking for dual and wine: �132T-rating: 8/10

Video: Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2010/11 collection

Published: 11:36PM GMT twenty-five February 2010

Roddy Forsyth: no more excusesEuropean blow is Scotlands fault

By Roddy Forsyth Published: 7:00AM GMT twenty-six February 2010

In excellent form: Rangers" Kevin Thomson, though he is carrying an repairs Photo: REUTERS

True, a little of the good talents of yesteryear have not been transposed sufficient I meant the likes of John Lambie, who hold the imperishable standing of physical education instructor of Partick Thistle in 1995 when they became the initial Scottish organisation to come in the Inter-Toto Cup (and the initial British organisation to measure in the tournament).

The Jags completed their solitary feat in the organisation theatre opposite Keflavik of Iceland at Firhill on a comfortable Jul day, but usually after a delayed start. When asked since his players had been so sluggish, Lambie said: "Theyre no used to personification in heat."

Butcher was "Thai ad bochd ri cu" Credit break has finished Scottish football a foster Beckenbauer in my car! Devine involvement after Old Firm diversion Rangers" debt is usually a fragment of their turnover Sport on radio

Lambie was reminded that Keflavik were formed in a nation on the corner of the Arctic Circle, to that he retorted: "Aye but the the land of the midnight sun!"

Until last weeks Europa League results, Belgium was the home of Tintin and chocolates, the latter being the thesis of the majority noted and difficult allude to from the movie In Bruges. Now, the the land of the rising coefficient, whose pretension holders will get involuntary entrance to the Champions League organisation theatre the deteriorate after next.

Meanwhile, the Scottish champions will be forced to toil by 3 subordinate rounds in Jul and Aug and nonetheless they will not have to confront opponents from one of the tip 4 countries as Celtic did when they collided with Arsenal this deteriorate hazards abound. Artmedia Bratislava and FBK Kaunas meant anything around here?

Not that this headlines is resounding by the football world. They dont hold the front pages at LEquipe or Corriere Della for one small nation replacing another.

It has Scots bleating, though. And the memorable thesis is as it has been given the finish of Jun last year: "Its no fair!"

Not satisfactory that the initial Scottish teams in to the Europa League qualifiers had to fool around opponents whose leagues were already underneath way. Not satisfactory that Celtic had to pull antithesis of the description of Arsenal after a difficult thoroughfare opposite Moscow Dynamo.

Not satisfactory that Lloyds Bank wouldnt let Rangers strengthen their squad. Not satisfactory that clubs such as Man Utd and Liverpool can run up gigantic debts and still pointer players over the Old Firms dreams.

Not satisfactory that Scotlands five million inhabitants can usually beget a fragment of the TV revenues accessible to clubs in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. And not satisfactory at all that Uefa lets big countries have 4 teams each in a Champions League whose name is a satire of itself since it is on purpose weighted opposite the champions from dual thirds of Europes countries.

Well, yes, the a difficult universe out there. Depends on how you see at it, though.

Scotland could switch to summer football and give the teams a improved possibility in the European early rounds but around the finish of Sep you should prop yourself for moans that the lads are knackered compared to opponents from the Big Five leagues, who are usually a month or so in to their season.

Meanwhile, when were lecturing banks about their bearing to poisonous assets, how do we have a box for Lloyds to concede Rangers to run up some-more debt since the players alien to Ibrox in the summer of 2008 havent done the smallest hole in Europe?

As for big clubs removing a satisfactory breeze in Europe, did somebody discuss Unirea Urziceni a organisation from the smallest locale ever to be represented in the Champions League, a backwater whose race amounts to one third of the genius of Ibrox?

Agreed it was tough lines on Celtic to have to encounter Arsenal for a place in the Champions League organisation stage, but what were the predictions for their chances when they were drawn in a Europa League organisation along with Hapoel Tel Aviv and Rapid Vienna?

I recollect a subject asked ideally severely at a Celtic press discussion about the possibility of Tony Mowbrays players going on to win the contest and the answer being a clear maybe.

Unirea, Hapoel, Rapid oh, and mustnt dont think about Llanelli, Vaduz and Sigma Olomouc. Thats the hurl call of culprits who did the repairs to Scotlands chances, isnt it?

Not when you have Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Falkirk, it isnt. As the strain says, the not that they led us on we got there all by ourselves.