Archive for July, 2009
England bowling was poor – Swann
England bowling was poor – Swann
England spinner Graeme Swann admitted he and his team-mates bowled poorly on the rain-delayed opening day of the third Ashes Test against Australia.
After play was delayed until 1700 BST, the Aussies raced to 126-1 off 30 overs, with Swann’s wicket of Simon Katich England’s only success.
"We didn’t bowl as well as we had hoped and we knew they’d come at us hard, which they did," said the off-spinner.
"We didn’t put the ball in the right areas and we must change that."
Shane Watson, a surprise replacement for Phil Hughes, opened for the first time in a Test match and reached 62 not out by the close at Edgbaston, with Australia captain Ricky Ponting on 17.
"The groundstaff did a stunning job to get any play at all today"
Graeme Swann
Swann added: "Shane was under a lot of pressure but he played really well and we’ll have to come up with something different for him on Friday.
"The pitch is fairly slow and flat, it’s a pretty good Edgbaston wicket. Hopefully it will quicken up a bit on Friday but it looks a good Test match wicket.
"I was a bit surprised to get a chance to bowl so early on in the innings but I was really happy to pick up Katich.
"I saw him shaping up to pull and it skidded on and hit his leg, which I was thankful for. If it’d turned he’d have probably put me away, but it didn’t.
"Credit to the groundstaff for getting any play at all today – they’ve done a stunning job."
OLIVER BRETT’S BLOG
Australia were grateful to England skipper Andrew Strauss after he allowed the tourists to make a late change to their line-up when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin injured his left index finger while warming up.
With the toss having already taken place, it required special dispensation from England to grant the call-up of debutant Graham Manou as a replacement.
Australia coach Tim Nielsen said: "It was a fine gesture. To refuse is well within his (Strauss’s) rights.
"We asked the question, that’s all we could do, and if he had refused we would have an issue on our hands.
"The process worked really well, and for the game’s sake we are now going to have 11 fit blokes on each team."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 31, 2009
How should we deal with drug dealers?
How should we deal with drug dealers?
Police should tolerate some drug dealing to keep down levels of violent crime. Do you agree?
Add comment July 30, 2009
Sex offender arrested in Republic
Sex offender arrested in Republic
A convicted sex offender who went missing while on probation in Northern Ireland has been arrested by police in the Republic of Ireland.
Paul Hunter Redpath, 37, had not been seen since leaving approved accommodation in south Belfast.
He was detained by gardai in the Wicklow area on Tuesday. It is understood the PSNI want him returned to Northern Ireland to face court.
Redpath is considered a serious risk to vulnerable children.
He will be subject to sex offender registration requirements in the republic.
Police did not say exactly how long he had been missing, but on Monday asked Redpath to give himself up.
Redpath, who is originally from Stranraer in Scotland, was at the centre of a similar operation in 2006 after breaching the conditions of his probation.
He was later re-arrested in Dublin.
Redpath, who is known to abuse alcohol, had been convicted of offences against two girls in 2005 and jailed for three years.
SDLP assembly member Carmel Hanna has called for Security Minister Paul Goggins to review the case.
"I will also be querying what action he will be taking at present and what lessons are to be learned for the future to prevent cases like this happening again," she said. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 28, 2009
Nepal’s PM pays tribute to Lumley
Nepal’s PM pays tribute to Lumley
Actress Joanna Lumley is due to meet Nepal’s president later as she continues her visit to the country.
The presidential visit follows a triumphant arrival in Kathmandu where she was mobbed by hundreds of well-wishers and Gurkha veterans.
Ms Lumley was greeted with garlands of flowers, colourful scarves and signs that described her as a "goddess".
Ms Lumley, whose father was a Gurkha regiment officer, fronted a campaign for UK settlement rights for Gurkhas.
The former Avengers star will meet President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal before addressing a meeting at the capital’s city hall.
‘Chaos’
Her group will also have afternoon tea with the British ambassador to Nepal, Dr Andrew Hall, before laying a wreath at a war memorial near the embassy.
On Tuesday, Ms Lumley will visit Jhapa and Dharan to meet Gurkhas; on Wednesday the group will meet members of the Gurkha Welfare Trust charity; and on Thursday she will visit with Gurkhas’ widows.
"My friends of Nepal, I am your family coming to Nepal for the first time"
Joanna Lumley
Lumley ‘daughter of Nepal’Finally, before flying back to the UK on 1 August, Ms Lumley will visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and then return to Kathmandu to visit orphans and homeless children.
The BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Kathmandu said there was "chaos" at Tribhuvan International Airport when Ms Lumley arrived.
He added that Ms Lumley was regarded as an "absolute hero" in Nepal following her campaigns on behalf of the Gurkhas.
She greeted the crowd with the Gurkha battle cry "Ayo Gurkhali".
Ms Lumley added: "My friends of Nepal, I am your family coming to Nepal for the first time.
‘The rest is history’
"I want to thank you so much."
Some of those who turned out to meet her carried placards which read: "Goddess Joanna" and "Thank you."
Ms Lumley is travelling with Gurkha Justice campaigner Peter Carroll, who started the campaign for Gurkhas’ UK settlement rights.
He said some people were expected to walk for three days just to be a part of Ms Lumley’s visit.
Mr Carroll said he first contacted Ms Lumley after a women in Kent tapped him on the shoulder and suggested he ask her to get involved. Mr Carroll added: "The rest is history."
In May, the government said all retired Gurkha soldiers – originally from Nepal – with at least four years service in the British Army, could stay in the UK.
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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 27, 2009
Darling warns banks on loan rates
Darling warns banks on loan rates
Alistair Darling has warned the UK’s banks that he will take action if they are found to be charging small and medium-sized firms too much for loans.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, the chancellor said he was "extremely concerned" at the allegations.
He said the banks had a duty to restore lending levels, saying the government did not rescue the banking sector "out of some charitable act".
The chancellor said he would speak to each bank about the matter.
‘Do their part’
"The public will now understand it if they [the banks] don’t seem to be doing their part," he said.
"I want banks to rebuild their balance sheets, but at the same time because of the particular circumstances we are in now, we also need them to relend money."
Mr Darling’s comments come after a report by financial website Moneyfacts said banks had increased the interest rates they charge for personal mortgages nearly fourfold in recent months, despite the base rate remaining at a record low of 0.5%.
The British Bankers Association has defended the rise in the cost of borrowing, saying banks are facing "substantially" higher costs.
‘Economic recovery’
Mr Darling also reiterated that VAT will definitely return to 17.5% from the current 15% level at the end of the year. The rate of VAT was reduced to 15% on 1 December 2008 to help boost retail sales.
Turning his attention to the wider economy, the chancellor said he was sticking to the prediction that the recovery will start "at the turn of the year", with modest growth being seen in 2010.
Official figures showed last week that the UK economy continued to contract between April and June, although at a slower rate than between January and March.
The economy shrunk 0.8% last quarter, compared with a decline of 2.4% from January to March.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 26, 2009
Six killed in four road crashes
Six killed in four road crashes
Six people have died on Scotland’s roads in three separate accidents, police have revealed.
Two teenagers and a 54-year-old woman were killed after a crash in East Lothian on Friday evening.
The 17-year-olds were in a Renault Clio involved in a collision with a the woman’s Nissan Micra.
On Friday, a biker died in Kilmacolm and a woman was knocked down and killed in Glasgow. A pedestrian also died in Lossiemouth at 0100 BST on Saturday.
Emergency services were called out after it was reported a red Fiat Punto had left the road at the town’s Stotfield Road and hit the woman.
Grampian Police said the driver was injured in the collision and was taken to hospital.
Seriously injured
The teenagers killed in East Lothian were travelling on the A199, at an industrial estate at Macmerry, west of Haddington, just after 2100 BST when the crash happened. All three people died at the scene.
Strathclyde Police said a 24-year-old man was riding his motorbike along Auchenbothie Gardens, Kilmacolm, when it left the road and struck a wall at about 1435 BST on Friday.
He was taken by ambulance to Inverclyde Royal Hospital where he died later.
A few hours later a pedestrian died in a crash in the west end of Glasgow.
The 60-year-old woman was hit by a car as she crossed Great Western Road, near to Colebrooke Street, at about 1730 BST.
She was seriously injured and died at the scene. Police are still seeking the driver of a van involved in the crash.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 25, 2009
Fast-track teachers still needed
Fast-track teachers still needed
Some of the 40 available places for a fast-track teacher trainee scheme in England this year are yet to be filled.
London University’s Institute of Education, running the pilot, said candidates needed good communication skills as well as subject knowledge.
Teaching unions have voiced concerns about the scheme, designed to attract very able professionals to teach maths, computing and science.
The government said the scheme would be "rigorously evaluated".
The six-month course will start in September and finish next Easter, with trainees learning for just 10 days before going into the classroom.
A trainee teacher on the usual year-long postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) course lasts 180 days, and the fast-track course 120 days.
Professor Dylan Wiliam, deputy director of the Institute for Education, said candidates needed to have a good knowledge of their subject but they also needed to be able to communicate it well.
"This scheme is an experiment," he said. "If it delivers high-quality teachers to the classroom, I’m in favour of it.
"But we don’t know yet if we can get people to qualified teacher status in six months.
"Clearly some applicants have been rejected at the paperwork stage.
"Apart from subject knowledge, candidates need to have the appropriate rationale for teaching.
"People who have a deep understanding of their subject can bring it down to the level of the students," he said.
"We are raising the bar for entry to this course – some applicants would clearly be more suited to the PGCE."
‘Daft scheme’
The government announced the fast-track scheme earlier this year to try to attract high-achieving graduates and professionals into teaching science, information technology and maths.
The scheme is a pilot this year and will be evaluated by the Training and Development Agency for Schools.
However, teaching unions have been critical about the idea to fast track high-flying graduates through teacher training.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the scheme was "daft" but said she was pleased to hear it was to be rigorously evaluated.
"Teaching is about more than being good with numbers", she said.
"Teachers need to understand the different ways children learn and develop, and know how best to teach each child in their class.
"These schools will need help to support the trainees so they are not a burden on existing staff, and the trainees will need long-term support from their schools if they take up teaching.
Children’s Minister Delyth Morgan said: "We are talking about a small pilot delivered by an extremely expert institution, which will be rigorously evaluated.
"It is not about any reduction in quality." </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 24, 2009
US corruption probe nets dozens
US corruption probe nets dozens
Two mayors, rabbis and politicians are among some 30 people arrested in a major corruption and money-laundering investigation, say US authorities.
Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, and Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt are among those said to have been arrested in New Jersey.
Federal prosecutors said several rabbis were also detained in the states of New York and New Jersey.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker said it had been "an unbelievable morning so far".
Cars were said to be backed up four deep with suspects outside the FBI’s office in Newark, New Jersey’s largest city.
A news conference is scheduled for later on Thursday. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 23, 2009
Artificial brain ‘10 years away’
Artificial brain ‘10 years away’
By Jonathan Fildes
Technology reporter, BBC News, Oxford
A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed.
Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already built elements of a rat brain.
He told the TED global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses.
Around two billion people are thought to suffer some kind of brain impairment, he said.
"It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years," he said.
"And if we do succeed, we will send a hologram to TED to talk."
‘Shared fabric’
The Blue Brain project was launched in 2005 and aims to reverse engineer the mammalian brain from laboratory data.
In particular, his team has focused on the neocortical column – repetitive units of the mammalian brain known as the neocortex.
"It’s a new brain," he explained. "The mammals needed it because they had to cope with parenthood, social interactions complex cognitive functions.
"It was so successful an evolution from mouse to man it expanded about a thousand fold in terms of the numbers of units to produce this almost frightening organ."
And that evolution continues, he said. "It is evolving at an enormous speed."
Over the last 15 years, Professor Markram and his team have picked apart the structure of the neocortical column.
"It’s a bit like going and cataloguing a bit of the rainforest – how may trees does it have, what shape are the trees, how many of each type of tree do we have, what is the position of the trees," he said.
"But it is a bit more than cataloguing because you have to describe and discover all the rules of communication, the rules of connectivity. "
The project now has a software model of "tens of thousands" of neurons – each one of which is different – which has allowed them to digitally construct an artificial neocortical column.
Although each neuron is different, the team has found the patterns of circuitry in different brains have common patterns.
"Even though your brain may be smaller, bigger, may have different morphologies of neurons – we do actually share the same fabric," he said.
"And we think this is species specific, which could explain why we can’t communicate across species."
World view
To make the model come alive, the team feeds the models and a few algorithms into a supercomputer.
"You need one laptop to do all the calculations for one neuron," he said. "So you need ten thousand laptops."
Instead, he uses an IBM Blue Gene machine with 10,000 processors.
Simulations have started to give the researchers clues about how the brain works.
For example, they can show the brain a picture – say, of a flower – and follow the electrical activity in the machine.
"You excite the system and it actually creates its own representation," he said.
Ultimately, the aim would be to extract that representation and project it so that researchers could see directly how a brain perceives the world.
But as well as advancing neuroscience and philosophy, the Blue Brain project has other practical applications.
For example, by pooling all the world’s neuroscience data on animals – to create a "Noah’s Ark", researchers may be able to build animal models.
"We cannot keep on doing animal experiments forever," said Professor Markram.
It may also give researchers new insights into diseases of the brain.
"There are two billion people on the planet affected by mental disorder," he told the audience.
The project may give insights into new treatments, he said.
The TED Global conference runs from 21 to 24 July in Oxford, UK. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Add comment July 22, 2009
