Stones triumph in Glastonbury debut

29 June 2013 Last updated at 19:51 ET By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter, at Glastonbury

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The BBC's Lizo Mzimba reports from Glastonbury on the Stones' historic set

The Rolling Stones' hit-packed Glastonbury debut has been hailed as "the high spot of 43 years" of the festival by organiser Michael Eavis.

The band opened with Jumpin' Jack Flash, with Mick Jagger prowling the stage in a green sequinned jacket.

He repeatedly thanked the crowd and, after It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It), joked organisers had "finally got round to asking us" to play.

Tens of thousands of fans cheered on the two-hour set featuring 20 songs.

'Come again'

Speaking immediately after the band came off stage, festival boss Eavis called it "the high spot of 43 years of Glastonbury".

"They finally did it, and it was fantastic. My God, did they deliver."

Eavis also said he had bumped into Prince Harry at the festival during the day, "and I recommended he stay the night".

The Stones had arrived on stage after an intro tape featuring the sounds of Worthy Farm's usual residents, 350 dairy cows.

Eavis was heard saying "we waited a long time" as the unmistakable rhythm track of Sympathy For The Devil played and the crowd spontaneously broke into the familiar "whoo whoo" backing vocals.

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At the scene

For two hours and 20 songs The Rolling Stones were a crossfire hurricane sweeping across the fields of Glastonbury.

Mick Jagger was in particularly fine form, his hands flailing and hips jutting like a Thunderbirds puppet trying to belly dance.

But it was the musicality of the night - a long, intricate solo on Midnight Rambler, or the extended coda of Satisfaction - that really hit home.

The band's power is to be simultaneously the biggest rock group in the world and four old mates playing the blues in their shed.

This was live music, raw and unpolished. From the comfort of your settee, it's easy to criticise Jagger's hammy stage moves and frequently out-of-breath vocals but that's what it takes to connect to an audience of this size.

Mumford and Sons, who headline on Sunday, must be quaking in their boots.

"It's great to be here doing this show, doing this festival," said Jagger after It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It).

"After all these years they finally got round to asking us," he added. Drummer Charlie Watts gave the joke a desultory cymbal crash.

The band had modified the Pyramid stage with three catwalks, allowing Jagger to bridge the cavernous gap that separates most Glastonbury performers from the audience.

It was in almost constant use as the 69-year-old strutted back and forth, clapping his hands thrusting his thick-lipped pout into the air.

Five songs into the set, Jagger introduced a new song, written for a girl "in cut-off jeans" he claimed to have met at the festival on Friday night.

A swampy country-rock number, it featured the refrain "Waiting for my Glastonbury girl".

Keith Richards, his guitar slung low around his skinny jeans, was handed the microphone for a couple of songs, and former Stones' guitarist Mick Taylor joined the band to layer an intricate blues solo over 1969's Midnight Rambler.

He was the only surprise guest of the night, despite rumours that Adele or even Bruce Springsteen would make an appearance.

After 90 minutes, Sympathy For The Devil got a full airing, as flares turned the sky red and a mechanical phoenix rose from atop the Pyramid stage.

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Rolling Stones set list

• Jumpin' Jack Flash
• It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)
• Paint It Black
• Gimme Shelter
• Glastonbury Girl
• Wild Horses
• Doom and Gloom
• Can't You Hear Me Knocking
• Honky Tonk Women
• You Got the Silver
• Happy
• Miss You
• Midnight Rambler
• 2,000 Light Years from Home
• Sympathy for the Devil
• Start Me Up
• Tumbling Dice
• Brown Sugar

Encore

• You Can't Always Get What You Want
• (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Jagger said: "We've been doing this for 50 years or something. And if this is the first time you've seen a band, please come again."

The encore was You Can't Always Get What You Want, and an extended, hyperactive take on (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

"Thank you very much Glastonbury," sang Jagger as the song reached its climax.

Fireworks lit up the farm and the band took a series of bows, while the audience continued to chant the riff to Satisfaction.

Meanwhile, at the Acoustic tent, the Bootleg Beatles played a Stones riff and commented: "Sign of a good band - you've got to know when to split up."

'Mental battle'

Earlier on Saturday proceedings had started with Malian musician Rokia Traore, whose upbeat blend of African roots, blues and jazz gave early risers a chance to dance off the fug of a late night.

A headliner at this year's Womad festival, Traore was offered a Glastonbury slot as a gesture of solidarity with Mali, where Islamist militants all but banned music in some areas.

Billy Bragg got into the spirit of the day by playing classic Stones track Dead Flowers during his set, while soul singer Laura Mvula welcomed the sun by breaking into a sing-a-long rendition of Bob Marley's One Love.

Speaking to the BBC afterwards, she said the cover had been suggested by her musical director, Troy Miller "whose last appearance here was with Amy Winehouse, so he knows what he's talking about".

Mvula, who only released her debut album Sing To The Moon, in March, said stepping out on the festival's main stage was overwhelming.

"Let me tell you something, there's nothing like it. A sort of nervousness I've never experienced before.

"It was like a mental battle - the goal was to get through it and enjoy as many moments as possible."

Other acts on Saturday's line-up included Elvis Costello, rap pioneers Public Enemy and psychedelic rockers Primal Scream.

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EU alarm over US bugging claim

29 June 2013 Last updated at 23:36 ET

The head of the European Parliament has demanded "full clarification" from the US over a report that key EU premises in America have been bugged.

Martin Schulz said that if this was true, it would have a "severe impact" on ties between the EU and the US.

The report, carried by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, cites a secret 2010 document alleging that the US spied on EU offices in New York and Washington.

Fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden leaked the paper, Der Spiegel says.

Mr Snowden - a former contractor for the CIA and also the National Security Agency (NSA) - has since requested asylum in Ecuador.

According to the document - which Der Spiegel says comes from the NSA - the agency spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the 27-member bloc's UN office in New York.

The document also allegedly referring to the EU as a "target".

It is not known what information US spies might have got, but details of European positions on to trade and military matters would have been useful to those involved in negotiations between Washington and European governments, the BBC's Stephen Evans says.

'Polite request'

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Schulz said: "On behalf of the European Parliament, I demand full clarification and require further information speedily from the US authorities with regard to these allegations."

Der Spiegel also quotes Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn as saying: "If these reports are true, it's disgusting. The United States would be better off monitoring its secret services rather than its allies."

The US government has so far made no public comments on the Spiegel's report.

Mr Snowden is believed to be currently staying at Moscow's airport. He arrived there last weekend from Hong Kong, where he had been staying since he revealed details of top secret US surveillance programmes.

The US has charged him with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.

Each charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

On Saturday, US Vice-President Joe Biden and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa held a telephone conversation about Mr Snowden's asylum request.

According to Mr Correa, Mr Biden had "passed on a polite request from the United States to reject the request".

The left-wing Ecuadorian leader said his answer was: "Mr vice-president, thanks for calling. We hold the United States in high regard. We did not seek to be in this situation."

If Mr Snowden ever came to "Ecuadoran soil" with his request, he added, "the first people whose opinion we will seek is that of the United States".

Quito earlier said it was willing to consider Mr Snowden's request but only when he was physically in the Latin American country.

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said only that Mr Biden and Mr Correa had held a wide-ranging conversation.

CLICKABLE

Hawaii

20 May: Snowden flies from Hawaii to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

5 June: From Hong Kong, Snowden discloses details of what he describes as a vast US phone and internet surveillance programme to the UK's Guardian newspaper.

Moscow

23 June: Snowden leaves Hong Kong on a flight to Moscow. He is currently thought to remain airside at Sheremetyevo airport.

Cuba

From Moscow, Snowden could fly to Cuba, en route to Ecuador, which has said it is "analysing" whether to grant him asylum.

Venezuela

Venezuela had also been considered a possible destination for Snowden, however it is thought he would only pass through on his way to Ecuador.

Ecuador

Snowden is reported to have requested asylum in Ecuador, which previously granted haven to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in its London embassy.

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WHO to recommend earlier HIV drugs

30 June 2013 Last updated at 00:03 ET By Jane Dreaper Health correspondent, BBC News

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Paul Ward, UK's Terrence Higgins Trust: "There is no reason now why anybody should die because of HIV"

New guidelines for HIV treatment could see millions more people in developing countries getting life-saving medicine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending that patients start taking medication at a much earlier stage of the disease.

The WHO says the guidelines, which are being launched at an international Aids conference in Kuala Lumpur, could help avert an extra 3m Aids deaths by 2025.

The charity MSF welcomed the move - but said extra investment would be needed.

A single pill combining three drugs will be given to people who are HIV positive much earlier, while their immune systems are still strong. Algeria, Argentina and Brazil are already doing this.

Not everybody who needs the medicine currently receives it, although big strides have been made in recent years in widening access to HIV treatment.

The WHO says these guidelines represent a "major shift" in policy, and will result in the number of people in developing countries who are eligible for drug treatment rising from 16m to 26m, or 80% of the total who are thought to have HIV.

It is thought the guidelines will add 10% to the $23bn (£15bn) overall cost of treating HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

WHO believes global donors and the affected countries themselves will be convinced that the idea is cost-effective.

It agreed the policy after a year-long consultation, in which evidence about the role earlier treatment can play in reducing transmission of the virus was considered.

'Safer, simpler medicines'

The WHO's HIV/Aids director, Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, said: "It will be very difficult to end Aids without a vaccine - but these new guidelines will take us a long way in reducing deaths.

Continue reading the main story

Our collective goal should now be to scale up without messing up"

End Quote Dr Gilles van Cutsem MSF

"We're recommending earlier treatment - and also safer, simpler medicines that are already widely available.

"We also want to see better monitoring of patients, so they can see how well they're doing on the treatment.

"This is not only about keeping people healthy and alive - the anti-retroviral drugs block transmission, so there is the potential for a major impact in preventing epidemics within different countries."

Five companies make the daily combination pill, which can cost about $127 for a year's individual treatment in countries where price reductions have been negotiated.

The WHO says there is an "encouraging trend" of countries using their own finances to fight the HIV/Aids epidemic such as Zimbabwe, which has successfully used a levy on mobile phones.

The new recommendations also include providing drugs to all children under five with the virus, all HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women and to people whose partner is uninfected.

In all of these cases, treatment would start regardless of how far the condition has damaged their immune system.

Dr Hirnschall added: "We are still seeing young children lagging behind in terms of access to treatment. Two-thirds of adults that need anti-retroviral drugs get them, but only a third of young children."

'Ambitious but feasible'

The Global Fund - set up to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria - welcomed the guidelines as "very timely".

Its executive director, Dr Mark Dybul, said: "This is an example of how the Global Fund and the WHO work together to support countries as we move towards removing HIV as a threat to public health."

MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders) warned extra political and financial support would be needed for implementing the recommendations, which it said were "ambitious but feasible".

MSF medical co-ordinator in South Africa Dr Gilles van Cutsem said: "With these new guidelines our collective goal should now be to scale up without messing up: to reach more people, retain them on treatment, and with an undetectable viral load.

"There's no greater motivating factor for people to stick to their HIV treatment than knowing the virus is 'undetectable' in their blood."

Paul Ward, deputy chief executive at the UK's Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "These guidelines have implications for the UK and would expand the number of people eligible for HIV treatment.

"Using treatment to reduce transmission is a key part of modern prevention efforts, including our own.

"In the UK, we have some of the best treatments in the world, and offering them earlier could be one way of slowing the spread of the epidemic. It could also improve the person's own long-term health."

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David Cameron meets new Pakistan PM

30 June 2013 Last updated at 03:24 ET

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David Cameron described the battle against terrorism as one "we must fight together"

David Cameron is holding talks with Pakistan's newly elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The British prime minister is on a two-day official visit to Pakistan, where Mr Sharif was recently re-elected for an unprecedented third time.

Mr Cameron wants to build relations with Pakistan's new leadership and will use the talks to discuss regional stability, trade and security issues.

It follows his talks with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday.

The election of Nawaz Sharif in May was Pakistan's first democratic transition from one civilian government to another.

'Power of influence'

Mr Cameron earlier said the election was a "huge bonus" for Pakistan and had put the country in a strong position in the region, particularly with regards to achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He said a secure and stable Afghanistan was in Pakistan's best interests and he believed Mr Sharif would help with the efforts to make progress.

"We have a good relationship with Pakistan, it's a long-standing relationship," he said during a press conference in Kabul.

"We have a very clear view which is that it's in Pakistan's short, medium and long-term interest to have a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan with which they have a good and strong relationship."

He said Mr Sharif's election victory gave him credibility and a "certain power of influence" to encourage the Taliban on the path to peace in the region.

Mr Cameron wants the Taliban to engage with the peace process in Afghanistan, to bolster a political solution to the conflict.

But he has said the Taliban need to give up their arms and "realise that they are not going to secure a role in Afghanistan's future through terror and violence".

The prime minister's talks with Mr Sharif are not expected to focus solely on Afghanistan and will encompass prosperity and trade, as well as security issues such as counter-terrorism.

On Saturday Mr Cameron visited Afghanistan, where he met troops at Camp Bastion and held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

In Pakistan, he visited the national monument where he met people taking part in the British Council's Active Citizens programme.

Mr Sharif served previous terms as Pakistan prime minister in 1990 to 1993, and 1997 to 1999.

He was deposed by General Musharraf and given a jail term, and later went into exile in Saudi Arabia before returning in 2007.

He won a surprise landslide victory in Pakistan's general elections in May.

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Obama to visit Robben Island jail

30 June 2013 Last updated at 04:56 ET

US President Barack Obama is due to tour Robben Island - the jail in which Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years.

The trip comes a day after Mr Obama visited members of the family of the 94-year-old former president, who remains critically ill in hospital.

Mr Obama paid tribute to the impact of the anti-apartheid leader in building a free South Africa, describing him as "an inspiration to the world".

Later, riot police clashed with anti-Obama protesters in Soweto.

Security is likely to be strengthened during this final Cape Town leg of his time in South Africa, says the BBC's Karen Allen who is there.

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Obama: "Madiba's moral courage... has been a personal inspiration to me"

The US leader did not visit Mr Mandela, but met the Mandela family in private and spoke by telephone to his wife, Graca Machel.

Mr Mandela remains in critical condition. On Sunday South Africa's last apartheid president and the man jointly awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela, FW de Klerk, will return to South Africa after cutting short a visit to Europe due to Mr Mandela's poor health.

Power pledge

The visit by Mr Obama and the first family to Robben Island is likely to be the most poignant moment of the president's Africa tour, our correspondent says.

Mr Mandela was held there for 18 years and his long history of lung problems can be traced to the tuberculosis he contracted there - which he attributed to the dampness of his cell.

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• 1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
• 1944 Joins African National Congress
• 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped
• 1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison
• 1964 Charged again, sentenced to life
• 1990 Freed from prison
• 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize
• 1994 Elected first black president
• 1999 Steps down as leader

Mr Obama will also visit a community project before delivering a keynote address at the University of Cape Town.

It is the same venue where 47 years ago, US Senator Robert Kennedy gave his famed "ripple of hope" speech, which gave inspiration to those fighting the racially divisive policies of apartheid rule and linked their struggle with that of the US civil rights movement.

Mr Obama is expected to pay tribute to South Africa's achievements over the past two decades but is expected to stress that more needs to be done to tackle poverty and disease, and strengthen democracy across the continent.

He is also due to announce a $7bn (£4.6bn) five-year initiative to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, in partnership with African countries and the private sector.

Beacon

Mr Obama has been faulted for lacking a grand programme and many Africans have been disappointed at what they see as his lack of engagement with the continent, despite his African ancestry.In Pretoria on Saturday, Mr Obama said Mr Mandela's example of "the power of principle, of people standing up for what's right continues to shine as a beacon".

Later, riot police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at scores of protesters in Soweto, once a flashpoint in the anti-apartheid struggle.

At least one person was injured and one arrested.

"People died in Libya, people are still dying in Syria... in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, drones are still killing people. So that's why we are calling him a Hitler. He's a killer,'' Ramasimong Tsokolibane, 54, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Obama arrived in South Africa from Senegal on Friday evening. On Monday, he will continue his African tour in Tanzania.

Continue reading the main story Family row

Mr Mandela's family heir, Mandla, has said he will oppose a court action brought by the rest of the family, seeking to exhume the bodies of his father, Makgatho, two of Nelson Mandela's daughters and two other relatives.

The rest of the family want the remains to be reburied in Qunu, where the former South African president wants to be laid to rest, while Mandla, an ANC MP, wants them to stay in the nearby village of Mvezo, Nelson Mandela's birthplace, where he is building a museum dedicated to his grandfather.

This is an extremely important matter for the Mandela family, especially while he remains critically ill in hos[ital - it is one of the reasons why they held a family meeting last week.

South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper quotes local chiefs in the area as saying that Madiba, as Nelson Mandela is known in the country, will not be at peace until this issue is resolved.

On Friday, a court granted an interim action saying the bodies could be exhumed and reburied but Mandla Mandela says he was not aware of the case until it was reported in the media and he is now opposing it.

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Crowds gather for anti-Morsi rallies

30 June 2013 Last updated at 05:29 ET

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Egyptian protesters fill Tahrir Square ahead of mass rally

Crowds have been gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square ahead of a mass rally to demand the resignation of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Thousands spent the night in the square, focus of the protests which brought down ex-leader Hosni Mubarak.

Protests are also expected at the presidential palace in Cairo and across Egypt on the first anniversary of Mr Morsi's inauguration as president.

His opponents accuse him of failing to tackle economic and security problems.

Supporters of the president also plan to hold their own rallies.

Egyptians have been talking about 30 June for many weeks - the opposition vowing not to leave until Mr Morsi steps downed and calls early presidential elections, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Cairo.

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Mohammed Morsi's first year

• June 2012 - Narrowly wins presidential election. Orders parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it
• July 2012 - Submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid
• August 2012 - Dismisses Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan, and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution
• November 2012 - Rescinds a decree stripping the judiciary of the right to challenge his decisions, after popular protests
• December 2012 - Public vote approves draft constitution boosting the role of Islam and restricting freedom of speech and assembly
• March 2013 - Court halts his plans to bring parliamentary elections forward to April, citing failure to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court
• June 2013 - Puts Islamists in charge of 13 of Egypt's 27 governorships - controversially he appoints a member of the former armed group Gamaa Islamiya to be governor of Luxor

But there is a big part of this society that says that Mr Morsi is someone who was elected and should see out his full term in office, so there is a real split in this society at the moment, a split that we will see reflected on the streets, our correspondent adds.

Protesters are unhappy with the policies of the Islamist president and his Muslim Brotherhood allies.

Opposition activists say more than 22 million people have signed a petition seeking a snap election. They have urged the signatories to come out on Tahrir Square.

The grassroots movement Tamarod (Rebellion) is behind the petition, which has united liberal and secular opposition groups, including the National Salvation Front.

However, many ordinary Egyptians - angered by Mr Morsi's political and economic policies - are also taking part in the rally.

Flags and tents form a base camp on the square from where protesters plan to march the presidential palace.

Hanan Bakr travelled specially from Dubai where she lives to join Sunday's protest.

"I'm hoping to stay on the streets until the whole regime of the Brotherhood is brought down," she told the BBC.

"We are seeking the support of the country to stand behind the second Egyptian revolution. If Egypt falls under Islamist extremism, this will affect the whole region... Egypt is for all religions - I am a Muslim who attended an Armenian Catholic school."

Speaking in South Africa, US President Barack Obama urged "all parties to make sure they are not engaging in violence and that police and military are showing appropriate restraint".

Continue reading the main story Bloodshed

At least three people, including a US citizen, died in unrest on Friday.

Washington has warned Americans not to travel to Egypt.

The UK urged its citizens to "avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings" while France said citizens should "limit movements to those strictly necessary".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Morsi has accomplished nothing, and things are only going from bad to worse"

End Quote Maha Said Housewife

"We would like to see the opposition and President Morsi engage in a more constructive conversation about [how] to move their country forward," he said.

On Friday, US national Andrew Pochter and another man were killed in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria as protesters stormed an office of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mr Pochter, who was in the country to teach English to children and improve his own Arabic, was killed apparently while using a mobile phone to take pictures.

His family said in a statement that he had been stabbed by a protester while observing demonstrations.

The other fatality in Alexandria on Friday was an Egyptian man who was shot dead, according to medical sources.

Another man, said to be a journalist, was killed by an explosion in Port Said and five other people were injured.

President Morsi earlier this week offered a dialogue - a move rejected by his opponents.

Mr Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, became Egypt's first Islamist president on 30 June 2012, after winning an election considered free and fair.

His first year as president has been marred by constant political unrest and a sinking economy.

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North-west Pakistan bomb 'kills 14'

30 June 2013 Last updated at 05:35 ET

A powerful blast has killed at least 14 people in the north-western city of Peshawar in Pakistan, officials say.

The bomb attack was aimed at a convoy of paramilitary forces, they said. At least 25 people were wounded, and vehicles and shops damaged.

Peshawar is on the edge of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal region - the main militant haven from which attacks are often launched.

It has been hit by dozens of bombings and killings over recent years.

Last Monday, a senior police and his driver were shot dead in the city. Three days earlier, a suicide bomb attack on a neighbourhood populated by some of the city's minority Shia Muslims killed 15.

No-one has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, but suspicion will probably fall on the Taliban, which has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government.

The attack comes during a two-day visit to Pakistan by the British Prime Minister David Cameron - who earlier called for the Taliban to engage in peace talks, as long as they renounced tactics of "terror and violence".

Although Sunday's blast apparently targeted security forces, only one vehicle in the convoy was hit and many of the dead and injured were civilians, including women and children, reports said.

The explosion was followed by an exchange of fire between Frontier Corps - paramilitary soldiers - and the armed assailants, reported Pakistani newspaper the Express Tribune.

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Arctic Monkeys headline Glastonbury

28 June 2013 Last updated at 19:46 ET By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter, at Glastonbury

The Arctic Monkeys have closed the Glastonbury Festival's first night, playing to more than 90,000 fans.

Opening with a brand new song, Do I Wanna Know, they also rattled through crowd-pleasing hits like I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

Frontman Alex Turner also led the crowd in a chorus of Happy Birthday to his mum, Penny, who was at the festival.

They were joined on the bill by Jake Bugg, Rita Ora and Dizzee Rascal, as the weather largely stayed dry.

LA trio Haim also played the main stage, but bassist Este Haim was taken ill during their set.

The 24-year-old had to sit on a stool after nearly collapsing on stage.

"I'm not going to let this get the better of me, especially when there are so many beautiful people here," she told the audience.

"If I pass out, will someone give me mouth to mouth."

Later, she told the NME she had "nearly died" and blamed the incident on diabetes.

"I didn't eat before my set like a smart, good diabetic does and I remember not being able to feel my arms," she said.

Slow-burning groove

The Arctic Monkeys made a low-key entrance on the Pyramid Stage - with none of the pyrotechnics or showbiz affectations of the festival's last headliner, Beyonce, two years ago.

In keeping with the slow-burning groove of their new single, the band set opened with subdued lighting and darkened video screens, before crashing straight into the heavier, faster Brianstorm, a single from 2007.

More confident as a frontman than the last time the band headlined Glastonbury in 2007, Alex Turner squared up to the mic and adopted an exaggerated Elvis swagger when addressing the crowd.

"We're gonna play all night long," he informed them. "Does that sound good to you?"

Songs from their first two albums - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Fluorescent Adolescent, Sun Goes Down - received the warmest response, while new material was tolerated with good humour.

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Liam Gallagher helped open the festival with a surprise early morning appearance

A string quartet, arranged by Elbow's Guy Garvey, joined the band for the encore, playing Mardy Bum and Cornerstone.

The set ended with early track 505 and a wall of feedback.

Earlier, Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye kicked off the action with an unscheduled appearance on The Other Stage at 11:00 BST.

The early morning set was something of a turnaround for the singer, who previously headlined the event with Oasis in 1995 and 2004.

The latter appearance was particularly flat, and Gallagher claimed the festival was "full of idiots".

But after Friday's show, the singer told the BBC: "Glastonbury's back in the good books. I just had a bad experience but now it's cool again.

"It's always been cool, it's just me. I'm full of it."

He added that playing before lunchtime had been something of a risk.

"I thought 11 o'clock could be really ropey but I thought we done well, man."

Musical legends could be found dotted around the site on Friday, with Sinead O'Connor headlining the acoustic stage and Nile Rodgers of disco pioneers Chic on the West Holts Stage.

The musician, whose hits include Chic's Le Freak, Diana Ross's Upside Down and Madonna's Like A Virgin, was playing his first ever Glastonbury.

"I think it's sort of mythical," he told the BBC.

"I come from America, right, so in our heads it all started with Woodstock and Monterey Pop - and Glastonbury has kept that tradition alive.

"Now I'm actually here I can come home and either dispel the myth or say 'wow, it's everything I thought'."

Mercury Prize-winners Alt-J also drew a large audience to The Other Stage, and surprised them all by ditching their smart, intricate rock songs for a cover of Kylie Minogue's Slow.

Jake Bugg pulled off an early "Glastonbury moment" with an energetic set that climaxed with his hit Lightning Bolt; while Dizzee Rascal provided a canny mix of crowd-pleasing hits and new material, including his Robbie Williams-featuring single Going Crazy.

With an audience of 180,000 music fans, many artists look forward to Glastonbury as the pinnacle of the festival season - and anticipation was particularly high after the event took a year off in 2012.

"I'm never going to forget this," declared pop star Rita Ora as she left the stage. "You have changed my life."

Rapper Professor Green, who followed her on the Pyramid Stage, said he was similarly amazed to be part of the line-up.

Describing himself as "some little toerag from Hackney who samples INXS", he described his booking as "mental".

The 29-year-old, whose hits include Read All About It and the INXS-based I Need You Tonight was also aware of the opportunity the stage - and the accompanying TV coverage - presented.

Continue reading the main story

I think the only pressure we feel is that it is the first time we've done an outdoor show for yonks and English weather"

End Quote Keith Richards, Rolling Stones

"I think a lot of people that are here won't know my music, bar the singles, so this is a good opportunity to show the musicality of what we do when we play live," he said.

With more than 2,000 performers over the weekend, rumours of "secret appearances" are always rife at Glastonbury, and this year's crop range from the likely (Fatboy Slim and Radiohead's Thom Yorke) to the fanciful (Daft Punk and David Bowie).

Definitely confirmed for the weekend are co-headliners Mumford and Sons and The Rolling Stones.

Speaking to Radio 1's Newsbeat, Stones guitarist Keith Richards said the band had a few reservations about their set.

"I think the only pressure we feel is that it is the first time we've done an outdoor show for yonks and English weather," he said.

"Throwing in those two equations, yeah there is maybe a little apprehension."

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West 'should have talked to Taliban'

28 June 2013 Last updated at 22:11 ET

The West should have tried talking to the Taliban a decade ago after they had just been toppled from power, the UK's top general in Afghanistan has said.

Gen Nick Carter said it would have been much easier to find a political solution when they were on the run.

His comments in the Guardian come days after attempts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table stalled.

Gen Carter also warned Afghan forces would need military and financial support after troops leave in 2014.

The Kabul government would have only shaky control over some areas, he said.

Negotiation attempts

A major conference on the future of Afghanistan held in Bonn, Germany, over a decade ago did not include the defeated Taliban former government of Afghanistan.

Gen Carter, deputy commander of the Nato-led coalition, acknowledged it was easy to be wise with the benefit of hindsight but added: "Back in 2002, the Taliban were on the run.

"I think that at that stage, if we had been very prescient, we might have spotted that a final political solution to what started in 2001, from our perspective, would have involved getting all Afghans to sit at the table and talk about their future.

"The problems that we have been encountering over the period since then are essentially political problems, and political problems are only ever solved by people talking to each other."

Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed caution over whether peace talks on Afghanistan with the Taliban could take place.

A row over the status of a Taliban office in Qatar's capital Doha has overshadowed efforts to start peace negotiations there.

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the row had simply underlined the diplomatic and practical difficulties that remained for anyone wishing to talk to the Taliban.

Gradual withdrawal

Gen Carter said he was confident that Nato's handover of security to Afghan forces would eventually bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

He said that overall the police and army had been shaped into sustainable institutions strong enough to protect a critical presidential election next year and guarantee stability for the majority of the country after Western forces withdrew.

However, he added that the Afghan army and police would still need help in the years to come because they had been built up very quickly.

However, he expressed optimism about Afghanistan's future as long as the US and its allies came through on promises of financial and military support.

Some 8,000 British troops are still serving in Afghanistan, around half of them at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, ­many of them still mentoring or advising Afghan forces.

Until last year, the UK had 137 bases in Helmand but the gradual withdrawal ahead of the end of combat operations by 2015 means the mission is gradually changing with just 13 bases still operating.

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Heart risk warning over painkiller

29 June 2013 Last updated at 00:08 ET

People with heart problems have been advised to stop using one of the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs in the UK.

The medicines regulator said painkiller diclofenac could significantly increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke for some patients.

The advice has been updated after a European review of the risks.

Millions of people take diclofenac for a range of conditions including headaches, back pain and arthritis.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the drug should not be used by people with serious underlying heart conditions.

People who have suffered heart failure, heart disease or a stroke should stop using it completely.

Smokers and people with high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and diabetes have been advised to use the drug only after consulting their GP or pharmacist.

The MHRA said diclofenac would continue to provide safe and effective pain relief, apart from patients in certain "at risk" groups.

Dr Sarah Branch, deputy director of the MHRA's vigilance and risk management of medicines division, said: "Whilst this is a known risk and warnings have been included in patient and healthcare information for some time, this advice is now being updated."

Six million prescriptions were written for diclofenac last year and the drug is also available over the counter.

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California gay marriage ban lifted

29 June 2013 Last updated at 00:52 ET

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Sandy Stier and Kris Perry took each other as a "lawfully wedded wife"

A US appeals court has lifted a ban on same-sex marriages in California, following a Supreme Court ruling.

The order was issued by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Within moments, gay weddings resumed at the city hall - the first such marriages in the state since the voter-approved ban in November 2008.

On Wednesday the US Supreme Court left in place a lower court ruling which had struck down the ban - also known as Proposition 8.

The ruling means that 13 US states and the District of Columbia now recognise same-sex marriage.

Supporters of Proposition 8 described the appeals's court action as "outrageous".

'Wait is over'

Continue reading the main story

It remains to be seen whether the fight can go on, but either way, it is a disgraceful day for California"

End Quote Proposition 8 supporter

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had been expected to wait 25 days before lifting the ban - in case the losing side wanted to ask for the case to be heard again.

But judges at the appeals court decided to act on Friday, saying: "The stay in the above matter is dissolved effective immediately."

Shortly afterwards, two same-sex couples whose case led to the Supreme Court's Wednesday decision got married.

The wedding of Kris Perry, 48, and Sandy Stier, 50, was officiated by California's Attorney General Kamala Harris at San Francisco's town hall.

She declared them "spouse and spouse", but during their vows they took each other as a "lawfully wedded wife".

"They have waited and fought for this moment. Today their wait is finally over," Ms Harris said.

The other couple, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, married in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Proposition 8 supporters accused their opponents of "achieving their goal in a dishonourable fashion".

"It is a disgraceful day for California,'' said Andy Pugno, general counsel for the coalition of religious conservative groups that had sponsored the proposition.

Proposition 8 was passed in 2008 - months after California's supreme court decided such unions were legal.

The two couples launched the legal challenge. As the state of California refused to defend the proposition, the group that sponsored it stepped up to do so.

On Wednesday the Supreme Court ruled that a private party could not challenge the earlier lower court ruling, as it could not demonstrate it would suffer injury if same-sex marriages were allowed.

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UK celebrates Armed Forces Day

29 June 2013 Last updated at 01:32 ET

A volley of celebratory gun blasts will start Armed Forces Day in honour of service personnel.

The fifth national event starts with an artillery regiment firing weapons at Nottingham Castle.

Hundreds of further celebrations are planned from the Orkney Islands to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the "extraordinary men and women" of the British armed forces and urged the public to show their pride in them.

Armed Forces Day recognises the contribution made by service personnel past and present. Members of all three services take part.

About 60,000 people attended the main Armed Forces Day national event in Plymouth in 2012. The Earl of Wessex, representing the Queen and the Royal Family, took the salute as a parade of more then 1,200 Forces personnel, veterans and cadets marched through the city streets and on to Plymouth Hoe.

This year's event will feature a tri-service parade from Nottingham's castle to the Old Market Square for a drumhead service attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Speaking ahead of the day, Mr Cameron said: "Armed Forces Day is about reminding the British people that everyday, as we go about our business, there are extraordinary men and women all over the world, and indeed right here at home, who risk their lives for our safety and security.

"Let us show everyone in our armed forces just how proud we are of everything that they do."

'Recognising varied work'

The Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, will fly over and, at the service's conclusion, current and historic craft from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will also fly past - including the RAF's latest multi-role fast jet, the Typhoon.

There will be Royal Navy and Royal Marines displays on the River Trent, and members of the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team will land on Victoria Embankment.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will close the day in Nottingham.

An Armed Forces spokesman said the day was "an opportunity... to recognise the sheer variety of work our armed forces do, both at home and abroad".

Further support has come from Defence Minister Mark Francois who launched the Corporate Covenant, giving businesses and charities the opportunity to sign an official commitment to help improve the lives of the Armed Forces, their families and veterans.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the party would give military veterans guaranteed "special provision" in the NHS and would amend the health service to give specific protection to those who fought for their country.

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US travel warning over Egypt clashes

29 June 2013 Last updated at 02:34 ET

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Footage from Alexandria shows protesters storming the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood

The US has warned Americans not to travel to Egypt and has told non-emergency diplomatic staff to leave, as clashes continued in the country.

The state department also urged US nationals in Egypt "to remain alert".

The warning came as at least three people - including a US citizen - died in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi.

Tensions have been rising ahead of a mass rally planned by the opposition on Sunday to demand Mr Morsi steps down.

His supporters are stressing what they see as Mr Morsi's "legitimacy", rejecting the opposition's demand.

Sunday is the first anniversary of the president's inauguration.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Egyptians to respect "universal principles of peaceful dialogue", a call echoed by the US state department, which added that "political leaders have the responsibility of taking steps to ensure that groups do not resort to violence."

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Morsi has accomplished nothing, and things are only going from bad to worse"

End Quote Maha Said Housewife

'Unprecedented exodus'

In a warning on Friday, the state department said it had "authorised the departure of a limited number of non-emergency employees and family members" from Egypt.

It asked Americans "to defer non-essential travel to Egypt at this time due to the continuing possibility of political and social unrest".

Cairo's main airport was packed with departing passengers, and all flights leaving for Europe, the US and the Gulf were fully booked, officials were quoted as saying.

The officials - who spoke on condition of anonymity - described the exodus as unprecedented, the Associated Press reports.

On Friday, two people died in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria as protesters stormed an office of the Muslim Brotherhood - the political movement supporting President Morsi. It was one of eight of its offices around the country the Brotherhood said came under attack.

The US national who was killed was apparently using a mobile phone to take pictures at the time.

There are conflicting reports about the way he died. Egyptian officials say the victim - who is believed to have been taking photos of the clashes - was stabbed in the chest, but other reports say he was hit by gun pellets.

A statement posted on the website of Kenyon College, Ohio, identified the victim as 21-year-old student Andrew Pochter, an intern at Amideast, an American non-profit organisation working in international education and training in the Middle East and North Africa.

Continue reading the main story

Mohammed Morsi's first year

• June 2012 - Narrowly wins presidential election. Orders parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it
• July 2012 - Submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid
• August 2012 - Dismisses Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution
• November 2012 - Rescinds a decree stripping the judiciary of the right to challenge his decisions, after popular protests
• December 2012 - Public vote approves draft constitution boosting the role of Islam and restricting freedom of speech and assembly
• March 2013 - Court halts his plans to bring parliamentary elections forward to April, citing failure to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court
• June 2013 - Puts Islamists in charge of 13 of Egypt's 27 governorships - controversially he appoints a member of the former armed group Gamaa Islamiya to be governor of Luxor

The state department confirmed the death, saying it was "providing appropriate consular assistance from our embassy in Cairo and our Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department".

The other fatality in Alexandria on Friday was an Egyptian man who was shot dead, according to medical sources.

Dozens more people were injured.

'Legitimate order'

The office of the Muslim Brotherhood was set on fire, and the authorities are reported to have called in riot police and army helicopters to try to quell the violence.

Some marchers said they feared the Brotherhood was using the revolution to entrench its power and Islamic law, but others had economic grievances.

"I've nothing to do with politics, but with the state we're in now, even a stone would cry out," 42-year-old accountant Mohamed Abdel Latif told Reuters news agency.

"There are no services, we can't find diesel or gasoline. We elected Morsi, but this is enough. Let him make way for someone else who can fix it."

In Port Said, also in the north, an explosion left one person dead - a journalist, according to one report - and five injured, officials said.

Meanwhile, in Cairo thousands of Morsi supporters rallied outside the main mosque.

"I came to support the legitimate order," said Ahmed al-Maghrabi, 37, a shopkeeper from the Nile Delta city of Mansoura whose hand was grazed from street fighting there this week.

"I am with the elected president. He needs to see out his term," he told Reuters.

President Morsi earlier this week warned that divisions threatened to "paralyse" Egypt.

He offered a dialogue with the opposition - a move rejected by his opponents.

Mr Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, became Egypt's first Islamist president on 30 June 2012, after winning an election considered free and fair.

His first year as president has been marred by constant political unrest and a sinking economy.

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Barack Obama to meet Mandela family

29 June 2013 Last updated at 04:38 ET

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Coming up: President Zuma and President Obama hold news conference

US President Barack Obama is to meet members of Nelson Mandela's family during his visit to South Africa, the White House says.

But officials confirmed that the president will not see the ailing leader himself, who is in a critical conditions in hospital.

Mr Obama is in Pretoria as part of his three-country tour of Africa and is having talks with President Jacob Zuma.

Trade and economic co-operation are expected to be high on the agenda.

The US president has described Mr Mandela as a "hero for the world".

Mr Mandela, who is 94, is critically ill in hospital, where he was admitted on 8 June with a recurring lung infection.

His ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, said on Friday she felt it would not be right for President Obama to visit him while he was in a critical condition.

"I'm not a doctor but I can say that from what he was a few days ago there is great improvement, but clinically he is still unwell," she said.

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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela spoke of "a very difficult situation"

'Legacy will linger'

Mr Obama, who is travelling with his family, arrived in South Africa from Senegal on Friday evening.

During his weekend trip, the US president will visit Robben Island, where Mr Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

He is also expected to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and give a major speech at the University of Cape Town. The address is due to take place on Sunday night.

On Friday, Mr Obama had said it was unlikely he would see Mr Mandela, saying he did not "need a photo op" with him.

Speaking on board Air Force One after leaving Senegal, he told reporters: "The last thing I want to do is to be in any way obtrusive at a time when the family is concerned with Nelson Mandela's condition."

"I think the main message we'll want to deliver is not directly to him, but to his family - is simply profound gratitude for his leadership all these years, and that the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, his family and his country."

The White House later confirmed that he and First Lady Michelle Obama will later "meet privately with members of the Mandela family to offer their thoughts and prayers at this difficult time".

"Out of deference to Nelson Mandela's peace and comfort and the family's wishes, they will not be visiting the hospital," said the statement.

Mr Obama met Mr Mandela in 2005 when he was still a US senator. Both men became the first black presidents of their nations and have received the Nobel Peace Prize.

His wife and daughters had a private meeting with Mr Mandela in 2011.

The US president has described Mr Mandela as a "hero for the world", whose "legacy will linger on through the ages", and who had inspired his own activism as a student.

Mr Obama will finish his Africa tour in Tanzania. It is his first prolonged trip to the continent since he became president in 2009.

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UK government backs three-person IVF

27 June 2013 Last updated at 19:33 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

The UK looks set to become the first country to allow the creation of babies using DNA from three people, after the government backed the IVF technique.

It will produce draft regulations later this year and the procedure could be offered within two years.

Experts say three-person IVF could eliminate debilitating and potentially fatal mitochondrial diseases that are passed on from mother to child.

Opponents say it is unethical and could set the UK on a "slippery slope".

They also argue that affected couples could adopt or use egg donors instead.

Mitochondria are the tiny, biological "power stations" that give the body energy. They are passed from a mother, through the egg, to her child.

Defective mitochondria affect one in every 6,500 babies. This can leave them starved of energy, resulting in muscle weakness, blindness, heart failure and death in the most extreme cases.

Continue reading the main story

Every time Sharon Bernardi became pregnant, she hoped for a healthy child.

But all seven of her children died from a rare genetic disease that affects the central nervous system - three of them just hours after birth.

When her fourth child, Edward, was born, doctors discovered the disease was caused by a defect in Sharon's mitochondria.

Edward was given drugs and blood transfusions to prevent the lactic acidosis (a kind of blood poisoning) that had killed his siblings.

Five weeks later Sharon and her husband, Neil, were allowed to take Edward to their home in Sunderland for Christmas - but his health slowly began to deteriorate.

Edward survived into adulthood, dying in 2011 at the age of 21.

Now Sharon is supporting medical research that would allow defective mitochondria to be replaced by DNA from another woman.

Research suggests that using mitochondria from a donor egg can prevent the diseases.

It is envisaged that up to 10 couples a year would benefit from the treatment.

However, it would result in babies having DNA from two parents and a tiny amount from a third donor as the mitochondria themselves have their own DNA.

'Clearly sensitive'

Earlier this year, a public consultation by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) concluded there was "general support" for the idea and that there was no evidence that the advanced form of IVF was unsafe.

The chief medical officer for England, Prof Dame Sally Davies, said: "Scientists have developed ground-breaking new procedures which could stop these disease being passed on, bringing hope to many families seeking to prevent their future children inheriting them.

"It's only right that we look to introduce this life-saving treatment as soon as we can."

She said there were "clearly some sensitive issues here" but said she was "personally very comfortable" with altering mitochondria.

Scientists have devised two techniques that allow them to take the genetic information from the mother and place it into the egg of a donor with healthy mitochondria.

Continue reading the main story

The result is a baby with genetic information from three people.

They would have more than 20,000 genes from their parents and 37 mitochondrial genes from a donor.

It is a change that would have ramifications through the generations as scientists would be altering human genetic inheritance.

Objections to the procedure have been raised ever since it was first mooted.

Dr David King, the director of Human Genetics Alert, said: "These techniques are unnecessary and unsafe and were in fact rejected by the majority of consultation responses.

'Designer baby'

"It is a disaster that the decision to cross the line that will eventually lead to a eugenic designer baby market should be taken on the basis of an utterly biased and inadequate consultation."

One of the main concerns raised in the HFEA's public consultation was of a "slippery slope" which could lead to other forms of genetic modification.

Draft regulations will be produced this year with a final version expected to be debated and voted on in Parliament during 2014.

Newcastle University is pioneering one of the techniques that could be used for three-person IVF.

Prof Doug Turnbull, the director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at the university, said he was "delighted".

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He said: "This is excellent news for families with mitochondrial disease.

"This will give women who carry these diseased genes more reproductive choice and the opportunity to have children free of mitochondrial disease. I am very grateful to all those who have supported this work."

The fine details of the regulations are still uncertain, yet it is expected to be for only the most severe cases.

It is also likely that children would have no right to know who the egg donor was and that any children resulting from the procedure would be monitored closely for the rest of their lives.

Sir John Tooke, the president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: "Introducing regulations now will ensure that there is no avoidable delay in these treatments reaching affected families once there is sufficient evidence of safety and efficacy.

"It is also a positive step towards ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of cutting-edge research in this area."

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Energy blackout proposal dismissed

27 June 2013 Last updated at 23:24 ET

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Michael Fallon: "I can assure you, the lights are not going to go out"

The government has dismissed a proposal that big shops and factories could be paid to cut their energy use to prevent shortages leading to blackouts.

Electricity network owner National Grid has suggested large consumers could be asked to lower use between 16:00 and 20:00 on weekdays in the winter.

It was responding to a warning from energy regulator Ofgem that the risk of power cuts has increased in the UK.

Energy Minister Michael Fallon insisted the lights would stay on.

When asked if there was any truth to reports that big factories and businesses would be asked to cut their energy use in 2015, Mr Fallon replied: "No".

He told BBC Two's Newsnight programme: "I can assure you the lights are not going to go out.

"The latest [Ofgem] assessment has shown that the position is slightly worse than the previous assessment last year.

"The regulator Ofgem has got to make sure, with all the tools at its disposal - bringing some mothball plant back in action and back on line - that the lights stay on and they will."

In an assessment released on Thursday, Ofgem said spare electricity production capacity in the UK could fall to 2% by 2015, increasing the risk of blackouts.

The watchdog said more investment in power generation was needed to protect consumers.

'Tightening margins'

It said: "Ofgem's analysis indicates a faster than anticipated tightening of electricity margins toward the middle of this decade."

The global financial crisis, tough emissions targets, the UK's increasing dependency on gas imports and the closure of ageing power stations were all contributing to the heightened risk of shortages, Ofgem said.

It said measures could include negotiating with major power users for them to reduce demand during peak times in return for payment.

Ofgem also suggested keeping some mothballed power plants in reserve in case of emergencies.

National Grid said it welcomed the Ofgem consultation on the proposed preventive measures and had been working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

"This does not mean that disruption is imminent or likely, but Ofgem, DECC and ourselves believe it appropriate to consider what measures could be taken in case margins deteriorate further," National Grid said.

It acknowledged that dealing with tightening margins in the energy industry "sits outside of National Grid's usual system operator role", but added that "given our position in the industry and our experience, we're happy to propose and consult on solutions."

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UK house prices 'gather momentum'

28 June 2013 Last updated at 02:01 ET

UK house prices rose again in June, increasing by 0.3%, according to the Nationwide building society.

The Nationwide said the rise was helped by the government's Funding for Lending Scheme, designed to bring down the cost of credit, and improving job prospects.

The annual rate of price growth rose to 1.9%, the fastest pace since September 2010. The increases means that the average house now costs £168,941.

But Nationwide said there were few signs the housing supply was improving.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said: "Demand for homes has been supported by further modest gains in employment, as well as an improvement in the availability and a reduction in the cost of credit, partly as a result of policy measures, such as the Funding for Lending Scheme.

"Signs of a modest improvement in wider economic conditions may also be playing a role in boosting buyer sentiment."

The Funding for Lending Scheme allows banks to borrow money at a discount from the Bank of England, providing they can show they have passed it on to customers in the form of loans.

House prices in the second quarter of 2013, compared with the previous three months, were 0.4% higher, and up 1.4% compared with the same period a year ago.

London was the top performer, with prices up 5.2% in the second quarter year-on-year. Prices are now 5% above their 2007 peak of £318,214, said Nationwide.

However, annual price growth in Wales and Scotland continued to decline. Northern Ireland was the worst performer, with prices down 2.1% in the quarter from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Nationwide said that the supply of housing remained sluggish, with data showing a further decline in building activity.

In the first quarter of 2013 housing completions in England were down 8% on the same three months in 2012, and are 40% below 2007 levels, Nationwide said.

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First batch of surgeon data revealed

28 June 2013 Last updated at 02:55 ET By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

The first wave of new performance data for individual surgeons in England is being published in what is being hailed as a historic moment for the NHS.

Vascular surgeons have become the first of a new group of nine specialities to publish the information, including death rates.

It appears on the NHS Choices website. The other groups will follow in the coming weeks.

But the move has been overshadowed by some surgeons refusing to take part.

They were able to do this because of data protection laws, although earlier this month Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that those refusing to take part would be publicly named.

Just six out of nearly 500 vascular surgeons, who specialise in procedures on the arteries and veins, including stents, have opted out.

But NHS Choices states none of the six had results outside the normally expected range.

They have been named as Richard Bird, Patrick Kent, Robert Lonsdale, Manmohan Madan, Peter McCollum and Leszek Wolowczyk.

They, and their reasons for opting out - including not agreeing with publication of the data - are detailed on the website.

Nonetheless, the move to publish this data is being viewed as a significant milestone.

Continue reading the main story

This is an historic moment for surgery, and I'm enormously proud of what surgeons up and down the country have achieved"

End Quote Prof Norman Williams Royal College of Surgeons

To date, individual performance data has only been published for heart surgeons.

But for years there has been debate about whether other areas of medicine should follow.

The publication of surgery-specific data was first called for in 2001 by Prof Sir Ian Kennedy, who chaired the inquiry into the excessive number of deaths of babies undergoing heart surgery in Bristol.

'Clam up'

But some doctors have been resistant to widening publication of data for eight surgical specialties and cardiology, as there is a fear that it may give a misleading impression.

Those doctors who take on the most difficult and complex cases may appear to be performing badly, when in fact they could be the leading specialists in their field.

The specialities taking part account for about 4,000 surgeons, more than half the workforce.

Alongside mortality rates, the data includes information on other aspects such as length of stay in hospital after a procedure.

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Sir Bruce Keogh says the public deserves to see the data

NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh told the BBC: "This has been done nowhere else in the world, and I think it represents a very significant step.

"A number of great British institutions have lost some element of public trust recently because they're seen to clam up when things go wrong.

"It's my ambition that we in the NHS do exactly the opposite and we share the way we perform and what we offer our patients with the public, who I think really deserve to see how well we're performing, because everybody owns the NHS."

'Celebration'

Prof Norman Williams, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "This is an historic moment for surgery, and I'm enormously proud of what surgeons up and down the country have achieved.

"It has been a difficult and complex undertaking carried out in a short timescale but we see this as the beginning of a new era for openness in medicine.

"It is early days, but it will change for the better the nature of the bond between patient and surgeon, which is based on both openness and trust."

The college said that overall it looked as if more than 99% of doctors had agreed to the release of the data this summer with fewer than 30 expected to resist.

On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ian Martin, a surgeon and president of the Federation of Surgical Specialty Associations, said: "What we're seeing today is almost a celebration that British surgery has the confidence to allow the public and patients, quite rightly, to have an insight into the workings behind what they do.

"But I think there are some qualifications here, and it's important to understand that this data has limitations.

"We've got to be incredibly careful when we tell the public that what we tell them is qualified and they understand what that means."

Cardiac surgeon Prof Ben Bridgewater added: "We've been collecting data on cardiac surgery since 1996 and we've been publishing it at individual surgeon level since 2005, and what we've seen associated with that is big improvements in quality: the mortality rates in cardiac surgery today are about a third of what they were ten years ago.

"We liken it to the British Olympic cycling team, whereby you just tighten up on every little thing that you do, and every member of the team tightens up on every little thing that they do, and that leads to big improvements in quality."

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Vascular surgeon David Mitchell says the data will reassure some patients that have concerns

'Transparency'

In a discussion on the programme, Sir Bruce said the data would force surgeons to think twice before risky operations.

"With difficult cases, these results force people to think more carefully and encourages surgeons to send those more difficult cases on to other more specialised surgeons."

But he denied that publishing the data would make surgeons more risk averse.

He said: "Secrecy is not the way forward - transparency really is."

Roger Taylor, who analysed the data for the Today programme, said he applauded the doctors who had the courage to publish their data.

But he said it was important to put the information in context.

"It would be interesting knowing the volume of operations done by each doctor because those who did fewer operations tend to have poorer outcomes."

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Teenager stabbed in Turkish resort

28 June 2013 Last updated at 03:40 ET

A British teenager is critically ill in hospital after being repeatedly stabbed in Turkey.

Dwayne Ward, 17, from Middlesbrough, was discovered in a garden in the Tepe district of the resort of Marmaris.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the attack on the former Macmillan Academy student.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it was aware a British teenager had been taken to hospital and staff were offering consular support.

He said: "We are aware of the case and can confirm that we are aware of the hospitalisation of a British national in Marmaris on 25 June. We are providing consular assistance."

It is understood the teenager suffered at least 10 stab wounds to the throat, chest, back and stomach.

He is being treated in the intensive care unit of Marmaris State Hospital.

It is thought the teenager, his brother and mother, were staying at the Ali Baba Hotel and had arrived in the area only a few days earlier.

Reports said Mr Ward had been out in the Bar Street area on Tuesday night with his brother, who had returned alone to their hotel.

Friends at Macmillan Academy said they were "devastated" at the attack, describing the 17-year-old as a "good lad, liked by everyone".

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Cleric held in Vatican bank inquiry

28 June 2013 Last updated at 04:57 ET

A senior Italian cleric has been arrested in connection with an inquiry into the Vatican bank scandal over allegations of corruption and fraud.

Monsignor Nunzio Scarano works in the Vatican's financial administration. A secret service agent and a financial broker have also been arrested.

They are suspected of trying to move 20m euros illegally into Italy.

Pope Francis ordered an unprecedented internal investigation into the bank's affairs in the wake of recent scandals.

Monsignor Scarano has been under investigation by Italian police for a series of suspicious transactions involving the recycling of a series of cheques described as church donations through the Vatican Bank.

Earlier this month, the Pope named a trusted cleric to oversee the management of the bank, which has been beset by allegations of money-laundering.

Officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, the bank is one of the world's most secretive. It has 114 employees and $7.1bn (£4.6bn; 5.4bn euros) of assets.

Pope Francis has given the commission carte blanche, bypassing normal secrecy rules, to try to get to the bottom of scandals which have plagued the bank for decades.

Traditionally, the Vatican Bank has refused to co-operate with Italian authorities investigating financial crime on the grounds of the sovereign independence of the Vatican city state, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

But Pope Francis has shown that he is now determined to get to the bottom of long-standing allegations of corruption and money-laundering by the bank, our correspondent adds.

The Institute for the Works of Religion was a major shareholder in the Banco Ambrosiano, a big Italian bank which collapsed in 1982 with losses of more than $3bn.

Its chairman, Roberto Calvi, was found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London - in a murder disguised as a suicide. Mr Calvi had close relations with the Vatican.

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Muslim leaders to condemn grooming

28 June 2013 Last updated at 05:28 ET

The sexual grooming of children is expected to be condemned by Muslim leaders across the UK later in a sermon to be read to thousands of worshippers.

Imams at about 500 mosques are expected to read the sermon to congregations during Friday prayers, said organisers Together Against Grooming (TAG).

The sermon will highlight how the Koran emphasises that Muslims must protect children and the vulnerable, said TAG.

It was supported by leading Muslim organisations, a spokesman said.

'Disgraceful actions'

The Muslim Council of Britain, the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board and the Islamic Society of Britain had all pledged to devote sermons to the issue of sexual grooming, said TAG, a not-for-profit organisation set up to tackle sexual grooming in the UK.

The sermon, written by Alyas Karmani, an imam and youth worker in Keighley, West Yorkshire, opens with a quotation from the Koran forbidding "sexual indecency, wickedness and oppression of others".

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"Start Quote

We are united in our stand against sexual grooming and, as Muslims, we are leading the effort to rid society of this crime"

End Quote Ansar Ali Together Against Grooming

These "disgraceful actions" must be wholeheartedly condemned, it adds.

It finishes with a call for action and reminds Muslims to speak out if they see any "evil action".

Mr Karmani said: "There's a profound disrespect culture when it comes to treating women. One of the reasons we feel this is the case is poor role models.

"Access to pornography, which also objectifies women, is creating a culture where men are now ambiguous when it comes to the issue of violence against women."

Court cases

Mr Karmani said the sermon was being circulated in an effort to counter what he claimed was a taboo in mosques about talking about sex.

The sermon is the first phase of a "hard-hitting" campaign following a number of high-profile child grooming cases involving Asian men in Bradford, Oxford, Rochdale and Telford, said TAG spokesman Ansar Ali.

"We have been horrified by the details that have emerged from recent court cases and, as Muslims, we feel a natural responsibility to condemn and tackle this crime," said Mr Ali.

"Potentially on a Friday you've got hundreds of thousands of people walking into a mosque and you have their undivided attention, so what better medium to try and send a powerful message and raise awareness."

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EXTRACT FROM SERMON

We wholeheartedly condemn the disgraceful actions of those involved in these cases and welcome the convictions in the cases that have been through the courts.

We wish to show our support for the victims of this terrible crime, many of whom are innocent children and we wish to affirm that Islam as a religion of mercy and compassion places a strong obligation on safeguarding and protecting the weak and vulnerable from oppression and abuse particularly of women and children.

While sexual grooming and child abuse affected all sections of society and was perpetrated by people of all ethnic groups, the Koran exhorted Muslims to "act against evil and injustice and create just societies", he added.

"We are united in our stand against sexual grooming and, as Muslims, we are leading the effort to rid society of this crime."

The Muslim Council of Britain said that, in conjunction with TAG, it had circulated a Khutbah (Friday sermon) to all affiliated mosques and Islamic centres addressing the issue of grooming.

In a statement it said: "The sermon... raises awareness about what has recently been revealed of the horrific cases of abuse, out rightly condemns the behaviour and highlights teachings from the Koran which obligates the safeguarding and protection of women and children."

Worried mothers

On Thursday, seven men who abused girls as part of a sadistic sex grooming ring based in Oxford were jailed for life at the Old Bailey.

Two of the men were of east African origin and five of Pakistani origin.

Former Labour MP for Keighley Ann Cryer said she was "delighted" by the move, which she said showed the issue was being taken more seriously than in the past.

Ms Cryer said she was approached by mothers worried about grooming in 2002, and was frustrated when police, social services and mosque elders took no action.

"I just hope this message gets beyond the mosque to the non-attenders, because by and large the people who behave like this don't go to the mosque," she said.

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Queen's income to rise by 5% in 2014

26 June 2013 Last updated at 19:17 ET

The Queen will receive a 5% rise in her income after the Crown Estate, from which she is paid, reported an increase in its profits.

The Sovereign Grant, which funds the Queen's spending as Head of State, will rise in 2014 from £36.1m to £37.89m.

The grant is calculated as a percentage of profits from the Crown Estate, which includes properties such as Windsor Park and covers most UK coastline.

It announced on Thursday its profits had risen 5% to £252.6m.

Aside from the Queen's income, the profit goes to the Treasury to help with the nation's finances.

The value of Crown Estate's property portfolio is now £8.1bn, exceeding £8bn for the first time.

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We are well placed as a business with a clear vision and investment strategy, great partners and a strong balance sheet"

End Quote Alison Nimmo The Crown Estate

Not private

Chairman Sir Stuart Hampson said the record performance would "again make a strong contribution to the nation's finances."

While Crown Estate runs the properties owned by the Crown, it does not own the private property of the Queen.

An analogy often used is that the Crown Estate is the property version of the Crown Jewels - held by the Queen as sovereign, but not for her personal use.

Alison Nimmo, chief executive of the Crown Estate, said: "[Thursday's] results are a ringing endorsement of the quality of our portfolio, our active asset management and our highly skilled team.

"Despite challenging market conditions, we are well placed as a business with a clear vision and investment strategy, great partners and a strong balance sheet."

The Crown Estate's urban portfolio, which includes large parts of London's West End, brought in a total return of 10.6% on assets that are now worth £5.9bn.

Outside of London, the Crown Estate owns 15 retail parks in various cities, including Liverpool, Swansea, Slough and Nottingham.

It also owns shopping centres in Worcester, Oxford and Exeter as well as offices in Birmingham, Manchester and Cambridge.

Its properties outside London are now worth £1.6bn.

The value of the Crown Estate's energy and infrastructure portfolio rose by 8.2% in 2012/13, reaching £564 million, and delivered a total return of 10.6%.

Alternative energy

Because it owns and manages the seabed around the UK out to the 12-mile limit, the Crown Estate is heavily involved in offshore wind farms, where it saw an extra 1GW of power come on stream, with around 300 new turbines erected offshore.

The Crown Estate also made £13.1m from cables and pipelines that cross its land.

As part of its overall property portfolio, it also owns the foreshore of almost half of the UK's coastline, although much of it is leased out to third parties.

It holds around 144,000 hectares (356,000 acres) of the country's agricultural land and forests, as well as residential and commercial property outside urban areas.

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Energy and roads get share of £100bn

27 June 2013 Last updated at 03:22 ET

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Live video from the House of Commons.

George Osborne has said the UK needs to spend more on its energy and transport infrastructure if it is to create jobs and compete in the global economy.

The government will reveal on Thursday how £100bn will be spent from 2015-2020 on projects including nuclear and new sources of energy, including shale gas.

The chancellor said shale gas could be a "real boon" for the UK economy.

But it is unclear how soon projects will start construction and Labour says investment is needed sooner.

The details of the infrastructure boost are being announced by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander in the Commonsm, following Wednesday's Spending Review, in which £11.5bn of cuts to Whitehall departments were announced.

Electricity price

The focus of the infrastructure spending is expected to be on energy.

The nuclear sector has long complained of a lack of government backing for new power stations - in particular agreeing a price for the electricity they will produce - so the government will try to show that commitment by promising money for the industry.

There will also be tax incentives for shale gas projects, with a report being published on Wednesday showing that the UK's reserves are much greater than previously thought.

The transport plans are expected to focus more on roads than railways.

One scheme thought to have been under consideration is for improvements on the A14, which runs from Catthorpe, in Leicestershire, to Felixstowe, in Suffolk.

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Mr Alexander's announcement is also expected to include plans to build schools and for investment in scientific research.

The first £50bn will be committed to infrastructure projects starting in 2015-16 and the rest for 2016-20.

Treasury sources said "a lot of building will start this side of the [2015] election".

Ms Osborne told BBC Breakfast that "you cannot just build a road in a week" but new homes, schools and roads were already being built and the coalition had a "long-term plan" rather than the "stop-start" approach of previous governments.

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Osborne: "We've got a long-term plan now as a country to up our national game"

"We have got a long-term plan as a country to up our national game and make sure Britain is competing with the likes of China and India," he said. "We are doing all the things a country needs to do if it serious in winning the global race."

The chancellor said the government had made a "conscious" choice to limit public sector pay and welfare in the Spending Review so that it could prioritise long-term capital investment.

On energy, he said shale gas was "environmentally safe" and could provide "cheap energy" for many years to come - but that projects - criticised by environmental campaigners - would need to get the appropriate planning approvals.

Real-terms fall

But shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the "problem" was that "none of it starts for four years".

"They should do an immediate boost for housing and transport this year and next," he told ITV's Daybreak.

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Ed Balls: "The international monetary fund says a £10bn boost is needed now"

"George Osborne talks about capital spending but he's not actually acting.

"I don't think the public buy into this at all - I think people see their living standards falling, tax cuts for millionaires, the economy flatlining, unemployment high. The plan has completely failed."

The £50bn for 2015-16 represents a real-terms fall of 1.7% from the infrastructure budget for 2014-15.

But the coalition says the figure is still higher than the one Labour was planning when it was ousted from power in 2010.

The infrastructure announcements come the day after the Spending Review when a lack of consistent economic growth led ministers to make further cuts of £11.5bn in spending plans for the year from April 2015.

In the review, the chancellor said the economy was "out of intensive care" and announced several measures aimed at saving money, including:

• Millions of public sector workers learning they face losing automatic annual pay increases
• British pensioners living in six warmer EU countries will no longer get a winter fuel allowance
• A cap on total welfare spending and axing winter fuel payments for expatriate pensioners in hot countries
• Most unemployed having to visit a JobCentre every week instead of fortnightly
• Total annual spending on welfare, including housing benefit, disability benefit, tax credits and pensioner benefits - but excluding the state pension - will be capped for the first time, from April 2015
• Local government will take the biggest hit, with cuts at the Department for Communities and Local Government of 10%
• The Home Office must save 6% from its budget, but the police budget will be cut by a lower 4.9% and counter-terror policing will be spared
• The culture department escapes the worst of the cuts with expected savings of 7%
• Science and research funding will remain flat
• The NHS, schools in England and foreign aid will continue to be protected from budget cuts
• The security services were the biggest winners, with a 3.4% boost to funding and Mr Osborne praising their "heroic" efforts to "protect us and our way of life"

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