May raises school extremism concerns

4 June 2014 Last updated at 08:14

Concerns about the Department for Education's handling of allegations of extremism in Birmingham schools have been raised by Theresa May.

The Home Secretary has asked Michael Gove about claims his department was aware of allegations in 2010 and Birmingham Council two years earlier.

But Education Secretary Mr Gove believes the Home Office is not doing enough on extremism, a report said.

Mr Gove and Mrs May have pledged that they are working together on the issue.

'Someone else's problem'

Continue reading the main story

The allegations relating to schools in Birmingham raise serious questions about the quality of school governance and oversight arrangements."

End Quote Theresa May Home Secretary

In a letter, Mrs May said: "The allegations relating to schools in Birmingham raise serious questions about the quality of school governance and oversight arrangements."

She added: "Is it true that Birmingham City Council was warned about these allegations in 2008? Is it true that the Department for Education was warned in 2010? If so, why did nobody act?"

Mr Gove believes there has been a plot by extremist Muslims to take over schools in Birmingham, according to The Times.

He thinks there is reluctance to tackle the issue in government departments, especially Home Office.

But a Home Office source told the BBC "he was trying to make it someone else's problem".

Those around Mr Gove pointed out it was his view that for over a generation there had been a reluctance in Whitehall to confront extremism unless it developed into terrorism - and his criticism did not relate specifically to the current home secretary.

But a Home Office source was blunt, telling the BBC: "The Department for Education is responsible for schools, the Home Office is not."

"They have got a problem and they are trying to make it someone else's problem," the source added.

A source close to Mr Gove said the education secretary thought "Theresa May was an excellent home secretary".

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said public rows within the coalition government happen every day.

But this row is different because two Conservative cabinet ministers are at the centre of it, he said.

But the pair insisted they are united.

In a statement, they said: "The Department for Education and the Home Office take the problems in Birmingham schools and all issues relating to extremism very seriously.

"Michael Gove and Theresa May are working together to ensure we get to the bottom of what has happened in Birmingham and take the necessary steps to fix it."

Report findings

Three of the Birmingham schools inspected in the wake of the so-called Trojan Horse allegations have published the findings of their Ofsted reports.

They are rated "outstanding" or "good", although one urges governors to prepare students for "multicultural Britain".

The inspection of 21 schools in Birmingham was a response to claims of a takeover strategy by a hardline Muslim group.

Although there have been plans for all the inspection findings to be published together, this has been pre-empted by repeated reports that five or more of the schools have been found inadequate.

Individual schools, with positive outcomes, have also begun to publish their own report findings.

These include Ninestiles School - an academy in Acocks Green - Small Heath School, and Washwood Heath Academy.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "The allegations made in relation to some schools in Birmingham are very serious and we are investigating all evidence put to us in conjunction with Ofsted, Birmingham City Council and the police.

"It is absolutely vital these investigations are carried out impartially, without pre-judgment. Ofsted has inspected a number of schools in the light of recent allegations and will report to the secretary of state shortly.

"Retired senior police officer Peter Clarke has been asked by the secretary of state to make a full inquiry into Birmingham schools and will report back this summer."

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Tesco reports sharp fall in sales

4 June 2014 Last updated at 08:31

Tesco has reported a third consecutive quarter of falling sales as the UK's largest supermarket chain faces increasing competition from rivals.

For the three months to 24 May, the supermarket said like-for-like UK sales including VAT and excluding petrol fell by 3.7%.

Chief executive Philip Clarke said trading would remain challenging "throughout the coming quarters".

Tesco reported a 6% fall in annual profits in April.

The BBC's business editor Kamal Ahmed says that internally, Tesco has admitted the fall in sales is its worst performance for 20 years.

Continue reading the main story

Tesco is like a juggernaut with a puncture and a worrying rattle in the engine"

End Quote

Tesco has faced intense competition from discount rivals including Aldi and Lidl as well as from more upmarket retailers such as Waitrose.

Industry figures continue to show the UK's largest supermarket suffering a decline in its share of the grocery market.

On Tuesday, data from grocery market analysts Kantar Worldpanel showed Tesco's market share declined to 29% in the three months to 25 May from 30.5% a year earlier, while sales fell 3.1%.

Tesco, along with Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, has responded to the threat from discount grocers by lowering prices on essential items including bread, milk and eggs. Tesco said sales volumes of these essentials had risen 28% in the quarter.

It has also launched a programme of store revamps, which will see 650 stores across the UK upgraded in the next year.

Revival

Mr Clarke said: "Our accelerated plans are making a real difference for customers and we are more competitive than we have been for many years."

But he warned that sales were set to continue to suffer.

Mr Clarke added: "We are pleased by the early response to our accelerated efforts to deliver the most compelling offer for customers.

Continue reading the main story

"We expect this acceleration to continue to impact our headline performance throughout the coming quarters and for trading conditions to remain challenging for the UK grocery market as a whole."

Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers said investors "would need to ponder whether Tesco is a company showing glimpses of revival given its turnaround plan, or whether it is past its sell-by date."

He added: "The wider ferocity of competition is making the implementation of the plan more difficult to achieve, although the company is trying to position itself within the three largest requirements of the supermarket sector at present, in the form of price, online and convenience stores."

Shares in the supermarket were 1%, or 3.5p, higher to 300.55 in early trading on the London Stock Exchange.

Tesco's international business recorded a 2.2% fall in like-for-like sales, including VAT and excluding petrol. Within those figures, like-for-like sales fell 1% across the supermarket's European operations and 3.2% in Asia.

In April, Tesco reported a 6% fall in group trading annual profit to £3.3bn. It was the second year in which the supermarket reported falling profits.

Tesco also confirmed the resignation of its finance director, Laurie McIlwee, after 15 years with the company, following what was believed to have been unrest among investors.

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One dead after car and bus collide

4 June 2014 Last updated at 09:57

A man has died and 13 people have been injured, one critically, in a collision between a car and a bus in east London.

The route N38 bus and the car crashed on Lea Bridge Road, at its junction with Essex Wharf, in Clapton at about 02:20 BST, the Met Police said.

The dead man and the critically injured man were travelling in the car.

Two other men, who were in the back of the car, are in a serious but stable condition. All four are believed to be in their mid-20s.

Ambulance crews treated 10 other people who were passengers on the N38 night bus which was travelling towards Whipps Cross. The crash took place close to the Lee Valley Ice Centre.

A number of the bus passengers were taken to hospital by another bus, but were described by police as walking wounded.

Police confirmed no arrests had been made.

A London Ambulance spokesperson said: "Staff treated 13 patients - three men, reported to be in their 20s, one for an arm injury, the second for a head injury and the third for an arm and head injury.

"All three patients were taken as priorities to the Royal London Hospital.

"The fourth patient, a man reported to be in his 60s, was treated for back pain and taken as a priority to the Royal London Hospital. Another two patients, one with a knee injury, were taken to the Royal London Hospital.

"Seven patients with minor injuries were taken to Homerton Hospital."

Road closures are in place from Chatsworth Road with the junction of Lea Bridge Road to Orient Way, at the junction with Lea Bridge Road.

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'Bold' Queen's Speech promised

4 June 2014 Last updated at 10:16

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LIVE: BBC One special coverage of the State Opening of Parliament

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have said their final Queen's Speech before the general election will be "unashamedly pro-work and pro-business".

The Queen will announce the laws the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition hopes to pass before the May 2015 poll when she opens Parliament on Wednesday.

Ministers say changes to annuities and funding of workplace pensions will show the coalition's continuing "boldness".

Proposals to "recall" failed MPs are also expected to be among bills tabled.

The last session of the current five-year Parliament is expected to last until next April, with a general election scheduled to take place on 7 May 2015.

Ministers say the measures to be announced on Wednesday will mark a "significant step" in helping to embed the economic recovery and in promoting work, enterprise and opportunity.

'Getting on'

They will also seek to refute opposition claims that the coalition has run out of steam and that the months leading up to the election will be dominated by wrangling and attempts by the coalition partners to put distance between themselves ahead of May's poll.

In a ceremony rich with historic pomp and pageantry, the Queen will announce the government's legislative programme for the year ahead just before 11:40 BST.

It will then be debated by MPs in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the measures expected to feature are:

• A bill implementing reforms to annuities announced in March's Budget. In future, people will not be required to buy an annuity with their pension savings and will be able to draw their retirement income in one go if they choose
• A separate bill to allow employees to pay into collective pension funds shared with other workers, a move it is hoped will cut costs and encourage saving
• A new state-funded childcare subsidy worth up to £2,000 a year, replacing the existing employer-funded scheme
• Extra legal protection for people carrying out good deeds, volunteering or planning local events who end up being involved in liability claims
• Curbs on public sector employees claiming redundancy and then taking a job within the same sector
• Plans for a 5p charge for plastic bags in England as announced at last year's Lib Dem conference
• Reforms to speed up infrastructure projects, including new freedoms for the Highways Agency and allowing fracking firms to run shale gas pipelines on private land without getting prior permission
• New criminal sentences for those assisting organised crime syndicates and tougher powers to seize the assets of crime bosses
• Help for pub landlords including a statutory code and a body to adjudicate disputes
• Giving voters the power to trigger by-elections where MPs have committed serious wrong-doing

The prime minister and his deputy said the emphasis of the programme would be helping those "who want to get on in life".

"We may be two parties, with two different philosophies but we understand one thing," they said in a joint statement.

"Countries rise when their people rise. So this Queen's Speech is unashamedly pro-work, pro-business and pro-aspiration."

The fracking bill has prompted a protest by Greenpeace activists, who say they have erected a fence around Mr Cameron's Oxfordshire home and put up a sign saying: "We apologise for any inconvenience we may cause while we frack under your home".

BBC experts' views

"When Her Majesty reads out what is, in effect, Parliament's "to do list" she's expected to quote her government's oft repeated promise to continue with its "long-term plan" - which may well produce a groan or two from some opposition MPs and peers. David Cameron and Nick Clegg are desperate to answer the charge that they have run out of ideas which their two parties can sign up to and are simply running down the clock until polling day." Read Nick Robinson's full preview.

"As you watch the state opening of parliament, remember it is one of the strongest ceremonial demonstrations of our liberty that we have. Democracy is not just the freedom to vote out a government we dislike; it is also the freedom not to be ruled by an autocratic monarch chosen by God. It is what our ancestors fought over in the civil war. And it is a right that we are reminded of every year." James Landale on how the Queen's Speech show us who isn't boss.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg said the legislative programme was testament to the coalition's longevity and the fact it was still capable of "taking bold steps".

They say the pension changes would provide "freedom and security in retirement", suggesting they would prove every bit as radical as reforms to schools and welfare since 2010 in terms of empowering people.

Campaigners have welcomed more innovation in pensions provision but warned that the changes are not risk-free and said employees and employers must be helped to make informed choices.

Labour leader Ed Miliband called for a Queen's Speech which "signals a new direction for Britain, not one which offers more of the same".

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Carriage maker Jim Frecklington tells the story of the Queen's new state carriage which will take her to Parliament

"We need action, we need answers, we need a programme for government equal to the scale of the challenge our country faces," he said. "We would have a Queen's Speech with legislation which would make work pay, reform our banks, freeze energy bills and build homes again in Britain."

Labour would support an anti-slavery bill if, as expected, it is among the measures announced, Angela Eagle, shadow leader of the House of Commons, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

But on the Queen's Speech as a whole, she added: "Just because the government announces it's a bold programme, does not mean actually that it is".

The State Opening of Parliament, one of the highlights of the Westminster calendar, used to take place in the autumn but was moved to the early summer by the coalition government.

With Parliament taking a six-week summer recess from July and rising for a further five weeks for the party conference season in September, parliamentary time available to agree new legislation will be limited.

In addition, six bills - including one authorising the building of a new high-speed rail line between London and the West Midlands - are being carried over from the last session.

Business groups urged the government not to over-legislate and to focus on maximising the benefits of the upturn in the economy.

"Ministers' attention should be focused firmly on delivering existing commitments - from deregulation to infrastructure - rather than introduce a raft of new bills that distract their attention from economic growth," said Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce.

The Green Party of England and Wales, meanwhile, has called for an end for all public subsidies of fossil fuels, a pay cap for executives and limiting rent increases for tenants to inflation.

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Malaysia backpacker police find body

4 June 2014 Last updated at 10:27

A body has been found in the hunt for a missing British backpacker in Malaysia.

Gareth Huntley, 34, from Cricklewood in north London, went missing while on a trek to a waterfall on Tuesday 27 May.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "Malaysian police have confirmed that a body has been found on Tioman island in Malaysia."

More than 100 people had been involved in the search for Mr Huntley, but Malaysian authorities were initially criticised over the search effort.

The UK government said it had been assured "all available search assets" were involved in the hunt, which includes police officers and rescue teams.

Mr Huntley's mother Janet Southwell had earlier said she believed her son had been injured but was still alive.

She arrived in Malaysia on Monday and said she wanted to join the search for her son.

Mr Huntley had set off to visit a waterfall on the island, off the south-eastern coast of the country's mainland.

He told friends he would be back at the charity project where he was volunteering by 14:00 the same day, but failed to return.

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Video shows US soldier handover

4 June 2014 Last updated at 10:38

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The video shows Sgt Bowe Bergdahl being handed over to US forces

The Taliban have released a video showing the moment Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to US forces after five years in captivity in Afghanistan.

The footage shows him sitting in a pick-up truck, before being walked to a helicopter in Khost province.

The US soldier was freed on Saturday in exchange for the release of five Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The deal has caused controversy in the US, with Republicans warning it could put American lives at risk.

The army has said it would review the circumstances surrounding Sgt Bergdahl's capture in 2009.

The top-ranking US military officer, Gen Martin Dempsey, also raised the possibility that the soldier could be prosecuted if he had abandoned his post before his seizure.

Sgt Bergdahl, from Hailey, Idaho, is in a stable condition in a military hospital in Germany.

Bilal Sarwary, BBC News, Kabul

Local sources in Khost have told the BBC that members of the Haqqani network handed over Sgt Bowe Bergdahl in the remote valley of Betani, 40km (25 miles) from Pakistan's Waziristan region.

The area is controlled by the group and its commander, Mullah Tajmir, who served as a senior intelligence official during the Taliban regime, and has close ties to Sirajudin Haqqani and Taliban leader Mullah Omaar.

The US has long described the Haqqani group as a major threat. The network - which has also links to al-Qaeda - has carried out a series of high-profile attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistan-based militant network was designated a terrorist group by the US, making it subject to sanctions in 2012.

White flag

The video, released on Wednesday, shows the soldier dressed in traditional Afghan clothing as he sits waiting in the truck.

Several armed men with covered faces are seen standing next to the vehicle and on the hillside.

A Black Hawk helicopter then lands and the Taliban fighters - one of whom carries a stick with a white flag - lead Sgt Bergdahl to a meeting point where he is being taken away by US forces.

The exchange took place in Ali Sher district of Khost province near the Pakistan border.

Since Sgt Bergdahl's release, a growing chorus of opposition Republicans have criticised President Barack Obama's decision to agree to the prisoner swap.

They have described it as a deal with terrorists, and say the transfer of five Taliban senior prisoners from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Qatar, was endangering Americans.

Some also accused Mr Obama of contravening a law requiring the White House to notify Congress 30 days in advance of any transfers of prisoners from Guantanamo.

'Sacred rule'

But the president defended his decision, saying America had a "pretty sacred rule" not to leave soldiers behind.

"We don't leave our men or women in uniform behind and that dates back to the earliest days," he said.

The administration argued that delaying the soldier's transfer to comply with congressional rules could have put the deal at risk.

The circumstances of Sgt Bergdahl's capture remain unclear, with speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign.

"When he is able to provide the facts, we'll learn what happened," said Gen Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty. Our Army's leaders will not look away from misconduct if it occurred. In the meantime, we will continue to care for him and his family."

Sgt Bergdahl's parents - who have relentlessly campaigned for his release - earlier confirmed they still had not spoken to their son.

His father said the soldier would be flown to an army medical centre in Texas, following medical treatment in Germany.

Who are the Guantanamo detainees?

• Mohammad Fazl served as the Taliban's deputy defence minister during America's military campaign in 2001. Accused of possible war crimes, including the murder of thousands of Shia Muslims.
• Khirullah Khairkhwa was a senior Taliban official serving as interior minister and governor of Herat, Afghanistan's third largest city. Alleged to have had direct links to Osama Bin Laden.
• Abdul Haq Wasiq was the Taliban's deputy minister of intelligence. Said to have been central in forming alliances with other Islamist groups to fight against US and coalition forces.
• Mullah Norullah Noori was a senior Taliban military commander and a governor. Also accused of being involved in the mass killings of Shia Muslims.
• Mohammad Nabi Omari held multiple Taliban leadership roles, including chief of security. Alleged to have been involved in attacks against US and coalition forces.

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Tiananmen tense on rally anniversary

4 June 2014 Last updated at 10:41

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Carrie Gracie has been back to Beijing to find out what young people think today

Chinese security personnel have swamped Beijing's Tiananmen Square on the 25th anniversary of the Beijing massacre.

Foreign journalists were ushered away from the square and passers-by were searched and had their papers checked.

In recent weeks, the authorities have detained dozens of activists to ensure their silence on the anniversary.

The 1989 protesters wanted political reform, but the crackdown was ordered after hardliners won a power struggle within the ruling Communist Party.

The authorities classify the 1989 protests as counter-revolutionary riots and hold no memorial.

In Hong Kong, however, thousands are expected to take part in a Tiananmen remembrance rally.

Activist groups in Taiwan are also marking the anniversary by erecting a huge image of Tiananmen Square during the crackdown.

Both the Taiwanese and Japanese governments urged Beijing to use the memory of the protests to improve its attitude to human rights.

In the weeks before this year's anniversary, the Chinese authorities have detained lawyers, journalists and activists.

Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement that 66 people had been detained, questioned or had gone missing.

Internet search terms related to the 1989 massacre and the protests have been blocked, and access on Google has reportedly been restricted.

Relatives of those killed in the massacre were allowed to visit the graves of their loved ones under police guard.

The relatives, some of whom campaign for the massacre to be commemorated as part of the Tiananmen Mothers group, told the BBC plain-clothes police were guarding the graveyard and they were told not to talk to the media.

Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights activist Hu Jia, currently under house arrest, said he regretted not being able to take part in commemorations.

"But it warms my heart that those events and those sacrifices have not been forgotten after 25 years," he told the Associated Press.

Tiananmen protests

• From 1978, China opened up its economy to the world, but Communists maintained total control over politics
• In 1989, hundreds of thousands gathered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to call for political reform
• Protesters remained in the square for weeks while a power struggle raged within the ruling Communist Party
• Hardliners prevailed and gave the order to remove the protesters by force; hundreds were massacred in nearby streets

Timeline: Tiananmen protests

Why the protests still matter

Chinese media quiet on anniversary

In pictures: Tiananmen protests

The protests were the biggest rally against Communist rule since the People's Republic was founded in 1949.

Hundreds of thousands called for democratic reforms in a peaceful demonstration largely focused on a gathering in Tiananmen Square.

After six weeks of protests, the authorities responded on 4 June 1989 with a massacre of hundreds in the streets of Beijing.

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The protests were China's biggest against Communist rule

Did events in Tiananmen Square affect you? What do you remember of June 1989? How old were you at the time and what was the impact on you in the years to follow?

We want your stories - and pictures if you have them - to feature as part of BBC News coverage on the anniversary. Get in touch by emailing us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Tiananmen Square". Remember to include a phone number if you are happy to be contacted.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Rise in child emotional abuse calls

30 May 2014 Last updated at 00:16

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Peter Wanless, NSPCC: Emotional abuse can be "hugely damaging"

The number of child emotional abuse cases referred to police and children's services by the NSPCC has risen by 47% in a year, the charity has said.

Its helpline received about 8,000 calls in 2013-14 about such non-physical cruelty, and 5,354 were thought serious enough to merit further inquires.

Ministers are seeking to update laws on emotional abuse in England and Wales.

In total, more than 60,000 people contacted the NSPCC helpline, an increase of 21% on 2012-13.

Emotional abuse is defined in the government guidance document Working Together to Safeguard Children as "the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development."

Cinderella law

The NSPCC said it had taken more emotional abuse calls than ever before, with the number of referrals from its helpline up from 3,629 in 2012-13.

It said the surge may have been triggered by high-profile cases such as that of the murder of four-year-old Daniel Pelka in Coventry in 2012.

He was found to have been starved and beaten at the hands of his mother and her partner.

The figures have been released as the government considers a potential change in the law to specifically target the emotional neglect and abuse of children.

The so-called Cinderella Law, if passed, would amend the Children and Young Persons Act of 1933, which currently states that a person should be punished for treating a child "in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health".

A proposed bill would add a further category of harm for which the perpetrator could be punished for impairment of "physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development".

Emotional abuse

• 'The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development'

• It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person

• It may feature inappropriate expectations being imposed on children, including interactions that are beyond the child's developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction

• It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another

Source: Department for Education: 'Working Together to Safeguard Children'

The NSPCC's head of child protection operations, John Cameron, said if the government were to push through the law it would be a positive step forward.

He added: "We must ensure we support children's services and that the police are given better powers to prosecute those who subject children to emotional neglect and abuse...

"But a law alone is not enough. What we really need to do is work together to prevent this abuse happening in the first place."

His sentiments were echoed by Sir Tony Hawkhead, the chief executive of fellow charity Action for Children, who said the NSPCC's rise in calls and referrals showed the "scale and seriousness of emotional abuse".

The Ministry of Justice has previously confirmed it was "considering ways the law can support" protecting children from emotional abuse.

It said protecting children from harm was "fundamental" and that child cruelty was an "abhorrent crime which should be punished".

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Sharp rise in EU migrant numbers

30 May 2014 Last updated at 03:10 By Paul Adams BBC News

There has been a significant rise in the numbers of migrants reaching Europe in recent months, the BBC has learned.

The number of people attempting the dangerous sea crossing from North Africa to Italy has risen sharply, says Frontex, the EU border agency.

From January to April, 42,000 migrants were detected on these routes, with 25,650 of these crossing from Libya.

Combined with seven other less busy routes, the total figure for this year is probably now about 60,000.

On Wednesday, the Italian government said the number of migrants reaching its shores had soared to more than 39,000.

The total for 2014 so far is more than the equivalent period in 2011, the year of the Arab Spring, which eventually saw the arrival of 140,000 illegal migrants.

"If the current trends continue, and with the summer months approaching, there is a strong likelihood the numbers will increase further," says Gil Arias Fernandez, Frontex's Deputy Executive Director.

At least a third of the latest arrivals are Syrians, fleeing that country's civil war.

But other significant numbers are coming from Afghanistan and Eritrea.

In Calais, where the French authorities this week demolished two main squatter camps, the BBC found migrants from a host of countries, from West Africa to Bangladesh, with large groups from Iran and Pakistan's restive tribal areas.

Tracking one of the biggest migrations since World War Two

Almost three million people have fled Syria's bloody civil war. UN figures show the human tide began in earnest in early 2012.

Experts say the latest numbers are not surprising, after relatively low levels of migration in the early months of 2013.

"The main route through Libya was closed for so long that people in sub-Saharan countries have been waiting for a couple of years," says Franck Duvell, associate professor at the Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society at the University of Oxford.

"So the numbers have been building up and people were waiting for the very first opportunity to move," he says.

"I'm not sure this implies that we are going to see ever-more people arriving in the EU over the next couple of months. We've got to wait and see."

Much depends on the chaotic political and security situation in Libya, where a BBC team has recently seen evidence that large numbers of migrants are still waiting to cross. Some estimates put the figure as high as 300,000.

Italy complains that since last October, when it launched its "Mare Nostrum" [Our Sea] rescue operation, the cost of patrolling its patch of the Mediterranean has risen to 300,000 euros (£24,200: $408,000) a day.

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Google offers 'right to forget' form

30 May 2014 Last updated at 06:15

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Technology correspondent Dave Lee explains how the controversial system will work

Google has launched a service to allow Europeans to ask for personal data to be removed from online search results.

The move comes after a landmark European Union court ruling earlier this month, which gave people the "right to be forgotten".

Links to "irrelevant" and outdated data should be erased on request, it said.

Google said it would assess each request and balance "privacy rights of the individual with the public's right to know and distribute information".

"When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there's a public interest in the information," Google says on the form which applicants must fill in.

Google said it would look at information about "financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials" while deciding on the request.

Continue reading the main story

People keen to get data removed from Google's index must:

- provide weblinks to the relevant material

- name their home country

- explain why the links should be removed

In addition, applicants must supply photo ID to help Google guard against fraudulent applications.

Earlier this month, the BBC learned that more than half of requests sent to Google from UK individuals involved convicted criminals.

This included a man convicted of possessing child abuse images who had also asked for links to pages about his conviction to be wiped.

Google said information would start to be removed from mid-June and any results affected by the removal process would be flagged to searchers.

Decisions about data removal would be made by people rather than the algorithms that govern the workings of almost every other part of Google's search system. Disagreements about whether information should be removed or not will be overseen by national data protection agencies.

Information will only disappear from searches made in Europe, queries piped through its sites outside the region will still show the contested data.

'Fraudulent requests'

On 13 May, the EU's court of justice ruled that links to "irrelevant" and outdated data on search engines should be erased on request.

The case was brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home, which appeared on Google's search results, infringed his privacy.

On Friday, Google said that EU citizens who want their private details removed from the search engine will be able to do so by filling out an online form.

However, they will need to provide links to the material they want removed, their country of origin, and a reason for their request.

Individuals will also have to attach a valid photo identity.

"Google often receives fraudulent removal requests from people impersonating others, trying to harm competitors, or improperly seeking to suppress legal information," the firm said.

"To prevent this kind of abuse, we need to verify identity."

Less innovation?

However, in an interview given to the Financial Times, Google boss Larry Page said that although the firm would comply with the ruling, it could damage innovation.

He also said the regulation would give cheer to repressive regimes.

Mr Page said he regretted not being "more involved in a real debate" about privacy in Europe, and that the company would now try to "be more European".

But, he warned, "as we regulate the internet, I think we're not going to see the kind of innovation we've seen".

Mr Page added that the ruling would encourage "other governments that aren't as forward and progressive as Europe to do bad things".

A right to be forgotten?

• In 2012, the European Commission published plans for a "right to be forgotten" law, allowing people to request that data about themselves to be deleted
• Online service providers would have to comply unless they had "legitimate" reason to do otherwise
• The plans are part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the commission's 1995 Data Protection Directive
• UK's Ministry of Justice claims that the law "raises unrealistic and unfair expectations"
• Some tech firms have expressed concern about the reach of the bill

Would you consider using the service to remove personal data? Do you agree with the ruling? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'Google' in the subject.

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