US 200-year porn sentence stands

The US Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by a high school teacher from Arizona sentenced to 200 years in jail for possessing child pornography.

Morton Berger had claimed the sentence was so disproportionate to his crime it breached the constitution.

If the 52-year-old had been tried in a federal court or lived elsewhere he would have received a lighter sentence.

But he was living in Arizona when he was caught with thousands of images of child abuse on his computer.

The state has the nation's toughest laws on child abuse and exploitation.

Indeed, the prosecutor had asked for a 340-year sentence but the trial judge imposed the minimum of 10 years for each of 20 images - to be served consecutively for a total of 200 years without the possibility of probation, early release or pardon.

Mr Berger's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal.

They argued the sentence was wildly disproportionate - much longer than that for rape or even second degree murder and claimed it amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

The state of Arizona argued each image of child abuse was a separate crime so the sentences had to run consecutively.

The Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal and gave no reason but the case has highlighted stark differences in sentencing policy across the US.

'Jesus tomb' found in Jerusalem

Jesus had a son named Judah and was buried alongside Mary Magdalene, according to a new documentary by Hollywood film director James Cameron.

It examines a tomb that, it is claimed, belonged to Jesus and his family, and was found near Jerusalem in 1980.

The Oscar-winning director of Titanic says statistical analysis and DNA show the tomb is that of Jesus.

Archaeologists say that the burial cave is probably that of a Jewish family with similar names to Jesus's family.

Israeli construction workers building an apartment complex in East Talpiot, in the West Bank, first uncovered 10 2,000-year-old ossuaries - or limestone coffins - in a tomb in March 1980.

According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, six of those coffins were marked with the names Mary; Matthew; Jesua son of Joseph; Mary; Jofa (Joseph, Jesus' brother); and Judah son of Jesua.

The documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus, produced by Mr Cameron, claims tests on samples from two of the coffins show Jesus and Mary Magdalene were likely to have been buried in them and were a couple.

The filmmakers used this finding to claim that the coffin marked "Judah son of Jesua" contains the son of Jesus and Mary.

But they say the discovery of the tomb does not mean that Jesus was not resurrected three days after his death - a key Christian belief.

Israeli archaeologist Amos Kloner says the names marked on the coffins were very common at the time.

"I don't accept the news that it was used by Jesus or his family," he told the BBC News website.

"The documentary filmmakers are using it to sell their film."

Mr Cameron will show two of the coffins at a news conference in New York on Monday.

"It doesn't get bigger than this," he said in a press release.

"We've done our homework; we've made the case; and now it's time for the debate to begin."

Local residents said they were pleased with the attention the tomb has drawn.

"It will mean our house prices will go up because Christians will want to live here," one woman said.

Suicide bomber hits Iraq college

A suicide bomber has killed at least 42 people and injured 55 in an attack at a college in eastern Baghdad, police say.

Witnesses said a man detonated his suicide jacket after being challenged by guards at the main entrance.

Earlier, at least four people were injured in a car bombing in the city's Karrada district, and one was killed in an explosion near the Iranian embassy.

A mortar was also fired into a Shia area in the south of Baghdad, injuring two people.

The attacks came a day after more than 40 people died in a truck bomb attack near a Sunni mosque in the town of Habbaniya, to the west of Baghdad.

At least 60 people were injured in the blast, which came only hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said sectarian killings had fallen as a result of the recent security surge.

Most of the victims of Sunday's blast at the College of Administration and Economics were students, police and witnesses said.

"There was an explosion. I did not feel anything for 15 minutes and when I returned to consciousness, I found myself in the hospital," Muhanad Nasir, a 22-year-old student, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Higher Education Minister Abed Dhiab al-Uljaili said most of the victims were students who had gone to sit exams and that five guards were among the dead.

The terrified parents converged on the scene, some collapsing in horror at the sight of blood and flesh at the entrance to the building.

The college is part of al-Mustansiriyah university, Baghdad's second largest.

It is controlled by the powerful Shia militia, the Mehdi Army, and had received threats warning it to close, the BBC's Jane Peel in Baghdad says.

It is not the first time the university has been targeted.

Last month, more than 100 students were killed in a co-ordinated attack involving two car bombs and a suicide bomber at the university's main building.

Space probe performs Mars fly-by

A European space probe has completed a close fly-by of the planet Mars in a crucial manoeuvre on its 10-year journey to land on a distant comet.

The unmanned Rosetta craft passed within some 250 km (150 miles) of Mars.

In a precise move, the probe used the planet's gravity to change course on its voyage to the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet out near Jupiter.

Rosetta is due to reach the comet's orbit in 2014 and send a lander to its surface to study its chemistry.

There is no technology to send the probe directly to the comet at the right speed.

So the craft must harness the gravitational forces of Mars and the Earth to propel it to the right place at the right velocity.

This was the first and only time Rosetta was to fly past Mars.

As expected, experts at the mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, lost contact with the probe as it went behind the planet for the 15-minute manoeuvre.

During this time, Rosetta had to rely for power on onboard batteries, as Mars blocked light to its solar panels.

As radio contact was restored, there was applause in the control room.

Spacecraft operations manager Andrea Accomazzo said the manoeuvre was "fundamental to the mission".

"It's a very big success, so we are very happy."

The probe will perform two similar fly-bys of Earth this year as it accelerates towards the comet.

The craft is named after the Rosetta stone, which led experts to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Scientists hope that this hi-tech Rosetta will, through its exploration of the comet, help solve some of the unexplained mysteries of the solar system and how it evolved.

Microsoft faces $1.5bn MP3 payout

Microsoft must pay French phone equipment firm Alcatel-Lucent $1.52bn (£777m) after a US court ruled the IT giant had infringed audio patents.

Alcatel had sued Microsoft, saying two patents related to the standards used for converting audio into MP3 files had been breached.

Microsoft, said it may appeal against the federal jury's decision, saying it was "unsupported by the law or facts".

Alcatel said it was pleased with the San Diego court's decision.

"We made strong arguments supporting our view " said an Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman.

Microsoft said it had already licensed the MP3 technology, paying $16m to a German firm Fraunhofer.

"We are concerned that this decision opens the door for Alcatel-Lucent to pursue action against hundreds of other companies who purchased the rights to use MP3 technology from Fraunhofer, the industry-recognized rightful licensor," said Microsoft lawyer Tom Burt.

There are a number of long-running patent disputes between Microsoft and US-based Lucent Technologies which Alcatel is taking over - with a further five set to go to court.

Schoolgirl loses veil legal case

A 12-year-old schoolgirl has failed in an attempted legal challenge to her school's ban on a full-face veil.

Mr Justice Silber had been told that the girl's three older sisters had attended the same school and had worn the niqab with no problems.

But the school, in Buckinghamshire, had told the girl it was not acceptable because teachers believed it would make communication and learning difficult.

The judge has now rejected her lawyers' arguments for a judicial review.

They said after the judgment that the family were "bitterly disappointed".

'Religious tolerance'

It is understood she has been taught at home after falling foul of the uniform policy last autumn.

About 120 of the school's 1,300-plus pupils are Muslims. About half of them wear the hijab headscarf, which is permitted.

In his judgement, Mr Justice Silber stressed that he was dealing with one particular case - not the wider issue of whether the niqab should be worn, in schools or anywhere else.

He said the ban was "proportionate" in the light of certain factors:

• the veil prevented teachers from seeing facial expressions - a key element in effective classroom interaction
• the necessity to enforce a school uniform policy under which girls of different faiths would have a sense of equality and identity
• security - the head teacher had said an unwelcome visitor could move around the school incognito
• the need to avoid peer pressure on girls to take up wearing the veil

The girl's solicitor, Shah Qureshi, said: "We believe there are a number of errors in the decision that have led to Mr Justice Silber reaching the wrong conclusions.

"It is surprising that he decided that the school had not infringed my client's freedom to manifest her religion given the fact that she entered the school on the understanding that the wearing of the veil was allowed when being taught by male teachers."

New guidance

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said: "We welcome this judgement. Decisions about uniforms and appropriate dress are rightly matters for individual schools to decide in consultation with parents.

"Our new uniform guidance, due out shortly, will take into account the decision made in this case."

The school's head teacher said it welcomed the court ruling.

"We want to focus now on supporting our student. We hope that she will return to school and resume her education as part of our community."

The school had a long tradition of serving that community, she said, and was proud to welcome pupils from all faiths and religions with a view to helping them achieve their potential in a supportive learning environment.

Bucks County Council's cabinet member for schools, Marion Clayton, said its prime concern had been that the pupil should be in school receiving an appropriate education.

"To that end we have worked with the school and family to seek a resolution. It is unfortunate that this could not be done without recourse to a judicial review. "We hope that this pupil will now return to full-time education."

Costs in the case were awarded against the family.

EU reaches deal on emissions cuts

EU environment ministers have agreed in principle to cut greenhouse emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020.

The ministers, meeting in Brussels, also agreed to seek a 30% cut worldwide if matched by other developed nations.

The proposals, outlined by the European Commission in January, are seen as a key measure to curb climate change.

The EU must still decide how to make cuts, allowing for a possible compromise with member states opposed to mandatory targets.

Hungary and Poland, who joined the EU in 2004, are said to have opposed the cuts.

Finland has also reportedly voiced opposition to the Commission's targets.

But German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said his country was prepared to go further and cut emissions by 40%.

"There will be some countries like Germany that will see a steeper reduction in greenhouse gases," he said, quoted by the Associated Press news agency.

On Sunday, environment ministers from the UK, Spain and Slovenia urged the 27-member block to endorse the 30% target.

Failure to act would threaten efforts to persuade nations such as the US and China to agree to cap emissions.

In January, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas urged "the rest of the developed world to follow our lead, match our reductions and accelerate progress towards an international agreement on the global emission reductions".

However, international negotiations on the shape of the framework to replace the current Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, have struggled to reach a consensus.

A number of nations have voiced doubts about the effectiveness of national emission limits.

New Jersey begins gay 'weddings'

The US state of New Jersey has become the latest to begin registering same-sex partnerships as civil unions, granting couples new legal rights.

Registered same-sex couples in New Jersey now have adoption and custody rights, as well as new allowances on hospital visits and medical rights.

It is the third state to allow civil unions, a step below the full marriage rights permitted in Massachusetts.

Gay rights activists vowed to press for "full marriage rights" in the US.

The US federal government and 45 states do not recognise the unions.

New Jersey joins Vermont and Connecticut in offering civil unions, while California offers broadly similar rights under the title of domestic partnerships.

Massachusetts is the only state to allow same-sex marriages with the same legal rights as heterosexual unions.

Partners Thomas Mannix and Kevin Pilla, who have been together since 1983, were among the first couples to arrive at Asbury Park City Hall to apply for a civil union.

Mr Mannix, 44, said: "The things being granted are long overdue and very important to have, so we wanted to take advantage of it as soon as it was available.

"But it was also bittersweet because it's not full marriage. Once a separate class is made, a separate category, we get back to 'separate but equal,' which we've learned from the past doesn't work."

Ed Barocas, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union's New Jersey chapter, suggested that the separate system of rights would not have been accepted had it been based on race.

Legislators in New Jersey created civil unions in December, less than two months after a state Supreme Court decision held that gay couples had a right to the same benefits as married couples.

Some social conservative groups, meanwhile, are pledging to block same-sex marriage by pressing for an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits such unions.

Dozens dead in India train fire

At least 64 people have been killed in a fire on a train in the northern Indian state of Haryana, officials say.

Passengers reported hearing two blasts prior to the blaze, as the train passed near Panipat, about 80km (50 miles) north of the capital, Delhi.

The train - the Samjhauta Express - was part of a service taking passengers from Delhi to Lahore in Pakistan.

A spokesman for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the explosions and fire were probably an "act of terror".

A number of other passengers were injured, and officials say the death toll may rise.

The train came to a standstill and a ball of fire engulfed the two coaches.
The injured were pulled out of the burning carriages onto the track side by fellow passengers.

"Looking at the intensity of the smoke, many people must have suffocated to death before being charred."

Officials said many of the victims were Pakistanis but some were Indian security personnel.

Railway officials said five small explosive devices capable of causing a huge fire were defused at the site.

The Samjhauta Express is one of two train services connecting India and Pakistan.

After a two-year gap, it was reopened in 2004 as part of the peace process between the two countries.

Baghdad car bombs leave 60 dead

At least 60 people have been killed and 131 injured in two car bombs in a Shia district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, police sources have said.

The blasts ripped through a market in the city's New Baghdad area. Two people died in another blast in Sadr City.

The attacks are the deadliest since a joint US-Iraqi security offensive was launched on Wednesday.

Earlier Iraq began reopening border crossings with Iran and Syria closed as part of the crackdown, officials said.

The borders had been closed for three days.

A large plume of smoke could be seen rising over New Baghdad, an area attacked frequently in the past, following two blasts at the open-air market.One hit vegetable stalls, and a second shortly afterwards detonated near a row of electrical goods shops.

Shortly afterwards, a car packed with explosives rammed a police checkpoint in Sadr City, killing two people and injuring 10.

It has also been revealed that two US soldiers were killed while on patrol in Baghdad on Saturday. One was shot and the other died when a grenade was thrown at his vehicle.

The blasts came a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Baghdad and said the security operation had got off to a good start.

On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki described the crackdown - which has seen thousands of extra US and Iraqi troops sent to Baghdad - as a "brilliant success".

The latest attacks would seem to confirm the opinion of senior US military officials that the lull in violence in recent days was temporary and that there were difficult days ahead.

Pakistani suicide bomb kills 15

At least 15 people have died in a suicide attack in the city of Quetta in south-western Pakistan, police say.

The explosion tore through a district courts complex as a court was in session, killing a judge, several lawyers and court officials.

No-one has claimed the attack, which injured dozens of people, police said.

Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, where for several years nationalist militants have been fighting for greater autonomy.

A severed head, thought to be the bomber's, was found in the aftermath of the attack, police said.

"The bomber entered the courtroom, stood leaning against a wall and detonated," Balochistan police chief Tariq Khosa told AFP news agency.

Several of the injured are in a serious condition with severe burns.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the attack was against the Muslim faith and against humanity.

Pakistan's security forces are already on high alert, following three suicide bomb attacks in the region in recent weeks.

Despite the government's denials, there are regular reports of Taleban insurgents operating in the province, which borders Afghanistan, our correspondent says.

Pakistan is under pressure from its Western allies who want to see the country doing more to control the highly volatile situation along its western borders.

King of Nepal is stoned by crowd

Nepal's King Gyanendra has come under attack from a stone-throwing crowd as he travelled in a motorcade.

The monarch, who was on his way to a pilgrimage site in Kathmandu to attend a Hindu festival, escaped unhurt.

Nepal's king, traditionally regarded as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, has become highly controversial since assuming absolute power in 2005.

The attack is the first of its kind since he stepped down following nation wide protests in April 2006.

Using force

King Gyanendra was on his way to the Pashupati temple in the capital for the Maha Shivratri festival when crowds chanting anti-monarchy slogans pelted his motorcade with stones.

A source says the situation remained tense at the temple for more than an hour as the monarch paid his respects in the temple premises.

The local police had to use force to control the unruly mob.

Public feeling has been against the monarch since he relinquished power.

Nepal's reinstated parliament has since stripped him of most of his traditional powers as the country gears up for elections in June.

The elected parliament is then set to decide the future role of the monarchy or whether it should be abolished.

The Maha Shivratri festival is attended by hundreds of thousands of people every year, and is famous for its naked Sadhus, or holy men, known as Naga Babas.

Zambia loses 'vulture fund' case

A High Court judge has ruled that Zambia must pay a substantial sum to a so-called "vulture fund".

British Virgin Islands-based Donegal International paid less than $4m (£2m) for a debt the African nation owed, but sued Zambia for a $42m repayment.

It said its bill was the result of interest and costs, but the judge has indicated that Zambia should pay less.

The ruling has angered anti-debt campaigners, who say it will undermine Zambia's plans for poverty reduction.

The judge ruled against Zambia's application to dismiss Donegal's claim, but at the same time proposed to end a freeze of Zambian assets secured by the fund.

Donegal, however, will have a chance to argue the case for a continued freeze of Zambian assets.

People familiar with the case believe that the judge will order Zambia to pay Donegal between $10m and $20m, less than half what Donegal sought.

Lawyers for Zambia, however, said the judgement was a victory for Zambia.

Janet Legrand of DLA Piper called the ruling "fantastic news for both the government of Zambia and its people".

The fight against Donegal's claim had been "entirely vindicated and [marked] a significant milestone in the efforts of [the Zambian government] to fight corruption and maintain a stable economic course".

Concerns

Vulture funds - as defined by the International Monetary Fund and UK Chancellor Gordon Brown among others - are companies which buy up the debt of poor nations cheaply when it is about to be written off, then sue for the full value of the debt plus interest.

There are concerns that such funds are wiping out the benefits which international debt relief was supposed to bring to poor countries.

A Zambian presidential adviser and consultant to Oxfam, Martin Kalunga-Banda, said $42m was equal to all the debt relief it received last year.

"It means 30,000 children who would have benefited from going to school free will not be able to do so," he told the BBC.

"It also means the treatment, the Medicare, the medicines that would have been available to in excess of 100,000 people in the country will not be available."

Mr Kalunga-Banda added that while the repayment might be legal, it arose from debts accrued when the country was under "an undemocratic system".

"The consequences of the debt are impacting on the people of Zambia," he said.

"The Zambians at that time did not even have even the capacity to know this was happening and that is probably what brings in this issue of unfairness."

'No comment'

In 1979, the Romanian government lent Zambia money to buy Romanian tractors.

Zambia was unable to keep up the payments and in 1999, Romania and Zambia negotiated to liquidate the debt for $3m.

But before the deal could be finalised, Donegal International, which is part owned by US-based Debt Advisory International (DAI) stepped in and bought the debt from Romania for less than $4m.

DAI founder Michael Sheehan was confronted by the BBC's Newsnight programme before the court ruling, but said only: "No comment. I'm in litigation. It's not my debt."

In 2002, Gordon Brown told the United Nations that the vulture funds were perverse and immoral.

"We particularly condemn the perversity where vulture funds purchase debt at a reduced price and make a profit from suing the debtor country to recover the full amount owed - a morally outrageous outcome."

Jubilee Debt campaigner Caroline Pearce said that vulture funds "made a mockery" of the work done by governments to write off the debts of the poorest - a key theme of 2005's Live8 concert.

"Profiteering doesn't get any more cynical than this," Ms Pearce said.

"Zambia has been planning to spend the money released from debt cancellation on much-needed nurses, teachers and infrastructure.

"This is what debt cancellation is intended for, not to line the pockets of businessmen based in rich countries."

Air force demotes Playboy poser

A US Air Force sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been removed from active duty and demoted.

The move reverts Michelle Manhart to air national guard status, a move which has prompted her resignation, she says.

"I'm disappointed in our system. They went too far with it," she said.

Ms Manhart appeared in the Playboy's February edition in a range of poses, some in uniform and striking a military pose, others while naked.

Ms Manhart had been a member of the Iowa air national guard before going on extended active duty with the air force.

In January, Ms Manhart was suspended from duties while an investigation into the incident was carried out.

At the time the air force released a statement saying that her actions did not "meet the high standards we expect of our airmen".

However, Ms Manhart defended her decision to pose for the magazine, pointing out that she had served her country since 1994.

Rice hails N Korea nuclear deal

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has welcomed a deal reached with North Korea over its nuclear programme during six-nation talks in Beijing.

Pyongyang has agreed to take the first steps towards nuclear disarmament, promising to shut down its main nuclear reactor in return for fuel aid.

The US and Japan have also pledged to begin talks with North Korea on building closer ties.

Ms Rice said the agreement was "not the end of the story" but was a good start.

"The goal is the complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," she said. "This is a good beginning to that effort."

She rejected a suggestion that the deal would be seen as a reward for bad behaviour by nations such as Iran, which is also under pressure over its nuclear programme.

"Why shouldn't it be seen as a message to Iran that the international community is able to bring together its resources," she said.

'Only one phase'

Reading out the agreement, China's chief envoy Wu Dawei said the deal was "favourable for the peace process in north-east Asia and for the improvement of ties between relevant countries".

Delegates from the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia had spent from Thursday until late Monday night in Beijing, hammering out the final details.

Under the agreement, Pyongyang has pledged to close its Yongbyon reactor within 60 days, in return for 50,000 metric tons of fuel aid or economic aid of equal value.

The North will eventually receive another one million tonnes of fuel oil or an equivalent when it permanently disables its nuclear operations.

Pyongyang has not commented officially on the deal. However, North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, described it as being based on the "temporary suspension" of its nuclear activities.

The US has agreed to begin the process of removing North Korea from its list of terror states and establish diplomatic relations.

Chief US negotiator, Christopher Hill, said the agreement reached this week was "only one phase of denuclearisation. We're not done".

One of the topics that looks set to be left for later discussion is the fate of any nuclear weapons the North already possesses.

Signs of progress

US President George W Bush said he was "pleased" with the agreement.

White House spokesman Tony Snow called it "a very important first step" towards denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

However, he warned that North Korea still faced the possibility of sanctions if it did not abide by the terms of the deal.

John Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations, said North Korea should not be rewarded with "massive shipments of heavy fuel oil" for only partially dismantling its nuclear arsenal.

And while Japan has approved the joint agreement, Foreign Minister Taro Aso was quoted as saying that Tokyo would not provide aid as there had been no progress on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North in the 1970s and 80s.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun welcomed the "good results", but added: "All necessary measures must be taken immediately in order to translate the agreement into reality."

But despite the difficulties ahead, analysts say this deal is an important sign of progress, after more than three years of talks.

The previous deal, agreed in September 2005, rapidly fell apart over differences between North Korea and the US over implementation.

The North Korean nuclear issue has become even more pressing in recent months, after Pyongyang conducted its first atomic test in October.

Dozens killed in Baghdad bombings

At least 76 people have been killed in four bomb attacks in market areas of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

sion at the Shorja market killed at least 71 people and wounded about 164.

Half an hour earlier a parcel bomb exploded at the Bab al-Sharqi market, killing five people, police said.

The blasts came either side of a 15-minute pause to commemorate the sectarian bombing of an important Shia Muslim shrine in Samarra one year ago. Three explosions in quick succes

The Samarra attack - on 22 February 2006, but a year ago by the Islamic calendar - triggered an upsurge in sectarian violence which still grips the country, costing thousands of lives a month.

An interior ministry spokesman later said three people, including two foreigners, were arrested in the hours after the blast.

Brig Gen Abdel Karim Khalaf said the bombs were planted by a new cell, and were booby trap devices instead of suicide attacks, the Associated Press reported.

The Shorja blast almost coincided with the end of a quarter of an hour's pause starting at midday (0900 GMT), when Iraqis had been urged by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to stop work to mark the Samarra attack.

Mr Maliki at the same time ordered thousands of extra security forces onto the streets as part of a much-heralded joint Iraqi and US security plan.

Eyewitnesses described debris and mannequins scattered in thick pools of blood on the floor of one building used as a clothes store.

Angry and distressed shopkeepers vented their frustration at the government's apparent inability to combat the wave deadly bombings.

The Bab al-Sharqi blast half an hour earlier was caused by a bomb hidden in a bag planted near a popular take-away falafel restaurant.

The two markets are little over one kilometre (less than a mile) apart on east side of the River Tigris.

They have both been targets for bomb attacks in the past.

How close is Iran to a nuclear bomb?

In the coming days, Iran is expected to make what is being billed as a major announcement on its nuclear programme to coincide with the anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

But just how close is Iran to mastering nuclear technology?

Both Iran and some of its critics may have their own reasons for exaggerating the progress - but the real truth is hard to establish.

In its announcement, Iran may claim to have begun large-scale industrial enrichment of uranium.
But any statement is likely to be as much about political positioning as real technical progress, according to nuclear analysts.

The announcement may focus on work Iran has conducted in installing two cascades of more than 300 centrifuges in an underground industrial size plant at Natanz with the aim of moving towards a total of 3,000 machines.

The centrifuges are used to enrich uranium. This is in addition to two existing cascades in a pilot plant above ground.

But Iran's plan to initially run 3,000 centrifuges before moving towards an ultimate goal of 54,000 has run into obstacles and delays and is well behind target. Even the cascades in the pilot plant have seen problems.

However, once Iran has mastered the technology of enrichment and the ability to enrich gas at high speeds in a centrifuge then transferring it to a larger scale presents a lesser challenge.

Over the years, some of the problems with the programme seem to be due to Iran's own mistakes

For instance, one of the top figures in the programme has talked of how in the early days, those assembling the centrifuges did not wear cloth gloves.

As a result, tiny beads of sweat would be transferred to the rotor which spins inside the centrifuge.

This almost imperceptibly increased the weight of the rotor which then unbalanced the centrifuge when it started to spin, causing it to "explode".

Iran also was thought to have had problems with the purity of the uranium hexafluoride which is fed into the centrifuges, although its scientists now say this has been solved.

Over a number of years, both US and Israeli intelligence are believed to have covertly passed flawed parts and equipment to Iran to cause technical difficulties and slow the Iranian programme down.

It is possible that some of the electrical parts for Iran may have come through the Turkish end of the network run by Pakistani scientist AQ Khan which also supplied electrical components to the Libyan nuclear programme.

By the end of the network's activity in early 2004, it had been penetrated by British and American intelligence with some of the suppliers turned as agents.

Vienna busts huge child porn ring

Austria has uncovered an international child pornography network involving more than 2,360 suspects from 77 countries, the interior minister said.

The suspects paid to view images that showed "the worst kind of child sexual abuse", Guenther Platter said.

The videos were posted on a Russian website, hosted by an Austrian company.

No arrests have yet been made but Austrian authorities are sharing their information with investigators in other countries including the US and Germany.

Austrian federal police said the case was "a strike against child pornography unprecedented in Austrian criminal history".

Twenty-three suspects were being questioned, Austrian officials said, and arrest warrants might soon be issued. Fourteen of them have confessed to downloading the material.

The youngest person implicated was 17 and the oldest was 69. They included students, government employees and retired people, Mr Platter said.

He said the FBI was investigating some 600 suspects in the US. German authorities were following leads on at least 400 people, France was looking into about 100 more and Britain was investigating 72 people.

Downloads of the illegal videos were recorded in countries ranging from Algeria to Iceland and Venezuela - those under investigation are suspected of distributing the material after watching it.

'Screams heard'

The inquiry began in July after an Austrian internet service provider notified police that unauthorised video files had been uploaded on to its server from London.

The material was accessible via a link to a Russian website that offered it for downloading - the site has since been closed down.

Within 24 hours, investigators said they recorded more than 8,000 hits on the video and DVD material from more than 2,360 computer addresses in 77 countries.

Harald Gremel, an Austrian police expert on internet crime who led the investigation, said the videos were made in eastern Europe and featured children of up to 14 years of age.

"Girls could be seen being raped, and you could also hear screams" Mr Gremel said, adding that users paid $89 (68 euros, £45) for three month's access to the material.

Under Austria law, the maximum prison term for possession of pornography involving children under 14 years is two years.

Production and distribution of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in jail

Car firms facing pollution curbs

The European Commission has proposed forcing car makers to increase the fuel efficiency of new cars by 18%, by 2012.

It says it is planning legislation to ensure the average car emits no more than 130g of CO2 per kilometre, compared with 162g/km in 2005.

The car industry described the EU target as "arbitrary" and said it would lead to a loss of jobs and relocation of production overseas.

But environmentalists said the proposal did not go far enough.

Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen urged the industry to see the commission's proposal as a spur to innovation.

"The motor industry faces a major challenge... I would urge them to face up to it and not consider it a burden but consider it a positive challenge," he said.

He added: "We will shortly be in a position to provide not only the safest and best cars, but also the cleanest cars - that is the future of the European automobile industry."

Kyoto targets

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said that without the action the commission was proposing, the European Union would not meet its greenhouse gas emission targets under the Kyoto treaty, or any post-Kyoto commitments.

The commissioners assured carmakers that the 130g/km average would not apply to each individual manufacturer, but to the industry as a whole.

But the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) said the commission's proposals focused too much on vehicle technology and not enough on other mechanisms to bring down emissions, such as taxes and better fuels.

"If left unchanged, the commission proposal would erode the economic strength of Europe," said ACEA president Sergio Marchionne.

The commission proposed measures last week to increase the use of biofuels. It also wants member states to impose higher taxes on high-emitting cars, but some governments routinely veto tax harmonisation.

'Disappointing'

Mr Dimas had wanted an upper limit of 120g/km but was forced to compromise, after strong opposition from the German car industry and from Mr Verheugen.

The commissioners said their proposal envisaged the target of 130g/km being reached thanks to new car technology, but further measures, including increased use of biofuel, would mean that cars overall emitted no more than 120g of CO2 per kilometre by 2012.

Jos Dings of the environmental pressure group Transport and Environment (T&E) said the 130g/km limit was a "disappointing response" to the calls last week by a UN panel of experts for serious action on climate change.

He said the retreat from Mr Dimas' preferred 120g/km fuel-efficiency target, was a "reward" to the car industry for making insufficient progress towards its voluntary target of 140g/km by 2008.

He called for the EU to fix an 80g/km limit for 2020.

Transport is the only sector in Europe that has shown dramatic increases in CO2 emissions over the last 15 years.

The car industry has made huge improvements in engine efficiency, but the power, size and weight have cars have also increased rapidly.

As a result, CO2 emissions have only fallen by 23g/km from the 1995 level of 185g/km.

Mr Verheugen said discussions would continue with scientists, research institutes, manufacturers and other interested parties, as a detailed impact assessment was carried out.

Legislation is likely to be drafted later this year, or early in 2008. It will then need to be approved by member states and the European Parliament.

Astronaut in 'love kidnap plot'

A US astronaut has been charged with trying to kidnap a woman she thought was a rival for the affection of a space shuttle pilot.

Navy Capt Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew to the international space station last July, was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and other crimes.

She drove from Texas to Florida to confront Colleen Shipman, disguised in a wig and trench coat.

Capt Nowak, who was denied bail, used pepper spray on Ms Shipman.

The man in the love triangle was said to be Navy Cmdr William Oefelein, who was a pilot on the Discovery's mission to the space station in December.

E-mails:

Police said Capt Nowak drove 1,000 miles (1,600km) from her home in Houston to Orlando International Airport, wearing a nappy to avoid a toilet break.

The arrest affidavit says Capt Nowak then followed Ms Shipman in an airport bus.

Capt Nowak pursued Ms Shipman to her vehicle in the car park.

Ms Shipman locked herself in but rolled down the window when Capt Nowak began to cry, the affidavit says.

Ms Shipman was then attacked with the pepper spray, it says. She drove to a car park booth and police were called.

An officer followed Capt Nowak and she was stopped allegedly carrying the wig, an air rifle, a steel mallet and a knife.

A search of her vehicle revealed pepper spray and e-mails between Ms Shipman and Cmdr Oefelein, police said.

In the affidavit, Ms Nowak describes her attachment to Cmdr Oefelein as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship".

Capt Nowak told police she just wanted to scare her rival into talking about her relationship with Cmdr Oefelein.

Attempted kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Nasa biographies list Capt Nowak as married with three children and Cmdr Oefelein as single with two children. The pair never flew together.

A Nasa spokesman said at present Capt Nowak's status was "unchanged".

Ms Shipman was an engineer with the 45th Launch Support Squadron at a base close to the Kennedy Space Centre.

Iraq fire downed US helicopters

Four US helicopters lost in Iraq in recent weeks appear to have been downed by ground fire, the US military has admitted publicly for the first time.

A US spokesman in Iraq said that as a result, tactics were being adjusted and mission procedures modified.

Three army helicopters and a private aircraft have come down since 20 January, with the loss of 20 US lives.

The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003 - about half of them to hostile fire.

Correspondents say the recent incidents have raised new questions about whether insurgents are using more sophisticated weapons, or whether US tactics need changing.

In other developments in Iraq:

• The Iraqi government has said it will announce guidelines for the new security plan for Baghdad, led by Iraqi forces with support from the US, in parliament in the next few days.
• The UN Secretary-General's special representative in Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, has urged Iraqis to show wisdom and courage in finding a way out of the spiralling violence.
• Syrian officials have denied allegations by the Iraqi government that Damascus is not doing enough to stop Sunni militants carrying out attacks in Iraq. Earlier an Iraq spokesman said Syria-based militants were responsible for 50% of violence in Baghdad.
• Residents of Baghdad's al-Sadriya district have been taking the bodies of some of those killed in Saturday's bomb attack at a market to the holy city of Najaf for burial. At least 130 were killed.
• Fresh bomb attacks in Baghdad on Sunday killed at least 15 people, including four policemen.

Targeting helicopters

Maj-Gen William Caldwell says in Baghdad that although investigations were incomplete, it appeared the crashes "were all the result of some kind of ground fire".

"We don't see this as a focus just on the multinational force," he said.

"There's been an ongoing effort since we've been here to target our helicopters. Based on what we have seen, we're already making adjustments in our tactics and techniques and procedures as to how we employ our helicopters."

The US military depends heavily on helicopters to ferry soldiers and supplies, as well as to stage air strikes against suspected militants and other missions in support of ground forces.

Jakarta floods death toll rises

At least 20 people have been killed and 340,000 made homeless by massive floods that have swept through the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

Three days of torrential rain have caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water up to 3m (10ft) deep into homes and businesses.

Authorities say the city of nine million people is now on its highest level of alert.

The floods are said to be the worst to hit Jakarta for five years.

Meteorologists have warned the downpour is likely to continue for another week, and with heavy rains falling on hilly regions to the south, more flooding is threatened.

Power cuts

Rising floodwaters have cut water supplies and communications to parts of the city and forced medical teams to use boats and helicopters to reach many of those left stranded.

More than 670,000 people have been left without electricity.

Staff manning a key floodgate in the east of the capital said it had failed and the water flowing in had caused the main canal to burst its banks.

Some main roads have been closed and patients in some hospitals moved to upper floors.

The death toll attributed to the floods has continued to rise since the downpour began at the start of the month.

Many of the homeless are sheltering in schools and mosques, while others are refusing to leave their partially flooded homes.

Roof-top rescue

In parts of the city, sandbags are being prepared to protect buildings from the floodwaters, while some residents have taken refuge in the lobby of the five-star Borobudur Hotel.

Thousands of extra police have been deployed to help with evacuation efforts.

The water is heavily polluted and, with a recent outbreak of dengue fever, there is great concern about the spread of more disease.

The central government is blaming poor urban planning for the disaster, our correspondent says.