News

Egypt

news.bbc.co.uk - Key facts, figures and dates More... (Africa)

Nikolay Davydenko and Marin Cilic fall but Roger Federer marches on

www.guardian.co.uk - Kei Nishikori beats Cilic, Richard Gasquet sinks Davydenko The favourite Roger Federer untroubled by Andreas BeckThe early exits of the ninth seed, Andy Roddick, and Tomas Berdych (7) yesterday, followed by Nikolay Davydenko (6) and Marin Cilic (11) today, have breathed unexpected life into this US Open. Yet the focus remains trained on the man favoured to win it, Roger Federer.Even when he is playing nobody, Federer is somebody. The second seed strolled past Brian Dabul in the first round and was equally relaxed in beating Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Progress does not come more serene.The heat has provided the X-factor in several matches, testing fitness and commitment to the limit. No result is taken for granted. Today Cilic seized up with cramp and went out in five tough sets to Japan's Kei Nishikori; Richard Gasquet, untroubled, accounted for Davydenko 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.While local audiences clearly bemoan Roddick's loud departure more, Berdych's loss was a greater shock, those of Davydenko and Cilic about on a par. Gasquet, a player nowhere near as reliable as this New York weather, would be lethal if he could find some consistency.After the abrasive Roddick had foot-faulted and mouth-faulted his way out of his own national tournament last night against the more thoughtful Janko Tipsarevic (the Serb reads Nietzsche and has a tattoo that whispers: "Beauty will save the world"), the Americans looked to reformed lard-arse Mardy Fish.He did not let them down. Fish clearly has put his many wasted years behind him and looked convincing in beating the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas in exactly two hours to reach the third round.Fish, who outlasted Murray in Cincinnati before reaching the final there against Federer, did his bit for Uncle Sam. He dropped serve early but broke back twice to take the first set, then eroded Cuevas's confidence to win 7-5, 6-0, 6-2.Fish, who is asked at every press conference about his impressive loss of two stones since last September, looks more dangerous than in his precocious youth. His backhand is lethal. He is serving big aces (although his first percentage is down to 52) and he actually likes talking about his fitness. Few here have handled the heat better, apart from maybe Murray who, oddly, wobbled in their Ohio quarter-final."There's a lot of people that have talked about my summer and how well I've played," Fish said. "To be honest, I felt like I've been the underdog most matches in my career. This is the spot that I want to be in. You want to be the favourite and winning a lot. I have played well here the past couple times. I've got a really good opportunity."He is, sadly, burdened by the pre-tournament endorsement of the Guardian as the best outside bet in the field. Punters tempted to lay off ought to do so before Fish collides with Federer, which could not happen before the semi-finals.Federer, lurking like a basking shark on the other side of the draw, knows he will not have either Rafa Nadal or Andy Murray to deal with until the crunch on Sunday week (perhaps neither of them) but, in the meantime, next up he has either Guillaume Rufin or Paul-Henri Mathieu, the Frenchmen who were beating each other up on court four, as the shadows grew across Flushing Meadows. The Swiss could not have asked for a quieter start.Roger FedererUS Open tennisTennisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Tennis)

Hull KR miss out on Lee Radford but move closer to signing Willie Mason

www.guardian.co.uk - North Queensland Cowboys forward would be major coup Hull KR unable to persuade Radford to leave rivals Hull FCHull KR have failed to persuade Lee Radford to cross the city next season, but are close to announcing one of the biggest overseas signings in Super League history. Willie Mason, the hulking North Queensland Cowboys forward who has long been established as one of the most colourful personalities in the Australian game, is thought to have agreed terms to play at Craven Park next season, with an announcement expected in the next few days.Mason, a 30-year-old who won 23 Test caps for Australia, is best known in this country for flooring Stuart Fielden during the 2006 Tri-Nations series - and for the expletive-laden appearance at the disciplinary hearing that followed. He has always been keen to play in England and Hull KR were pushing at an open door with two of his former Sydney Roosters team-mates, Mark O'Meley and Craig Fitzgibbon, already settled in the city after a season with Hull FC.Mason is now almost certain to make his Rovers debut against them as a Hull derby will be included in the opening round of fixtures at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff next February. Radford will line up alongside O'Meley and Fitzgibbon in black and white, rather than in red and white with Mason, after signing a new two-year contract with Hull that will also involve coaching the club's under-15 team.Radford, 31, was Hull's captain when they lost at Wembley in the 2008 Challenge Cup final but was replaced this season by Sean Long, who will return to their team for Saturday's home game against Leeds after two months out with an elbow injury. Long is set to resume his half-back partnership with another former international, Richard Horne, who is also back in the squad for a game that Hull must win to secure a place in the top four.Wigan will be presented with the League Leaders' Shield as reward for finishing top of the table after Friday's home game against Bradford, when their Australian wing Pat Richards needs 15 points to break Andy Farrell's Super League record of 388 in a season. But the game at The Stoop is arguably more significant, with last weekend's Challenge Cup winners Warrington needing a convincing win to boost their points difference as they battle with St Helens for home advantage in the first round of next weekend's play-offs - and Quins expected to make an announcement that will ease fears over their future.The game will be a celebration of 30 unbroken years of professional rugby league in London since Fulham played their first game at Craven Cottage in September 1980, and Harlequins will field a record number of seven players who have come through their own junior ranks after calling up Joe Ridley, a 19-year-old from Colchester, to replace the injured Danny Orr. It will also be Brian McDermott's last game as the Harlequins coach before he returns to Leeds to work with Brian McClennan next season.Hull KRRugby leagueAndy Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Rugby league)

US OPEN 2010: Roger Federer dispatches Andreas Beck in straight sets

www.dailymail.co.uk - Roger Federer enjoyed another comfortable victory to secure his place in the third round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Thursday. More... (Tennis)

US OPEN 2010: Dustin Brown would 'dread' a life like Andy Murray's

www.dailymail.co.uk - Blockbooking a set of hotel rooms in Manhattan amounts to relatively small change for Andy Murray, whose back-up team ensure every detail is catered for in his bid for the US Open title. Dustin Brown has a friend who coaches him gratis when he can, and the Jamaican, 25, is accustomed to travelling around the European circuit in a camper van to cut costs. More... (Tennis)

Man in court over fatal collision

news.bbc.co.uk - A French tourist appears in court charged with causing the deaths of two biking enthusiasts in a crash in the Highlands on Sunday. More... (Scotland)

Pakistan win despite Lewis Gregory's triple-wicket maiden for Somerset

www.guardian.co.uk - Pakistan 264; Somerset 256-9 Pakistan won by eight runsPakistan's squad for the first Twenty20 international against England in Cardiff on Sunday was officially down to 13 players after the withdrawal of the three players under suspicion of involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. Pessimists reckoned that ten players was more accurate. Reinforcements may be urgently needed.Abdul Razzaq did not bowl after injuring his back and must be the most serious doubt for Sunday, Umar Akmal was struck in the face in the nets before start of play and there was also talk that Wahab Riaz had a dodgy shoulder, not that it was possible to ascertain how bad this was as Somerset's stand-in captain, Peter Trego, refused to let him bowl on the grounds that he was a substitute.Trego's stance might not have shown much sympathy to a touring side in turmoil, but it was based on good principles. Lewis Gregory, an 18-year-old from Plymouth, pulled off a triple-wicket maiden on debut - such things are the stuff of legend - and if Trego had allowed a Pakistan substitute to bowl, Gregory's heroics would have been expunged from the records. He would not have deserved that.Razzaq fell first ball of the over to James Hildreth's excellent catch in the deep, Umar Gul edged the fourth ball to the wicketkeeper and Saeed Ajmal was lbw to the last."I was worried about the legitimacy of the game," Trego said. "My understanding of it is that the game started as a List A game - and to my knowledge, you're not allowed to play 12 players in a List A game. I was concerned if we played 12 it would be deemed a friendly and that Lewis would lose his four wickets."Lewis would be savage if he got those figures taken away from him. A triple-wicket maiden inside a powerplay - fair play to him."Pakistan's 264 owed everything to a fourth-wicket stand of 169 in 31 overs between Shahzaib Hasan and Fawad Alam. At 199 for three, and 65 needed at nine an over, Somerset had a chance of an upset but Trego was stumped, the lower order fell away and Zander de Bruyn's unbeaten 122 from 142 balls was to no avail.CricketPakistan cricket teamSomersetDavid Hoppsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Cricket)

Poll: Will Leicester retain the Premiership title?

www.guardian.co.uk - England's domestic rugby union season starts tonight, just over three months after Leicester won the Premiership play-off final. Will the Tigers repeat that success in the face of competition from Bath, Saracens and others? More... (Rugby union)

ICC chief executive on cricket charges

news.bbc.co.uk - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the three Pakistan players accused of being part of a betting scam. More... (UK)

Film review: Jonah Hex

books.guardian.co.uk - The acclaimed graphic novel about the mysterious, scarred old West bounty hunter has become a muddled, inept film, says Phelim O'NeillEven if you didn't know how troubled this adaptation of John Albano's comic book was, with rumours of countless rewrites and reshoots, it's obvious something is drastically wrong here even before the opening titles are over. After we are introduced to gruesomely scarred semi-supernatural old west bounty hunter Hex (Brolin, in grisly prosthetics), there is a terrible expositional animated sequence; it's as if they simply forgot to film some key scenes. Otherwise, it seems like a bad case of lost nerve: Hex is never quite the bad-ass he is in the comics, while the plot attempts some clunky relevance as Hex hunts down a campy villain (Malkovich) who is making an olden-days weapon of mass destruction. It just gets louder and more nonsensical as it progresses, with Fox shoe-horned into as many scenes as possible.Rating: 2/5Josh BrolinJohn MalkovichAction and adventureScience fiction and fantasyComicsPhelim O'Neillguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Canadian to command space station

news.bbc.co.uk - The Canadian Space Agency announces astronaut Chris Hadfield will become the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station in 2013. More... (Americas)

The Aviva Premiership and Magners League season review: Let's get up and running!

www.dailymail.co.uk - When the Aviva Premiership and Magners League campaigns begin this evening, it marks the start of a hugely significant, high-stakes season, leading into the World Cup in a year’s time. More... (Rugby union)

Our Day Out | Theatre review

arts.guardian.co.uk - Royal Court, LiverpoolThe success of Glee and High School Musical proves that groups of misfit teenagers singing and dancing their way to salvation are the stuff of global entertainment franchises. Except that Willy Russell had the same idea 30 years ago.Viewed alongside Russell's other creations, Our Day Out always seemed the runt of the litter. A tender-hearted but slightly awkward tale of a group of disadvantaged kids on a school outing, it became a youth-theatre fixture. Now it's back, in a completely revised version by Russell and director Bob Eaton. The result is a confident, through-composed musical with street-dancing, rapping, live penguins and a llama. It's a measure of the show's ambition that not only are the vast majority of the cast local under-16s, they even filch a hoard of real animals from the zoo.Best of all, this show has acquired its sleek new look without sacrificing any of its soul, although it may be susceptible to what could be called the Glee conundrum - whereby the supposedly ostracised kids turn out to be the most staggeringly talented. Yet Eaton's production feels well crafted without being manufactured; its success comes down to the energy of a young ensemble giving everything they've got.The adults have their work cut out to match them, but there's a beatific performance from Pauline Daniels as the teacher who recognises that a day out in Wales is a poor palliative for the broken homes many of her charges will return to. Rarely has a school bus trip been so transporting.Rating: 5/5Willy RussellTheatreAlfred Hicklingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)

Club-by-club guide to the new Aviva Premiership season

www.dailymail.co.uk - Will defending champions Leicester be able to the modern era's first Premiership hat-trick? Find out who will be pushing them all the way... and more. More... (Rugby union)

Craigavon bridge bomb alert ends

news.bbc.co.uk - A security alert which closed the Craigavon Bridge in Londonderry for several hours on Thursday has ended. More... (Northern Ireland)

Tony Blair on Obama and McCain | Richard Adams

books.guardian.co.uk - Tony Blair thinks the media got McCain and Obama the wrong way around in 2008, according to his autobiographyWhat did Tony Blair think of the 2008 US presidential election? Chris Brooke, who is valiantly live-tweeting his reading of Tony Blair's memoir, A Journey, highlights Blair's take, which comes on pages 512-513:It's one of the oddest things about modern politics. The paradigm imposed, usually by a particular media view, completely disorients the proper analysis. I used to smile at the way the Obama/McCain election of 2008 was framed: Barack was the man of vision, John the old political hack. One seemed to call America to a new future, the other seemed a stale relic of the past. This was a paradigm that determined the mood and defined the election.Actually, it was John who was articulating a foreign policy that could be called wildly idealistic for the cause of freedom. Barack was the supreme master of communicating a brilliant vision, but he was a practitioner of realism, advocating a cautious approach based on reaching out, arriving at compromises and striking deals to reduce tension. For these purposes, leave alone who is right. It's just a really interesting feature of modern politics that the mood trumps the policy every time.Tony BlairBarack ObamaJohn McCainUS elections 2008US politicsUS national book awardsRichard Adamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Top-rated Harbinger sold to Japan in multi-million deal to race as a stallion

www.dailymail.co.uk - Harbinger, rated the best horse in the world after his stunning 11-length victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, has been sold to stand as a stallion in Japan. More... (Horse racing)

Hotspots: All the best bets and tips for Friday, September 3

www.dailymail.co.uk - Don't miss a trick from the day's racecards as award-winning tipster Sam Turner - assisted by Racemail's stable of speculators - imparts his sage-like knowledge. More... (Horse racing)

Villagers signal desire for mast

news.bbc.co.uk - Villagers in a corner of Ceredigion are getting a mobile phone mast put up themselves after tiring for no mobile reception. More... (Wales)

Bevan's career launchpad reopens

news.bbc.co.uk - Tredegar Town Hall, the place where Aneurin Bevan launched his political career, is being reopened to the public. More... (Wales)

Fertility study on mice eggs raise hope for older mothers

www.guardian.co.uk - UK research identifying loss of key protein in mice eggs is seen as a breakthrough that may help prevent birth defectsScientists have made a breakthrough in understanding why older women become less fertile, suffer a miscarriage or have a baby with Down's syndrome.The discovery could ultimately lead to treatments that would increase the chances of a successful pregnancy for growing numbers of would-be mothers in their late 30s and early 40s.Researchers led by Dr Mary Herbert, an expert in reproductive biology at Newcastle University's Institute for Ageing and Health, have identified why some older women produce abnormal eggs, according to findings published in the journal Current Biology.It has been known for a long time that would-be mothers who are nearing the end of their fertility are at higher risk than usual of having eggs that are affected by chromosomal abnormalities, but the underlying cause has been unclear.The new study has identified problems arising from a woman's declining stock of proteins called Cohesins, which act as binding agents to hold chromosomes together by keeping them inside a ring. They are vital to ensure that chromosomes split evenly when cells divide.Women's supplies of Cohesins fall as they age, Herbert and her colleagues discovered. Tests on eggs taken from both young and old mice indicated that the amount of Cohesins in women's bodies declines after their mid-30s.When that happens it means that chromosomes are less tightly held together and they are therefore more likely to result in defective eggs, which can cause problems such as miscarriage and Down's syndrome.Every cell in the human body, apart from eggs and sperm, contains two copies of each of the body's 23 chromosomes. Sperm and eggs must lose one copy each as they prepare for fertilisation. That process involves a complicated form of cell division.This problem is compounded with eggs, because the attachments that hold chromosomes together have to be maintained by Cohesins until the egg divides just before ovulation.When Herbert's team studied chromosomes during division in the egg, they found that the lower levels of Cohesin in eggs in older females led to some chromosomes becoming trapped and unable to divide properly."Reproductive fitness in women declines dramatically from the mid-30s onwards. Our findings point to Cohesin being a major culprit in this", said Herbert. More work was needed to understand why Cohesin declines over women's reproductive years, and such knowledge could lead to ways being developed to stop that loss from occurring.Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, the medical director of the London Women's Clinic network of private fertility clinics and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the study was "very exciting" and could lead to real improvements in older women's chances of having children."This breakthrough could mean the difference between success and failure - them having a baby or not - for the fast-growing number of women who are trying to conceive after their late 30s," he added.ReproductionBiologyFertility problemsGeneticsDenis Campbellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Genetics)

Communicating Doors | Theatre review

arts.guardian.co.uk - Stephen Joseph, ScarboroughThree women have urgent business in a smart hotel suite. One of them has narrowly escaped being murdered, one is about to be murdered, and the other was murdered two decades before. Impossible? Not in this establishment, where, instead of connecting to an adjacent room, the door in the corner leads back to the same suite 20 years earlier.First presented in 1994, this time-warp thriller was one of the first plays in which Alan Ayckbourn allowed the inspiration behind his adult comedies and children's writing to fuse; it might be said to mark his adolescent phase, as it combines elements of the science-fiction he devoured beneath the bedcovers at boarding school with the film noir classics he loved in his youth.The scenario might even have had Hitchcock scratching his head: an elderly businessman with a bad conscience summons a prostitute to his hotel room to witness his confession, before a sinister henchman tries to silence her. She escapes through the time-space continuum and comes face to face with a previous victim of the person she is fleeing. Together, they devise a plot to travel further back in time to warn a third woman whose life is in danger, before it is too late - or possibly before it is too soon. It can be difficult keeping track.The conceit holds together because it adheres to the rigorous internal logic Ayckbourn applies to his finest children's fantasies, in which time travel is relatively commonplace. But the format also provides the basis for a deeply perceptive exploration of three women whose radically different lives suddenly become dependent on each other.Laura Doddington is touching as the world's most easily intimidated dominatrix, Poopay ("It's French for a doll," she declares). Laura Howard looks suitably perturbed as a young bride interrupted on her wedding night by someone from the future announcing that her husband is a murderer. And Liza Goddard's fiftysomething Ruella takes a delightfully pragmatic view of the romantic possibilities of winding back the clock. "Don't be ridiculous," she says. "No woman in their right mind would want to revisit her honeymoon."Ayckbourn's production sometimes stretches credulity: it is hard to imagine a five-star hotel that does not refurbish its rooms once in 40 years; but it whets the appetite for a piece in which the characters in an Ayckbourn revival stumble across a group of actors playing the same roles in the original production. Now there would be a conundrum.Rating: 4/5Alan AyckbournTheatreAlfred Hicklingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)

DCAL cuts 'will mean job losses'

news.bbc.co.uk - A senior civil servant at the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure says that job losses are inevitable because of the cuts it has to make More... (Northern Ireland)

Sorting office threatens 400 jobs

news.bbc.co.uk - Plans to modernise postal services in Kent could lead to 400 jobs being cut and the closure of four sorting offices. More... (England)

Darren Pattinson injury adds to Nottinghamshire's bowler shortage

www.guardian.co.uk - Pattinson sprains ankle as Durham fight back England call up Ryan Sidebottom for one-day dutyIt is a good job Nottinghamshire have a decent cushion at the top of the Championship table, because they are starting to run out of bowlers. Ryan Sidebottom has almost certainly made his last appearance for the county having been called away, after two days of this game, on England one-day duty for the next two weeks, and his nominated replacement, Darren Pattinson, then sprained an ankle bowling his first ball in Durham's second innings.The over had to be completed by Andre Adams as Pattinson left the field for treatment. Although the best-known former Grimsby roofer in history returned for another crack after lunch, he could manage only two feeble overs that went for 26 before calling it quits. With Charlie Shreck and Andy Carter also injured, and Stuart Broad otherwise engaged, Notts could well be down to three fit seamers not only for the rest of this match but for next week's game against title rivals Yorkshire at Trent Bridge.However, they are only a reasonable batting performance away from a draw here that would secure nine points and extend their lead over second-placed Somerset to 25, with Yorkshire a further three points back.So draws from their remaining two games, against Yorkshire and then Lancashire at Old Trafford in the last round of matches starting on Monday week, would almost certainly be enough to regain the Championship title they last won in 2005.Pattinson played his part with the bat as they restricted Durham to a first innings lead of 29, resuming the innings Sidebottom had started late on Wednesday and blocking sensibly for most of the morning session until he was last out for a season's best 19. That allowed the three remaining fit seamers - Paul Franks, Adams and Luke Fletcher - to play some shots as Notts added 84 for the last three wickets after Steven Mullaney had gone to Liam Plunkett in the first over of the day.The admirable Adams then dismissed Durham's left-handed openers cheaply, but Gordon Muchall took the game away from Notts with his attack on the hobbling Pattinson after lunch. The tall 27-year-old, who was in line for a new contract before this innings even though he has still to fulfil his potential consistently in the nine seasons since he made his debut, raced to 50 from 52 balls and completed his 10th first-class century with his 16th boundary.Durham will resume on the last day with a lead of 308 after Dale Benkenstein and Ian Blackwell each reached 50, but the injury that has ruled Mark Davies out of their attack for the rest of the match is likely to rule out any bold declaration by the champions, who are not yet mathematically safe from relegation.Warwickshire took a huge step towards avoiding the drop by polishing off Kent to complete their second consecutive victory. The England Lions seamer Chris Woakes ended with match figures of 11 for 97 in addition to making two crucial contributions with the bat as the Bears climbed 18 points clear of Kent, who are now in the relegation zone with Essex.NottinghamshireDurhamCricketAndy Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Cricket)

Pakistan trio hit by ICC charges

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - have been charged, and provisionally suspensed, by the International Cricket Council. More... (Asia)

Pakistan trio charged by the ICC

news.bbc.co.uk - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption are charged with various offences by world cricket's governing body, the ICC. More... (Asia)

McCulloch & Naismith in for Scots

news.bbc.co.uk - Lee McCulloch and Steven Naismith are among six Rangers players in the Scotland team to face Lithuania on Friday. More... (Scotland)

Tanker runs aground off N Canada

news.bbc.co.uk - A tanker carrying 9m litres of diesel fuel runs aground in the Northwest Passage, off the coast of northern Canada. More... (Americas)

Ryan Moore returns to action but accepts that title chance has gone

www.guardian.co.uk - The champion jockey was unplaced on two rides as he came back from a three-week absenceNo one expected Ryan Moore to celebrate his return to race-riding after three weeks on the sidelines by high-fiving a long line of punters as he left the weighing room but, even by his standards, his afternoon here was distinctly low-key. The one bright moment came as he walked into the paddock for his first ride of the day."Don't smile, Ryan," Frankie Dettori called out breezily as they trotted past the press corps and, just for once, the champion jockey found it difficult to do anything but.For any punters still clinging forlornly to short-priced bets on Moore for the jockeys' title, though, this was the day when all hope seemed to evaporate. Moore's two rides on the card were both unfancied in the market and both failed to trouble the judge.Caraboss, an 8-1 chance owned by the Queen, did at least make it into fourth place in division two of the fillies' maiden, but Tale Untold, at 20-1, was only fifth of eight in the Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes half an hour later.Despite his three previous titles, the championship has never been an over- riding priority for Moore, who was struggling to keep up with Paul Hanagan even before he suffered a wrist injury in a post-race fall at Windsor on 9 August.With his services likely to be required in America for the Breeders' Cup in the final week of the turf season, he would need to build a secure lead by the end of October and, even if Sir Michael Stoute's stable explodes into form, just bridging the 33-winner gap to Hanagan would be an immense task.But Caraboss did not hint at a sudden spate of winners from Freemason Lodge - indeed Stoute, for all the lucrative heroics of Workforce and Harbinger, has saddled saddled just 17 winners since the end of June.Moore, who spoke briefly to reporters afterwards, has apparently accepted that his title race is run. "It appears that way," he said. "It's not that I don't rate championships, I wouldn't say that, but I guess I'll just keep doing what I usually do."Moore tried to reduce the swelling on his injured wrist and accelerate his recovery using a cryogenic chamber at a specialist centre in Tring."I was down in Tring for about 10 days," he said. "The treatment helps to keep your fitness up because you do a bit of training afterwards and it gives you a bit of a boost, so it's easier to work after you've had the treatment. I've been riding out for the last week and a half now. It's good to be back."Moore would not be drawn, though, on who he expects to succeed him as champion in what looks like a straight race between Hanagan and Richard Hughes. "It's two months away," he said, "and anything can happen in racing."It felt like high summer at Salisbury, but the results did not match the fine weather, with 33-1 chances successful in both divisions of the maiden and Margot Did, the hot favourite for the Dick Poole, edged out by a nose and a neck behind Brevity in a race that never quite unfolded as Hayley Turner, Margot Did's rider, would have liked.Dettori later failed to deliver on an even-money chance as Khawlah, whose relatives include Sea The Stars, started slowly and finished fast but too late in division two of the maiden.Both Shim Sham and Brevity are trained by Brian Meehan, who could be a man to follow closely over the next few weeks. "The spring was tough, but they're coming through now," Meehan said. "I think my two-year-olds are very special. I thought we had a hell of a bunch last year but they're even better this year."Horse racingRyan MooreGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Horse racing)

Blair's job was done by 1997: to numb Labour, and to enshrine Thatcherism | Simon Jenkins

books.guardian.co.uk - In Downing Street, Blair never fulfilled his early promise and let Brown in. Now he can only emit a long wail of impotenceWho said books are dead? Did he blog or tweet, video or iPad? No, Tony Blair wanted to get a message across, so he wrote a book. He smeared the black stuff on trees, stitched it together and made people go out to buy it. Good for him.Blair's mildly engaging stream of auto-eroticism shows him memoirising much as he ruled. He uses the first person singular a million times. He stages everything. He fixes on a theme and controls the narrative. The intention is to smother an Iraq apologia in endless quotables on Gordon Brown and his emotional idiocy and general hopelessness. It is cruel, but has worked a dream.Blair was a politician of great talent, and a miserable prime minister. The service he did his country was considerable, but it was done by the time he took office in 1997. It was to anaesthetise the Labour party while he turned it into a vehicle to make him electable and his newly espoused Thatcherism irreversible, much as Attlee had made welfarism irreversible in 1945. The British left is still in denial on the subject.When the Social Democratic party was formed in 1981, an ambitious young Blair abused them as "middle-aged, middle-class erstwhile Labour", with only "lingering social consciences [to] prevent them voting Tory". When, a year later, Anthony Blair fought Beaconsfield, he was for CND, against Trident and for withdrawal from Europe. (None of this is in his memoir.)When Blair arrived in parliament in 1983, he was eloquent in defence of clause IV renationalisation: "not a question of reinterpreting it … but a question of giving effect to it". There should be no curb on trade union rights, and privatisation should be abandoned "here, now and for ever". When Nigel Lawson cut income tax to 40%, Blair demanded Labour increase it to 60%.By the end of the 80s, ambition had worked a wondrous change. Blair abandoned nuclear disarmament and subscribed to the EU. As employment spokesman, he declared that Thatcher's union laws should stay. He did a U-turn on privatisation. Unlike Neil Kinnock, John Smith and Brown, Blair saw himself as classless and placeless, at ease in Thatcher's world. He travelled to the US with Brown and, like De Tocqueville, returned mesmerised, in particular by Clinton's use of political charisma.When he became leader, Blair's self-styled "project" dared not speak its Thatcherite name, but it understood that success could lie only in capturing the middle ground, in the "electoral necessity of bourgeois ascendancy". New Labour should hang loose, talking about right and wrong, individual choice, community not state. Blair himself was unashamedly rightwing, espousing the nuclear deterrent and telling a police conference that "if we dare not speak the language of punishment then we deny the real world".Such idealism in a prince, as Machiavelli pointed out, was useless without power. Blair's memoir is as its self-regarding best in recounting how he re-engineered the Labour party so it could never again undermine its leader, as it had Gaitskell, Wilson and Callaghan. Where previous prime ministers had struggled to bend a monolithic party to their will, Blair set out to smash it.In 1996 Blair wrote that unions should have "no special or privileged place" in his party. "We will not be held to ransom by the unions. We will stand up to strikes," he assured the Sun, and he meant it. The bloc vote should go; the party conference should lose power over the manifesto; the national executive should be divorced from the shadow cabinet; even the holy of holies, clause IV, should evaporate.The party was torn to shreds as Blair scored victory after victory against "old Labour". He turned a 19th-century movement into a 21st-century presidential machine, puffed up with candyfloss vacuities such as "traditional values in a changed world". Blair's appetite for cliche was, and is, gargantuan.Blair never criticised Thatcher. In 1995 he lauded her as "a radical, not a Tory". He told the New York Times that Labour would be "unelectable" if it dismantled Thatcherism, one of the things "the 1980s got right". The lady returned the compliment, remarking during the 1997 election that he was "a man who won't let Britain down". She was the first VIP - before any Labour figure - whom Blair invited to Downing Street. He was obsessed by her good opinion, like Odysseus panting at the sirens' call but blocking his colleagues' ears.In office Blair was a true fundamentalist. He adored Thatcher's policies on law and order, refusing penal reform. He carried privatisation far beyond what she had tolerated, fuelled by his affection for high finance and private wealth. He mimicked Thatcher's belligerence in foreign affairs, loving to be thought "not wobbly". Even his "regrets" have a Thatcherite tinge: the foxhunting ban and freedom of information.The left's refusal to accept what Blair did to Labour is reminiscent of the Whig acceptance of reform in the 1830s. When Britain is experiencing radical change, it prefers to look the other way. Blair's conversion was so deft that his party bought the Thatcher ticket hook, line and sinker, but on the strict understanding that it was not mentioned.Needless to say, little of this is in Blair's book, though he does let slip a tribute to Thatcher's "character, leadership and intelligence" in smashing the unions. One reason must be that, while Blair understood Thatcherism's potency, he was blind to its shortcomings. He grasped the essence of his creed but could not see how to take it forward.Not for three decades has anyone in Britain charted a proper boundary between the public and private sectors. Blair noted that in 1997 Thatcher's public sector was "largely unreformed" and that, had Attlee returned, "he would have greeted it as an old friend". Yet he did nothing. He could change Labour ruthlessly, but quailed before the gods of public administration. This was despite having turned Downing Street into a furnace of centralised power. He and Brown tipped unprecedented quantities of money into the pockets of public servants, yet the quality of Britain's schools, hospitals and social services remains shocking.Blair blames much of this failure on Brown, but the failure was Blair's. He left Brown in charge, with his co-architect of madness, Ed Balls - who without apology now thinks himself equipped to run the country. Blair never had the guts to sack either of them. As a result, one of the brightest sparks to cross the political firmament since the war can emit only a long wail of impotence.Perhaps Blair is right, that Brown was his nemesis, a tragedy collapsed across the path of history. If so, a duo that could have created so much, and yet created so little, is just another might-have-been.Tony BlairLabourPolitics pastMargaret ThatcherGordon BrownLabour government 1997 - 1999Simon Jenkinsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

M4 closed after 10-vehicle crash

news.bbc.co.uk - The M4 in Berkshire is closed in one direction after an accident involving up to 10 vehicles. More... (England)

Israeli novelist on Middle East conflict

news.bbc.co.uk - The Israeli novelist David Grossman on how the Middle East conflict tore his family apart. More... (Middle East)

'Angen sicrhau diogelwch giatiau'

news.bbc.co.uk - Cwmnïau sy'n dylunio, gosod neu gynnal a chadw giatiau trydanol yn cael eu hannog i wneud mwy i sicrhau eu diogelwch. More... (Wales)

I write a nasty book. And they want a girly cover on it | Lionel Shriver

books.guardian.co.uk - Publishing's notion of what women want is dated and patronising. In my case it's like trying to stuff a rottweiler in a dressThe latest literary dust-up in America concerns the outsize critical admiration of Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom, the follow-up to his 2001 National Book Award winner The Corrections. Freedom secured two worshipful reviews from the New York Times in one week, the Book Review's lengthy cover essay drooling with such jaw-dropped awe that it was hard to read for the saliva stains. Franzen himself appears on the cover of Time, and Freedom sits in President Obama's stack of holiday reading.Fellow novelist Jodi Picoult ignited online fireworks last week by claiming that female writers never attract the same reverence as "white male literary darlings" like Franzen. Naturally Picoult risks the appearance of plain old envy. Though a skilful craftsman, Picoult may also lack the literary standing to make such a charge. Myself, I've yet to read Freedom, embargoed until this Wednesday, but it does sound like an excellent book, one I'm looking forward to.Nevertheless, Picoult has a point. A female novelist would never enjoy a Frazen-scale frenzy of adulation in America, which maintains two distinct tiers in fiction. The heavy hitters - cultural icons who often produce great doorstop novels that no one ever argues are under-edited - are exclusively male. Rising literati like Rick Moody and Jonathan Franzen efficiently assume the spots left unoccupied by John Updike and Norman Mailer, like a rigged game of musical chairs. Then there's everybody else - including a raft of female writers who keep the publishing industry afloat by selling to its primary consumers: women.Elaine Showalter did a bang-up job in the Guardian Review last spring explaining why American women are never credited with writing the Great American Novel while identifying female writers who deserve more acclaim. So in preference to singing yet more praises of the gifted Annie Proulx, I'll share an inside glimpse of how publishers are complicit in ghettoising not only women writers but women readers into this implicitly lesser cultural tier.With merciful exceptions, my publishers constantly send prospective covers for my books that play to what "women readers" supposedly want. Take the American reissue of my fourth novel Game Control, a wicked, nasty novel about a plot to kill two billion people overnight. The main character is a man, the focal subject demography. Yet what cover do I first get sent? A winsome young lass in a floppy hat, gazing soulfully to the horizon in a windblown field - soft focus, in pastels. Dismayed, I emailed back: "Did your designers read any of this book?" When I proposed a cover photo by Peter Beard of sagging elephant carcasses - perfectly apt - the sales department was horrified. Women would be repelled by dead animals. We settled on live elephants, but it was pulling teeth to get girls off that paperback.Or take the amicable difference of opinion I am having with my German publisher, since apparently this problem is also European. My latest novel, So Much for That, is told from two male points of view. Its subject matter - illness, mortality, and the fiscal depredations of American healthcare - is unisex, its tone furious. Yet what's on the cover? A woman, looking stricken. Male readers wouldn't be caught dead reading a book with that cover on the Strassenbahn.The titling of that novel also came up against stereotypes of my ostensibly all-female audience. The US sales department vetoed the original title, Time is Money, for "sounding like nonfiction", though fiction appropriating and subverting nonfiction titles is commonplace (nobody mistook Alison Lurie's Foreign Affairs for an international policy journal). It took me a while to discern the real problem: Time is Money was too direct, too aggressive, too in your face; it would frighten the girls away. This suspicion was confirmed when I suggested the Germans, with no equivalent of "so much for that", simply use my original title. Uh-uh. Zeit ist Geld is "too male and harsh". I admired my publisher's candour, if not his neutral substitute: The Better Part of Life.Publishing's notion of what "women want" is dated and condescending. In the era of Venus Williams, girliness and goo isn't the way to every woman's heart. Yet publishers presume that women only buy a book that looks soft, and that appears to be all about women, even if it isn't. Yet women, unlike men, buy books by and about both sexes.Granted, the marketing logic seems unassailable: in the US, Britain, and Germany, 80% of fiction readers are women. (Which mysteriously makes women look bad: those layabout ladies have nothing better to do than loll around and read. Yet if 80% of fiction readers were men, we'd assume that men are still far more cultured and better informed, while women squander their free time on mopping the floor.) Why appeal to the meagre male 20%?Simple: smart female authors who twig that their careers depend on writing solely for their own gender will instinctively narrow their subject matter. Meanwhile, gauzy covers with shy titles signal that the literary establishment needn't take this work seriously. Little wonder, then, that the language of extravagant regard in that New York Times Book Review write-up of Jonathan Franzen - "Like all great novels," Freedom "illuminates, through the steady radiance of its author's profound moral intelligence" - is rarely lavished on female novelists. Little wonder that admiration of Franzen's focus on "family as microcosm or micro-history" would invert to disdain should a woman choose the same subject: look, just another bint stuck in her tiny domestic world.When my novels are packaged as exclusively for women, I'm not only cut off from a vital portion of my audience but clearly labelled as an author the literary establishment is free to dismiss. By stereotyping my work's audience as self-involved and prissy, women-only packaging also insults my readers, who could all testify that trussing up my novels as sweet, girly and soft is like stuffing a rottweiler in a dress.Lionel Shriver won the 2005 Orange prize for fiction with We Need to Talk About KevinPublishingGenderMarketing & PRLionel Shriverguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

France 24: 'medieval court' where rivalry with the Saxons fades as chiefs slug it out

www.guardian.co.uk - Sackings, strike threats and a bitter battle for supremacy engulfs French TV channelWhen launched four years ago France 24 was billed as a "CNN à la française": a television news channel that would counter the influence of Anglo Saxon media and make the voice of France heard around the world.In recent days, however, that voice has sounded rather more anguished than authoritative.Engulfed in rivalries and recriminations, the newsroom has been plunged into crisis, with one union threatening a  strike and another planning a vote of no- confidence. Journalists mutter about a "battle of the bosses" fuelling dissent. One even likened the atmosphere to the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre: vicious, unrelenting and very, very, bloody.Since last week, when rumours of sackings and suspensions at the highest level of editorial started flying round the newsroom, tensions that had long been bubbling under the surface have burst forth in spectacular fashion.At the heart of the latest troubles are the channel's two chiefs: Alain de Pouzilhac, the chief executive known to staff as "Poupou", and his second-in-command, Christine Ockrent, one of France's best-known journalists whose imperious persona and brusque leadership have earned her the nickname "the Queen".TargetMarried to the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, the formidable former news anchor Ockrent is no stranger to conflict: sources say that, during last year's surge of "bossnappings", she was terrified of being taken hostage by marauding journalists.According to Paris's media pundits, she and Pouzilhac are now engaged in a battle for influence over the state-funded television channel, which broadcasts in French, English and Arabic.While they slug it out the staff are becoming increasingly restless. "Editorial is falling victim to the battle of the bosses," one journalist told the daily newspaper Libération this week.Last Wednesday the knock-on effect of this rivalry, and the tensions it prompted, became clear when Albert Ripamonti, an editor popular among France 24 reporters and seen as a favourite of Pouzilhac, was rumoured to have been fired by Ockrent.The rumour turned out to be false; in fact, it was Vincent Giret, Ockrent's righthand man, who was reportedly suspended by the CEO. The reasons are unclear, and the management has refused to comment. The move by "Poupou", who took up his new position in July, has been greeted in media circles as a sign that the former adman is preparing to make his influence felt on the company.Without providing figures to back up their claims, union leaders say the channel saw a drop in viewing figures in the first half of this year. They also predict a budget deficit of between €5-€10m.Seeking to explain why the CEO targeted Giret and not Ockrent, some pundits suggested political reasons for his reticence, claiming that, as long as Kouchner was at the Quai d'Orsay, his wife would remain at France 24.One leading commentator, Emmanuel Berretta, evoked the subject on his Twitter page this week, alluding to expectations that Kouchner would be ousted by Nicolas Sarkozy in a November cabinet shake-up. "Hypothesis: does C Ockrent's disgrace herald the fact that Kouchner is going to be kicked out of government at the reshuffle?"While the open conflict between the bosses has emerged only recently, the dissent among France 24's staff is nothing new. Unions have complained for months that "malaise" at the heart of the editorial division has left journalists overworked, underpaid and badly treated.Sweatshop This week the CFDT union asked members to go on strike from Monday, while another, the CGT, has asked for a vote of no-confidence in the management. The CFDT said it was "worried" about the firm's circumstances, and denounced "the arbitrary and clannish management".Among employees, current and former, complaints about the treatment of France 24's staff are legion. Last year, during a change in the business structure, around 30 people applied to leave."It's like we were pawns, like we weren't treated as human beings but like mechanical parts of a sausage factory," one former journalist said. "France 24 is like a medieval king's court. People have patrons: you're so and so's guy or you're so and so's. It's all about alliances."Another former freelancer on the English language side said that "the sweatshop atmosphere" of the channel meant that journalists at Radio France International, part of the same public media group led by Pouzilhac and Ockrent, felt better off. "Journalists who have worked at both RFI and France24 consistently prefer the former to the latter, despite poorer pay," she said.FranceTelevisionTelevision industryLizzy Daviesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Film & TV)

Jail for fraud 'single' mother

news.bbc.co.uk - A Flintshire woman who claimed £63,000 in benefits while pretending to be a single mother is jailed. More... (Wales)

Error 'not cause of Donagh move'

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Musician in deal with audio firm

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Birth paramedic 'refused to help'

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Trio sentenced over prison riot

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Twyll budd-dal: Carcharu mam

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The mint with a whole lot of miles

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Tin helmet councillor suspended

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Bowled over

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Meet The Author: Sir Terry Pratchett

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RBS move to boost Scottish jobs

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'Lights out' help migratory birds

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Pakistan put spot-fixing allegations to one side with Somerset warm-up win

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Boy hit by boat dies in hospital

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Savings safe says credit union

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Man 'strangled wife and hid body'

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England according to the Capello Index - with Luke Varney up front!

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West Ham's Kieron Dyer banned from driving for six months

www.dailymail.co.uk - West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer has been banned from driving for six months after he was caught speeding. He was also handed a hefty fine. More... (Football)

Jose Mourinho admits he's REAL disappointed at missing out on Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor

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More department cuts revealed

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Egypt spy chief poster campaign

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Aircraft men 'incredibly lucky'

news.bbc.co.uk - Two people in a light aircraft travelling to Norfolk which plunged into the North Sea are "incredibly lucky", the coastguard says. More... (England)

Hatton fighting career is 'done'

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Gow explains move to Motherwell

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Tottenham new boy Rafael van der Vaart insists he is no Real Madrid reject

www.dailymail.co.uk - Rafael van der Vaart maintains he was no failure at Real Madrid - but will not take a place in the Tottenham team for granted because of the 'sensational players' at White Hart Lane. More... (Football)

Clue to egg flaws in older women

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Accused Pakistan trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer insist they are innocent

www.dailymail.co.uk - Cricket's huge scandal took a new twist today when the Pakistan High Commissioner cast doubt on the video footage that sparked the allegations over fixing. More... (Cricket)

Attwood warning on welfare budget

news.bbc.co.uk - The Social Development Minister warns that vulnerable people in NI must not suffer as a result of reforms to the welfare system. More... (Northern Ireland)

Magners League's expansion threatens to 'burn out' players

www.guardian.co.uk - Ospreys coach Sean Holley is warning that the Magners League, with two Italian sides joining in, will lengthen injury listsThe Magners League has an Italian flavour this season with Aironi and Treviso joining the 10 Celtic sides in the tournament but Sean Holley, the head coach of the champions, Ospreys, fears the increased fixtures will accelerate player burn-out.Ospreys boast a glut of current Welsh internationals but with Wales facing a potential 20 Tests in the next 12 months and the region fighting on three fronts, Holley, who is already without two of his Lions, Mike Phillips and Ryan Jones, who were injured on Wales's summer tour to New Zealand, is concerned that too much is being asked of players."Alun Wyn Jones has not had a summer off since he started playing professional rugby: you have to ask at what point is he going to break down," says Holley. "There has to be an answer, but I think it is down to the powers-that-be, not coaches."It is a huge worry. I am constantly having 15 guys on the long-term injury list and that has a lot to do with the length of the season. I would guess that Mils Muliaina will play half the number of games in the build-up to the World Cup compared to Tommy Bowe."At one point in the season a particular player could play consecutive weeks in the Magners, the LV Cup, the Heineken Cup and on the international scene. Four different competitions in four weeks. Four different balls at four different venues. You have to ask yourself is that conducive [to their wellbeing]?"Ospreys start the defence of their title tomorrow night against Ulster at Ravenhill, while the side they defeated in the play-off final in Dublin, Leinster, travel to Glasgow. The four Saturday matches are all evening kick-offs with Aironi, who include the former English Premiership players Ludovic Mercier and Julien Laharrague in their back division, have not been given the gentlest of welcomes. They have to travel to Munster for a 7.30pm kick-off at Musgrave Park. Treviso are at home to the Scarlets.The Aironi No8, Nick Williams, spent two seasons with Munster. "You get to understand how the name of Munster strikes apprehension in the minds of opponents," he says. "During my time there I quickly appreciated that I was part of an historic club."One positive for us going into the game is our unpredictability. Munster have never seen us play. If we can disrupt their set-pieces and contest the breakdown, we can go a long way. Pre-season went well and the boys just have to get a feel of the competitiveness of the league."Leinster lost their head coach, Michael Cheika, to Stade Français at the end of last season. His replacement, the New Zealander Josef Schmidt, has moved in the opposite direction having been backs coach at the French champions, Clermont Auvergne."As fantastic as Michael Cheika was, a change is probably good for the squad," says the Leinster and Ireland centre, Brian O'Driscoll. "A new man has come in, thrown new ideas at us and challenged us in different ways. No player knows it all, no matter how experienced he is: you need to keep learning until the day you retire and it has been nice to hear a different voice."Five teams have won the league, three from Ireland, Munster, Leinster and Ulster, and two from Wales, the Scarlets and Ospreys. Cardiff Blues, the Amlin Challenge Cup holders, have made taking the title a priority."We have always placed an emphasis on the league because we quickly realised its potential," says Holley. "We have won it three times and it is nice to be able to say that. Dai Young [the Blues' head coach] can't. I think given his long tenure there he would be really desperate to win it."Young is. "The league has always been important to us, but it will be a major focus this year," he says. "In the past, it has been a qualification tool for Europe rather than something we have set out to win, if I am honest. Now we are determined to be in the play-offs at the end of the season."The Blues, armed with the Scotland fly-half, Dan Parks, start off at home to Edinburgh. Scotland has yet to provide a champion and Glasgow and Edinburgh both lost players in the summer, Ally Hogg, Kelly Brown and Jim Hamilton moved to the Premiership while Parks pitched up in Cardiff.However, Sean Lineen, the Glasgow coach, says: "It is the most satisfying pre-season I have had as a coach. We have a new training centre and our warm-up games taught us a lot. We had 2,500 at Firhill for one game last month, a number we had not attracted in August before. They made a lot of noise and it is important we give them reason to do that against Leinster."The introduction of the Italian sides means that, more than ever, the season will be a test of resources with most of the sides involved likely to lose large numbers of players during the international windows in November and February/March.It is one reason why a strong start is imperative. Edinburgh, who have Chris Paterson back at full-back, may have one of the most demanding matches on the opening weekend, but they have won in Cardiff on their last three league visits and they at least know all about Parks.Magners LeagueRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Rugby union)

Magners League's expansion threatens to 'burn out' players | Paul Rees

www.guardian.co.uk - Ospreys coach Sean Holley is warning that the Magners League, with two Italian sides joining in, will lengthen injury listsThe Magners League has an Italian flavour this season with Aironi and Treviso joining the 10 Celtic sides in the tournament but Sean Holley, the head coach of the champions, Ospreys, fears the increased fixtures will accelerate player burn-out.Ospreys boast a glut of current Welsh internationals but with Wales facing a potential 20 Tests in the next 12 months and the region fighting on three fronts, Holley, who is already without two of his Lions, Mike Phillips and Ryan Jones, who were injured on Wales's summer tour to New Zealand, is concerned that too much is being asked of players."Alun Wyn Jones has not had a summer off since he started playing professional rugby: you have to ask at what point is he going to break down," says Holley. "There has to be an answer, but I think it is down to the powers-that-be, not coaches."It is a huge worry. I am constantly having 15 guys on the long-term injury list and that has a lot to do with the length of the season. I would guess that Mils Muliaina will play half the number of games in the build-up to the World Cup compared to Tommy Bowe."At one point in the season a particular player could play consecutive weeks in the Magners, the LV Cup, the Heineken Cup and on the international scene. Four different competitions in four weeks. Four different balls at four different venues. You have to ask yourself is that conducive [to their wellbeing]?"Ospreys start the defence of their title tomorrow night against Ulster at Ravenhill, while the side they defeated in the play-off final in Dublin, Leinster, travel to Glasgow. The four Saturday matches are all evening kick-offs with Aironi, who include the former English Premiership players Ludovic Mercier and Julien Laharrague in their back division, have not been given the gentlest of welcomes. They have to travel to Munster for a 7.30pm kick-off at Musgrave Park. Treviso are at home to the Scarlets.The Aironi No8, Nick Williams, spent two seasons with Munster. "You get to understand how the name of Munster strikes apprehension in the minds of opponents," he says. "During my time there I quickly appreciated that I was part of an historic club."One positive for us going into the game is our unpredictability. Munster have never seen us play. If we can disrupt their set-pieces and contest the breakdown, we can go a long way. Pre-season went well and the boys just have to get a feel of the competitiveness of the league."Leinster lost their head coach, Michael Cheika, to Stade Français at the end of last season. His replacement, the New Zealander Josef Schmidt, has moved in the opposite direction having been backs coach at the French champions, Clermont Auvergne."As fantastic as Michael Cheika was, a change is probably good for the squad," says the Leinster and Ireland centre, Brian O'Driscoll. "A new man has come in, thrown new ideas at us and challenged us in different ways. No player knows it all, no matter how experienced he is: you need to keep learning until the day you retire and it has been nice to hear a different voice."Five teams have won the league, three from Ireland, Munster, Leinster and Ulster, and two from Wales, the Scarlets and Ospreys. Cardiff Blues, the Amlin Challenge Cup holders, have made taking the title a priority."We have always placed an emphasis on the league because we quickly realised its potential," says Holley. "We have won it three times and it is nice to be able to say that. Dai Young [the Blues' head coach] can't. I think given his long tenure there he would be really desperate to win it."Young is. "The league has always been important to us, but it will be a major focus this year," he says. "In the past, it has been a qualification tool for Europe rather than something we have set out to win, if I am honest. Now we are determined to be in the play-offs at the end of the season."The Blues, armed with the Scotland fly-half, Dan Parks, start off at home to Edinburgh. Scotland has yet to provide a champion and Glasgow and Edinburgh both lost players in the summer, Ally Hogg, Kelly Brown and Jim Hamilton moved to the Premiership while Parks pitched up in Cardiff.However, Sean Lineen, the Glasgow coach, says: "It is the most satisfying pre-season I have had as a coach. We have a new training centre and our warm-up games taught us a lot. We had 2,500 at Firhill for one game last month, a number we had not attracted in August before. They made a lot of noise and it is important we give them reason to do that against Leinster."The introduction of the Italian sides means that, more than ever, the season will be a test of resources with most of the sides involved likely to lose large numbers of players during the international windows in November and February/March.It is one reason why a strong start is imperative. Edinburgh, who have Chris Paterson back at full-back, may have one of the most demanding matches on the opening weekend, but they have won in Cardiff on their last three league visits and they at least know all about Parks.Magners LeagueRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Rugby union)

Brown focus on schools and Africa

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Toshack queries Euro ref choice

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German banker 'should be fired'

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Children to face £80 litter fines

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New Edinburgh flight to Finland

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Ants protect trees from elephants

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US accuses 11 of honey smuggling

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Chinese accused of honey smuggling

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Germans accused of honey smuggling

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Curbishley linked with Villa job

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Controlled explosion on bridge

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Gillan accepts electoral findings

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Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz suspended for six months after disrupting anti-doping test

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Thomas out of World Championships

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Tracking Hurricane Earl's progress

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Error made in abuse brothers case

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Bones at centre of police probe are 1,500 years old

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Thousands stuck in China traffic

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How does Samsung's Galaxy Tab compare?

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Council wants enterprise role

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'Overtly modern' house approved on the Gower

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Craigan set to captain N Ireland

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Explosion on Gulf of Mexico rig

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Strong currents curb Bristol channel charity swim

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Taking plunge for two-way Bristol Channel swim bid

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Hero's return

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Return to Leuchars after 67 years

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Dell pulls out of battle for 3Par

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Surgery rules Onions out of Ashes

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Theresa Breslin: bringing the past to life

books.guardian.co.uk - In the fourth in our series of interviews with authors longlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize, Michelle Pauli talks Theresa Breslin about writing historical fiction for a modern audienceHistorical fiction for teens may not be as in vogue as vampires right now, but for Theresa Breslin, the stories the past inspires can seem just as fantastical. The Carnegie-winning Scottish author has written more than 30 children's books, many of them tackling serious contemporary subjects such as bullying - but, recently it has been characters from centuries gone that have caught her imagination.Her latest novel, Prisoner of the Inquisition, which has been longlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize, is set in 15th-century Spain. It was a time of tumult for the country: the throne was divided between two monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon; Tomás de Torquemada, the architect of the Spanish Inquisition, was at the height of his powers; and Christopher Columbus was about to set sail across the Atlantic."It was almost too good to be true," says Breslin, laughing down the phone from her home in Scotland. "If you had orchestrated this as a fiction story and gone to an editor saying, I've got a magnificent queen who was intent on reunifying the country, endless religious upheaval and an explorer, they would have said it was a bit much. But, of course, it's all fact."Prisoner of the Inquisition is narrated alternately by two teenagers, Zarita and Saulo, whose lives first connect when privileged, naive Zarita, daughter of a wealthy town magistrate, accuses Saulo's father, a beggar, of touching her in a church. He is killed and Saulo escapes, secretly pledging to take his revenge on Zarita and her family. His side of the story encompasses slavery at sea, an encounter with pirates and a burgeoning friendship with Christopher Columbus. Meanwhile, Zarita sees her life change completely as a result of shifts within her family and the impact of a much wider political force: the Inquisition. The two finally meet again at the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the Moorish city of Granada, in a nail-biting showdown.In synopsis, it may indeed sound "a bit much". But, as in Breslin's other historical novels, which cover the first world war, Catherine de Medici, Leonardo da Vinci and the Borgia dynasty, the story is firmly grounded by her extensive research into the way people lived and loved during the period.Readers can safely lose themselves in Breslin's stories with full confidence that, while she may be weaving a fictional tale with fictional characters around real people who lived hundreds of years ago, the underlying historical base is sound. Her dedication to the period is borne out by the passion with which she talks about her lengthy research process."What I try to do - and I think this is the former librarian in me - is to get primary source material," she explains. "For instance, with Remembrance [Breslin's novel about the first world war, seen from a teenage perspective], I looked at an original journal reporting the Battle of the Somme that says 'we're winning and it's a glorious battle'. I also studied a military record of the men that were killed and what happened to the battalions. It all helps to let you know what people are thinking."But it's the smaller, personal touches that bring Breslin's historical worlds back to life. For these, she researches how people dressed, played, ate - and drank. "In the middle ages they must have been half-cut half the time," she laughs. "They couldn't really drink the water. It was too dangerous, so they would drink mead instead."She also touches on the importance of clothes as a marker of how people are feeling. In Remembrance, a moment of light relief amid the misery of the trenches is provided by a discussion on hem lengths.In Prisoner, meanwhile, Zarita puts on her nun's garb when she reaches her lowest ebb. She feels a sense of freedom as she pulls the hood down, puts her hands into the sleeves and sinks back into herself without distraction. The habit might be made of rough grey wool, but the character observes: "It comforted me more than if I were wearing lace and brocade … I was cocooned from the outside world."Yet, winnowing through libraries can only take a writer so far. "Ultimately, I really have to go there," she says. "Really, truly, it's not just an indulgence to get away from a Scottish winter. You need to go there and see the flowers in Andalucia, smell the sea, feel the sun on your feet when you walk through the palace of Alhambra."Travelling on location also led her to discover snippets of history she would never otherwise have come across. Isabella's tomb in Granada revealed a clue about the queen's (accurate) estimation of her intelligence, compared with her consort's.A helpful guide in the Hall of the Sultans, meanwhile, pointed out a secret gallery where the Sultan's female relatives would have been able to peer to keep an eye on proceedings. This discovery inspired a crucial scene in the story.Visiting the location where the book would be set also led Breslin to question how to tackle more gruesome events of the period (specifically the acts of the Inquisition) in a book for teens. The depictions of the techniques employed by the inquisitors horrified her. "There was one museum I had to walk out of," she says. "It was horrific."Consequently, while there are torture scenes in the book, with enough detail to make a weak-stomached reader wince, they avoid gratuitousness. For Breslin, though, it remained important to retain some details of the practices of the time in order to maintain what she calls "truth"."At the end Zarita is crying not just for Spain and for humanity, but also for herself, because she is going to be racked," she says. "I think if I hadn't shown a bit of the factual thing, that wouldn't be convincing. In order to deliver the emotional truth in the story, you have to include some of the literal truth."Bresling adds: "Remembrance was the same. It was barbaric, but if you sanitise it, it's not true. Equally if you gloss over it, it's not true. How do you handle it? It was very difficult to show what was happening and the effects it would have on someone's spirit - not just their body - and deliver that truth."Remembrance kicked off Breslin's move to historical fiction when she told her editor she wanted to write "something about world war one from a teenager's point of view, because it's going to be the war of the previous century". Her editor was doubtful.Following that success, Breslin said the historical figure she really wanted to write about was da Vinci. Again there were doubts. "It was in the days before Dan Brown and my editor said 'do you really think people would be interested in da Vinci?'" says Breslin, chuckling.She won't drop too many clues about her next book, except to say that "it's another historical queen" (and no, it's not Elizabeth). It's safe to say that Breslin's editor is unlikely to be doubtful this time.Guardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersFictionHistoryAwards and prizesMichelle Pauliguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Steven Gerrard calls on England to show fans how much it means after World Cup flop

www.dailymail.co.uk - England captain Steven Gerrard has called on England to make a statement of intent in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria at Wembley on Friday night. More... (Football)

Call for Magna Carta bank holiday

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Chinese author Xie Chaoping detained after book criticises dam project

books.guardian.co.uk - Lawyer says writer exposed embezzlement and migrants' suffering during building of Sanmen dam on Yellow riverChinese police have detained an author for almost a fortnight following the publication of his book about forced relocations in the 1950s, his daughter said.Officers said they were holding Xie Chaoping, a former journalist, for "illegal business activities" after detaining him at his home in Beijing on 19 August, said Li Mo.Li said her father had just paid for the publication of his book, The Great Migration, which is about the construction of the Sanmen dam on the Yellow river.The book charts the struggles of hundreds of thousands of people relocated due to the project, and reportedly accuses authorities in Weinan, Shaanxi province, of embezzling money meant to compensate those affected.The 55-year-old writer has been transferred to a detention house in Shaanxi. Li added: "The charge doesn't make sense. My father didn't do illegal business. They arrested him for the book. My father just wrote the truth. He didn't just make up things, everything in this book has evidence. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the book. It is quite a shock for him to get arrested."Xie's lawyer, Zhou Ze, told the South China Morning Post he had been allowed to see his client, who seemed in reasonably good spirits. "Xie thinks he's being persecuted because he's disclosed embezzlement, local government wrongdoing, migrants' suffering and land disputes," said Zhou. "It is another case of abuse of public power to repress public scrutiny and a breach of freedom of publication."He told another newspaper that even if the book had been printed without official approval, it was the responsibility of the publisher, not the author.Li Wanmin, an activist who tipped off Xie about the story, said: "The book is an objective account of what has happened to immigrant peasants, a marginalised group among peasants." He said that some of the farmers had to move eight times and that many died of starvation during the great famine in the early 1960s.Another campaigner for the relocated residents said he taken several thousand copies of the book to Weinan in June, but that officials confiscated them, saying they were cracking down on illegal publications.According to a reporter at the Beijing News, Xie first tried to write about the corruption allegations in 2006, but officials told the magazine he worked for to suppress the report.His wife said he then began to collect more material on the issue and decided to publish a book himself. Flash magazine, in Shaanxi province, agreed to publish his work as a supplement if he paid 50,000 yuan (£5,000).David Bandurski, of the China media project at Hong Kong University, said that many historical episodes remained highly sensitive in China. But he added: "A lot of actions against individual publications or reporters are coming from entrenched local interests [rather than higher officials]. There are so many examples of history being tied in with local immediate interests. You don't have to stretch very far to see how this could be more than a case of remote history which could touch on [local] leaders."According to the English language Global Times newspaper, Xie's lawyer said the corruption allegations in the book related to residents who were relocated again in 1985.An official at the publicity department at the Weinan public security bureau told the newspaper that the investigation was continuing, adding: "I have as little information as you do."The Guardian's phone calls to Weinan public security bureau rang unanswered.ChinaChinese literatureTania Braniganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Why can't playwrights feel free to be political?

arts.guardian.co.uk - Athol Fugard is right: too many playwrights are under pressure to give the audience a good night outIn Monday's Guardian, political playwright Athol Fugard voiced a concern that dramatists are "failing to confront issues of injustice, writing instead for attention spans of 10 minutes between adverts". Monday was also the first day of rehearsal for my play Ugly, which deals frankly with the issue of climate change - it's set in a future where food and water are scarce - and is the most political work I've ever done. So part of me wants to disagree with Fugard. Only, in my heart, I think he's got a point.I don't think there is enough seriously engaged or oppositional theatre being made. But why does it feel so difficult to do political work when we're living through one of the most critical periods of human history? I suspect the answer may have something to do with a desire (of audiences and theatre-makers alike) to look for distraction rather than reflections of our frightening reality. And, I recognise an urge to self-censor, too. I found writing Ugly difficult because, while I've come to a point where I believe that the only way to confront climate change is to work for radical, systemic change, I'm fearful that by admitting this, I'll be closing my writing career down - that I'll be suspected of being too intense, and not a good laugh. I guess other writers may also sense the prevailing mood out there is: "Keep it light: if you must be informed, be ironic, and most importantly be non-committal about everything, other than the fact that paedophilia is evil." Writing Ugly became a battle against those self-censoring urges.How to talk about issues without preaching? No audience wants to be handed a manifesto when they come to the theatre. But if political theatre doesn't produce some kind of action, what's the point? I had to remind myself that I don't have to have the answers: writing a play is about creating a drama, which in its unfolding makes space for questions. The stage is one of the few places left where it is still possible to inspire challenging and exciting conversation. Writing this play became about attempting to chew on some big questions, while hoping that I wouldn't choke during the process.But isn't theatre about giving people a smashing night out? Shouldn't writers entertain? Is it possible to do that when you're writing a dark-as-night comedy about - among other things - a disgraced home economics teacher who survives by selling her body and her memories of the meals she once cooked, when food was not scarce? After a lot of soul-searching, I realised the answer is yes. The bar is not lower when we make political work, it is higher. Entertainment and engagement is my aim for Ugly. As for finding hope in all of this? I believe that lies with the audience. One of the things I love about working with Red Ladder theatre company is that their shows always have a forum for discussion after the performance. During these, I hope people will feel inspired to share their thoughts. I also hope that some will feel inspired enough to take those thoughts back into their lives and turn them into action. But, I have no interest in telling people what to do. For me, the show has done its job if it gets people thinking and discussing.I think Athol Fugard has a good point, for all that he overlooks plenty of examples of provocative and political work. For writers and theatre companies everywhere, perhaps his words are a wake-up call. Not only do we need to do this work, but maybe we need to get better at letting people know about it.Theatreguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)