News

Free audiobook download: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

books.guardian.co.uk - The first in our series of inspiring self-help audiobooks is Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. Look out tomorrow for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.Mobile users - please visit the desktop site. More... (Books)

McNarry leaves UUP assembly group

news.bbc.co.uk - The Ulster Unionist MLA David McNarry resigns from the Ulster Unionist assembly group. More... (UK)

Llawdriniaeth ar galon prop Cymru

news.bbc.co.uk - Prop Cymru a'r Scarlets, Rhys Thomas, yn cael llawdriniaeth ar ei galon wedi iddo fynd yn sal wrth ymarfer gyda'i glwb. More... (Wales)

Health trust reveals £125m cuts

news.bbc.co.uk - A health trust in the West Midlands reveals it will have to save £125m over the next five years, prompting fears of more than 800 job cuts. More... (England)

Barefoot Bandit sentenced again

news.bbc.co.uk - The notorious 20-year-old former fugitive known as the Barefoot Bandit is sentenced by a federal judge to six-and-a-half years in prison. More... (Americas)

Leicester's scrum half Micky Young suspended for eight weeks

www.guardian.co.uk - Young to miss Saxons game with Ireland Wolfhounds Available from 19 March for last five games of seasonLeicester's scrum-half Micky Young has been suspended for eight weeks for making contact with the eye area of the Aironi wing Giulio Toniolatti.The incident took place during the first half of the Tigers' Heineken Cup victory at Welford Road last Saturday. Young pleaded not guilty before a disciplinary hearing convened in Dublin on Friday.The independent judicial officer Pat Barriscale upheld the citing complaint but it was concluded that Young had committed an act which was reckless rather than deliberate.An ERC statement read: "Employing the International Rugby Board recommended sanctions for Law 10.4(m), it was decided that the offence was at the low-end entry point of 12 weeks."Having taken into account the player's excellent record and exemplary conduct during the hearing, the player was granted mitigation of four weeks and received a suspension of eight weeks."Young, who misses the England Saxons' match with Ireland Wolfhounds on Saturday because of the disciplinary process, is available to play from 19 March.The RFU regulation 19.5.2 does not permit a cited player "to play in an international or any other match governed by IRB regulation 17 until the final determination of the case".Young, who will be available for the last five matches of the regular Premiership season, has the right of appeal.LeicesterRugby unionguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Rugby union)

Dragons' Tovey set for Blues move

news.bbc.co.uk - Newport Gwent Dragons fly-half Jason Tovey is set to join Welsh Pro 12 rivals Cardiff Blues in the summer. More... (Wales)

UN in closed-door talks on Syria

news.bbc.co.uk - The UN Security Council is meeting to consider a possible resolution against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, amid an upsurge in violence. More... (Middle East)

Second Test, day three: Pakistan v England - video reaction

www.guardian.co.uk - England picked themselves up and fought their way back into the match on a pulsating third day, played out in front of a raucous Pakistani crowd on their day off from work More... (Cricket)

Anger at Congo parliament result

news.bbc.co.uk - DR Congo's main opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi dismisses poll results and tells his newly elected MPs not to take up their seats. More... (Africa)

Liverpool v Manchester United: Patrice Evra unlikely to be fazed

www.telegraph.co.uk - Manchester United defender's experience as the only black player in Sicily toughened him as a teenager. More... (Football)

Pakistan v England: Stuart Broad cuts loose to put tourists in the driving seat

www.telegraph.co.uk - Derek Pringle: seamer's heroic 58 could be priceless now Monty Panesar has worked his magic with three wickets. More... (Cricket)

VIDEO: Sneak peek at London 2012 opening

news.bbc.co.uk - With six months to go until the London Olympics, organisers of the Games offer a glimpse of how the "Isles of Wonder" opening ceremony will look. More... (UK)

VIDEO: Pupils try for Olympic ceremony

news.bbc.co.uk - The BBC meets some of the children auditioning to be among 900 pupils in the London Olympics opening ceremony. More... (England)

Bakery workers facing redundancy

news.bbc.co.uk - A total of 135 bakery workers face redundancy with the collapse of Kingdom Bakers in Fife. More... (Scotland)

Arsenal v Aston Villa: Thierry Henry's handball is over with now, insists Richard Dunne

www.telegraph.co.uk - Aston Villa insists he will feel no animosity towards French forward their first encounter since World Cup play-off. More... (Football)

Small named Donegal Celtic boss

news.bbc.co.uk - Donegal Celtic appoint former Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Small as their new manager. More... (Northern Ireland)

Romney storms back into the lead

news.bbc.co.uk - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney pulls away from his nearest rival Newt Gingrich, with a nine-point advantage in Florida's opinion polls. More... (Americas)

Ethiopian army 'to leave Somalia'

news.bbc.co.uk - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he will withdraw his troops from Somalia once African Union forces are there in sufficient numbers. More... (Africa)

Murder charges after decapitation

news.bbc.co.uk - Two men are charged with the murder of a man who was found shot, decapitated and burnt in Stockport. More... (UK)

Wrexham land Leslie from Shrews

news.bbc.co.uk - Steven Leslie joins Wrexham until the end of the season after leaving Shrewsbury Town by mutual consent. More... (Wales)

Eighth patient contracts C.diff

news.bbc.co.uk - An eighth patient contracts Clostridium difficile in an outbreak which has hit the main hospital serving the Highlands. More... (Scotland)

Mark Thompson: a mixed BBC legacy?

www.guardian.co.uk - Fellow executives and union foes run the rule over the DG's tenure, from the licence fee deal to rows over executive payMark Thompson's decision to signal the end of his tenure running the BBC may run the risk of turning him into a lame duck - but the fact remains that once the Olympics are out of the way, his work at the BBC will almost be complete.The painful "Delivering Quality First" cuts process is nearing its end and Thompson has already overseen the current licence fee settlement. Whoever succeeds him will have to oversee a new charter in 2016 and Thompson will be long gone by then.Observers are divided about assessing Thompson's achievements since he took over from Greg Dyke following the damning Hutton report in 2004.Dawn Airey, the former Channel 5 chief executive, argues that Thompson will be looked upon as a man who did a steered the BBC through "difficult circumstances". These include the fallout over incidents such as the controversy over "Sachsgate", when Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand left a lewd message on the answerphone of the Fawlty Towers actor.It didn't help that Ross, the BBC's star man, was paid a reputed £6m per year over three years and helped political opponents of the BBC argue that the corporation was out of touch with the people who paid the licence fee."You can criticise anybody in such a prominent role, and there is huge pressure on him personally and on the BBC," Airey says of Thompson. "The reality is - to have given an organisation of that size stability and that level of income is still fantastic. The iPlayer has been a significant development and the BBC's other achievements in digital space means that he has done a bloody good job."However, one senior ex-BBC executive, who asked not to be named, told the Guardian that while he thought Thompson had "done a pretty good job all in all" some of his supposed achievements were not necessarily his. "A lot of the things he did were in train before he got the job such as the iPlayer and the move to Salford. Also - should we credit someone who got the licence fee frozen for six years?" said the executive. "Isn't that setting the bar just a little bit low?"Gerry Morrissey, the general secretary of broadcasting union Bectu, also has some praise for the man he has faced as an old foe over the negotiating table. "I have found him very personable to negotiate with and he knew his stuff. He was also successful in maintaining the BBC's audience share," said Morrissey.However, he insists that the 54-year-old's director generalship has been a "mixed bag". Morrissey's main gripe was the way Thompson negotiated the latest licence fee settlement — a quickfire negotiation with the Tory culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, that froze the licence fee and forced the BBC to agree a future date in which the corporation would pay for the World Service (which was previously funded by a direct Foreign Office grant). "Thompson did it without consulting anyone and it will be to the detriment of the BBC in years to come," said Morrissey.The union official conceded that "whoever was going to be director general was going to have to make savings". Morrissey is also critical for Thompson's failure to rein in the salaries of senior managers including his own. "This and his huge £800,000-per-year salary made negotiation with the government over the licence fee much more difficult," he concluded.  To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and FacebookMark ThompsonBBCTelevision industryRadio industryguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Film & TV)

Novak Djokovic braced for another physical battle against Rafael Nadal

www.guardian.co.uk - The Serb's epic semi-final against Andy Murray left him breathless but he will need no motivation in the finalAndy Murray sent his old friend Novak Djokovic on his way into the final of the 2012 Australian against Rafael Nadal on Sunday with a bit of Caledonian whimsy when he predicted: "He'll be tired, that's for sure."After four hours and 50 minutes of unadulterated effort in a semi-final that stretched way past midnight on the Rod Laver Arena it was a singularly appropriate observation by the courageous loser. If the Serb beats the Spaniard in their third consecutive grand slam final, it will be despite rather than because of his five-set victory over Murray.At points even before halfway Djokovic was gasping for breath, as he had been when beating Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals on Thursday, and looked "gone for all money", as they say here. Of course, he was not. The strength flooded back into his legs as the prospect of defeat drowned out tiredness and both men left the court drained but content that they had done their job. It will be no different on Sunday. This is their painful calling, one that pays handsomely but one to which they are nonetheless addicted, for good or bad, win or lose."There is no secret it is going to be physical again," Djokovic said. "I will do my best to recover. I have a day and a half. I will try to get as much sleep [as possible] and my recovery programme under way and hope for the best. That's going to be crucial, for me to recover and to be able to perform my best, because Rafa is fit. He's been playing well. He had an extra day. He definitely wants to win this title."All of that might be stating the blindingly obvious but it is no less true for that. Nadal, who complained of a mysterious jabbing pain to his right knee early in the tournament, has played six matches with it strapped, yet shown no obvious discomfort, even in his firefight with Roger Federer in the first semi-final.That match revealed, too, the world No2's hunger after a 2011 campaign in which Djokovic beat him six times - all in finals, two of them in grand slam events. This will be their third straight showdown for a major title.Djokovic was realistic about his task. "We all have different bodies that require more or less time to recover, so I can't really compare that to him. But I have been in similar situations, let's say, where I had the long matches and I'm supposed to play soon after. For example, a couple years back with Roger I had a very long match, and then the next day I was supposed to play finals. We are familiar with these kind of conditions and situations."It is just this scenario that tipped the players into near revolt here, as they seek to rearrange schedules, workloads and the demands of two-week tournaments. It is not so bad here as the ridiculously back-ended US Open, where they played every day right up to the end of the concluding week.Then Djokovic wore down Nadal in an excellent final after that outrageous win in the semi-finals over a devastated Federer.His semi-final against Murray was, if anything, tougher, although Djokovic says, "I had a couple matches in New York against Roger in the last couple years which can be compared to this one. But time-wise, I think this was one of the longest, if not the longest, that I've played in the later stages of a grand slam."I have to be satisfied. I have to be happy. As a tennis player you practise hard every single day knowing that you will get an opportunity to be part of such a great match and on such a high level."I will try to get as much sleep as I can. I don't think I'll practise much. I had enough time on the court tonight."Can he do it? Certainly. For all that the match hurt him physically, it surely has buoyed him mentally - and that, against Nadal, is nearly as important.Three out of the past four years here the winner of the second semi-final has won the final, testimony at least to the considerable resilience of the modern athlete. If they can produce a final anywhere near the quality of the two matches that got them there, we are in for another memorable night.Djokovic's brilliant year against NadalNovak Djokovic trails 16-13 in overall head to head games against Rafael Nadal but in 2011 he won all six finals the pair contested. Here is how he did it. Research by Alistair HendrieUS Open Final 13 September 2011Djokovic wins 6-2 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-1Djokovic launched an all-out attack on Nadal to secure his third grand slam title of 2011. Such was the ferocity of the Serb's shots that Nadal was often rocked back on the baseline, where he found it difficult to mount attacks of his own. Nadal's serve also let him down - he was broken 11 times by Djokovic during the match.Wimbledon Final 3 July 2011Djokovic wins 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3Djokovic became the first Serb to win Wimbledon, inflicting Nadal's first defeat at the tournament in four years. It was an enthralling final but the quality of play often dipped and both players came close to losing a set to love. Djokovic worked Nadal over on his backhand, forcing the Spaniard wide to keep him away from his rasping forehand.Rome Final 15 May 2011Djokovic wins 6-4, 6-4Djokovic stretched his unbeaten run to 39 but the toll of so many matches began to tell in the first set and the Serb looked fatigued. Luckily for him, errors crept into Nadal's game too and Djokovic became more fluent as he sensed his opponent's hesitancy.Madrid Final 8 May 2011Djokovic wins 7-5, 6-4Djokovic described this absorbing victory as "unbelievable", and his enthusiasm was understandable considering this was Nadal's first loss on clay in two years. Seemingly feeling the pressure, Djokovic lost an imposing 5-3 lead in the first set but managed to escape Nadal's clutches. He then ground out a brutal second set to beat his rival again.Miami Final 3 April 2011Djokovic wins 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)Djokovic struggled with windy conditions as he lost the opener to Nadal, who was at his brutal best. Djokovic decided to play more defensively as the match progressed and it proved successful as he worked Nadal round the court. Both men raised their levels in the third set. Nadal, however, stuttered in the tie-breaker. His early double-fault proved terminal to his hopes.Indian Wells Final 20 March 2011Djokovic wins 4-6, 6-3, 6-2With this thrilling victory, Djokovic defeated Nadal in a final for the first time in six attempts. The match was filled with both exhilarating rallies and inexplicable miscues, yet Djokovic's serve grew stronger as the match progressed and he surged to victory after losing a tight first set.Australian Open 2012Novak DjokovicRafael NadalAndy MurrayRoger FedererAustralian OpenTennisKevin Mitchellguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Tennis)

Musharraf delays Pakistan return

news.bbc.co.uk - Pakistan's former military leader Pervez Musharraf has decided to postpone his return to the country, one of his aides says. More... (Asia)

Fitch downgrades Italy and Spain

news.bbc.co.uk - Five eurozone economies, including Italy and Spain, are downgraded by rating agency Fitch, citing financial weakness during the debt crisis. More... (Olympics)

VIDEO: All-Ireland minimum alcohol price plan

news.bbc.co.uk - Health authorities have decided upon a cross-border strategy on a minimum price for alcohol. More... (Northern Ireland)

Paul Nicholls: Aiteenthirtythree

www.dailymail.co.uk - AITEENTHIRTYTHREE (Doncaster, 2.50) was disappointing in the Hennessy, but I can exclusively reveal that we found him to be suffering from ulcers after Newbury. More... (Horse racing)

Richard Johnson hoping to salute Captain Chris in Cheltenham Gold Cup trial

www.dailymail.co.uk - Richard Johnson says Argento Chase favourite Captain Chris is in shape to stake his Gold Cup claims at Cheltenham. More... (Horse racing)

Champion Hurdler Hurricane Fly faces four on seasonal debut

www.dailymail.co.uk - Hurricane Fly makes his eagerly-awaited seasonal reappearance in Sunday's BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, where he will face four rivals. More... (Horse racing)

Live - FA Cup fourth round

news.bbc.co.uk - Watford face Tottenham and Everton host Fulham in Friday's FA Cup fourth-round matches. More... (UK)

Rhybudd ysgrifenedig i bum swyddog

news.bbc.co.uk - Ymchwiliad gan Gomisiwn Cwynion Annibynnol yr Heddlu wedi darganfod bod pump o swyddogion wedi cyflawni troseddau disgyblu ar ôl peidio dilyn gorchymyn i roi'r gorau i erlid car. More... (Wales)

Dale Farm caravan warning issued

news.bbc.co.uk - Council enforcement officers visit the Dale Farm travellers' site to warn owners of illegally parked caravans they must move on. More... (UK)

Charges over decapitation murder

news.bbc.co.uk - Two men are charged with the murder of a man who was found decapitated and burnt in Stockport. More... (England)

The House of Bernarda Alba - review

arts.guardian.co.uk - Almeida, LondonIn Emily Mann's new version, the action of Lorca's tremendous 1936 play has been shifted from Andalusia to rural Iran. This intensifies the atmosphere of oppression and yields one remarkable image, when the house of the play's title fills with over 20 burqa-clad mourning women. But Bijan Sheibani's production focuses on the script's emotional intensity and leaves us to work out the political implications.Lorca's theme, as the critic Eric Bentley once pointed out, is "the attempt to preserve honour in the face of the sexual instinct": hence the autocratic Bernarda Alba's fatal decision to keep her daughters under lock and key, only allowing the eldest to be wooed by a prospective suitor. But Shohreh Aghdashloo, herself Iranian, wisely resists the temptation to make the ruling matriarch a melodramatic villain or fascist monster; instead she plays her as a still-attractive woman of iron conviction whose obsession with reputation, money and class destroys her family.What I like about Sheibani's production is its clarity. Each scene begins with the click of a camera shutter and a flash of light, as if we are indeed watching the "photographic document" that Lorca intended. The sounds and silences are perfectly orchestrated: when, for instance, we hear the sudden kick of a stallion against the bleached walls of Bunny Christie's set, it is a solitary thud rather than, as sometimes happens, a virtual stampede. The power battle within the house is also well-caught, with Jane Bertish lending the chief servant a weathered wisdom and a courageous willingness to stand up to her mistress. And Hara Yannas, playing the mutinous daughter who defies her mother's tyranny, memorably suggests both aching physical desire and the death-wish of a woman who says of her lover: "When I look into his eyes, it's like I am slowly drinking his blood." It is a riveting evening that, in 100 uninterrupted minutes, conveys the essence of Lorca's tragedy.Rating: 4/5TheatreFederico García LorcaMichael Billingtonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)

Betting box: Sam Turner's guide to the TV races on Saturday, January 28

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

Pakistan v England second Test, day three: wagging tail the key to becoming cricket's top dogs

www.telegraph.co.uk - England's rise to No 1 in the world rankings is built on invaluable contributions from lower-order batsmen. More... (Cricket)

Alfie - review

arts.guardian.co.uk - Octagon, BoltonWhat's it all about, Alfie? As two and a half hours turn to almost three, you start to wonder. David Thacker's revival of Bill Naughton's meandering and episodic account of that 1960s Casanova, Alfie Elkins, is just the latest in line - Michael Caine made his name in the 1966 movie version, and Jude Law has also tried his luck on celluloid with the role. But even in the context of early 1960s sexual politics, the on-stage Alfie - who refers to women as "it" - is hard to love and easy to dismiss as a cocky dodo in a serge suit.Of course it's obvious that Alfie, despite his endless stream of casual sexual conquests, is the real loser: opportunities for fatherhood and stable relationships pass him by, the consequences of his actions pile up, and mortality and age touch him on the shoulder. So obvious, in fact, that it begins to feel like a morality play, albeit one in which the (anti)hero addresses the audience directly to explain his philosophy of life. That device, and a taut, tight scene with a back-street abortionist hint at what this play might have been, and could perhaps be in a pared-down and edited version.David Ricardo-Pearce's decision to play Alfie as less the Jack-the-lad charmer, more an Everyman in the grip of a growing existential crisis, is the right one. But for that approach to work, the play would have to be liberated from its naturalistic prison and more strongly pointed as a study of masculinity in crisis. Instead we get lots of furniture lugged around on stage, and a script that, like Alfie, feels like a bit of dinosaur.Rating: 2/5TheatreLyn Gardnerguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)

Six Nations 2012: Ben Youngs returns to inspire England's fresh young squad

www.telegraph.co.uk - Scrum-half is confident that he can provide creative platform on which England's young side can flourish. More... (Rugby union)

O'Dowd defends school audits move

news.bbc.co.uk - The education minister tells education boards to redo the reports on schools which he asked them to carry out last year. More... (UK)

Niger 1-2 Tunisia

news.bbc.co.uk - Issam Jemaa scores in the last minute to earn Tunisia a barely-deserved 2-1 Group C win over Niger, who now exit the Africa Cup of Nations. More... (Africa)

Watford v Tottenham Hotspur: live

www.telegraph.co.uk - Follow live updates of the FA Cup fourth round game between Watford and Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road on Friday Jan 29 2012. More... (Football)

Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns looks to stake England claim as he prepares for Saxons debut at Exeter

www.telegraph.co.uk - Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns wants to use his Saxons debut as launch pad to the senior team. More... (Rugby union)

Heads Up: Pret A Thou looks a tasty 12-1 bet at Uttoxeter

www.guardian.co.uk - Our new column, aimed at finding the best value Saturday bets, has a selection at the Midlands trackJohn Groucott's low profile may have helped Pret A Thou (2.40) slip under the radar at Uttoxeter on Saturday, because the two firms that have had a stab at pricing the contest up look to have got it wrong by offering 12-1 (BetVictor) and 10-1 (Bet365).The meeting will need to pass an inspection for frost if it is to go ahead, but there's nothing like a thawing frost on top of heavy ground to guarantee attritional conditions, and Pret A Thou simply loves the mud and is handicapped to make the most of a return to hurdling.He was out of his depth behind some smart two-mile chasers at Sandown last time, but had previously shown his wellbeing when third in the Castleford Chase at Wetherby. Although his form over the smaller obstacles isn't as good, his handicap mark - a stone lighter than his chasing rating - reflects that and conditions will suit him far better than most as his record on soft and heavy ground is excellent.Bookmakers have had all week to look at the big races at Cheltenham and Doncaster and despite the competitive percentages, it's hard to identify any obvious value. Tidal Bay (2.35) would make him some each-way appeal with firms offering one-quarter the odds in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham if all eight stand their ground, but I'd be reluctant to pay to find out now.Despite Baby Mix having long been at the head of the market for the Triumph Hurdle, Grumeti (12.55) is definitely the sexier of the pair having been steadily supported for the same race ever since his winning debut. I fancy that Coral have got punters' pecking order the wrong way round by making Baby Mix the favourite of the pair at 6-4, but there isn't a great deal of fat in the 13-8 about Grumeti.Horse racingHorse racing tipsWill Haylerguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Horse racing)

O'Hagan accused 'to help police'

news.bbc.co.uk - A man previously accused of murdering journalist Martin O'Hagan has agreed to co-operate with police investigating the LVF killing, a court hears. More... (UK)

Parties clash over RBS boss bonus

news.bbc.co.uk - Ministers and Labour clash over who is responsible for RBS chief executive Stephen Hester's contract, amid anger about a £963,000 share bonus offer. More... (UK)

QPR defender Anton Ferdinand receives a bullet in the post ahead of Chelsea FA Cup match

www.telegraph.co.uk - Police investigate death threats sent to QPR defender ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup meeting with bitter rivals Chelsea. More... (Football)

Anton Ferdinand receives death threat

www.dailymail.co.uk - Anton Ferdinand has been the target of a death threat on the eve of his reunion with race-row rival John Terry. It comes just 24 hours before the FA Cup clash at Loftus Road. More... (Football)

Couple facing deportation to Cameroon released after campaign by writers

arts.guardian.co.uk - Leading writers wrote to home secretary to condemn decision to deport Lydia Besong, a playwright, and her husbandA couple facing imminent deportation to Cameroon have been unexpectedly released from detention this week after a campaign by leading writers to halt their removal from the UK.A week ago, leading writers and barristers wrote to the home secretary, Theresa May, to condemn the UK Border Agency's decision to deport Lydia Besong, a playwright, and her husband, Bernard Batey.The former children's laureate, Michael Morpurgo, Monica Ali, Hanif Kureshi, Alan Ayckbourn, Nick Hornby and Helena Kennedy signed the letter urging May not to deport them. Kennedy, a leading QC, described the agency's decision to deport the couple as "hideous" and "insensitive", and called for an overhaul of the way women are treated in the asylum system.Besong says she was raped in Cameroon and would be persecuted for speaking out against the government. She was not informed that her husband's latest appeal against deportation had failed on 23 December. On 10 January, the couple were taken into detention as they registered with immigration services in Manchester as normal.Besong said she spotted a van outside the office and thought to herself: "I hope that's not come for me." She said she feared something would happen as she had had a prophetic dream the night before.Severely traumatised by her ordeal, Besong's leg trembles as she talks and she is suffering from glaucoma, which has required three operations."We had no idea we were about to be released," she said of Wednesday's events. "[I had] an eye appointment at Bedford hospital and I was taken accompanied by security guards. Everyone was looking at me wondering what I'd done, but I was not a prisoner."When I returned from the appointment and was told I was being released I just said: 'Hmm.' I didn't feel a lot of emotion after everything I'd been through. Although I was being released, there were still people in Yarl's Wood such as my room mate who'd been there for 10 months.""Many bad things will happen [if I am returned to Cameroon]," she added. "OK, the media is watching now, but what about when they go away? I would be locked up because of my political views."The couple's lawyer said the secretary of state's handling of the case "continues to baffle". Gary McIndoe said: "Having confirmed that they are to reconsider their decision on Bernard's asylum claim, UKBA have authorised Bernard and Lydia's release from detention, only 24 hours after communicating to us a refusal to release them."He said he hoped the substance of risks faced by the couple in Cameroon would now be looked at with greater care and clarity.During Christmas 2009, Besong was held for four weeks in Yarl's Wood detention centre and she and her husband were threatened with removal to Cameroon. Their flight back was halted by a high court judge and the UKBA said their case would be reviewed.They were forced to leave their home country in 2006 as a result of their membership of the SCNC, a peaceful organisation which campaigns for the rights of the English-speaking minority of southern Cameroon. The couple were imprisoned and tortured, and Lydia says she was raped by a uniformed prison guard. They say they have both been traumatised by these experiences and have become depressed.Since arriving in the UK, Besong has written three plays about her life as an asylum seeker and criticised the political situation in her home country.Besong's latest play, Down with the Dictator, is currently in rehearsal and due to be performed in Greater Manchester and Bristol in March.Michael Morpurgo said: "How this country treats asylum seekers is the measure of what kind of a people we are. Lydia was oppressed in Cameroon. That there is a risk she will be imprisoned and abused again seems undeniable. That she is extraordinarily brave in her stand against oppression is clear. And that her talents would be of great value to us as a citizen in our society would seem to be obvious."The couple arrived at a friend's flat in Tottington, near Bury, at 1am on Thursday. Lydia and her husband were waiting for the UKBA to return their house keys so they could go home.Besong said she feels blessed to have been released, but her second period of detention in Yarl's Wood has left psychological scars."There are roll calls at 7.30am, 12, 5 and 9.45pm," she said. "The guards are always checking up on you and you can hear their keys jangling. It is difficult to get any rest at all. When you come out of that place its sometimes difficult to forget that you are not there because it comes with you as you are living with the memories."Immigration and asylumCameroonAfricaTheresa MayTheatreHelen Carterguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Theatre)

Cathedral honours cricket legend

news.bbc.co.uk - Honouring the achievements of Basil D'Oliveira More... (England)

VIDEO: Blue jelly balls land in garden

news.bbc.co.uk - A man from Bournemouth has described mysterious blue jelly balls which rained down on his garden. More... (England)

Billy Twelvetrees: 'There are a lot of frustrations at Leicester'

www.guardian.co.uk - The inside centre with the unforgettable name who will feature for England Saxons this weekend explains why he is taking his budding talent to GloucesterBilly Twelvetrees is not your average name, nor is he your average player. Not since Meadowlark Lemon was doing his thing for the Harlem Globetrotters in the 1970s has there been a sportsman for whom casual fans feel such instinctive warmth. Even complete strangers want to be his blood relations. "I've had a few letters since my name's been in the newspapers. One claimed to be Twelve-Tree with a hyphen, another said he was called Eighteen Bushes. I think that might have been a piss-take."More of a tall story than the 23-year-old Twelvetrees being the son of a tree surgeon who sells woodburning stoves? Gloriously, this turns out to be absolutely true. As yet the family have yet to relocate to Sevenoaks or Woodstock - Billy and his three brothers grew up in Wisborough Green in West Sussex - but they have been redoubling their efforts to trace the origins of their rare surname. "My dad and uncle have both tried to do a family tree but they still haven't unearthed the source of it. They've found a 'Twelvetree' but no Twelvetrees related to us. There is a Dr Twelvetrees in South America somewhere and a few in Scotland but we can only properly trace our family tree back a couple of generations. Maybe it was 'Trees' and someone decided: 'We live in 12.'"The long-suffering Twelvetrees, either way, has taken delivery of the game's best nickname, having been christened "36" by his Irish captain, Geordan Murphy, ("cos twelve trees makes ...") in his early days at Welford Road. You can be sure one or two of the Irish Wolfhounds team set to face England Saxons in Exeter will appreciate the joke. "It does follow me around," sighs the blond centre, a tad wearily. There are definitely moments when life as plain old Billy Jones would be far simpler.Yet the real beauty of Twelvetrees is neither his surname nor the flaxen locks reminiscent of Lewis Moody or a young Roger Daltrey. English rugby is far from overpopulated with ball-playing inside centres with pace, strength, excellent distribution skills and a kick like a grumpy mule. Twelvetrees, along with many others, did not have his greatest night as a stand-in 10 when Leicester were humped by Ulster in Belfast this month but there is no disputing he offers something intriguingly different. "The creative side of the game is what I've always relished," he says. "I've always tried to do things … it's been my philosophy whether I was playing football, cricket or rugby. I've always tried the imaginative stuff, the stuff that will make the difference. Sometimes I've tried to do too much and looked a bit of an idiot."Which cuts straight to the still-beating heart of Billy's recent decision to sign to play for Gloucester next season. It has gone down like a lead balloon in Leicester - "If he does not want to stay and fight for his spot, that is disappointing," sniffed Richard Cockerill, his director of rugby - but Twelvetrees never entirely fitted the Tigers' mould from the outset. When he arrived from Bedford he was, by his own admission, a free spirit who lacked the they-shall-not-pass mentality which sustains English rugby's most intense club. "At Bedford I'd chuck passes out wide which maybe wouldn't go to hand but you could get away with it. You could miss a tackle and it wouldn't matter. When I got to Leicester those things got highlighted, rightly so. You're not going to make it as a player if you don't have the fundamental basics."Even when Twelvetrees made one of the more striking European club debuts, starring in a 32-32 draw against the Ospreys in October 2009, his coaches were swift to stress his tackling was not good enough. Despite having scored 29 points on two occasions against Wasps this season, he still feels he is not entirely trusted. "I just felt I wasn't getting the opportunity to play 12 as much as I'd like to. I spoke to [Gloucester's] Bryan Redpath and liked his philosophy. I also felt I'd get more opportunity to play 12 for Gloucester. It's nothing against the way Leicester do things, it's just my personal preference. Twelve is the position in which I feel most comfortable and where I've always had my best games, from mini-rugby upwards."For those, like Cockerill, who believe Leicester players should always put the club before personal advancement, this cuts precious little ice. Twelvetrees is unrepentant. "It's always interesting to hear what Cockers says. In the heat of the moment maybe there was a bit of miscommunication but there's a difference between wanting to play for Leicester and actually doing it. Speak to everyone at Leicester ... there are a lot of frustrations there. I wanted to stay but I wasn't going to get the opportunities I'll hopefully have with Gloucester. I asked [Leicester] if I'd be playing and didn't get the answer I wanted."The Tigers' loss promises to be a significant Cherry and White gain. He and his Saxons team-mate Freddie Burns both have an eye for adventure and the 6ft 3in, 16st Twelvetrees should also complement the rapidly emerging Henry Trinder and Jonny May. His father, Kev, was more of a motocross fan but it was his mother, Bev, who shaped his approach to rugby. "My mum has always had a very positive outlook. She'd say: 'You're good enough, don't think about it, just do it.' As a result it's always been a case of: 'If in doubt, back yourself.' In football I'd want to play central midfield so I could do everything. In cricket I'd want to be the best batter and the best bowler. Whatever I've done I've always wanted to nail it." All that remains is to make a name for himself at the top level. "For the sake of people who have put faith in me, I now need to progress a bit further. I also need to prove to myself I can make that step up." If England's 2015 coaches want to play it fast and smart, Billy has a big future.England Saxons (to play Ireland Wolfhounds at Sandy Park, Exeter on Saturday, 5pm) D Armitage (London Irish); U Monye, M Hopper (both Harlequins), B Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers), M Banahan (Bath); F Burns (Gloucester), B Spencer (Saracens); M Mullan (Worcester Warriors), J Gray (Harlequins), P Doran-Jones (Northampton Saints), M Garvey (London Irish), G Robson (Harlequins), J Gaskell (Sale Sharks, capt), A Saull (Saracens), T Waldrom (Leicester Tigers) Replacements C Brooker (Harlequins), R Harden (Gloucester), K Myall (Sale Sharks), T Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), P Hodgson (London Irish), R Lamb (Northampton Saints), J May (Gloucester).Ireland Wolfhounds G Duffy (Connacht); D Kearney (Leinster), E O'Malley (both Leinster), N Spence (Ulster), S Zebo; I Keatley (both Munster), I Boss (Leinster); B Wilkinson (Connacht), D Varley, S Archer (both Munster), D Tuohy (Ulster), M McCarthy (Connacht), J Muldoon (Connacht), C Henry (Ulster, capt), R Ruddock (Leinster) Replacements M Sherry (Munster), R Loughney (Connacht), D Toner, K McLaughlin (both Leinster), T O'Leary (Munster), I Madigan (Leinster), D Hurley (Munster)LeicesterRugby unionGloucesterRobert Kitsonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Rugby union)

E-fit after Llanelli sex assault

news.bbc.co.uk - An e-fit image of a man suspected of a sex attack on a teenage girl in Llanelli is released by police. More... (Wales)

Arabs warn of Syria 'escalation'

news.bbc.co.uk - The Arab League's monitoring chief warns that Syria has seen an escalation of violence in recent days, as the UN prepares to discuss the crisis. More... (Middle East)

Abuse teacher case taken to Gove

news.bbc.co.uk - The MP for a town where a teacher sexually abused young pupils says he will take up the issue with Education Secretary Michael Gove. More... (England)

Wife requests trawler search help

news.bbc.co.uk - The wife of a captain still missing after his trawler went missing off the Cork coast two weeks ago asks for experienced divers to help in the search. More... (Northern Ireland)

Red Cap mum in death inquiry plea

news.bbc.co.uk - The mother of a Royal Military Police soldier killed with six others in Iraq almost nine years ago calls for a fresh inquiry. More... (England)

VIDEO: Soros warns of 'lost decade' for EU

news.bbc.co.uk - Speaking from Davos, financier George Soros has warned that Europe is likely to face a "lost decade" and is concerned that the EU may be destroyed by austerity measures. More... (Europe)

'Bullet' sent to QPR in the post

news.bbc.co.uk - Police are investigating after a "malicious communication" - reportedly containing a bullet - was sent to Queens Park Rangers' training ground. More... (UK)

France to resume Afghan training

news.bbc.co.uk - French troops will resume training Afghan soldiers on Saturday but Paris will pull out most of its troops by the end of 2013, President Nicolas Sarkozy says. More... (Europe)

Prop Thomas has heart operation

news.bbc.co.uk - Wales prop Rhys Thomas undergoes heart surgery after being taken ill during training with the Scarlets. More... (UK)

Rhys Thomas suffers heart problem

news.bbc.co.uk - Wales prop Rhys Thomas undergoes surgery after being treated for a heart condition suffered during training with the Scarlets. More... (Wales)

Man charged over death in Lanark

news.bbc.co.uk - A man is charged in connection with the death Graeme Melville, whose body was found in Lanark in December. More... (Scotland)

Norway apology for Holocaust role

news.bbc.co.uk - The Norwegian prime minister apologises for the role his country played in deporting Jews as Europe marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. More... (Europe)

100 fish are found dead in stream

news.bbc.co.uk - An investigation is under way after more than 100 fish are found dead in a stream off the River Usk in Powys. More... (Wales)

Boys' ballet free school planned

news.bbc.co.uk - Ballet-based school for boys bids for free school funding More... (UK)

Sam Stapleton Mr Agent column: Getting busier

www.dailymail.co.uk - This window has been slower than any normal January for us. We have had a couple of deals fall through this week due to failed medicals, transfer fees not being agreed, etc; all the normal reasons. More... (Football)

Further tests in trampoline death

news.bbc.co.uk - Further tests are taking place to establish how a 15-year-old died after collapsing during a PE lesson in Suffolk, an inquest hears. More... (England)

New date for Celtic Uefa hearing

news.bbc.co.uk - Celtic must wait until the end of February to find out if they will be punished by Uefa for fan-related incidents during December's match against Udinese. More... (Scotland)

VIDEO: Daley hopes to be fit for World Cup

news.bbc.co.uk - Diver Tom Daley says he hopes to be fit for February's FINA Visa World Cup More... (England)

Father charged with killing baby

news.bbc.co.uk - A County Durham man is charged with the manslaughter of his baby son. More... (England)

Rory McIlroy fights back after Luke Donald points out sand blunder

www.guardian.co.uk - Two-shot penalty costs McIlroy share of lead in Abu Dhabi Luke Donald was right to highlight error, says McIlroyThe education of Rory McIlroy continues apace, although his inexorable march towards superstardom took an unexpected and damaging detour on Friday into the netherworld governed by the rules of golf.Experience says that no one emerges happy from that mysterious place and so it proved in the case of the world No3, who was penalised two shots during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship for the heinous crime of brushing away some sand that lay between his ball and the flag on the 9th green. If the sand had been on the green, he would have been fine. It was not and therefore he was not - although it took his playing partner Luke Donald to point out this uncomfortable fact."I felt pretty bad about it but as soon as I saw him doing it I knew I had to say something," the world No1 said. "It's a pretty basic rule, to be honest, and, if I hadn't said something, there are plenty of people who would."Donald is right about that. The world is full of armchair rules officials these days, television remote in one hand and telephone in the other, primed to call in at the merest suggestion that something might be up. At this same event last year Padraig Harrington was disqualified after a viewer phoned to complain he moved his ball a fraction while addressing a putt.Harrington accepted his fate with equanimity and so did McIlroy. "My ball was maybe six feet off the green and there was a lot of sand between it and the hole. I just brushed the sand away and as soon as I did it Luke said, 'You can't brush sand off the fringe.' I knew straight away he was right. I wasn't thinking clearly and just made a very stupid mental mistake."McIlroy's par four was immediately converted into a double-bogey six. That pushed him down the leaderboard. To his credit he clawed his way back, with a birdie at the par-five 10th after a towering three-wood to the heart of the green. He followed that with a bogey at the next, then two birdies and a string of pars for a level-par round of 72 and a 36-hole score of 139, five under par.As rounds of golf go, it was more Alton Towers than Augusta National. Still he was not complaining. "I am not sure I have ever had that many up and down in a round of golf before. It is pretty interesting stuff," McIlroy said.And fairly effective. With 36 holes to go, McIlroy finds himself in a tie for fourth, two shots behind the leader, Thorbjorn Olesen, who added a five-under-par 67 to his opening day 70. The 22-year-old Dane is no mug - he finished 48th in the Race to Dubai last year - but he might not care to look at the leaderboard overnight lest he sleep a little less easily.There are 30 players within five shots of the lead and plenty of them have better pedigrees. McIlroy is one and so is Donald, who has looked a little out of sorts, especially with a driver in his hand, but when the numbers were totalled up he finished on one under par.This was hard to believe but Donald has developed the happy knack of getting the most out of not very much. "All I need is a good round on Saturday and I'll be right in it," he said.The presence of Tiger Woods, tied with McIlroy and five other players, looks particularly ominous. The former world No1 has played beautifully over the two days. His ball striking has come back, his course management is as good as it ever was and, on Friday at least, his putting bore at least a resemblance to what it once was. In short he looks primed."There are 36 holes to go and there is a lot of guys who have got a chance to win. I just need to do my job," Woods said after his 69. He could scarcely say anything else but there is spring in the great man's step, a palpable aura of expectation. He fancies it, as the driving-range Johnnies might say, although in this he is not alone.The third round will see the American paired with McIlroy for a third successive day. It is just a hunch but do not be surprised if they are slugging this one out on Sunday afternoon. It has that kind of feel.Rory McIlroyLuke DonaldTiger WoodsGolfEuropean TourLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Golf)

Why are people friendly? | Andrew Brown

www.guardian.co.uk - Without selection between competing groups, the advantages of co-operation are not great enough to make it spreadThis week's Nature has a report on how hunter-gatherers co-operate, which shows the way in which the scientific study of altruism has moved on since The Selfish Gene. That book popularised two explanations for our unselfish instincts and behaviour. The first, and nowadays obvious, reason is that it causes genes associated with it to spread: if I am helpful to my relatives, my descendants will have more relatives. The second is Robert Trivers's model of "reciprocal altruism": over time, co-operation pays, and nice guys finish first - providing that they are also sufficiently nasty to the nasty guys.Both these explanations still hold, but they are not enough, by themselves or in combination, to explain all of the co-operation and friendliness that we actually see in humans. To do this, it is necessary to move up from purely individual attributes to consider the ways in which these attributes are shaped by the groups that we form.Without selection between competing groups, the advantages of co-operation are not great enough to make it spread, or maintain itself within a population. Our benevolent instincts are the products of our social nature, and to analyse human society as essentially an association of individuals is not just morally but scientifically wrong, since that kind of analysis doesn't predict our behaviour accurately.The researchers for the Nature report studied 205 members of the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer bushman group who "represent possibly one of the most extreme departures from life in industrialised societies, and they remain relatively isolated from modern cultural influences". But the essentials of what they found were also revealed by studies of modernised societies, suggesting that the way we form friendship networks is common across all humanity.The researchers measured and sampled an enormous amount of data among these subjects: not just age, weight, height, and sex, but hand-grip strength, muscle mass and body fat, as well as genetic relatedness. The most surprising conclusion was that height is a hugely attractive characteristic: tall people have more friends, and far more people who want to be their friends. No other single characteristic showed such a marked effect.Among the bushmen, though not among all societies, body fat was a predictor of popularity, and hand-grip strength - presumably a proxy for general muscularity - made you more likely to have friends.By studying not just how people form groups but how they would like to do so if they could choose, the researchers showed very clearly that friendship is a universal human quality.This is fascinating not just in itself, but also has a certain resonance in the world of religion. This is not because there is anything much in common between the myth systems of hunter-gatherers and those of modern believers. In the modern world it is myth systems rather than shared campfires that mark off different groups. Common stories go together with common interests.The dominant narrative of modern atheism is a story of liberation. You might argue that this is simply protestantism with a twist: the original protestant narrative was of liberation from the false doctrines of Rome and a return to the primal truths of the unadorned gospels. British and American atheism then turns this into liberation from all false doctrine and from religion itself."Organised" religion is the particular villain in these liberation stories, because it can make people pretend to believe things they do not or force them to believe against their natural inclination. But it's difficult to imagine any social network that doesn't function on hypocrisy and that does not maintain itself by social pressure.And if these kind of accounts of the roots and evolutionary purpose of human friendship are right - which I believe they are - they are also a testimony to the reality of original sin. Friendship flourishes because it is limited, and because the friendless suffer. The great lesson of sociobiological theory is that complete and boundless altruism is impossible in any real world. I had been going to write "in any world that we can imagine" - but the extraordinary thing is that we find it quite easy to imagine such a world and quite hard to abandon the belief that it might exist. Follow Comment is free on Twitter @commentisfreeReligionGeneticsBiologyAtheismRichard DawkinsAndrew Brownguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Genetics)

Pakistan v England: Stuart Broad - I decided to go on the counter-attack

www.telegraph.co.uk - England's No8 batsman admits that it was his decision to go on the offensive against Pakistan's spinners. More... (Cricket)

Race fears over statue vandalism

news.bbc.co.uk - A vandalism attack on a statue of a soldier who helped liberate a WWII concentration camp was possibly anti-Semitic, police say. More... (England)

Right-to-die case wins first step

news.bbc.co.uk - A man who is almost completely paralysed has won the first step in his legal bid to pursue his right-to-die. More... (UK)

Ipswich open talks with Wallace

news.bbc.co.uk - Ipswich Town boss Paul Jewell says he has had an offer accepted for Falkirk defender Murray Wallace, but expects competition for his signature. More... (Scotland)

Barefoot Bandit to be sentenced

news.bbc.co.uk - A 20-year-old who made international headlines during a two-year crime spree when he evaded police in stolen cars, boats and planes is to be sentenced. More... (Americas)

Nigerian traders shot and burnt

news.bbc.co.uk - Gunmen in northern Nigeria's Zamfara state kill at least 15 village traders returning from a market at night. More... (Africa)

Facebook sues 'spam clickjacker'

news.bbc.co.uk - The social network and Washington State sue a marketing firm over claims that it deceived users by hiding 'Like' buttons. More... (Americas)

BBC could hire first female director general

www.guardian.co.uk - Helen Boaden and Caroline Thomson have joined leading pack of contenders to replace Mark ThompsonThe BBC could have its first female director general by the end of this year following Mark Thompson's departure, according to TV industry and corporation insiders.Lobbying for the job of BBC director general of the BBC is expected to begin in earnest following MediaGuardian's revelation late on Thursday that Thompson was planning to step down at the end of the year or the beginning of 2013.Officially the BBC is saying there is no vacancy yet as Thompson has not confirmed a departure date, but potential candidates are understood to be seeking to raise their profiles in preparation for having a tilt at the most important job in British broadcasting and already two women have joined the leading pack of contenders.The BBC's chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson, is the second favourite to land the job, according to bookmakers Paddy Power, which put her chances at 2-1 behind the favourite, the BBC director of vision, George Entwistle, whose odds are 7-4.A second leading female candidate is the BBC's director of news, Helen Boaden, who has odds of 9-2 according to Paddy Power. Boaden has a number of backers in the industry including the former BBC2 controller Jane Root.Root, who left the BBC for a job with the Discovery network and now runs her own independent production company, Nutopia, has ruled herself out of applying for the post but told MediaGuardian: "Helen is a very strong candidate and I would love to see her get the job." Boaden would not comment when approached by the Guardian.However there are a range of other potential candidates in the race for the most important job in broadcasting which industry insiders believe is perhaps the most wide-open contest in modern times. By contrast, when the job last became vacant, Thompson was seen as hot favourite, assuming he could be talked into applying.ITV's director of programmes, Peter Fincham, is also tipped following a successful tenure at the commercial broadcaster. However his chances are said to be hampered by the fact he left the BBC under a cloud, resigning as controller of BBC1 in the wake of the "Crowngate" editing row.The Channel 4 chief executive, David Abraham, is said by colleagues to have always coveted the post and is thought to be a strong candidate.The director of BBC North, Peter Salmon, is also regarded highly inside the BBC and may stand an outside chance of getting the job, according to BBC insiders. "He is a born leader, who will bring the staff with him," said a very senior former BBC employee. "I would see him as a more likely candidate that Caroline Thomson, say and he has handled the move to Salford well."Traditionally the BBC's regulatory body - the trust, formerly known as the Board of Governors - have also looked abroad for candidates, especially from the US. In 1999 when the BBC governors were looking to replace Lord Birt, Michael Lynton, now the chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures Entertainment, was thought to have made the shortlist. The job eventually went to Greg Dyke."I think to really understand the BBC you have to be British," said another senior broadcasting source. However this would not rule out another candidate, Michael Jackson, the former channel 4 chief executive, who has been based in the US in recent years.One stumbling block, however, is the question of remuneration with the chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, making it clear that the BBC will reduce the current director general salary of £671,000 in future. "Will this mean they can get somebody of the calibre they want?" said another senior broadcaster thought to be in possible contention for the role. "Or will it be someone who wants to do the job in spite of the low remuneration?"The BBC would not be drawn on speculation about the timing of Thompson's announcement and in particular claims from one senior former BBC executive who wondered whether Thompson hand was forced by Patten's announcement earlier this week that he had appointed an international firm of headhunters to produce a "succession plan".The former executive told the Guardian: "It is likely that his hand was forced a bit by Patten saying that he was engaged in the search for another DG. I think Mark wanted to stay for around two years and that his hand may have been forced a bit by this."This is the best sport for governors - choosing director generals - and if you want a change you will want it sooner rather than later. Also, Mark is in place and with these sorts of jobs the person who was there first is the most powerful. In some ways it is an old-fashioned power struggle."BBC insiders denied that claim, saying that there is no suggestion that Thompson was pushed out. But while many within the organisation are now briefing about Thompson's departure, the BBC's only on-record response is this statement: "Whilst speculation is inevitable, as the BBC chairman has made clear earlier this week this is sensible succession planning and does not signal an immediate vacancy."Root added she didn't consider herself a candidate. She said: "I would absolutely not want to do it even if approached. It is one of the most difficult jobs in the country and I live in America and I wouldn't even think about it. " To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.Mark ThompsonBBCBBC TrustBBC licence feeLord PattenTelevision industryRadio industryBen Dowellguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Film & TV)

Free copy of Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar, on Sunday with the Observer

books.guardian.co.uk - Enjoy your free copy of bestseller Happier, by Tal Ben-Shahar, only with the Observer on Sunday 29 JanuaryGet happier this weekend with a free book by the bestselling author, Tal Ben-Shahar.Oliver Berkanmen, writer of This column will change your life, and author of HELP! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done, shares his view of the book below:There are few self-help books more resolutely down-to-earth than Happier, by Tal Ben-Shahar, the researcher whose Harvard course on happiness was the university's best-attended lecture series. Drawing on recent findings in positive psychology — the contemporary study of happiness that should not be confused with "positive thinking" — Ben-Shahar emphasizes the benefits of cultivating gratitude and accepting negative emotions, providing straightforward guidelines for integrating these habits into daily life. The modest tone of the title encapsulates Ben-Shahar's approach: his book won't eliminate your every problem, but it doesn't claim to. (And the books that do claim to won't do so, either.)guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Deaths in southeast Europe snow

news.bbc.co.uk - Five people die and dozens are stranded after blizzards blocked roads in southern Romania and northern Bulgaria. More... (Europe)

Reading the Arab spring

books.guardian.co.uk - As Egypt celebrates the first anniversary of the Tahrir Square demonstrations, we look to the literature coming out of the Arab world. Ahdaf Soueif explains what it is like to live in Tahrir Square, while the Guardian's Ian Black - just back from in Syria - finds the books that offer the most nuanced picture of the Arab spring. Samir El-Youssef, co-founder of the new online literary magazine The Arab-Israeli Book Review, joins the distinguished translator Peter Clark to discuss the most exciting new writers in Arabic, and the kinds of books they are writing. And the American graphic novelist Craig Thompson comes to the studio to tell us about the inspiration for his Middle-Eastern epic, Habibi.Reading listThe Invisible Arab by Marwan Bishwara (Nation Books)Cairo: My City, Our Revoluion by Ahdaf Soueif (Bloomsbury)Karama! Journeys Through the Arab Spring by Johnny West (Heron Books)Taxi by Khaled Al Khamissi ( Bloomsbury)A Treaty of Love by Samir el-Youssef (Halban)The Arab Israeli Book ReviewClaire ArmitsteadRichard LeaIan BlackCraig ThompsonTim MabyAhdaf Soueif More... (Books)

Brass band tweet torment 'banter'

news.bbc.co.uk - A brass band member who posted abusive tweets during a contest in Skegness says they were intended as "banter". More... (England)

Palestinian bookshop owner celebrates Jerusalem residency ruling

books.guardian.co.uk - Munther Fahmi's campaign to be allowed to stay in his birth city was backed by eminent literary figuresThe Palestinian owner of an iconic Jerusalem bookshop patronised by politicians, diplomats, authors and activists has won a rare victory in a six-year battle to be allowed to remain in the city of his birth.Munther Fahmi, the proprietor of the small but well-stocked bookshop at the legendary American Colony hotel, said he was overjoyed at the news, received on Thursday, that he had been granted a temporary residency permit by the Israeli authorities. He and his lawyer are optimistic it will be made permanent at the end of its two-year period.Fahmi's campaign to be allowed to remain in Jerusalem is backed by eminent literary figures including the celebrated Israeli authors Amos Oz and David Grossman and British and Irish writers including Ian McEwan, Roddy Doyle, John Banville and Simon Sebag Montefiore.Following the reprieve, his immediate plan was to book a trip to the London Book Fair in April, he told the Guardian, confident that he would be admitted back into Israel. "This has been a huge strain. I have been living with uncertainty for 15 years, unable to plan my life. Every time I left the country, I didn't know if I could come back."The threat stemmed from Fahmi's absence from Jerusalem for almost 20 years, which resulted in him losing his residency permit. Despite having been born and brought up in Jerusalem, he had been forced to rely on a series of tourist visas since returning in 1997.Thousands of Palestinians have lost the right of residency in the city under similar circumstances. According to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, in 2006 there were more than 1,300 revocations, although fewer than 200 in 2010. Human rights groups say the measure is an attempt to keep a Jewish majority in the city, pointing out that the restrictions apply only to Palestinian residents.Fahmi was born in Jerusalem in 1954. In 1967, Israel captured and later annexed the east of the city, then under Jordanian rule. Fahmi's family, along with most other Palestinians in Jerusalem, declined to take Israeli citizenship and were instead granted permanent residency.At the age of 18, Fahmi left to study in the United States. He married, had a child, acquired US citizenship and built an insurance business. Initially he returned regularly to Jerusalem in order to retain his residency which can be revoked after an absence of seven years.In the heady, optimistic period following the signing of the Oslo accords, Fahmi decided to return to live in the city of his birth. He opened the bookshop in 1998, stocking it with Israeli, Palestinian and international authors. The crowded shelves include history, political commentary, fiction, poetry and travel guides. It has become a magnet for visitors - tourists, pilgrims and dignitaries - and locals wanting to read about the Holy Land and the wider region.But Fahmi had lost his residency permit, instead counting on a three-month tourist visa every time he re-entered the country after a trip abroad. Six years ago he started a legal battle to get his residency rights reinstated.Two years ago, the Israeli authorities told him they would issue no more tourist visas, and Fahmi would have to leave. His appeal on humanitarian grounds was granted this week.Fahmi said the international support for his battle "had a huge impact, and rightly so." He paid tribute to Andrew Franklin, founder of Profile Books, who had "relentlessly steered" the campaign. "My first plan when I get to London is to hug and thank him," he said.The decision, he said, was "good news for people who want to see Israel in a different light". The state should be concerned about its "growing isolationism".But, he added, there were still "tens of thousands of Palestinians whose residency rights have been revoked. I hope they too get reinstatement."IsraelMiddle East and North AfricaHarriet Sherwoodguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Books)

Hundreds of jobs to go at Serco

news.bbc.co.uk - Outsourcing group Serco announces it is to cut 500 jobs in the UK, mostly at the company's head office in Hampshire. More... (England)

Concern at £3m cut in bus funding

news.bbc.co.uk - Bus companies and councils across Wales voice concern after the Welsh Government says it is to cut £3m from its local transport subsidy. More... (Wales)

Supermarket voyeur gets treatment

news.bbc.co.uk - A former prisoner officer who used his phone to secretly video women in a Tesco changing room is to undergo 18 months of sex offenders' treatment. More... (Northern Ireland)

£50,000 of cocaine found in town

news.bbc.co.uk - Police discover cocaine with an estimated value of £50,000 during the search of a house in Limavady, County Londonderry. More... (Northern Ireland)

Health board in legionnaires fine

news.bbc.co.uk - NHS Lanarkshire is fined £24,000 over health and safety breaches which saw a woman get Legionnaires' Disease. More... (Scotland)

VIDEO: Faulty drugs given to 46,000 Pakistanis

news.bbc.co.uk - Lahore's Dr Akram has said many Pakistani hospitals are forced to buy the cheapest drugs - as the death toll from a batch of faulty drugs in the city rises. More... (Asia)

Lynette: Achos arall yn 'annhebygol'

news.bbc.co.uk - Arbenigwr cyfreithiol yn dweud bod dod o hyd i ddogfennau allweddol achos wyth cyn-heddwas yn annhebygol o arwain at achos arall. More... (Wales)

'Horrific' cruelty farmer jailed

news.bbc.co.uk - A Nottingham farmer is jailed for a year after "horrific" scenes of animal cruelty were found on his property. More... (England)

Luis Suarez trains Liverpool Manchester United

www.dailymail.co.uk - As tensions build ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round tie with Manchester United on Saturday, Luis Suarez braved the elements to train at Melwood. More... (Football)

Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray proud Novak Djokovic

www.dailymail.co.uk - Andy Murray felt tonight he could walk away from the Australian Open with his head held high after narrowly losing out to Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set semi-final. More... (Tennis)

Stuart Broad: I don't think it was reckless hitting, more selective

www.guardian.co.uk - 'We don't want to be chasing more than 250' Broad heaps praise on Monty PanesarEngland may not be in the subcontinent, but as this absorbing second Test in Abu Dhabi has developed they have been left in no doubt that they are the away team. A crowd that was estimated by the stadium authorities at 14,000 built up in the evening session, after Friday prayers, and relished the rare boundaries in the defiant fifth-wicket partnership between Azhar Ali and Asid Shafiq, the two youngest batsmen in Pakistan's top six.That was no surprise to Stuart Broad, who had been given a personal indication of the local support for Misbah-ul-Haq's team when he took a taxi on Thursday. "He was pretty confident they were going to destroy us," Broad said of his driver, one of the tens of thousands of Pakistanis who work in the Gulf. "I had a different view."Broad should have booked the same driver for the close of the third day, having played the leading role in establishing England's precious first-innings lead of 70 by hitting 58 of the 100 runs added for the last four wickets. It was the ninth time he has gone past 50 in 55 Test innings, with his sole century having come against Pakistan two summers ago in the Lord's Test that will always be remembered for very different reasons, and lifted his batting average closer to 30 - and to parity with a bowling average of 31."It was more a personal decision," Broad said of his positive approach - although he insisted he was not thinking of his Abu Dhabi cabbie. "Looking how difficult it seemed to defend against the pressure of the quick-turning ball, I thought my best option would be to try and manoeuvre the field and counterpunch. You have to choose your times to try and grab momentum. Once I hit a couple of boundaries everyone seemed to move out, and I could pick up some singles and twos. I don't think it was reckless hitting, I was a bit more selective and calculated. It paid off, and that lead was pretty important."Azhar has said Pakistan would back their spinners to defend a lead of anything over 150, leaving them with a modest target of another 100 runs from their last six wickets. But Broad retains more confidence in England's batting - although he is braced for another nerve-jangling day."We don't want to be chasing much more than 250," he said, "because scoreboard pressure plays a huge role in Test matches like this. If the wicket plays like it has and maybe gets better, we should be able to chase down 150. It's turning slower. If it starts turning again - and it will be interesting to see what that new ball does - we've got to keep them to as little as possible. Even 150 to 200 is going to be a bit of a nipper. It's going to be tight Test cricket."Broad praised Monty Panesar for his performance, the first time he has taken three wickets in a Test innings since England's defeat by India in Chennai during December 2008 - with his last four-wicket performance coming five months before that, against South Africa at Lord's. "Speaking to him on the first morning he said it felt like his debut," Broad said. "He was obviously nervous. But he's really built his confidence throughout the Test match."Azhar and Broad said the teams had relished the atmosphere generated by the Pakistan supporters on the grassy bank who gathered on one side of the ground, before they spilled into the seats at the open end opposite the pavilion.Previously, that stand had held a few dozen Barmy Army regulars plus a scattering of other England followers, allowing the players to hear David Lloyd opening the TV coverage on Wednesday."The first morning of the match, we could hear Bumble commentating," Broad said. "We had to ask the umpire to turn the speakers down. So it was great to have a bit of a crowd intoday - credit to the stadium to let the fans in for free because I think it built up the atmosphere. It was quite lively towards the end, actually."Kevin Pietersen was off the field for most of the last hour after missing the chance to run out Azhar from short cover when Pakistan's lead was only 23. The injury was described as nothing serious - England must hope that the miss does not prove crucial..Stuart BroadEngland cricket teamPakistan cricket teamPakistan v England 2011-12CricketAndy Wilsonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds More... (Cricket)

Fascination with the 'Dutch godfather'

news.bbc.co.uk - Why a notorious criminal has become irresistible to film-makers More... (Europe)

Sweet tax news for confectioner

news.bbc.co.uk - Confectioner Lees Foods is to receive about £500,000 from tax officials after reaching a settlement over a long-standing claim. More... (Scotland)

Elliott 'explores' UUP - DUP link

news.bbc.co.uk - The Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott writes to party members to reassure them about the nature of talks with the DUP. More... (Northern Ireland)