Flooded

Flooded

 

[caption id="attachment_12344" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Geoff Caddick)[/caption]

 

Aquatique

 

Champ de course inondé à Worcester, en Angleterre.

 

Aquatic

 

Flooded racecourse in Worcester, England.

 

(AFP - Geoff Caddick)

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 14 Friday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 15 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Bank of England hikes 2014 growth forecast

Bank of England hikes 2014 growth forecast

 

By Roland JACKSON (AFP)

 

London — The Bank of England ramped up its 2014 economic growth forecast on Wednesday as Britain's recovery picks up speed, and vowed to keep interest rates low after tweaking its guidance.

 

Gross domestic product (GDP) was set to grow by 3.4 percent this year, the central bank said in its latest quarterly report.

 

That was up sharply from an earlier estimate of 2.8 percent given in November.

 

"The recovery has gained momentum. Output is growing at the fastest rate since 2007, works are being created at the quickest pace since records began, and after four years above target the inflation rate is back at 2.0 percent," governor Mark Carney said.

 

Carney took charge of the BoE last August and launched the forward guidance policy, under which the BoE had stated that it will not raise record-low interest rates until the unemployment rate falls to at least 7.0 percent.

 

However, the bank forecast on Wednesday that the unemployment rate -- which has fallen more sharply than expected amid the strengthening recovery -- would hit 7.0-percent in the coming months.

 

As a result, the BoE added it would look at a "broad range of indicators" at that point, in order to assess the health of the labour market and establish whether borrowing costs should rise.

 

Under the latest guidance, the bank will seek to absorb all the spare capacity in the economy over the next two to three years to allow a full recovery.

 

When interest rates do begin to increase, it will be a gradual and limited process, according to the BoE.

 

The central bank also pledged to maintain its £375-billion ($620-billion, 456-billion-euro) bond-buying stimulus programme, known as quantitative easing, until at least the first rate hike.

 

Interest rates have stood at a record low level of 0.50 percent since March 2009, when it also launched the vast QE stimulus to aid growth.

 

The bank meanwhile predicted fourth-quarter GDP growth would be revised to 0.9 percent, from 0.7 percent.

 

It also expected the economy would grow by a robust 0.8 percent in the current first quarter.

 

"Forward guidance is working," Carney told journalists.

 

"Expected interest rates have remained low even as the economy has recovered strongly.

 

"Uncertainty about interest rates has fallen. Most importantly, UK businesses have understood the message."

 

Canadian national Carney was last month forced to dampen talk of a rate rise any time soon, following news that the unemployment rate fell faster than expected to 7.1 percent, a near five-year low point.

 

The bank stressed on Wednesday that borrowing costs "may need to remain at low levels for some time to come" as Britain grapples with the ongoing legacy of the financial crisis and other economic headwinds.

 

"If and when the time comes that the economy can sustain higher interest rates, bank rate is expected to rise only gradually," Carney said.

 

"For a sustained and balanced recovery, the degree of stimulus will need to remain exceptional for some time."

 

The BoE also predicted that 12-month inflation would remain at, or slightly below the bank's official 2.0-percent target, over the forecast period.

 

The economy expanded at the fastest rate last year since before the global financial crisis, growing by 1.9 percent in 2013.

 

That was the fastest pace since 2007.

 

"Despite the very sharp and unexpected fall in unemployment, the MPC still sees plenty of slack in the economy that must be used up before raising bank rate," noted HSBC economist Simon Wells.

 

"Phase two of forward guidance offered no new targets or thresholds, but by arguing that there is a lot of spare capacity and with inflation projected to be below target 2-3 years ahead, governor Carney wanted to send a signal that rates are not moving soon."

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 13 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Mourinho sees limitations as Chelsea stumble

Mourinho sees limitations as Chelsea stumble

 

West Bromwich (United Kingdom) (AFP)

 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho felt that his team's draw against West Bromwich Albion underlined his controversial claim that the London club are the underdogs in the Premier League title battle.

 

Substitute Victor Anichebe's late equaliser on Tuesday earned West Brom a 1-1 draw that meant Chelsea were forced to settle for a lead of two points, as opposed to four, at the top of the table.

 

Branislav Ivanovic's goal in first-half stoppage time had given Mourinho's team the lead, but their failure to secure maximum points gives both Arsenal and Manchester City, who play on Wednesday, the chance to claim top spot.

 

The Portuguese played down his side's chances in the race to be crowned champions following their recent 1-0 victory over City at the Etihad Stadium, referring to them as the title race's "little horse".

 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho felt that his team's draw against West Bromwich Albion underlined his controversial claim that the London club are the underdogs in the Premier League title battle.

 

Substitute Victor Anichebe's late equaliser on Tuesday earned West Brom a 1-1 draw that meant Chelsea were forced to settle for a lead of two points, as opposed to four, at the top of the table.

 

Branislav Ivanovic's goal in first-half stoppage time had given Mourinho's team the lead, but their failure to secure maximum points gives both Arsenal and Manchester City, who play on Wednesday, the chance to claim top spot.

 

The Portuguese played down his side's chances in the race to be crowned champions following their recent 1-0 victory over City at the Etihad Stadium, referring to them as the title race's "little horse".

 

Anichebe, on the pitch 14 minutes as a replacement for Morgan Amalfitano, headed home in the 87th minute to secure a precious point that lifted West Brom out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference.

 

Mourinho refused to point the finger at individuals, but he admitted that his team, who were without the injured John Terry, had lacked "personality".

 

"I don't speak about names. We as a team made mistakes," he said.

 

"I don't like to individualise and if John is not here, it is not because I don't want, it is because he can't.

 

"He is a guy with big personality and it could be different. We accepted for too long their dominance in the last 20 minutes. We made a couple of defensive mistakes and were punished in one.

 

"My defensive line started playing too deep. We gave them the ball and waited for them to put it in our box and fight against it. But it is not our game.

 

"I think also a bit of a lack of personality. We must have the personality to get out. At the end of the day it is one more point and we have one more than the previous day."

 

West Brom manager Pepe Mel has now drawn all three of his home matches since taking charge of the Midlands club in January, but is still searching for a first win.

 

"I am proud of my players," said the Spaniard.

 

"It was good to have different halves -- the first was good defence, only two chances for Chelsea.

 

"The second good attack and mentality. It was the best performance (of his tenure). This is a good team we were playing.

 

"We have a day off then go to Spain for what will be like a pre-season (training camp). If we play as we did in the second half, we will win games."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 12 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Flood water

Flood water

 

[caption id="attachment_12178" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Ben Stansall)[/caption]

 

Wading through

 

Residents wade through floodwater in the village of Wraysbury in Berkshire, southeast England.

 

(AFP - Ben Stansall)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 11 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Jenny Jones claims Britain's first ever snow medal

Jenny Jones claims Britain's first ever snow medal

 

Rosa Khutor (Russia) (AFP)

 

Veteran Jenny Jones made history on Sunday as she won Britain's first ever Winter Olympics medal on the snow.

 

Jones, 33, claimed bronze in the women's slopestyle snowboarding competition after a second run score of 87.25, behind Jaime Anderson (95.25) of the US in gold and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi (92.50).

 

The competitor from Bristol had made a name for herself earlier in the week by revealing she used to keep a teabag in her bra as a good luck charm.

 

Although that has long since been abandoned, her luck, seemingly, did not run out.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 9 Sunday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Ireland too strong for Wales in Dublin

Ireland too strong for Wales in Dublin

 

Dublin (AFP)

 

Ireland ended Welsh dreams of a record third Six Nations title in a row, with a clinical display in Dublin's Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

 

Warren Gatland's men simply never got close to the hosts, who tactically outmanoeuvred the giants in red, and boasted raw strength and aggression to complete the rout.

 

Ireland have not begun a Six Nations with back-to-back victories since the Grand Slam year of 2009, and this comprehensive result will have them dreaming in Dublin.

 

Jonny Sexton's boot dominated the game, but the performances of Peter O'Mahony, Paul O'Connell, Andrew Trimble and Rob Kearney will give England boss Stuart Lancaster plenty to ponder ahead of the mammoth clash in Twickenham in two week's time.

 

Ireland were already in confident mood following their 28-6 opening day win over Scotland, reflected in Joe Schmidt's decision to make just two changes to the starting line-up.

 

Ireland captain O’Connell, who withdrew on the morning of the Scotland game with a chest infection, returned, while Gordon D’Arcy resumed his record breaking midfield partnership with Brian O'Driscoll, making what's likely to be his penultimate Ireland appearance on home soil.

 

Wales were boosted by the return to fitness of their own skipper, Sam Warburton, who was one of three changes in the forward line, alongside Gethin Jenkins and Andrew Coombs.

 

Ireland were the only team to beat Wales in 11 Six Nations clashes, but the hype surrounding this game was not about the theme of Welsh revenge, but an altogether different grudge match, pitting the 'coldhearted' Lions boss Gatland v 'scorned' centre O'Driscoll and Ireland's eight Lions v Wales' 12.

 

But the real edge to this game was that the winner could automatically become title favourites.

 

Perhaps it was that possibility that led to a scrappy first half that was largely devoid of rhythm or skill, but the home fans weren't complaining with their 13-0 lead at the break.

 

It wasn't quite the 27 point half-time lead they enjoyed last year, but it was merited, with O'Connell, O'Mahony and Trimble outstanding for the boys in green.

 

Ireland weathered a strong start by Wales, before Sexton racked up six points with two straightforward penalties before the 20th minute.

 

In between, the entire stadium took a deep breath as O'Driscoll was downed by a bone shaking tackled by Scott Williams, but the centre is going to go out on his terms this season and made it to the final whistle.

 

The ball was often in the air, with Sexton clearly intent on turning the Welsh on their heels, and it was one of those kicks that led to the opening try.

 

The execution was training ground perfection, with Devin Toner collecting the lineout and feeding Chris Henry, who was bundled over the line for his first international try.

 

Sexton added the extras, and then notched a key penalty after the break to put more than two converted tries between the sides.

 

Halfpenny finally got Wales on the scoreboard with a penalty on 56 minutes, but Sexton responded four minutes later to restore the 16 point gap.

 

Wales pounded the Irish defence, only to see Rhodri Jones's 'try' disallowed for a double movement in the build up, and the visitor's comeback efforts drifted away as the rain showers did.

 

Paddy Jackson, on the field just four minutes, did what Wales couldn't do in 80, and touched down on 78 to rub salt into the Welsh wounds.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

 

[caption id="attachment_12087" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Norway's biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, seen during a training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khutor, near Sochi, on 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP/File, Kirill Kudryavtsev))[/caption]

 

By Stuart Williams (AFP)

 

Sochi — Olympic athletes were on Saturday competing for the first medals of the Sochi Winter Games after Russia staged a thrilling opening ceremony that impressed even foreign sceptics.

 

President Vladimir Putin late Friday declared open the 22nd Winter Olympics in a ceremony that took 40,000 people in the Fisht Stadium and TV viewers around the world on a lightning tour through Russian history.

 

Thousands of fireworks exploded above the venue on the Black Sea coast in the ceremony.

 

"We missed this for so many years... a pride for our country, a feeling for her power, unity and greatness. Yesterday, we felt it," the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily said.

 

Five gold medals are up for grabs.

 

The first gold will likely come in the women's cross-country skiathlon, while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 40, will become the joint highest medal winner in Winter Olympics history if he makes the podium in the sprint.

 

Women will seek gold in the spectacular moguls freestyle event, the men's snowboard slopestyle will be decided after a succession of spectacular crashes while the endurance kings of speed skating will face off in the lung-busting men's 5,000 metres.

 

The high-octane ceremony, devised by the powerful boss of Russia's Channel One television Konstantin Ernst, got off to a rocky start when one of five illuminated artificial snowflakes that were supposed to morph into the Olympic rings failed to open, leaving just four rings.

 

But organisers brushed off the mishap, admitting that they covered up the glitch on Russian state television by quickly inserting footage of the segment they had recorded days earlier.

 

"There is a saying that you have to kick out the uneven part of a perfectly polished ball to understand how perfect it is," he said.

 

The Russian team won huge cheers as they entered to the song "Nas Ne Dogonyat" ("Not Gonna Get Us") by female pop duo Tatu.

 

In towards Russia's proud sporting past, the Olympic cauldron was lit by two triple gold-winning Soviet winter sports icons -- figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak.

 

The flame had been brought into the stadium by US-based Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and the final relay included Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva.

 

Even the foreign press, which have been hugely critical of Russia in the days up to the Games, heaped praised on the ceremony.

 

"For Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency," Britain's Daily Mail wrote.

 

'Keep politics out of Olympics'

 

But IOC President Thomas Bach made an impassioned call for politics to stay out of sport, saying "have the courage to address your disagreements in political dialogue and not on the back of your athletes".

 

The security concerns that have shadowed these Games were underlined when a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack an airliner en route from Ukraine to Turkey and divert it to Sochi.

 

But Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul, where security teams overpowered the man, said to be drunk.

 

The United States has already announced a temporary ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage on Russia-bound flights, following a warning that militants could stuff explosives into toothpaste.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France -Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

Russia plans ceremony to sway sceptical world

Russia plans ceremony to sway sceptical world

 

Sochi (Russia) (AFP)

 

Russia on Friday officially opens in Sochi its first ever Winter Olympics with the ceremony attended by many of heads of state and aimed at impressing a sceptical world with an unforgettable spectacle.

 

With a hard act to follow after show-stopping Summer Olympics opening ceremonies 2012 in London, Russia is expected to pull out all the stops to give the world an evening to remember.

 

The ceremony starts, with symbolic timing, at 2014 local time (1614 GMT) in the spectacular new Fisht Stadium on the shores of the Black Sea and will mark the beginning of one of the most controversial Olympics in recent history.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has spearheaded the Sochi Games from the bid in 2007, will be at the ceremony along with over 40 other heads of state and leaders.

 

These will include Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and embattled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who is facing a protest uprising at home.

 

Their appearance will also pave the way for several days of behind-the-scenes diplomacy at the Olympics where the Kremlin hopes to strengthen ties with key allies in an informal setting.

 

Russia is expected to spare little expense in the ceremony, details of which have been kept under wraps but which is expected to show the world a history of Russian culture and power.

 

"The ceremony will be one of the most exciting and visual ever," the head of the Sochi Organising Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko told reporters.

 

"This is a theatre with a 40,000 seat capacity" he said of the Fisht stadium.

 

"It can allow the realisation of any creative thought."

 

Some of Russia’s most decorated cosmonauts -– including Sergei Krikalev who was famously stranded in space on the Mir station when the USSR collapsed -- will raise the Russian flag to the top of the stadium.

 

However, who will light the Olympic cauldron is a closely-guarded secret, with Putin insisting it is the choice of the organising committee and not for him to interfere.

 

Russia’s team will be led out by flag-bearer Alexander Zubkov, a bobsleigh pilot and one of the most respected sportsmen in the country who has represented Russia at every Winter Olympics since Salt Lake City in 2002.

 

There have been persistent rumours that the Russian female pop duo Tatu –- hugely popular a decade ago -- will be involved in the ceremony in some form.

 

Although heterosexual in real life, the two girls made heavy use of lesbian schoolgirl imagery in pop videos and their name can translate as “This girl loves that girl.”

 

Their involvement could be seen as a riposte -– albeit somewhat warped –- to Western allegations that Russia is intolerant of homosexuality.

 

'We answered the question'

 

For many elder Russians, the ceremony may bring a pang of nostalgia for the 1980 Moscow Summer Games which are still remembered fondly in particular for the cute mascot Misha the bear.

 

But it remains to be seen whether the Sochi opening ceremony will shift the cloud of controversy which is still hanging over the Games.

 

However Russian officials insist the country is ready to hold a great show and has every right to be the host of the 22nd Winter Games.

 

"The main question people asked was whether we would manage it," said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak.

 

"The answer is clear -- we have implemented the biggest investment project in recent Olympic history."

 

(Agence France -Presse, 7 Friday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Stormy weather

Stormy weather

 

[caption id="attachment_11941" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Glyn Kirk)[/caption]

 

Stormy waters

 

Newhaven Lighthouse is battered by waves during stormy weather in Newhaven on the southern coast of England.

 

(AFP - Glyn Kirk)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 6 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

BoE cyber attack exercise shows banks unprepared

BoE cyber attack exercise shows banks unprepared

 

Simulated three–day attack on Britain's financial system reveals problems

 

[caption id="attachment_11878" align="alignnone" width="400"] (The scenario simulated an attack on Britain's financial system, including denial of service attacks on the global websites of major banks, the penetration of secure networks by hackers, and problems with core payment systems. (Photo: EPA))[/caption]

 

A Bank of England–led exercise simulating a major cyber attack on the British financial system has revealed a lack of knowledge among banks about how and when to report security breaches, as well as problems with coordinating the response to any incident.

 

In a series of findings published yesterday, the Bank said its exercise had revealed "considerable progress" since a previous test but that there was a need for a single body to coordinate communications in the event of a real crisis.

 

The British Bankers' Association was recommended as the official mouthpiece of the financial system in the event of a cyber attack.

 

If handed the role, the BBA would be expected to manage the response of the banking industry if it were hit by a sustained and widespread attempt to disrupt the financial system.

 

"It was noted that there was no central industry coordination for financial sector information–sharing and communication to the wider public," said the Bank in its report.

 

Operation Waking Shark II was run by the Bank last year to test the readiness of the UK's financial infrastructure in the event of a hostile country launching an all–out cyber attack on critical financial infrastructure.

 

The scenario involved simulating a three–day long attack on Britain's financial system, including denial of service attacks on the global websites of major banks, the penetration of secure networks by hackers, and problems with core payment systems.

 

To add to the realism, the exercise assumed an attack coincided with the so–called "triple witching" period in which a series of important financial contracts, such as index futures and stock options, expire.

 

About 220 people were involved in the war games, which included 14 investment banks and major lenders, six providers of financial infrastructure, as well as represenatives of the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Treasury.

 

The first Operation Waking Shark took place in 2011 and, with the increased focus on cyber threats, the number of future exercises is expected to increase.

 

Regulators will hold shorter but more frequent war games.

 

With the threat increasingly coming from abroad and the impact of a major attack likely to have international ramifications, the authorities have been asked to widen the scope of future war games to allow more foreign participants.

 

Cyber attacks have been identified as one of the biggest problems for the banking industry and major financial services groups face regular attacks on their systems from a variety of sources, including both criminal gangs and foreign governments.

 

Most of these attacks are relatively small–scale but some have led to severe security breaches and the collapse of core systems.

 

(The Telegraph, 6 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

British businesses fall victim to 'cybersquatters' amid domain name rollout

British businesses fall victim to 'cybersquatters' amid domain name rollout

 

As hundreds of new web suffixes become publicly available, some of Britains top brands are falling victim to 'cybersquatters'

 

This week sees the rollout of hundreds of new generic top-level domain name suffixes, from شبكة. – pronounced dot-shabaka (.web in Arabic) – to .sexy, .technology and .singles.

 

Over the next year, more than 1,000 new top level domains (TLDs) will come online, taking the number well beyond the 22 that are used today, such as .com, .net and .org.

 

This has been hailed as one of the biggest changes to the Internet since its inception.

 

However, new research reveals that some of the UK’s biggest companies are failing to protect their intellectual property, with many domain names relating to British brands already being bought up by third parties.

 

For example, one of the most highly anticipated new extensions is .web, but 80 per cent of the .web domain names relating to the UK’s 50 most valuable brands have been reserved by unknown entities – including HSBC.web, JohnLewis.web and Burberry.web – according to ICANN's Trademark Clearinghouse, the centralised repository of validated trademarks.

 

Similarly, third parties have attempted to pre-order 78 per cent of the UK’s top 50 most valuable brands under the .online domain name, 72 per cent under .app, 70 per cent under .shop and 68 per cent under .blog.

 

This practice is known as 'cybersquatting', because the third party is essentially holding the brand's domain name to ransom.

 

“The research shows that some of the UK’s biggest brand names are at risk of IP infringement online as new TLDs are rolled out, with other parties keen to capitalise on the traffic a branded website will generate," said Jan Corstens, project director at the Trademark Clearinghouse.

 

"This not only compromises the reputation of each brand targeted, but also has much larger implications. Looking at the bigger picture, if brands fail to prevent third parties from registering domains relating to their trademarks, the economy as a whole potentially stands to lose millions to grey and black market activities, with consumers inadvertently buying counterfeit products from third parties posing as the brand online”.

 

Further analysis revealed that 54 per cent of these brands are currently not in control of key domain names across major existing domain extensions.

 

The findings include examples of familiar brands from the telecoms, financial services and petroleum industries not owning key domain names such as VirginMedia.info, RBS.biz and Shell.net.

 

Brands in the food grocery space were most notable in this regard, with tesco.co, asda.org, sainsburys.info, morrisons.org all found to be under the control of an unofficial party.

 

Around 70 per cent of the brands studied have already taken legal action against third parties infringing on their IP online.

 

One way for companies to protect their intellectual property is to pre-register domains such as tesco.shop and tesco.web, to prevent cybersquatters from getting their hands on them.

 

However, each of these new domains costs about £10 to £30 a year to own, and the sheer number of new TLDs means that costs will add up.

 

Alternatively, companies can record their trademarks in the Trademark Clearinghouse.

 

This allows them to secure all the domain names relating to a particular trademark ahead of wider public availability, and be warned if any third party seeks to take control of a domain which matches their IP.

 

It costs £92 to record a trademark for a year, £267 for three years, and £446 for five years.

 

"We believe that in these instances, prevention is better than cure and cheaper than costly litigation associated with domain disputes," said Corstens.

 

(The Telegraph, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Prime Minister David Cameron to announce extra sports aid for pupils until 2020

Prime Minister David Cameron to announce extra sports aid for pupils until 2020

 

Prime Minister to announce £150m-a-year fund for state primary schools will be extended until 2020 to secure the legacy of the London Olympics

 

[caption id="attachment_11851" align="alignnone" width="620"] (Prime Minister Cameron’s announcement has been endorsed by leading figures from the London Games, including Mo Farah and Johnnie Peacock (Photo: GETTY IMAGES))[/caption]

 

Children at state primary schools will have extra money for sport and physical education guaranteed for the rest of the decade, Prime Minister David Cameron will say on Thursday.

 

A £150-million-a-year fund will be extended until 2020 to secure the legacy of the London Olympics, the Prime Minister will announce.

 

Prime Minister Cameron originally promised, last year, that primary schools’ head teachers would be given extra cash to fund PE lessons and other sporting activities for two years.

 

Officials say that the money is worth £9,250 to the typical primary school with 250 pupils, enough to pay for a teacher or coach to oversee sporting activities two days a week.

 

Ministers say the money should allow heads to maintain or increase activities which have been reduced in some schools.

 

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers warned in December that schools were being forced to “sideline” art, music and physical education in the race to meet government targets for literacy and numeracy.

 

The original scheme was launched after The Telegraph began its Keep the Flame Alive campaign in the summer of 2012, calling for greater support for school sport after the Games.

 

Prime Minister Cameron’s announcement has been endorsed by leading figures from the London Games, including Mo Farah and Johnnie Peacock, who both won athletics gold medals.

 

Prime Minister Cameron said: “Sport is so important because it encourages children to be active, lead a healthy lifestyle, make friends and, of course, have fun. But quality school sport has benefits that spread right across the curriculum and beyond – it develops confidence and a sense of achievement, it teaches young people how to rise to a challenge, and nurtures the character and skills that will help them get on and succeed in life.

 

“It’s an important part of our long-term plan to deliver the best schools and skills for young people. That is why I am committing to guarantee the primary school sports funding until 2020.”

 

Farah, who won two gold medals in 2012, said that school sport had been vital to many professional sporting careers.

 

Prime Minister said: “The help I got at school was a key part of how I got to where I am today and so it can make a big difference.”

 

Lord Coe, the Tory peer who oversaw the London Olympics, said: “I am delighted that the Prime Minister has made this commitment to continue to invest in school sport until 2020.

 

“We wanted to use London 2012 to inspire a generation to choose sport, and ensuring that children get a positive and engaging experience in primary school of physical education and sport is key to this. A long-term commitment to continue this funding can only help to achieve this.”

 

As well as funding PE lessons, money will be available to pay for initial teacher training to produce a generation of primary teachers specialising in PE.

 

English primary schools will be able to apply for a share of an £18 million fund to adapt their grounds and make them suitable for sport.

 

--The Princess Royal has complained that glitzy Olympic opening ceremonies are marginalising the athletes.

 

She told fellow members of the International Olympic Committee that the balance had swung too far from the days when the ceremony only involved competitors.

 

(The Telegraph, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Pissarro and Picasso records broken at London auction

Pissarro and Picasso records broken at London auction

 

London (AFP)

 

A Paris street scene painted by Camille Pissarro sold for £19.9 million ($32.1 million, 24 million euros) at a London sale on Wednesday, almost five times the previous record for the Impressionist master at auction.

 

The Danish-French painter's "Boulevard Montmartre, Matinee de Printemps", widely considered to be one of the most important Impressionist works to come up for sale in the last decade, went under the hammer at London's Sotheby's auction house.

 

The 1897 painting, an elevated view of a typical spring scene on the famous Paris thoroughfare, was originally owned by Jewish industrialist Max Silberberg, who was based in Breslau.

 

The painting was restituted to his family in 2000.

 

"It is an honour to be entrusted with offering the greatest work by Camille Pissarro ever to appear at auction –- a work that encompasses such a richly painted canvas and a supremely elegant composition," said Helena Newman, Chairman of Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Department Europe, prior to the sale.

 

"The appeal of these extremely desirable attributes to discerning collectors is enhanced by the painting's history of having been housed in a collection as important as Max Silberberg's," she added.

 

The auction also saw the highest price for a Vincent Van Gogh painting at auction in the British capital for 25 years when a bidder fought of competition from six rivals to secure "L'Homme est en mer" for £16.9 million.

 

The work features a woman cradling a baby as she sits next to a fire.

 

Record prices were also achieved for a print by Cubist master Picasso and for a work on paper by Swiss sculptor, painter and draughtsman Alberto Giacometti.

 

Two weeks of London auctions kicked off on Tuesday, when paintings by Picasso, Rene Magritte and Juan Gris pushed a sale at Christie's to a record for London of nearly £177 million.

 

Gris's still-life "Nature Morte a la Nappe a Carreaux" ("The Checked Tablecloth") led the way, selling for £34.8 million to smash the world auction record for the Spanish artist.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

British Petroleum says 2013 net profit more than doubles to $23.45 bn

British Petroleum says 2013 net profit more than doubles to $23.45 bn

 

London (AFP)

 

British Petroleum, BP, said Tuesday that net profits more than doubled in 2013, compared with the previous year when it faced huge fines linked to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

 

Earnings after taxation soared to $23.45 billion (17.33 billion euros) last year, boosted by strong oil and gas output growth, the British energy giant said in a results statement.

 

That compared with $11.017 billion in 2012.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 4 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

Britain faces choice of saving town or country from floods, says agency chief

Britain faces choice of saving town or country from floods, says agency chief

 

Too expensive to defend both urban and rural areas, says Lord Smith, as forecasters warn worse weather to come

 

[caption id="attachment_11713" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Flooding has been exceptionally bad in Somerset after the wettest January for more than 200 years. (Photograph Matt Cardy/Getty Images))[/caption]

 

Britain may have to choose whether it wants to save "town or country" from future flooding because it is too costly to defend both, the chairman of the Environment Agency said.

 

Lord Smith said "difficult choices" would have to be made over what to protect because "there is no bottomless purse" to pay for defences.

 

Meanwhile householders have been told to brace themselves as further wind and rain threatens to bring more chaos to waterlogged communities across Britain.

 

Around 180 homes were flooded during during a busy weekend for the emergency services and EA workers up and down the country.

 

But as flood-hit communities enjoyed a break in the bad weather yesterday, forecasters warned there may be worse to come.

 

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Smith defended the EA after a week in which it has come in for heavy criticism over its handling of the crisis, which has left large swathes of the Somerset Levels underwater for more than a month.

 

He said that the sea surge in December reached higher levels than the east coast surge of 1953, which cost more than 300 lives, but without the loss of life because of advances in flood warning and risk-management.

 

But he said that "there are no quick fixes in the face of this kind of extreme rainfall", and tough decisions lie ahead, not just for the EA, about how protection from flooding is managed in the future.

 

Lord Smith said: "Yes, agricultural land matters and we do whatever we can with what we have to make sure it is protected. Rules from successive governments give the highest priority to lives and homes; and I think most people would agree that this is the right approach.

 

"But this involves tricky issues of policy and priority; town or country, front rooms or farmland?

 

"Flood defences cost money; and how much should the taxpayer be prepared to spend on different places, communities and livelihoods - in Somerset, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, or East Anglia? There's no bottomless purse, and we need to make difficult but sensible choices about where and what we try to protect."

 

Following a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee yesterday, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said that 73,000 homes in England had been protected from flooding since Friday, and that the EA continued to protect communities by deploying demountable flood defences, sandbags and clearing waterways.

 

He said: "I have enormous sympathy for those who have been affected again this weekend and the government is working with all local councils to help communities recover. All requests for assistance have been met."

 

Lord Smith's warning comes as it emerged victims of the flooding are having to pay up to 41p a minute to call a government helpline for advice.

 

The Sun said all money from the 0845 premium-rate number, which was set up by the Environment Agency (EA), went to a private firm.

 

News that the EA's Floodline phone number costs 10.5p a minute from landlines and 41p from mobiles was met with fury by residents in flood-stricken communities, The Sun said.

 

Bryony Sadler, a member of Somerset's Flooding on the Levels Action Group, told the newspaper: "We are extremely grateful to the Environment Agency's people on the ground, who are doing their best to help us.

 

"But this is just another example of staggering mismanagement form their pen-pushing bosses."

 

EA staff have been working around the clock to alleviate the flooding that people in the county have endured for five weeks, pumping 1.5 million tonnes of water a day off the Levels.

 

Two all-terrain vehicles have been sent to the county along with extra pumping equipment.

 

But with further rain expected following the wettest January on record in some places, saturated ground and high river levels could lead to further river flooding this week.

 

Weather forecasters are expecting winds of up to 70mph today, and up to 30mm (1.2in) of rain.

 

Officials say fresh flooding could affect the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall today as well as Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

 

As of this morning the EA had three severe flood warnings in place, one covering large parts of Cornwall and Devon, and two for the River Severn in the Midlands.

 

There are also 95 flood warnings and 233 less severe flood alerts.

 

The River Severn in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, the Frome and Avon in Dorset, the river Thames and its tributaries in Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough and Hampshire and the Medway in Kent are all of concern this week.

 

The agency's flood risk manager, Kate Marks, said that as high tides and large waves threaten the south coast, further rain on already saturated ground could lead to river flooding.

 

She said: "With further severe weather conditions expected in the coming days, the Environment Agency is likely to issue further warnings so people should check their flood risk and get early warnings so they can take action to protect their property."

 

(The Guardian, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

 

Brussels (AFP)

 

With France and Germany apparently patching up their economic differences, their decades-old axis could retake its place at the heart of Europe, but analysts are waiting for actions to back up the rhetoric.

 

French President Francois Hollande's recent promises of economic reform have been welcomed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition as a step away from socialist policies towards Berlin's austerity-minded approach.

 

The eurozone's two biggest economies have meanwhile launched a series of measures to jumpstart stalled ties after the financial crisis exposed major differences in approach to budgetary discipline and growth.

 

"There is a chance this is a real one (rapprochement)," Janis Emmanouilidis of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre think tank told AFP.

 

"Each side knows that they have to interact with each other for many years to come."

 

Paris and Berlin have struggled to reconcile their policies on recovering from the eurozone debt crisis ever since Hollande took office in 2012 promising to spend France's way out of trouble.

 

The previously strong bond between Merkel and Hollande's centre-right predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy -- dubbed "Merkozy" -- has been replaced by a lack of communication, exacerbated in 2013 by Merkel spending months building a new left-right coalition after elections.

 

But earlier this month Berlin warmly welcomed what Hollande called "social democratic" reforms to spur the beleaguered French economy.

 

They included 50 billion euros ($68 billion) in public spending cuts and a 30-billion-euro reduction in corporate payroll charges.

 

Since then it has been a veritable love-in between the former foes.

 

Germany offered logistical support to the French operation in the Central African Republic, while their foreign ministers are considering joint trips to some of Europe's troubled neighbours.

 

'Franco-German phoenix'

 

"It's a social-democratic convergence which reconciles supply-side reforms with a reduction in social inequality," said Claire Demesmay, of the German Council on International Relations.

 

Emmanouilidis said there was time for Germany and France to find common ground on changing the EU's treaties to strengthen joint economic governance in the 28-nation bloc.

 

But the negotiations would be "complex" and there were also a host of differences on technical issues such as banking union, the financial transactions tax and others.

 

The two leaders also face different situations at home.

 

The main problems in France are youth unemployment, competitiveness and the bloated state, whereas Germany faces issues with internal consumer demand.

 

Others were more sceptical that the relationship between France and Germany could return to the heady days when they effectively built the European Union together.

 

"I'm not sure how much rapprochement there actually is between France and Germany," Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, a eurosceptic think-tank based in London, told AFP.

 

"One senior German told me recently that they are far more worried about France than about Italy."

 

One EU official was cautious.

 

"The rebirth of the Franco-German phoenix is a recurrent phenomenon," the source added on condition of anonymity.

 

"For citizens, words have to be translated into lasting actions."

 

But Persson said the relationship was still "relevant and important for Europe."

 

"In the grand scheme of things it is good that France and Germany get on," he said.

 

Britain and other northern European countries could in particular benefit from the alliance, despite appearances to the contrary.

 

Prime Minister David Cameron has been wooing Germany in a bid to win support for his quest to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU before putting the new terms to a national referendum in 2017.

 

But close ties between Merkel and Hollande would not necessarily scupper this, particularly as there is appetite for treaty change from Berlin.

 

"A Franco-German axis on the whole is more open to reform than the sum of its parts," Persson said.

 

"It could therefore be more sympathetic to the UK's reform agenda."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Wenger eyes swift Arsenal return to summit

Wenger eyes swift Arsenal return to summit

 

London (AFP)

 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants his side to apply pressure on their Premier League title rivals by reclaiming top spot with victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

 

The Gunners lost their place at the summit of the table to Manchester City following their mid-week 2-2 draw at Southampton.

 

While Arsenal dropped points at St Mary's last Tuesday, City were rampant in a 5-1 mauling of Tottenham Hotspur 24 hours later.

 

But Wenger hopes his men can get back to winning ways immediately at the Emirates Stadium against Tony Pulis' resurgent outfit.

 

That will restore a two-point advantage for the Gunners over nearest rivals City, who host third-place Chelsea on Monday.

 

"That's our target," Wenger said.

 

"Can you win the next game if you give absolutely everything? Yes, so let's do it.

 

"It is a great opportunity for us to win our game and respond to our draw at Southampton.

 

"At the moment they (City) are on fire. But I believe we have just to focus on our own run because if you look at the schedule, if we are consistent we have a good chance to do it.

 

"You cannot speculate on any weakness in Man City in the coming months. So let's focus on us, and our strengths, in the coming months.

 

"It is the way we can do, if we keep the consistency and manage to win the big games -- one of them will be Man City at home (on March 29).

 

"Of course that will be very important. Of course they had an impressive win, and a great quality game as well at Tottenham.

 

“But if you analyse it well, this game could have turned as well. All the turning points went in their favour. If they had not gone ahead, you are not sure they would have won the game."

 

Arsenal have suffered a major injury blow, with Aaron Ramsey ruled out for up to six weeks with a recurrence of a thigh problem.

 

The Wales midfielder has been one of the stand-out performers for the Gunners this season, scoring 13 goals for the north Londoners in all competitions.

 

He will miss crunch league fixtures in February against Liverpool and Manchester United, the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Brendan Rodgers's men, and the mouth-watering Champions League last 16 first-leg tie against Bayern Munich.

 

"He finished training normally, came in and had pain. We checked in on the scan and is was a recurrence of his muscle problem," Wenger said.

 

"Why did it happen? Have we not been cautious enough? We have respected the procedures. Maybe we should have been a bit more cautious, but it was not obvious."

 

Wenger reacted to Ramsey's injury by bringing in Sweden international midfielder Kim Kallstrom from Spartak Moscow on a short-term loan deal.

 

Improving Palace have lost only twice in their last six matches under new manager Pulis, who has seen his side climb to 14th place in the table.

 

The south London club brought a raft of new players to the club before the January transfer window closed on Friday.

 

Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, centre-back Scott Dann and midfielders Joe Ledley and Tom Ince all arrived at Selhurst Park, while Jason Puncheon's loan move from Southampton was turned into a permanent transfer.

 

"Obviously it was good business done by the football club and we just hope it gels as quick as necessary to get us the points to keep us in the Premiership (Premier League)," Pulis told Sky Sports.

 

"The important thing was getting competition, and also getting cover. There's almost a third of the season to go, and we needed that.

 

"What we've got to do now is get them into the groove as quickly as we can."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 2 Sunday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Ireland boss set for first Six Nations 'final' against Scotland

Ireland boss set for first Six Nations 'final' against Scotland

 

Dublin (AFP)

 

Joe Schmidt was preparing himself for "five finals" ahead of his first Six Nations game in charge of Ireland, against Scotland in Dublin on Sunday.

 

The New Zealand-born former Leinster boss was appointed as Declan Kidney's successor last year, and lost two of three November Tests, going down 15-32 to Australia, before agonisingly losing 22-24 to the world champion All Blacks with the last kick of an epic game.

 

Schmidt could have made history by leading his adopted nation to its first ever victory over his homeland in over a century of trying, but Ireland couldn't back up a stunning first 40 minutes and ultimately came up short once more.

 

But he knows there will be far less sympathy if Ireland slip up in the Six Nations, a tournament he's enjoyed only as a spectator before now.

 

"I'm still learning in this job," Schmidt said at the squad's training base near Dublin on Friday.

 

"It (the Six Nations) is a competition of five games but it's five finals and that probably makes it slightly different to the Autumn where we did feel maybe we had to have a look at a few guys.

 

"Whereas this is the Six Nations, this is the major tournament that we play and we can't afford to lose our first game.

 

"It's pivotal for us to get a good start. You only get one shot at your first game and you've got to give it your best shot."

 

Of the XV that started against New Zealand, Schmidt is without Tommy Bowe and Sean O'Brien through injury.

 

Schmidt also caused some mild surprise by deciding Gordon D'Arcy's stomach illness at the start of this week was sufficient reason for him to be left out, even though the veteran midfielder was one of the best players on the pitch against New Zealand.

 

D'Arcy has been replaced at inside centre by Ulster's Luke Marshall, one of four players from the northern province to make the starting lineup, a reflection of their unbeaten status in this season's European Cup.

 

Much of the rest of the team picks itself, with star centre Brian O'Driscoll set for a landmark 129th cap that will see him overtake retired outside-half Ronan O'Gara as Ireland's most-capped player.

 

This is also O'Driscoll's final season of rugby before retirement, and he's expressed his determination to 'empty the tank' in the pursuit of only a second Championship title in 14 attempts.

 

Ireland captain Paul O'Connell agreed with O'Driscoll's assertion that the country's 'golden generation', so successful at club level, have underachieved in the Test arena.

 

But the experienced lock said the present side might be the most talented group of Ireland players he's been involved with.

 

"We have an excellent squad that is equally good and possibly better (than the Grand Slam winning side of 2009," O'Connell claimed.

 

"But until we go on and do something you can't say that.

 

"We need all the good things we did against New Zealand in terms of our accuracy and detail, but that doggedness that was there in 2009 needs to be there as well."

 

Indeed it was that very quality of grim determination that did so much to see Scotland to an upset 12-8 win in last year's corresponding clash with the Irish at Murrayfield.

 

But Scotland coach Scott Johnson is wants his side to expand their game.

 

And with the return of full-back Stuart Hogg, who missed the November Tests with a wrist injury, in a back three also featuring New Zealand-born wing Sean Maitland and veteran flyer Sean Lamont, Johnson is convinced his side can pose a real attacking threat at Lansdowne Road.

 

"We can go the length with that back three," said Johnson.

 

"For a seasoned campaigner Sean Lamont has some legs still. His form over the last 24 months for us has been outstanding," the Australian added

 

"Like something in my wine cabinet he's certainly getting better with age."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 2 Sunday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Lloyds bank takes extra £2.0 bn hit for mis-selling claims

Lloyds bank takes extra £2.0 bn hit for mis-selling claims

 

London (AFP)

 

Britain's state-rescued bank Lloyds said Monday it will take an extra hit of almost £2.0 ($3.3 billion, 2.4 billion euros) to cover mis-selling claims.

 

Lloyds will take a provision of £1.8 billion for claims relating to the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, and £130 million relating to over the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products to small businesses, it said in an update before annual results on February 13, adding it expects to make a "small" pre-tax profit.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

London Eye

London Eye

 

[caption id="attachment_11657" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Leon Neal)[/caption]

 

 

New Year's glow

 

The London Eye is lit in red and gold to celebrate the Julius New Year in London.

 

(AFP - Leon Neal)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)