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New Zealand teen admits killing seals for 'being pests'

2011-07-19T04:51:00.002-07:00

The seals were clubbed to death in what conservation staff called a callous, cowardly attack

A New Zealand teenager has pleaded guilty to killing 23 seals and seal pups with a metal pipe because he thought they were pests.

Jason Trevor Godsiff attacked the seals while he was on his way home from work on a building site near Kaikoura on South Island.

He stopped at a seal colony and bludgeoned the animals to death.

The 19-year old, who will be sentenced on 13 September, was convicted of wilfully mistreating protected animals.

Another man, 36-year-old Jamaal Peter Roy Large, faces the same charges but has not yet submitted a plea.

Staff from the department of conservation found the battered seals, including newborn pups, at the bottom of a 30m (100ft) cliff.

"This is a callous and cowardly attack on seals, especially newborn pups, unable to defend themselves against someone striking them with a bat or similar club-like object," the department's regional manager Dave Hayes said at the time.

Fur seals are protected in New Zealand and anyone caught harming them faces six months in jail and heavy fines.

The seal colony stretches 2km (1.2 miles) on the east coast of the South Island.

Atlantis commander's farewell to ISS

2011-07-19T04:51:00.001-07:00

The US shuttle Atlantis has undocked from the space station and is heading home to Earth for the last time.

When the orbiter lands early on Thursday morning in Florida, it will bring to a close Nasa's 30-year re-usable spaceplane programme.

As it undocked, Atlantis commander Chris Ferguson said "Farewell ISS, make us proud".

Attack on home of Guinea President Conde 'repelled

2011-07-19T04:50:00.002-07:00

Heavy shooting has taken place at the home of Guinean President Alpha Conde in the country's capital, Conakry.

Unknown assailants attacked Mr Conde's private residence, eyewitnesses said.

Forces loyal to Mr Conde repelled the attack after an hour-long shoot-out, reports say. Unconfirmed reports say one person was killed in the attack.

Mr Conde was elected president last year after a military junta, which seized power in 2008, returned the country to civilian rule.

He says the army has been deployed in the streets, but the situation is now calm

Xinjiang police attack was terrorism, China says

2011-07-19T04:50:00.001-07:00

Chinese officials have blamed Monday's deadly attack at a police station in Xinjiang province on "terrorists" from the ethnic Uighur minority.

A local official told state media that one of the attackers had unfurled a banner with separatist slogans.

But Uighur activists said the security forces had provoked clashes by opening fire on a peaceful demonstration.

Officials said several police and a number of civilians were killed in the violence in the city of Hotan.

State media reports claimed a mob attacked the police station and took a number of people hostage.

Security forces managed to rescue some of the hostages, but others were killed.

The state-run Global Times quoted local official Hou Hanmin as saying it was "an organised terrorist attack".

"The rioters carried explosive devices and grenades. They first broke into the offices of the local administration of industry and commerce and the taxation bureau that are close to the police station," he said.

"When they realised the targets were wrong, they started to attack the police station from the ground floor to the second floor where they showed a flag with separatist messages."

But a Germany-based exile group, World Uyghur Congress, said 14 Uighurs were killed and 70 arrested after police opened fire on a peaceful protest, leading to fighting between the two sides.

"In order to avoid a further destabilisation of the situation, the Chinese authorities should immediately stop the systematic repression," the group said in a statement.

The majority of Xinjiang's population is ethnically Uighur - who are Muslims with strong cultural ties to Central Asia.

They have complained that waves of Han Chinese migrants have marginalised their culture.

In 2009, riots erupted in Xinjiang in which nearly 200 people died after tensions flared between the Uighurs and the Han Chinese.

Baidu signs deal with music labels

2011-07-19T04:49:00.002-07:00

Chinese search engine Baidu has struck a deal with leading music labels ending years of legal wrangling over rights.

Baidu signed an agreement with a joint venture owned by Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony Music to distribute music through its mp3 search service.

Baidu, China's biggest search engine, will pay the owners of the music rights on a per-play and per-download basis.

China is the world's biggest internet market with close to 470 million users.

Baidu has been involved in legal tussle with the music labels. It has been accused of steering consumers to third-party websites where pirated material is hosted.

However, the company said that all outstanding litigation between the parties involved had ended as part of the deal.

Iran says it is installing 'better' nuclear centrifuges

2011-07-19T04:49:00.001-07:00

Iran says it is installing centrifuges with "better quality and speed" to improve the uranium enrichment process at its nuclear plants.

The foreign ministry statement comes despite international demands for Iran to halt its nuclear activities.

It said the UN atomic watchdog had "full supervision" of the centrifuges.

The US, UK and other Western nations have long believed Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at developing atomic weapons - a claim rejected by Tehran.

Tehran says it is refining uranium for electricity generation and medical applications.

Enriched uranium can be used for civilian nuclear purposes, but also to build atomic bombs.
'Peaceful' activity

"By installing the new centrifuges progress is being made with more speed and better quality," said spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast.

He said the move showed Iran's success in pursuing its "peaceful nuclear activity".

Six world powers are negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme, and the country is subject to United Nations Security Council sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

Last month, the British government accused Iran of testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, in contravention of a UN resolution.

The Iranians openly test-fired 14 surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 2,000km (1,250 miles) as part of a 10-day programme of military exercises.

Its foreign ministry said none of these missiles had had nuclear capability

Man City manager Mancini expects Aguero developments

2011-07-19T04:48:00.000-07:00

Manchester City are closing in on a deal to sign Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero, BBC Sport understands.

The move comes despite the deadlock in Carlos Tevez's proposed move to Brazilian outfit Corinthians.

The Tevez transfer is on hold after the Brazilian side contradicted City boss Roberto Mancini's claim that a deal had been agreed.

But City are confident they can beat Juventus and Real Madrid to sign his Argentina team-mate Aguero.

Mancini's original plan was to wait until the Tevez deal was concluded before moving for Aguero and Corinthians need to move quickly to complete the transfer before the Brazilian window closes on 20 July.

Corinthians said in a statement that City "have asked for changes in the form of payment and on the value of the transfer" that would finally see Tevez leave after a protracted transfer saga.

City officials are privately frustrated by the delay - but BBC Sport understands they are satisfied they are making good progress in negotiations with Atletico that would see Aguero, 23, arrive as an instant and ready-made replacement for his fellow countryman.

It is believed the only change requested to the offer accepted by City for Tevez, which was £38.6m - 40m Euros plus 4m Euros in add-ons - was a minor detail in the first instalment of payment and did not relate to the value of the deal.

City are also not requesting any sell-on clause in the deal, despite reducing their original asking price to give Tevez his wish to be reunited with his family in South America.

Aguero has made it clear he expects to leave Atletico in the coming weeks and City are confident they can beat off competition from Europe's leading clubs to sign one of Europe's most coveted young talents.

He scored 20 goals in La Liga for Atletico last season, and has scored 13 international goals for Argentina in his 30 appearances

Sticks insects survive one million years without sex

2011-07-19T04:47:00.000-07:00

Stick insects have lived for one million years without sex, genetic research has revealed.

Scientists in Canada investigated the DNA of Timema stick insects, which live in shrubland around the west coast of the US.

They traced the ancient lineages of two species to reveal the insects' lengthy history of asexual reproduction.

The discovery could help researchers understand how life without sex is possible.
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Asexuality does not always result in the rapid extinction of a lineage”

Dr Tanja Schwander Simon Fraser University, Canada

Scientists from Simon Fraser University, Canada, published their results in the journal Current Biology.

Certain species of Timema stick insects were known to reproduce asexually, with females producing young in "virgin births" without the need for egg fertilisation by males.

The insects instead produce genetic clones of themselves.

Dr Tanja Schwander and her team set out to test how old these species were, and therefore to find out how long they had reproduced in this way.

By analysing the DNA of the insects, scientists were able to trace back their lineages to identify when they became a distinct species.

The team discovered that five of the asexual stick insects were "ancient", dating back more than 500,000 years. Two of them were even older."All the evidence points to Timema tahoe and Timema genevievae having persisted for over one million years without sex," Dr Schwander told BBC Nature.

"Our research adds to the growing amount of evidence that asexuality does not always result in the rapid extinction of a lineage," she said.

In the past, asexual reproduction has been associated with "evolutionary dead ends" because the lineages of organisms studied were often short-lived.

In more recent studies, tiny invertebrates called bdelloid rotifers and darwinulid ostracods were described as long established asexuals by scientists investigating fossil records.

But there has been ongoing controversy surrounding these ancient asexuals. And further study suggested that asexuality was, in some cases, likely to have been a recent adaptation.
Asexual survival

Dr Schwander and her team's genetic analysis confirmed that these stick insects have had a long female-only history.

"Timema are indeed the oldest insects for which there is good evidence that they have been asexual for long periods of time," said Dr Schwander.

Comparing sexual and asexual species of stick insect could teach scientists more about how organisms survive without sex.

Asexuality does bring certain benefits, including rapid population growth. But the repeated cloning of genes through generations is thought to have significant negative consequences too.

This replication means that species are less able to adapt to new environments through "shuffling and tweaking" of genes.

Dr Schwander said: "Why Timema asexuals have been able to persist for so long despite all the predicted negative consequences of asexuality is the focus of ongoing studies.

Japan bans Fukushima beef shipments

2011-07-19T04:45:00.002-07:00

The Japanese government has banned all shipments of cattle from the Fukushima prefecture on concerns about contaminated beef.

More than 500 cows are thought to have eaten radiation-tainted hay and already been shipped to other parts of Japan.

There are also concerns that beef from other surrounding prefectures may be contaminated.

This is the latest health scare linked to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant damaged by March's earthquake.

"We instructed the governor [of Fukushima] to halt shipments of all cattle in Fukushima to meat-packing factories," said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano.
Wider problem

The initial discovery of contaminated beef was traced back to farms near the Fukushima power plant, but more recent discoveries are from farms as far as 100km (70 miles) away.

However, farm ministry officials have said that consuming the beef a few times would not pose a health risk, despite radiation levels several times the national limit.

Shipments of certain vegetables from areas near the plant had already been halted due to high radiation levels.

More than four months on from the earthquake, radioactive material continues to escape from the facility

Former Met officers face questions from MPs

2011-07-19T04:45:00.001-07:00

Two senior police officers who resigned after links emerged between the Metropolitan Police and the News of the World will be questioned by MPs later.

Former Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates, who quit as assistant commissioner on Monday, will be asked about their links to Neil Wallis.

The former News International executive was hired as an adviser to the Met.

The home affairs committee hearing comes ahead of another group of MPs questioning News Corp's Rupert Murdoch.

From noon, MPs will question Sir Paul and the Met's public affairs director Dick Fedorcio.

Just over an hour later, Mr Yates is expected to be asked by MPs to "clarify" the testimony he gave last week, when he expressed regret at his 2009 decision not to reopen the original phone-hacking investigation, despite reports of new evidence.

Mr Yates announced his resignation after the Metropolitan Police Authority warned he was facing suspension and an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The police watchdog has been asked to look at complaints that Mr Yates "inappropriately" secured a job for Mr Wallis' daughter. Mr Yates has insisted his conscience was clear.Sir Paul's resignation and his recall to committee was triggered by the disclosure that Mr Wallis, who was Andy Coulson's deputy at the News of the World - had been employed by the Met as a part-time PR consultant.

There has been further criticism of Mr Yates for serving on the committee that vetted Mr Wallis in 2009 for the position.

The conduct of the ex-commissioner is also expected to be examined by the IPCC.

Other developments include:

News Corporation chiefs Rupert and James Murdoch and former executive Rebekah Brooks will be quizzed about the phone-hacking scandal by another group of MPs

Investigations are continuing into the death of former NoW journalist Sean Hoare, who made allegations of phone hacking at the paper, after his body was found on Monday

The Sun's website has been targeted by hackers Lulz Security and readers redirected to a hoax story about Rupert Murdoch

David Cameron will return to the UK - cutting short a trip to Africa - to prepare for a Commons debate on the hacking scandal on Wednesday

News Corporation has denied reports it was holding a meeting to discuss a replacement for Rupert Murdoch as CEO of the company

The home affairs committee will meet again later on Tuesday to hear from Lord Ken MacDonald, the former director of public prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer, the current DPP, and Mark Lewis, the solicitor representing the Dowler family

Sean Hoare death: Whistle-blower post-mortem to be held

2011-07-19T04:44:00.002-07:00

A post-mortem examination will be held later into the death of a man police believe to be former News of the World (NoW) journalist Sean Hoare.

Police say his death is unexplained but is not being treated as suspicious, and his next of kin have been informed.

Mr Hoare, 47, who had claimed phone hacking was rife at the NoW, was found dead at his home in Watford on Monday.

He had also told the BBC's Panorama programme that phone hacking was "endemic" at the Sunday tabloid.

When he first spoke out, Mr Hoare told Panorama the then NoW editor Andy Coulson had asked him to hack phones - something Mr Coulson has denied.

The former journalist was also interviewed by the New York Times last year in which he said hacking was far more extensive than the NoW acknowledged when police first investigated hacking claims in 2006.

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: "Police investigations continue into the unexplained death of a man who, whilst formal identification is yet to take place, police believe to be Sean Hoare.

"The post-mortem is set to take place today. The man's next of kin have been informed and the family are being supported by police at this sad time."

Mr Hoare's body was discovered after police were called to his home in Langley Road, Watford at 1040 BST on Monday.

The showbiz journalist had worked on the Sun before being recruited by former NoW editor Andy Coulson to News International's Sunday title.

He was dismissed from the NoW for drink and drug problems

Syrian troops 'kill civilians in Homs assault'

2011-07-19T04:44:00.001-07:00

Syrian security forces have shot dead several civilians in the city of Homs, eyewitnesses and activists say.

Intense gunfire was reported overnight in Homs, with one resident telling Reuters there were "troops and armoured vehicles in every neighbourhood".

The latest violence is part of a crackdown on the four-month-old anti-government uprising in the country.

International journalists have been denied access to Syria, making it difficult to verify reports.

Residents said at least three people had been killed in attacks on districts across Homs on Tuesday. Activists said at least 10 had died in the fighting overnight.

"The irregular forces with [the troops] are death squads. They have been firing indiscriminately since dawn with rifles and machine guns. No-one can leave their homes," an unnamed resident told Reuters by phone.

It follows a wave of violence in Homs at the weekend.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people were killed in sectarian fighting on Saturday and Sunday, following the discovery of the mutilated bodies of three regime supporters.

The supporters were reported to be Alawites - the minority ruling sect of President Bashar al-Assad.

However, the Syrian National Human Rights Organisation said that only seven people were killed in the weekend attacks, which it said were carried out by security forces.

Human rights groups say that about 1,400 civilians and 350 security forces personnel have died in the four months of protest.

The government blames the unrest on "armed criminal gangs" backed by a foreign conspiracy.

Israel troops board Gaza protest boat Dignite-al Karama

2011-07-19T04:43:00.001-07:00

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Israeli commandos have boarded a boat trying to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, the military says.

The Dignite-al Karama, the sole representative of an initial 10-vessel flotilla, had earlier been surrounded by warships and warned to change course.

A military spokeswoman told AFP news agency the boat was being towed towards the Israeli port of Ashdod.

She said the operation to board it had been conducted peacefully.

The Dignite-al Karama is part of Freedom Flotilla II, which has been trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza since the end of June. Flotilla organisers say despite the opening of Gaza's Egyptian border, the territory remains under "unlawful blockade" by the Israelis.

In an earlier statement, the Israeli military said the aid could be delivered without breaching the blockade.

"The Israel navy notified the Al Karama that it is on a route leading to an area under a maritime security blockade off the coast of Gaza, and reminded them any supplies they may have on board may be transferred, legally, through the existing land crossings and the Ashdod port," the statement said.
'No contact'

Protest organiser Julien Rivoire said at least three warships had surrounded the boat and communications had been jammed.

Speaking to AFP from Paris on Tuesday morning, Mr Rivoire said the French-flagged Dignite-al Karama had been stopped about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.

"We can't get in touch with them by phone or by Internet," he said.

The activists' Twitter account said the navy asked for their location and they gave it to them. They said four navy ships were following the boat - three flanking their vessel on the left and one on the right.

One activist tweeted that the military had threatened to board the boat if it did not head away from the blockade.
Greek ban

On Monday, Thomas Sommer-Houdeville, a French activist on board the Dignite-al Karam told AFP the boat was only carrying a "symbolic message of peace and hope and love" and Israel had no reason to intercept it.

"We hope that they will not, we don't have a plan but we have a peaceful humanitarian mission. We are a peaceful boat flying a French flag."

Freedom Flotilla II said a ban on flotilla boats leaving Greek ports had stopped many of its vessels sailing. The Greek government said the ban was intended to protect activists.

Earlier this month, the captain of flotilla vessel The Audacity of Hope was arrested in the Greek port of Perama and charged with trying to leave port without permission and of endangering the lives of passengers.

In 2010, nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli commandos stormed the lead ship of the first Freedom Flotilla, causing an international outcry.

As a result, Israel eased its blockade on Gaza, which it says is necessary to stop weapons smuggling and put pressure on Hamas.

It increased sanctions on the impoverished Palestinian territory in 2006 after militants captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israel tightened them further still a year later when Hamas ousted rival Palestinian organisation Fatah from the territory.

Although the Islamist group won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, it refuses to recognise Israel or to renounce violence and is designated in the West as a terror organisation