The UK Prime Minister has admitted that Britain played a direct role in destabilizing the Middle East region by supporting dictators who suppress their own people.

David Cameron conceded to his country's support for despots in the region while he was addressing the Kuwaiti Parliament on Tuesday on the second leg of his tour of the Middle East region where he was paying a visit along with the heads of eight giant British weapons manufacturing companies. 

The Prime Minister said that popular uprisings now flaring across the Middle East showed that the West, Britain and the US in particular, had been wrong to support dictators and oppressive regimes that suppress human rights.

"History is sweeping through your neighborhood," he said.

"Not as a result of force and violence, but by people seeking their rights, and in the vast majority of cases doing so peacefully and bravely", added Cameron. 

The UK government is spearheading talks with the notorious terrorist group Taliban in Afghanistan, now, into the tenth year after the US-led invasion of the country.

As the US-led occupation of Afghanistan enters its tenth year, casualties have risen among Afghan civilians and NATO troops alike, making the last 12 months the bloodiest of the conflict to date. 

US and British troops are engaged in a dirty war in Afghanistan, using aerial bombing, drone attacks, torture prisons and corporate mercenaries against the Afghan people, all of which are fuelling further insecurity and fostering human rights abuse. 

Britain joined the countries that invaded Afghanistan under the US command after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil on the pretext that the masterminds behind the attacks - al-Qaeda and the Taliban - must be uprooted. 

But, the multinational force led by the US military have neither been able to defeat terrorism nor they succeeded in their attempts to uproot the terrorists the US and British intelligence agencies claimed have taken refuge in the mountains of Afghanistan. 

Thousands of pro-democracy Bahrainis have gathered in the capital Manama to protest the recent killing of two demonstrators by security forces.

Several hundred people took part in a funeral procession on Wednesday for Fadel al-Matrook, 31, who was shot dead a day earlier in clashes with security forces, Reuters reported. 

"We are requesting our rights in a peaceful way," twenty-year-old university student Bakr Akil said. "I am optimistic that our big presence will achieve our demands." 

Some 2,000 protestors -- demanding regime change in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom -- spent the previous night in tents at the Pearl Roundabout in the heart of Manama. 

Matrook was one of around 4,000 demonstrators who had attended a procession on Tuesday for another slain protester, 27 year-old Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima. 

"That's a 21st Century ass-whooping right there," says a US marine as an airstrike turns a mud compound into dust. That was the offensive against the Taliban in Marjah, in southern Afghanistan, in the spring. The video, filled with a constant chatter of automatic fire, was taken by marines and passed to us.

After a year-long campaign of "ass-whooping", Nato hopes it has "shaped the battlefield" to help achieve its objectives for the next phase of the campaign. The plan is to leave the Taliban weakened enough for the Afghan police and army to start taking over from the international forces. Another aim may be to force the insurgents into talks with the government, though this is not publicly stated by Nato officers.

"Finally, we've aligned our resources with the demands of the campaign," said Nato's top civilian official in Afghanistan, Mark Sedwill, speaking about the surge of forces ordered by President Obama. "It's still fragile. There's a long campaign ahead but we've regained the initiative having, candidly, lost it in the past."

The number of homes repossessed in the UK last year dropped by 24% to 36,300, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said.

The number of homes repossessed in the UK last year dropped by 24% to 36,300, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said.

The number of people in arrears by 2.5% or more of their outstanding loans also fell last year, by 13% to 169,600.

The continued low level of interest rates has helped many home owners in financial difficulties.

However, the CML repeated its warning that arrears and repossessions may rise this year.

"As we go through 2011, the number of people facing payment pressures may increase if interest rates rise, and as a result of the spending cuts that have resulted in reductions in the level of public support available," said the CML's director general Michael Coogan.

"We will be monitoring developments closely, but at present we continue to expect the number of arrears and repossessions to be in line with our forecasts of 40,000 repossessions and 180,000 arrears cases as at the end of 2011."

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Zuckerberg’s Facebook page hacked; two new security measures announced

In a high-profile breach on the Facebook site, the fan page of Mark Zuckerberg – the founder of the popular social networking site – was hacked on Tuesday. Zuckerberg’s fan page breach came close on the heels of the Sunday hack French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s wall, with a hacker posting a message that the president will not run for re-election.
The message on Zuckerberg’s page said: “Let the hacking begin: If Facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a 'social business' the way Nobel Price winner Muhammad Yunus described it?http://bit.ly/fs6rT3 What do you think? #hackercup2011?”
Facebook, which has often been scrutinized about its handling of the private data information of its over 600 million users, soon removed the message from Zuckerberg’s page; though not it had received over 1,800 “likes.”

Repeated Hacking Attempts Alarm NASDAQ Authorities

A number of attempts were made to hack the computer networks of Nasdaq Stock Market during last year. Federal investigators are still trying to identify the persons responsible for this offence and they are still not sure about their purpose behind doing this.
Though it was a relief that the main trading platform was not compromised in any way but the situation is still doubtful about which other parts of Nasdaq's computer network were accessed.
Investigators are anticipating different possible motives and intentions behind it but it cannot be anything other than unlawful financial gain, theft of trade secrets and a national-security threat designed to damage the exchange.
This incident came out alarming the officials as it plays an important role including power companies and air-traffic-control operations. The authorities are not taking it lightly because they can well remember the case in which hackers planted potentially disruptive software programs in the U. S. electrical grid.

UK government computers hit by Zeus information-stealing Trojan

During his Friday speech at the 47th Munich Security Conference, the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague admitted that the UK government computers were infected the Zeus information-stealing Trojan in December 2010.
Acknowledging that a Zeus variant had successfully infected UK government computers in December, Hague further elaborated that the government was targeted with bogus emails that apparently originated from the White House. The emails supposedly featured a link which downloaded the malware.
Hague told the conference attendees: “The UK Government was targeted in this attack and a large number of emails bypassed some of our filters. Our experts were able to clear up the infection, but more sophisticated attacks such as these are becoming more common.”
Hague also disclosed that the UK government had also suffered two attacks lately – while one attempted to steal information about the UK’s nuclear Trident programme; the other came from a unreal Foreign Office employee who happened to be a hostile state intelligence agency.

B.C. NDP Leadership Candidate Dana Larsen: Soft on Marijuana

Soda drinking is more lethal than marijuana. The B. C. NDP leadership candidate, Dana Larsen has appealed to levy more tax on the consumption of soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks fruit punches, fruit cocktails, and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Tagging sugar–sweetened beverages as root cause of obesity, former B. C. Marijuana Party leader has expressed his willingness to market soft drinks in the similar theme of cigarette marketing.

As per recent media reports, Larsen has endorsed the idea of legalizing marijuana, by putting an end to the long time war. Criticizing British Columbians of covering the real cost of sugar-sweetened beverages, Larsen warned consumer of potential harmful effects of beverages.

CBI cuts down on their forecasts on growth after fall in GDP

Today, The Confederation of British Industry is reducing its forecasts for UK economic growth. They declared that the unexpected fall in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2010 suggests basic economic expansion may have been weaker than previously assumed.
And it further expects that unemployment, on the International Labour Organization (ILO) measure, will rise throughout this year and go up higher than it thought previously at 2.71 million by the end of 2011. It will remain persistently high.
CBI forecasts that ILO unemployment will be at two million and six hundred and forty thousand by the fourth quarter of 2012, considerably higher than the latest available figure of two and a half million for the month of September to November period last year.

Blair Government under Scanner

Blair Government policies are under severe criticism. Recent study has established a fact that labor government is overly inclined towards an expensive mortgage scheme, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) leaving NHS under huge financial burden.

Sending an alarming signal, Public health expert Professor Allyson Pollock criticized the government of choosing over- valued NHS PFI contracts over health care funding.

Further, Pollock reportedly claimed that the biased policy of goverment can cost quality health care services in the country.

The report has also unveiled that 101 out of 135 new NHS hospitals, built from1997-2009, were heavily paid, for being in contracts with PFI. Adding to the woes of financial crises, the government is reported to be under debt of £42.79bn.

The author of the study has raised concern over the upsurge in the interest rate levied by PFI which would further worsen the financial crunch, NHS is facing.

Liquid Medications And Inhalers Used Wrongly In Care-homes, Study Reveals

As per the findings of the new research, which were published in the British Medical Journal of Quality and Safety, it was found that there are ascended chances of errors in the dosage if the medication is not imparted through a monitored dosage system.

The study, which recruited 233 residents in 55 residential homes, unveiled that the liquid medicines are at the highest risks of given wrongly, with more than 4 times as compared to capsules of tablets.

The trial targeted mainly to representative sample of varying sizes, ownerships and types of care offered.
The research findings indicated that the possibilities of errors were 19 times incremented with the employment of ointments, creams or eye/ear drops, whereas the whopping 33% chances of mistakes were in the case of inhalers.

Genetic Code Discovered Could Save 10000 Prostate Cancer Patients A Year

It is one of the most common life eaters in British men. Prostate cancer is responsible for the claim of so many lives in a year. According to new researches conducted by Scientists, there has been the discovery of the genetic code of the disease.

It is a groundbreaking discovery and it could save the lives of so many. It is a horrible disease and about 35000 men are affected by it in a year. As for the death counts, about 10000 people die of it every year.

According to this discovery, patients would be able to maintain their own charts of mutation. This shall be helpful in keeping a track of the flaws that prevail and also would be able to discover the best of the medicines that could treat the ailment.

Dr Mike Berger, the U. S. study’s lead author, said: ‘This is a transforming moment in understanding the underlying biology of prostate cancer.’

Camden Government to address Dementia Patients Needs

Dementia patients living in Britain will soon access more advanced facilities of a day care center. As per the reports, Camden MP Geoff Corrigan has reportedly expressed his satisfaction over the pace of construction done at the old Broughton House site.
Accommodating 18 patients, the care centre is well equipped with advanced facilities to cater the needs of dementia patients. Appreciating the architecture of the care center, Corrigan confirmed the presence of numerous recreational activities in the premises.
Further, the center is well connected with the Camden hospital in order to support any emergency case. Informing about the layout, Corrigan informed about a resting room, a separate lounge and a counseling room.
With the needs to dementia patients catered by the current government, an appeal has been made by the opposition party to install flash lights at the school zones.

Ministers had rejected the deal for privatization of Britain’s search and rescue operations

Police are probing into the matter to find out that how commercially sensitive information could go into the hands of a Royal Bank of Scotland-backed consortium bidding for six billion pounds worth helicopter contract.
In a dramatic turn yesterday, ministers rejected the process for privatizing Britain’s search and rescue operations which were meant to replace Britain's ageing fleet of Sea King helicopters next year.
It has been assumed that former staff of Ministry of Defense had joined the private sector and given out commercially sensitive information to a member of the Soteria group, which was bidding in the tender process. With process being stopped the future of the rescue force are into doubt
In the consortium, a helicopter service provider, CHC, defense group Thales UK and the helicopter maker Sikorsky are there.
RBS had also been part of the group just a couple of months back. But it withdrew itself from the group after spotting irregularities with the process. Soteria got the appointment as the preferred bidder last February. This has now been cancelled.

Insurance claims are more due to cold weather

The freezing weather in the month of December resulted in £1.4 billion of insurance claims on property and vehicles in the UK, as shown by figures. This is more than twice the sum of six hundred and fifty million pounds claimed due to the cold snap the previous year, as stated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

This time the snap was more severe, longer and affected more of the country.

Most of the problems were caused by burst pipes with more than one hundred thousand claims totaling to six hundred and eighty million pounds, the ABI stated.

CBI cuts down on their forecasts on growth after fall in GDP

Confederation of British Industry is reducing its forecasts for UK economic growth. They declared that the unexpected fall in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2010 suggests basic economic expansion may have been weaker than previously assumed.


And it further expects that unemployment, on the International Labour Organization (ILO) measure, will rise throughout this year and go up higher than it thought previously at 2.71 million by the end of 2011. It will remain persistently high.


CBI forecasts that ILO unemployment will be at two million and six hundred and forty thousand by the fourth quarter of 2012, considerably higher than the latest available figure of two and a half million for the month of September to November period last year.

Longbridge £70m redevelopment plan submitted

Part of Birmingham could undergo a £70m transformation, which could create more than 600 jobs.

St. Modwen Properties Plc and partner Advantage West Midlands have submitted plans to Birmingham City Council to redevelop Longbridge.

The application includes a supermarket, shops, restaurants, a hotel, 40 apartments, a two-acre park, car parks and roads.

Construction should start in the summer of 2011 if the scheme is approved.

'Major milestone'

A spokesman for the developers said negotiations were "well advanced" for the sale of the supermarket and pre-lettings of the retail space and hotel.

The scheme is linked to the redevelopment of the nearby MG Rover site.

The spokesman said: "Once complete, the town centre will establish a new heart for the community and a focal point for the regeneration of the former MG Rover works at Longbridge.

"The project will provide an important economic boost to the area and create a diverse range of employment opportunities, potentially creating over 600 jobs."

Bill Oliver, chief executive of St. Modwen, said: "The submission of a planning application for the new town centre at Longbridge is a major milestone in the evolution of this project.

"It underlines our expertise in taking on large scale regeneration projects and provides a clear indication that 2011 will be one of the most active years yet for this important scheme."

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UK ministers 'wanted Lockerbie bomber released'

The previous UK government did "all it could" to help facilitate the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, a report on the case has said.

Sir Gus O'Donnell, the country's most senior civil servant, said there was an "underlying desire" to see Megrahi released before he died.

But his report concluded that it was made clear to Libya that the final decision was up to Scottish ministers.

And there was no evidence of UK pressure on the Holyrood government.

Most of the 270 people who died when Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 were Americans.

The last Labour government consistently refused to publicly take a position on Megrahi's release, and the report aims to shed light on what Westminster ministers were saying behind the scenes.

Megrahi, the only person convicted of the atrocity, was freed by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on compassionate grounds.

The Libyan, terminally ill with prostate cancer, was freed from a Scottish prison to return home in August 2009 after doctors suggested he had three months to live, although he is still alive.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who commissioned the report, questioned whether it was right for the last Labour government to facilitate the Libyan efforts to secure the release of Megrahi.

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Former prime minister Gordon Brown said the findings made clear his position that the matter was the responsibility of the Scottish government.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed publication of the report and 140 pages of supporting documents.

He said the information showed UK ministers changed their position on Megrahi due to commercial considerations, including lobbying by BP, in Libya.

Sir Gus O'Donnell's report said the UK government had an "underlying desire to see Mr Megrahi released before he died".

The report added that, in 2008, the government developed a policy that it "should do all it could, whilst respecting devolved competences, to facilitate an appeal by the Libyans to the Scottish government for Mr Megrahi's transfer under the PTA (prisoner transfer agreement) or release on compassionate grounds".

"This action amounted to: proceeding with ratification of the PTA; explaining to Libya in factual terms the process for application for transfer under a PTA or for compassionate release; and informing the Scottish government that there was no legal barrier to transfer under the PTA," the report said.

Sir Gus said he had "not seen any evidence" that the UK government pressured or lobbied the Scottish government for the transfer or release of Megrahi.

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New British troops aim to beat Taliban on trust

SALISBURY PLAIN: The next British brigade heading to Afghanistan will enter Helmand Province with a new emphasis on giving locals enough confidence to oust the Taliban from their strongholds.
Ten years and now 350 British military deaths into the mission, their focus will be on improving the lives of ordinary Afghans first and on front-line fighting second, in a clear strategy shift.
Leaders of the 6,500-strong 3 Commando Brigade believe success rests on convincing nervous residents of the long-lawless Helmand that they can place their trust in the democratic governance on offer.
The Royal Marines formation is heading back to Afghanistan in April with memories still fresh of the 33 men it lost when it led British operations in the country in 2009.
The first British brigade to go on a grueling fourth tour, they will take charge in the southern province’s central belt – fighting the insurgency, training up local troops and assisting reconstruction efforts.
“The central pillar of our approach is to focus on the people first and the insurgents second,” Brigadier Ed Davis, who will command the operation, told journalists Thursday as his troops underwent final training.
“If we are going to succeed in Afghanistan, we need to focus on the cause of the insurgency – which is the intimidated, vulnerable, disenfranchised people – and not the symptom, which is the insurgent fighter.
“It is our job to make sure we give them the confidence and the courage to reject the insurgency, accept the offer that the government is giving them and put their hopes for the future in the Afghan state.
“They need tangible evidence that their own security forces will be able to protect them.”
He added: “We’ll be going out there with our eyes wide open: the progress is fragile and it is reversible.”
The brigadier’s troops have had 12 months of general and then mission-specific training before entering final rehearsal manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain in southwest England.
On the bleak grassland home to the famous Stonehenge monument, Chinook and Sea King helicopters sweep down to drop off a platoon outside a replica village.
While the Cold War-era buildings are modeled on Germany and the Afghan troops in the mixed patrol are played by Gurkhas, the civilians are played by genuine Afghans.
So when the troops sit down for a “shura” meeting with the local elders, complete with tea and sweets, the Pashto dialogue is translated for the fresh-faced British officers – but these days they take a back seat to their Afghan counterparts.
Outside, as Afghan women chop carrots and boil rice on a wood fire, Marine Sam Magowan keeps watch.
“For lads like myself it’s the first time out there. It’s a new experience but the training prepares you well,” the 18-year-old said.
“We’re trained to deal with IEDs (improvised explosive devices), mine strikes, suicide bombers, small arms fire, indirect fire, absolutely everything.
“I’m anxious to get out there, do the job and see whatever comes our way.”
Britain wants its troops out of a combat role in Afghanistan by 2015 and is therefore training up local security forces so they can gradually take over.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox visited 3 Commando to see the next deployment’s preparations.
“They’ve got the security mission on the ground to look after but they’re going to be in a very different political environment when the shift in Afghan policy is going to move to the political arena,” he told AFP.
“The security improvement that we want will not be won by the military alone.”
A critical part of the effort is the 200-strong Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team, headed by Foreign Office diplomat Michael O’Neill.
He said progress in building up the infrastructure of a functioning state had taken off in 2010, with governors now in 10 of the 14 Helmand districts and an increasing numbers of judges across the province.
“The challenge in 2011 is to consolidate and deepen that because it is still fragile,” he told AFP, 24 hours after leaving Helmand’s capital Lashkar Gah.
“The most important part is building the confidence and trust of the Afghan people in their own government.
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