Social media 'could transform public services

Social media could transform the NHS and other public services in the same way that file-sharing changed the music industry, a conference has heard.

Growing use of tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, offered an opportunity to reinvent services, delegates heard.

The MyPublicServices event debated ways to harness these conversations, many of which are critical, to make services better and more inclusive.

If this was not done, many services would be undermined, speakers said.

"It's happened to the music and travel industries and it's going to happen to public services," said Dr Paul Hodgkin, founder of the Patient Opinion site that organised the MyPublicServices conference.

Said Dr Hodgkin: "The question is how do we cope with it in a useful and productive way and not spend decades beating each other up?"

Capturing stories

Dr Hodgkin created Patient Opinion to capture stories about what happened to people when they got medical treatment. The site takes their criticism or praise and routes it to people in a local health authority who need to know and can, if need be, use that information to improve services.

He said that conversations about people's experiences with public services were going on all over the web and needed to be taken into account.

Dr James Munro, the director of Patient Opinion, said the web and the rising influence of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and other discussion sites was likely to force big changes in the running of programmes.

"Public services seem only to be there to give you what you need," he said. "A patient is all about being passive."

"This is about turning things upside down so the thing that looks like a deficit, your experience, becomes the gift you have to give to other people."

The conference heard from many people who had been moved by their frustration with current practices to set up a website or a service that can do something about it.

Denise Stephens created Enabled by Design in 2003 after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Ms Stephens said she grew increasingly frustrated with unattractive assistive technology that made her home resemble a hospital. She started Enabled By Design to share information about better designed, cheaper and more attractive alternatives.

"A lot of assistive technology is ugly and does not do the job very well," said Ms Stephens.

Talking about their experiences at MyPublicServices were projects to ensure that those in nursing homes are looked after with dignity, to help make welfare to work programmes less adversarial and a place to report experiences with police investigations.

Tom Loosemore, head of 4iP, Channel 4's Innovation fund, said he suspected that active citizens and frustrated users could become a big catalyst for change in public services.

"The design of public services around the needs of the public not the needs of the state enabled by the internet, that's the big change," he said.

"I'm not sure that the government can re-engineer itself from the inside out," he said. "It's going to take the demands of people to force it into shape."

He counselled attendees to "shout loud and force change" on local and central government.

He told conference goers: "You are the future of public services not .gov.uk."

Lawyers target thousands of 'illegal' file-sharers

Around 15,000 suspected pirates may soon get legal letters accusing them of illegally sharing movies and games.

ACS:Law plans to send notes to the accused in the new year offering a chance to settle out of court for "several hundreds of pounds".

A lawyer who has defended people who have received similar letters described it as a "scattergun approach" that would catch "innocent people".

ACS:Law said it was "unaware" of anyone who had been wrongly sent a letter.

Andrew Crossley of the firm told BBC News it was acting to "eradicate" sharing of its client's products.

"We give them opportunity to enter into compromise right at the start to avoid having to deal with it [in court]," said Mr Crossley.

If it went to court and the lawyers were successful, he said, damages "would run into several thousands of pounds".

But consumer group Which? said that it had heard from around 150 consumers who had been "wrongly accused" in similar cases.

"A lot are accused of downloading pornography," Jaclyn Clarabut of Which? told BBC News. "People find it distressing or embarrassing and pay up."

Others, she said, "don't want the threat of court action" hanging over them or cannot afford to pay for a lawyer and settle the claim for the lower figure.

She said that based on previous experience, "a lot of people will be surprised" by the latest wave of letters.

Michael Coyle, lawyer at Southampton based firm Lawdit, described the scheme as "having very little to do with protecting the rights of the copyright holder".

Instead, he said, it was "more to do with making money from alleging copyright infringements on a massive scale".

He has represented several hundred clients who have received letters from ACS: Law and other firms. None of his clients has ever been forced by a court to pay a fine, he said, although some clients had decided to settle out of court.

"This scattergun approach to the file sharing litigation will inevitably result in a large number of innocent parties being issued with a claim for copyright infringement."

ACS: Law are "currently under investigation" by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), but a spokesperson said it could not divulge any more details about the nature of the complaints. The Law Society has also received complaints.

Mr Crossley said his firm had been targeted by an "internet campaign" and was cooperating with the inquiries.

"It doesn't of itself indicate that I have done anything wrong," he said. "I have no qualms or concerns about what I am doing."

Data harvest

ACS: Law recently obtained two High Court orders that require ISPs to hand over the names and addresses of the account holders for 30,000 IP addresses, a number which can identify a computer on the internet. It is currently preparing three more.

The orders were obtained on behalf of two German clients: DigiProtect and MediaCat.

Both firms are licensees of copyright work. They act on behalf of copyright holders, including various pornography studios, to pursue alleged copyright infringements.

They use software to monitor file sharing networks to harvest IP addresses which are then turned over to law firms to get account details.

"We state that they [the alleged file-sharers] have made available to others via peer-to-peer file-sharing networks various products that they have rights in," said Mr Crossley.

He said these included "games, films and music".

"We estimate that commencing in the New Year we will be despatching circa 15,000 letters in relation to these two orders," he said.

The letters would be used to tell the alleged "file-sharer" that they were thought to have infringed copyright.

It would also inform recipients that a claim may be made against them in court and would "invite" them "to enter into a compromise to avoid any litigation."

The amount would vary, he said, but was typically £300-500.

The money is split between the copyright holder, licensee, the firm monitoring IP addresses and ACS: Law, which operates on a no win, no fee basis.

'Spoof' address

Concerns have been raised about the technology used to identify IP addresses.

Which? has highlighted various examples of innocent people accused by firms such as DigiProtect .

"Many have never heard of peer-to-peer file sharing," said Ms Clarabut.

"Some are accused of downloading video games but never played a game in their life."

A study published in 2008 by Which? highlighted the case of Scottish couple Gill and Ken Murdoch, aged 54 and 66, who were accused of sharing a video game.

At the time, Mrs Murdoch told Which?: "We do not have, and have never had, any computer game or sharing software."

The letters were sent by another law firm, which no longer represents DigiProtect. Mr Crossley said the Murdochs had been identified because the ISP gave the lawyers the wrong information about the account.

Mr Crossley admitted the account holder may not be the person sharing files illegally. As a result, he said, the letter, would also invite the recipient to name the person they thought was responsible.

The growing popularity of wi-fi means many people share an internet connection. Recent studies have also shown that many people do not password protect their wi-fi connections, meaning they can be hijacked and used for nefarious means.

In addition, technology exists that can hide or "spoof" an IP address.

Mr Crossley said that "spoofing" did not apply for file sharing purposes.

Expert analysis

Mr Coyle said he also had reservations about the methods used to identify people and said they had never been challenged in court by experts.

"The last thing they want is this software being examined in a court of Law - it would shoot the goose that lays the Golden Egg," he said.

No court case has ever been fully decided from a letter sent by ACS: Law, he said.

Although Mr Crossley admitted the software had never been analysed in court, he denied it had never been scrutinised.

"Every application submitted to court is supported by an expert report," he said.

The report was compiled by "an independent expert" and confirmed that the "data being collected is accurate".

"That is the starting point for us," said Mr Crossley. "It is very important for us to be accurate. If it is not, everything that comes from that data must be flawed."

Similar concerns are currently being outlined to the UK government which recently outlined how it plans to tackle illegal file-sharers.

The Digital Economy bill recently had its first reading and includes a plan to disconnect persistent offenders.

Premier League Saturday Review

A Wayne Rooney hat-trick sunk Pompey while Tottenham came away with a well deserved point from Aston Villa.

A Wayne Rooney hat-trick piled on the agony for Portsmouth as Avram Grant suffered defeat in his first match in charge of the Barclays Premier League's rock-bottom club.

With Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson watching from the stands in serving the first of a two-match touchline ban, his side are back within two points of Chelsea at the top of the table after a 4-1 win at Fratton Park.

It was also a historic victory, United's 2,000th in the league, with Rooney on target in the 25th, 48th and 54th minutes, with the first and the third from the penalty spot.

The two second-half strikes in six minutes killed off Pompey who had deservedly headed into the interval level after Kevin-Prince Boateng had equalised with another spot-kick.

The coup de grace came from the evergreen Ryan Giggs who celebrated his 36th birthday tomorrow by scoring his 100th Premier League goal.

Premier League Gallery

Burnley endured another dose of the away-day blues as Owen Coyle's side were hammered 5-3 by West Ham at Upton Park.

The Hammers were 3-0 up at the break with goals from Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas and Carlton Cole, the latter with a penalty.

Guillermo Franco and Luis Jiminez, the latter with his first goal for the club in his loan move from Inter Milan and again from the spot, made it 5-0 after the hour.

West Ham then took their foot off the gas as Steven Fletcher netted twice in the space of seven minutes, and although Steven Caldwell saw red in injury time, Chris Eagles added a third.

Despite the return of Robinho after three months out with an ankle injury, Manchester City are still unable to find a way to end their astonishing run of draws.

It is now seven on the bounce for Mark Hughes' side who headed into the break with the lead with an injury-time goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips.

But eight minutes from time Jimmy Bullard made it two in two games with another penalty to maintain the Tigers' resurgence as they are unbeaten in their last four league games.

Wigan conjured the perfect riposte to their 9-1 humiliation at Spurs last weekend with a 1-0 triumph over former manager Steve Bruce's Sunderland at the DW Stadium.

Hugo Rodallega scored the all-important goal in the 76th minute for his sixth of the season and at least erase the memory of their dire day at White Hart Lane.

Bolton remain in the bottom three following a 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage, but at least ended their run of three straight defeats.

Ivan Klasnic sent Bolton into the break with the lead, but Fulham produced a barnstorming second-half performance, with Damien Duff eventually hauling the home side level in the 75th minute.

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce, recuperating at home after undergoing heart surgery, had to content himself with a point from his side's goalless draw with Stoke at Ewood Park.

Tottenham deservedly netted a point from a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, even if they were far from the side that rattled nine past Wigan a week ago.

Villa made the brighter start when Gabriel Agbonlahor scored his eighth goal of the season in the 10th minute, but after that it was all Spurs.

However, Harry Redknapp's side had to wait until 13 minutes from time before finding the equaliser via a fine strike from Michael Dawson, the defender scoring his first goal since late January.

Match Reports

Portsmouth 1-4 Manchester United

West Ham 5-3 Burnley

Manchester City 1-1 Hull

Fulham 1-1 Bolton

Blackburn 0-0 Stoke

Wigan 1-0 Sunderland

Aston Villa 1-1 Tottenham

Euro train booking system shelved

Railteam, the alliance of European high-speed rail operators, has shelved plans for a Europe-wide common booking system because of increasing costs.

The system would have allowed customers to book tickets for Europe-wide rail journeys in a single transaction.

The platform was due to be unveiled this year, but has been scrapped for the foreseeable future, according to Eurostar.

Railteam's other members include Thalys, SNCF and Deutsche Bahn.

"All seven high-speed operators thought the platform would be a good idea but once we started looking at the system in detail we realised that it would be very complicated and therefore extremely expensive." said Lesley Retallack from Eurostar.

At present, although travellers can book some Europe-wide tickets through the individual websites of Railteam's members, passengers often receive more than one ticket for journeys onward from the carriers' normal routes.

The new system would have created a one-stop-shop for tickets for complete high-speed journeys across Europe.

US shares slide over Dubai fears

US shares have fallen on worries about Dubai's debt problems, with the Dow Jones ending down 154 points, or 1.5%, at 10,309.92, in a shorter trading day.

It was the first chance for markets in the US to react to news that state-owned Dubai World had asked for more time to repay its debts.

US markets were closed for a holiday on Thursday when other world markets suffered steep losses.

However, the main European markets recovered from earlier falls.

The main share indexes in the UK, France and Germany had all fallen by more than 3% on Thursday. But after falling further in early trade on Friday, the UK's FTSE 100 closed up 1%, and both Germany's Dax index and France's Cac 40 ended more than 1% higher.

Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei index had closed down 3.2% and the Hong Kong Hang Seng ended 4.8% lower.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the fall in the markets as a "setback" but said it was "not on the scale of previous problems".

"The world financial system is stronger now and able to deal with the problems that arise," he told reporters on his way to a Commonwealth leaders summit.

Holiday hiatus

Dubai World is the centrepiece of the Gulf state's economy.

Sources close to the company have suggested that various refinancing options have been on the table for at least a month, although details have not been revealed until now.

A six-month suspension on interest payments is believed to be the most likely option.

David Buik, senior partner at BGC Partners, said: "You can't just say to the world: 'I don't want to pay my debts'. There is no income coming in from any of these properties. I think this is shocking PR."

The news shook markets that are recovering from the collapse of the US housing market and contagion that threatened to rupture the global financial system last year.

It was the timing of the announcement as much as the lack of clear information that heightened nerves. The first news emerged late on Wednesday, as the Muslim world was preparing for its Eid celebrations.

It also coincided with the closedown of the world's most important share market, with US markets winding down for Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday.

Uncertainty of the scale of banks' exposure to Dubai hit banking shares at first. However, bank shares recovered strongly throughout Friday morning.

Threat to confidence

The biggest underlying fear is that Dubai's problems could reignite the international financial turmoil of the credit crisis.

Chris Skinner, chairman of the Financial Services Club, said: "We're very heavily interlinked. Dubai is the key financial centre in the Middle East."

Any knock to economic confidence could lower global demand for a whole range of commodities, including oil.

Oil prices dropped sharply. US crude fell about 5% to $73.64 a barrel and London Brent Crude was down $1.56 to $75.31.

Dubai, which has less oil money than many of its neighbours, became a trading and tourism hub with global ambitions.

Dubai World, the conglomerate that led the emirate's expansion, had $59bn (£36bn) of liabilities as of August, a large proportion of Dubai's total debt of $80bn. Its subsidiary Nakheel was the builder of the landmark palm tree-shaped island developments off Dubai.

El Clasico: Clash of the Titans!

It’s the 159th showdown between La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona and it promises to be a cracker!

Barca take on the mega-money cast of Real for the first time this season, knowing that their quest for a second treble rests of their ability to keep Los Blancos at bay in the League. La Blaugrana have the added motivation to win so as to prove that big spending does not equate to wins and titles.

The Bernabeu boys will go into the game with the best record in La Liga so far, with nine wins, one draw and one loss. Barca are just one point behind Manuel Pellegrini's men, with 28 points from eight wins and three draws.

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Barcelona news ahead of El Clasico:

Xavi has demanded Barcelona remain faithful to their attacking philosophy by dictating the game against bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has signed a contract extension with Barca to keep him at the club until 2015.

Carles Puyol believes that Sunday's El Clasico will be a close affair but added that Barcelona are high on confidence after their victory over Inter, while Gerard Pique is in a confident mood ahead of this weekend's showdown against Real Madrid.

Finally, former Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson reckons the Catalans are playing the best football on the planet, and Gary Lineker has lent his support to La Blaugrana, adding that El Clasico transcends football in Spain.

Real Madrid news before the Nou Camp showdown:

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo wants to be involved in his first El Clasico and claims he will be undaunted by the hostile reception at Barcelona's Nou Camp.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso heads into his first 'clasico' insisting the showdown with Barca "will be important but not decisive" in the title race.

Centre-back Pepe insists that Real Madrid do not fear Barcelona as both sides clash this Sunday.

Fellow defender Sergio Ramos has told realmadrid.com that Barcelona were lucky to win three titles last season.

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Extra slices of Red, Blue and White:

Barcelona v Real Madrid Preview

El Clasico: Barca vs Real Key Battles

El Clasico: Barcelona team news

El Clasico: The Greatest Games

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Best of British?

North London giants Arsenal host Chelsea, knowing a victory against the Blues will dent their title aspirations, and place them above rivals Tottenham.

Arsenal go into the bout with a 8-win, 1-loss and 3-loss record, and are sitting pretty in fourth on the Premier League table.

Visitors Chelsea have eleven wins and 2 losses so far, and will be looking to add another three points to their tally of 33.

So who will win the battle of London?

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Arsenal news ahead of the London derby:

Robin van Persie has urged his Arsenal team-mates to keep "believing in themselves" as he prepares to spend the next five months recovering from surgery on his injured ankle. The 26-year-old suffered torn ankle ligaments during Holland's goalless draw against Italy in Pescara on November 14.

Meanwhile, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has reiterated his commitment to the Gunners, saying: "I don't want to fail here."

Arsene Wenger insists the "moment has come" for his Arsenal side as they prepare to face Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners boss also feels Nicolas Anelka still "loves" Arsenal, even if the Chelsea striker will be out to dent his former club's title hopes.

Chelsea news before the Emirates Stadium showdown:

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole insists all the pressure will be on Arsenal when the two sides meet at the Emirates Stadium.

Carlo Ancelotti insists that the Premier League showdown with Arsenal will not decide the title or rule the Gunners out of the race.

Finally, Chelsea captain John Terry admits the best is yet to come in Europe as the Blues gear up for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal.

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Extras From the Desk:

ESPNSTAR.com looks at three key battles that could help decide this weekend's London derby as Arsenal entertain Chelsea.

Everton vs Liverpool: Let’s get ready to rumble!

It’s the 212th Merseyside derby, and Liverpool travel to Goodison Park to take on cross-city rivals Everton in a time both clubs are struggling mightily.

In the Blue corner, hosts Everton spot a four-win, three-loss and six-draw record, which sees them just hovering over the drop zone in 16^th place on the Premier League table.

Liverpool, a perennial title-contender, haven't been convincing this season, taking on the Toffees with a 6-2-5 record and they are seventh in the table so far.

Who will prevail? Ladies and gentlemen: Let's get ready to rumble!

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Liverpool news heading into the derby:

Rafael Benitez insists he understands the distress of Liverpool's fans at the club's current plight, while re-affirming his commitment to the club.

The Liverpool manager has vowed to stay with the Reds and restore the club to their place in Europe's elite. Benitez added that he does not feel under added pressure following Liverpool's  recent Champions League exit.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard has demanded a united front as Liverpool seek the top-four finish required to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Lucas Leiva believes he will never win over all of his detractors as he prepares himself for the Merseyside derby, while Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina have moved to offer their support to Benitez.

Everton news before the Merseyside showdown:

Everton manager David Moyes believes his players are having a crisis of confidence which has contributed to their recent poor form.

The Toffees' manager has admitted they are on the brink of a relegation battle and the clash with Liverpool makes little difference to that.

Meanwhile, Everton great Howard Kendall is against the idea of a groundshare with Liverpool, but admits it may be the only solution.

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Extras From the Desk:

Eugene YS Han suggests Liverpool should turn to their youth players in order to save their flagging season.

Prince praises response to floods on Cumbria visit

The Prince of Wales has praised the "Cumbrian spirit" on the second day of a tour of flood-affected areas.

Prince Charles met members of the emergency services, the RNLI, the RAF, the RSPCA and the local mountain rescue team during a visit to Cockermouth.

He visited an indoor temporary 'high street' created to allow some of the flood-hit businesses to keep trading.

He also spent time with the family of Pc Bill Barker, who was swept to his death when a bridge collapsed.

A warehouse belonging to Mitchells auctioneers has been turned into a temporary shopping mall.

So far it contains 12 businesses whose premises are being renovated.

Prince Charles said: "I have always been a large admirer of the Cumbrian spirit.

"What has been so incredible is people's resilience to the horrors.

"Everywhere I have been I have heard praise for the emergency services, especially for the mountain rescue team.

"I cannot tell you how proud I am to come up here and experience the fantastic way in which the British respond to a disaster. Everyone is helping together."

Speaking about the temporary shopping mall, Mitchells auctioneers chairman Bob Watson said: "We have got to get this town up and running.

"The shops are the heartbeat of the place. We just want our town back."

The prince was asked for a donation to the mountain rescue charity by builder Ashley Gill, who found the collection box buried in silt while clearing the Black Bull pub in the town.

Mr Gill, a builder from Whitehaven, said: "I don't think he had any cash on him. I thanked him for coming up to the area, it's much needed."

On Friday, thousands of people packed into Keswick's market square to watch the prince switch on the Christmas lights.

He said he wanted to get the message out to the world that Keswick and the Lake District were open for business.

Earlier in the day he visited Workington and viewed the extent of the damage to the town which was cut in half when floods destroyed or damaged its bridges.

Mr Barker died when the town's Northside Bridge caved in on 20 November.

Hundreds of people attended his funeral at his home town of Egremont on Friday.

Prince Charles also met construction workers building a temporary train station to provide links to residents forced to make long detours.

At the height of the flooding, Cockermouth's main street was under water.

Homes were also affected, and during the rescue operation RAF helicopters had to airlift dozens of people to safety, with some forced to break through the roofs of their houses.

Targets Afghan President Karzai must meet are set by PM

Gordon Brown has said Afghanistan's president will be set targets by the international community for training Afghan forces and tackling corruption.

The prime minister said Mr Karzai would be expected to give commitments at a conference in London on 28 January.

Mr Brown confirmed the international conference plans at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad.

Mr Karzai will face targets of ensuring 50,000 troops for training and barring corrupt provincial governors, he said.

The prime minister made the announcement alongside United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who will be at the conference.

The pair have been discussing strategy for Afghanistan at the summit.

'Political push'

They will be joined in London by Mr Karzai, who was recently installed for a second term as president, and representatives of the 43 nations making up Nato's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Mr Brown also made it clear that international troop levels would rise in the short term.

US President Barack Obama is expected to make an announcement on the subject next week.

The prime minister said: "What we need is a political push to match the military push we're now agreeing to.

"And that means that President Karzai has got to accept that there will be milestones by which he's going to be judged and he's got to accept that there will be benchmarks which the international community will set."

He said the targets would enable control to be handed over to Afghan authorities and pave the way for British troops to return home.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says Mr Brown has never been blunter in dictating terms to Mr Karzai.

White House gatecrashers met President Barack Obama

A couple who gatecrashed a state dinner at the White House met President Barack Obama, his office has confirmed.

A photo released by the White House shows Virginia socialite Michaele Salahi shaking hands with Mr Obama.

The US Secret Service has admitted that proper procedures were not followed when Mrs Salahi and her husband were allowed into the event.

The organisation's director Mark Sullivan said it was "deeply concerned and embarrassed" at Tuesday's incident.

An investigation found the couple should not have been allowed in, despite going through screening.

The couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, apparently say they were entitled to be at the event.

Previously, another Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said charges could be brought against them.

The couple, who were not on the guest list, went through security checkpoints at the dinner hosted by President Barack Obama.

They later posted photos of themselves on Facebook.

'Failing is ours'

Mr Sullivan said an internal investigation determined that "established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list".

"Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours."

A White House spokesman said the Secret Service has "the full confidence of the president of the United States."

The Washington Post earlier described the Salahis as "polo-playing socialites" with Ms Salahi said to be on the cast of the Real Housewives of Washington television programme.

The newspaper quoted a publicist for the couple as denying they had gatecrashed, saying that the pair "were honoured to be a part of such a prestigious event".

The state dinner honouring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first of the Obama presidency.

Mr Singh was received with more pomp and ceremony than any previous foreign visitor to Mr Obama's White House, with the lavish state dinner hosting more than 300 people.

Russia train crash 'caused by bomb'

A bomb blast caused the derailment of a Russian express train, killing at least 26 people, intelligence officials say.

The Nevsky Express derailed in remote countryside on Friday night as the train travelled between the capital Moscow and St Petersburg.

Investigators found "elements of an explosive device" at the scene, the Russia's federal investigative committee said in a statement.

A senior intelligence official said a bomb had derailed the locomotive.

Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia's domestic intelligence service told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that a bomb equivalent to seven kilos (15 lb) of TNT had been detonated, Reuters reported.

There was no immediate confirmed claim of responsibility for the attack.

'Loud bang'

Russia's prosecutor-general has opened a criminal case on terrorism charges, Russian news agencies report.

Hundreds of rescuers and officials worked throughout the night at the scene near the town of Bologoye in Tver region.

Some reports say that as many as 39 people have died.

The train was carrying more than 650 people. More than 90 are in hospital, some of them taken there by helicopter.

Some passengers reported a loud bang occurring just before the derailment.

And Russian television channels broadcast a recording of a mobile phone call from the train driver to the emergencies ministry.

"There was an explosion under the locomotive," he said. "I do not know what we hit. We are derailed. The locomotive and carriages, I do not know yet what else, everything is in smoke. "

The train, known as the Nevsky Express, was travelling on one of the busiest rail routes in Russia, and Friday evening is peak travel time.

In 2007, a bomb on the same line derailed a train, injuring nearly 30 passengers.

Two men suspected of having links to Chechen rebels were accused of planting a bomb next to the track.

Dubai debt fears hit Asian shares

Worries over Dubai's debt problems have driven Asian share prices down sharply.

The move by state-owned Dubai World to delay paying some of its debt shook the markets in Europe on Thursday and those nerves spilled over into Asia.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei fell 3.2% to 9,081.52, its lowest level since July. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was down 4.9% at 21,239.5.

Oil prices also fell. US crude dropped 4.5% to $74.51 a barrel and London Brent Crude was down $1.26 to $75.73.

The biggest underlying fear is that Dubai's problems could reignite the financial turmoil of the credit crisis. That would lower global demand for a whole range of commodities, including oil.

The Gulf state, which has less oil money than many of its neighbours, became a trading and tourism hub with global ambitions.

It said on Wednesday it would ask creditors of the state-owned Dubai World and Nakheel to agree to a standstill on billions of dollars of debt as a first step towards restructuring.

Dubai World, the conglomerate that led the emirate's expansion, had $59bn (£36bn) of liabilities as of August, a large proportion of Dubai's total debt of $80bn. Nakheel was the builder of three palm shaped islands off Dubai.

The news shook markets that are recovering from the collapse of the US housing market and contagion that threatened to rupture the global financial system last year.

"The panic button's been hit again," said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities.

Banks and builders were hit hardest as they are the most likely to be exposed to firms with property at the sharp end of the slump.

European help plan for stranded travellers

Travellers who book holidays on the internet could receive more financial protection if things go wrong, under plans in a European review.

Consumers who make up their own packages of flights, hotels and car rentals on one website or partner sites could get more protection.

Currently, only those who have booked specific package deals have rights to cancel or refunds if operators go bust.

A review will consider help for passengers if airlines collapse.

"We need tough protection that gives all consumers booking a package holiday the peace of mind they deserve, and we need a level playing field so businesses compete on equal terms," said EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

The consumers' association Which? welcomed the review.

"The Package Travel Directive was drawn up almost 20 years ago, and while useful at the time, it doesn't go far enough to protect today's holidaymaker," said Rochelle Turner, of Which? Holiday.

"A significant number of people book hotels from a direct link on an airline's website, or use online travel agents to book their own package, and are left without the peace of mind that they are protected should something go wrong.

Changes

The current rules, which came into force in 1990, offer protection for people who book packages through a travel agent.

They give these travellers various rights including the right to a refund if elements of the holiday are changed or if the organiser cancels the package.

Most importantly, provision must be made to refund travellers and return them home if the operator goes bust.

The European Commission wants to consult on the possibility that - after a recent spate of airlines going bust - basic insolvency protection should be extended to cover independent travellers buying standalone airline tickets which are not part of any package.

However, the review is unlikely to start until the second half of 2010.

Japan says high yen 'harming economy'

Japan's finance minister has said the strength of the yen is harmful to the country's economy.

In trading the currency has touched 84 to the dollar, the US currency's lowest level since the mid-1990s.

A high yen damages the competitiveness of Japanese exports, which have been the engine of the country's growth.

Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said the government was watching closely, but did not signal immediate intervention.

Unemployment falls

Everyone in Japan knows that the flimsy one yen coin is so light it can be made to float on water, but now the currency is sinking to the bottom of the glass as the dollar weakens.

Mr Fujii said the strength of Japan's currency was "one sided" and harmful to the economy.

With much of the relative strength caused by dollar selling rather than yen buying, there may be little the government can do alone.

Japan is emerging from its worst recession since the end of World War II.

Figures out on Friday showed unemployment had fallen.

But the strong yen eats into the competitiveness of exporters like Sony, Toyota and Honda.

Japan's recovery is threatened by deflation, or falling prices.

And the strength of the currency threatens to make that worse too because imports and raw materials become cheaper.

Rafael Benitez feels no pressure

Rafael Benitez insists he does not feel under added pressure following Liverpool's Champions League exit.

The Merseysiders had to settle for a place in the Europa League despite their 1-0 win against Debrecen on Tuesday night - Fiorentina's defeat of Lyon meaning they advanced instead from Group E.

Fortunately for Benitez, his team get a quick shot at redemption when they take on city rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

And the Spaniard is determined to make amends for their European setback.

He said: "We have not been able to go through to the last 16 of the Champions League, so we must make sure we double our efforts in the league and always do our very best in future matches.

"Then the confidence of the team will be much better, we will be able to approach league matches in a better frame of mind."

Reds chief executive Christian Purslow again backed Benitez to improve the club's fortunes this week - they have won just two of their last 11 games to fall well behind in the Premier League title race - and the former Valencia chief is adamant he does not fear the sack.

He added: "I do not feel under any greater pressure, Liverpool are under pressure in every single game, anyway, whatever the competition. This is nothing new for me.

"My aim is just to help the players, working and preparing the team.

"The players know we are better than our results suggest, they can see that we could have won in every game even if not playing well.

"We have played better than many of our opponents in this run, we have had plenty of opportunities to score. They know the situation.

"We have ideas, we have solutions to problems, and plans for matches. The players know we have been a lot better than people are saying."

He continued: "We need a winning mentality to return, but we have not planned any differently for matches, just the same organisation.

"Things are still positive, we have players coming back from injuries. We have been positive in recent league games against Birmingham and Manchester City, things have been improving."

Benitez's hand has been severely weakened by injuries to star duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard as well as a number of other first XI regulars.

Gerrard is now back, along with Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurelio and Yossi Benayoun, but Torres is unlikely to be ready for the short trip across Stanley Park.

"Steven Gerrard has started to play 90 minutes again, so there are a lot of things that give us confidence that we are improving," said Benitez.

"Some players are fitter now. So we can manage the team and matches in a different way. If you do not have a strong bench, it is difficult to change games.

"Now with more options it can be easier for us in such circumstances.

"When you have injuries it is always difficult. But it has been worse recently when we have had to contend with two or three injuries during a game."

Protein level could aid ectopic pregnancy test - study

Women with ectopic pregnancies have a lower level of a particular protein and this could be used to create a simpler and more effective test, a study finds.

At present, finding out if a foetus is developing outside of the womb as occurs in these pregnancies requires ultrasounds and several blood tests.

Most cases are not spotted at a patient's first hospital visit.

But Edinburgh University scientists say the protein activin B could be key to early diagnosis and treatment.

Ectopic pregnancies put the mother at risk because of the possibility that the area where it is growing - usually the fallopian tube but sometimes the cervix or ovaries - can rupture, causing potentially fatal internal bleeding.

In the UK, five women a year die of this - in the developing world, one in 10 of these pregnancies ends in the death of the mother.

So to protect women's health, these pregnancies are usually terminated once the diagnosis is confirmed.

Investigating whether a pregnancy is ectopic costs the NHS around £9m per year, and also places immense strain on the mother.

Make it simple

But Edinburgh researchers writing in the journal Human Reproduction say they have established that women with these pregnancies have a much lower level of the protein known as activin B. They hope now to develop a simple diagnostic test.

Dr Andrew Horne, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Reproductive Biology, said: "Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy is incredibly complex yet detecting the condition early on can ease the emotional trauma of those affected.

"Early diagnosis can also prevent future fertility problems and improve the effectiveness of treatment as well as save the NHS millions of pounds. Understanding how proteins are expressed is pivotal in developing a simple blood test that could be used to detect an ectopic pregnancy."

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust welcomed the research.

"Studies that give us the tools to establish earlier diagnosis and improve the outcomes of treatment are essential to improve upon what is currently available," said the charity's director Helen Wilkinson.

"Early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is a key factor in improving treatment of the condition and helping to assure a woman's future fertility, therefore we welcome any advancement that could be made in this area including the University of Edinburgh's planned research into the possibility of a simple diagnostic test."

Multiple sclerosis 'blood blockage theory' tested

US scientists are testing a radical new theory that multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by blockages in the veins that drain the brain.

The University of Buffalo team were intrigued by the work of Italian researcher Dr Paolo Zamboni who claims 90% of MS is caused by narrowed veins.

He says the restricted drainage, visible on scans, injures the brain leading to MS.

He has already widened the blockages in a handful of patients.

The US team want to replicate his earlier work before treating patients.

Experts welcomed the research saying it was important to confirm the basic science before evaluating any therapy.

MS is a long-term inflammatory condition of the central nervous system which affects the transfer of messages from the nervous system to the rest of the body.

The Buffalo team, led by Dr Robert Zivadinov, plan to recruit 1,100 patients with MS and 600 other volunteers as controls who are either healthy or have neurological diseases other than MS.

Using Doppler ultrasound, they will scan the patients to see if they can find any blockages within the veins of the neck and brain.

If they can prove Dr Zamboni's theory of "chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency", they say it will change our understanding of MS.

Rewriting science

Margaret Paroski, who is chief medical officer at Kaleida Health, where the Buffalo researchers are based, said the work could overturn prevailing wisdom that the damage in MS is predominantly the result of abnormal immune responses.

"When I was in medical school, we thought peptic ulcer disease was due to stress. We now know that 80% of cases are due to a bacterial infection.

"Dr Zivadinov's work may lead to a whole different way of thinking about MS."

Dr Zamboni, of the University of Ferrara, believes the blockages are the cause rather than the consequence of MS and that they allow iron from the blood to leak into the brain tissue, where it causes damage.

He has performed procedures similar to angioplasty to unblock the veins and get the blood flowing normally again.

He claims this "liberation procedure" can alleviate many of the symptoms of MS and is due to publish his findings in the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

In an interview with CTV News in Canada he said: "I found the evidence of narrowing - narrowing of the veins just in MS patients.

"I'm fully convinced that this is very, very important for people."

Early days

Kevin Lipp, an MS patient from the US, has been symptom-free since being treated by Dr Zamboni.

He said: "It's only been 10 months. If nothing happens in the next two to three years, we'll know it's working."

The BBC has heard anecdotally of other surgeons in Europe testing out the same treatment.

The MS Society said more research was needed to see if this was an avenue that should be explored further.

"This is not something patients can expect as a treatment now. This is experimental work and is being tested. We need to know more about its safety and effectiveness."

Helen Yates, of the MS Resource Centre, said: "There is no doubt that this area warrants a great deal more study.

"This could represent a completely novel approach to MS research which, if proven to be relevant, could be a "sea change" in the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the condition."

Theatre performances available in eight languages

A new device which enables theatre goers to read live captions of a performance in eight different languages has launched.

AirScript's developers, Cambridge Consultants, hope the handsets will attract more tourists to theatres.

The captions, received over wifi, scroll throughout live performances.

The handsets have LED backlighting with a black background and orange text to minimise glare. They have a battery life of up to six hours.

The Shaftesbury Theatre in London is the first to offer the AirScript handsets. Audiences pay £6 to hire the device during a performance of its current production, Hairspray.

The script appears in real time in a choice of English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese or Chinese. The translations have been made by interpreters rather than translation software.

David Bradshaw, group leader of the Software Technology Group at Cambridge Consultant said that the etiquette of the AirScript had been an important factor in its development.

"Theatres are not typically welcoming of technology in the auditorium," he told BBC News.

"Our biggest challenge was to get a screen into a theatre that wouldn't distract the rest of the audience."

Financially viable

The devices contain very little software. The scripts are not stored either - once a line has scrolled off the screen it cannot be retrieved. Up to 200 handsets can run simultaneously in an auditorium.

Alex Vegh, chief executive of Show Translations which is marketing the device, said that the idea had only become financially practical in recent years.

"Twenty years ago it would have cost £10 million to develop," he told BBC News. "With new technology, it's more affordable."

A manual operator ensures that each line hits the screens at the same time as it is delivered on stage. Because each performance is live and subject to pauses or the occasional setback, the process cannot be automated.

At the Shaftesbury theatre, Ben Young has coordinated the handset scripts throughout the development of the device.

He sits in the corner of the top tier of the theatre. He describes the nightly experience of delivering the same script of Hairspray, perhaps rather generously, as "like two and half hours of playing Guitar Hero".

One of his biggest challenges is how to deal with an ad-lib section by Edna Turnblad, a female character traditionally played by a male actor (currently TV and radio presenter Phill Jupitus in this production).

"There is a key but you'd have to be a wizard on MSN (chat) to keep up with him," says Mr Young.

Fortunately there is an alternative - an "improv" prompt appears as default.

Court ruling forces Mininova to end illegal torrents

The Netherlands-based file-sharing website Mininova has removed all torrents that enabled users to download copyright-protected material.

The move follows a ruling in a Netherlands district court three months ago ordering the firm to remove links to illegal content.

The court said that Mininova's notice and take down policy was insufficient to keep it operating within the law.

The news is the latest in an ongoing campaign against file-sharing sites.

Although Mininova has not totally shut down operation, it has now removed all torrents that would enable users to download copyright-protected material, opting instead to only host a limited 'featured content' service, which offers legal licensed files.

Tim Kuik - director of Dutch anti-piracy group Brien, said: "We applaud the fact that Mininova now uses the BitTorrent technology for legal business.

"We are not against the technology but only against the use of that technology for illegal purposes."

In a blog post, Mininova staff said the court ruling leaves "no other option than to take our platform offline, except for the content distribution service".

But they added that they were still considering an appeal against the court order.

Although Mininova ending illegal file sharing will be a small step forward for representatives of the music and film industry - who have been campaigning for years against illegal file sharing - the worlds two largest sites , isoHunt and The Pirate Bay, continue to operate.

Last month, a different Dutch court ordered The Pirate Bay to remove all links to the material of a group of Netherlands-based music and film makers.

The action, brought by Stichting Brein, was against The Pirate Bay's former spokesperson Peter Sunde, along with founders Frederik Neij and Gottfrid Svartholmmen.

However, the founders dispute the ruling saying that they sold The Pirate Bay and no longer had any control over its content.

The current owner of The Pirate Bay is a Seychelles-based company called Riversella Ltd.

Australian state of Victoria bans jump racing

Steeplechase and hurdle racing in the Australian state of Victoria will be abolished in 2010, prompted by the deaths of 20 horses in two years.

The decision follows a comprehensive review of the sport and has been welcomed by animal welfare groups.

However, members of the racing industry have reacted with anger, calling it "unbelievable" and "appalling".

Racing's governing body in Victoria had conceded that the sport was in decline because of mounting safety concerns.

Furious response

Animal rights campaigners have described racing over hurdles and fences as not only shameful and barbaric but "morally wrong".

An official review of the industry last year recommended a raft of new safety measures, all of which were adopted by authorities in Victoria.

Despite the changes, the fatalities have continued, with eight horses dying in races this season.

The deaths prompted an urgent investigation, which has resulted in the banning of the sport.

It has drawn a furious response from some owners, trainers and jockeys.

Steeplechase events in Victoria will go on for another year in an attempt to soften the impact of their abolition on those involved.

Neighbouring South Australia, the only other state in the country that allows jump racing, has said its programme will continue and hopes to attract trainers and horses from Victoria.

However, officials in South Australia are not celebrating and have expressed deep concerns about the long-term viability of their steeplechasing industry.

Ronaldo raring to go in El Clasico

 

Cristiano Ronaldo has declared that he wants to play against Barcelona in El Clasico at the Nou Camp this Sunday.

Ronaldo appeared as a 70th-minute substitute in Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Swiss side FC Zurich, the Portugal international making his first appearance for Madrid since sustaining an ankle injury at the end of September.

The former Manchester United man was unable to mark his comeback with a goal, although he did come close right at the end when he was denied by a good save from Zurich goalkeeper Johnny Leoni diving low to his left.

Ronaldo, who only returned to full training on Friday, told Spanish television channel Telemadrid: "I'm tired because I'm still not at 100%, but I'm sure I will return to be how I was before the injury, scoring goals, having good games and helping the team."

The £80million man, who scored nine goals in helping Madrid win their opening seven competitive games this season, has been sorely missed by the Spanish giants, who won just half of their 10 matches in his absence and were embarrassingly dumped out of the Copa del Rey by third tier Alcorcon.

He received a loud cheer from the Madrid supporters when he started warming up during the second half of the Zurich game, and then another ovation when he replaced club captain Raul.

"I had a very good reception and now I want to show them the best of me," added Ronaldo, who admits he is keen to play some part in Sunday's showdown with Barca at the Nou Camp.

"I want to play in the Clasico if I feel good, although that is the reasonability of the coach. In any case, with or without me, the team are first in La Liga and in their Champions League group.

"Good players always have to play. (Against Zurich) I didn't score, but I hope to do in the following game. It doesn't bother me if it's 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, the important thing is to win."

Man charged with jockeys' murders

A man has been charged with the murder of two apprentice jockeys who died in a fire at a flat in North Yorkshire.

Peter William Brown, 37, from Malton, North Yorkshire, is due to appear at Scarborough Magistrates' Court on Friday morning.

Jamie Kyne, 18, from County Galway, and Jan Wilson, 19, from Forfar, died in the fire in Norton, near Malton, on 5 September.

Two other young jockeys were injured as they escaped the blaze.

A series of tributes were held at racecourses and yards across Britain and Ireland after the deaths of the two young riders, who were on the second floor of the flat when the fire broke out.

Hacker Gary McKinnon to appeal after extradition blow

The "devastated" lawyers for computer hacker Gary McKinnon are to challenge the home secretary's decision not to block his extradition to the US.

They said they would make a last-ditch attempt after Alan Johnson said medical grounds could not prevent it.

Glasgow-born Mr McKinnon, 43, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of breaking into US military computers. He says he was seeking UFO evidence.

Now of Wood Green, north London, he faces 60 years in prison if convicted.

'American poodle'

His lawyer, Karen Todner, said: "It's a devastating blow but we are not going to give up. We are certainly coming to the end of the road.

"We're just hoping at some point someone sees sense and steps in. All the legal team do know is we cannot give up because in some ways it's like dealing with a death row case, and we genuinely believe that Gary's life is at stake here."

She said she would issue judicial review proceedings next week - a process she said she was given just seven days to complete, rather than the more normal three months.

If that failed, they would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, she added.

Mr Johnson said he had carefully considered the representations but concluded that sending Mr McKinnon to the US would not breach his human rights.

"Due to legitimate concerns over Mr McKinnon's health, we have sought and received assurances from the United States authorities that his needs will be met," he said.

But Ms Todner said he had gone against independent legal advice which said he could have used his discretion.

Mr McKinnon admits hacking into 97 US government computers, including Nasa's and the Pentagon's, during 2001 and 2002.

He has told the BBC he was on a "moral crusade" to prove US intelligence had found an alien craft run on clean fuel.

His mother, Janis Sharp, told the BBC she was "devastated" by the news and that her son, who has a form of autism, had reacted "very badly".

"It's a disgusting decision. Gary has been in a heightened state of terror for almost eight years.

"To force a peaceful, vulnerable, misguided UFO fanatic like Gary thousands of miles away from his much-needed support network is barbaric," she said.

She said she was not comforted by the home secretary's advice that her son would not be held in a "supermax" jail, which hold the highest-security prisoners.

Extradition treaty

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said it was appalling the government placed a higher value on a "deeply unfair" extradition agreement than on the welfare of a British citizen.

"The home secretary should stop being an American poodle and start being a British bulldog," he said.

And Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "The shoddy treatment of this vulnerable man should demonstrate that our rotten extradition laws need urgent reform."

Mr Johnson had last month agreed to study new medical evidence before deciding on the extradition. The High Court had previously refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Mr McKinnon has been the focus of a campaign to prevent his removal to the US.

Earlier this month, the Commons' Home Affairs Committee said the move should be halted owing to his "precarious state of mental health".

They concluded there was a "serious lack of equality" in the way the extradition treaty deals with UK citizens compared with US citizens.

Commonwealth summit in Trinidad targets climate change

Commonwealth leaders are meeting in Trinidad with climate change high on the agenda in the last major summit before the Copenhagen climate talks.

For the first time, a number of other world leaders have been invited to take part in the biennial meeting.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Danish PM Lars Rasmussen are attending to give weight to any statement on climate change.

Another key issue will be Rwanda's bid to join the Commonwealth.

The 60th anniversary Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain will also discuss the issue of the venue for the 2011 Commonwealth summit - with the UK vowing to block Sri Lanka's bid.

Rising sea levels

The global summit on climate change is due to start in Copenhagen on 7 December, and the topic is the only issue on Commonwealth summit's agenda for the first day.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has described the meeting as "an important springboard towards Copenhagen".

About half of the Commonwealth's members are island states, many of them threatened by rising sea levels.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who is hosting the three-day meeting, said he hoped the summit could boost momentum for an agreement on carbon emissions at Copenhagen, amid "concerns about the way the negotiations were going".

"We hope to arrive at a political statement that can add value to the process that will culminate in Copenhagen next month... what we can do is raise our voices politically," he said.

The Commonwealth's 53 nations comprise about two billion people, a third of the planet's population.

The leaders are meeting days after pledges by the US and China to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns that the Copenhagen meeting could fail to agree substantial cuts.

Rwanda membership

The UK has indicated it will try to block Sri Lanka's bid to host the next Commonwealth summit over its handling of the recent war.

A UK government source said Mr Brown had "real concerns about Sri Lanka's bid".

The source said: "We simply cannot be in a position where Sri Lanka - whose actions earlier this year had a huge impact on civilians, leading to thousands of displaced people without proper humanitarian access - is seen to be rewarded for its actions."

The UN estimates the conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels left at least 7,000 civilians dead with 150,000 people still displaced and living in camps.

The summit will also discuss Rwanda's entry into the English-speaking club.

The Francophone nation has been seeking membership following disagreements with France over events leading up to the 1994 genocide.

The issue is likely to be controversial. The nation's entry bid has received strong backing from some member states.

However, some rights activists are angry that entry would reward a nation they say is guilty of abuses dating back to the 1994 genocide.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins, in Trinidad, says the leaders are expected to admit Rwanda.

He says most of the leaders apparently believe that if Rwanda is admitted, then they will be able to apply peer pressure to improve the lives of its people.

Zimbabwe's possible re-entry could also be brought up at the meeting.

At a state dinner ahead of the summit, the Queen acknowledged her hosts by wearing a gown featuring two of the Caribbean nation's national birds and its national flower.

At the banquet in the grounds of President George Maxwell Richards' official home in Port of Spain, she paid tribute to Trinidad's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

Avram Granted Portsmouth job

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant is being backed to lift Portsmouth up the table after succeeding Paul Hart at Fratton Park.

Hart was sacked on Tuesday with the club rooted to the foot of the Barclays Premier League with only seven points from 13 games.

Grant will take charge for the first time on Saturday for the home game against Manchester United.

Former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, now in a similar role at Leicester, believes the 54-year-old is the right man for the job.

"I am delighted for Avram and the supporters as they deserve a team in the Premier League," Mandaric told Sky Sports News.

"He is the best solution. He is a very proud man, who has ability and experience.

"They (Portsmouth) have enough good players and with Avram organising them they have a very good chance of getting out of trouble. I hope that is the case."

Grant will no doubt be hoping to turn the tables on United as his last game in charge of Chelsea was the Champions League final of 2008.

It ended in agony for the Israeli with his side losing on penalties in Moscow.

Portsmouth have no doubts Grant can rally the players.

Chief executive officer Peter Storrie said: "Avram is a very experienced and respected manager who has managed at the highest level.

"The board believes he is the man to help steer the club out of the relegation zone.

"He knows the club, the players and the set-up at Fratton Park, so it was the logical move to make him the next manager, once the board had decided to relieve Paul Hart of the role.

"He will take charge of training on Friday alongside first-team coaches Paul Groves and Ian Woan."

Former England midfielder Paul Merson, who had a spell at Portsmouth, fears for the club's status.

He said: "I am shocked and surprised. They had a great team spirit even though they were bottom. This could go completely the other way and turn things upside down.

"Paul Hart brought players in, who were out of favour at their clubs, and gave them a second chance.

"He gave them an unbelivable opportunity to play in the best league in the world. Now he is gone I am worried for Portsmouth. I could see them getting out of trouble, now I am not so sure."

Grant was due to receive his work permit for his director of football role this week and the club have revealed he will at first continue to work in this capacity.

The club will then "go through the process of making the technical change that will allow Avram to become manager".

It adds that this involved "acquiring a new sponsorship number from the Football Association to change his permit status''.

Torres out; Aquilani to feature

Fernando Torres is set to miss Liverpool's match at near-neighbours Everton but Alberto Aquilani will be given his first taste of a Merseyside derby.

The Spain striker has sat out the last three matches with a groin problem and is probably still a week away from rejoining the squad.

Torres scored both goals in the 2-0 victory at Goodison Park last season to take his tally of goals to three in five derbies but David Ngog, with five this season, is in line to deputise again.

However, Aquilani will be hopeful of getting on the field after just three substitute appearances totalling just 22 minutes since returning to fitness after his £20million summer move from Roma.

Manager Rafael Benitez will not throw the Italian into what is likely to be another tempestuous clash between the two near-neighbours but the 25-year-old should play some part.

Former academy graduate Jay Spearing faces competition from Aquilani for a place in midfield but accepts the former Roma star will, in time, have a central part to play.

"You can tell he's a world class player," said Wirral-born Spearing.

"For him, I think it's just a matter of fitness and sharpness really.

"He's doing more and more each day in training and you can see that he's very clever with some of the passes that he plays. Hopefully he can bring that out into our first team."

Spearing added in LFC Weekly magazine: "The boss has given him 15 minutes here and there and I think that will do him good just to try to get used to the pace of the Premier League, because it will be completely different than in Italy."

The 212th Merseyside derby finds both teams in poor form but provides the opportunity for a much-needed morale-boosting win.

Liverpool have won just twice in 11 games, although at least they travel to Goodison on the back of a win in Hungary against Debrecen - even if that also coincided with their failure to qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages.

Everton have won one in the last 10 and slipped to a 3-2 defeat to Hull in the Premier League on Wednesday.

School lessons to tackle domestic violence

Every school pupil in England is to be taught that domestic violence is unacceptable, as part of a new government strategy.

It plans to introduce school lessons from 2011 which will teach young people how to prevent violent relationships.

Plans include a stalking and harassment and 24-hour sexual violence helpline, both to be launched in 2010.

The charity Refuge has welcomed the announcement while urging people to speak out against domestic violence.

About a million women are victims of one domestic violence incident a year, according to the British Crime Survey.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said violence against women and girls was "an obscenity".

Home ban

More than £13m of funding is being provided to help support victims of sexual and domestic violence, with a range of actions for the police, local authorities, NHS and government.

From 2011, gender equality and preventing violence in relationships lessons will be included in the statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum.

Teachers will be trained to tackle violence against students.

Plans will also see the piloting of Domestic Violence Protection Orders - or "Go" orders - which could see perpetrators excluded from their homes and give victims space to apply for longer-term protection.

A health taskforce set up to examine the role of the NHS in response to female victims of violence will publish recommendations in 2010.

'Postcode lottery'

The strategy coincides with the launch of a Four Ways To Speak Out campaign by domestic violence charity Refuge, fronted by famous faces such as Dame Helen Mirren and Sheryl Gascoigne.

It wants people to sign a petition urging the government to put an end to "the postcode lottery of domestic violence services".

Lisa King, director of communications at Refuge, welcomed the government's plans but said there was an "urgent need" for services for abused women and children.

"One in three authorities still do not provide such services... a woman might have to move a long distance to find the support she needs.

"Councils should be required by law to provide a range of services to victims of domestic violence and abuse and the government should put the necessary funding in place," she said.

The "particular needs" of abused women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds also needed to be properly served, she added.

It is a view echoed by Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council.

"We know that refugee women are disproportionately likely to be affected by rape and sexual violence... it is therefore of great concern that women fleeing violence find it difficult to access appropriate services in the UK, and there is nothing in this strategy to address this," she said.

Harriet Harman, minister for women and equality, said tackling violence against women and girls was "one of the government's top priorities" and it was "vital" to have a "cross-government approach".

She said the strategy, entitled Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls, focused on prevention, which was "critical" to long-term change.

"We have to work to change attitudes in order to eliminate violence against women and girls and to make it clear beyond doubt that any form of violence against women is unacceptable," she said.

European MPs votes on new telecoms law

The European Parliament has approved a major overhaul of telecoms law across Europe.

The package includes a provision for "internet freedom" - the first time it has been referred to in law as fundamental right says the EU.

Member states have until May 24 2011 to include the legislation in their own rules.

It comes amid controversial laws being introduced in France and the UK to cut off persistent illegal downloaders.

Protecting internet access and users' rights was a high priority for MEPs hammering out the Telecoms Package.

Many critics say the eventual compromise solution is too weak and will not prevent disconnections.

Other measures in the telecoms package include an aim to harmonise the way mobile broadband is rolled out across the EU, which would help in the push to achieve 100% broadband coverage in Europe by 2013.

It also seeks to improve co-operation between member states' telecoms regulators and make it easier for incumbent operators to both provide and buy network services.

A law on citizens' rights aims to improve how quickly customers can change their mobile telephone number and strengthen personal data and privacy protection by, for example, allowing users to opt in to the use of cookies.

Fair hearing

Perhaps the most scrutinised part of the package is that which relates to file-sharing.

It comes as individual member states introduce tough penalties for those who download content illegally.

France has introduced a "three strikes" policy for those who share illegal content. If letters fail to stop them, illegal file-sharers risk being disconnected.

And the UK's Digital Economy Bill also seeks to impose technical restrictions, including disconnection, on persistent pirates.

Earlier this month, MEPs agreed on a compromise solution to protect user's rights which read: "A user's internet access may be restricted, if necessary and proportionate, only after a fair and impartial procedure including the user's right to be heard."

What the fair and impartial procedure will mean in practice is, as yet, unclear.

MEPs also agreed that restrictions on a user's internet access can only be taken "with due respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to privacy".

But an earlier amendment which ruled that any application for cutting off internet access must go through a judge was rejected.

Some critics say the compromise is too weak while some lawyers argue that it could put the UK's newly introduced Digital Economy bill at odds with the Telecoms Package.

Meanwhile protests over the UK bill have grown, with 11,000 signing an e-petition against it while others predicted "civil unrest" as a result of the bill.