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Queen reunited with Korean war hero

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Queen reunited with Korean war hero An old soldier who was decorated by the Queen for heroism during the Korean War has spoken of his pride at being reunited with the royal almost 60 years later. Arthur Pembroke, 83, met the monarch when she honoured Australia's top officer training academy by presenting the institution with new colours. The former officer from Sydney had the added joy of proudly watching his granddaughter Harriet Pembroke, 26, take part in the parade ground ceremony. Mr Pembroke chatted to the monarch during a garden party held after she had presented new Queen's colours and Regimental colours to the Royal Military College, Duntroon, based in Canberra. The ex-officer, who received the Military Cross from the Queen during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony in 1953, said: "She impressed me a great deal and has right from the time I (first) met her. "Her dedication and loyalty and determination to carry out her duty as she sees it, I think it is the sort of thing we have always admired." Commenting on the Queen's tour of Australia at the age of 85 with the Duke of Edinburgh, he joked: "I had enough trouble driving up from Sydney but her coming is a remarkable feat and shows she's very dedicated." Mr Pembroke earned the gallantry honour when a Lieutenant platoon commander attached to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He led his men through six days and nights of fighting, capturing a piece of high ground and holding it for 48 hours against a fierce Chinese counter attack and heavy artillery and mortar fire.

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan mourned

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Saudi Crown Prince Sultan mourned Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz has died abroad after an illness, national TV reported. He was 85 years old. The TV said Sultan died in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was the half brother of the Saudi king, the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defence and aviation. Sultan has had a string of health issues: he underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco. The report did not say where outside the kingdom he died or elaborate on Sultan's illness.

Prince pays tribute to Saudi heir

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Prince pays tribute to Saudi heir The Prince of Wales and the Foreign Secretary have paid tribute to Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne, who has died at the age of 85. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abd Al Aziz died abroad in the early hours after an illness, according to national TV. He was the half brother of the Saudi king, the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defence and aviation. Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was sad to hear of the Crown Prince's death: "He served the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for many years with great dignity and dedication. "His contribution to the prosperity and development of the Kingdom will long be remembered. "I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the Kingdom and its people at this sad time." The Prince of Wales was said to have sent a personal letter of condolence to the King of Saudi Arabia. A Clarence House spokesman said: "The Prince of Wales sent a personal letter of condolence to the King of Saudi Arabia expressing his deep sadness at the news." AP reported the Crown Prince had had a string of health issues: he underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco. According to AP, the report did not say where outside the kingdom he died or elaborate on Sultan's illness.

Village hall at centre of BNP row

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Village hall at centre of BNP row A council has said it will cancel a village hall's rate subsidy if it goes ahead with hosting a speech by British National Party leader Nick Griffin. Mr Griffin is due to give a talk at Baldslow Memorial Hall in St Leonards, East Sussex, on Sunday. But Hastings Borough Council has told the people who run the hall they will have to pay back the £376 they received as a charity in rate relief if Mr Griffin's speech goes ahead. Council leader Jeremy Birch said the local authority was "committed to equality of opportunity and to community harmony". "We have no intention of providing financial subsidy to those who aim to undermine these principles," he added. BNP party spokesman Simon Darby accused the Labour-run council of trying to "blackmail" the village hall. He said: "It's quite beyond belief what they are trying to do. "They're basically seeking to tax people who don't agree with the Labour Party, which is not really the British way to do things. "It's effectively blackmail, putting a gun to the people that run the hall by giving them a financial penalty if Nick is allowed to speak there. He's an MEP, he's not some person off the street." Cllr Birch said he had been approached by members of the community who were unhappy at Mr Griffin's appearance. He went on: "We have discretion about providing an element of business rate relief to charities. Here we have a charity that is providing a platform within its community building to the national leader of a political party committed to challenging these principles."

Osborne warns of Euro crisis risks

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Osborne warns of Euro crisis risks Britain and the rest of Europe needs a long-term solution to the economic crisis and an end to "short-term" measures, Chancellor George Osborne has warned. Joining fellow EU finance ministers in Brussels at the start of a series of meetings and summits in the search for a solution he said a comprehensive deal would be the biggest boost for the British economy this autumn: "What we're going to be arguing for at this meeting is a comprehensive solution to this crisis. We've had enough of short-term measures, sticking plaster that just gets us through the next few weeks." Mr Osborne repeated the government's case that a secure and stable euro is as important for the UK as it is for the single currency member states: "The crisis of the eurozone is a real danger to all of Europe's economies, including Britain's. "We need to address the root causes of the problem with a lasting solution that will help all of Europe's economies." A hectic series of EU meetings likely to last until at least Wednesday began last night with talks between the 17 eurozone finance ministers. Amid growing fears that the Greek crisis is even worse than feared, they approved another slice of bail-out aid - about £7 billion pounds and, according to eurozone leader and Luxembourg prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, paved the pay for a massive 50% write-down of Greek debt to ease the country's burden. All 27 finance ministers are assessing the broader picture and abscessing the risk of "contagion" from Greece to other, much bigger economies, including Italy. They are also finalising plans for a recapitalisation of banks, making them better placed to withstand future economic shocks. On Sunday, Prime Minister David Cameron flies in to join other EU leaders for a summit already downgraded by a Franco-German decisions to hold another one, probably next Wednesday.

Latin musician Ros dies, aged 100

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Latin musician Ros dies, aged 100 The man responsible for popularising Latin American music in the UK has died at the age of 100. Edmundo Ros passed away on Friday night at his home in Spain, showbusiness fraternity the Grand Order of Water Rats confirmed. Secretary John Adrian said: "He died last night peacefully at his home in Spain, two months short of his 101st birthday". He said the musician, who made his career in Britain, had died of old age. Ros was the most accomplished Latin-American musician and vocalist of his generation and the infectious beat of his world-famous rumba band was a cheering sound in wartime Britain and the post-war austerity years. He first achieved what was to be long-lasting fame when the then Princess Elizabeth in the 1940s arrived with a party at London's Bagatelle Restaurant and made her first public dance - to the music of Ros's band. From that moment he became a household name and remained as such for decades with the insistent beat and stomp of music redolent of South America which, according to one fan "set dance halls and night clubs alight" the world over. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on December 7, 1910. His mother was a black Venezuelan and his father was of Scottish origin. The family lived in Caracas, Venezuela from 1927 to 1937. Ros played in the Venezuelan Military Academy Band as well as being a tympanist in the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. Later he received a music scholarship from the government, under which from 1937 to 1942 he studied harmony, composition and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music, London. In August 1940 he formed his own rumba band, and the following year he cut his first tracks, with Parlophone. The group played regularly at the Coconut Grove club in Regent Street. His bands were invariably based in London night-clubs or restaurants. His number The Wedding Samba, 1949, sold three million copies, and his album Rhythms of The South (1958) sold one million copies. Altogether he made over 800 recordings. Ros, who retired to Alicante, in Spain, became an OBE in the 2000 New Year Honours List at the age of 90. He was a Freeman of the City of London.

British couple killed in flood

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British couple killed in flood An elderly British couple have been swept to their deaths in a flash flood while holidaying in Spain. The pair, understood to be in their 70s, were hit by a wall of water as they sat outside a market-place cafe in the sleepy town of Finestrat on the Costa Blanca. They were killed after torrential rain led a river to burst its banks at around midday on Friday, just a few miles along the coast from the popular resort of Benidorm. It sent water gushing through a dried-up ravine and deluged traders who set up their market stands in the area each week. It has now emerged the town's council was fined 83,000 euros for paving the ravine bed without permission last July. According to local reports, the authority was also discouraged from authorising vendors to sell their wares on the promenade. The British couple - who have not been named - are understood to have been dragged away in the current as water flowed through the market place, wrecking cars and stalls. Their bodies were reportedly found trapped under a trailer after the flood. Another two people were taken to hospital, Spanish media reported, while a 90-year-old was missing but was later found unharmed in a nearby street. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of two British nationals in Finestrat, Spain, on October 21. "We are providing consular assistance to the family."

Reject EU referendum, urges Hague

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Reject EU referendum, urges Hague Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Tory MPs not to vote for a referendum on Britain's future in the European Union. Mr Hague, one of the Cabinet's most prominent eurosceptics, warned against trying to stage a popular vote on the EU at a time of "profound economic uncertainty". David Cameron is facing potentially the most dangerous rebellion of his premiership so far when the Commons votes on a referendum in backbench debate on Monday. At least 61 Conservative MPs have now signed a motion calling for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU, leave or renegotiate its membership, and some predict the total number of rebels could top 85. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hague stressed the Conservative Party remained committed to repatriating powers from Brussels, but said that a referendum was not the way to go about it. "As a Conservative, I want to bring powers back from Europe, as we set out in our election manifesto," he said. "But a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, especially at this time of profound economic uncertainty, is not the answer. "Nothing would do more to help our economic recovery than a resolution of the eurozone's difficulties, while its disorderly break-up would have a very serious impact on our economy." He received welcome support from Tory former cabinet minister, Peter Lilley - seen as a hardline eurosceptic - who also cautioned against a referendum. "If we are in the business of getting back powers from Europe ... then we have to go about negotiating that return of powers and you cannot do that through a referendum," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Rallies held over cuts for disabled

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Rallies held over cuts for disabled Demonstrations are being held across the UK in protest against welfare cuts for disabled people. Events will be held across the country as part of the Hardest Hit campaign, organised by the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) and the UK Disabled People's Council (UKDPC). Demonstrations have been organised for nine English regions and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, arranged by local disabled people's organisations and disability charities. They will highlight cuts to local services for disabled people, but also follow the Hardest Hit rally, march and lobby in May, held in protest against the Government's Welfare Reforms, which is currently being steered through Parliament. Demonstrations will be held in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Protesters fear cuts to benefits including Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "This Government is absolutely committed to supporting disabled people and we continue to spend more than £40 billion a year on disabled people and their services. "However, the current benefit system is not always reaching those who need it most, which is why we will be introducing the new personal independence payment to ensure people get the right levels of support. "And our reforms are more than just changes to benefits. The Sayce review is looking at how we can use the protected budget for disability employment services more effectively, to get an extra 35,000 disabled people into work."

Couple to wed among St Paul's demo

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Couple to wed among St Paul's demo It may not be a picture-perfect wedding but one bride-to-be has put on a brave face and will walk down the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral despite the unsightly encampment at the foot of its magnificent steps. The historic monument was forced to close on Friday for the first time since the Second World War amid fears that anti-capitalist protesters on its doorstep posed a risk to health and safety. But Natasha Ighodaro and fiance Nick Cunningham will marry as planned - to the backdrop of dozens of tents and a banner reading "capitalism is crisis". The pair sent a message to their wedding guests to assure them the ceremony would go ahead. The note, posted on Facebook, read: "We're looking forward to seeing friends and family at the wedding today, and are pleased that it is going ahead as planned. love Nick Cunningham and Natasha Ighodaro xxx". Rather than using the cathedral's grand entrance, University of York graduate Miss Ighodaro, an account manager for a PR company, will slip in through a side door. The decision to shut the monument came after activists, who have occupied a makeshift campsite outside the main entrance since last Saturday, refused to comply with requests to move on. The Dean of St Paul's, the Rev Graeme Knowles, said the drastic step was necessary because independent health and safety and fire officers had identified unknown quantities of flammable liquids, along with smoking and drinking in tented areas, which compromised fire exits. Campaigners defended their decision not to move on from their spot and questioned the decision to close the cathedral. Occupy London supporter Ronan McNern insisted activists had complied with all requirements from the cathedral and would have been willing to clear a space for the wedding, had the building remained open.

Scotland in driving seat - Salmond

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Scotland in driving seat - Salmond Alex Salmond has launched a fierce attack on the UK Government, saying the future of Scotland would not be determined by Westminster. Mr Salmond used his speech to the Scottish National Party annual conference in Inverness to send the UK Government a stark message. The Scottish First Minister said: "The days of Westminster politicians telling Scotland what to do or what to think are over. The Scottish people will set the agenda for the future." Mr Salmond declared: "No politician, and certainly no London politician, will determine the future of the Scottish nation. "The Prime Minister should hear this loud and clear. The people of Scotland - the sovereign people of Scotland - are now in the driving seat." The conference is the SNP's first since the party's landslide victory in May's Holyrood elections, when the Nationalists became the first ever party to secure an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament. Mr Salmond said that win had given his party the "greatest ever mandate of the devolution era". That election victory means a referendum will be held on Scottish independence. While no date for such a vote has yet been set, Nationalists have pledged it will take place in the second half of the Scottish Parliament's five-year term. The speech by Mr Salmond marked the start of the SNP's campaign ahead of that referendum, as he told activists: "This party will campaign full square for independence in the coming referendum."

Thousands miss out on St Paul's

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Thousands miss out on St Paul's Thousands of worshippers and visitors are being turned away from St Paul's Cathedral this weekend after anti-capitalist protesters refused to move from its famous steps. But a couple were allowed to go ahead with their scheduled wedding inside the building - with the bride and guests entering via a side entrance. The decision to close the cathedral - amid fears the demonstration poses a risk to health and safety - is costing around £16,000 a day in valuable funding. And staff expect an even bigger sum to be lost tomorrow when the monument would usually gain extra revenue from Sunday collections from worshippers. There is still no indication as to when it might reopen to the public, with demonstrators determined to stay in place for the foreseeable future. And they defended a decision not to move on, which prevented bride Natasha Ighodaro from walking up the magnificent steps of St Paul's on her wedding day. The historic monument was locked to the public for the first time since the Second World War after activists refused requests to move on. Ms Ighodaro arrived at the cathedral to marry Nick Cunningham against a backdrop of dozens of tents and a banner reading "capitalism is crisis".The University of York graduate put on a brave face and smiled at onlookers as she walked in through a side entrance while police stood by. The PR account manager later insisted her wedding day had been a "wonderful" occasion. "There hasn't been any disruption at all - it's been wonderful, really amazing," she said as she left the ceremony, held in one of the cathedral's chapels. A spokesman for the cathedral - which costs £20,000 per day to run and draws between 2,000 and 3,000 worshippers each Sunday - said it would lose about £16,000 in visitor donations for every day it is closed. The Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser, Chancellor of St Paul's, dismissed rumours it had been shut for commercial reasons and defended the decision. "I remain firmly supportive of the right of people peacefully to protest," he said. "But given the strong advice that we have received that the camp is making the cathedral and its occupants unsafe then this right has to be balanced against other rights and responsibilities too."

'Real progress' in EU crisis talks

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'Real progress' in EU crisis talks Chancellor George Osborne has declared "real progress" in Europe's battle to beat the economic crisis and restore confidence in the stability of the single currency. He emerged after ten hours of talks with fellow EU finance ministers in Brussels to announce "important decisions" to strengthen Europe's banks.He gave no details but the talks reached "provisional" agreement on recapitalisation of the banks to the tune of almost 100 billion euros (£87 billion). The accord is conditional on a complex and much wider EU deal being forged in the next few days, including a massive increase in eurozone bail-out funds and a planned 50-60% write-down of Greek debt to ease the country's problems and reduce the risk of "contagion" to other, bigger economies such as Italy. "It was very important today that Europe took decisions," said Mr Osborne. "After ten hours of talks we have made real progress and we have come up with important decisions to strengthen European banks." The outline accord was just one part of the economic recovery jigsaw, said the Chancellor, adding: "Britain will keep up pressure in the next few days to a comprehensive package to resolve the European crisis and to make sure that we get jobs and growth." On Sunday it is the turn of Prime Minister David Cameron, who will attend an EU leaders' summit to add more safeguards to the EU's economic armoury to counter a crisis which has threatened to get out of control. On the table are a massive increase in an existing 440 billion euro (£383 billion) bail-out fund - possibly four-fold to about two trillion euros (£1.74 trillion). But more progress depends on resolving major disputes over details between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. They were meeting over dinner in Brussels to thrash out concerns over how big the bail-out fund should be and how far to go to give Greece a huge "discount" on its mounting debts. It was supposed to be a make-up dinner for two - but tonight they were being joined by International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, outgoing European Central Bank boss Jean-Claude Trichet, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

Funeral for racing driver Wheldon

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Funeral for racing driver Wheldon The funeral of British racing driver Dan Wheldon has been held in his adopted hometown in Florida. Large crowds gathered to pay their respects to the 33-year-old father-of-two outside the First Presbyterian Church in St Petersburg, where the funeral began at 10am local time. The front page of the order of service showed a photograph of Wheldon kissing a trophy and the words 'Lionheart Forever' - a reference to the nickname he earned during his career for his fearless brand of racing. The Buckinghamshire-born driver, a former IndyCar champion and two-time Indy 500 race winner, was killed on Sunday in a 15-car pile-up at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wheldon's Dallara Honda was sent flying into a trackside fence on lap 11 of the race, causing what IndyCar chief executive Randy Bernard said were "unsurvivable injuries". Among the mourners were Wheldon's widow, Susie, and their two young children, Sebastian and Oliver, along with other members of the Wheldon family. Wheldon's sister, Holly, tweeted: "Thank you so much to everyone who emailed and tweeted me amazing messages. Really appreciate it. Dan would be proud of all of you. :)" IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and his wife, actress Ashley Judd,.were in attendance alongside IndyCar drivers Will Power, Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon. Franchitti, Kanaan and Dixon were among the pall bearers who carried Wheldon's coffin after the funeral service as the mourners moved on to a private burial. Mrs Wheldon had invited the local community to attend the service in a statement on www.indycar.com. "Although the last few days have been unbearable for our family, the overwhelming love and support we have received are rays of sunshine during these dark days," she said.

Cathedral closure angers protesters

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Cathedral closure angers protesters St Paul's Cathedral will be closed to thousands of Sunday worshippers as an anti-capitalist protest outside the historic building continues. The church is losing around £16,000 per day as a result of the decision to close its doors amid health and safety concerns. An even larger sum is expected to be lost on Sunday when the cathedral would usually raise vital revenue from collections. Protesters from the Occupy London campaign have insisted they will stand their ground despite being publicly asked to move on by Dean of St Paul's, the Rev Graeme Knowles. However, they have established a new site on Finsbury Square in Islington in order to minimise the numbers camped outside St Paul's. The ongoing stand-off at the cathedral did not prevent couple Natasha Ighodaro and Nick Cunningham from marrying in one of the building's chapels on Saturday. They entered through a side door for the ceremony, and Miss Ighodaro said: "There hasn't been any disruption at all - it's been wonderful, really amazing." Around 300 people have moved to the new Islington site, which is less than a mile from St Paul's. Supporter Ronan McNern, 36, said: "We want to let St Paul's know that we have an overflow camp so we won't be stressing them out so much. It was obvious that the camp at St Paul's was expanding and expanding, and this way we can limit the numbers there and ensure there is a site there which fits within the regulations." Hundreds of visitors have been turned away from the cathedral since it closed on Friday for the first time since the Second World War. The decision to shut the cathedral - which costs £20,000 per day to run and draws between 2,000 and 3,000 worshippers each Sunday - came after independent health and safety and fire officers said the protest camp raised public health issues and compromised fire exits. But activists questioned the motivation of those behind its closure. One protester, who gave her name only as Jenny, said: "I think the closure is political. I think there are people who really don't like the fact that protesters are here but we are making a legitimate statement." The Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser, Chancellor of St Paul's, defended the move to turn away visitors and dismissed rumours the monument had been shut for commercial reasons. "I remain firmly supportive of the right of people peacefully to protest," he said. "But given the strong advice that we have received that the camp is making the cathedral and its occupants unsafe then this right has to be balanced against other rights and responsibilities too."

Corrie stars mourn Betty Driver

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Corrie stars mourn Betty Driver The Rovers Return will not be the same without Betty Driver, the longest-serving screen barmaid on Coronation Street, mourners were told at her funeral. Stars of the long-running ITV1 soap, past and present, joined her family and friends in packing into the intimate surroundings of the 18th century St Ann's Church in Manchester city centre, while several hundred fans watched the proceedings on a big screen outside. The idea to screen the service, the choice of music and the colour of the flowers had all been meticulously planned by Driver, apparently since January this year. Tears were shed for the much-loved actress, who died a week ago in hospital aged 91 after a period of ill health. But the theme of the day was very much a celebration of a life steeped in showbusiness. A total of 42 years - and more than 2,850 episodes - in her role as Betty Williams (Turpin) and before that a highly successful 40 years as a singer and film star were recalled by those giving tribute at the service - co-star Helen Worth (Gail McIntyre), theatre impresario Bill Kenwright and her personal assistant Charles Orr. Worth said: "She was the ultimate professional and knew everything there was to showbiz, including stealing your scene without any words," she said, to laughter. A perfect look timed to perfection which lit up the screen.She never wanted it to end. Her place behind the bar at the Rovers was always kept open." Kenwright, who played her screen son Gordon, spoke of his "second mother" and a "wonderful actress". Remembering the heyday of variety in the 30s, 40s and 50s when acts would tour the length of Britain, he said: "Betty was a huge, huge star in variety." Her joining Coronation Street was, he said, "when this juggernaut of love started". A recording of Driver singing The World Will Sing Again, which she sang in Europe and the Middle East during the war years with Henry Hall and his dance band, was played to the congregation. A standing ovation greeted the end of the final note. A private interment followed the service, which was attended by Street stars past and present, including William Roache (Ken Barlow), Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch), Bill Tarmey (Jack Duckworth), Roy Barraclough (Alec Gilroy), Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster), Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) and Sarah Lancashire (Raquel Watts).

Defunct satellite heading to Earth

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Defunct satellite heading to Earth A defunct satellite has entered the atmosphere but there is no information yet on whether any of its pieces have crashed into Earth, Germany's Aerospace Centre said. Agency spokesman Andreas Schuetz said there was no indication yet above which continent or country the Rosat scientific research satellite entered the atmosphere. He said scientists are no longer able to communicate with the dead satellite and it must have travelled about 12,500 miles in the last 30 minutes before entering the atmosphere. Experts are now waiting for "observations from around the world". Most parts of the minivan-sized satellite have been expected to burn up during re-entry, but up to 30 fragments weighing 1.87 tons could crash into Earth at speeds up to 280mph.

Hunt for killer great white shark

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Hunt for killer great white shark Shark hunters have set baited hooks off the south-west Australian coast hoping to catch a great white that killed an American recreational diver. Department of Fisheries manager Tony Cappelluti said officers set six lines with hooks off the tourist haven of Rottnest Island where witnesses saw a 10-foot great white shark take the 32-year-old man. Police will release the man's name later. Scientists have warned against an overreaction to the third fatal shark attack off Australia's south-west coast in less than two months. Australia averages fewer than two fatal shark attacks a year.

Cameron joins talks on euro crisis

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Cameron joins talks on euro crisis Prime Minister David Cameron and fellow EU leaders are bidding for more progress in the latest of a series of meetings to crack the economic crisis. A summit in Brussels will try to break the deadlock over plans for a massive increase in EU bailout funds to reassure markets that Europe can deal with any more eurozone meltdowns. And EU leaders want to advance plans for a 50% write-down of Greek debt repayment in another bid to stabilise the single currency and restore calm. Coupled with Saturday's "real progress" at separate talks on capitalising EU banks, the moves mark a major new effort to restore confidence in the single market. But the summit is not the last word - another summit is already scheduled for next Wednesday and more meetings of the 17 eurozone countries and all 27 EU financial ministers and leaders are on the cards before the EU delivers its agreed plan for stopping the economic rot. Strengthening banks to withstands future economic shocks, topping up existing bailout funds and slashing Greek debt repayments are now seen as the key elements in a package of measures German chancellor Angela Merkel said should be finalised at the Wednesday meetings. She was speaking before a crunch dinner in Brussels with French president Nicolas Sarkozy in a bid to sink their deep differences over how to finance the programme and, crucially, how to ensure the moves do not revive public backlashes in Paris and Berlin. Also at dinner were the heads of the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, plus the presidents of the European Commission and European Council. Leaving Brussels after 10 hours of gruelling talks at which finance ministers reached provisional agreement on bank recapitalisation to the tune of 100 billion euro (£87 billion), Chancellor George Osborne commented: "Britain will keep up pressure in the next few days for a comprehensive package to resolve the European crisis and to make sure that we get jobs and growth." Before Mr Cameron arrived to take up the next stage of a hastily-choreographed series of talks, his spokesman said: "We have got to come up with a resolution. These are difficult problems and we recognise that. We want to see these issues dealt with as quickly as possible and we want to see them dealt with comprehensively. Ultimately these are eurozone issues but we are doing what we can to try to help move things forward." The UK Government backs Germany in targeting Wednesday for firm decisions - although the ultimate deadline is put by some as a G20 summit in Cannes in less than a fortnight, when world leaders gather to discuss the global financial crisis.

Doctors reject Chavez health fears

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Doctors reject Chavez health fears Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is in excellent health after undergoing cancer treatment, doctors on his medical team said. The Venezuelan doctors spoke out to dispute a surgeon's remarks about Mr Chavez's condition. Dr Salvador Navarrete was quoted as saying in a recent interview with a Mexican magazine that he believed the president's prognosis "is not good" and that the life expectancy in such cases can be as little as two years. Dr Fidel Ramirez, one of Mr Chavez's doctors, read a statement at a televised news conference saying Mr Chavez had never been a patient of Dr Navarrete. The doctors questioned the surgeon's ethics, saying he is wrong and does not have access to Mr Chavez's medical information. Dr Ramirez said Mr Chavez's health is "absolutely satisfactory, with an excellent prognosis". Dr Rafael Vargas, another Chavez doctor, said Dr Navarrete's only contact with the president came in 2002 when he was part of a group of doctors who had an "informal conversation" with the president. He called Dr Navarrete's comments irresponsible.
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