UK embassy to shut amid global alert
By Anonymous on Aug 03, 2013 03:50 am 3 August 2013 Last updated at 03:50 ET 
The British embassy in Yemen is to shut temporarily and several other embassies have been told to be vigilant after the US issued a global travel alert.
The embassy in Sana'a will be closed on Sunday and Monday as "a precautionary measure", the Foreign Office said.
A spokesman would not say if the closure was due to a specific threat.
According to the New York Times, the US - which is to close 21 of its embassies on Sunday - has intercepted al-Qaeda messages discussing possible attacks.
The British embassy in Yemen had already been operating with a reduced staff "due to increased security concerns".
A number of British embassies in the Middle East have been warned about the latest threat.
Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, which monitors threats from al-Qaeda, said US authorities had intercepted communications "between senior al-Qaeda leaders talking about an operational and clearly viable plot against an embassy".
He said it is unclear which embassy that is, but Yemen is a high-risk country because the US has stepped up drone attacks there in recent days and al-Qaeda's "most active franchise" is based in the Arabian Peninsula.
'Ramadan concern' A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The embassy will be closed on 4 and 5 August. We have withdrawn a number of staff from Sana'a, due to increased security concerns.
"We updated our travel advice to Yemen on 2 August to reflect that.
"We keep travel advice and the security of our staff and missions under constant review. Our travel advice advises particular vigilance during Ramadan, when tensions could be heightened.
"We are particularly concerned about the security situation in the final days of Ramadan and into Eid."
The Islamic holy month ends next week.
Al-Qaeda threat On its website, the Foreign Office was already advising against all travel to Yemen and urging British nationals to "leave now".
It says there is "a high threat from terrorism throughout Yemen" and "a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, criminals and terrorists".
Unlike the US, the UK is keeping its embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Iraq open, but it has advised staff to "exercise extra vigilance as we approach Eid".
The US state department responded to the threat by issuing a global travel alert.
In a statement, it said: "Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August."
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Fracking protest enters 10th day
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 11:30 pm 2 August 2013 Last updated at 23:30 ET 
Sussex Police said the protest could continue for some weeks
A protest against oil exploration in a West Sussex village has entered its 10th day - a day after energy company Cuadrilla began drilling at the site.
Operations began in Balcombe on Friday, after being held up by more than a week of demonstrations.
Campaigners fear the test drilling could lead to hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
A number of arrests have been made as protesters have gathered outside, with some blocking entry to the site.
On Friday, two protesters were arrested on suspicion of assaulting police.
Sussex Police said an officer was punched and kicked by a woman who claimed she was 14, but turned out to be a 19-year-old from Portsmouth.
Fire engine A 22-year-old man from Bexhill was also arrested after a police officer was hit in the face with a placard, officers claimed.
Six people were arrested on Thursday after protesters blocked the site entrance with an antique fire engine.
Cuadrilla said drilling started at 11:15 BST on Friday. Spokesman Matt Lambert said: "We have had a significant amount of disruption from protesters and the police have been dealing with that in the proper way.
"They have a perfect right to make their point of view known."
On Thursday the site entrance was blocked by a fire engine
More than 30 people have been arrested since last Friday, mainly on suspicion of obstructing deliveries, including the daughter of Kinks star Ray Davies and Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde, Natalie Hynde.
'Violation' The 30-year-old glued herself to her boyfriend, veteran environmental activist Simon "Sitting Bull" Medhurst, 55, to form a "human lock" at the site entrance on Wednesday.
Vanessa Vine, from Frack Free Sussex, said any future fracking would be "a violation of our geology that could threaten our water, fresh air and our children".
Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Brenda Pollack said: "It threatens their environment and quality of life and will mean more climate-changing emissions are pumped into the atmosphere.
"And there's plenty of evidence that it won't lead to cheaper fuel bills."
The firm said it started drilling in Balcombe at 11:15 BST
Cuadrilla said it would need fresh permission to carry out fracking.
Chief executive Francis Egan said he did not think the community would be disrupted once drilling began.
"The community should not really notice much activity at all unless they want to walk down to the site and see it," he said.
"There will not be a lot of noise.
"The testing does involve some flaring if there is gas but we are not expecting to find gas."
Read in browser » Rouhani to become Iran president
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 09:10 pm 2 August 2013 Last updated at 21:10 ET 
Hassan Rouhani is due to be inaugurated as Iran's new president on Sunday
Hassan Rouhani is set to officially replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran.
Mr Rouhani's election will be endorsed by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a ceremony in the capital, Tehran.
The cleric, who won the presidential poll in June, has promised reform and to end Iran's international isolation.
While his term officially starts on Saturday, his public inauguration will take place on Sunday.
The 64-year-old is a former nuclear negotiator for Iran and was an Islamic activist before the country's 1979 Revolution.
Final say He has the support of Iran's reform movement, which wants the new president to enact real change - including the release political prisoners and the lifting of international sanctions that have hurt the country's economy.
But while he may be taking over as president, he will not be Iran's main decision maker, says the BBC's Iran correspondent James Reynolds in London.
In the Islamic Republic, it is the Supreme Leader - not the president - who has the final say, our correspondent adds.
The day before he took office, Mr Rouhani said Israeli occupation was an "old wound on the body of the Islamic world", as his country marked its annual Jerusalem (Quds) Day.
His remarks echo those of other Iranian leaders on the day dedicated to supporting the Palestinians and denouncing Israel.
Iran has denied Israel's right to exist since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
In his last interview before stepping aside on Friday, Mr Ahmadinejad also attacked Israel, warning of "storm brewing" in the region that would uproot Zionism, according to AFP news agency.
Many Iranians believe Mr Ahmadinejad, elected twice in controversial elections, has put Iran on the path to economic ruin and confrontation with the outside world.
Read in browser » Pickles backs renting of driveways
By Anonymous on Aug 03, 2013 02:22 am 2 August 2013 Last updated at 21:44 ET 
Renting out a single parking space should not require planning permission
People who rent out their driveways to other motorists are being backed by new government guidelines aimed at tackling parking congestion in busy areas.
The guidance for local authorities in England follows reports that some officials have threatened to levy fines if planning permission is not obtained.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles suggested some councils may be worried about losing income from parking fees.
It comes after he said lifting parking restrictions could boost local shops.
BBC political correspondent Robin Brant said the new guidelines were the latest announcement from the Department of Communities and Local Government in what appeared to be a concerted attack on town halls on behalf of motorists.
'Parking bullies' The practice of renting parking spaces has become more prevalent in recent years helped by a number of websites which match households in and near town centres, train stations and sports grounds, to motorists.
Homeowners are advised to draw up a contract detailing liability with motorists using the parking space, consider safety aspects and bear in mind that any income will be subject to tax.
But according to the Department of Communities some residents have been told they will need to pay planning application fee costs of about £385 before renting out their driveway or face a fine of up to £20,000.
In a statement, Mr Pickles described his announcement as a "clampdown on councils introducing a new backdoor parking tax on people's driveways and parking spaces".
The guidance - to be included in a current review seeking to consolidate existing planning practice - will make clear that homeowners should be able to rent a single parking space without planning permission "provided there is no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns".
A distinction is made between renting out a car parking space to park a single car and changing gardens into a car park or a clear commercial use like a car show room or minicab rank, which would require planning permission.
Mr Pickles said: "Councils should be welcoming common sense ways that help hard-working people park easier and cheaply and for families to make some spare cash.
"Councils shouldn't be interfering in an honest activity that causes no harm to others, unless there are serious concerns. Parking charges and fines are not a cash cow for town halls.
"This government is standing up against the town hall parking bullies and over-zealous parking enforcement."
Earlier this week, Mr Pickles said motorists could be permitted to park free of charge on double yellow lines for up to 15 minutes under plans being considered to help boost High Streets.
Meanwhile, an RAC report which said parking charges provided huge cash surpluses for councils in some areas prompted him to say a review of "unfair town hall parking rules" may be required.
Regulations say councils should not be pricing parking in order to make a profit.
Read in browser » Teens charged with raping girl, 12
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 05:35 pm 2 August 2013 Last updated at 17:35 ET Two teenagers have been charged with the rape of a 12-year-old girl in east London.
The victim told police she met three males at about 00:15 BST on 27 July who engaged her in conversation.
They then took her to a secluded row of garages off Hibbert Road, near the junction with Theydon Street, in Walthamstow where she was raped.
Two 17-year-olds, who cannot be named, are due before Thames Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
Read in browser » Afghan attack targets Indian mission
By Anonymous on Aug 03, 2013 03:49 am 3 August 2013 Last updated at 02:47 ET 
An explosion thought to be caused by a suicide bomber has struck near the Indian consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, police say.
Gunfire was heard soon after the blast which took place at 10:00 local time (06:30 GMT).
There are reports of several casualties but Indian media quoted officials as saying no Indian citizens were hurt.
Jalalabad has frequently been the target of Taliban attacks, including a bomb blast at the airport last year.
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