Battle of the knowledge superpowers

28 September 2011 Last updated at 11:04 GMT By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent "Knowledge clusters" are being built in France to kick start hi-tech industries Knowledge is power - economic power - and there's a scramble for that power taking place around the globe.

In the United States, Europe and in rising powers such as China, there is a growth-hungry drive to invest in hi-tech research and innovation.

They are looking for the ingredients that, like Google, will turn a university project into a corporation. They are looking for the jobs that will replace those lost in the financial crash.

Not to invest would now be "unthinkable", says Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner responsible for research, innovation and science, who is trying to spur the European Union to keep pace in turning ideas into industries.

She has announced ?6bn funding to kick-start projects next year - with the aim of supporting 16,000 universities, research teams and businesses. A million new research jobs will be needed to match global rivals in areas such as health, energy and the digital economy.

'Innovation emergency'

Emphasising that this is about keeping up, rather than grandstanding, she talks about Europe facing an "innovation emergency".

"In China, you see children going into school at 6.30am and being there until 8 or 9pm, concentrating on science, technology and maths. And you have to ask yourself, would European children do that?

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn: "The knowledge economy is the economy that is going to create the jobs"

"That's the competition that's out there. We have to rise to that - and member states have to realise that the knowledge economy is the economy that is going to create the jobs in the future, it's the area they have to invest in."

But the challenge for Europe, she says, is to be able to commercialise ideas as successfully as the United States, in the manner of the iPhone or Facebook.

The commissioner says that she was made abruptly aware of the barriers facing would-be innovators at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony dinner.

Instead of basking in the reflected glory of a prize winner funded by European grants, she said she had to listen to a speech attacking the red-tape and bureaucracy - and "generally embarrassing the hell out of me".

Determined that this would never happen again, she is driving ahead with a plan to simplify access to research funding and to turn the idea of a single European research area into a reality by 2014.

With storm clouds dominating the economic outlook, she sees investing in research and hi-tech industries - under the banner of the "Innovation Union" - as of vital practical importance in the push towards creating jobs and growth.

"We have to be able to say to the man and woman in the street, suffering intensely because of the economic crisis: this is a dark tunnel, but there is light at the end and we're showing you where it is."

Global forum

There has been sharpening interest in this borderland between education and the economy.

This month the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) staged its inaugural Global Forum on the Knowledge Economy.

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GIANT - the Grenoble Innovation for Advanced New Technologies - is an ambitious French example of a knowledge cluster, combining academic research and commercial expertise.

The classic examples have been in southern California and Boston in the US, and around Cambridge in the UK. Purpose-built centres include Education City in Qatar, Science City in Zurich and Digital Media City in Seoul.

There will be 40,000 people living, studying and working on the GIANT campus. Centres of research excellence will be side-by-side with major companies who will develop the commercial applications. This includes nanotechnology, green energy and the European Synchotron Radiation Facility (pictured above). A business school, the Grenoble Ecole de Management, is also part on site.

This hi-tech version of a factory town will have its own transport links and a green environment designed to attract people to live and stay here.

This was a kind of brainstorming for governments living on a shoestring.

The UK's Universities Minister, David Willetts, called for a reduction in unnecessary regulation, which slowed down areas such as space research.

The French response has been to increase spending, launching a ?30bn grand project to set up a series of "innovation clusters" - in which universities, major companies and research institutions are harnessed together to create new knowledge-based industries.

It's an attempt to replicate the digital launchpad of Silicon Valley in California. And in some ways these are the like mill towns of the digital age, clustered around science campuses and hi-tech employers.

But the knowledge economy does not always scatter its seed widely. When the US is talked about as an innovation powerhouse, much of this activity is based in narrow strips on the east and west coasts.

A map of Europe measuring the number of patent applications shows a similar pattern - with high concentrations in pockets of England, France, Germany and Finland.

There are also empty patches - innovation dust bowls - which will raise tough political questions if good jobs are increasingly concentrated around these hi-tech centres. The International Monetary Fund warned last week that governments must invest more in education to escape a "hollowing out" of jobs.

Speed of change

Jan Muehlfeit, chairman of Microsoft Europe, explained what was profoundly different about these new digital industries - that they expand at a speed and scale that would have been impossible in the traditional manufacturing industries.

Governments trying to respond to such quicksilver businesses needed to ensure that young people were well-educated, creative and adaptable, he said.

As an example of a success story, Mr Muehlfeit highlighted South Korea. A generation ago they deliberately invested heavily in raising education standards. Now, as a direct result of this upskilling, the West is importing South Korean cars and televisions, he said.

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The triangle of innovation, education and skills is of extreme importance, defining both the problem and the solution”

End Quote Jose Angel Gurria OECD secretary general Perhaps it is not a coincidence that South Korea's government has its own dedicated knowledge economy minister.

Robert Aumann, a Nobel Prize winner in economics, attending the OECD event, also emphasised this link between the classroom and the showroom. "How do you bring about innovation? Education, education, education," he said.

But this is far from a case of replacing jobs in old rusty industries with new hi-tech versions.

Gordon Day, president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the US-based professional association for technology, made the point that digital businesses might generate huge incomes but they might not employ many people. In some cases they might only have a payroll one tenth of a traditional company of a similar size.

It's an uncomfortable truth for governments looking for a recovery in the jobs market.

Degrees of employment

But standing still isn't an option.

Figures released from the OECD have shown how much the financial crisis has changed the jobs market.

Class of 2011 in Shanghai: China now has the second biggest share of the world's graduates

There were 11 million jobs lost, half of them in the United States, and with low-skilled workers and manufacturing the hardest hit. If those losses are to be recovered, it is going to be with higher-skilled jobs, many of them requiring degrees.

But graduate numbers show the shifting balance of power.

From a standing start, China now has 12% of graduates in the world's big economies - approaching the share of the UK, Germany and France put together. The incumbent superpower, the United States, still towers above with 26% of the graduates.

South Korea now has the sixth biggest share of the world's graduates, ahead of countries such as France and Italy.

It means that the US and European countries have to compete on skills with these rising Asian powers.

But the US university system remains a formidably well-funded generator of research. A league table, generated for the first time this month, looked at the global universities with research making the greatest impact - with US universities taking 40 out of the top 50 places.

Their wealth was emphasised this week with the announcement of financial figures from the two Boston university powerhouses, Harvard and MIT, which had a combined endowment of ?27bn.

"The triangle of innovation, education and skills is of extreme importance, defining both the problem and the solution," said the OECD's secretary general, Jose Angel Gurria.

"It's a world of cut-throat competition. We lost so much wealth, we lost so many exports, we lost so much well-being, we lost jobs, job, jobs," he told delegates in Paris.

"We must re-boot our economies with a more intelligent type of growth."

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Amazon unveils Kindle Fire tablet

28 September 2011 Last updated at 16:42 GMT Amazon boss Jeff Bezos unveils the Kindle Fire

Amazon has unveiled a colour tablet computer called the Kindle Fire.

The $199 (?130) device will run a modified version of Google's Android operating system.

Until now, the company has limited itself to making black and white e-readers, designed for consuming books and magazines.

As well as targeting Apple's iPad, Amazon is likely to have its sights on rival bookseller US Barnes & Noble, which already has a colour tablet.

The Kindle Fire will enter a hugely competitive market, dominated by Apple's iPad.

Amazon will be hoping to leverage both the strength of the Kindle brand, built up over three generations of its popular e-book reader, and its ability to serve up content such as music and video.

In recent years, the company has begun offering downloadable music for sale, and also has a streaming video-on-demand service in the United States. Those, combined with its mobile application store, give it a more sophisticated content "ecosystem" than most of its rivals.

Continue reading the main story 7" IPS (in-plane switching) display1024 x 600 resolutionCustomised Google Android operating system$199 (?130)Weighs 413 grammesDual core processor8GB internal storage"It's the price and the backup services that make it really exciting," said Will Findlater, editor of Stuff magazine.

"Content is the big differentiator. It's what every other platform has been lacking, except the iPad."

Amazon's decision to opt for a 7" screen, as opposed to the larger 10" displays favoured by many rival manufacturers was a cause for concern for Ovum analyst Adam Leach.

"This screen size has undoubtedly helped them achieve a lower price point for the device but so far this form factor has not been popular with consumers, we shall see if this is related to other aspects of those devices other than its screen size. "

Digital dividend

Digital content has already proved itself to be a money-spinner for Amazon.

Although the company has never released official sales figures for the Kindle, it did state - in December 2010 - that it was now selling more electronic copies of books than paper copies.

Its US rival, Barnes & Noble, has also enjoyed success with its Nook devices.

In October 2010, the company unveiled the Nook Color, which also runs a version of Android, albeit with lower hardware specs than many fully featured tablets.

While the Nook Color is largely focused on book and magazine reading, some users have managed to unlock its wider functionality and install third-party apps.

Amazon has droped the keyboard from some of its Kindles in favour of touch

The Kindle Fire's $199 (?130) price tag undercuts the Nook Color by $50 (?30) and is significantly cheaper than more powerful tablets from Apple, Samsung, Motorola and others.

It is due to go on sale on 15 November in the US, although global release dates are currently unavailable.

Price cuts

Alongside the Kindle Fire, Amazon also announced a refresh of its Kindle e-readers.

The entry level device has had its keyboard removed and will now sell for $79, down from $99. Amazon UK announced that the new version would retail at ?89.

A version with limited touchscreen capability, known as the Kindle Touch, will sell for $99. Only the US pricing has been announced so far.

"These are premium products at non premium prices," said Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos. "We are going to sell millions of these."

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Barclays heads UK complaints list

28 September 2011 Last updated at 14:35 GMT There were more than 250,000 complaints to Barclays in the first six month of the year More complaints were made about Barclays than any other banking brand by UK customers in the first half of the year, figures have shown.

The bank received 251,563 complaints, with 53% of closed cases upheld in customers' favour, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) figures show.

Barclays said it had cut complaints by 14% compared with a year earlier.

Other brands high on the list included Lloyds TSB (181,907), Santander (168,888) and NatWest (147,109).

The data pulls together figures released in recent weeks by banks.

Insurance complaints

Nearly 10,000 complaints were filed every day to financial institutions, with a total of 1.85 million made in the first six months of the year.

The FSA figures showed that, among the most complained-about banking brands, Santander was the most likely of the major brands to deal with cases within eight weeks.

It closed 98% of cases within that timeframe. This compared with 74% at Royal Bank of Scotland, 77% at Lloyds TSB, 86% at NatWest, 89% at Barclays and 90% at HSBC.

Complaints were dominated by those about payment protection insurance (PPI), especially after banks lost their legal challenge on PPI rules in April.

PPI is supposed to cover borrowers' loan repayments if they fall ill, die, or lose their jobs.

But mis-selling cases led to new rules on how cases should be dealt with, and also created an extra compensation bill running into billions of pounds for the banks.

Adam Scorer, of watchdog Consumer Focus, said: "This issue continues to dog the financial sector and is a big test of its commitment to treating consumers fairly.

"All firms need to deal with outstanding cases and make sure everyone affected is treated efficiently and fairly."

Complaints about banking, rather than insurance and some other categories, fell by 22% compared with the same period a year earlier.

'Good progress'

The FSA's complaints figures are published relating to banking brands.

Barclays headed the list but said the number of complaints had fallen by 14% compared with the same period a year earlier.

"We want to get it right every time. When we do get it wrong, we apologise, try to correct it quickly and identify how to prevent it from reoccurring," said Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays Retail and Business Banking.

"We have made good progress in reducing complaints with a substantial and sustainable reduction in banking complaints by nearly a third.

"However, there is much more to be done and we are working hard to further improve our service to our customers, putting them at the heart of our business and getting it right first time, every time."

The largest group - Lloyds Banking Group - had most complaints when all its brands were added together.

Some complaints that are unresolved by the banks themselves end up with the independent Financial Ombudsman Service. It recently said that the largest number of these complaints, in the first half of the year, also related to Lloyds Banking Group.

It also said that nearly two-thirds of the new complaints made in the six months to the end of June were about PPI.

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Bees dip for the sweetest rewards

28 September 2011 Last updated at 08:51 GMT By Leila Battison Science reporter Most bees have a tongue that they dip into sticky, sugar-rich nectar US mathematicians have worked out why the flowers pollinated by bees have sweeter nectar than those visited by butterflies.

When it comes to drinking nectar, the most important factor is whether the insects dip their tongue in, or whether they suck the liquid up.

The sweeter the nectar, the thicker it is, and research found that the dipping method of bees is ideal for drawing up the most viscous liquid.

They published their results in PNAS.

By making mathematical models that take into account how the thickness, or viscosity, of nectar changes with increasing sugar concentration, the researchers were able to find out what feeding method was best for drinking nectar with varying sweetness, testing the idea that plants and their pollinating insects have co-evolved.

It has been seen in the past that the flowers that bees visit have consistently sweeter nectar than those that butterflies target, but scientists have been unsure of why this is the case.

Thickly sweet

Butterflies and moths drink nectar by actively sucking it through a narrow proboscis, whereas most bees have a tongue which they can dip into shallow nectaries on a flower.

For bees and butterflies alike, there is a constant threat of being eaten while they are feeding at a flower, so they must eat in the most efficient way possible.

While a sweeter nectar will contain more calories and energy, it will also be more viscous and difficult to transport.

Butterflies browse large clusters of flowers, probing the blossoms with their proboscises

A nectar-drinker will therefore seek out a flower with an optimal sugar concentration, which can deliver as many calories as possible without being too difficult to extract.

The mathematical models combined with laboratory observations found that the ideal sugar concentration for bees who dip their tongue into nectar was 50-60%, whereas for butterflies it was much less, around 30-40%.

This pattern matches closely with the observed sugar concentration of the flowers visited by bees and butterflies in the wild - around 35% and 20-25% respectively.

While the pattern is the same, the sugar concentration in the wild nectar is considerably less than the optimal concentrations shown by the mathematical models.

Scientists believe this may be because the flowers prefer to keep their pollinators hungry, so that they will faithfully return for more food, pollinating more plants in the process.

Optimising together

The results are suggestive of the co-evolution of flowers and their pollinators, a pattern that is seen throughout nature.

Prof John Bush from the department of mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US explained: "Biological systems are optimised, but to an outside observer it is not always clear what they are optimised for."

"This research has opened up the scope of the optimisation problem, as we're looking for the situation that is ideal for the flowers and for the pollinators," he said.

From a plant's point of view, making sure the same kind of creature visits a particular kind of flower makes it more likely that pollen will be transferred between plants of the same species, allowing successful reproduction.

In addition to the sugar concentration of nectar, other features of a flower could be designed to appeal specifically to a certain kind of pollinator.

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On scales smaller than a raindrop, surface tension is more important than gravity.”

End Quote Prof John Bush Massachusetts Institute of Technology For example, it is believed that patterns on petals that are only visible in ultraviolet light are designed to attract bees, whose eyes are particularly sensitive to the blue and ultraviolet end of the light spectrum.

Drinking mechanisms in nectar-feeders provide a good natural analogue for more general studies of surface tension in liquids.

"Surface tension is important for things that are small," said Prof Bush. "On scales smaller than a raindrop, surface tension is more important than gravity."

Prof Bush's research group plans to use lessons learnt from these the natural analogues to develop nanotechnology that can deliver fluids on a small scale.

This research into nectar drinking, conducted by engineers and mathematicians, is part of a wider project to categorise, and potentially utilise, the range of drinking techniques in nature.

For example, Prof Bush described the remarkable drinking ability of the Namib Desert beetle. "In the desert it never rains, but this beetle still needs to drink," he explained.

"On its back there are bumps which attract water from the morning mist, and depressions that repel water. When enough water accumulates on the bumps, the droplets are repelled down to the beetle's mouth."

Such a technology has already been developed by MIT researchers into so-called "super plastic", which is used to collect water from the air in the driest regions of the world.

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Bramble in sex and drugs arrest

28 September 2011 Last updated at 18:38 GMT Titus Bramble has also played for Ipswich, Newcastle and Wigan Sunderland's Titus Bramble has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.

The 30-year-old defender was later released on bail by police on Teesside.

Cleveland Police said that a 30-year-old man from Wynyard was arrested in Yarm in the early hours.

Sunderland AFC said in a statement: "The club is looking into this matter but due to ongoing police investigations is unable to comment further at this stage."

The player, who started his career at his hometown club, Ipswich, was picked 10 times for England's Under-21s.

He also played for Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic, before joining Sunderland in 2010.

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The joy of 'Jackspeak'

By Andy Walker
Today programme

A collection of thousands of naval slang words and phrases known as "Jackspeak" has been published, highlighting just how many of them have crept in to the modern lexicon over the years.

Ever been caught between the devil and the deep blue sea? Or maybe you have been told to show a leg, been taken aback or have been made to run the gauntlet.

These men can laugh about working for the "Grey Funnel Line" (the navy)

If so, you have been using just a few of the thousands of slang words and phrases coined or adopted by the Royal Navy - the world's oldest organised fighting service - over the course of more than 400 years.

With a maritime history as rich as the United Kingdom's, it is hardly surprising that naval slang should have become such an integral part of our everyday vocabulary.

And, just like the English language, it is a living entity, constantly being renewed and refreshed.

Nowadays you may well come across sailors talking about "Dagenham Dave" (an unstable rating - just this side of Barking, London) "going Harpic" (clean round the bend) after forgetting to wear a "bone dome" (aircrew helmet).

And for the past 40 years, one man has been collecting terms of naval slang and usage, known as "Jackspeak", 4,000 examples of which feature in his new book.

Rick Jolly OBE is a former Surgeon Captain in the Royal Marines who commanded the field hospital at Ajax Bay during the 1982 Falklands conflict.

Despite working in terrible conditions, with poor lighting and close to two unexploded bombs, only three of the 580 British soldiers and Royal Marines wounded in action during the land battles subsequently died of their wounds.

"Doc" Jolly was the only person to be decorated by both Britain, which appointed him an OBE, and Argentina, which awarded him the Orden de Mayo for his service during the war.

His years on board ship, both in the marines and later on cruise liners, have given him a passion for slang.

Part of its charm, he feels, comes from its exclusivity, because the terminology used is only understood by fellow naval comrades.

"For instance, this description of a crusty old sailor's toothache needs some nautical knowledge, but then has a perfect and startling clarity: 'Tis from the aftermost grinder aloft on the starboard side…'," he says.

Naval personnel love coming up with nicknames for each other

He believes the humour of nautical slang is an essential coping strategy for people dealing with the multiple uncertainties and dangers of war.

"During my own 25 years in a dark blue uniform, I had several opportunities to confirm that fact," he explains.

"In addition, as a direct result of my misunderstanding of a term used by one of my Royal Marine patients, I set out in 1971 to make a new collection of slang terms.

"From the start, I tried to take each word or phrase in context, giving an example of its usage as well as a definition."

And the range of slang used by the "Grey Funnel Line" (the navy) is both instructive and amusing.

Whether you serve in the "Green Death" (3rd Commando Brigade, Royal Marines), or are a "snotty" (midshipman) or a "pickle jar officer" (a university graduate who can tell you the square root of a pickle-jar lid to three decimal places but cannot get the blooming thing off), there will probably be an informal name for you.

"I was on the main gate when you were still on Cow & Gate""He joined the Fleet Air Arm when Pontius was the senior pilot"

In addition, the whole spectrum of naval life is covered, from a horse's neck (brandy and dry ginger) to buckets of sunshine (nuclear weapons), and even the technical "dangle the Dunlops" (a Fleet Air Arm term for lowering an aircraft's undercarriage prior to landing).

Capt Jolly's aim is for people to hear the terms in their mind, as well as seeing them in print, "countering the threat to our naval slang and usage, thereby preventing its falling out of use - and into oblivion".

And he says that unlike Jackspeak, his own destiny is a little less clear.

"I've received the Order of the Golden Toecap (redundancy), come ashore down in Oggieland (Cornwall), swallowed the anchor (retired from a career at sea) and now spend my retirement wondering what on earth is going on in the Whitehall Puzzle Palace (the Ministry of Defence)."

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Shark mauls man in South Africa

28 September 2011 Last updated at 18:14 GMT The swimmer entered the water 90 minutes after the shark had been spotted

A man has been mauled by a great white shark near Cape Town in South Africa.

The 42-year-old entered the sea at Fish Hoek Beach to go for a swim, although the area had been closed after a shark was spotted.

Rescuers found the man on the shore with his right leg bitten off. His left leg had been cut off below the knee.

Amateur footage showed the man being airlifted by helicopter from the scene and a large shark in the waters. He is now said to be in a critical condition.

"When the victim entered the water, the beach was still closed and the shark flag indicating the presence of a white shark was flying," Cape Town authorities said in a statement.

The man, believed to be a British citizen living in South Africa, entered the water about an hour and a half after the animal had first been seen.

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Syria 'targeting Homs scientists'

28 September 2011 Last updated at 17:59 GMT The area around Homs has become a flashpoint in Syria's six-month-old uprising A nuclear physics professor has been killed outside his home in the Syrian city of Homs, the latest in a series of deaths of scientists in the city.

One activist said government snipers were to blame for Ous Abdel Karim Khalil's death, but another said it could have been a revenge attack.

His killing was reported as fighting continued between security forces and deserters in the town of Rastan.

Meanwhile, Russia attacked a watered-down plan for a UN resolution on Syria.

European countries proposing the resolution had dropped demands for immediate sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The draft, proposed by the UK, France, Germany and Portugal and backed by the US, threatens sanctions only if the repression of protests does not end, and was aimed at winning the support of Russia and China.

But Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the proposed resolution would encourage violence, and was "a continuation of the Libya policy of regime change".

Deserters 'fighting back'

Inside Syria, security forces have been pressing on with efforts to quash protests that began six months ago.

In Rastan, a strategically important town that has seen frequent protests, soldiers who have deserted were reported to be engaged in heavy fighting with security forces for a second day.

Footage has emerged that appears to show Syrian soldiers announcing their defection

"They have got a foothold in the southern part of Rastan, but the Free Syrian Army is fighting back and has destroyed three armoured vehicles," one resident told Reuters news agency, referring to the deserters.

The army entered Rastan, near the central city of Homs, early on Tuesday, after besieging it for two days.

Video has emerged purportedly showing a group of soldiers announcing their defection.

The video, which cannot be independently verified, shows a man identifying himself as Captain Youssef Hammoud flanked by about eight men in uniform.

In all, hundreds of armed citizens and deserters are said to be confronting government troops in Rastan.

Foreign journalists have largely been prevented from covering the turmoil in Syria, and reports from inside the country are hard to verify.

But observers say there are growing signs that some opponents of the regime are resorting to force, believing that peaceful protests will not be enough to bring down the government.

'Trying to sow chaos'

The UN estimates that more than 2,700 people have been killed across Syria since the crackdown began.

The Syrian government says it is battling "armed gangs" that have foreign backing.

The state news agency, Sana, said the nuclear scientist, Mr Khalil, was "shot in the head by a terrorist group as his wife was driving him to work".

But some activists blamed the regime.

"They are trying to sow chaos, fear and terror in the hope that protesters will be cowed into retreat," said Syria-based activist Mustafa Osso.

The head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the killings of Mr Khalil and three other scientists were part of an attempt by the regime to "provoke confessional discord in Homs".

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Safety questions over China crash

28 September 2011 Last updated at 10:50 GMT This was the second signalling accident on this subway line in as many months, state media reported Lapses which may have led to a crash on Shanghai's subway system have been criticised in Chinese state media.

The crash on Tuesday, which injured 284 people, happened when subway staff were directing trains using phones after the signal system failed.

"China should be more cautious and concentrated in avoiding risks," said the English-language Global Times in an editorial.

The crash comes months a train crash near Wenzhou city killed 40 people.

That sparked a wave of criticism - including in some state-media outlets - which suggested that Chinese authorities' thirst for development was putting safety at risk.

Tuesday's crash occurred at about 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) following a signal system failure at a subway station on Line 10, Shanghai Shentong Metro Group said.

Continue reading the main story

An investigation team has been set up again. Who will trust it again? ”

End Quote Tang Feng User of Weibo microblogging service That failure meant staff were directing trains by phone and the trains were running at slower than usual speeds, it said.

The subway train stopped and started before rear-ending another train near Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden.

"I was stunned, not knowing what happened. We tried to open doors and windows but couldn't. I felt smoke in the car," a passenger said shortly after being rescued from the train, Xinhua reported.

By Wednesday, 189 injured passengers had been discharged from hospital while another 95 were still receiving treatment, Shanghai health authorities said according to Xinhua.

It quoted doctors as saying most of the injuries were bruises and bone fractures, but that there were also external head traumas.

'Critical' issue

Speaking of a "dark day" for Shanghai Metro, the company vowed to hold an investigation into what happened.

But Chinese state media were quick to highlight the role of China's lightning development in the apparent safety lapses that led to the accident.

"China should be more cautious and concentrated in avoiding risks," said Global Times in its editorial.

Fire crews went into the underground tunnels to rescue the injured

"Although this is hard to do, the tragedies in Wenzhou and Shanghai keep reminding people that China cannot afford failure.

"The safety issue is critical. To ensure the lives of over 20 million people is a grand but painstaking mission, but it is the essence of modernisation."

In its coverage, Xinhua highlighted the role of Chinese-French joint venture Casco, which provided the subway's signalling system.

It said this was the second signal failure on Line 10 over the past two months.

Casco had also provided the centralised traffic control system for the railway where the deadly 23 July crash near Wenzhou occurred, Xinhua reported.

Users of the Chinese microblogging service Weibo were sceptical that any investigation would result in adequate safety improvements.

"An investigation team has been set up again. Who will trust it again? Should the same mistake not be corrected before it is repeated 100 times with the blood of ordinary people?" user Tang Feng posted according to news agency AFP.

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Trial scrutinises Jackson health

28 September 2011 Last updated at 18:22 GMT Dr Conrad Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter Michael Jackson was energetic and performing well in the days before he died, a promoter has told the manslaughter trial of Jackson's doctor.

Promoter Paul Gongaware told the Los Angeles court that Jackson had been "fully engaged" in rehearsals for a forthcoming tour.

Prosecutors say Dr Conrad Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of a sedative that caused his death in June 2009.

The defence says Jackson gave himself too much of the drug, propofol.

The pop star had been using the drug, which is usually administered intravenously, as a sleeping aid.

Mr Gongaware told the court how Jackson asked him to employ Dr Murray as his doctor.

Mr Gongaware said the doctor initially asked for $5m for a year.

"I told him there's no way that's going to happen," he said, adding that Dr Murray was eventually offered $150,000 a month.

Mr Gongaware also acknowledged that his firm AEG had been sued by Jackson's mother for negligent supervision of Dr Murray while he worked with Jackson.

On Tuesday, the court heard evidence from Jackson choreographer Kenny Ortega, who told of an email he had written expressing "deep concern" over the singer's health about a week before he died, aged 50.

The trial is expected to last about five weeks.

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UK cinemas braced for tough 2012

28 September 2011 Last updated at 12:38 GMT By Mark Savage Entertainment reporter, BBC News Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has been the biggest film of the year at the UK box office. More than 65 million tickets were sold at UK cinemas this summer, reversing a two-year decline in audience numbers.

British films including Harry Potter and The Inbetweeners Movie helped bolster the box office, the Film Distributors' Association (FDA) said.

But next year may prove challenging, it added, as cinemas face stiff competition from the Olympics.

"It's going to be a tricky period," acknowledged the organisation's chief executive Mark Batey.

He said cinema attendance could suffer "not just for the two-and-a-half weeks of the Olympics, but also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Euro 2012, Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix and the Paralympics".

British actor Andrew Garfield stars in next summer's Spider-Man reboot

"The whole summer season of May to September is going to be a very challenging period."

In 2010, distributors scheduled Sex And The City 2 against the World Cup, hoping to capitalise on "football widows" escaping from two weeks of soccer.

The film went on to take ?21m at the box office.

So far, there are no comparable films due for release in summer 2012.

The main blockbusters are expected to be superhero movies Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man and action thriller The Bourne Legacy.

Family films scheduled for the summer include animated sequels Madagascar III and Ice Age: Continental Drift.

"The release dates for 2012 are very much a moveable feast at the moment," said Mr Batey.

"There will be plenty of opportunities for big screen escape for people who aren't so interested in sport."

He was speaking at the launch of UK cinema's autumn season which runs from October to December.

Among the films expected before the end of the year are Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes sequel A Game Of Shadows and Steven Spielberg's The Adventures Of Tintin.

George Clooney's political thriller The Ides Of March, US box office sensation The Help, and the Hollywood remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, starring Daniel Craig, are also due by December.

British films on the horizon include Wuthering Heights, a modern adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel, which has won high praise for Fish Tank director Andrea Arnold on the festival circuit.

Arthur Christmas, featuring James McAvoy and Jim Broadbent, is out in November

Wallace And Gromit creators Aardman Animation also return to the cinema with Arthur Christmas, which explains how Santa delivers presents to every child on earth in just one night.

The FDA said that overall box office receipts for 2011 were expected to beat the figure for 2010.

The current total is about ?872m, around 4% higher than this time last year.

In addition, the highest-earning films of the year so far are all British - Harry Potter (?73m), The King's Speech (?47.8m) and The Inbetweeners Movie (?43m), according to the FDA.

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UK satellite shows off its vision

28 September 2011 Last updated at 15:21 GMT By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News Salt Lake City's airport, with its terminal buildings, runway and approach roads The most powerful UK-built imaging spacecraft ever sent into orbit has been demonstrating its capability.

Its first pictures since being launched in August show Salt Lake City in the US - its airport and surrounding roads.

The satellite, built for the Nigerian space agency (NASRDA), can acquire images that resolve details on the ground that are just 2.5m across.

Called NigeriaSat-2, the platform will be used by the African nation to map its lands and plan urban development.

It will also assist the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.

This UK-managed fleet of spacecraft is used to picture regions of the Earth gripped by natural calamities.

These might be catastrophic floods or a big earthquake. Images sent down from space will often be critical to organising an effective emergency response.

NigeriaSat-2 will be used for land management and urban planning purposes

NigeriaSat-2 was part of a double deal that manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) did with the NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency).

The second part was to train Nigerian engineers, to help them construct their own Earth observation satellite. This platform, called NigeriaSat-X, was launched on the same Dnepr rocket that took NigeriaSat-2 into orbit a month and a half ago.

Although there are many satellites in operation today - especially with the US military - that can see much finer details than the UK spacecraft, it is the British technology's capability-for-the-price that has put SSTL in a world-leading position.

The contract for both Nigerian spacecraft, without launch and insurance costs, was valued at ?30m.

"I believe NigeriaSat-2 is the most powerful optical Earth observation satellite ever produced in Britain," said Luis Gomes, the satellite's project manager and the head of Earth observation at SSTL.

"In terms of resolution, capacity and its different modes of operation - I don't think Britain has ever done anything better than this," he told BBC News.

SSTL is now building three satellites for its Chinese customers that will be able to resolve details under a metre across.

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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UK 'will resist' EU financial tax

28 September 2011 Last updated at 18:56 GMT Jose Manuel Barroso: "We have to understand we are in a situation where we have to do things together"

Bank shares have fallen in London after the UK said it would "resist" a financial transaction tax on EU members proposed by the European Commission.

The tax would raise about 57bn euros ($78bn; ?50bn) a year and would come into effect at the start of 2014.

At close, Royal Bank of Scotland was behind by 3.64%, Lloyds Banking Group by 2.4%, and Barclays by 1.31%.

London would be hardest hit by the tax as the majority of banking transactions in Europe come through the city.

'Tax on London?'

City of London officials have said that about 80% of the revenues of any Europe-wide financial tax would come from London.

Stuart Fraser of the City of London said the question had to be asked whether the proposal was "a tax on London?".

The banking sector played a role in causing the economic crisis, the commission said

Mr Fraser also warned that such a tax could mean a lot of banking transaction being lost to outside of the EU, and that the cost of setting up the scheme could outstrip whatever monies it raised.

Under the proposals, the financial tax would be levied at a rate of 0.1% on all transactions between institutions when at least one party is based in the EU. Derivative contracts would be taxed at a rate of 0.01%.

The BBC's business editor Robert Peston said that while dealers and investors in financial products such as derivatives and bonds were not happy about the proposal, share dealers were more relaxed as the tax would cost less then the existing stamp duty, which the tax would replace.

Meanwhile, in Germany and France bank shares also fell at close, and the European Banking Federation called the tax a "nonsense".

Among the market losers were Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank in Germany, and Societe Generale and BNP Paribas in France.

'Contribution'

Despite the opposition Algirdas Semeta, EC commissioner for taxation, customs, anti-fraud and audit, said: "Our project is sound and workable. I have no doubt this tax can deliver what EU citizens expect - a fair contribution from the financial sector."

The EU executive also points out that financial services are "in the majority of cases exempt from paying VAT (due to difficulties in measuring the taxable base)".

Germany and France have been among countries pressing the European Commission to propose the tax on all financial investment systems, as they seek to show their citizens they are serious about recouping some of the costs of the banking crisis.

Austria, Belgium, Norway and Spain also support such a tax.

Earlier, Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso had said banks must "make a contribution" as Europe faced its "greatest challenge".

A transaction tax would need the approval of the UK in order to be implemented across the EU.

The commission said that if the UK vetoed the tax, it would look to implement it in the eurozone.

Referring to "the constraints of unanimity", Mr Barroso said "further changes to the Treaty of Lisbon" may be required in order to push through measures to stabilise Europe's economy.

'Additional revenue'

The commission said the tax was "to ensure that the financial sector makes a fair contribution at a time of fiscal consolidation in the member states".

Continue reading the main story Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of key financial terms:AAA-rating GO The best credit rating that can be given to a borrower's debts, indicating that the risk of borrowing defaulting is miniscule.It said financial firms had played a role in the current "economic crisis" and was "under-taxed" compared with other sectors.

The "significant additional revenue" raised would contribute to public finances, it added.

A spokesperson for the UK Treasury said it would "absolutely resist" any tax that was not introduced globally.

"We would not do anything that is not in the UK's interests," he told the BBC.

The Treasury has said there are also a number of practical issues that need to be worked through.

But South East England MEP Daniel Hannan was more outspoken about the proposal.

The Conservative politician said: "We are going to be stuck with the bill to prop up a currency [the euro] that we declined to join."

Earlier, in his annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg, Mr Barroso had called not only for the transaction tax but for eurozone members to issue debt collectively, through so-called eurobonds.

"Once the euro area is fully equipped with the instruments necessary to ensure both integration and discipline, the issuance of joint debt will be seen as a natural and advantageous step for all," he said.

Mr Barroso also dismissed speculation that Greece may be forced to leave the euro if it defaulted on its debts.

"Greece is, and Greece will remain, a member of the euro area," he said.

Further austerity

Officials from the commission, along with those from the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, are due to begin reviewing Greece's attempts to reduce its debt levels on Thursday.

Greece's new property tax has proved particularly unpopular

They will then decide whether to release about 8bn euros from a 110bn bailout package agreed last summer, money the Greek government badly needs in order to pay its bills.

A key obstacle to the payment was removed on Tuesday when the Greek parliament passed a controversial new property tax bill that aims to boost revenues.

Eurozone members are in the process of ratifying proposals put forward in July, one of which would see private lenders writing off about 20% of their loans to Greece.

The proposals also included expanding the powers of the eurozone bailout fund. Finland approved the plan on Wednesday, while Germany will vote on it on Thursday.

With 330 seats in the 620-seat Bundestag, Chancellor Angela Merkel can afford no more than 19 rebels if she is to deliver the required 311-seat majority.

Greek write-off

There has been renewed optimism this week that eurozone leaders may finally be ready to take decisive action to tackle the debt crisis.

G20 leaders met over the weekend to discuss the best way forward, but EU officials stressed that no grand plan of action had been agreed.

A number of ideas were reportedly discussed, including a 50% write-down of Greece's government debts.

Other proposals included strengthening big European banks that could be hit by any defaults by highly indebted governments, and boosting the size of the eurozone bailout fund.

These helped to boost investor sentiment with stock markets rising sharply on Tuesday, although Asian and European markets were largely flat on Wednesday.

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There are many brands of prescription medicines on the market that are similar in every way, except price. This is because there are originator brands as well as generic brands of medicines. Medicines will often have more than one name:

• a generic name, which is the active ingredient of the medicine

• a brand name, which is the trade

name the manufacturer gives to the medicine.

The generic name is the official medical name for the active ingredient of the medicine. The brand name is chosen by the manufacturer, usually on the basis that it can be recognised, pronounced and remembered by health professionals and members of the public. An example would be Viagra - this is the well-known brand name given by Pfizer to the generic medicine sildenafil. (Brand names are capitalised; generic names are not.) About 10-12 years after a new medicine is introduced, the patent (exclusive rights) runs out, and then other drug manufacturers are allowed to produce it. These are often cheaper than the original brand, and may be sold under the generic name or new brand names.

A generic medicine is typically 20% to 80% less expensive than the brand-name original. In addition, the availability of lower-priced generic medicines brings down the price of originator drugs through market competition, producing even further savings to patients. The use of generic medicines saves European patients and healthcare systems an estimated _13 billion each year and also plays an important role in the developing world by providing cheaper treatments to many millions of people. Allowing effective competition between generic medicines and patent-expired original brands is crucial to lowering pharmaceutical costs and stimulating innovation. However, this said, there are many troubling issues surrounding generic medicines due to the easy access to an abundance of illegal generics on the internet breaking the patent ownership and the unregulated companies that produce and supply them.

While generic medicines should be approved equivalent versions of trusted medicines, providing the same quality, safety and efficacy as the original, this is often not the case. A generic drug should undergo strict scrutiny before it is licensed and given market approval by national medicines authorities. In short, generic medicines should comply with the same strict standards of quality, safety and efficacy as original pharmaceutical products. The lucrative business of selling generic drugs such as Viagra on the internet has led to the establishment of many small backyard operations in developing countries, operating with low overhead and labour costs and no regulatory oversight.. Where there is currently one western company "Pfizer" making the original, branded Viagra, there are literally over a hundred companies making generic versions The lack of an independent monitory organization means that there is a high probability that the treatment will not work or could even prove detrimental to one's health.

This information has been brought to you by Firstmed.co.uk, an online clinic specializing in men’s health matters, including impotence treatment . If you wish to discuss any of the above issues in more detail, do not hesitate to contact info@firstmed.co.uk or call +44 (0)870 199 5287

Even if penis enlargement is not too attractive or credible for everyone, many men are still looking for an increase in their sexual performance. This article will show you four, less or more effective herbal aphrodisiacs that are going to give you a libido boost and amazing sexual experience.

The most popular and recognized herbal medicine that sure will help in long-term use is the Ginseng. It is used since thousand years by the Chinese traditional medicine successfully. Native Americans also used ginseng extensively but this fact is less known. Ginseng manages to increase the human body overall strength and resistance against negative effects without weakening the energy level. As it makes your body gradually healthier in the meantime can be used to improve sexual functions.

Kola nut extract also is a good sexual stimulant. Its ingredients are refilling depleted energy in the nervous system and especially in brain. That is why it makes you keep up all night long. Kola nuts have stimulant effects on the central nervous system and heart that may last up to 6 hours after ingestion. Kola nut may be used simultaneously with B complex for an increased protein metabolism, circulation, hormone function, energy and stamina.

Another plant that is in use in the USA since the 19th century as an aphrodisiac is the Damiana. Damiana is an outstanding hormone regulator that strengthens the nervous system too. It is a well-researched herb with beneficial effects during anxiety and depression even if these conditions are influenced buy sexual problems. Although there is no scientific evidence that it works as a libido booster, taking damiana will set you stress free for sure.

Safed Musli known as Divya Aushad in the ayurvedic medicine is gaining an increasing popularity according to its properties as cure for diabetes, arthritis pre-natal and post-natal problems. Recently, sales of safed musli are skyrocketed as discoveries are showing that this plant is a superior alternative to Viagra. Safed Musli has been proved an ideal aphrodisiac with no negative side effects associated with chemical-based pills for erectile dysfunction.

A final advice: be cautious when taking herbal sex pills containing ephedra or yohimbe. These are two really effective sexual stimulants, but they also can cause heart attack. It is unlikely to get trouble from low doses of ephedra or yohimbe, but if you are over 40 or your health is not so perfect, safer to avoid them. Do not substitute Viagra or Cialis with herbal sex pills that may kill you.

Viagra is sildenafil citrate, a known drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. It was made available by Pfizer in the market in 1998. Primarily, this drug markets to men of senior ages. But now, it has been made available even for middle-aged men.

Most men would like to have a good sex life but vices like drinking and smoking cause bad effects to their health. Truth is, even medical doctors would like to find out the real problem why some men experience problems in erection. Most men think that Viagra is the best solution for a common sex problem.

Of course, they would like to know the root cause of why some men don't have a happy sex life. But there is this kind of mentality in men that they don't like to consult a doctor for this reason because they are ashamed to talk about erection and penis problem. They are so embarrassed to talk about erectile dysfunction probably because it is an issue of masculinity. American and Asian men experience dysfunctions, as well as men in other countries. It's a worldwide problem in modern times. In 30 million men in America who are experiencing erectile dysfunctions, only 10% of them seek medical help and the rest just live with the problem.

Talking about sex problem in men and their erectile dysfunctions is a broad thing to talk about. There are lots of aspects to consider in treating this problem:

В• Lifestyle

В• Marital status

В• Environment

These are some aspects that need to be considered.

Viagra is a solution for men who want to have longer erections that could last them longer in bed with their partner. Viagra's main task is to increase the flow of blood in the arteries connected to the penis, the greater the amount of blood flow, the greater the erection will be.

The penis naturally lacks a certain enzyme that the penis needs in order to increase the blood flows to produce longer erections. If that enzyme is naturally present in the male penis, men won't need Viagra anymore.

But every drug has its side effects, and Viagra is not exempted. Fact is, every drug taken flows inside the body and absorbed by the veins. Consider antibiotics that when taken for a longer time can affect our liver and kidneys. Viagra, when taken for a longer time could exhibit side effects.

Most of the people who are taking Viagra say these are the common side effects they experience:

В• Retina is affected so that their perceptions of colors are affected. For this reason, men whose jobs include driving and operation of machineries are advised not to use this drug on a long-term.

В• Headache

В• Opening of the brain's arteries

В• Heart attack

These are some of the most common side effects of Viagra. Consult your doctor first before taking any type of medication or pill. Professional help would be your safest bet if you are uncertain about how your body will possibly react to the drugs.

When a man can't get an erection to have sex or can't keep an erection long enough to finish having sex, it's called erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is also erectile dysfunction.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increasing number of men are reporting problems with erectile dysfunction (ED), or the recurrent inability to get or maintain an erection. Differentiated from the more common term, "impotence," which can also cover issues regarding sexual desire and orgasm, ED affects an estimated 15 million to 30 million American men.

Typically, ED is diagnosed through gathering medical and sexual histories, a physical examination, and blood tests. Fortunately, the condition can be treated in men of all ages. Although surgery and counseling are sometimes recommended as methods of treatment for ED, the overwhelming choice for most patients and physicians is drug therapy. Patients with ED report great success with Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. All three drugs have been approved for the treatment of ED by the Food and Drug Administration, and are available through a regular or an online pharmacy.

Viagra, the first and best-known drug for the treatment of ED, is taken one hour before intercourse. Viagra does not actually produce an erection, but allows a man to respond to sexual excitement. In essence, Viagra allows the penis to fill with blood and cause an erection. Following sex, the erection dissipates. Viagra shouldn't be used by men who are taking prescription or non-prescription drugs containing nitrates.

Today Cialis is gradually becoming the drug of choice for men with erectile dysfunction and is a medication that addresses this growing issue, it is clinically proven to work up to 36 hours after taking it providing men with flexibility when it comes to sexual relations. Most interestingly, this medication does not have to be taken when the time may not be right, although it can work in as little as 30 minutes. Therefore, whether you need the effects right now or in 12 hours time, this may be the pill for you. You can take this wonder drug when you get up in the morning and it will still be effective later in the evening when that right moment comes along. And if you have planned a romantic weekend then you can take Cialis the night before you leave for your romantic get away and will still be effective the following day or evening.

Levitra, like Viagra, increases blood flow to the penis during arousal. As with Viagra and Cialis, Levitra should not be used more than once a day, and is contraindicated for men who are taking nitrates or alpha-blockers.

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