Attwood in bid to save blaze mill

30 July 2011 Last updated at 19:50 GMT The fire at Herdman's Mill re-ignited on Saturday morning Environment Minister Alex Attwood has vowed to help "save and protect" the listed Tyrone mill badly damaged in a fire on Saturday.

Fire crews battled for hours to contain the blaze which broke out at Herdman's Mill in Sion Mills in the early hours.

Fire crews were first alerted at about 0120 BST but the blaze later re-ignited and burned for several hours.

Mr Attwood said he would work to save the mill which featured in the BBC television series Restoration in 2003.

Last week, Ulster Bank appointed a receiver to the building.

The move ended more than 170 years of ownership for the Herdman family.

The former owners of the historic mill said they feared it may have been completely destroyed by the fire.

Forty fire officers were needed to deal with the blaze which was brought under control in the late afternoon.

Fire-fighters, who used two high-reach appliances while battling the blaze, are expected to remain at the scene until late on Saturday.

Mr Attwood said: "Our built heritage is a vital cog in our tourism industry and this fire greatly concerns me.

"The fire at the Mill damages a jewel in our built heritage... I have already raised my concern with my staff at the Environment Agency and other officials about the increase in fires at important at-risk buildings this year and we are urgently examining what needs to be done."

Senior fire officer Mark Deeney said: "It was a quite difficult fire to fight. Because of the previous fires, the building was very structurally unsound.

'Access problems'

"We have had a minor collapse at the rear of the building overnight because of the previous fire.

"You can also see the fire has spread into the roof area which provides us with problems for access."

It had been hoped to redevelop the 60-acre site which dominates the village.

Celia Ferguson, a member of the Herdman family and a trustee of the Sion Mills Buildings Preservation Trust, said she was "watching the most important industrial building in Ireland being destroyed by fire".

She said it was because of the "neglect of funders to do anything with the building".

She added: "It's a tragedy not just for Sion Mills, but for the whole northwest."

Strabane District Council chairman Brian McMahon said there was a "palpable sense of loss in the local community" at the devastation.

The Sinn Fein councillor, speaking from the scene, said: ""While the full extent of the damage will not become clear for a few days, this fire has undoubtedly delivered a setback in the efforts to redevelop the mill and the 60-acre site it stands on for the socio-economic benefit of the people of this area.

"However, this setback will hopefully reinforce everyone's determination to forge ahead."

Herdman's Mill, the last wet-spinning flax mill in Ireland, was opened during the potato famine.

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Libya taunts UK over rebel death

30 July 2011 Last updated at 10:57 GMT Abdel Fattah Younes had defected from the government in February Libya's government has taunted the UK over the death of rebel military commander General Abdel Fattah Younes.

It has been claimed the former Libyan government minister was shot by an Islamist militia linked to the rebels.

A Libyan government spokesman said the incident showed the UK government had made a mistake by recognising the rebel council as the sole authority in Libya.

He said it was "a nice slap to the face of the British" that the rebels were unable to protect their army chief.

On Saturday, the rebels' Oil Minister, Ali Tarhouni, told reporters in Benghazi that a leader of the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade had provided information on the circumstances of Gen Younes's death.

But he did not provide a motive for the killing, which he said was still being investigated.

On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would recognise the Libyan National Transitional Council of the rebels as the "sole governmental authority", as it expelled Gaddafi-regime diplomats from the UK.

Gen Younes and two aides were killed by gunmen after being recalled from the front line of fighting.

Hundreds of mourners carried a coffin containing the general's body into Benghazi's main square on Friday.

Col Muammar Gaddafi's government in Tripoli said the killing was proof the rebels were not capable of ruling Libya.

'Nice slap to face'

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "It is a nice slap to the face of the British that the council that they recognised could not protect its own commander of the army."

Speaking before Mr Tarhouni's comments, Mr Ibrahim suggested Gen Younes had been killed by al-Qaeda and repeated a claim that the group was the strongest force within the rebel movement, which is based in the east of the country.

"By this act, al-Qaeda wanted to mark out its presence and its influence in this region," he said.

"The other members of the (rebel) National Transitional Council knew about it but could not react because they are terrified of al-Qaeda."

Gen Younes - a former interior minister who had served at the heart of Col Gaddafi's regime since the 1969 coup - joined the rebels at the beginning of the Libyan uprising in February.

On Wednesday, the Libyan charge d'affaires in the UK was called to the Foreign Office to be told he and other diplomats must leave.

Instead the UK will ask the National Transitional Council to appoint a new diplomatic envoy.

It follows similar moves by the US and France. The UK had previously said it recognised "countries not governments".

Meanwhile, Nato said a "precision air strike" had disabled three Libyan state TV satellite transmission dishes.

Nato said the operation was intended to stop "inflammatory broadcasts" by Col Gaddafi's regime.

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Labour publishes media meetings

30 July 2011 Last updated at 10:13 GMT Ed Balls met Rebekah Brooks and Will Lewis (right) in February The Labour Party has published a list of the shadow cabinet's meetings with the media.

Ed Miliband had already published the list of his meetings with newspaper proprietors and editors since he became Labour Party leader in September 2010.

The new details come after documents released earlier this week disclosed meetings with cabinet ministers.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls met Rebekah Brooks and Will Lewis from News International in February.

He also met the former News of the World editor Colin Myler at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester last September and attended a News International reception at the conference.

Mr Balls met Mr Myler again in March and June and attended a News International reception as recently as 16 June.

The shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper attended that same reception and the one at the party conference.

She also met Mr Myler in September.

Shadow cabinet office minister and minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell met Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth socially in London and Oxfordshire several times over Christmas 2010. Rebekah Brooks was also at two of these gatherings.

Summer party

Ms Jowell also attended Elisabeth Murdoch's summer party in Burford, Oxfordshire on 3 July 2011.

The Tories have already given full details of their meetings with the Murdochs and other media chiefs

The shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland Shaun Woodward also met Ms Brooks socially in Oxfordshire on Boxing Day and again, in France, in June.

Eleven of Mr Miliband's 32 meetings were with News International executives or editors.

It has previously been reported that the Prime Minister David Cameron had 26 separate meetings with executives from Mr Murdoch's companies since last May's election.

Mr Miliband had 15 meetings or social contacts with News International executives over the same period, while the Chancellor George Osborne had 16.

Mr Cameron has ordered all ministerial meetings with media proprietors, senior editors and executives to be published.

It comes amid fears politicians have become too close to the Murdoch empire.

Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg published a list of their meetings earlier this month.

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Hamilton to start in second in Hungary

By Sarah Holt
BBC Sport at the Hungaroring Venue: HungaroringDate: 29-31 JulySunday 31 July: Grand Prix live: 1205-1525, BBC One/BBC Radio 5 live/online; F1 forum: 1525-1625, BBC Red Button/online; Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three/Red Button Highlights - Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel edged out Lewis Hamilton's McLaren to take his eighth pole position of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull broke a curfew on working overnight to overhaul Vettel's car and the changes helped him get back on top.

McLaren's Jenson Button lines up third ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who out-qualified Fernando Alonso for the first time in 2011.

Last year's winner in Hungary, Mark Webber, starts in sixth for Red Bull.

Hungary Grand Prix - Top three drivers

The main protagonists had been split by just half a second on Friday and it was another close battle in qualifying as Vettel edged out Hamilton by just 0.163 seconds.

"Any one of five drivers could have taken pole position," BBC F1 analyst Eddie Jordan said. "We were served up another titantic battle. Vettel has answered all the critics - he has unbelievable one-lap pace."

A decision by Red Bull on Friday to break with Vettel's car the six-hour overnight curfew, which was introduced by the sport's governing body this year to stop teams working round-the-clock on their cars, seemed to be the key to his improved performance.

The world champion praised his team's hard work, adding: "I felt much more comfortable in the car. I've got my confidence back."

Webber appeared to be getting the upper hand on Vettel after taking pole position at the last two races in Britain and Germany but the Australian was left baffled by his performance in Hungary.

"It's bizarre," said Webber, who was more than half a second adrift of Vettel. "There's no way I could do that lap time, no way. Yesterday it was nip and tuck but today there is a gap. We'll have to look at it."

It later emerged that the Australian's margin was explained by him forgetting to use the DRS overtaking aid at the start of the lap, cutting his pace on the straight.

Lewis Hamilton will start second in the Hungarian Grand Prix

Hamilton had difficulty tuning up for qualifying as a brake problem hampered his preparations in final practice.

After the team switched to a more responsive brake ahead of qualifying, the 2008 world champion unleashed a brilliant first lap in qualifying to set the benchmark.

During the first runs on super-soft tyres, Button, Vettel and Webber failed to close down Hamilton but Vettel found the pace to relegate Hamilton to second place by just 0.163secs in the final flurry of flying laps.

Hamilton looked downhearted after the session but said: "I'm happy we can get some really good points from here. Hopefully we can challenge Sebastian.

"I don't feel that I should have been on pole.

"It was a possibility and we were quick this weekend, and in Q1 we were very competitive and in Q2 but I knew it was going to be very, very close and if I'm honest I knew it was going to be difficult to be ahead of Sebastian.

"He showed serious form. My lap started out well but it didn't finish so well and that's what happens when you put the car on the edge."

Alonso was surprisingly upbeat despite being denied fourth place by his Ferrari team-mate.

"It's OK," said the Spaniard, who was 0.015secs slower than the Brazilian. "Maybe fifth is better than fourth as here it is quite a big difference (in grip) on the grid. Let's hope McLaren can put pressure on Sebastian in the first corner.

"We need to have consistent pace all through the race but it's still very open."

Nico Rosberg will start in seventh for Mercedes ahead Adrian Sutil's Force India and his Mercedes team-mate Michael Schumacher.

Sergio Perez made it through to the top-10 for the first time but did not set a fastest time after choosing to save a set of super-soft tyres for the race and will start in 10th. Force India's Paul di Resta lines up behind the Sauber.

Continue reading the main story

2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull)

2009 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2008 - Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)

2007 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2006 - Jenson Button (Honda)

"I was quite happy with the car and maybe I could have been more adventurous," said Di Resta. "In terms of our long-run performance we should be quite optimistic."

A late run from Williams driver Pastor Maldonado had squeezed Sebastien Buemi's Toro Rosso out of the first phase of qualifying.

A hangover from the German GP means Buemi will now start in 23rd after receiving a five-place grid penalty as punishment for his collision with Nick Heidfeld's Renault.

"We could not aim for better than 16th but tomorrow with three sets of super-soft tyres I hope I can score points," said Buemi.

An intriguing internal team battle at Team Lotus ended with Heikki Kovalainen edging out Jarno Trulli. Despite being beaten for the ninth time by Kovalainen, Trulli was happier with his car after a new power steering system was fitted to the Lotus.

Qualifying position is deemed to be of even greater importance at the Hungaroring where it can be difficult to overtake.

But this year the moveable rear wing (DRS), Kers power-boost and tyre strategy are expected to help the drivers move through the field.

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Newspaper review

31 July 2011 Last updated at 06:06 GMT A look at the first editions of the UK papers

The Observer sees the murder of Libyan rebel General Abdel Fatah Younes by fellow rebels as evidence that efforts to topple Col Gaddafi are in disarray.

It says it raises doubts over the wisdom of the UK government's decision to recognise the rebel leadership.

The Mail on Sunday believes the assassination has "cast serious doubt over Britain's Libyan intervention".

Meanwhile, its Africa correspondent describes meeting the general after a "James Bond-style car scramble".

Policy mess

The Sunday Times agrees, saying: "The West's intervention, which was supposed to make things better, has created yet another foreign policy mess."

The paper finds it "difficult to be anything other than pessimistic about how this will end".

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the timing of the general's murder could not have been worse.

But it believes Nato should press on, while trying to foster political unity among the insurgents.

Modern marriage

Pictures of the wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall appear on nearly all the front pages.

The Independent on Sunday talks of "a thoroughly modern marriage".

The Sunday Times calls it the "not so royal wedding" but says there was a throng of about 10,000 people on the streets of Edinburgh, more than three times the police estimate.

The Sunday Express and Mail on Sunday both come with 16-page souvenir pull-outs on the wedding.

Famine fears

The Independent on Sunday highlights "a terrible new front in Africa's deadly famine".

It says Kenya is on the brink of its own famine while the situation in Somalia deteriorates.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror welcomes Thursday's Supreme Court ruling giving more than 1,000 former servicemen the right to seek compensation.

It comes more than 50 years after they were exposed to radiation during nuclear weapons tests by the UK in the South Pacific.

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MP sorry for Morgan hacking slur

29 July 2011 Last updated at 14:56 GMT By Victoria King Political reporter, BBC News Piers Morgan had vigorously denied Mrs Mensch's accusation Conservative MP Louise Mensch has apologised to former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan for accusing him of "boasting" about hacking phones.

She told the Commons select committee last week that Mr Morgan had been "very open about his personal use of phone hacking" in his memoir The Insider.

But she now says she made a mistake and had misread a newspaper report about the book.

Mr Morgan, who denied the accusation, thanked Mrs Mensch for her apology.

Mrs Mensch made her remarks during the Commons culture, media and sport committee hearing with News Corporation bosses Rupert and James Murdoch on 19 July.

This later developed into a row between the pair on Twitter after Mrs Mensch stood by her remarks but declined to repeat them outside Parliament, where comments have greater legal protection against libel proceedings.

'Outrage'

During the hearing the Corby MP - best known as the best-selling author Louise Bagshawe until she married Peter Mensch, manager of rock band Metallica, in June - asked why the committee not spoken to Mr Morgan about phone hacking.

She said: "As a former editor of the Daily Mirror, he said in his book The Insider recently that that 'little trick' of entering a 'standard four digit code' will allow 'anyone' to call a number and 'hear all your messages'.

"In that book, he boasted that using that 'little trick' enabled him to win scoop of the year on a story about [former England football manager] Sven-Goran Eriksson. That is a former editor of the Daily Mirror being very open about his personal use of phone hacking."

Louise Mensch said she had misread an article about Piers Morgan's book

A furious Mr Morgan, who now hosts his own programme on the US news channel CNN, called the claim "a complete outrage" and challenged her to provide evidence for it.

He also accused her of being "cowardly" by using parliamentary privilege to make it.

On 21 July, Sly Bailey, chief executive of Daily Mirror publisher Trinity Mirror, wrote to the committee demanding the MP correct her remarks.

"On two occasions Mrs Mensch made uncaveated statements purporting to be facts," she wrote. "On both occasions she made allegations that are wholly untrue."

Scoop

In a letter to committee chairman John Whittingdale on Friday, Mrs Mensch said she had "wrongly stated" that Mr Morgan had "been open about personally hacking phones".

"This was based on my misreading of an article in the Daily Telegraph... which covered Mr Morgan's description in his book of how to hack a phone and how he won the Scoop of the Year on the story of Sven-Goran Eriksson and [TV presenter] Ulrika Johnson.

"The Telegraph report covers the claim of a blogger that this story was acquired by phone hacking, and I misread that as Mr Morgan himself claiming this to be true.

"Therefore, I must apologise to Mr Morgan and the committee for this error about his book."

Mr Morgan later said on Twitter that he "graciously accepted" her apology.

Earlier on Friday, Mrs Mensch admitted it was "highly probable" she had taken drugs while working for record company EMI in the 1990s.

She said MPs were "entitled to a life before politics, including making mistakes".

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Drivers get organ donor 'nudge'

31 July 2011 Last updated at 00:53 GMT Less than a third of people are registered as organ donors Drivers will have to state whether they want to be an organ donor when they apply for a new or replacement licence.

The move has been put forward by the government's "nudge unit", which has been set up to encourage changes in behaviour through gentle persuasion.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency already asks if applicants want to be donors - but from Monday an online form will require that the answer is stated.

Ministers hope it will help improve organ donation rates.

Less than a third of people are signed up to be organ donors - despite research suggesting that nine in 10 would he happy to be one.

Debate

The situation has prompted much debate in recent years about how best to improve rates.

Some have called for presumed consent, where it is assumed an individual wishes to be a donor unless he or she has opted out by registering their objection.

Continue reading the main story It is an idea based on a book by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein which advocates influencing behaviour by altering the context or environment in which people choose. It differs from traditional approaches to changing lifestyles which tend to be more overt.Conventional measures might include steps such as bans, using tax to increase price or promotional campaigns.But nudge tends to be more subtle, perhaps involving the provision of information about social norms or changing the environment, such as installing fewer lifts in a building to encourage people to use the stairs more.As well as working on organ donation, the Cabinet Office "nudge unit" will be looking at tax self-assessment and stop smoking services.The government has so far rejected presumed consent and instead the Cabinet Office's behavioural insight team has suggested the driving licence idea as part of its "nudge" drive.

The DVLA's existing scheme is already responsible for about half of the 1m new donor registrations each year.

As well as becoming compulsory to answer the question, the section will be moved from the end to the start of the DVLA process, so when applicants from England, Wales and Scotland apply for new or replacement licences they will have to say whether they want to become an organ donor or not.

When a similar scheme was introduced in the US state of Illinois, donor registration jumped from 38% to 60%.

Public health minister Anne Milton said the move was aimed at encouraging people to discuss the issue more and make it easier for them to sign up.

"Being an organ donor is a truly selfless act and a life-saving gift to someone in need," she added.

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