the spectator sport China DOESN'T want you to see

Animals torn to pieces by lions in front of baying crowds: the spectator sport China DOESN'T want you to see

By DANNY PENMAN

Last updated at 20:57 05 January 2008

The smiling children giggled as they patted the young goat on its head and tickled it behind the ears.

Some of the more boisterous ones tried to clamber onto the animal's back but were soon shaken off with a quick wiggle of its bottom.

It could have been a happy scene from a family zoo anywhere in the world but for what happened next.

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Children feed goats before the 'show' starts. One that has been 'bought' by a visitor is carried off

A man hoisted up the goat and nonchalantly threw it over a wall into a pit full of hungry lions. The poor goat tried to run for its life, but it didn't stand a chance. The lions quickly surrounded it and started tearing at its flesh.

"Oohs" and "aahs" filled the air as the children watched the goat being ripped limb from limb. Some started to clap silently with a look of wonder in their eyes.

The scenes witnessed at Badaltearing Safari Park in China are rapidly becoming a normal day out for many Chinese families.

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Once the goat is carried from its pen, it is swiftly thrown into the lion enclosure

Baying crowds now gather in zoos across the country to watch animals being torn to pieces by lions and tigers.

Just an hour's drive from the main Olympic attractions in Beijing, Badaling is in many ways a typical Chinese zoo.

Next to the main slaughter arena is a restaurant where families can dine on braised dog while watching cows and goats being disembowelled by lions.

The zoo also encourages visitors to "fish" for lions using live chickens as bait. For just £2, giggling visitors tie terrified chickens onto bamboo rods and dangle them in front of the lions, just as a cat owner might tease their pet with a toy.

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The ravenous big cats quickly attack the goat and start to tear it limb from limb, all in the name of 'entertainment' for the Badaling zoo visitors

During one visit, a woman managed to taunt the big cats with a petrified chicken for five minutes before a lion managed to grab the bird in its jaws.

The crowd then applauded as the bird flapped its wings pathetically in a futile bid to escape. The lion eventually grew bored and crushed the terrified creature to death.

The tourists were then herded onto buses and driven through the lions' compound to watch an equally cruel spectacle. The buses have specially designed chutes down which you can push live chickens and watch as they are torn to shreds.

Once again, children are encouraged to take part in the slaughter.

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The lions tear the goat to pieces within seconds of landing in the enclosure

"It's almost a form of child abuse," says Carol McKenna of the OneVoice animal welfare group. "The cruelty of Chinese zoos is disgusting, but think of the impact on the children watching it. What kind of future is there for China if its children think this kind of cruelty is normal?

"In China, if you love animals you want to kill yourself every day out of despair."

But the cruelty of Badaling doesn't stop with animals apart. For those who can still stomach it, the zoo has numerous traumatised animals to gawp at.

A pair of endangered moon bears with rusting steel nose rings are chained up in cages so small that they cannot even turn around.

One has clearly gone mad and spends most of its time shaking its head and bashing into the walls of its prison.

There are numerous other creatures, including tigers, which also appear to have been driven insane by captivity. Predictably, they are kept in cramped, filthy conditions.

!Zoos like this make me want to boycott everything Chinese," says Emma Milne, star of the BBC's Vets In Practice.

"I'd like to rip out everything in my house that's made in China. I have big problems with their culture.

"If you enjoy watching an animal die then that's a sad and disgusting reflection on you.

"Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by their behaviour towards animals, as the value of human life is so low in China."

East of Badaling lies the equally horrific Qingdao zoo. Here, visitors can take part in China's latest craze ? tortoise baiting.

Simply put, Chinese families now gather in zoos to hurl coins at tortoises.

Legend has it that if you hit a tortoise on the head with a coin and make a wish, then your heart's desire will come true. It's the Chinese equivalent of a village wishing well.

To feed this craze, tortoises are kept in barbaric conditions inside small bare rooms.

When giggling tourists begin hurling coins at them, they desperately try to protect themselves by withdrawing into their shells.

But Chinese zoo keepers have discovered a way round this: they wrap elastic bands around the animals' necks to stop them retracting their heads.

"Tortoises aren't exactly fleet of foot and can't run away," says Carol McKenna.

"It's monstrous that people hurl coins at the tortoises, but strapping their heads down with elastic bands so they can't hide is even more disgusting.

"Because tortoises can't scream, people assume they don't suffer. But they do. I can't bear to think what it must be like to live in a tiny cell and have people hurl coins at you all day long."

Even worse is in store for the animals of Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Mountain Village near Guilin in south-east China.

Here, live cows are fed to tigers to amuse cheering crowds. During a recent visit, I watched in horror as a young cow was stalked and caught. Its screams and cries filled the air as it struggled to escape.

A wild tiger would dispatch its prey within moments, but these beasts' natural killing skills have been blunted by years of living in tiny cages.

The tiger tried to kill ? tearing and biting at the cow's body in a pathetic looking frenzy ? but it simply didn't know how.

Eventually, the keepers broke up the contest and slaughtered the cow themselves, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

Although the live killing exhibition was undoubtedly depressing, an equally disturbing sight lay around the corner: the "animal parade".

Judging by the rest of the operation, the unseen training methods are unlikely to be humane, but what visitors view is bad enough.

Tigers, bears and monkeys perform in a degrading "entertainment". Bears wear dresses, balance on balls and not only ride bicycles but mount horses too.

The showpiece is a bear riding a bike on a high wire above a parade of tigers, monkeys and trumpet-playing bears.

Astonishingly, the zoo also sells tiger meat and wine produced from big cats kept in battery-style cages.

Tiger meat is eaten widely in China and the wine, made from the crushed bones of the animals, is a popular drink.

Although it is illegal, the zoo is quite open about its activities. In fact, it boasts of having 140 dead tigers in freezers ready for the plate.

In the restaurant, visitors can dine on strips of stir-fried tiger with ginger and Chinese vegetables. Also on the menu are tiger soup and a spicy red curry made with tenderised strips of big cat.

And if all that isn't enough, you can dine on lion steaks, bear's paw, crocodile and several different species of snake.

"Discerning" visitors can wash it all down with a glass or two of vintage wine made from the bones of Siberian tigers.

The wine is made from the 1,300 or so tigers reared on the premises. The restaurant is a favourite with Chinese Communist Party officials who often pop down from Beijing for the weekend.

China's zoos claim to be centres for education and conservation. Without them, they say, many species would become extinct.

This is clearly a fig leaf and some would call it a simple lie. Many are no better than "freak shows" from the middle ages and some are no different to the bloody tournaments of ancient Rome.

"It's farcical to claim that these zoos are educational," says Emma Milne.

"How can you learn anything about wild animals by watching them pace up and down inside a cage? You could learn far more from a David Attenborough documentary."

However pitiful the conditions might be in China's zoos, there are a few glimmers of hope.

It is now becoming fashionable to own pets in China. The hope is that a love for pets will translate into a desire to help animals in general. This does appear to be happening, albeit slowly.

One recent MORI opinion poll discovered that 90 per cent of Chinese people thought they had "a moral duty to minimise animal suffering". Around 75 per cent felt that the law should be changed to minimise animal suffering as much as possible.

In 2004, Beijing proposed animal welfare legislation which stipulated that "no one should harass, mistreat or hurt animals". It would also have banned animal fights and live feeding shows.

The laws would have been a huge step forward. But the proposals were scrapped following stiff opposition from vested interests and those who felt China had more pressing concerns.

And this is the central problem for animal welfare in China: its ruling elite is brutally repressive and cares little for animals.

Centuries of rule by tyrannical emperors and bloody dictators have all but eradicated the Buddhist and Confucian respect for life and nature.

As a result, welfare groups are urging people not to go to Chinese zoos if they should visit the Olympics, as virtually every single one inflicts terrible suffering on its animals

"They should tell the Chinese Embassy why they are refusing to visit these zoos,' says Carol McKenna of OneVoice.

"If a nation is great enough to host the Olympic Games then it is great enough to be able to protect its animals.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-506153/Animals-torn-pieces-lions-baying-crowds-spectator-sport-China-DOESNT-want-see.html#ixzz0gqufnBmw

BBC 'to cut stations and halve websites'

BBC 'to cut stations and halve websites' report claims

Mad Men is one of the US imports said to be under threat Read The Times article 'Leaked' review - at a glance

The BBC is to close two radio stations and scale back its web presence to make £600m in savings, according to a report in the Times newspaper.

BBC Asian Network and 6 Music will be closed under the proposals, it says.

The Times claims the measures are part of a plan, due to be made public next month, to reduce the BBC's services and focus on quality over quantity.

A statement from the BBC called press speculation "premature" but acknowledged the existence of a review.

The National Union of Journalists, however, said it had "received a detailed briefing" from the BBC this morning "confirming media reports as largely correct".

The Union warned of strikes if cuts went ahead.

Strategic review

The Times claims the proposals are currently being considered by the BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body.

They allegedly involve a wide-ranging series of cuts that will make £600m available for higher quality programming.

Savings will reportedly be made by limiting spending on rights to sporting events and reducing the money spent on imported TV shows.

The BBC Switch and Blast! websites are also to be closed as part of a larger reduction in the BBC's web presence, the newspaper alleges.

INSIDER'S VIEW Torin Douglas, Media correspondent The Times report is very detailed so the paper has clearly been shown a BBC document. Whether these will be the final decisions remains to be seen. The report is to be considered by the governing body, the BBC Trust, and The Times quotes "BBC Trust sources" as saying they would like the Director general to impose even greater cuts to budget for imported programmes. There could also be last-minute lobbying on behalf of the two radio stations said to be due for closure. A campaign to save BBC 6 Music has been running on Facebook for some time.

The Times states the BBC's budget for foreign acquisitions, which currently stands at £100m, will be cut by a quarter.

This could mean the end of such US TV shows as Heroes, Mad Men and The Wire on BBC channels.

The BBC's website budget, which currently stands at £112m, will also be cut by 25 per cent.

The Times says this will be achieved by halving the number of web pages and reducing its staff by a quarter.

BBC Worldwide will be ordered to divest itself of its British magazine publishing arm, the newspaper continues.

If approved, this could see the Radio Times, Top Gear magazine and other publications put out to tender.

In a statement, the BBC said: "Last summer, the BBC Trust challenged the BBC to develop a new strategy to meet the opportunities and the threats of the rapidly changing media landscape.

"Although the details have yet to be agreed... the BBC expects to present its proposals to the BBC Trust in the near future."

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6 Music is the only reason I have a digital radio. As far as I'm concerned they can cut back anything else

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The corporation did not comment on the specific details of the leaked report, but said it was "fully committed to online and to digital television and radio".

'Not rampant'

Speaking to 5 Live, Guardian media columnist Steve Hewlett said the plans, if verified, could be politically motivated.

The BBC has drawn criticism of late amid speculation that an incoming Tory government would seek to freeze the licence fee in 2013 and replace the BBC Trust with another body.

"The BBC needs to create the impression that it's not rampant in terms of its expansion," said Hewlett.

"It needs politically to look like it's going back into its shell a bit," he continued.

The NUJ said the plans "smack of an attempt to appease political and commercial interests".

"Hard-working staff shouldn't be used as a political football and we will fight any compulsory redundancies," said general secretary Jeremy Dear.

Last year Mark Thompson gave a speech at the Voice of the Listener and Viewer Conference in London in which he said changes would take place after the digital switchover is completed in 2012.

THE BBC'S FUTURE Expect to see reductions in some kinds of programmes and content [and] a look at the current scope of our website Mark Thompson last year Full text of speech

"Expect to see reductions in some kinds of programmes and content - a look at the current scope of our website - and a close examination of the future of our service portfolios once switchover has been achieved," he said in November.

Earlier this month a BBC Trust review appeared to allay fears that 6 Music would be closed in a report which praised its "distinctive approach".

The review added that the digital station "needed to grow its audience base without losing its unique selling point".

Fans have already set up a campaign protesting changes to the station, rallying support on Facebook and Twitter.

Among them is musician David Bowie, who issued a statement saying: "6 Music keeps the spirit of broadcasters like John Peel alive and for new artists to lose this station would be a great shame."

Hospital malnutrition warning

By Adam Brimelow BBC News health correspondent

Malnutrition can lead to a longer hospital stay

The government is being urged to promote the concept of a "healthy weight" to help guard against malnutrition as well as obesity.

A report by an independent panel of advisors says more needs to be done to make sure patients who are malnourished get help eating.

It says official figures significantly understate the extent of the problem.

The health charity, Bapen, says about 3 million people in the UK either have or are at risk of malnutrition.

They are more likely to die or have a prolonged stay if they go into hospital.

We know that malnutrition predisposes to disease, it delays recovery from illness and it increases mortality Report authors

The report by the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board says official figures are likely to be an underestimate. In 2007, 239 people were reported to have died because of malnutrition in English hospitals.

The advisors suggest the number dying from other causes but with malnutrition is 200 times higher. That would bring the total to nearly 50,000.

The report concludes that healthy eating should not just be about promoting weight loss.

The authors said: "We know that malnutrition predisposes to disease, it delays recovery from illness and it increases mortality.

"It follows that the effect of malnutrition on mortality rates is substantially greater than the number reported to have died because of malnutrition."

Complex statistics

Michelle Mitchell, charity director for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said they launched a campaign over three years ago to demand action from the government.

She said: "We know one million older people in the community are malnourished, yet there is still no evidence of any real progress on this problem."

The report was delivered to the government in August 2009 but has only just been released.

Conservative shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien said: "It is horrific that so many patients are dying with malnutrition.

"We have raised this issue many times but Labour ministers have dragged their feet and are doing very little about it."

But Care Service Minister Phil Hope said the Conservatives had failed to properly describe complex statistics and were presenting totally inaccurate figures.

He said: "It completely misleads the public to compare the number of patients dying as a result of malnutrition, which is 239, with the number of people who have some degree of malnourishment, often as a result of ill health."

Whale trainer's family speak of shock at SeaWorld death

Dawn Brancheau's sister Diane Gross said SeaWorld ''was her dream''

The sister of a trainer who died after being attacked by a killer whale at a Florida entertainment park has said her family is in shock at the incident.

Veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, died after the orca grabbed her from a poolside platform and dragged her under the water.

Diane Gross said the family considered the death an accident, which they had yet to come to terms with.

Ms Gross said her sister had loved the whales like they were her children.

"She loved all of them," Ms Gross said, according to the Associated Press.

Sea World curator Chuck Tompkins: "He grabbed her hair and pulled her underwater". Courtesy Good Morning America/ABC News

"They all had personalities, good days and bad days."

She said her sister had been inspired to work with marine life after a trip, as a nine-year-old, to a SeaWorld centre.

The killer whale, Tilikum, was also reportedly involved in the death of a female trainer in Canada in 1991.

Other orcas were also said to have attacked trainers at SeaWorld parks in 2006 and 2004.

'Shoe floating'

A SeaWorld representative was quoted by Reuters as saying that the trainer, who had 16 years experience working with marine animals, was grabbed by the 12,000lb (5,450kg) killer whale as she rubbed its head. The firm has launched an investigation.

Eyewitnesses described how the whale "took off really fast, and then he came back around to the glass, jumped up, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started shaking her violently. The last thing we saw was her shoe floating".

FEARSOME PREDATOR The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is largest species of dolphin family Known as orcas, they roam all the oceans, from the Arctic and Antarctic to tropical seas Can specialise in particular prey: salmon, sea lions, seals, or walruses, even large whales Considered under threat due to pollution, loss of prey and habitat Despite its savage reputation, there have been very few documented attacks on humans After success of 1993 film Free Willy, the movie's star Keiko was freed near his native Iceland What to do with captive orcas? Killer whale attack: Your comments

Several other people in the audience described how the whale had pulled Ms Brancheau underwater and appeared to be swimming with her.

The entertainment park, in Orlando, known for its killer whale, seal and dolphin displays, was closed after the incident.

Tilikum is said to have been involved in previous incidents, the BBC's Andy Gallacher reports from Florida.

A SeaWorld spokesman said the orca had been one of three whales blamed for killing a trainer in 1991 after she had fallen in a pool at a marine park in British Columbia, Canada.

After the whale - nicknamed Telly - was sold to SeaWorld Orlando it was involved in a second incident when authorities discovered the body of a naked man lying across his back in 1999.

Officials later concluded the man, who had either crept into SeaWorld after closing time or hidden in the park until it closed, probably drowned after suffering hypothermia.

Though called a killer whale, the orca (Orcinus orca), is actually the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family.

Animal rights group Peta says it has long been asking SeaWorld to stop taking wild, ocean-going mammals and confining them to an area that, to them, is "the size of a bathtub".

Nigel Farage summoned for tirade against Van Rompuy

Nigel Farage: "You have all the charisma of a damp rag"

The head of the European parliament has summoned British Eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage over his tirade against European Council President Herman van Rompuy.

Parliament President Jerzy Buzek is expected to reprimand Mr Farage at the meeting on Tuesday.

The former UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP leader could face a suspension.

Mr Farage drew jeers on Wednesday when he told the chamber Mr Van Rompuy had "the charisma of a damp rag" and the appearance of a "low-grade bank clerk".

The attack came as Mr Van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister, made his maiden appearance in parliament in Brussels.

Mr Buzek is said to consider Mr Farage's outburst to have been "completely undignified", believing it "crossed a line" between the right to free speech and being plain insulting.

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme

Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the European parliament.

Possible penalties against Mr Farage range from a verbal reprimand to a 10-day suspension from parliament.

Mr Farage opened his attack against Mr Van Rompuy by saying "I don't want to be rude" - before launching into a personal attack lasting several minutes.

"Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you," Mr Farage said.

"You seem to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states," he continued, adding: "Perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which is pretty much a non-country."

Mr Farage, known for his outspoken interventions, did admit that he thought Mr Van Rompuy was "competent and capable", adding that this made him "dangerous".

"I have no doubt that your intention is to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states," he said.

Mr Van Rompuy, 62, was chosen unanimously by the governments of the EU's 27 member states to take on the role of the first permanent European Council president.

Mr Van Rompuy said he held Mr Farage's comments "in contempt", without elaborating

Charity Commission investigates bullying charity

Christine Pratt's charity helpline has been under intense scrutiny

The Charity Commission has begun an investigation into the charity at the centre of a row over claims of bullying at Downing Street.

It said it had begun an inquiry after receiving more than 160 complaints about the National Bullying Helpline.

Helpline chief executive Christine Pratt was criticised for saying it had been contacted by Downing Street staff.

She spoke out following claims in a book about Gordon Brown's temper and behaviour towards staff.

The Charity Commission said it had a duty to "promote public trust and confidence in charities, and is aware of the potential impact on other charities that run confidential help lines".

'Prepared to resign'

All four of the charity's patrons resigned and another bullying charity had strongly criticised Mrs Pratt for what they called a breach of confidentiality. She said she had not named names or revealed details.

The National Bullying Helpline was temporarily suspended on Wednesday, saying it was considering its future and Mrs Pratt was "prepared to resign if necessary".

The row began on Sunday with a story in the Observer - based on a book by journalist Andrew Rawnsley - alleging that Mr Brown grabbed staff by the lapels, shoved them aside and shouted at them.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson denied the claims, insisting the PM was "demanding" but "doesn't bully people".

But Mrs Pratt then contacted the BBC to say a flat denial sent out the wrong message and she would expect Downing Street to follow "due process" and look into calls that her helpline had taken from a small number of staff.

She was criticised by Lord Mandelson who suggested her remarks were part of a "political operation" directed by the Conservatives.

The Tories accused him of trying to "smear" Mrs Pratt. Mrs Pratt has denied any political influence and it is understood is now being represented by publicist Max Clifford.

The government has denied allegations in Mr Rawnsley's book that the head of the civil service, Sir Gus O'Donnell, had a "pep talk" with Mr Brown about his behaviour towards staff following reports some were frightened by his temper.

Sir Gus said on Wednesday he had spoken to the PM about how to motivate staff but denied talking to him about his "behaviour".

Mr Brown has said claims he intimidated staff were "completely wrong".

MULTICULTURALISM and environmentalism

“For more than a decade MULTICULTURALISM and environmentalism have been the twin ideological pillars of the Labour state. RUTHLESSLY ENFORCED WITH PROPAGANDA AND OPPRESSION, THE TWO DOCTRINES HAVE BEEN USED TO JUSTIFY BUREAUCRATIC EXPANSION, INCREASED TAXATION, THE CURTAILMENT OF LIBERTIES AND SOCIAL REVOLUTION.

LABOUR’S DETERMINATION TO IMPOSE THESE TWO DOGMAS ON SOCIETY has been accompanied by an air of zealous certainty. Questioning the existence of man-made climate change or the benefits of mass immigration is treated as a form of vicious, uncaring extremism.

‘The science is settled,’ screeches Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband at anyone who dares challenge his hardline green agenda, while other LEFT-WING POLITICIANS THROW ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM AT OPPONENTS OF THE DIVERSITY FETISH…

The iron convictions of recent years are no longer supportable. Last week the publication of documents showed that, CONTRARY TO NOISY OFFICIAL PROPAGANDA ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL BENEFITS OF MULTICULTURALISM, LABOUR HAS DISGRACEFULLY PURSUED A MASS IMMIGRATION POLICY BASED ON ITS NARROW POLITICAL INTERESTS. One Whitehall paper even stated that MIGRATION HAD ‘OPENED UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORGANISED CRIME’…

A report from a highly respected House of Lords committee demolished the Government’s boasts that unprecedented levels of migration boost economic prosperity. It said THE DESTRUCTION OF EFFECTIVE BORDERS HAS DRIVEN DOWN WAGES AND IMPOSED A HUGE BURDEN ON PUBLIC SERVICES…

Yesterday Professor Phil Jones, recently suspended as director of the unit over the e-mail scandal, confessed he had trouble ‘keeping track of information’ and did not do ‘a thorough job’. Most importantly, he admitted that SINCE 1995 THERE HAS BEEN ‘NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT’ GLOBAL WARMING.

So there we have it. ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS IN CHARGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE ANALYSIS SAYS THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO BASIS FOR ALL THE HYSTERIA THAT THE POLITICIANS HAVE GENERATED…

It is shameful we have been taxed and bullied because of a massive political fraud, just as the CASE FOR MASS IMMIGRATION IS SO RIDDLED WITH LIES. As the foundations of these two ideologies crumble it is striking to see the similarities between them. Both involve CONSTANT GUILT-TRIPPING BY THE STATE, WITH ORDINARY DECENT CITIZENS MADE TO FEEL ASHAMED OF EVERYTHING FROM PATRIOTISM TO CAR OWNERSHIP. BOTH HAVE CREATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR IN WHICH BASIC LIBERTIES ARE SUPPRESSED.

So in the name of the Government’s ‘war on climate change’ spy cameras are placed in wheelie bins and huge fines are imposed for putting out rubbish on the wrong day. In the same way IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT MULTICULTURALISM AND THAT IS THE WAY ZEALOTS WANT IT.

A high priest of the liberal establishment, the journalist Andrew Marr, once wrote an article in which he called for ‘THE VIGOROUS USE OF STATE POWER TO COERCE AND REPRESS’ IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR DIVERSITY. THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO ‘STAMP HARD’ ON POLITICALLY INCORRECT THOUGHTS, HE ARGUED, FOR ‘REPRESSION CAN BE A GREAT, CIVILISING FORCE FOR GOOD’, EXACTLY THE SORT OF LANGUAGE BELOVED OF DICTATORS.

ENVIRONMENTALISM AND MULTI-CULTURALISM HAVE BEEN IMPOSED THROUGH CONSTANT PROPAGANDA...

Both ideologies have led to a massive burden on the public through the cost of welfare for migrants and rising taxes and energy bills to pay for the green agenda. Each creed has created its own expensive bureaucracy, with the public sector now awash with diversity co-ordinators, equalities managers, and sustainability officers.

The advocates of both ideologies tend to be appalling hypocrites. Just as the loudest political advocates for multiculturalism rarely live on inner-city housing estates so the leading green campaigners, like the US politician Al Gore, could not care less about their own carbon footprints as they travel around by limousine and jet...

OUR INDEPENDENT NATIONHOOD IS BEING DESTROYED BY LEFT-WING IDEOLOGUES FILLED WITH HATRED OF BRITAIN AND A LONGING FOR EU AND WORLD GOVERNMENT. We can only hope that the exposure of their spectacular dishonesty has not come too late.”

Small dogs originate in Middle East, says gene study

Small dogs may have evolved from the Middle Eastern grey wolf

Small dogs may all originate from the Middle East, according to research from the University of California.

A study published in the journal BioMed Central found a gene found in small dogs, IGF1, is closely related to one found in Middle Eastern wolves.

Archaeologists have found the remains of small dogs dating back 12,000 years in the region.

In Europe, older remains have been uncovered, dating from 31,000 years ago, but these are from larger dogs.

"Because all small dogs possess this variant of IGF1, it probably arose early in their history," said Dr Melissa Gray from the University of California, Los Angeles.

The team of researchers took samples from grey wolf populations around the world.

Maybe they can have a better understanding of the history of their pets Dr Melissa Gray

"We have a couple of individuals from North America, from Yellowstone and Alaska, several from the Middle East, Israel, Iran, India, China, Russia, Italy, Spain, Belarus and Belgium," explained Dr Gray.

The study says the similarity between the variant found in small dogs and that in the Middle Eastern grey wolf shows small size probably originated as a result of the wolf's domestication.

The scientists believe people may have preferred smaller dogs because they were easier to house in farming societies where space was at a premium.

Animals often become smaller as a result of domestication and the trend can be seen in cattle, pigs and goats.

Dr Gray believes the results could be useful for dog breeders: "Because we have this gene and that it affects body size it could possibly be used as a way to breed for small body size."

And she hopes small dog owners around the world will find the results interesting. "Maybe they can have a better understanding of the history of their pets and where they came from and how they likely dispersed out from the region."

Brown denies unleashing 'forces of hell' on Darling

Alistair Darling: 'It was a weekend you could have done without' (Courtesy of Sky News - Jeff Randall Live)

Gordon Brown has denied ordering any briefing against his chancellor, after Alistair Darling said "the forces of hell" had been unleashed against him.

Mr Darling said No 10 and the Tories had given him "a weekend you could have done without" after he had forecast the worst recession for 60 years, in 2008.

But Mr Darling rejected suggestions he had been bullied by the prime minister.

And Mr Brown told GMTV he "would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my chancellor".

The PM, who again denied allegations of bullying, said he and Mr Darling and their families had been friends for 20 years and had "huge mutual respect".

Mr Brown was speaking on Wednesday morning after Mr Darling's comments in a Sky News interview on Tuesday evening.

A Conservative spokesman said: "The idea that Gordon Brown runs a happy and united team has been blown apart.

"This is amazing public confirmation from the prime minister's own chancellor that he ordered his henchmen to brief against him."

'Still here'

In August 2008, Mr Darling caused a political uproar when he said economic conditions were "arguably the worst they've been in 60 years".

I do not know why the briefers did what they did. One day maybe they will explain Alistair Darling

Following this, there were media reports that 10 Downing Street was unhappy with his analysis and his handling of the economy.

There were also suggestions Mr Darling might be reshuffled to make way for Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary and a close ally of Mr Brown.

Questioned by Sky News about the response to his comments, Mr Darling said that "the forces of hell were unleashed".

And asked whether that had been orchestrated by 10 Downing Street, he said: "The Tories as well. It was a weekend you could have done without.

The idea of Gordon instructing us to brief against Alistair Darling is totally wrong Damian McBride Mr Brown's former spin doctor

"I do not know why the briefers did what they did. One day maybe they will explain.

"What I do know is, unfortunately and it's not a great source of pleasure, but what I said did turn out to be true."

In an apparent reference to Mr Brown's former spin doctor Damian McBride, the chancellor added: "Frankly, my best answer for them is, I'm still here, one of them is not."

Mr McBride was forced to resign last year after a planned smear campaign against senior Conservatives emerged in leaked e-mails he had written.

'Robust exchanges'

Asked about Mr Darling's suggestions of a briefing campaign, the PM said: "I was never part of anything to do with this. Look, this was the most amazing time... and lots of things were happening in this time.

"But I would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my chancellor, and I think Alistair will confirm that."

Mr McBride also told BBC Radio 5 Live the allegations were untrue, saying: "The idea of Gordon instructing us to brief against Alistair Darling is totally wrong. The idea of me briefing against Alistair Darling is totally wrong."

He added: "The Sunday papers were ringing up and asking us if we were angry with the chancellor and the answer was no."

Mr Darling rejected suggestions he had ever been bullied by Mr Brown, but said: "Of course, Gordon and I have some very robust exchanges.

"I can't imagine any healthy relationship between a prime minister and a chancellor where they don't have differences from time to time."

He admitted there had been "some bad days" in his relationship with the prime minister but insisted there was more that united the two men than would "ever divide us".

'Friendly, caring'

Mr Brown was also asked again whether he had bullied anyone: "No. I get angry sometimes, doesn't everybody? I get impatient. I'm driven to do the things.

Darling speaking about the economy in August 2008

"Actually, we work in an open plan office, we're a sort of family in Downing Street and like every family there's issues that come from time to time, but we've got a great working environment and we get things done."

Schools Secretary Ed Balls also told the BBC he did not "recognise this atmosphere" of alleged bullying at Number 10.

"Jeremy Heywood, who is the top civil servant, said the opposite was true - it was a friendly, caring, supportive environment. I think he is right," Mr Balls said.

Mr Darling's comments follow allegations in political journalist Andrew Rawnsley's book that Mr McBride and Charlie Whelan, another Brown supporter, had been behind the briefing.

Both Mr McBride and Mr Whelan, a senior official with the Unite union, had their names put to the chancellor in the Sky News interview, but he did not refer to either directly.

The Rawnsley book's allegations of bullying also led the chief executive of the National Bullying Helpline, Christine Pratt, to go on television to say they had received calls from Downing Street staff.

This prompted its patrons to resign in protest at what they described as a breach of confidence and in a statement on Wednesday the charity announced its helpline had been "temporarily suspended", with Mrs Pratt "prepared to resign if necessary".

Brown 'very upset' by bully claims

Brown 'very upset' by bully claims, says Ed Balls

Mr Brown has been upset by the claims, said Ed Balls

Gordon Brown has been "very upset" by allegations about his behaviour towards staff, his ally Ed Balls told the BBC.

The schools secretary said there was "no truth" in claims that the cabinet secretary was so concerned he had to have a private word with the PM.

"I don't think it damages him, it hurts him personally," Mr Balls said.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell has denied speaking to the PM about him acting in a "bullying" manner and said there was no need for an inquiry.

The bullying allegations were prompted initially by Andrew Rawnsley's book which detailed incidents where it is alleged Mr Brown grabbed staff by the lapels, shoved them aside and shouted at them.

Cleared up

Then the head of the National Bullying Helpline said they had received calls from the prime minister's office - although she said they were not about Mr Brown personally.

The Tories and Lib Dems have called for the situation to be cleared up.

But on Monday, Sir Gus said there was no need for an inquiry and a Downing Street spokesman said: "The cabinet secretary would like to make clear that he has never raised concerns with the prime minister about him acting in a bullying or intimidatory manner in relation to Number 10 staff, let alone giving him any sort of verbal warning."

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme

Mr Brown also said the story was "completely wrong".

Mr Balls told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Rawnsley's book had been incorrect on every allegation and said he had known Mr Brown for years and "at no point has it ever occurred to me that Gordon Brown is, or would ever be, a bully".

"It is something which personally he feels very upset about because he knows there is no truth to these allegations," said Mr Balls.

"I don't think it damages him, it hurts him personally."

'Fire in belly'

He said Mr Brown was "tough" and had "a strength of character and drive" adding: "That's what you want in a prime minister, you want people who are tough and can drive things forward."

His comments were echoed by Lord Sugar, star of The Apprentice and the government's enterprise champion, who told GMTV: "Do you want some docile type of person who is just not going to have any spirit about them or do you want someone who has got a bit of fire in their belly, who will react, who will get a bit emotional sometimes?

"That is not bullying as far as I am concerned."

Mr Rawnsley is sticking by his book, saying his source for the claim that Sir Gus had been moved to speak to the prime minister about his behaviour towards Downing Street staff was "24 carat".

He said the statement issued on Monday by Sir Gus had been a "careful choice of words".

But Lord Mandelson has suggested that the separate claims made by the National Bullying Helpline were part of a "political operation" directed by the Conservatives.

Charity row

The Conservatives accused him of trying to "smear" the charity's chief executive, Christine Pratt.

But the charity trustees are meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

Mrs Pratt was heavily criticised by another bullying charity and some of her own patrons, including the Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who resigned saying she had breached the confidentiality of callers.

Mrs Pratt has said she did not name anyone or reveal details and has said she is "not politically motivated".

In a separate interview, former prime minister Tony Blair - whom Mr Brown has admitted having fierce battles with during his time as chancellor - was asked on the BBC World Service's World Today programme about the way prime ministers treated their staff.

Mr Blair replied: "Well I think I know what you're referring to and I honestly have absolutely nothing to say about that at all."

Obesity rise on death certificates

Obesity rise on death certificates, researchers say

By Emma Wilkinson Health reporter, BBC News

Obesity is linked with several conditions, such as heart disease

There has been a "dramatic rise" in deaths in England in which obesity was a contributory factor, researchers say.

They said death certificates showed there were 757 obesity related deaths in 2009, compared with 358 in 2000.

There were likely to be many more such deaths where obesity was not recorded, the University of Oxford team said in the European Journal of Public Health.

It comes as the Scottish government warned of a "ticking time bomb", saying 40% of Scots could be obese by 2030.

One public health expert said people often did not realise obesity was linked with many serious conditions.

This shows doctors are increasingly recognising obesity as a cause of death Professor Michael Goldacre, University of Oxford

The researchers said as obesity was rarely listed as the main cause of death, a simple snapshot of death certificates would not have picked up the rise.

The marked increase was apparent when they included contributing causes of death in the analysis.

Other figures recently released by ministers showed more than 190 people under 65 died as a direct result of obesity in 2009 compared with 88 in 2000.

When contributing factors were included, there were 757 obesity related deaths in 2009 compared with 358 in 2000.

Recognition

About a quarter of adults in the UK are now obese.

Obesity and problems caused by being overweight are thought to cost the NHS more than £3bn a year.

The Scottish government said 40% of Scots could be classed as obese by 2030, if things do not change.

Scotland's Public Health Minister Shona Robison is due to launch an anti-obesity strategy later.

Study leader Professor Michael Goldacre said although the death certificate figures tallied with rises in levels of obesity in the population over the same period, they did not know before the study whether doctors would be recording obesity on death certificates.

"We know for example obesity contributes to heart disease but if someone dies of heart disease you don't necessarily expect doctors to note if they were obese.

"But this shows doctors are increasingly recognising obesity as a cause of death."

He added: "One of the key messages is you can't rely on underlying causes alone - if you don't look at other causes you cannot see what is contributing to disease."

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said people in the "early stages" of obesity did not often realise how dangerous being overweight could be and their weight commonly "creeps up" without them noticing.

"People do not realise how closely linked it is with serious conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.

"We have to take obesity seriously."

top UN climate official

Yvo de Boer resigns as top UN climate official

Mr de Boer is now set to become a consultant

Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate change official, says he will resign after nearly four years in the post.

His departure takes effect from 1 July, five months before 193 countries are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt at a global deal on climate.

Nations failed to reach a binding deal at the Copenhagen meeting in December.

Mr de Boer said he was announcing his departure now so that a successor could be found well before the Mexico meeting later this year.

The former Dutch civil servant was appointed as executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2006. As the UN's climate negotiator, he was widely credited with raising the profile of climate change issues.

We were about an inch away from a formal agreement. It was basically in our grasp, but it didn't happen... so that was a pity Yvo de Boer

But suspicion and distrust between developing and industrial countries barred the way to a binding accord at the UN's climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.

In a statement, Mr de Boer said: "It was a difficult decision to make, but I believe the time is ripe for me to take on a new challenge."

Mr De Boer said he would become a consultant on climate and sustainability issues for KPMG, a global accounting firm, and would be associated with several universities.

'Deeply disappointed'

Mr de Boer is said to be deeply disappointed with outcome of the last summit in Copenhagen, which drew 120 world leaders but failed to reach a binding global accord.

But he said the failure to secure a treaty at Copenhagen was unrelated to his decision to quit, and that he had begun looking for a new job last year, before the summit.

He told the Associated Press news agency that he believed talks were "on track", although it was uncertain whether a full treaty could be finalised at the next high-level conference which starts in November.

Mr de Boer said the accord reached in Copenhagen, brokered by US President Barack Obama, "was very significant".

But he acknowledged frustration that the deal fell short of the consensus and was merely "noted" rather than formally adopted by all countries.

"We were about an inch away from a formal agreement. It was basically in our grasp, but it didn't happen... so that was a pity," he said.

Fifty-five countries submitted pledges for curbing greenhouse gas emissions by the 31 January deadline in the "Copenhagen Accord", the document produced at the UN climate summit in the Danish capital.

At the time, Mr de Boer said the pledges would invigorate the UN process, but several environment groups said they did not go far enough. In some cases the pledges were weaker than those made before the summit.

Track record

According to AP, people who know Mr de Boer said he was more disheartened by the slow pace of negotiations than he was ready to admit.

"I saw him at the airport after Copenhagen," said Jake Schmidt, a climate expert for the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council, "He was tired, worn out."

Mr Schmidt said that the summit "clearly took a toll on him."

In 2007, during exhausting negotiations at the Bali conference, Mr de Boer left the stage in tears after being accused by China of procedural irregularities.

Before he took up his post with the UNFCCC, Mr de Boer was involved in European Union environmental policy in his role with the Dutch Environment Ministry. He also served as vice-chair of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

A different UN climate body - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which reviews climate science - has come under fire in recent months for a mistake on the melting of Himalayan glaciers and for referencing "grey literature" - a WWF report which had not been peer-reviewed.

The head of the IPCC, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, has rejected calls for his resignation.

In November, hundreds of e-mails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, UK, appeared on the web.

CRU maintains one of the world's most important datasets on how global temperatures have changed.

An inquiry is underway to consider whether the e-mail exchanges between researchers show an attempt to manipulate or suppress data "at odds" with scientific practice.