Spain
Terrorism fears
As it prepares to begin on Friday its six-month presidency of the EU, Spain has put up its terror alert level to two on a four-point scale.  Their main concern is that the Basque separatist group, ETA, might undertake some action for the sake of publicizing their cause.

The group has been fighting against the central government for 41 years in an attempt to gain an independent state, despite being granted autonomous status after Franco died.  Since 1968, ETA has killed over 800 individuals, injured thousands and undertaken dozens of kidnappings.  The latest cease-fire in June 2007 still has seen three Spanish police officers killed by the use of car bombs.

During its presidency, Spain plans to hold several high-profile international meetings and is also concerned about the continuing threat of international terrorism.

Netherlands
New airport security
The government has announced that body scanners will be used on all passengers flying from Amsterdam to the US.  

The technology is recent, but objections have been raised over the intimacy of detail revealed by the scanners.  Their introduction is now being fast-forwarded as a result of the recent attempt to blow up an airliner with a bomb that had not been detected through the more traditional metal detectors.  The Dutch authorities state that the software would be upgraded so it would display a stylised image of a passenger’s body instead of its exact shape.  The scanners will be able to spot items hidden in pockets and under clothing, although authorities warn against expectations of 100 per cent success.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has also announced that security at Lagos airport has been tightened and that it is in the process of obtaining full body scanners for use in its international airports.

UK
Homeward bound
Manufacturers who switched production to developing countries are now returning to the UK, citing problems with poor quality and increased transport costs.

One in seven companies has come back to the UK in the last two years, according to a report of 300 manufacturers.  Attracted by lower labour costs, many UK companies set up production in Eastern Europe or Asia.  But experience has shown that failure to meet expectations has resulted in higher costs, as have the poorer quality of production and the long distances to get goods to market.  Customer service and delivery terms are important components to company success.

This is good news for the UK economy, as manufacturing is viewed as a key element in re balancing the economy.  In the survey, almost 70 per cent of the firms believed that the UK was a competitive place for manufacturing, up from 43 per cent two years previously.

Yemen
Plea for assistance
The Foreign Minister of Yemen confirmed that the attempted suicide bomber, Umar Abdulmutallab, had been in Yemen from August to December.  The minister pleaded for more support from the West in order to tackle al-Qaeda activities on its territory.

The Minister estimated that 200 to 300 al-Qaeda members active in the country are turning it into a training centre.  Already a Yemen-based al-Qaeda operation has claimed that it had planned the airline attack on Christmas Day. In recent weeks, Yemen has undertaken several major operations against al-Qaeda with US backing.  The Foreign Minister said that, despite ethnic and separatist insurrections in the north and in the south of the country, containing al-Qaeda is a priority, but it needs more training, military equipment, and transport vehicles such as helicopters.

Mr Abdulmutallab, 23, is in a federal prison in Michigan, charged with attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with nearly 300 passengers and crew. It is believed that he has told the FBI that al-Qaeda members in Yemen created the bomb he secreted in his underwear and on his leg and, moreover, that others in Yemen would follow his attempt.

China
British man executed
The Chinese ambassador to the UK has been called to the Foreign Office following China’s execution of a British citizen with mental health problems.  Official representations for clemency from the UK were spurned, along with pleas from his family.

Akmal Shaikh, 53, a father-of-three from London, was killed by lethal injection yesterday morning after having been found guilty in 2007 of smuggling 4 kilos of heroin into China.  He is the first EU national to be executed in China in over 50 years. A British official said that the government had made 27 representations on Mr Shaikh’s case to China over the last two years.  

In 2008, China executed 1,718 individuals which amounts to 72 per cent of the world’s total executions.  The death penalty can be exacted for 60 crimes, including tax-fraud and embezzlement. The Chinese Embassy said Mr Shaikh had no previous record of mental illness. A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that no one had the right to comment on China's judicial sovereignty.

Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis told the ambassador "I had a difficult conversation with the Chinese Ambassador today.  I made clear that the execution of Mr Shaikh was totally unacceptable and that China had failed in its basic human rights responsibilities in this case, in particular that China's court had not considered the representations made about Mr Shaikh's mental condition.”  Later he told journalists that relations with China would continue, but that “China will only be respected if it joins the human rights mainstream.”  Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "appalled" at the execution; however China warned criticism of the case would harm UK-China relations.

Turkey
More travel for Santa proposed
An archaeologist in Turkey wants Santa’s bones to be returned to his country from Italy.

Santa Claus was based on St Nicholas who lived in the 3rd century.  He was born in what was then the Greek city of Myra, eventually becoming a bishop there.  He gained a reputation for performing miracle cures and was also known for secretly giving gold to people in need.  Myra was occupied in the 11th century by Arab soldiers after which Italian sailors took his bones and reburied them in the Italian port city of Bari where they remain today.

The archaeologist, Nevzat Cevik, claims that St Nicholas had made known his wish during his life that he wanted to be buried in his home town, the modern town of Demre.  The town has not forgotten its native son and the Byzantine church there contains a large plastic statue of Santa, dressed in a red snow-suit and a beard.  The government of Turkey said it would consider making a request to Rome for the return of the saint’s bones.

UK
Boxing Day bargains
Records were broken when the highest number of shoppers was attracted to the Boxing Day sales.

As many as 12 million people flooded the shops on the look-out for bargains, an increase of 20 per cent over the preceding year.  The impending return of VAT to 17.5 per cent is believed to have been one motivating factor.  The temporary reduction to 15 per cent was introduced to encourage consumer spending.  

Analysts and the British Retail Consortium still take a cautious view of what this might mean for sales in 2010 as four out of five retailers in a survey said they feared transactions would not improve on 2009.

Deadly clashes in Iran
Violent clashes erupted on the streets of Tehran and Tabriz as anti-government protesters were tackled by the police.  It is believed that eight protesters have been killed and the police say they have arrested 300 people.

Opposition groups encouraged people to protest on Sunday, the day the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura reached its climax and people traditionally congregate outdoors.  Thousands turned out despite official warnings.  Security forces appear to have fired initially in the air to disperse those on the streets, some of whom had been attacking the police, but reports say that four were shot dead in Tehran.  The Iranian news agency, Fars, denied the reports and blamed the foreign media of exaggerating, but Iranian television later admitted that there had been fatalities.

The protestors were calling for the removal of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanting “Khamenei will be toppled”.  Pro-government crowds were also on the streets voicing their support for the Ayatollah.

Large demonstrations were sparked by the disputed presidential election in June and several people died but despite continued unrest, fatalities have been rare.  Protests were reported from many parts of the country, but serious violence seems to have been confined to Tehran and Tabriz.

US
Attempted bombing of US jet
In the wake of the attempted bombing on Christmas day of a flight carrying 278 people from Amsterdam to Detroit, stricter security regimes are being introduced in US and European airports.  Delays of three hours can be expected.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, of Nigeria, has been charged with trying to blow up the plane as it was nearing landing in Detroit.  Explosives were moulded onto his leg and sewn into his underwear, but failed to detonate, although a fire started inside the aircraft.  Mr Abdulmutallab suffered burns to his leg and was taken to hospital.

In addition to the usual security checks, travellers are experiencing "pat-down" searches before boarding and being restricted to one item of hand luggage, including items bought inside the airport.   Different new regulations can be expected from airlines, such as not permitting anyone to leave their seats in the final hour before landing. People travelling are advised to leave extra time for check-in.  Airlines are considering the use of in-flight air marshals.

Passengers have said that Mr Abdulmutallab was in the toilet for 20 minutes before returning to his seat, saying he had an upset stomach and throwing a blanket over his head.  It was in this position he attempted to ignite the estimated 80 gr of high explosives which had not been detected by airport security.

Mr Abdulmutallab is said to have been an engineering student at University College London between 2005 and 2008 but appears the UK Border Agency denied him a new visa this summer as he had applied for a course at a bogus college.  He had not given any cause for concern to the American authorities and his name did not appear on the US no-fly list, despite his father, a prominent Nigerian banker, reporting his extreme views to the US authorities.

UK
Hearings postponed
The inquiry into the Iraq war has said it will not call Prime Minister Brown until after the general election.  The inquiry’s reasoning is that it did not want the hearing to be used for political advantage.

Sir John Chilcot's inquiry will have had public hearings with Tony Blair, his ex-ministers and senior advisers by early February. These include ex-legal adviser Lord Goldsmith, ex-foreign secretary Jack Straw and Alastair Campbell as well as Clare Short who resigned after the invasion and Elizabeth Wilmshurst, who was a deputy legal adviser at the Foreign Office, who resigned as she believed the war was illegal.

Ex-defence secretaries Geoff Hoon, John Reid, Des Browne and John Hutton are also giving evidence. As will Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair's chief of staff in Downing Street.

The inquiry is examining UK policy towards Iraq between 2001 and 2009.  Critics have said that delaying the hearings undermines the perception of independence of the inquiry.

USA
Jail sentences for balloon prank
In the so-called “balloon boy” case, the father of the youngster who was said to have been carried away by a helium balloon has been sentenced to 90 days imprisonment.  His wife has been given a punishment of 20 days.

Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed their six-year-old son, Falcon, had hidden abroad the balloon which inadvertently took off with the child, thus launching a huge air and ground search.  The boy was subsequently found hiding in his home.  The parents are believed to have initiated the stunt to interest reality TV in them and the prosecutor argued for time in jail as a deterrent to anyone who might take similar initiative in order to receive publicity or money.

The father appeared to be close to tears as he was sentenced, saying he was "very, very sorry".   The judge also ordered four years of supervised probation for the couple and banned them from receiving any form of financial benefit from the case.
The couple were previously ordered to pay £26,000 to compensate the emergency services for their rescue operations.  Mr. Heene will be able to spend 60 of his assigned days on release so that he can continue working as a construction contractor during the day but spending nights in jail.  His wife’s sentence will begin after his finishes so their children can be attended to.

Italy
Venice submerged
Strong wind and heavy rain combined with Venice’s changing tide levels to bring floods to more than half of the city.  In parts, the water level reached 143 cm high.

Record taking began only in 1966 when high water reached nearly 2 metres and left many of the city’s buildings and treasures damaged.  Since then, this is the 11th highest level.  Experts fear that water levels will be yet higher come the new year.

It is usual for wooden squares to be laid temporarily so that residents can cross, but this technique works only for water up to a certain level.  A system of responsive flood barriers is also being built.

Spain
Passengers protest airline collapse
Spanish airline Air Comet suspended all its flights this week, leaving about 7,000 people affected, some stranded.  A number of passengers in Spain and Latin America are threatening to go on hunger strike in protest.

The airline, based in Madrid and specialising in low-cost flights to Latin America, is said to owe €17 million to Nord Bank in Germany for leasing arrangements.  It says it will lay-off most of its 700 employees and that it has filed for bankruptcy.

Many of its passengers have been stranded for the past two days, claiming they have had no information.  Spanish authorities revoked Air Comet’s licence because of its debts, but they also say there are seeking alternative transport options for the stranded passengers.

Ireland
A second Roman Catholic bishop has offered his resignation to the Pope following the report which exposed long-term sexual abuse of children in care of the Catholic Church.

The Bishop of Kildare, Dr James Moriarty, previously insisted it was not necessary for him to resign, even after the report implied that he had not investigated thoroughly accusations against an alleged abuser.  With his resignation offer, however, the bishop said he accepted he should have done more about the way the Church handled abuse by priests.

Dr Moriarty worked in the Dublin archdiocese from 1991 to 2002.  After being alerted in 1993 that a priest, Fr Edmondus, was behaving suspiciously, Dr Moriarty warned the priest and discussed the matter with his Archbishop, but he made no attempt to check files relating to the priest.

Maeve Lewis, director of victim support group One in Four, said it was "immensely distressing and insulting" to survivors to be forced to listen as "one bishop after another justifies his position and attempts to hold on to power until he is shamed into resigning… Ultimately, the resignations of all the auxiliary bishops named in the report are inevitable".

UK
Economy still lagging
The British economy remains in recession, having shrunk by 0.2 per cent between July and September.  Analysts think that the next quarter will deliver a return to growth.

The UK recession began in the April-to-June quarter of 2008. Since then the economy has contracted by 6%, having shown negative growth for six consecutive quarters.

The 0.2 per cent figure has been revised from an initial 0.4 per cent when the figures were first released in October.  In the usual course of events, figures are studied and revised at month intervals. The Office for National Statistics said the upward revision of the figures was credited to an improvement in construction output, good growth in public sector projects and upward trend in house building, although services and industrial production were weaker.

Household savings ratio, the percentage of disposable income saved, rose in the third quarter, a factor considered important to drive the economy up and assist recovery.  A reduction in household debt is required for recovery, while at the same time the economy also needs people to be spending money.

Europe
Weather shuts down travel
Snowstorms across much of Europe and the UK have hampered travel and caused accidents.  In excess of 90 people have perished in the cold snap.

Air, rail and road transport has been severely disrupted across northern Europe and more snow is expected. Bitter cold in tandem with heavy snow in some areas has brought cancellations and delays at airports and forced train lines to close. British Airways said most flights were operating again after it had cancelled all its domestic and European flights from the main London airport, Heathrow, on Monday.  Some airlines, including EasyJet and Ryanair, cancelled dozens of flights. Domestic rail services across the UK have suffered great delays, with buses used in place of trains in many areas.  Glasgow rail services have been suspended. Road traffic was in chaos in many parts of the UK, including the south-east where roads were gridlocked late on Monday after numerous crashes in heavy snowfall.

Airports in Germany were forced to close on Monday, while in France, Belgium and the Netherlands major disruption followed thick snowfalls.  Rail, bus, and road travel was similarly affected as 50 cm of snow fell.  After three days of cancellation, Eurostar resumed operations on Tuesday, although day trips were still on hold.

The majority of those reported to have died were homeless people, at least 42 of them in Poland, another 27 in the Ukraine and two in France.  The others were killed as a result of car accidents in Austria, Finland and Germany.  Many more were injured in accidents, including 50 people in a train which rammed into a buffer in Zagreb, Croatia, and 36 in a Paris train which derailed when a vehicle skidded on ice and caused concrete to fall onto the rail tracks.

Italy
Artist’s bones exhumed
The bones of Caravaggio, renowned Renaissance artist, have been removed for study by Italian scientists.   Caravaggio created the Baroque painting technique known as chiaroscuro, a method where light and shadow are thrown into sharp contrasted.

The bones had been kept in an ossuary in the town of Porto Ercole but have now been moved to the University of Bologna.  They will then go on display at Rome’s Borghese gallery before being redeposited in another burial place, yet to be announced.

The scientists are to examine the remains to see if they can discover information about the nature of his death and will be comparing them with those of his descendents.  Many details of his life and death are today unknown, such as his birth which was either 1571 or 1573.  Some details of his life reveal something of a rough and tumble existence, famed for starting brawls, often winding up in jail, and even killing a man. His last years were spent in southern Italy, keeping away from justice and it is believed that when he died he might have been on his way to Rome to seek a pardon.

The cause of his death has never been clear, leaving open the path for wide speculation.  Theories range from being assassinated on religious grounds, that he was on a deserted beach when he collapsed with malaria, or possibly that typhus brought about his death in 1610.

Romania
20th anniversary
Romania is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1989 revolution which brought down the Communist ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu.

Small commemorations have been held at cemeteries and sites associated with the revolution in several cities, including Bucharest and Timisoara, the seat of the revolution.  President Traian Basescu noted that more than 1,100 people died during the uprising, that the full truth was not known, and many responsible for the killings have not been brought to justice.  Only a very few army and secret police officials have been tried, with two army generals beginning a 15 year sentence last year.

A BBC investigation revealed that many of the orphans, whose desperate neglect was made known in the wake of the revolution, are in adult institutions today and still subjected to appalling conditions.

USA
Secret detention centre revealed
A parliamentary committee in Lithuania has revealed that the CIA used two secret detention centres in their country following the September 11 attacks on the US.

In 2005 and 2006 planes chartered by the CIA were allowed to land in Lithuania and that at least eight suspected terrorists were kept in secret in a former riding school near the capital, Vilnius, according to the investigation.  In August 2009 some US media claimed that not only Lithuania, but also Poland and Romania all had secret centres used for interrogation and detention.

Capturing suspects in one country and depositing them in another without any access to law, “extraordinary rendition”, and the use of secret detention facilities were among the highly controversial steps of the Bush government and strained relationships with a number of Bush’s allies.

Because of the covert nature of the operations, details have been difficult to ascertain.  US officials seem to have hinted that something like dozens of prisoners were held secretly, while a controversial European Parliament report alleged that there were hundreds.  To-date, one case has been tried; an Italian court convicted more than 20 US agents in absentia for their involvement in abducting a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003.

USA
Michael Jackson files released
The FBI has unveiled at least 300 pages of information, formerly classified, concerning the pop star Michael Jackson.  Half the file will, however, remain classified.

Most of the released documents concerning two child molestation cases in 1993 and 2004 in which Jackson was cited as well as an extortion case in which he was targetted for financial payout.  In 1993 the father of Jordie Chandler tried to press charges against Jackson, but Jackson, who denied the accusation, was never charged although a civil case the next year was settled out of court with a reported payment of £14 million to Chandler.

In 2004 the local police feared that global media coverage of Jackson’s new trial could make the proceedings a “soft target for terrorism” and asked for FBI help.  The Bureau concluded that there was no indication of a terrorist threat.  Jackson was subsequently found not guilty.

No information is contained in the released documents which relate to Jackson’s sudden death in June.

Australia
Rapid recovery for separated babies
The operation to separate two twin girls joined at the head has been so successful that the girls have been released from their Melbourne hospital much earlier than anticipated.

The girls, Krishna and Trisna, aged 3, were born in Bangladesh and taken, with the help of aid workers, to Australia in preparation for surgery two years ago.  Their brains were fused together, and doctors estimated there was only a 25 per cent chance of surviving the medical intervention.  They have amazed medical personnel by their recovery and so far it seems neither has suffered any serious neurological damage as a result of the 32-hour procedure.

UK
Televised debates agreed
The three leading political parties have reached agreement with the main broadcasters to hold the first televised election debates in the UK.

The UK has lagged behind other countries in holding televised debates among the key contenders. Such live broadcasts are believed to raise voters’ interest and have elsewhere provided seminal moments in election campaigns.  UK opposition leaders often demand TV debates, but prime ministers defer, saying they are questioned regularly, at prime minister’s questions and in statement to the Commons.  Tony Blair refused when he was prime minister and Gordon Brown has argued that situations elsewhere, notably the US, differ in that the president is directly elected rather than the local MP.

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will all participate in a series of three 90 minute debates taking place during prime time and before a selected audience.  It is anticipated that the debates will each have a theme.  Separate debates are scheduled for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The election is widely expected to be called for 6 May, but recent speculation is that it may be as early as 25 March.

China
Death sentence for Brit
A British man, convicted of drug trafficking, is due to be executed in China on 29 December following the failure of his appeal to China’s Supreme People’s Court.

Akmal Shaikh, 51, of north London, was arrested in September 2007 in north-west China, but denies knowledge of the 4kg of heroin found on him when he landed in China. The British legal charity Reprieve says it believes he was duped into carrying a bag for someone who claimed he could find work for him in a nightclub. The charity further states that Shaikh maintains he went to China to start a career as a pop star, despite no history of public singing, having previously lived in Poland where he tried to set up an airline.

It appears Mr Shaikh suffers from bipolar disorder and is mentally ill.   A forensic psychologist believes it was very likely that Mr Shaikh's  behaviour was "influenced or caused by" his mental illness. It is believed that Chinese experts have also called for a proper mental health evaluation, but the courts have not taken his mental health problems into their consideration.

It would appear Mr Shaikh’s last chance is clemency.  The Foreign & Commonwealth Office says it would intensify its appeals to the Prime Minister for clemency.  If the sentence is carried out, Mr. Shaikh would become the first EU national to be executed in China in 50 years.

Czech Republic
Hopes for rhino survival
A risky but desperate plan has been launched to save the Northern White rhino from extinction.

Four rhinos from a Czech zoo were sent to a reserve in Kenya where it is hoped they will breed.  This leaves two rhinos in the Czech Republic and two in the US.  These eight Northern White rhinos are the only ones know to remain anywhere in the world.  There were four others known to live in the wild in Africa, but these have not been spotted since 2006.

The “Last Chance to Survive” project is a last-bid initiative but by no means clear-cut.  It is hoped the two females will become more fertile in their native habitat, with “genetic memory” playing a part, but attempts at breeding over the last ten years has resulted in only one baby born in 2000.  Fears, however, have been expressed that years in captivity will have rendered the animals dangerous and unpredictable, even in a secured environment.

US
Health reforms closer
Healthcare in the US was given a further hope of reform when the US Senate voted to put the proposed legislation forward for a final vote on 24 December.  President Obama praised the step as a “big victory for the American people”.

The legislation proposes to protect the 31 million Americans who are not covered by insurance by making insurance mandatory and achievable.  As part of the plan, private insurers would be banned from refusing applicants with pre-existing medical conditions.

Health care reform is an enormously contentious issue in the US, reflected in the long and acrimonious Senate debate with the outcome vote of 60 to 40 along party lines.  Three further votes will take place this week before the final Senate vote on Christmas Eve, so there are still hurdles to surmount.  It would appear that at the end of the process, further work will need to be done to amalgamate a bill passed in the lower house, the House of Representatives, and that of the Senate.

President Obama placed medical care reform as a pivotal part of his first term, but many presidents before him have tried and failed.  If change succeeds this time, it will be the biggest for US healthcare in decades.

UK
Christmas spending increases
Christmas shoppers braved challenging weather conditions on the last weekend before the holiday.

Brisk sales were reported from most parts of the UK, despite the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls which have caused havoc with traffic.  An association for central London traders said purchases were up 10 per cent from 2008 and that only 40 per cent of goods were discounted compared to 90 per cent last year.  The value of good sold was also on the increase with more expensive items being purchased. The planned increase in the new year of VAT from 15 per cent back to 17.5 per cent will have contributed to the sales.

Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent said it had had a tremendous few months in the run-up to Christmas while Capital Shopping Centres, representing 14 regional shopping districts in Great Britain reported its busiest trading day on Saturday, with more than seven million shoppers.

UK
Probe sought into Globespan demise
Scotland’s finance secretary has urged that collapse of the airline Flyglobespan be given a full investigation, including the conduct of E-Clear, a credit card handling agency, which the administrators claim owed the airline £35 million.

E-Clear was involved with the Hertfordshire-based Allbury Travel Group, also trading as Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and JetLife. Allbury went into administration on Saturday, leaving some 100 holidaymakers abroad with another 4,000 advance bookings.

The finance secretary, Mr Swinney, has demanded urgent action to accommodate the thousands of passengers and 550 staff left stranded abroad by the abrupt closure on Wednesday of Globespan.  Of the 4,500 abandoned passengers, only 1,100 customers of Globespan package holidays were covered by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority, which guarantees refunds and return flights.   Mr Swinney is seeking to see such protection is extended to flight-only passengers "The sheer number of travellers involved in non-protected travel arrangements in the Globespan collapse means that this requires to be addressed as a matter of urgency."

Europe
Freezing weather brings turmoil
Much of the continent has been buffeted by severe storms and freezing temperatures, leaving at least 19 people dead.  Air, rail, and road traffic has been in turmoil.

At least 15 people froze to death overnight in Poland.  In Germany temperatures dove to -33ºC in some parts. Two people died in southern Austria as they attempted to get back to their homes.

Flights have been cancelled, train services severely affected and roads rendered impassable. In France, 40 per cent of flights out of Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports were cancelled as a second wave of snowstorms came down in the north of the country.  Belgium’s three busiest airports were shut completely, Amsterdam left to cope with extreme delays, and German airports closed or facing huge disruption.  Flights in the UK were also subjected to delays, particularly at Manchester Airport.

In excess of 2,000 Eurostar travellers were left for 16 hours in ironically sweltering heat as trains failed in the Channel Tunnel after electrical failures, purportedly caused by condensation owing to the variance between external and tunnel temperatures.  The whole service has been shut while tests are conducted and it is not certain when the service will resume.

Meanwhile, blizzards hit much of the east coast of the UK covering 800 km and affecting a quarter of the entire US population.  It is one of the worst blizzards in decades and has set off emergencies in all affected states.

US
Guantanamo releases
Twelve Guantanamo inmates were dispatched over the weekend to their homelands in Afghanistan, Yemen and the Somaliland region.

Six Yemenis, four Afghans and two Somali detainees were returned.   The Department of Justice says moves took place under appropriate security measures and that it will continue to consult with the relevant foreign authorities regarding the individuals involved.

The US plans to send 116 detainees to their home countries or to third countries willing to accept them. Yemenis account for almost half of the 198 detainees who remain at the US military base in Cuba. But officials fear many could re-join militant groups if sent back to Yemen.

President Obama promised to close the controversial detention centre in 2010.  Last week it was announced that many of the detainees would be sent to a prison in the US state of Illinois to face trials in US criminal or military courts.