Northern Lights illuminate the UK

28 February 2014 Last updated at 04:13 ET

The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - has been giving rare and spectacular displays over parts of the UK, from the north of Scotland to as far south as Essex and Gloucestershire.

The lights have also been clearly visible in places such as Orkney, Norfolk and south Wales.

The display, which is caused by electrically charged particles from the Sun entering the Earth's atmosphere, led to scenes such as this one at the Stonehaven war memorial, Aberdeenshire.

Mark Thompson, presenter of the BBC's Stargazing Live, said he had not been expecting a display as spectacular as it was in places such as Wick, in Caithness.

Mr Thompson said the display, which was also seen in Corbridge, Northumberland, happens when solar wind - electrically charged particles - is ejected from the Sun. He said: "They take two or three days to get here and when they do get here they cause the gas atoms in the sky to glow. It is as simple as that."

The astronomer said: "Three or four days ago the Sun will have thrown a lot of this stuff out in an event called a coronal mass ejection, and they would have been travelling towards the Earth since. It all depends how active the Sun has been." This photograph was taken in Boulmer, Northumberland.

Mr Thompson said the particles were usually pulled towards the North Pole but if there were enough of them "they will travel further down towards the equator and cause the lights to go further south". Unusually, this time they were seen as far south as Gloucestershire.

"It is just good luck," Mr Thompson said. "The last time I have seen it this spectacular was probably 20 years ago." The lights were seen in many locations across the UK, including Shap in Cumbria.

Lucie Green, of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: "At the moment we are at the height of the Sun's activity cycle, and it's ultimately energy from the Sun that creates the Northern Lights." The lights were seen from many parts of the UK, including here at Bow Fiddle Rock in Portknockie, Moray.

Ms Green said: "When we were watching the Sun on 25 February we saw that a particularly large and fast eruption leapt off from the Sun's atmosphere, and the models predicted that we would probably get a glancing blow from this eruption, and they were right." This picture was taken at Embleton Bay in Northumberland.

The Aurora Borealis was also visible from Foxley, Norfolk.

Many people took photographs of the illuminated skies. This one shows St Mary's Island, Tyne and Wear.

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Badger culls were 'ineffective'

28 February 2014 Last updated at 05:17 ET By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News

An independent scientific assessment of last year's pilot badger culls in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset has concluded that they were not effective.

Analysis commissioned by the government found the number of badgers killed fell well short of the target deemed necessary, the BBC understands.

And up to 18% of culled badgers took longer than five minutes to die, failing the test for humaneness.

The pilot culls were intended to limit the spread of TB in cattle.

They were carried out to demonstrate the ability to combat bovine TB though a controlled reduction in the population of local badgers.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We have always stated that if the pilots were to fail on humaneness then BVA could not support the wider roll out of the method of controlled shooting"

End Quote Robin Hargreaves, President, British Veterinary Association

Contracted marksmen, paid for by farming groups, were employed to shoot the animals at night.

The Independent Expert Panel was appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to help ministers evaluate the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of the Gloucestershire and Somerset pilots.

Prof Rosie Woodroffe, a scientist at the Zoological Society of London, said that the panel's "findings show unequivocally that the culls were not effective and that they failed to meet the humaneness criteria.

"I hope this will lead to the Secretary of State (Owen Paterson) to focus on other ways of eradicating TB in cattle," she told BBC News.

Robin Hargreaves, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said it was the BVA that had taken a lead in calling for the controlled shooting to be tested and critically evaluated before it was rolled out.

"We are unable to comment in detail on the findings of the IEP until we have seen the report," he told the BBC. "But if these figures are true then they would certainly raise concerns about both the humaneness and efficacy of controlled shooting.

"We have always stated that if the pilots were to fail on humaneness then BVA could not support the wider roll out of the method of controlled shooting."

Continue reading the main story

• 6.4% - 18% badgers took longer than five minutes to die

• 1,771 number of badgers culled*

• £7.29m estimated cost of badger cull, according to animal welfare charity*

PA

The pilots were authorised by Defra and licensed by Natural England.

The target for marksmen was to kill at least 70% of badgers in the cull areas within a six-week period.

Extensive research carried out by Prof Woodroffe in earlier trials in the 1990s had shown that a failure to kill this percentage of badgers in a narrow window of time could actually worsen matters as disturbed and diseased animals took the TB into new areas.

When both trials duly failed to kill sufficient badgers within the specified period, they were extended on the advice of the Chief Vet, Nigel Gibbens. The panel in its report, though, concerns itself only with the initial six weeks.

First assessments had suggested that, in those six weeks, 58% of badgers had been killed in the Somerset cull and 30% in the Gloucestershire pilot.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We knew there'd be lessons to be learned from the first year of the pilot culls which is why we're looking forward to receiving the panel's recommendations for improving the way they are carried out."

End Quote Defra spokesman

However, BBC News understands the independent panel's analysis, which used more precise methodology, found that less than half of badgers were killed in both areas over the six-week period.

Defra had also agreed a criterion with the expert group for how the trials could be deemed humane.

The standard set was for no more than 5% of the shot badgers to take more than five minutes to die.

But the expert group found the time limit was exceeded by between 6.4% and 18% of shot animals, depending on the assumptions made.

The expert group, however, held back from describing the trial as "inhumane" on the grounds that there may be some circumstances in which greater suffering of badgers might be justified. An example would be if the spread of TB was causing more problems than otherwise anticipated.

Prof Woodroffe was among 32 scientists who wrote to Mr Patterson in 2012 expressing fears that the culls risked increasing TB in cattle rather than reducing it.

"Our predictions have been borne out," she told the BBC. "It has cost a fortune and probably contributed nothing in terms of disease control, which is really unfortunate."

The assessment also found a wide variation in the effectiveness and humaneness of the contractors brought in by farming groups to kill the badgers.

The expert panel said that if culling was to be extended to other parts of the country, the marksmen recruited would need to be closely monitored.

On the issue of public safety, the panel found no problems.

Andy Robertson, director general of the National Farmers' Union, said he could not comment on the contents of the IEP report until it was officially published. However, he stressed the threat TB in cattle posed to his members.

"More than 30,000 cattle were killed in the first 11 months of 2013 because of the disease. It is vital that we do everything we can to tackle the disease. Badgers play a key role in spreading bovine TB and so it's essential that any TB eradication policy must include a targeted cull of badgers in those areas where TB is rife."

Defra said that it did not know when the report would be submitted by the IEP or when it would be published, stating only that "no deadline had been set". A spokesperson added: "We knew there'd be lessons to be learned from the first year of the pilot culls which is why we're looking forward to receiving the panel's recommendations for improving the way they are carried out, because we need to do all we can to tackle this devastating disease."

More than 1,700 badgers were culled in total in the two counties, according to Defra.

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MtGox files for bankruptcy

28 February 2014 Last updated at 06:08 ET

The MtGox bitcoin exchange has filed for bankruptcy protection, reports say.

The application was made in Japan by lawyers acting on behalf of the exchange and comes only days after MtGox went offline.

On Tuesday, the exchange's boss said he was working hard to find a "solution to our recent issues".

Before going offline, technical troubles meant it prevented customers transferring digital cash to other exchanges on 7 February.

Details of the bankruptcy are scant but the application for protection has been accepted by a district court in Tokyo, reported AFP. At the court hearing, the company said it had outstanding debts of about 6.5bn yen (£38m).

MtGox's lawyers are believed to have decided to apply to the court for protection after US regulators filed a subpoena against the company.

Reports suggested the site shut down after it discovered that an estimated 744,000 bitcoins - about $350m (£210m) - had been stolen due to a loophole in its security.

MtGox's troubles have put pressure on the price bitcoin owners can get for their holdings. Currently one bitcoin is worth about $561 (£334), a price far lower than the high of $1,000 per coin it hit in November 2013.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has banned its banks from from handling the crypto-currency saying the virtual cash is not legal tender. The country's state bank said trading in bitcoins carried "potential risks" for users.

At the same time, Japan's deputy finance minister said any regulation of bitcoin would have to involve international cooperation to avoid opening up loopholes that traders could exploit.

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No licensing of 'legal high' shops

28 February 2014 Last updated at 06:41 ET

The Home Office has said it has no intention of licensing shops that sell so-called "legal highs" after a minister appeared to float the idea.

Lib Dem Norman Baker was quoted by the Times as suggesting such outlets could be treated like sex shops with their windows blacked out and under-18s barred to show they weren't "harmless".

Home Office sources said his comments had been taken out of context.

Mr Baker told BBC News he would not comment further on the issue.

The latest official UK figures show 68 deaths were linked to legal highs in 2012, up from 10 in 2009.

The government has imposed bans on more than 250 substances, officially known as "new psychoactive substances", which are marketed at young people and presented in bright packaging.

'Dangerous trade'

Continue reading the main story

What are legal highs?

• Substances that produce similar effects to illegal drugs (such as cocaine and ecstasy) but are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
• This is because there is not enough research about them to base a decision on.
• They cannot be sold for human consumption, but are often sold as bath salts or plant food to get round the law
• Most fall into one of three categories: stimulants, sedatives or hallucinogens

The Times said Mr Baker - who chaired a summit on the issue on Thursday - had suggested that licensing was one way of controlling the proliferation of "head shops".

The outlets, of which there are hundreds in the UK, sell "legal highs" as well as New Age herbs, "party powders" and smoking-related paraphernalia.

"Rather than giving the impression that they are harmless, we need to consider whether or not there are messages and ways of dealing with those," the newspaper reported him as saying.

"We should maybe look at licensing them like sex shops with blacked-out windows and not allowing under-18s in."

'Not safe'

But the Home Office issued a statement on Friday, saying it had "no intention of regulating or licensing 'legal highs'"

"On the contrary, we are working to consider how current legislation can be toughened to combat this dangerous trade and ensure those involved in breaking the law are brought to justice," said a spokesman.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Drugs are illegal because they are harmful and often deadly"

End Quote Home Office

"Drugs are illegal because they are harmful and often deadly."

When asked about the Times report by BBC News on Friday, Mr Baker said he had no further comment to make and referred to the Home Office statement.

Home Office guidance issued to councils in December stated that head shops describing themselves as licensed could be prosecuted under consumer protection laws.

Speaking at Thursday's meeting, Mr Baker said it was "not acceptable" that such substances were readily available, even reportedly being sold from ice cream vans outside schools.

People buying the hallucinogenic drugs did not know what was in them, he added, making them particularly dangerous, but there was "no simple solution" to the problem.

"Some of these substances are very dangerous and can and do lead to deaths," he said.

"The way they're marketed and presented suggests to people that they are legal and safe. But sometimes they are not legal and they are certainly not safe."

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Taxi sex attack women win payout bid

28 February 2014 Last updated at 06:51 ET

Two women who were sexually assaulted by London taxi driver John Worboys have won their High Court bid to get compensation from the Met Police.

The women claimed their treatment by police after reporting Worboys's attacks had caused mental suffering.

The judge ruled their human rights were breached. Damages will now be assessed.

The judge also said "systemic" failures in the investigation meant Worboys - jailed for life in 2009 for attacks from 2002-08 - was not stopped earlier.

Reacting to the judgement, the Met said the case raised "important arguments regarding the boundaries of police responsibility", adding that it had already apologised for mistakes in the investigation. It said many of the judge's criticisms had already been addressed and that it would now consider the judgement.

'Great significance'

Delivering his judgement at the High Court in London, Mr Justice Green said Worboys - who was convicted of 19 offences, including one rape and 12 drugging charges - had carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults.

The women, known only as DSD and NBV for legal reasons, brought their claims under article three of the Human Rights Act - the right not to be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment.

DSD's 2003 allegation was the first received by the Met - although a woman went to City of London Police the previous year.

NBV contacted the police after being attacked by Worboys in July 2007.

DSD said she suffered a depressive disorder as a result of her treatment by officers during the 2003 investigation, while NBV claimed that she suffered serious distress, anxiety, guilt and an exacerbation of a post-traumatic disorder and depression as a result of her treatment in 2007.

The judge said there had been a "series of systemic failings" by the Met, which had failed to "cut short his five to six-year spree of violent attacks".

He said the Met had failed to "join the dots" between various despite the fact a "common modus operandi" was used by Worboys.

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Harriet Wistrich said police guidance had not "translated on to the ground"

Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the two women, said the judgement was of "great significance" because it was the first in the High Court to find that such failings by the police "can give rise" to successful legal action.

She said that, during the case, the police had "questioned whether they have a duty at all towards victims under law" and the judgement made it clear they did have such a duty.

"Had the police done their job properly, probably a lot of women wouldn't have been raped, which is really appalling," she said.

She said the judge had identified five main areas of failure by the police - training, supervision, use of intelligence, systems to ensure victim confidence and allocation of adequate resources.

Ms Wistrich said the police had appropriate policies and guidance in place, but that was not "translated on to the ground".

The Met said it did not contest the case due to "factual differences" with the women - but rather on the "interpretation of European human rights law".

"The case has raised important arguments regarding the boundaries of police responsibility and liability and we believed that it was important for these principles to be tested before the courts," a Met statement said.

It said it had "previously apologised for mistakes" in the Worboys investigation, adding that the errors were "very much historic".

"In the interim we have made important and significant changes to the way we investigate rape, which remains one of the most challenging and complex policing issues," it added.

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UKIP a growing threat, says Farage

28 February 2014 Last updated at 06:52 ET

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Nigel Farage speech at UKIP Spring Conference

Nigel Farage is seeking to galvanise UKIP support ahead of May's European elections in a speech at the party's spring conference in Torquay.

The anti-European Union party is hoping to win the most seats in the contest, building on its strong poll ratings and success in last year's local elections.

In his speech, Mr Farage will say UKIP is the "biggest threat to the political establishment" in modern times.

He is also expected to criticise government immigration policies.

UKIP calls for the UK to take back control of its borders by leaving the EU.

Mr Farage will say immigration has "now become the number one issue in British politics", adding: "Eighty per cent of the British people did not want borders to come down with Romania and Bulgaria, but they did.

'Female takeover'

"We have lost control and we want to take it back. In fact we've sunk so low as a nation, that we now cannot even deport foreign criminals without the say-so of a foreign court."

David Cameron's efforts to reduce net migration levels to below 100,000 suffered a major setback on Thursday when figures showed levels had rise by 58,000 to 212,000 in the year to September 2013.

Continue reading the main story

We represent a broadly based body of public opinion in this country that recognises the extent to which our political class have betrayed us."

End Quote Nigel Farage UKIP leader

The increase has been driven by a big growth in the number of European Union citizens coming to Britain.

The conference after recent electoral success, with UKIP winning nearly 150 council seats last May and finishing second - ahead of the Conservatives - in the Eastleigh and Sale and Wythenshawe parliamentary by-elections.

Opinion polls suggest there has been a sustained increase in UKIP's national support since the end of 2012, with it regularly getting double digit figures.

During his speech, Mr Farage will say the party "now poses the biggest threat to the political establishment that has been seen in modern times".

He will add: "We represent a broadly based body of public opinion in this country that recognises the extent to which our political class have betrayed us."

'Changed'

The party says it will be contesting more than 2,500 council seats at this year's local elections.

Mr Farage says UKIP "has changed" since 2010, adding: "The most significant change is the rise of women in the party. There are women candidates at number one and number two on the [European elections] lists.

"The point here that distinguishes us is that we have not used positive discrimination, we have not used all-female shortlists, our women have achieve these positions on the European elections lists through merit, which is the example of the kind of society we want to live in."

New slogan

Mr Farage will also say the European election campaign has been made more "exciting" by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's challenge of a head-to-head debate with him on the UK's place in the EU.

The party's deputy leader Paul Nuttall said that, if it got its campaign tactics right, it could come top in the European elections - in which 73 MEPs will be elected from across the UK.

One recent poll suggested UKIP was currently in third place behind both Labour and the Conservatives.

The Guardian has, meanwhile, reported comments Mr Farage made earlier this month in which he suggested eurosceptic MEPs could "have fun" in the European Parliament but "could not change a thing within Europe".

Other parties claim that UKIP is ineffective in Brussels and suggest their MEPs do not attend a lot of votes. Five of UKIP's MEPs elected in 2009 have either defected to other parties or had the whip withdrawn.

The party unveiled a new slogan 'Love Britain, Vote UKIP' on Friday. After it emerged that a similar slogan was once used by the far-right BNP, the party said it was "reclaiming" the phrase.

UKIP activists are debating a range of other issues on Friday, including the protection of women and the status of Gibraltar, amid recent tensions between the UK and Spain.

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'Russians occupy' Crimea airports

28 February 2014 Last updated at 06:53 ET

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Christian Fraser says barriers and armed men are blocking Sevastopol airport

Ukraine's interior minister has accused Russian naval forces of occupying Sevastopol airport in the region of Crimea.

Arsen Avakov called their presence an "armed invasion".

But Russia's Black Sea Fleet has denied that Russian servicemen are taking part.

The other main Crimean airport, Simferopol, has also been occupied by armed men, thought to be pro-Russia militia.

Continue reading the main story

At the Scene

Sevastopol is by name an international airport, but civilian flights stopped some years ago, and it is owned by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

So it would be of no real consequence that soldiers are guarding a military base were it not for the fact no-one knows whose orders they are obeying.

There are roadblocks springing up from here to the administrative capital Simferopol.

The local parliament is in session there, but is sharing the municipal building with a paramilitary unit, and Simferopol airport is also under protection.

There are also signs of further military movements:

• The BBC has seen eight truck with the black plates of the Russian army - usually the type used to carry personnel - moving towards Simferopol
• There are unconfirmed Ukrainian reports of eight Russian military helicopters arriving in Sevastopol

The Ukrainian parliament has called on the United Nations Security Council to discuss the unfolding crisis in Crimea.

As Ukraine's currency slides, the central bank has put a 15,000 hryvnia (1,000 euro; £820) limit on daily bank cash withdrawals.

Meanwhile interim President Olexander Turchynov has dismissed the Armed Forces chief, Yuriy Ilyin.

He was reported to have been admitted to hospital with a heart attack on Thursday.

Mr Ilyin was appointed earlier this month by Viktor Yanukovych, in one of his last acts before being ousted from the Ukraine presidency.

Tensions rise

Relations between Russia and Ukraine have been strained since Mr Yanukovych lost power.

These tensions have been particularly evident in Crimea, Ukraine's only Russian-majority region.

The BBC's Bridget Kendall in Moscow says the Crimea is becoming the lynchpin of a struggle between Ukraine's new leaders and those loyal to Russia.

Mr Yanukovych is now in Russia and is preparing to hold a news conference on Friday in the city of Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukrainian border.

He surfaced in Russia on Thursday, asserting that he is still Ukraine's lawful president.

Ukraine's general prosecutor has said that Ukraine will ask Russia to extradite Mr Yanukovych, if it is confirmed that he is there.

Armed men, said by Mr Avakov to be Russian soldiers, arrived in the Sevastopol military airport near Russia's Black Sea Fleet Base on Friday morning.

The men were patrolling outside, backed up by armoured vehicles, but Ukrainian military and border guards remained inside, Mr Avakov said.

"I consider what has happened to be an armed invasion and occupation in violation of all international agreements and norms," Mr Avakov said on his Facebook page.

Armed men also arrived at Simferopol airport overnight, some carrying Russian flags.

A man called Vladimir told Reuters news agency he was a volunteer helping the group there, though he said he did not know where they came from.

"I'm with the People's Militia of Crimea. We're simple people, volunteers," he said.

"We're here at the airport to maintain order. We'll meet the planes with a nice smile - the airport is working as normal."

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The armed men at Simferopol Airport would not talk to the BBC

After the violent clashes and the ousting of Mr Yanukovych in Kiev, the focus of the Ukraine crisis has now moved to Crimea, which traditionally leans towards Russia.

Continue reading the main story

Crimea's airports

• Simferopol is the main international terminal, serving the regional capital
• Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, has a Soviet-era military airport (Belbek) which was also used for civilian flights until some years ago. Ukrainian air force jets are stationed there
• The Russian Black Sea Fleet has aircraft stationed at other air bases in Crimea (Gvardeyskaya and Kacha)

On Thursday, a group of unidentified armed men entered Crimea's parliament building by force, and hoisted a Russian flag on the roof.

The Crimean parliament later announced it would hold a referendum on expanding the region's autonomy on 25 May.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged his government to maintain relations with Kiev and even join Western efforts to bail out its troubled economy.

But he is also giving the Crimean government humanitarian aid.

The US sought assurances from Russia earlier this week, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered snap military drills to test the combat readiness of troops near the border with Ukraine.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on all sides to "step back and avoid any kind of provocations".

Mr Kerry said he had spoken to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, who vowed to respect Ukraine's "territorial integrity".

Financial strain

On top of its political problems, Ukraine also faces huge financial hurdles.

It says it needs $35 billion over the next two years to avoid default on its loans.

Russia has suspended the next instalment of a $15bn loan because of the political uncertainty.

Switzerland and Austria announced on Friday that it had launched an investigation against Mr Yanukovych and his son Aleksander for "aggravated money laundering".

Austria also said it had frozen the assets of 18 Ukrainians suspected of violating human rights and involvement in corruption. It did not give any names.

Crimea - where ethnic Russians are in a majority - was transferred from Russia to Ukraine in 1954.

Ethnic Ukrainians loyal to Kiev and Muslim Tatars - whose animosity towards Russia stretches back to Stalin's deportations during World War Two - have formed an alliance to oppose any move back towards Moscow.

Russia, along with the US, UK and France, pledged to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in a memorandum signed in 1994.

Are you in the Crimea region of Ukraine? Email your stories to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Ukraine' in the subject heading and including your contact details.

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RBS shares tumble after £8.2bn loss

27 February 2014 Last updated at 06:28 ET

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Ross McEwan: "We are the least trusted company in the least trusted segment in business"

Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have fallen sharply after the troubled bank reported its biggest annual loss since being rescued by the UK government during the financial crisis.

The bank's pre-tax loss for 2013 was £8.2bn, compared with £5.2bn in 2012.

Its shares were down by more than 9% to around 320p. The average price paid by the government in 2008 was 500p.

Ross McEwan, RBS's newly appointed chief executive, told the BBC the results were "very sobering".

The fall in RBS's share price has wiped almost £2bn off its stock market value.

"It's another reminder that we're six years on from the onset of this, and they're still paying for it more than ever," said Toby Morris, senior sales trader at CMC Markets.

"We're so far from being out of the other side of the tunnel with this stuff, it's unbelievable."

Mr McEwan also announced that the banking group would be restructured, with an increased focus on lending to small business and retail banking in the UK.

Its seven operating divisions will be transformed into just three customer businesses: personal, commercial and corporate.

William Wright, a consultant at New Financial, told the BBC the bank had "shrunk by nearly half" and had shed a section of its business equivalent to the size of Lloyds.

'Least trusted'

Talking to the Today programme, Mr McEwan said it would take three to five years for the bank to recover.

"People - including the executives of the bank - didn't realise how big a change process we had to go through to get this bank back into shape," he said.

He added that RBS would now work on getting "back to good old banking where we have trust with people".

"We're in the least trusted industry and we're one of those banks that aren't trusted."

In a letter to shareholders, RBS said "cleaning up a £2.2 trillion balance sheet whilst addressing the many failings of the past" had taken its toll on the bank, but insisted it would be in better health by 2016.

'Smaller, simpler'

Mr McEwan also announced that RBS, once one of the world's largest banks, would now work on shrinking its operations, focusing less on its international operations, and more on getting the "basics of everyday banking right".

Continue reading the main story

Mr McEwan said he plans for RBS to become the "the number one bank for customer service and the most trusted bank in the UK" by 2020.

The bank's cost-to-income ratio currently stands at 73%, but RBS has set a target of getting this down to about 55% by 2017.

"This year, that will mean cutting around £1bn of operational spend on things that don't help our customers," a statement confirmed.

'Pragmatic' bonuses

Despite the increased loss, RBS set aside £576m for staff bonuses in 2013, a drop of 15% on 2012. Of that sum, £237m went to investment bankers.

Mr McEwan defended the bonus pool, arguing that attracting the most talented staff was essential. The best employees, he warned, were constantly being "tapped on the shoulder" by other institutions.

A spokesman for trade union Unite said the awards represented an "astonishing betrayal" by RBS, given the scale of losses incurred.

Rob MacGregor said the bonuses were "a state-sponsored grab by greedy senior bankers".

He added that Chancellor George Osborne had given RBS "the green light to indulge in grotesque levels of corporate greed in the midst of historic losses".

Former RBS chairman Sir George Mathewson told Radio 5 live staff were being rewarded for making an operating profit of £2.5bn, once costs relating to previous errors by the bank were taken out of the equation.

But he said he was "not a proponent of a bonus-driven culture" and that it was difficult being "in market places where the competition is prepared to play that type of game".

'Reduced staff levels'

The company's results come a week after UK newspapers speculated that thousands of jobs would be cut at the bank over the coming year.

RBS has not confirmed how many positions will be lost, but Mr McEwan said that reducing costs would "inevitably result in reduced staff levels".

"We do not yet have detailed plans for implementation," he added.

"We will deal with such matters sensitively, talking to our staff before communicating any such changes."

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NI crisis talks over secret letters

27 February 2014 Last updated at 04:24 ET

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BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler reports

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers is to meet Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as the crisis around power-sharing deepens.

She is facing an ultimatum from First Minister Peter Robinson to address his concerns about secret letters given to republicans classified as "On the Run".

The DUP leader had made his resignation threat after the trial of Donegal man John Downey collapsed.

Mr Downey denied killing four soldiers in the 1982 IRA Hyde Park bombing.

Mr Robinson said he was not prepared to remain as first minister in a power-sharing government "kept in the dark" about the letters to republican paramilitary suspects.

Continue reading the main story

Minutes of a NI Policing Board meeting in April 2010 indicate that members were briefed on the matter of On the Runs. Three members of the DUP were present at that meeting.

However, there was no mention of any letters being sent to On the Runs in that briefing.

The first minister met the secretary of state for about an hour on Wednesday night, following his resignation threat. Mr Robinson has asked for the assembly to be recalled on Friday.

Continue reading the main story

Anyone already convicted of paramilitary crimes became eligible for early release under the terms of the Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement of 1998.

The agreement did not cover:

• Anyone suspected of, but not charged with, paramilitary offences committed before the Good Friday Agreement.
• Those who had been charged with offences but who had escaped.
• Those who had been convicted of offences but who escaped.

Mr Robinson has called for letters to those On The Run, which give assurances to the suspects that they are not being sought by police, to be rescinded. He has also called for a judicial inquiry.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) sources said he is prepared to resign and call an election if necessary.

He gave the government until Thursday night to respond to the crisis.

He intends to make a statement to the assembly on Friday but what he says will depend on how the government deals with the issue.

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said more open discussions should have been held with Northern Ireland's first minister over the letters.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast Mr Clegg said: "With the benefit of hindsight, a much more open discussion with Peter Robinson should have been held at an earlier stage."

He said the coalition had inherited the system established by the previous government.

Mr Clegg said the government knew about the system but responsibility for the way in which it was administered was devolved.

DUP Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: "We need to see a public inquiry to find out who knew what, when and why it happened, and how it happened, despite the fact we were given assurances that there wouldn't be any amnesties, that there wouldn't be any legislation brought to deal with On the Runs.

"We are in a crisis, we need to sort this issue out. People on the ground feel very let down and feel that their government has deceived Peter Robinson and the rest of us in government here in Northern Ireland."

The case against Mr Downey collapsed because he was mistakenly told in a letter in 2007 that he was no longer a wanted man, despite the fact that police in Northern Ireland knew he was still being sought by Scotland Yard.

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Big increase in net migration to UK

27 February 2014 Last updated at 06:25 ET

Net migration to the UK rose to 212,000 in the year to September 2013 pushing it further away from government targets, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics said the net flow - the numbers moving here minus the numbers leaving the UK - rose from 154,000 in the previous year.

David Cameron says he wants to cut net migration to below 100,000 by 2015.

The increase has been driven by a big increase in the number of European Union citizens coming to Britain.

There was an increase in new arrivals from Poland, Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Some 24,000 citizens of Romania and Bulgaria also arrived in the year to September 2013, nearly three times the 9,000 who arrived in the previous year, the Office for National Statistics said in a report. Around 70% came to work, while 30% came to study.

Official figures for how many Romanians and Bulgarians have arrived since working restrictions were lifted on 1 January have yet to be released.

'Pull factor'

Some 532,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year ending September, up from the 497,000 people who arrived during the previous year, while 320,000 emigrants left the country, down from the 343,000 the previous year.

The number of EU citizens arriving in the UK rose to 209,000 from 149,000 the previous year, the ONS said.

But immigration of non-EU citizens saw a statistically significant decrease to 244,000 in the period, down from 269,000 the previous year.

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Immigration minister James Brokenshire: "Where we have direct levers on the non-EU, we're actually seeing continued falls"

The overall increase of 58,000 in the net migration figure will come as a blow to Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May's aim of cutting it to the "tens of thousands" by the time of the next election in May 2015.

But the figures are still down on the levels of net migration reached in the early days of the coalition - revised Office for National Statistics figures suggest it reached 263,000 in the year to September 2011.

Continue reading the main story

It is utterly pointless setting immigration targets when you can't even decide who comes in to this country"

End Quote Nigel Farage UKIP leader

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire insisted the government had not abandoned its target and its focus "absolutely remains on bringing net migration down to those sustainable levels".

He said the immigration flows that the government had some control over, from outside the EU, were continuing to come down.

He told the BBC: "It is down to levels we have not seen, in terms of net migration from outside the EU, since 1998.

"But what it does show is a very significant increase in migration from the EU itself - doubling - and that's why we remain focused on dealing with the abuse of free movement and also addressing some of those benefit and welfare factors that may be a pull factor to attract people to come to the UK."

'Smoke and mirrors'

He said the government would continue to push at an EU level for restrictions on the free movement of workers.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU, said: "These latest figures show just how out of control the government is when it comes to controlling immigration in and out of the UK.

"It is utterly pointless setting immigration targets when you can't even decide who comes in to this country.

"Until we end the open door immigration policy with the EU and take back full control over our borders nothing can really be done. It's all smoke and mirrors."

Net migration fell significantly in 2012, as the coalition government's crackdown on "bogus" student visas and tighter restrictions on non-EU migrants took effect.

But it began rising again last year, driven by a drop in the number of British citizens emigrating to other countries and an influx of job seekers from struggling EU nations - especially Spain, Portugal and Greece.

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Ukraine warns of Russia 'aggression'

27 February 2014 Last updated at 06:58 ET

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Pro-Russian demonstrators have pushed through police lines in Simferopol, says Mark Lowen in Simferopol

Ukrainian interim President Olexander Turchynov has warned Russia against any "military aggression" in Crimea.

He said Russia's troops from Russia's Black Sea Fleet should not move outside their naval base in Sevastopol.

The warning comes after armed men seized Crimea's regional parliament and the government headquarters of the Russian-majority region.

The Russian flag had been raised over both buildings in Simferopol. It is not clear who the men are.

"We ask our Russian partners to provide to stick to their... obligations, we believe Russia would never intervene into Ukrainian domestic affairs and will refrain from any steps that would split Ukraine," Prime Minister designate Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the BBC.

"We are committed to having Ukraine as one united country. We will punish anyone for separatism in Ukraine with all legal and constitutional means," he added.

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Watch a short history of the Republic of Crimea

The warnings from Ukrainian leaders came as Russia performed a second day of military exercises, saying its fighter jets were on "combat alert".

"Constant air patrols are being carried out by fighter jets in the border regions," Russia's defence ministry told Interfax.

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap drill to test the combat readiness of troops in central and western Russia, near the border with Ukraine. Thursday's exercises appear to be part of that drill, analysts say.

The Russian foreign ministry expressed concern over what it termed "massive violations of human rights in Ukraine".

Amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he was "concerned about developments in Crimea" and urged Russia "not to take any action that can escalate tension".

The US has warned against any military intervention by Russia.

Also on Thursday, former President Viktor Yanukovych issued his first statement since being voted out of office by MPs last week, telling Russian news agencies he had been "compelled to ask the Russian Federation to ensure my personal security from the actions of extremists" and that he still considered himself the legitimate president of Ukraine.

The state-run Itar-Tass agency quoted an official source as saying Mr Yanukovych would be granted "protection" by Russia, although there was no official confirmation of this.

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

A handful of pro-Russia demonstrators have pushed through the police cordon and are now outside the Crimean parliament.

They're cheering the occupation of the building by unidentified armed men, who entered this morning by force, hoisting a Russian flag from the roof. The protest leader proclaimed: "We've been waiting for this moment for 20 years. We want a united Russia."

This is the first big challenge for the new Ukrainian government. It has a delicate balancing act to perform in a region that straddles ethnic, political and linguistic divisions. Against the pro-Russian majority is a sizeable ethnic Ukrainian and Tatar minority who would firmly resist any attempt at secession.

But the demonstrators outside the parliament, waving Russian flags, say illegitimate protesters seized power in Kiev and that they fully intend to do the same here in Crimea.

'Provocateurs'

The incident in Simferopol is another illustration of tensions in the region, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Crimea.

One eyewitness Leonid Kazanov, who saw the armed men entering the parliament building, told local TV: "I asked one of the guys who they were. The guy, who introduced himself only as Andrey, said :'We are Russia.'"

Mr Kazanov added the attackers acted quickly and efficiently, and were well armed.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the area near the government buildings has been cordoned off to prevent "bloodshed". He added that the seizure of the buildings was the work of "provocateurs".

"Measures have been taken to counter extremist actions and not allow the situation to escalate into an armed confrontation in the centre of the city," he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Regional Prime Minister Anatoliy Mohylyov told a local TV station said he would take part in talks with the gunmen and told government employees who normally work there not to come in.

The men have not yet made any demands or issued any statements but did put up a sign reading: "Crimea is Russia".

They threw a flash grenade in response to questions from a journalist, AP news agency reported.

Continue reading the main story

Crimea

• Autonomous republic within Ukraine
• Transferred from Russia in 1954
• Ethnic Russians - 58.5%*
• Ethnic Ukrainians - 24.4%*
• Crimean Tatars - 12.1%*
• Source: Ukraine census 2001

Separatism fears

Tensions have been rising in Crimea since Mr Yanukovych was ousted last week.

On Wednesday the city saw clashes erupt between Ukrainians who support the change of government and pro-Russians.

Crimea - where ethnic Russians are in a majority - was transferred from Russia to Ukraine in 1954.

Ethnic Ukrainians loyal to Kiev and Muslim Tatars - whose animus towards Russia stretches back to Stalin's deportations during World War II - have formed an alliance to oppose any move back towards Moscow.

Crimea was transferred from Russia to Ukraine in 1954.

Russia, along with the US, UK and France, pledged to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in a memorandum signed in 1994.

Are you in the Crimea region of Ukraine? What is your reaction to the recent events? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Ukraine' in the subject heading and including your contact details.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Child poverty change 'put on hold'

27 February 2014 Last updated at 07:00 ET

The government has unveiled its new child poverty strategy - but plans to change the way it is measured have been put on hold.

Liberal Democrat Education Minister David Laws accused the Conservatives of "vetoing" improvements and said it was "very frustrating and disappointing".

Conservative Iain Duncan Smith also backed the move, but it is understood the Treasury blocked it.

The strategy restates the government's aim to end child poverty by 2020.

It lists a range of existing government policies which might help children living in poverty, including childcare support, free school meals, fruit and vegetable vouchers, discounts on energy bills and increases in the threshold for paying income tax.

The proposals have been put out for public consultation.

'Long diversion'

At the moment children are said to be in poverty if they live in a household with an income less than 60% of the national average.

This means that if there is a recession, for example, the average household income figure could fall, so fewer children are judged to be in poverty, even though their circumstances have not changed.

Continue reading the main story

Changing the definition, critics would argue, could make it easier for the government to meet the target of eradicating child poverty by 2020. But the Treasury was worried about the opposite problem."

End Quote

The opposite happens when the economy grows - if average household incomes increase, more children might be deemed to be in poverty even though their parents' circumstances have not changed.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith wanted to introduce a more sophisticated measure - taking in to account whether children have access to a good education, a decent home, and a stable family - and had reached a deal with his Lib Dem colleagues, BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said.

"The Treasury are sticking to the line that they have not blocked a new measurement," Iain Watson said, "but they certainly have sent it on a long diversion".

Mr Laws told the BBC: "I can't get into the entrails of why the Conservatives have been unable to agree and come forward with a serious set of measures. They will have to explain that.

"What I'm not willing to do is to allow this key debate over measures which are so important in driving the right policies in future to simply be vetoed by one party."

'Common ground'

He said it was important to bring in new measures of child poverty "because ultimately they are the driver of policy in the future".

He added: "The Liberal Democrats have a very clear idea of what the new measures should be, and we're not going to allow the Conservative Party simply to end discussion of this."

He said the party would put new targets in their manifesto including narrowing the educational attainment gap between those from disadvantaged backgrounds and children from better-off families.

The Lib Dems have said there is a "lot of common ground" between them and Mr Duncan Smith on the policy.

In a joint article published in the Guardian, Chancellor George Osborne and the work and pensions secretary wrote: "To see why Labour's measure of poverty - defined as 60% of median income - is so discredited consider these perverse outcomes.

"Measured child poverty fell because the Great Recession reduced median incomes, but in the real world nobody's life was improved by that.

"Equally, raising the state pension results in higher measured child poverty. That doesn't make any sense."

But, they concluded, it was important "we take the time to get it right".

'Squabbling'

The Children's Society's Matthew Reed said: "The government's continued commitment to ending child poverty is welcome.

"But its strategy has no new ideas on how to make this a reality. It falls far short of what is needed to prevent a significant increase in the number of children living in poverty by 2020."

The Baptist Union of Great Britain, Methodist and United Reformed Churches released a statement arguing that the strategy contained no proposals "substantial enough to grasp the seriousness of the challenge ahead".

"Perversely the strategy trumpets measures that will actually increase child poverty," it continued.

Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said: "Child poverty is set to rise by 400,000 under David Cameron's government, while ministers squabble over the way poverty is defined.

"The row between George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith does nothing to help working people who are £1,600 worse off a year because of the cost-of-living crisis.

"If David Cameron was serious about cutting child poverty he would scrap the bedroom tax, introduce a compulsory jobs guarantee, strengthen the minimum wage, incentivise the living wage and extend free childcare for working parents."

Are you struggling on a low income with a family to support? What is the best way to tackle child poverty? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Child poverty' in the subject heading and including your contact details.

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Met Office confirms wettest winter

27 February 2014 Last updated at 07:16 ET

The UK has had the wettest winter since national records began in 1910, the Met Office has confirmed.

Separate records held for England and Wales also show the heaviest rainfall since they were started in 1766.

Regional records have also been beaten, with the flood-hit South East of England getting well over double the rainfall expected in a normal winter.

The persistent string of powerful storms and heavy rain brought extensive flooding to parts of the UK.

About 6,500 homes have been affected by flooding since December, with many people forced to evacuate their homes.

Provisional figures released by the Met Office said 517.6mm of rain fell in the UK between December 1 and February 24.

The south-east and central southern England had already broken the winter record on 11 February with a total of 439.2mm. The previous record had stood since 1914-15.

Continue reading the main story

Chris Fawkes BBC Weather

---

The wettest winter on record was caused by an extremely powerful Atlantic Jet Stream developing unusually deep and frequent areas of low pressure, which were steered into the UK.

An exceptionally deep area of low pressure moved into the UK on 24 December, with a pressure of 936hPa (hectopascals) recorded at Stornoway in the Western Isles of Scotland, the lowest pressure recorded in the UK for many years.

The low pressures often brought southwesterly winds, with several stormy spells. The strongest storm of the winter brought a top wind gust of 108mph to Aberdaron in north-west Wales on 12 February.

It was also a very mild winter in the UK with average mean temperatures of 5.2C, making it the fifth warmest winter in the series dating back to 1910. The top five warmest winters on record have all occurred in the last 25 years.

According to the England and Wales precipitation records, some 435mm of rain fell this winter, beating the previous highest total of 423mm also set in 1914-1915.

A Met Office statement said: "We have seen some contrast between the south and north of the UK, with northern Scotland having received a third more rainfall than its long-term average in contrast to the almost two and a half times seen in south-east and central southern England.

"The main reason for the mild and wet winter weather is that we have seen a predominance of west and south-west winds, bringing in mild air from the Atlantic - as well as the unsettled and at times stormy conditions."

The mild weather means the UK is also on target for its fifth warmest winter since records began in 1910.

The average temperature over the past three months was 5.2C (41.4F), about 1.5C higher than the typical winter.

The latest UK-wide figures also show the heavy rain in February led to south-east and central southern England receiving 133.3mm, almost two-and-a-half times the monthly average.

South-west England and south Wales received 201mm, double the average rainfall.

Two severe flood warnings - meaning danger to life - remain in place in Somerset, which has seen an onslaught of flooding this winter.

The Environment Agency (EA) said the country's largest-ever pumping operation is continuing to reduce flood water on the Levels and Moors.

Across the rest of southern and central England river levels continue to fall slowly, including along the Thames and the Severn.

But affected properties are expected to remain flooded for "some time", the EA added.

The flooding caused widespread disruption to travel services, including damage to rail services in the west country, and has impacted on local business and tourism.

Earlier this month, David Cameron announced that a government scheme to provide grants for homeowners in England hit by the floods would begin on 1 April.

Claimants will be eligible for payments of up to £5,000 to help cover future protection for properties.

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Standard Life quit plan sparks row

27 February 2014 Last updated at 07:19 ET

Standard Life's announcement that it may move operations outside Scotland in the event of independence has sparked a political row.

The company said it was putting the contingency plan in place because of uncertainty over issues like currency.

The Scottish government said the move demonstrated its post-Yes currency union plan was the right option.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he was not surprised by the announcement.

The intervention came ahead of the Scottish independence referendum, on 18 September.

Edinburgh-based Standard Life - which has been based in Scotland for 189 years - employs about 5,000 people in Scotland out of a total headcount of 8,500.

Continue reading the main story

Standard Life is the first significant Scottish business to warn that remaining in Scotland may be untenable in the event of a vote for independence.

Its intervention in the debate on Scotland's future is particularly significant because it is a symbolically important company in Scottish financial history and is regarded as a great success.

Standard Life is the UK's biggest provider of defined contribution pensions and self-invested pension plans, and has around £240bn of assets under management.

Chief executive David Nish insisted Standard Life has "a long-standing policy of strict political neutrality and at no time will we advise people on how they should vote".

However, he said his strict duty was to assess the impact of independence on the group's four million UK customers, its 5,000 Scottish-based employees and its 1.5 million shareholders.

The company's concerns came on the day of its annual results, reporting operating profits of £751m - a fall of 13% on a year earlier.

The intervention came amid a vigorous debate over the currency of an independent Scotland.

In the event of a referendum "Yes" vote, the Scottish government wants to keep the pound as part of a formal currency union with the rest of the UK - but the three main Westminster parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, have said they would not support such a move.

Standard Life has started work to establish additional registered companies to operate outside Scotland, into which it could transfer parts of its business.

Its annual report said Scotland had been a great base for the company, but added, "if anything were to threaten this, we will take whatever action we consider necessary - including transferring parts of our operations from Scotland - in order to ensure continuity and to protect the interests of our stakeholders".

Standard Life Chief executive David Nish said a number of material issues remained unresolved in connection with independence, including currency and the shape and role of its monetary system.

Risk analysis

He also highlighted arrangements for financial services regulation and consumer protection and the approach to individual taxation, especially around savings and pensions.

Mr Nish added: "We will continue to seek clarity on these matters, but uncertainty is likely to remain.

Continue reading the main story

Standard Life's comments show exactly why our proposals for a formal currency area are the right proposals"

End Quote John Swinney Scottish finance secretary

"In view of this, there are steps we will take based on our analysis of the risks."

Mr Nish insisted Standard Life had a "long-standing policy of strict political neutrality and at no time will we advise people on how they should vote".

Reacting to the announcement, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney, said: "Standard Life's comments show exactly why our proposals for a formal currency area are the right proposals, why they are in the best interests of business on both sides of the border and why that is what will be implemented by both governments.

"This also shows why the UK government have a duty to engage properly with the issues instead of issuing irresponsible threats."

Mr Swinney added: "The UK government are engaged in a systematic campaign of bluff, bluster and bullying, but we have already seen the UK government accept that it will remain legally liable for all UK debt, and the PM offer his support for Scotland's membership of the EU - the issue of currency will be no different."

Scottish presence

Mr Clegg said the announcement was not surprising because of uncertainty over issues like currency.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Because of the failure of the SNP to prepare for this moment and spell out what they mean by independence, it is no wonder that major employers are saying 'maybe we can't continue with our presence north of the border'."

Asked whether it was right for businesses to intervene in the independence debate, the Deputy Prime Minister said: "I think it's right for businesses to answer questions for themselves about their own business and address themselves to their own workforce, because there are thousands of people who work for Standard Life who want to know, 'what does it mean for my future and my ability to pay my bills if Scotland were to be yanked out of the UK?'."

Meanwhile, the chairman of RBS - which has reported its biggest annual loss since being bailed out by the UK government - also raised issues of uncertainty.

Sir Philip Hampton, said the bank was "politically neutral", adding: "Clearly there are issues we are looking at - currency, the application of financial regulation, lender of last resort, credit ratings - which could affect us.

"But there is real uncertainty about how any of these matters would be settled in the event of a 'Yes' vote and the outcome would depend on negotiations between the two governments.

"Indeed, there could be a prolonged period of uncertainty over each of the issues so it really is impossible to quantify with any precision what the effects of each might be right now."

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Energy firms told to trade fairly

26 February 2014 Last updated at 06:15 ET

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Rachel Fletcher, Ofgem: Reforms are meant to open up the energy market

The "big six" energy firms are being told to trade with small energy suppliers fairly, or face heavy fines.

Regulator Ofgem says its plan will make it easier for new suppliers to enter the market, and will improve the transparency of the firms' accounts.

The firms, such as E.On and British Gas, will have to publish wholesale power prices two years in advance.

This will make it easier for small companies to buy energy and re-sell it to domestic and industrial customers.

Andrew Wright, chief executive of Ofgem, said that having changed the rules so consumers can find the best deals, the regulator now wanted to break down barriers to competition for new suppliers.

"These reforms give independent suppliers, generators and new entrants to the market, both the visibility of prices, and [the] opportunities to trade, [that] they need to compete with the largest energy suppliers," he said.

"Almost two million customers are with independent suppliers, and we expect these reforms to help these suppliers and any new entrants to grow."

New rules

When selling their power in the wholesale market, the companies will have to publish their prices daily, in two one-hour windows, to give independent suppliers the chance to buy power in advance more economically.

Darren Braham of the small supplier First Utility, said the latest reforms could make a big difference.

"Currently the Big Six generators sell their energy to themselves meaning on the forward wholesale energy market, where smaller suppliers need to buy their energy, there is very little liquidity," he said.

"First Utility's analysis suggests that this increases costs by approximately £30 per household per year.

"If the industry were changed, these reduced costs could be passed on to customers equating to UK wide savings of almost £1bn from energy bills," he added.

Clearer accounting

The regulator is now looking at the way suppliers account for the electricity they generate, trade, and sell to consumers.

Continue reading the main story

These reforms will help ensure competition bears down as effectively as possible on prices"

End Quote Andrew Wright Ofgem

The companies will have to provide more details of their trading operations and have full audits of the accounts they provide to the regulator.

"We also want to ensure that information on revenues, costs and profits of the largest energy suppliers is as clear as possible for consumers," said Mr Wright.

"Now we are taking further steps to ensure that it is published more quickly, and that it gives a robust, useful and accessible picture of company profits.

"Both of these reforms will help ensure competition bears down as effectively as possible on prices," he added.

Scratching the surface

Energy UK, the trade body for the energy suppliers, said its members had been cooperating with the regulator in drawing up its latest plans.

"Ofgem already receives information about costs and trading and we are working together on ways to make our information more easily and widely available," it said.

But the consumers' association Which? said the latest measures only "scratched the surface" of the changes needed to benefit consumers.

"We want a full competition inquiry so that hard-pressed consumers can be confident that the market works well for them, as well as shareholders, and that the price they pay is fair," said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.

The new rules on competition, which come into effect on 31 March 2014, follow criticism from MPs last year that Ofgem had failed consumers by not doing enough to ensure that the finances of the dominant big six suppliers were transparent.

MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) said in July that "working out exactly how their profits are made requires forensic accountants".

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Stunning whale graveyard explained

25 February 2014 Last updated at 20:32 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

It is one of the most astonishing fossil discoveries of recent years - a graveyard of whales found beside the Pan-American Highway in Chile.

And now scientists think they can explain how so many of the animals came to be preserved in one location more than five million years ago.

It was the result of not one but four separate mass strandings, they report in a Royal Society journal.

The evidence strongly suggests the whales all ingested toxic algae.

The dead and dying mammals were then washed into an estuary and on to flat sands where they became buried over time.

Continue reading the main story

We managed to sample all the superstars of the fossil marine-mammal world in South America in the Late Miocene"

End Quote Nicholas Pyenson Smithsonian Institution

It was well known that this area in Chile's Atacama Desert preserved whale fossils.

Their bones could be seen sticking out of rock faces, and the spot acquired the name Cerro Ballena ("whale hill") as a result.

But it was only when a cutting was made to widen the Pan-American Highway that US and Chilean researchers got an opportunity to fully study the fossil beds.

They were given just two weeks to complete their field work before the heavy plant returned to complete construction of the new road.

The team set about recording as much detail as possible, including making 3D digital models of the skeletal remains in situ and then removing bones for further study in the lab.

Identified in the beds were over 40 individual rorquals - the type of large cetacean that includes the modern blue, fin and minke whales.

Among them were other important marine predators and grazers.

"We found extinct creatures such as walrus whales - dolphins that evolved a walrus-like face. And then there were these bizarre aquatic sloths," recalls Nicholas Pyenson, a palaeontologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

"To me, it's amazing that in 240m of road-cut, we managed to sample all the superstars of the fossil marine-mammal world in South America in the Late Miocene. Just an incredibly dense accumulation of species," he told BBC News.

The team immediately noticed that the skeletons were nearly all complete, and that their death poses had clear commonalities. Many had come to rest facing in the same direction and upside down, for example.

This all pointed to the creatures succumbing to the same, sudden catastrophe; only, the different fossils levels indicated it was not one event but four separate episodes spread over a period of several thousand years.

The best explanation is that these animals were all poisoned by the toxins that can be generated in some algal blooms.

Such blooms are one of the prevalent causes for repeated mass strandings seen in today's marine animals.

If large quantities of contaminated prey are consumed, or the algae are simply inhaled - death can be rapid.

"All the creatures we found - whether whales, seals or billfishes - fed high up in marine food webs and that would have made them very susceptible to harmful algal blooms," said Dr Pyenson.

The researchers believe the then configuration of the coastline at Cerro Ballena in the late Miocene Epoch worked to funnel carcases into a restricted area where they were lifted on to sand flats just above high tide, perhaps by storm waves.

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The finds were a media sensation in 2011

This would have put the bodies beyond marine scavengers. And, being a desert region, there would have been very few land creatures about to steal bones either.

A lot of the fossils at Cerro Ballena are perfect but for a few nicks inflicted by foraging crabs.

The researchers are not in a position to say for sure that harmful algal blooms were responsible for the mass strandings. There were no distinct algal cell fragments in the sediments; such a presence could have amounted to a "smoking gun". What the team did find, however, were multiple grains encrusted in iron oxides that could hint at past algal activity.

"There are tiny spheres about 20 microns across - that's exactly the right size to be dinoflagellate cysts," said Dr Pyenson.

"They're found in algal-like mats all around the site. We can't say whether those were the killer algae, but they do not falsify the argument for harmful algal blooms being the cause in the way that the sedimentology falsifies tsunami being a potential cause."

Cerro Ballena is now regarded as one of the densest fossil sites in the world - certainly for whales and other extinct marine mammals. The scientists calculate there could be hundreds of specimens in the area still waiting to be unearthed and investigated.

The University of Chile in Santiago is currently working to establish a research station to carry this into effect.

To coincide with the publication of a scholarly paper in Proceedings B of the Royal Society, the Smithsonian has put much of its digital data, including 3D scans and maps, online at cerroballena.si.edu.

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

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Co-op to report worst results in history

26 February 2014 Last updated at 02:27 ET

The Co-op Group's losses for 2013 are expected to be greater than £2bn, by far the worst in its history, when they are announced on 26 March.

I also understand that as the first stage in trying to revitalise the group as a whole, its chief executive, Euan Sutherland, will tell members of the Co-op's regional boards on Saturday that its substantial farming operation, which includes 15 farms, will be sold.

He will also reveal that Co-op is actively considering the sale of its 750 pharmacies, which generated revenues of £764m in 2012. "They are likely to be sold, but a formal decision hasn't yet been made," said a source.

Co-op Group's farms are mostly arable, producing cereal for bakers. They supply only a tiny proportion of the food in its stores.

As for the pharmacies, they have come under financial pressure, as the NHS tries to save money on prescriptions, and are not thought to be well integrated with other Co-op activities.

• Been farming since 1896
• Owns 17,200 hectares
• 200 employees
• 70% of it is cereals
• Only 2% goes directly to shops

Rescue

According to well-placed sources, the huge £2bn-plus losses to be revealed at Co-op Group stem mainly from its bank - which was rescued at the end of 2013 - together with a reduction in the value of the stores and goodwill it acquired with the Somerfield takeover of 2009 (what's known as a write-down).

For the first half of 2013, Co-op Group generated a pre-tax loss of £559m, following a loss in the previous year of £648m.

Since then, Co-op Group has been forced to recognise a collapse to nothing in the value of its investment in Co-op Bank, as part of a rescue which saw hedge funds and other investors emerging with majority ownership of the bank.

Job cuts

Over four years, Co-op Group is planning to cut running costs by £500m, of which it has already identified £100m of savings.

To achieve these cuts, I am told there will be thousands of job losses, probably between 4,000 and 5,000 by 2017, especially in head office and in support positions.

But Mr Sutherland and his board colleagues have yet to calculate precisely how many jobs will go, and he is not expected to give details for some weeks yet.

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Chief executive Euan Sutherland: "Over the last five or six years the business lost its way"

Co-op Group is by far the largest enterprise in the UK run on co-operative or mutual lines. It has millions of members, of whom tens of thousands are activists, who participate in elections for local boards.

Early leaks of the scale of the reconstruction of the group are fomenting tension between the activists and professional management led by Mr Sutherland.

"We worry that the board is exaggerating the scale of the crisis, including losses, to turn the Co-op into much more of a conventional business, and move it away from its democratic and ethical roots," said one.

Battle

Mr Sutherland won't unveil the full remaking of the Co-op until around the time of its annual meeting on 17 May.

He is carrying out a survey of how the public sees the Co-op, called "Have your Say", which has already seen more than 80,000 people express a view on how the Co-op should change.

Among the questions put to them, they are being asked whether the Co-op Group should continue paying a dividend to members, rather than simply cut prices, and whether it should continue to make financial contributions to the Co-operative Party, which in turn supports the Labour Party.

Co-op activists are concerned that the survey can be filled in by anyone, not just Co-op members, and they fear that the wording of the questions is designed to illicit a negative response on continued political donations, thus ending all ties to the Labour Party.

"There is going to be quite a battle over this," said one.

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BBC business reporter Steph McGovern looks back at the history of the Co-operative Group and hears the views of some customers

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Chelsea warn fans after 'stabbings'

26 February 2014 Last updated at 06:11 ET

Chelsea FC have said they aware of incidents involving their fans amid reports that two supporters have been stabbed in Istanbul.

The Press Association had earlier reported two supporters had been attacked on Tuesday evening but neither needed hospital treatment.

The west London club tweeted a warning its fans not to use the Turkish city's Metro as it was "not safe".

Chelsea play Istanbul side Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Chelsea had tweeted: "The club is aware of 2 incidents involving fans in Istanbul last night & is working with relevant agencies to best ensure safety of all"

The British Embassy in Ankara confirmed it was aware of the reports and was discussing them with the club and Turkish authorities.

The Foreign Office confirmed it was investigating claims of trouble around Taksim Square, in the heart of the city's commercial district, but that it had "no confirmation of an incident".

English fans have been victims of violence in Istanbul before, with Leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight stabbed to death before a UEFA Cup tie in 2000.

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