Alabama gunman 'had a hit list'

A man who killed 10 people in a series of shootings in the US state of Alabama, before killing himself, had drawn up a "hit list"

Investigators discovered the list while searching the gunman's home.

Michael McLendon, 28, burned down his house, before firing on homes, shops and vehicles in the towns of Samson and Geneva near the Florida border.

It also emerged that McLendon had once joined a police academy, but left after only a week.

McLendon's victims included several members of his family and the wife and daughter of a local police officer. The list included the names of a number of McLendon's former employers, including a sausage factory at which he had recently left his job.

The bloodshed began when McLendon shot his mother in the house where the two of them lived in Kinston, near Samson.

He then placed his mother's body on a couch and set the house on fire.

N Korea 'satellite test date set'

North Korea plans to carry out a controversial rocket launch between 4 and 8 April, officials in Seoul say.
Pyongyang had informed an international shipping organisation of the date for the launch, the officials said.

The South and the US believe Pyongyang could be preparing to test-fire a long-range missile and have warned it not to go ahead with the launch.

But North Korea insists it is preparing to send up a communications satellite, not a missile.
It has said any attempt to shoot it down will result in war.

North Korea's neighbours believe it is planning to test-fire the Taepodong 2 missile - which is capable of reaching Alaska - from the Musudan-ri base in Hwadae on its north-east coast.

It first tested the missile in July 2006, but it failed less than a minute after launch.
Earlier this month Japan suggested it could deploy a vessel equipped with missile interceptor technology to the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to shoot the rocket down.

On Thursday, it called on North Korea to exercise restraint, saying it "would not tolerate" its moves to raise tensions in the region.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7938844.stm

Pope 'admits Holocaust row error'

Pope Benedict XVI has written to senior clergy to acknowledge "mistakes" in the lifting of the excommunication of a bishop who has denied the Holocaust.

The Pope reportedly says in the letter that the move had been badly explained and the Vatican had not checked the bishop's background thoroughly enough.
But he also laments the "vehemence" of those who disagreed with the decision.

The Vatican has asked the British bishop, Richard Williamson, to recant his views, but he has not done so.

Bishop Williamson disputed that six million Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis during World War II, and claimed that none had died in gas chambers.

The bishop said last month that if he had known the full harm his comments would cause, he would not have made them.

the Vatican immediately rejected the apology and told him to "unequivocally and publicly" withdraw his remarks.

The case led to protests from Holocaust survivors, world Jewish leaders and groups, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The four bishops have been asked by the Vatican to recognise the authority of the Pope and the Second Vatican Council and talks are planned to seek to resolve the "open questions" in the Church's relationship with the Society of St Pius X.

Bishop Williamson returned to the UK last month after he was asked to leave Argentina, where he had been the head of a seminary

Iraqi jailed for Bush shoe attack

An Iraqi journalist hailed as a hero in the Arab world for throwing his shoes at former US President George W Bush has been jailed for three years.

Muntadar al-Zaidi had pleaded not guilty as his trial resumed in Baghdad, telling the judge: "My reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi."
Hitting someone with a shoe is a grave insult to Arabs. Zaidi could have been jailed for 15 years for the assault.

Mr Bush, on a farewell trip to Iraq in December, shrugged off the incident.
The head of Zaidi's defence team Dhiaa al-Saadi described the sentence as "harsh and is not in harmony with the law"

Defence lawyers had called for the charges to be dismissed, saying Mr Bush had never been in serious danger.
During the assault at a news conference in Baghdad on 15 December, Zaidi shouted that Mr Bush was "a dog" and the shoes were "a farewell kiss" from those who had been killed, orphaned or widowed in Iraq.
Mr Bush ducked the shoes and appeared untroubled by the incident, joking shortly after that he knew they were a size 10.

Mr Zaidi has been held in custody ever since. His lawyers said he was beaten by prison guards, although he has looked healthy at court appearances.
His actions were condemned by the Iraqi government as "shameful", but he was celebrated as a hero by thousands across the world.

Child protection facing criticism

Too many children are abused because social work departments fail to protect them, a report is expected to say.
Lord Laming's review was commissioned by the government after the brutal death of 17-month-old Baby P in Haringey, north London.

It will recommend how best to improve child protection across England.
Ahead of its publication, Children's Secretary Ed Balls will announce a new training regime for senior children's services managers. Child protection has been under the microscope since details of Baby P's case came to light.

The toddler died in August 2007 having suffered months of abuse, despite being seen 60 times by various professionals, including doctors and social workers.

Social workers do a vital but tough job, often under difficult circumstances - but there are real challenges around leadership, retention and career progression =Ed Balls

Lord Laming has already prompted one major reform of England's child protection system - with his inquiry into the horrific death of Victoria Climbie in the same borough four years ago.

clashes mark protest in pakistan

Police in the Pakistani city of Karachi have used sticks to beat up protesters outside the high court, as lawyers began an anti-government protest march.
Organisers intend the four-day march to culminate in a sit-in at the parliament in the capital, Islamabad, on Monday.

The demonstrators want President Asif Ali Zardari to fulfill a pledge to reinstate all judges sacked under former President Pervez Musharraf.
The government says the march is aimed at destabilising the country.

Police say they have arrested more than 400 opposition activists in the past few days.
The authorities have also banned political gatherings across the country, saying they could trigger bloodshed.
Despite the ban on political gatherings, a group of Jamaat-e-Islami party activists managed to arrive near the court and a scuffle broke out with the police.

The police used batons and sticks to beat back the protesters. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested.


Activists believe the ban on political gatherings is a bid to disrupt the rallies around the country, which they are calling the "long march". They have pledged that they will be peaceful.

The protest follows a heightening of tensions in Pakistan, after a court ruling barring opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother from holding public office. Mr Sharif has backed the lawyers' demand for the judges to be reinstated and has called on Pakistanis to join the demonstration.

Zambia's agri-business powerhouse

Turning the countryside into a viable, sustainable industry on a much larger scale is something people here have talked about for ages.
But until now, it has not happened.
That is because it takes more than mother nature's blessing to turn Zambia into an African breadbasket.


Empty plastic sterilised bottles roll down a Zammilk production line about 50 km north of Lusaka.

It takes less than three seconds for a machine to spray yoghurt into each bottle.
Further down the line, another machine screws the lids on. The bottles are then whisked off to sell in shops.

This factory is not just producing yoghurt, but also fresh milk, cultured milk, and a popular flavoured drink called Zamsip.

Over 25,000 litres of milk products are processed here every day.
The company that runs this processing plant, Zambeef, began as a small butcher shop in the capital, Lusaka in 1991.


Since then it has grown to become one of the biggest food production businesses in Africa.
Place "Zam" in front of just about any food product, and there is a pretty good chance this company is producing it

When it comes to farming, Zambia certainly will not be starting from scratch.
The country's share of food and other farm products in total exports has been increasing - from less than 5% in the 1980s to more than 20% today.

Zambia is also better able to feed itself, becoming mostly self-sufficient in staple products like wheat and maize.
Now, the Zambeef success story might just provide enough incentive for Zambian policy makers to place agriculture at the centre of a new economic strategy.

CRIME VICTIMS 'DATA LOST IN POST

The personal details of more than 2,300 crime victims were lost in the post by Gwent Police, BBC Wales has discovered.

A CD went missing in May 2007, but the force said those affected were not told because it was decided their details could not be accessed.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the four Welsh forces also uncovered cases of staff using police national computers without authorisation.

South Wales Police were the only force which refused to release information.
BBC Wales has referred South Wales Police's refusal to give details of security breaches to the information commissioner's office, which also rules on whether public bodies are implementing the freedom of information law properly.

Gwent Police said its CD had been sent to another organisation but, while the envelope arrived, the disc was missing.
It contained details of victims of theft, burglary and other offences, and was password-protected but not encrypted.

North Wales Police revealed that four members of its staff over a three-year period had accessed the police computer without authorisation.
This led to one employee resigning, the force said.

There were six other incidents of personal details being disclosed, either accidentally or without authorisation which led to warnings being issued to North Wales Police staff members.

South Wales Police would not release any details, arguing it would cost too much money because of the way much of the information was stored.

RBS makes £1.7bn mortgage promise

The Royal Bank of Scotland is promising to pump £1.7bn worth of mortgages into the Scottish housing market over the course of the coming year.
Finance Secretary John Swinney has welcomed the move.

He claims the bank's action will help re-invigorate the property market north of the border.
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy said the move highlighted the "positive effects" of the government's action so far to bring stability to the banking sector.

The lending package includes £500m released through the Treasury's Asset Protection Scheme, aimed at bringing financial stability to Britain's banks during the global downturn.

RBS said it would continue to offer customers loans of up to 90% to help first-time buyers get on to the property ladder and said it was committed to releasing further funds to help reinvigorate Scotland's housing market if customer demand dictated.

I hope this will help first-time buyers get on to the property ladder and give Scotland's housing market a lift - John SwinneyFinance Secretary

Paul Geddes, chief executive of consumer banking at RBS Group, said: "Our message to customers in Scotland is very clear, we are now more than ever open for mortgage business.
"We hope the latest commitment goes some way to refuelling the Scottish economy and provides borrowers with the financial means to get back on track and realise their plans for the future."

Scottish secretary Mr Murphy said: "When the UK Government moved decisively to underpin our banks it was to save the lifeline services they provide for individuals and businesses and to allow us to keep moving economically.

"Today's news shows we were right to do so and highlights the positive effects which are emerging as a result."

Finance secretary John Swinney said the bank's action would help re-invigorate Scotland's property market in a "challenging global economic climate".

"With interest rates having reached a record low, it is crucial that the banks now lend effectively and appropriately to help householders and businesses across Scotland," he added.
"I hope this will help first-time buyers get on to the property ladder and give Scotland's housing market a lift."

JADE GOODY LEAVES LONDON HOSPITAL

Terminally ill reality TV star Jade Goody has left hospital.
The 27-year-old Big Brother star was carried into an ambulance after leaving the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London with her husband Jack Tweed.

Earlier, her publicist Max Clifford said she was "desperate" to return to her Essex home to see her children.
Goody, diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008, has been told she has just weeks to live after the disease spread to her liver, groin and bowel.

"They are going back home," said Mr Clifford.

"Obviously, they've decided she's well enough to go. One of the nurses is going with her."
"She wants to spend as much time as possible with the boys and Jack,. "At the moment, that's very difficult."