Porn filters not widely used in UK

Porn filters not widely used in UK December 17, 2015 1:52 PM Parental controls are designed to filter out pornography and other unsuitable content The vast majority of UK internet users are not taking advantage of net censors designed to filter out pornography and other content, according to the communications regulator Ofcom. Parental controls are offered to users to prevent children seeing unsuitable material. Sky customers were most likely to implement the filters and BT customers least likely, Ofcom reported. Some 97% of those who had adopted filters said they were useful. The UK's largest internet service providers (ISPs) are required under a semi-voluntary agreement with the UK government to adopt network-level filtering via a scheme known as Active Choice Plus. Between 30% to 40% of Sky customers enabled filters, Ofcom's report said. That compared to 14% for TalkTalk, 12% for Virgin Media and 6% for BT. Sky automatically enables the feature even if the original request is ignored, which likely explains why it has the highest take-up rate. All ISPs allow users to disable the filters whenever they want. New users were more likely to enable the filters than existing ones, said Ofcom. Responsible children The report also indicated that awareness of ISP content filters had increased among parents of children aged five to 15, from 50% last year to 57% this year. Some 76% of parents said that they knew enough to help their children manage online risks, with the vast majority - 78% - saying that they trusted their children to use the internet safely. Reasons given for not using filters were threefold: • Half of parents said that they preferred to talk to their children • Four in 10 said they trusted their children to be responsible • Two in 10 said their children were always supervised when using the net BBC © 2015

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Self-Driving cars must have driver

Self-driving cars 'must have driver' December 16, 2015 9:03 PM Google shows off its driverless pod car By Dave Lee North America technology reporter Regulators in California have published draft proposals designed to pave the way for the public to start using self-driving cars on the roads. However, the cautious recommendations from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will, initially at least, insist on a fully licensed driver being behind the wheel, ready to take over in an emergency or if the technology fails. California has been the testing ground for most of the development, and so regulations in the state are considered to be precedent-setting. Prospective users of self-driving cars will need to undergo special training, and manufacturers would be required to monitor the cars' use. Answering a common query, regulators said any traffic violations or accidents would remain the responsibility of the human driver. 'Potential risks' Many firms are investing heavily in researching and creating self-driving vehicles, such as Ford, Uber and Tesla. Google, which leads the research field, has made a self-driving car without any controls such as steering wheels or pedals. The Lexus cars are able to go on public streets as they have traditional controls that can be used in an emergency But the DMV's proposals would mean such vehicles would not, for the foreseeable future at least, be made available for consumers. A statement from the DMV read: "Given the potential risks associated with deployment of such a new technology, DMV believes that manufacturers need to obtain more experience in testing driverless vehicles on public roads prior to making this technology available to the general public." Instead, any car offering self-driving capability must also be fitted with traditional controls - such as the adapted Lexus Google has been testing on roads already. Protection This slightly dampens hopes that self-driving technology would enable those who are currently unable to drive - such as people with disabilities - to get on the roads. However, the DMV said it would reassess the safety of fully-autonomous vehicles in the future. A public consultation on the draft will take place in the new year. The draft also adds requirements for manufacturers to ensure that vehicles are protected from cyber attacks. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC BBC © 2015

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League of Legends developer sold

League of Legends developer sold December 17, 2015 12:10 PM More than 15,000 fans attended the 2015 League of Legends world championship final League of Legends developer Riot Games is now owned 100% by Chinese firm Tencent. The company made the announcement in a blogpost about changes the way staff are compensated. It is not clear whether the sale will mean changes to how the popular League of Legends (LoL) game is run. Tencent has reportedly clashed with Riot over some LoL tournaments the Chinese firm organised without getting permission to hold them. Prior to the sale, Tencent was already the majority owner of Riot and was in control of almost 93% of the stock in the game maker. No figure was given for the sale of the remaining 7%. League of Legends is one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world. Statistics suggest 27 million people play it every day while around 7.5 million people play it simultaneously during its peak hours of popularity. News of the sale comes soon after Riot announced big changes for the game that will be introduced in 2016. Among other things, these streamline the way that players choose the champion they control in the game. Tencent is a massive holding company with many subsidiaries that run net-based businesses. It runs the QQ instant messenger service, distributes music online and operates several multiplayer games. It also has the rights to distribute League of Legends in China. BBC © 2015

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Alaskan Christmas lights put online

Alaskan Christmas lights put online December 17, 2015 1:39 PM The webpage lets visitors control anyone or 12 different lights on the Woods' home An Alaskan family has added online controls to the Christmas lights adorning their home. Via a webpage visitors can control lights around windows, railings and doors as well as a Christmas tree in the house's garden. The page is proving popular with hundreds of people every minute taking the chance to use the page to control the 11 different lights. Live images of the light show are also being regularly uploaded to the web. Ken and Rebecca-Ellen Woods of Fairbanks, Alaska started putting their lights online several years ago but this year the control system got a big upgrade. Mr Woods, who works in IT, has built a dedicated computer-controlled switching box that has ports for every set of lights affixed to their home. The live feed of the changing display shows lights blinking on and off at all times of day. Mr Woods told ABC News that he had got used to the constantly changing display. He added that it had got easier to live with once they only allowed lights on the exterior of the house to be controlled remotely. There are no other houses near to the Woods household so there are no neighbours to complain about the flashing display. This year the bill to run the hardware underpinning the light system looks set to reach more than $400 (£275) as millions of people take the chance to fiddle with the decorations over the Christmas period. BBC © 2015

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Brazilian WhatsApp suspension lifted

Brazil WhatsApp suspension lifted December 17, 2015 5:20 PM The service began working again after a suspension was lifted A judge in Brazil has ordered that a suspension of the popular messaging application WhatsApp be lifted. Judge Xavier de Souza said the service should be re-instated immediately. A court had ordered the service be suspended for 48 hours on Thursday for failing to comply with a court order to provide investigators with information relating to a criminal court case. Judge Souza said it was "not reasonable that millions of users be affected by the inertia of the company". 'Extreme ruling' Brazilians had complained bitterly on social media about the suspension of WhatsApp, which is a hugely popular app used by many to communicate with family, friends and colleagues both inside Brazil and abroad. Ninety-three per cent of the country's internet population use WhatsApp, according to the TechCrunch website, with many young and poor Brazilians taking advantage of its free text message and internet telephone service. Within hours of the suspension being coming into force, the hashtag #Nessas48HorasEuVou (#Inthese48hoursIwill) began trending on Twitter, with Brazilians joking about all the things they would do during the suspension. Brazilians have been joking on Twitter about what their lives are like without WhatsApp Impact of the WhatsApp ban - Paula K, a Brazilian living in London In a country where mobile providers charge a fortune for a monthly plan - not to mention the high cost of making international calls - the use of WhatsApp for both texts and internet calls allows expats like me to keep a direct line with family, friends or even colleagues back home. It's worth remembering that Brazil already has a high cost of living - services and products often cost the same price as they do in the UK - but people often only earn about a third of the wage they would here. One of my friends who works for one of the major mobile providers in Brazil said it was advising people to download alternative apps such as Viber and/or create a group on Messenger to keep the communication flowing. The suspension also caused anger at Facebook, which owns WhatsApp. "I am stunned that our efforts to protect people's data would result in such an extreme decision by a single judge to punish every person in Brazil who uses WhatsApp," Mr Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Facebook. The suspension was ordered after WhatsApp failed to comply with a court order. Brazilians were delighted when the popular app started working again on their phones The court which ordered the suspension gave little detail, apart from saying that the order related to a criminal case. But Brazilian media said WhatsApp had been asked to provide details of communication by a suspected gang member who is alleged to have used WhatsApp to organise illegal activity. Separately from the court case, Brazilian phone companies have urged the government to restrict the use of free voice-over-internet services offered through WhatsApp. The phone companies argue that the rise of WhatsApp has damaged their businesses. Meanwhile other messaging services said they had benefited from the temporary absence of WhatsApp. One such company, Telegram, said on Twitter that more than 1.5 million Brazilian users had joined up since the court order was handed down. BBC © 2015

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Net firm finds unauthorised code

Net firm finds 'unauthorised' code Updated 18 minutes ago The rogue code could let attackers spy on data flowing through a firewall Juniper Networks has issued a warning after discovering "unauthorised code" in its firewall software. Analysis of the rogue code shows that it can decrypt scrambled data being sent through virtual private networks. In a security advisory, the internet hardware maker said whoever wrote the code would be able to use it to spy on encrypted conversations. Juniper has released patches to strip the code out of its firewall software and urged customers to apply them. No evidence The code was found in Juniper's ScreenOS software with which many large firms using its hardware keep an eye on data traffic entering and exiting their networks. Juniper's routers and network switches are widely used in ISPs and by many large corporates. An internal code review revealed that ScreenOS was harbouring the unwanted passenger, said the firm. No information was given about where the code came from or how it found its way into the firewall's core software. The range of products affected suggests that the extra software has been lurking inside different versions of ScreenOS since 2012. Juniper added that it had no evidence that the loopholes the code opened were being actively exploited. It said it took the matter "very seriously" and had quickly produced software patches to remove the rogue code. "We strongly recommend that all customers update their systems and apply these patched releases as soon as possible," said Bob Worrall, Juniper's chief information officer. In a separate notice, Juniper provided more details about what was possible if the unauthorised code was used. One section gives attackers remote administrative access to a device and would let them hide any evidence of tampering. Another would let an attacker strip out the encryption many firms use to protect communications between staff. BBC © 2015

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US state sue giant tech support firm

US state sues giant tech support firm December 17, 2015 2:13 PM The firm is alleged to offer tech support on behalf of Microsoft, something the tech giant denies One of the world's largest independent tech support firms has been accused of routinely pressuring customers into buying software they do not need. In a Washington State lawsuit, Indian firm iYogi is accused of using scare tactics to mislead consumers. It is also accused of falsely claiming affiliation to Microsoft, Apple and HP. The firm has denied the allegations, describing them as "false" and "baseless". "While we are yet to receive the complaint through formal channels, based on our assessment of media reports we would like to firmly state that the allegations are false or baseless," said iYogi's co-founder Vishal Dhar in a statement to the BBC. "We recognise that tech support frauds are a real issue in the US and, as a responsible industry leader, we have been working with authorities... to counter the issue." He said that his firm would "do what is necessary" to see the case the case through "to its rightful end". Attorney General Bob Ferguson alleged that "hundreds, if not thousands" of Washington residents had been affected by what he described as iYogi's "unfair and deceptive" tactics, which he claimed violated Washington's consumer protection and computer spyware laws. He is seeking $2,000 (£1,340) in civil penalties for each violation of the Consumer Protection Act and $100,000 per violation for the Computer Spyware Act. Microsoft's chief legal officer Brad Smith attended a news conference announcing the lawsuit and applauded the state for its efforts to "protect consumers from tech support scams that have reached epidemic levels in recent years". He said that his firm had received more than 180,000 customer calls regarding tech support fraud. 'Vulnerable' targets Microsoft estimates that 3.3 million Americans lose about $1.5bn annually from tech support scams. Such scams tended to disproportionately affect "the most vulnerable segments of our society", he said, adding that tech support scams "have become a scourge on the internet". iYogi has more than 5,000 employees based at call centres in India. It says it serves more than three million customers across 11 countries. As part of its investigation the Attorney General's Office (AGO) alleged that iYogi used the following tactics: • In online ads it associated itself with major technology companies including Microsoft, Apple and HP, claiming to provide tech support services on their behalf • It gained remote access to consumers' computers and identified complex-looking files, which it claimed were infected and could cause harm. It then encouraged consumers to download its diagnostic software to identify further computer problems • It created reports that claim that there is malware or other serious defects when in fact the identified items were often routine programs that posed no threat • It offered unnecessary tech support plans that could cost about $140 per year • It attempted to sell consumers anti-virus software even if they already had some installed • It offered to update PCs to the Windows 10 operating system, which it sold for $80, even though Microsoft offers the upgrade for free The AGO also offered advice to avoid tech support scams: • Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can confirm it is legitimate • Ask if there is a fee or subscription association with the service, and if there is, hang up • Do not provide social security numbers, banking, credit card or other financial information • Protect personal computers with legitimate and updated security software iYogi was earlier this year praised by US politicians when it set up a global centre in Maine, employing 300 people. At the time, Maine Governor Paul R LePage said that it was "encouraging" that iYogi was outsourcing jobs to America. BBC © 2015

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Driverless car rules 'perplexing'

Driverless car rules 'perplexing' December 18, 2015 12:11 PM Google has criticised the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California for insisting driverless cars must have a fully licensed driver behind the wheel. On Wednesday, the DMV published draft regulations which outline how the technology could be used on the roads. The regulations say truly driverless cars would be "initially excluded" from operation. Google's director of self-driving cars, Chris Urmson, said the move was "perplexing". "This maintains the same old status quo and falls short on allowing this technology to reach its full potential, while excluding those who need to get around but cannot drive," he wrote in his blog. "We've heard countless stories from people who need a fully self-driving car today. People with health conditions ranging from vision problems to multiple sclerosis to autism to epilepsy who are frustrated with their dependence on others for even simple errands." Safety record Google argues that driverless cars are much safer than manually driven cars, because they eliminate the human error that causes a majority of collisions. The technology has inspired a web game by Made With Monster Love which demonstrates the effectiveness of computer control over human intervention. Web game Error-Prone demonstrates how human error can cause collisions Google said its vehicles had been involved in only 16 minor incidents during six years of testing, with human drivers in other cars usually to blame. "We've seen in our own testing that drivers can't be trusted to dip in and out of the task of driving when the car is encouraging them to sit back and relax," said Mr Urmson. However, the technology is still being improved and in November, one of Google's cars was pulled over for driving too cautiously. Fully automatic Some of the driverless cars Google has been testing in California do not have any manual controls such as steering wheels or pedals. The DMV's draft regulations would prevent residents from riding in those vehicles until their safety could be assessed in "subsequent regulatory packages". "The draft regulations are designed to address complex questions related to vehicle safety, certification, operator responsibilities, licensing and registration, privacy, and cybersecurity," the DMV said. A public consultation on the draft will take place in the new year. Ford is also testing driverless cars On Tuesday, car giant Ford announced it had obtained a permit to start testing driverless cars in California. Its vehicles retain manual controls for humans to take over, as required in the draft regulations. BBC © 2015

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Badger cull total of 1,500 'met target'

Badger cull total of 1,500 'met target' December 17, 2015 2:07 PM The government said it was considering extending the badger cull programme Nearly 1,500 badgers were killed this year as part of the government's badger cull, Defra has announced. The latest figures show 756 animals were killed in Dorset, 432 in Gloucestershire and 279 in Somerset as part of efforts to eradicate bovine TB. The government said more than half of England was expected to be free of the disease by 2019. However, campaigners said there was no evidence killing badgers was reducing the level of the disease in cattle. It was the first year of culling in Dorset but the third for the other two counties as part of the government trial. The minimum target numbers for Gloucestershire and Somerset for 2015 were less than those for 2014. 'Disease control benefits' Environment Secretary Liz Truss told the House of Commons: "Our strategy to eradicate bovine TB is working. "I'm pleased to report to the House today that the three badger control areas - Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset - all hit their targets this year. "The chief vet is clear: this is delivering disease control benefits and it'll help us eradicate this terrible disease." Ms Truss also said she was considering extending the badger cull programme. "I'm pleased to say more than half of the country is on track to be officially free of the disease by the end of this parliament thanks to the strategy we put in place. "And the chief veterinary officer is clear that licensing of future areas is needed to realise these disease control benefits, and I'm determined to follow through on that." Dominic Dyer from the Badger Trust said: "Despite claiming all the cull contractors have met their targets for 2015, there is no evidence the killing of badgers is reducing the level of bovine TB in cattle. "The claims by the NFU and pro-cull politicians that badger culling is delivering a significant reduction in bovine TB are looking increasingly bogus, and the exact opposite of the truth. "Twenty million pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent killing thousands of badgers and yet cattle TB in Somerset is on the rise." Culling took place from 31 August to 12 October in Somerset and Dorset and from 2 September to 14 October in Gloucestershire. The number of animals killed in each cull zone fell within minimum and maximum targets. Last year fewer than half the target number of badgers were killed in Gloucestershire, but the minimum target was met in Somerset. BBC © 2015

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Greenland's shifting shape capture

Greenland's shifting shape captured December 17, 2015 7:41 AM By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent, San Francisco It is one of the clearest views we have yet had of the recent changes occurring across Greenland's ice sheet. Scientists using Europe's Cryosat radar spacecraft are now routinely mapping variations in height on a fine scale, both in time and in area. The UK-led team's analysis shows that Greenland is shedding ice to the ocean. Their preliminary assessment is very close to that produced from gravity satellites, which currently see losses of over 250bn tonnes of ice each year. But while the headline numbers may be similar, Cryosat brings important additional detail to the picture. It allows the team to study changes across the entire ice sheet at fine resolution, meaning the scientists are able to monitor the behaviour of individual glaciers. Cryosat is also helping them to track seasonal variations in the elevation of the ice sheet, which will permit the researchers to investigate how the ice sheet changes from year to year. "These results allow us to identify key glaciers which, in the last few years, are showing signs of rapid change," said Dr Malcolm McMillan from the NERC Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) at Leeds University. The new study updates a previous assessment by the Alfred Wegener Institute, and complements existing measurements made by the US space agency's GRACE gravity satellites. These are spacecraft that can essentially "weigh" the ice sheet from orbit. Dr McMillan and colleagues are presenting their work this week in San Francisco at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Researchers have previously used space- and plane-borne laser altimeters to produce the kind of maps now coming from Cryosat. But their data was often very sparse, making it difficult to achieve a comprehensive and up-to-date picture. The earlier radar missions, too, struggled to get to grips with Greenland. In part, this was because their measurement footprints were too large to really see even the biggest glaciers, but also because they were sometimes frustrated by surface conditions. "Radar altimeters bounce their signals off a horizon that is below the top of the snow, where the ice becomes compacted," explained Leeds co-worker Prof Andy Shepherd. "But if there is a big melt, as we saw in the middle of Greenland in 2012, the snowpack conditions change and this scattering horizon is re-set, making it appear as if the ice sheet has gained one to two metres in height. "With these new results, we have been able to correct for this, and that allows us to confidently map changes in elevation." Artist's impression: Cryosat, with its radar altimeter, was launched into orbit in 2010 The CPOM study means Cryosat has now produced a "report card" on all three of the polar ice domains it was tasked by the European Space Agency to investigate. A similar assessment has been done for Antarctica, and the spacecraft is also now consistently monitoring the thickness of Arctic sea-ice, its primary mission goal. In addition, as a secondary objective, the Esa spacecraft's radar has managed to make the most precise map of the shape of the global ocean floor. Cryosat has now fulfilled the key objectives it was set by the European Space Agency Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos BBC © 2015

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Human water use greater than thought

Human water use 'greater than thought' December 17, 2015 7:12 PM By Andrea Szöllössi Science writer The Mekong is one of the rivers showing the highest increases in evapotranspiration New calculations show that our already sizeable water footprint is 18% bigger than we thought. The study is based on a century's worth of observational data drawn from 100 river basins across the world. It reveals a significant increase in the water being "lost" to the atmosphere as a direct result of human activity. This occurs through evaporation from land and water surfaces, and from plants as they transpire. Based on data The old estimates of human water consumption add up to a staggering number: 9,100 cubic km per year. This volume is about twice the size of Lake Michigan in the US. Fernando Jaramillo and Georgia Destouni from Stockholm University in Sweden have now used freely available data to update these assessments, to reveal a more precise picture of how much humans are impacting the natural water cycle at the global scale. Their research suggests human water management strategies are responsible for an additional quantity of water the size of Lake Ontario being transferred to the atmosphere - a significant element of consumption that the earlier approaches had underestimated. It means the human water footprint is actually closer to 10,700 cu km a year. "Previous assessments of human water consumption were mainly based on national statistics and global scale models. The novelty of this study is that it's based on data," Dr Jaramillo emphasized. The team has published its work in Science magazine. A presentation was also made this week to the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union - the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Evaporation and transpiration The irrigation techniques used in agriculture drive more water into the atmosphere The authors explained that water consumption by humans goes beyond drinking water, industrial water, and water for municipalities. Water that would normally be in rivers but ends up being in the atmosphere as vapour due to human activity has been largely overlooked, and this is what the authors focused on. "The loss is from the landscape through the atmosphere and that leaves less water for both humans and other ecosystems in the landscape", Prof Destouni explained. This displacement of water into the atmosphere occurs through water evaporation or through transpiration by plants. So the total flow of water to the atmosphere is given by evapotranspiration. "We used a simple water budget: water lost by evapotranspiration is precipitation minus water runoff," Dr Jaramillo answered when asked how they used the data. The footprint Looking at their data, the scientists could see an increase in evapotranspiration when comparing the first and second halves of the last century. The question they then asked was how much of this change was being driven by human activity. They found that areas previously identified as having experienced the ecological consequences of dams and irrigation also showed the biggest increase in evapotranspiration. "Dam and irrigation developments - even though local - have a big global impact on human water consumption. That's what has not been calculated before and what we've estimated in this paper," Prof Destouni said. "The water footprint could be up to 20% larger than previously estimated," Dr Jaramillo revealed. "In dry areas, reducing the water in the environment can have an enormous impact on humans and ecosystems. In a wet landscape, it is in relative terms not as big in the direr areas. Central Asia (Aral Sea), Middle East, areas around the Mediterranean - these are examples of most vulnerable." Irrigation, dams, and ground water The large water surface area created by a dam causes more evaporation Dr Jaramillo explained how human water management leads to more evapotranspiration. "With irrigation, we are moving water from one place to another - and part of this water will simply evaporate from the ground surface. These crops in order to grow, they take this water in and by respiration they send this water to the atmosphere. "When you build a dam and make a reservoir, you're also consuming a lot of water. The water surface you create causes more evaporation; otherwise that water would be running on a river. "Also if you increase the level of the water by say 90m, the groundwater on the hillsides will also increase by 90m. A lot of plants now have access to water that previously wasn't there. Those plants will also transpire more water." Prof Destouni explained how evapotranspiration induced by human activity is linked to climate change and weather: "The atmosphere is warmer due to global warming and warmer air can hold more water vapour." Transport of moisture in the atmosphere is also changed: "There is more vapour coming from the land rather than the sea. You get the effect that it rains more in other places. "If we don't understand how transfer of water and water vapour happens, we will misinterpret things and then our measures for mitigating climate change or adapting to climate change will not be effective." Uncertainty lingers "In some regions, we just open the tap and water comes out. We don't think about it. How much water are we consuming?" Dr Jaramillo said, highlighting the worldwide uncertainty regarding the numbers on human water consumption. "Our lack of knowledge is gigantic. We're lagging so much on studies on the water cycle and water consumption. "It is serious that at this point in time people did not use all the data that was available to actually calculate this change. People continued to make estimates using old data," Prof Destouni commented. The Stockholm University scientist emphasized the importance of using this openly accessible data to "continue to measure these kinds of things so that we can actually see these changes happening". BBC © 2015

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2016 'very' likely to be warmest

2016 'very likely' to be warmest December 17, 2015 12:38 PM By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent Warmer temperatures and heat waves increase the likelihood of droughts A new global temperature forecast from the UK's Met Office says that 2016 is likely to be even warmer than 2015. This year has already been provisionally declared the warmest on record thanks to a combination of global warming and a strong El Nino. The Met Office believes that temperatures in 2016 could be 1.1C above pre-industrial levels. Last week in Paris, countries agreed that the world should pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5C. The new forecast, a combination of computer models and statistical methods, says that the global average temperature for the next 12 months is likely to be 0.84C above the 1961-1990 average. When compared to the pre-industrial levels, the forecast predicts that next year's temperature will be 1.1C above the 1850-1899 average. This is edging closer to the 1.5C level that governments agreed last week they would do their best to keep under in the long term. Last year, the forecast for 2015 predicted a central estimate of 0.64 above the average. Observational data from January to October this year shows the global mean temperature so far this year is running at 0.72 above 1961-1990. The impact of El Nino will continue well into 2016 say researchers "The forecast for next year is on the back of some other strong years," said the Met Office's Prof Adam Scaife. "In 2014 we had 0.6 which was nominally a record, 2015 so far we've had 0.7 which is also nominally a record, and next year we are talking about 0.8 - so you can see that very rapid rise over three years and by the end of 2016 we may be looking at three record years in a row." 'Unprecedented events' The impact of the strong El Nino that started this year continues through the first half of next year. It's already been responsible for a reduced monsoon season in India, it's also weakened the Atlantic hurricane season and been involved in the early winter storms in Northern Europe in the past few weeks. The forecasters at the Met Office say it is responsible for up to 0.2C of next year's value. In combination with continuing climate change, the forecasters believe it will lead to new records. "There is an uncertainty range, the bottom end of the range for 2016 is very close to the current value for 2015, so it's not impossible that it will come out the same as 2015 but it is very likely to be higher," said Prof Scaife. The Met Office says that the rise in temperature predicted for next year may not continue indefinitely - and may slip back under 1 degree over the coming years. But they argue that the growing warming signal can combine in unpredictable ways with smaller natural fluctuations leading to "unprecedented events". "It's when the natural variability rides on top of the climate change and gives us something we have not seen before," said Prof Scaife. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. BBC © 2015

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Seismology of elephants investment

Seismology of elephants investigated December 18, 2015 5:40 AM By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent, San Francisco Could putting vibrations into the ground be a way to keep elephants from coming into conflict with humans? Already, attempts have been made to scare the animals away from villages using their own very low-frequency alarm calls - with partial success. Now scientists are studying whether even better results could be obtained if this sound in the air is accompanied also by a seismic signal underfoot. The work is being led by Prof Sue Webb from Wits University in Johannesburg. The ultimate goal she said was to try to find a means of keeping everyone safe - both humans and elephants. "Elephants can be incredibly destructive, especially with people's farmlands," she told BBC News. "They come on to the farmland and they eat the crops and they push over the houses, and even kill people sometimes. "So this is a huge problem in some rural parts of Africa and the issue is to try to find a way to keep the elephants out of human areas." Prof Webb was speaking at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union - the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Various ideas have been proposed for scaring elephants away from populated areas. Putting beehives near crop fields is one solution: elephants hate being stung on their trunks. Another method that has drawn considerable attention in recent years is the use of infrasound. Elephants can communicate at auditory frequencies that are well below what humans are capable of hearing. This noise can travel large distances, and so efforts have been made to record the animals' alarm calls and then play them back in the infrasonic band to keep herds as far away as possible. "The problem is that elephants are incredibly smart, and they soon figure out when things are fake," explained Prof Webb. "If you're just playing back the infrasound, they'll work out that it's not the real signal and they learn that it's not something they need to be afraid of." Prof Webb's hypothesis is that a critical element could be missing from this approach: seismic signals. She is working on the assumption that elephants communicate both through the air and through the ground. It is possible the elephants know a fake infrasonic call when they do not sense a seismic signal at the same time. "I strongly suspect it is a coupled signal between the infrasound and the seismic, but it's not clear to me yet just how big the seismic signal is, and how important it is in all cases." An effective means is needed to keep elephants from coming into conflict with humans To investigate, Prof Webb is using the trained animals of the Adventures With Elephants organisation, just north of Johannesburg. These creatures will rumble on command - just as dog will bark when asked to "speak" by a handler bearing a treat. Prof Webb's team puts geophones on the ground to record and characterise the rumbles' seismic signature in the earth. It is early days in the experiments, but it is already clear that there is a sizeable signal to detect and that it can travel a considerable distance. Of course, the rumbles coming from Prof Webb's elephants are just the murmurings of greedy animals. A future step would be to record the seismic signals associated with real elephant alarm calls. "Eventually, the idea is to have something cheap and mobile that can be deployed quickly to scare the elephants away. "It may just be a speaker that you have to couple with the ground in a more effective way than has been done in the past." Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos BBC © 2015

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Mers virus vaccine a' step closer'

Mers virus vaccine 'a step closer' December 18, 2015 2:28 AM By Jonathan Ball Science commentator Camels are reservoirs for the infection An effective vaccine to protect against the Mers virus is a step closer, a report in the journal Science suggests. European scientists genetically modified a version of the smallpox vaccine to display Mers virus protein on its surface. The vaccine was able to protect camels - the animal reservoir for the virus - from developing Mers virus symptoms. Experts hope the vaccine might stop the virus spreading in camels and may also protect humans at risk from infection. Mers-coronavirus infection of humans was first described in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then there have been more than 1,600 reported cases. More than a third of reported infections have resulted in death. Individuals with other illnesses - such as diabetes, long term lung disease or kidney failure - are particularly prone to developing life-threatening symptoms. Virus spread is limited to people who have close contact with those who are infected, such as family members and healthcare workers. Mers: The new virus explained Infections have been reported in 26 countries around the world with the outbreak epi-centre located in the Arabian Peninsula. There are no treatments for Mers but scientists are trying to develop an effective vaccine. One such scientist is Prof Bart Haagmans, who is based at the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands. He has been busy developing and testing vaccines in camels. Solving a lumpy problem Dromedary camels, which are bred and raised for their milk and meat and for racing, are thought to be the initial source of human outbreaks. The virus is particularly prevalent in juvenile camels, where infection results in mild symptoms that are similar to a common cold. The virus is thought to pass to humans when they have contact with an infected camel's body fluids. Circulation of Mers in camels poses a serious risk to human health and many scientists are worried that the virus might mutate to become better adapted to human spread. That's why scientists are trying to develop vaccines - to stop the virus infecting humans and also to reduce the amount of virus circulating in camels. Vaccines train our immune response to recognise a virus and to wipe it out before it can infect us or before it can do any harm. Relying on old friends There are two arms to this protection - antibodies and killer cells. Antibodies are proteins found in human blood and in body fluids like mucus and saliva and these attach to the virus and stop it infecting. The first fatality from Mers was recorded in June 2012 in Saudi Arabia Killer cells, as the name suggests, track down virus infected cells and kill the cell before new virus is released. Some vaccines raise antibodies, some produce killer cells and some raise both. Prof Haagmans believed that the best way to control Mers was to develop a vaccine that produced both. So he and a team of scientists drawn from the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, genetically engineered a pox virus called Modified Vaccinia Ankara -MVA - to display Mers virus spike protein on its surface. MVA was used to eradicate smallpox and is currently being used to develop vaccines to a variety of viruses like influenza, Ebola and hepatitis C. Importantly it can produce antibodies and killer cells. The Mers spike protein is thought to be a major target for the immune response. The team hoped that by cloaking MVA with this spike they would train the immune system to recognise and kill Mers. First step The team took the engineered MVA, sprayed it up the noses of camels and injected it into their muscle, and then four weeks later they repeated the vaccination again. When the team exposed the vaccinated animals to the Mers virus the camels developed very mild symptoms. Crucially they didn't develop a runny nose and the amount of virus they produced was very low. Camels that hadn't received the vaccine produced very large amounts of virus and suffered a very runny nose. So, even though the vaccine didn't prevent infection it did reduce the amount of virus that the vaccinated camels produced. Commenting on the research, Dr Matthew Frieman, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, told BBC News: "This is the first step toward developing a viable vaccine against MERS-CoV in camels which could reduce the reservoir for MERS-CoV in the Middle East thereby reducing the likelihood of the spread of the virus to humans." BBC © 2015

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Threat to Darwin's famous finches

Threat to Darwin's famous finches December 17, 2015 11:02 PM By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent A female medium ground finch, one of at least 14 species of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands The birds that helped Charles Darwin refine his theory of evolution are in danger of going extinct, according to a new study. Finches in the Galapagos Islands are being threatened by a parasitic fly that attacks their young. A new mathematical model suggests that the birds may succumb to this pest in 50 years. But the authors say that human intervention could alleviate the risk of extinction. During his time on the Galapagos in the early 1830s, Charles Darwin noticed that finches on different islands in the chain were quite similar but had large variations in their beaks, depending on the local food source. Because the islands - which belong to Ecuador - are so far from the mainland, Darwin concluded that the birds had begun as one species and then started to evolve into separate varieties of finch. There are between 14 and 18 species on the Galapagos - but this study looked at one of the most common, the medium ground finch. Around 270,000 of these birds are found on Santa Cruz island. 'Nasty customers' The finches are threatened by a nest fly which lays parasitic larvae in their nests which attack the young, usually at night. "They are maggots basically, is what they are," said Prof Dale Clayton from the University of Utah, the senior author on the study. "Some of the eggs are laid in the nostrils of the nestlings so those eggs hatch and the larvae begin feeding immediately in the nostrils so you see perforations through the bill in especially bad cases. "They are pretty nasty customers." The flies are believed to have arrived in the Galapagos in the 1960s. A finch nestling with nostril and abdomen lesions caused by infestation with parasitic fly larvae Prof Clayton and his colleagues developed a mathematical model using five years of data to project the impact of fly damage on the reproduction rates. Finches breed more successfully in years when relatively high rainfall increases the food supply. They tend to do badly during extremely wet or dry years. In two of the three scenarios that they modelled, the finch populations were declining and at risk of extinction. In the worst scenario the birds would be gone in 50 years. The model showed that the critical elements in their survival were the probability that a given nest was infested by flies and to a lesser extent the proportion of adult finches that survive from one year to the next. But the model also contains some good news according to the paper's first author, Dr Jennifer Koop, who carried out the research as a doctoral student and now is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. "Even though these guys may be going locally extinct, the model also shows that if you can reduce the probability of infestation, then you significantly alleviate the risk of extinction," she said. The beaks of the finches recorded by Darwin were a key part of the evidence for evolution The researchers argue that if the number of infected nests could be reduced by 40% then the risk of extinction would essentially be lifted. There are a number of human interventions that could achieve this, they say, including the introduction of wasps that would lay their eggs in the fly larvae which would destroy them. Another idea is to use pesticides. Cotton balls would be treated with the chemicals and left for the birds to incorporate into their nests. "The birds will travel up to 60 feet or so and pull the cotton out and line their nests," said Prof Clayton, "If they get at least a gram of that fumigated cotton in their nests, you kill 100% of the flies." The scientists say that the stress from the flies might also provoke an evolutionary response in the finches. They point to a related species where the nestlings learned to become more vocal when attacked by the pest, as a result the parents fed them more and their survival rates improved. Researchers are concerned that these threatened finches may simply not have enough time to adapt. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. BBC © 2015

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200-year -old fossil mystery resolved

200-year-old fossil mystery resolved December 18, 2015 10:29 AM The reptile propelled itself through the water using its forelimbs. By Helen Briggs BBC News Scientists have reconstructed how an ancient reptile swam in the oceans at the time of the dinosaurs. Computer simulations suggest the plesiosaur moved through the water like a penguin, using its front limbs as paddles and back limbs for steering. The creature's swimming gait has been a mystery since bones of the first known specimen were dug out of a Dorset cliff 200 years ago. The plesiosaur was discovered by the fossil hunter Mary Anning in 1821. At the time even the name dinosaur had not been invented. A scientific paper unveiling Anning's find a few years later raised the question of how the marine creature swam, given its unusual pairs of wing-like flippers. The debate has continued until today, with a computer simulation based on a Jurassic fossil specimen providing evidence in favour of penguin-like motion. A virtual model of the reptile was constructed from a German plesiosaur known as Meyerasaurus How the plesiosaur might have looked like Dr Adam Smith of Nottingham Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall, worked on the study. He explained that palaeontologists were divided on whether the marine creature used its four limbs in a rowing action like the oars of a boat; a flight stroke similar to modern penguins and turtles; or some sort of combination of the two. "Our study shows the up-and-down movement is more likely," he told BBC News. "That's how turtles and penguins swim today. "Penguins are literally flying through the water." 'Weak thrust' The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, is based on a computer simulation of a Jurassic fossil from Germany. The fossil is unusual in being an almost complete skeleton with all four limbs preserved. It is smaller than many other members of the plesiosaur family, at about 3m long. The computer model shows the animal's hind limbs provided "relatively weak thrust", say Dr Smith and co-researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, US. "We conclude that plesiosaurs were forelimb-dominated swimmers that used their hind limbs mainly for manoeuvrability and stability," they report. Ferocious predators The plesiosaurs were predatory marine reptiles that lived at the time of the dinosaurs. They are unique in the animal kingdom for having two pairs of large wing-like flippers. Palaeobiology expert Dr David Martill of the University of Portsmouth said the new work suggested that in the small plesiosaur at least, the forelimbs did all the work. He said it remained to be seen if the same was true of the largest plesiosaurs, which were ferocious marine predators. "These beasts probably fed by twist feeding like the large crocodiles of today," he said. "If this were the case, then the hind limbs may have been used to spin the animal on its long axis." Follow Helen on Twitter. BBC © 2015

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Pharma boss Shkreli on fraud charge

Pharma boss Shkreli on fraud charge December 18, 2015 3:03 AM Representatives for pharmaceutical boss Martin Shkreli, who sparked outrage after hiking up the price of a medicine used by Aids patients, say he strongly denies fraud charges. He is accused of fraud relating to a drug company he previously headed, Retrophin, and a hedge fund, MSMB Capital Management, where he was a fund manager. He is currently chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals. Mr Shkreli was arrested by the FBI. He was later bailed on payment of a $5m (£3.3m) bond package and allowed home. A spokesman for Mr Shkreli said he expected to be "fully vindicated". Mr Shkreli was accused of running a "Ponzi scheme" where Retrophin assets were illegally used to pay off debts after MSMB lost millions of dollars. At a news conference on Thursday, US Attorney Robert Capers, said: "Shkreli engaged in multiple schemes to ensnare investors through a web of lies and deceit." FBI prosecutors allege Mr Shkreli cheated the company's investors out of $11m (£7.3m). The US Securities and Exchange Commission also charged him with defrauding investors in his hedge fund to hide poor investment choices. The SEC alleged Mr Shkreli took $120,000 from one fund to use on personal expenses - including his clothes and rent- told investors in another fund it had $35m in assets when it really had less than $7,000 and stole $900,000 from a fund in 2013 to pay a legal settlement. Price hike In September he was lambasted after hiking up the price of popular medicine Daraprim by 5,000% - from $13.50 to $750 - prompting unfavourable reaction on social media. The drug treats toxoplasmosis, a parasitic affliction that affects people with compromised immune systems, and is used by Aids patients. The move led presidential candidate Hilary Clinton to vow to tackle the problem of price gouging by pharmaceutical companies. Analysts said that the issue had since led to volatility in pharma shares. In November, Mr Shkreli was also made chief executive of KaloBios Pharmaceuticals. Share trading in the company was suspended on reports of Mr Shkreli's arrest. 'Serious concerns' The FBI's investigation dates back at least to January, when Retrophin said it received a subpoena from prosecutors seeking information about its relationship with Shkreli. Retrophin, which Shkreli founded in 2011, sued its former boss in August for misuse of company funds. Retrophin's board members chose to replace Shkreli as chief executive of the company in September 2014. On Thursday, the company wrote in a statement: "The directors of Retrophin replaced Martin Shkreli as chief executive officer more than a year ago because of serious concerns about his conduct. "Following his departure, the company authorised an independent investigation of Mr Shkreli's conduct, publicly disclosed its findings, and has fully cooperated with the government investigations into Mr Shkreli." BBC © 2015

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IMF chief Lagarde faces French trial

IMF chief Lagarde faces French trial December 17, 2015 6:21 PM Christine Lagarde denies wrongdoing in the Bernard Tapie compensation case IMF chief Christine Lagarde is to stand trial in France for alleged negligence over a €404m ($438m; £294m) payment to a businessman in 2008. She was finance minister in President Nicolas Sarkozy's government at the time of the compensation award to Bernard Tapie for the sale of a firm. Mr Tapie supported Mr Sarkozy in the 2007 presidential election. Ms Lagarde's lawyer described the court's decision as "incomprehensible", and said the IMF boss would appeal. In a statement she said she had "always acted in this affair in the interest of the state and in respect of the law", according to AP. Tapie affair: Background to case Profile: Christine Lagarde, 'rock star' IMF head Mr Tapie was once a majority shareholder in sports goods company Adidas but sold it in 1993 in order to become a cabinet minister in Francois Mitterrand's Socialist government. He sued the Credit Lyonnais bank over its handling of the sale, alleging that the partly state-owned bank had defrauded him by deliberately undervaluing the company. His case was later referred by Ms Lagarde to a three-member arbitration panel which awarded the compensation, causing a public outcry. A French court has ruled that Bernard Tapie should pay back the €404m with interest Investigators suspect he was granted a deal in return for his support of Mr Sarkozy. Earlier this month, a French court ruled that Mr Tapie was not entitled to any compensation for that sale and should pay back the €404m with interest. Five-day deadline France's Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) decided that Ms Lagarde, 59, should be tried on the charge of "negligence by a person in position of public authority" over the compensation case, iTele TV channel and the Mediapart website reported on Thursday. A court spokesman later confirmed the decision. If convicted, she could be sentenced to one year in prison. French media said the CJR investigation magistrates declined to follow the recommendation of another court which last year decided not to pursue the case. "It's incomprehensible," Ms Lagarde's lawyer Yves Repiquet told iTele. "I will recommend Mrs Lagarde appeal against this decision." A spokesman for France's attorney general said Ms Lagarde would have five days to appeal, once the court decision is made public on Friday or Monday. Meanwhile, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said the organisation - which represents 188 member nations - "continues to express its confidence in the managing director's ability to effectively carry out her duties". Bernard Tapie: A French saga 1993: Credit Lyonnais bank handles sale of Adidas, in which Bernard Tapie is a majority stakeholder, to enable tycoon to pursue ministerial career under then Socialist President Francois Mitterrand 1993-2007: Mr Tapie claims Credit Lyonnais undervalued Adidas and that he was cheated; lengthy court battle ensues 1994: Bernard Tapie's highly indebted group collapses and is wound up by Credit Lyonnais 2007: Mr Tapie switches support to conservative Nicolas Sarkozy in presidential election. Finance Minister Christine Lagarde intervenes in Tapie case to order binding arbitration 2008: Special judicial panel rules Mr Tapie should receive damages of €404m; Ms Lagarde decides not to challenge ruling, prompting public outcry 2011: Public prosecutor recommends judicial investigation into Ms Lagarde's decision to order arbitration 2013: Ms Lagarde is questioned by magistrate and her Paris apartment searched. Mr Tapie is placed under investigation by prosecutors investigating corruption claims 2014: French prosecutors open formal investigation of negligence into Ms Lagarde 3 December 2015: A court orders Mr Tapie to pay back €404m with interest Ms Lagarde replaced Dominique Strauss-Kahn as IMF managing director in 2011. Mr Strauss-Kahn - also a former French minister - resigned following his arrest in New York on charges of sexual assault that were later dropped. BBC © 2015

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Npower to pay £26m over bulling errors

Npower to pay £26m over billing errors December 18, 2015 10:02 AM Energy firm Npower is to pay £26m after it sent out inaccurate bills and failed to deal with complaints correctly, Ofgem has said. The energy watchdog said Npower was to pay the record settlement "for failing to treat customers fairly". Npower's billing issues affected more than 500,000 customers between September 2013 and December 2014. Ofgem said the £26m would be divided between some of the worst affected customers and charity. The settlement is the largest yet agreed between Ofgem and a "big six" energy supplier. Npower was fined £2m in October 2011 for a similar offence. 'Completely unacceptable' Ofgem said that many of Npower's problems occurred after a new IT system was introduced in 2011. Between September 2013 and December 2014, the company issued more than 500,000 late bills, while some customers also received inaccurate bills. The regulator said that during this period, more than two million complaints were made by Npower customers. However, Ofgem found that "Npower often failed to resolve these issues promptly, pursued debts which were in dispute and failed to keep its own commitments to customers on billing. This caused significant distress and worry for many." The worst affected customers did not receive bills for more than a year. Under UK billing rules companies cannot charge for energy used more than a year earlier, but Npower did. Failures in the IT system led to late and inaccurate bills, but also inefficient complaint handling, Ofgem said. For several years, complaints were recorded incorrectly, leading to unresolved issues being recorded as resolved, and multiple records created for one complaint. Dermot Nolan, Ofgem chief executive, said: "Npower failed its customers. Not only have its billing and complaint handling procedures been chaotic, it treated many of its customers poorly, which is completely unacceptable. "Npower's management failed to act quickly enough to protect its customers when things went wrong with changes to its IT system." 'Very sorry' The regulator said it had agreed targets with Npower for it to improve its billing and complaints handling. If Npower fails to meet the targets, the company will have to stop all UK sales and advertising until they are met. Simon Stacey, managing director of domestic markets for Npower, said: "The last few years, since we changed the systems that support our domestic business, have been very disappointing for our customers - and for Npower. "We are very sorry about what has happened and that is why we have agreed this significant package of customer redress." He said the company had reduced complaints by almost 70% since the beginning of the year. BBC © 2015

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Japan shares hit by BoHr comments

Japan's shares hit by BoJ comments December 18, 2015 9:13 AM Japan's benchmark Nikkei index fell by nearly 2% after the country's central bank said further stimulus measures would not be put in place for the moment. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) said it would expand the maturity of its purchases of Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs). However, it said it would keep printing money at the same pace. The BoJ said Friday's news did not amount to an expansion of current monetary easing policies. "We've taken steps to supplement [the quantitative and qualitative easing] so that we can expand the programme without hesitation if needed," said BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda. At first, investors reacted positively to the news the bank would expand the maturity of its JGB purchases. However, stocks tumbled later once the market realised there would be no further easing until possibly next year. Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed down 1.9% at 18,986.80. "[The BOJ's] governor Kuroda has a penchant for surprises, and he delivered another one today," said Japan economist Marcel Thieliant. "The bank just decided to expand the maturity of its purchases of JGBs from the current 7-10 years to 7-12 years in order to 'encourage a smoother decline in interest rates across the yield curve'. "These are all helpful measures, but they won't make much difference in practice," he added. Elsewhere in Asia Other markets in the region spent much of the day in negative territory as falling oil prices hurt investor sentiment. The price of Brent Crude, seen as the global benchmark, was 1.4% lower at $36.86 a barrel. West Texas Crude fell 2.1% to $34.78. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.06% at 21,855.87 in afternoon trade, while the Shanghai Composite index ended the session down 0.03% at 3,578.96. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 0.09% at 5,106.70, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index finished the day down 0.13% at 1,975.32. BBC © 2015

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New Zealand milk firm shares soar

New Zealand milk firm shares soar December 18, 2015 3:03 AM By Sarah Porter BBC News, Singapore Shares in New Zealand dairy firm - The a2 Milk Company (A2) - were up more than 30% in Sydney on Friday after the firm raised its full-year earnings forecast on demand for its infant formula in China and Australia. It is the second time since November the company has raised its guidance. A2 said group revenue could reach 315m New Zealand dollars ($211.1m; £141.5m) for the period, up from NZ$285m. The firm's shares have soared close to 140% in the year to date. Imported baby milk powder is now the preferred product in China. A deadly tainted milk scandal in 2008 that led to at least six children dying and some 300,000 falling ill has seen wary Chinese consumers switch to products made in Australia or New Zealand. The a2 Milk Company told the BBC that China's level of faith in imported products is so strong - they did not need to change their packaging for sale on the mainland. "Chinese buyers want to know the products are from Australia or New Zealand, so we don't have to repackage or use Chinese language on the products," a spokesman for the firm said. A tin of the firm's infant baby milk powder sells for US$23.50 in Australia and close to US$40 in China. A2's chief executive Geoffrey Babidge said the firm's latest guidance provided further evidence of the increasing appeal of the firm's infant formula in Australia and China "and the growth potential in additional markets in the future". However, demand from Chinese consumers has resulted in shortages of infant milk formula supplies at a domestic level. Milk shortages Imported infant milk powder products are highly sought after in China In November, rival milk production company Bellamy's Australia apologised to its customers after many of them were unable to find cans of formula in their local supermarket. The Tasmania-based firm, which makes Australia's only certified organic infant formula, blamed "unprecedented demand" for its products and said that "purchases of products solely for the practice of on‐selling in overseas markets has led to limited stocks of [its] products on the shelves of Australian retailers". Soon afterwards, the firm raised its prices for its popular organic infant forumula, blaming "global demand over recent years". "The cost of organic milk is now three times the cost of conventional milk and regrettably we are no longer in a position where we can maintain our current pricing," Bellamy's said on its website. The move has upset consumers in Australia and has led to supermarket giant Coles posting an apology in its stores for the price hike. Dairy products from Australia and New Zealand, especially infant formula, are highly sought after in China Coles has restricted sales of Australian-made baby milk formula to four units per customer, while rival Woolworths has an eight can per customer limit. However, Australian consumer lobby group Choice said there had been numerous reports of empty shelves or of retailers failing to enforce sales limits. Choice has called on the Australian government to guarantee the supply of infant formula - particularly for children under the age of one. "We need to collect national information about the shortages and find out exactly where and why they are happening," Choice's Kate Brown said. "We'll use any insights to help strengthen our hypothesis that the government and retailers need to act to ensure parents and carers have access to a reliable formula supply," she said. The group has asked parents to report infant milk shortages to them via their website. BBC © 2015

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Avon strikes deal for new investment

Avon strikes deal for new investment December 17, 2015 10:49 PM International cosmetic brand Avon said it had reached an agreement with a private investment firm designed to boost the company's performance. Cerberus Capital Management will invest $605m (£406m) in Avon. As part of the agreement, the North American division will be separated from the rest and mostly controlled by Cerberus. Avon's North American business has been struggling, while its growth in emerging markets has been strong. Avon's sales in North America accounted for just 14% of the company's revenue in 2014. Sales in Latin America made up nearly half of the company's total sales during that year. "We believe that the separation of Avon North America is the best way to ensure that both businesses have an unencumbered path to profitability and growth," said Sheri McCoy, chief executive of Avon Products. New products Cerberus will pay $170m for an 80% stake in Avon North America and will appoint a new chief executive. The investment firm said it will focus on creating new product lines and new incentive structures for its sales representatives. The firm will also make a separate $435m investment for a minority stake in the international brand, Avon Products. The company has turned down previous offers from would be buyers. In 2012, beauty brand Coty made a $10bn offer to buy Avon that was rejected. With the company's stock price falling 55% over the year, the executive team appeared to be changing their minds about buyouts. Shares rose 1.2% following the deals announcement. A long history Avon, known for its catch phrase "Avon Calling" was set up in 1886. The company relies on a direct door-to door sales method rather than selling products in stores. Most of Avon's sales representatives are women and the company prides itself on female empowerment. "We are strong believers in the direct selling model, the principle of empowering Representatives, and the growth that direct selling can generate when Representatives are appropriately supported and incentivised to build their businesses," said Ms McCoy. BBC © 2015

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Apple Pay to launch in China

Apple Pay to launch in China December 18, 2015 8:11 AM Once a user has added their payment card details to Apple Pay, they can buy things stores and restaurants among other locations by using their iPhone China's state-owned bankcard association, China UnionPay, has joined forces with Apple to bring the US giant's electronic payment system, Apple Pay, to the mainland. Apple Pay will roll out to China UnionPay cardholders as early as 2016, pending approvals, the firms said. Shoppers around the world are being encouraged to use smartphones instead of cards to pay for in-store purchases. Alibaba's Alipay currently dominates China's electronic payments market. By 2017 it is estimated the global mobile payments market will be worth some $1tn (£650bn). UnionPay's alliance with Apple is an extension of its plans to make the most of that growing market. Executive vice president Chai Hongfeng said the firm would provide "secure, convenient mobile payment experiences for its hundreds of millions of cardholders, aligning multiple parties in the industry". "We're very excited to offer Apple Pay among a diverse set of innovative payment options that work with China UnionPay QuickPass," Mr Chai said. Rapid uptake Apple said its joint venture facility with the Chinese bankcard network would roll out to China UnionPay cardholders as soon as early 2016. There has been a rapid take-up of smartphones in China, with an estimated 68% of the population now owning one - and digital wallets are becoming a more popular way to pay for goods and services. On Thursday, British e-commerce tech firm Powa Technologies said it had formed a joint venture with UnionPay Network Payments which could generate $5bn (£3.3bn) in revenues over three years. Powa's technology enables shoppers to pay for goods quickly in-store as well as online using their smartphones. UnionPay Network Payments is owned by China UnionPay. Pending approval from regulators, China UnionPay cardholders should be able to add their bankcards to Apple Pay on iPhones, iPads and Apple watches, the firms said. UnionPay cards have been accepted in 150 countries and regions outside of China. They can be used in more than 26 million merchants and at 1.9 million ATMs. More than five billion UnionPay cards have been issued in China and around the world so far. The company has its headquarters in Shanghai and was launched in March 2002. Apple's pay facility was launched last year and so far only operates in the US and UK. Other digital wallets Shoppers need to own one of the most recent Galaxy handsets to be able to use Samsung Pay In addition to Apple Pay, Google's Android Pay is available at more than one million locations in the US, while Samsung Pay was launched in South Korea in August, followed by a launch in the US the following month. PayPal also has a system for shoppers to pay for purchases digitally without using a card. It also allows users to send money to people with an email or mobile number. Earlier this year, Apple extended its mobile wallet service to the UK, making it the first country outside the US to get the facility. Other mobile wallet schemes include Barclays' Pingit and PayM which are used to send and receive money by using mobile numbers. Visa's V.Me service allows users to store a range of credit card details securely online to help speed up internet purchases. BBC © 2015

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Live: Npower fine & sportsDirect latest

Live: Npower fine & SportsDirect latest December 18, 2015 6:43 AM Key points - Npower to pay £26m for 'chaotic billing' - Sports Direct defends its employment practices - Aggreko pulls out of bidding for Rio Olympics power contract BBC © 2015

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How do I Tweak my Android Phone To get Gigabyte and Megabytes

How do I Tweak my Android phone To get Gigabyte and Megabytes, I don't know how much you've been recharged on your line I'm here to tell you the light way to get amount of megabytes and gigabyte for just to your phone that you will use for browsing anytime anywhere, just follow this step »»go to your
http://play.google.com to download MTK ENGINEERING MODE update it on your phone open it Select MTK Settings, when you Open it, it will display something's like And you will swipe it to connectivity when you opened it Go to the straight points While doing this no let your friends near you. Click on the CDS INFORMATION while the procedure on the way to get out the influence Select the Radio Information opened it in sequence and it will shows you Phone 1 Phone 2 Either you want to change the imei through sim 1 you will select it Either you want to select sim 2 for the information go ahead Open phone 1 for sim 1 you will see such thing like this AT THE AT+ put your new Imei at the at+ before putting it makes sure you write down your first imei down before changing it because of caution, or error occurred. Before you put your imei on the AT+ write "E" it Will display this Add it before putting the imei at all you will see SEND AT COMMAND When you send it, it will show And you will reboot your phone for approval of the settings Enjoy!!!!!!! Keeps on coming our website
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Bodies found in Mexico's Guerrero state

Thousands of people have gone missing in Guerrero state Forensic experts have found the remains of at least 19 people outside a village in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Police are expected to compare the remains with DNA samples taken from more than 600 families searching for missing relatives in the state. Last year, the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero drew attention to the thousands of people who have gone missing there in the past years. Guerrero is one of Mexico's most violent states. Burned remains The BBC's Katy Watson in Mexico City says officials were acting on an anonymous tip off and found the bodies after a long search. They had been dumped at the bottom of a narrow canyon. Eight of the bodies had been burned. Police are not ruling out the possibility of finding more remains at the site. Guerrero residents have found scores of mass graves since September 2014, when 43 students went missing from the town of Iguala. However, just one site, a rubbish dump outside the town of Cocula, contained the remains of one of the 43 students. The identities of most of the other remains have yet to be established. The relatives of the students are meanwhile clinging on to hope that their loved ones may still be found alive. The missing 43 at a glance Who are they? The 43 were all students at an all-male teacher training college in the town of Aytozinapa, in south-western Guerrero state. The college has a history of left-wing activism and the students regularly took part in protests. What happened to them? They disappeared from the nearby town of Iguala on the evening of 26 September 2014 amid a confrontation between municipal police and the students during which six people were killed. Have any of them been found? Independent forensic experts have matched charred bone fragments reportedly found at a rubbish dump near Iguala to Alexander Mora, one of the 43 missing students. They also say there is a high probability another set of remains could belong to Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz, another of the students. However, experts from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights say the chain of evidence was broken and they could not be sure the bone fragments had been found at the dump. What is the government's version of events? According to the official report, the students were seized by corrupt municipal police officers who handed them over to members of a local drugs gang. The drugs gang mistook the students for members of a rival gang, killed them and burned their bodies at the dump before throwing their ashes into a nearby stream. Why do the families not believe the official report? They think officials have failed to investigate the role soldiers from a nearby barracks may have played in the students' disappearance. The government has refused to let the soldiers, who were in the area at the time of the disappearance, be questioned by anyone but government prosecutors. The families also point to the report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights which said that there was no evidence the bodies of the 43 were burned at the dump. BBC © 2015

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Cuban baseball defectors visit Havana

Alexei Ramirez has become a star in the US as well as his native Cuba Four Cuban baseball stars who defected to work in the United States have been reunited with their relatives on a return trip to Havana. Friends and fans welcomed them back for a three-day goodwill tour. During the presidency of Fidel Castro, Cubans who defected to the US to play Major League Baseball were banned from returning. The players remain banned from Cuba's national team despite recent improvements in US-Cuban relations. 'No rancour' BBC Havana correspondent Will Grant says the players' visit is the latest step in the quickening thaw between the US and Cuba as sports, the arts and science become some of the most straightforward arenas in which the old enemies can foster bilateral co-operation. Los Angeles Dodgers player Yasiel Puig hugged his former coach Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, St Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers received an enthusiastic welcome. Many Cuban fans were disappointed to see some of their most successful sporting heroes leave the Communist-run island. But they also followed their progress in Major Baseball League and noted with pride how some were snatched up by wealthy US teams. Our correspondent says there was little sign of any rancour at the reunion with the multi-millionaire players embracing old colleagues and coaches. The players, too, were visibly emotional. Brayan Pena was thrilled to be reunited with his 85-year-old grandmother While strict controls on baseball stars leaving the island have been relaxed in recent years, some of those making their return visit had gone to extraordinary lengths to leave Cuba. Yasiel Puig paid people smugglers to take him by speedboat to Mexico, from where he made his way overland to Texas in 2012. • Cuba's baseball revolution He was banned from returning until Cuba granted him a special permission for this trip. "I'm very happy to be here," he told fans gathered at the Hotel Nacional. During their three-day visit, the players will hold youth clinics and US baseball executives will hold talks with Cuban sports officials. BBC © 2015

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Cuban baseball defectors visit Havana

Alexei Ramirez has become a star in the US as well as his native Cuba Four Cuban baseball stars who defected to work in the United States have been reunited with their relatives on a return trip to Havana. Friends and fans welcomed them back for a three-day goodwill tour. During the presidency of Fidel Castro, Cubans who defected to the US to play Major League Baseball were banned from returning. The players remain banned from Cuba's national team despite recent improvements in US-Cuban relations. 'No rancour' BBC Havana correspondent Will Grant says the players' visit is the latest step in the quickening thaw between the US and Cuba as sports, the arts and science become some of the most straightforward arenas in which the old enemies can foster bilateral co-operation. Los Angeles Dodgers player Yasiel Puig hugged his former coach Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, St Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers received an enthusiastic welcome. Many Cuban fans were disappointed to see some of their most successful sporting heroes leave the Communist-run island. But they also followed their progress in Major Baseball League and noted with pride how some were snatched up by wealthy US teams. Our correspondent says there was little sign of any rancour at the reunion with the multi-millionaire players embracing old colleagues and coaches. The players, too, were visibly emotional. Brayan Pena was thrilled to be reunited with his 85-year-old grandmother While strict controls on baseball stars leaving the island have been relaxed in recent years, some of those making their return visit had gone to extraordinary lengths to leave Cuba. Yasiel Puig paid people smugglers to take him by speedboat to Mexico, from where he made his way overland to Texas in 2012. • Cuba's baseball revolution He was banned from returning until Cuba granted him a special permission for this trip. "I'm very happy to be here," he told fans gathered at the Hotel Nacional. During their three-day visit, the players will hold youth clinics and US baseball executives will hold talks with Cuban sports officials. BBC © 2015

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Brazilian adrift after WhatsApp suspension

Brazilians 'adrift' after WhatsApp suspension December 17, 2015 3:17 PM Brazilians have been joking on Twitter about what their lives are like without WhatsApp Brazilians angered at the 48-hour suspension by a court of the WhatsApp messaging application have been taking to social media. A judge ordered that access to the popular messaging application be blocked in Brazil for two days from Thursday for its failure to comply with a court order. Brazilian media reported that the judge wanted WhatsApp to provide investigators with access to the WhatsApp conversation of a suspect in a criminal case. Brazilians have been expressing their surprise at the suspension and have been joking about how they would spend the next two days without access to the popular messaging service. A user calling himself simply idiota (idiot) (@euidiotices) made it clear he felt adrift without WhatsApp when he posted the above picture and the sentence: "Me without whatsapp". He was not the only one to make the connection to the popular film Cast Away. Karina Ribeiro (@karinaribeiro72) said she would exchange some ideas with Wilson, the volleyball Tom Hanks' character starts speaking to while stranded on the deserted island. Many others shared what they would do with their newfound time under the hashtag #Nessas48HorasEuVou (#Inthese48hoursIwill), which quickly began to trend. While many of the users said they would pass the time by watching box sets of popular TV shows such as The Walking Dead and Supergirl, some seemed to have forgotten what a TV was. Luis Mariz (@LuisMariz) tweeted: "#Inthese48hoursIwill we have a picture at home here that has people talking inside, I'm told it's called TV, does your home have one?" Others wanted to use the outage to socialise with friends face to face...or even get to know their relatives better, such as user Luanete LS. Some WhatsApp users clearly feel they have lost touch with their closest ones to a sometimes worrying degree, such as Brenda who said she would use the time to "find out who those strange people in my house are. Some promised to use the time to read books they have so far struggled to finish or to simply watch the sun rise over Rio de Janeiro. Many also want to return to the days before mobile communication and spend the next two days visiting people and "hugging them". A thought shared by Rafaa (@rafa_dalri)...or not when she tweeted: "#Inthese48hoursI will have a social life. Just kidding, there's still Twitter". BBC © 2015

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Colombia agrees key war victims deal

Colombia agrees key war victims deal December 16, 2015 3:59 AM Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has said an agreement signed with Farc rebels on reparations and justice for victims of the country's civil war is an "important step" towards peace. Mr Santos said Colombia was on track to meet a deadline set for 23 March next year for ending the conflict. The deal offers an amnesty for all but the most serious crimes. An estimated 220,000 people have been killed as a result of the five-decades long war. • What is at stake in the Colombian peace process? • Victims 'a priority' for Colombia The Colombian leader said the two sides had tackled "one of the most sensitive and complex points of the peace talks" in the latest agreement. Under the deal, special tribunals will be created to try former combatants, once a final peace deal is signed. "2016 will be the year that Colombia sees a new dawn," said Mr Santos. "The dawning of a country without war, in hopefully a united country that can move towards its maximum potential... The hour of peace has arrived in Colombia." Key points of the agreement • Victims have a right to compensation for damages caused by the conflict • Creation of a truth commission • Creation of a unit dedicated to searching for those who disappeared as a result of the armed conflict • Creation of special tribunals to try those suspected of having committed conflict-related crimes • Victims to be offered protection and guarantees for their safety Chief Farc negotiator Ivan Marquez said the agreement showed reconciliation was possible. "If you don't put adverse obstructions in the way of common sense, we can get closer to our higher purpose of reconciliation," he said. Over the past 18 months, 60 victims of the conflict travelled to the talks in the Cuban capital Havana to give testimony. Ten attended Tuesday's ceremony. Jineth Bedoya, spokesperson for the victims, said they were "celebrating that after so many decades of impunity a way has been found to recognise" what they went through. Tuesday's agreement fleshed out the details of the transitional justice system which had been agreed by both sides in September. In a joint statement, the two sides said that they hoped that "the implementation of these and all of the accords will ensure dignity for the victims, do justice, and lay the foundation for ending the violence of the conflict in our country once and for all". Official peace negotiations between the Farc and government have been going on for more than three years. The two sides have now reached agreement on four key issues that they had laid out in an agenda at the start of the process: victims' rights, land rights, the political participation of the rebels, and how to deal with the problem of drug trafficking. They have yet to agree on how the rebels will disarm once a final agreement is signed. The Farc is the largest of Colombia's left-wing rebel groups, founded in 1964 to overthrow the government and install a Marxist regime. The justice deal at a glance Who will mete out justice? Special courts and a peace tribunal will be set up to deal with alleged crimes related to the conflict and will try all participants in the conflict, including members of the security forces. Will there be an amnesty? Yes and no. Combatants will be covered by an amnesty, but war crimes and crimes against humanity will not fall under it. Will Farc leaders be sent to jail? That depends. Those who confess to the most serious crimes will see their "freedom restricted" and be confined, but not in ordinary jails. It is not yet clear where they would serve their sentence instead. Those who confess past a certain deadline or refuse to admit their crimes altogether will go to prison for up to 20 years. Will the guilty pay for their crimes? Even those who are not sent to prison will have to carry out work aimed at repairing some of the damage caused in more than 50 years of conflict, such as helping to clear landmines and plant alternative crops where coca was grown. BBC © 2015

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