World Cup 2010: Domenech admits France need miracle

Under-fire France boss Raymond Domenech says his team need a World Cup miracle after their shock 2-0 defeat by Mexico. Uruguay and Mexico meet in their last group game knowing a point will send them both into the last 16, condemning France to an embarrassing exit. "We need a miracle now," said Domenech, who will step down after the World Cup. "When we are forced to rely on others, there's nothing to say. I don't have the words, it's a real disappointment for all the people who believed in us." France, World Cup winners in 1998 and runners-up four years ago, followed a 0-0 draw with Uruguay in their opening game with another uninspiring display against a classy Mexico side. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre's personnel changes proved inspirational, with all three substitutes involved in the second-half goals. Javi Hernandez scored the first after breaking the offside trap and rounding the keeper, while Pablo Barrera was tripped to allow Cuauhtemoc Blanco to seal the win from the spot.

Hernandez gives Mexico a 1-0 lead Domenech, meanwhile, replaced the ineffectual Nicolas Anelka with Andre-Pierre Gignac at halftime but it failed to revive France. "If we had the answers then we could have done something about it," said the France coach. "We had good intentions and desire. I feel just like all of the fans, all the French people. It's more than just a disappointment. "At the moment, I don't know what I will say to the players." France play hosts South Africa in their final group game on Tuesday. "We have to be strong and at least play for our honour. At least we must show something in the last match," added Domenech.

Chester student 'set on fire' at end-of-year party

A student who was allegedly covered in rum and set alight at an end-of-year party is seriously ill in hospital. Glenn Collins, 19, a sports science student at The University of Chester, is being treated at Wythenshawe Burns Clinic after the incident on 10 June. Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to a flat on Berry Street in Manchester city centre following reports of a man being burnt. Two men have been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Rohan Foley, 21, and Jack Brown, 20, both of Parkgate Road, Chester, appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Friday and were bailed to appear before the court again on 22 July. It is believed Mr Collins had been visiting a friend's flat in Manchester when the alleged incident took place. Emergency services said they found the teenager had third degree burns on his face, chest, arms and body.

Many teachers opt to set up free schools

More than 700 groups say they are interested in starting a "free school" in England - half are made up of teachers. Groups can apply from today to set up a new "state-funded independent school". The government has set out what groups will need to do to get approval. Education Secretary Michael Gove says the scheme will drive up standards, but critics say it will cause chaos at a local level and other schools will lose out. He believes "free schools" are a way of raising achievement in areas where local authority-run schools are not providing a good quality education. The main aim is to close the attainment gap between rich and poor and teachers have been attracted to the scheme, he says, by the desire to "make a difference" - and the freedoms it offers. The free schools policy is similar to the charter schools system in the USA and one run in Sweden. Mr Gove said: "In America, some of the most successful schools that have been set up have been set up by teachers. "We have been joined by teachers from the state sector who want to branch out and set up their own schools and they particularly want to target the disadvantaged. "They want to make sure that the achievement gap is closed."

David Cameron warns public sector over Budget cuts

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the budget deficit will not be dealt with by "just hitting either the rich or the welfare scrounger". Speaking in the Times ahead of next week's emergency Budget, Mr Cameron signalled that public sector pay and pensions would have to be restrained. And he said he "enjoyed proving himself wrong" after having claimed a coalition government would damage the economy. Labour's Ed Miliband says the budget will put the coalition under strain. Mr Cameron said next week's Budget is when "the rubber really hits the road". According to BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue, this is a clear indication, if one was needed, that the coalition is planning to cut hard and raise taxes. Mr Cameron acknowledges there are no easy ways to cut the deficit but says it has to happen for the good of the country. He also insisted there was no agenda against public sector workers. There is no animus against people because they work in the public sector "There are three large items of spending that you can't ignore and those are public sector pay, public sector pensions and benefits," he said. "We revere and want to stand up for people working in the public sector. They do an incredibly important job. "There is no animus against people because they work in the public sector. It is just a question of how do we best deal with this budget deficit in a way that is fair. "There is no way of dealing with an 11% budget deficit just by hitting either the rich or the welfare scrounger." Mr Cameron also lashed out at some unions, asking "what planet are they on?" after some union leaders vowed to oppose any cuts. He also paid tribute to the Liberal Democrats. "I didn't predict that we would come together and agree properly robust fiscal action but we have, and that's all for the good," he said.

'Alarming' rise in Afghan violence, says UN

Violence in Afghanistan increased dramatically in the first four months of this year, the UN says. In a quarterly report to the UN Security Council, it said roadside bomb attacks rose by 94%, compared with the same period in 2009. On average, the report said, there were three suicide bombings a week, half of them in the country's volatile south. The findings come amid a major Nato-led operation in Helmand and a surge of US reinforcements. US President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan in December. Assassinations rise Nato launched Operation Moshtarak in Helmand province in February, its biggest military offensive since the Taliban were ousted in 2001. The alarming trend of increased improvised explosive device incidents and complex suicide attacks persistedUN Secretary General's report Peace or more war? The report noted the rise in violence was "attributable to an increase in military operations in thesouthern region during the first quarter of 2010". It also said Afghanistan's overall security situation "has not improved" since the UN's last report in March. Despite all this, the electoral commission had successfully registered more than 2,500 political candidates - including 400 women - for polls due in September, the report said. It also noted that both the Afghan police and army were slightly ahead of interim targets for beefing up their ranks. But assassinations had risen 45%, with the Taliban and others increasingly successful at killing Afghan officials, the report said. It added that sophisticated suicide bombings had doubled from last year to roughly two per month. "The shift to more complex suicide attacks demonstrates a growing capability of the local terrorist networks linked to al-Qaeda," the report said. It also noted: "The alarming trend of increased improvised explosive device incidents and the occurrence of complex suicide attacks persisted."

Gambia ex-military chiefs charged over 'coup plot'

President Yahya Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 Prosecutors in The Gambia have charged the former heads of the navy and army with plotting to overthrow President Yahya Jammeh. Former navy chief Sarjo Fofona and ex-army chief of staff Gen Langtombong Tamba are accused of being part of a 2006 alleged coup attempt. Gen Tamba is already on trial alongside other army officials for his alleged part in a failed coup last year. President Jammeh himself seized power in a coup in 1994. He has since won three elections, amid opposition allegations of harassment. Drugs link? His critics say his government is using allegations of coup plots to intimidate potential rivals and settle scores. Some reports suggest the arrests may be linked to the recent seizure of more than two tonnes of cocaine in the country. The two former military chiefs "refused or neglected to report [a coup plot] to the appropriate authorities within a reasonable period or time", prosecutors say, according to the AFP news agency. Another group of senior military officials and businessmen was arrested in March and accused of planning to seize power. Several people were sentenced to long prison terms over the 2006 coup attempt.

Yemen gunmen attack security service HQ in Aden

Page last updated at 12:43 GMT, Saturday, 19 June 2010 13:43 UK Several suspected militants were set free from the security building Gunmen have attacked the headquarters of Yemen's Political Security Service in the southern city of Aden. At least two members of the security forces were killed. Unconfirmed reports said up to 13 people, including 10 security personnel, were left dead. There were heavy exchanges of gunfire and smoke is still rising from inside. Local officials blamed the raid on al-Qaeda, which has urged supporters to take up arms against the government in response to a crackdown in the east.

Obama warns G20 leaders on budget cuts

President Obama says concerns over budget deficits must not put the recovery at risk Barack Obama has warned against cutting national debts too quickly as it would put economic recovery at risk. In a letter to G20 leaders, the US president said that while it was important to put in place "credible plans" to cut deficits, withdrawing economic stimulus early was dangerous. "[In the past] stimulus was too quickly withdrawn and resulted in renewed hardships and recession," he warned. But Mr Obama said the US would still aim to halve is own deficit by 2013. The US budget deficit would be cut to 3% of GDP by 2015, the president said. The leaders of the world's 20 leading economies are due to meet in Toronto on 26 June. Mr Obama said the priority of the meeting should be "to safeguard and strengthen the recovery". The BBC World Service's economics correspondent Andrew Walker said the letter appeared to express the US administrations reservations over recent changes in economic policy in Europe. "There has been a marked change in emphasis in the G20 in the last few weeks," he said. "For many of the group's member countries, especially in Europe, the case for stimulating economic recovery using the public finances has been overtaken by concerns about stabilising government debt." The governments of several large European countries, Germany and the United Kingdom among them, have recently outlined plans for spending cuts. In comments apparently directed at China, Mr Obama also stressed the need for flexible exchange rates to ensure a balanced global economy. China has been criticised by the US for failing to allow its currency to trade freely. The G20, which includes both developed and developing economies such as Russia, China and Argentina, has taken the lead in efforts to tackle the global financial crisis.

Tony nods for Jude Law and Catherine ZetaJones

British actors Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones are among nominees announced for this year's Tony Awards. Law, up for best actor for his Broadway performances of Hamlet, goes up against fellow Briton Alfred Molina, for Red, and Denzil Washington, for Fences. Zeta-Jones is up for best actress in a musical for A Little Night Music. American Idiot, which features the music of US rock band Green Day, has been nominated for best musical.

Family questioned in India journalist death

Police in India are questioning the father and brother of a Delhi-based journalist found dead last week in a suspected "honour killing" case. Nirupama Pathak was found dead in her parents' home in Jharkhand state. An autopsy revealed that she was pregnant. She was reportedly in a relationship with a man from a different caste. On Monday Miss Pathak's mother was arrested in connection with her murder. Her family deny all the allegations and say she committed suicide. Miss Pathak's family reported her death last Thursday. They said she was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her room and produced two suicide notes. But an autopsy report showed the death was "a clear case of murder... caused by asphyxia as a result of smothering," the AFP news agency quoted senior Jharkhand police officer MS Bhatia as saying. The autopsy also showed that Pathak was pregnant, fuelling suspicions that this was a case of honour killing, police said.

Miss Pathak, 22, was a high-caste Hindu Brahmin living in Delhi and reportedly in a relationship with another journalist, Priyabhanshu Ranjan, who was from a lower caste. Police say that her parents had opposed the idea of their daughter "marrying someone from outside their caste". Correspondents say that honour killings in the villages of northern India have long been reported. But if Miss Pathak's case is found to be an instance of honour killing, it would be rare given her education and her urban background.

Russia to drop capital gains tax to attract investment

Russia will scrap capital gains tax on long-term direct investment from 2011, President Dmitry Medvedev has said. Mr Medvedev said that in terms of improving Russia's investment climate "we, I hope, are moving forward". He also said the number of "strategic" firms, in which foreign investment is restricted and which cannot be privatised, would fall from 280 to 41. Mr Medvedev has been promoting the idea of "modernisation", including diversifying the Russian economy. Also, many investors have been wary of coming to Russia because of corruption and the dominant role the state plays in Russia's business life. Mr Medvedev told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that long-term direct investment was "necessary for modernisation". He also said that he would ask the government to create a special investment public-private fund. "Such an idea should be implemented within a year," he said. 'Something new' The Russian economy, heavily dependent on oil and gas revenues, was enjoying several years of robust growth in the middle of the 2000s. However, it was hit hard by the global economic crisis, and in 2009 the economy shrank by 7.9%. The economy is forecast to return to growth this year, expanding by about 4%. But Russia is also set to run a budget deficit for several years to come. Its oil revenues fund, which has been financing the deficit, is expected to end next year, and the government wants to attract more foreign investment to boost the economy. In an interview with Bloomberg Television earlier this week, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "While Russian stocks may be undervalued, Russia is not seeking investors interested in quick and easy money." "I would welcome real investors who can build factories, something new in this country."

Who are the Taliban?

The Taliban are active in both Afghanistan and Pakistan

Recent years have seen the re-emergence of the hardline Islamic Taliban movement as a fighting force in Afghanistan and a major threat to its government. They are also threatening to destabilise Pakistan, where they control areas in the north-west and are blamed for a wave of suicide bombings and other attacks. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. A predominantly Pashtun movement, the Taliban came to prominence in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1994. It is commonly believed that they first appeared in religious seminaries - mostly paid for by money from Saudi Arabia - which preached a hard line form of Sunni Islam. The Taliban's promise - in Pashtun areas straddling Pakistan and Afghanistan - was to restore peace and security and enforce their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law, once in power. In both countries they introduced or supported Islamic punishments - such as public executions of convicted murderers and adulterers and amputations of those found guilty of theft. Men were required to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka.

Crisis at camp Capello

Deflated after their listless performance against Algeria, England's players were given Saturday morning off to relax or take in the sights of Cape Town.Outside the team's exclusive Vineyard Hotel, a group of camera crews and photographers waited to capture those players brave enough to venture out. Others, like Wayne Rooney, remained holed up inside. After his frustrated outburst at the many England supporters inside the stadium who expressed their anger at England's display, the Manchester United striker was rather more camera shy the morning after.England manager Fabio Capello was the first to leave after breakfast, taking a car just after 0900 local time. He has a lot to reflect on after seeing his meticulous plans for this World Cup go so wrong. Having exuded such confidence during qualifying and such certainty in his own methods, the Italian - a winner of nine league titles in Italy and Spain - is giving off the air of a man in personal crisis in what is his first World Cup as a coach. His body language as he came off the pitch at half-time last night spoke of utter befuddlement at how a group of players with such large reputations could be shrunk in the face of supposedly weaker African opposition.His press conference display was hardly more encouraging as he spoke of his bemusement at his team's form and pointedly refused to rule out quitting if England are eliminated after Wednesday's game against Slovenia.Although he cannot be blamed for the paucity of world-class players at his disposal (get ready for that debate next week if the results go against England), the pressure is on in a way that will be different and possibly more intense, than anything he experienced in La Liga or Serie A. He has never had to deal with such huge national expectation. England return to their Rustenburg training camp later on Saturday. Sensing the anger of fans back home and here in South Africa there is a mood at the top of the Football Association to see Capello front up and face the media on Sunday. This would be unusual as the manager normally only speaks the day before matches. The FA knows this is a key moment in its costly Capello project. There is a feeling at the top of the organisation that it has spared no expense in giving Capello and his players absolutely everything they asked for in terms of preparation and if they do go home early there will be serious questions asked about why a 5m-a-year manager and his vast coaching staff could not take England forward.And given the disappointing way England have started this World Cup there will undoubtedly be a few jitters among FA board members at the last-minute decision to remove the two-year break clause in Capello's contract just before the team left for South Africa.Some at the FA believe Capello would probably quit anyway if England did fail to get out of Group C. But there is no evidence from the manager's past that he would walk away lightly from such a lucrative deal.But before we reach the end game in this now all too familiar drama, England can still qualify and even win the group if they produce a performance to match expectations on Wednesday.And to end on a more optimistic note - this is exactly the same situation England found themselves in at Italia '90 when two 1-1 draws left Sir Bobby Robson's team needing a win against Egypt to go through. They did, and they reached the semi-finals. Robson only achieved that after changing his methods following talks with his key players.

Tea and coffee 'protect against heart disease'

It is still not clear what difference milk makes to the health benefits Drinking several cups of tea or coffee a day appears to protect against heart disease, a 13-yearlong study from the Netherlands has found. It adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting health benefits from the most popular hot drinks. Those who drank more than six cups of tea a day cut their risk of heart disease by a third, the study of 40,000 people found. Consuming between two to four coffees a day was also linked to a reduced risk. While the protective effect ceased with more than four cups of coffee a day, even those who drank this much were no more likely to die of any cause, including stroke and cancer, than those who abstained. The Dutch tend to drink coffee with a small amount of milk and black tea without. There have been conflicting reports as to whether milk substantially affects the polyphenols - believed to be the most beneficial substance in tea. Continue reading the main story Having a cigarette with your coffee could completely cancel any benefits Ellen Mason British Heart Foundation Coffee has properties which could in theory simultaneously increase and reduce risk - potentially raising cholesterol while battling the inflammatory damage associated with heart disease. But the study in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds those who drank between two and four cups a day lowered the risk of the disease by 20%. "It's basically a good news story for those who like tea and coffee. These drinks appear to offer benefits for the heart without raising the risk of dying from anything else," said Professor Yvonne van der Schouw, the lead researcher. Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study adds further weight to the evidence that drinking tea and coffee in moderation is not harmful for most people, and may even lower your risk of developing, or dying, from heart disease. "However, it's worth remembering that leading a healthy overall lifestyle is the thing that really matters when it comes to keeping your heart in top condition. "Having a cigarette with your coffee could completely cancel any benefits, while drinking lots of tea in front of the TV for hours on end without exercising is unlikely to offer your heart much protection at all."