02/12/2012 BBC Weekend News


02/12/2012

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The Chancellor, George Osborne, says it is taking longer than

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planned to deal with the UK's debt. As he prepares for his Autumn

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Statement this week, Mr Osborne says the rich will need to do their

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bit to help reduce the burden. has to be done fairly. Yes, the

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richest have to bear their fair share and they will. Also: A tunnel

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collapses on cars on a motorway in Japan, killing and injuring several

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people. At least three Afghan soldiers have been killed at a

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military base after an attack by Taliban suicide bombers. And the

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brightest star leaves the Galaxy, Good evening. The Chancellor,

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George Osborne, has admitted it will take longer than expected to

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deal with Britain's debts. Ahead of his Autumn Statement this week, Mr

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Osborne said it would be catastrophic to change his economic

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policy now. He warned more tough choices would be needed and that

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the wealthy and those on welfare had to share in tackling the

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deficit. It's the time of year when the

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economy should at least appear to be booming. But you can pick up a

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pre-Christmas bargain in Oxford Street. The Chancellor said he

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would get the nation's debts down by 2015. It looks like he'll miss

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his own target. It is clearly taking longer to deal with

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Britain's debts. It is clearly taking longer to recover from the

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financial crisis than anyone would have hoped. I am clear going

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forward, we have to deal with this deficit. It will take longer. That

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means more difficult decisions. It has to be done fairly. Yes, the

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richest have to bear the fair share and they will. What are his

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options? Well he has ruled out the Lib Dem policy of a mansion tax on

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expensive houses and vetoed new council tax bands aimed at high-

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value homes. The most likely way he'll hit the better off is to

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reduce tax relief on pensions. He could put up stamp duty. The tax on

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the purchase of properties at the top end of the market. But the

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Chancellor is not simply picking the pockets of the rich, those of

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working age on welfare could face a freeze in their benefits or at the

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very least a below inflation increase. This is causing an

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unseasonable row with Labour. They say the reason why the Chancellor

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is struggling is because his economic policy has failed.

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welfare bill is up because inflation is up and long-term

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unemployment is up. Unless you get people back to work and the work

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programme is failing and he's cutting taxes at the top. Then he

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says, George Osborne, I'm going to hit people at the bottom. Just

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before Christmas the Chancellor will be presented with unwelcome

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news, that he's no long on -- longer on target. He'll have to

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convince voters the outlook would be more bleak if anyone else was in

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charge. Let's speak to our political editor.

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We have the Autumn Statement on Wednesday. What are the key things

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we should look out for? Well, the main news is around these two rules

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- the promises if you like that George Osborne set himself when he

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became Chancellor. And the implications of those rules and

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whether he's going to meet them. The first one was he basically said

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there's a certain measure of borrowing and I will get rid of it

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in five years. When he said 2010, that meant 2015. The rule did not

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specify which five years. Last year he had to stand up and say it will

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be five years from now, not 2010. We expect him to do this same on

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Wednesday. In effect, we were told about the implications of that

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because it will mean extra austerity being planned for after

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the Parliament in - after the election in 2015 and we might find

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out more about what that extra austerity will be. This other is to

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have the stock of debt, all the past borrowing fall relative to the

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economy in 2015. He can't wriggle out of that one. Almost no-one in

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the City thinks he'll meet it. What is interesting is the same people

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who backed plan A, the International Monetary Fund, the

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Governor of the Bank of England are saying don't stick too slavishly to

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it. That's helpful to George Osborne in terms of his credibility

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on Wednesday with this difficult political statement. What he will

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not get into but Ed Balls will get into, is whether that plan A, that

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tougher plan was right in the first place. Thank you.

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In Japan at least five people are known to have died after a motorway

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tunnel collapsed on a major road west of Tokyo. Concrete slabs fell

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on to cars causing one to cash -- to go on fire. It is something we

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may all think about but never believe will happen. Yet today in

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central Japan did. More than a mile inside this road tunnel, deep

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beneath the mountain range, a sudden and catastrophic collapse.

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Inside terrified drivers watched in disbelief as the roof implouded

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around them. A car burst into flames filling the tunnel with

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acrid smoke. "about 50 metres in front of us the

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tunnel had collapsed. There was smoke everywhere. We ran for the

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exit." "Everything had collapsed in toward

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from the side and top. The ceilings and the walls. The ceiling crushed

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a car's roof in." CCTV from inside shoi the huge concrete slabs, each

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weighing more than a tonne, lying on the roadway. Initially crews ran

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in, but ran out again fearful that another collapse was imminent. For

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a time this afternoon, there was hope that a truck driver was alive

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inside the tunnel after he called his company from his mobile phone.

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By night fall, rescuers had only found five dead bodies, including

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that of the truck driver. The question being asked tonight is,

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how could this have happened here in Japan? A country whose bridges

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and tunnels are built to withstand the strongest earthquakes. There

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are hundreds of tunnels across the country, many built in the 1970s,

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just like the one that collapsed today. People here are wondering

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how much of Japan's infrastructure is not as safe as they imagined.

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At least three Afghan soldiers and two civilians have been killed by

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Taliban suicide bombs who attacked an air base in Afghanistan. They

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detonated car bombs at the entrance to the base in Jalalabad.

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That sparked a two-hour gun battle with troops.

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In the early morning, the aftermath of an assault that was brazen,

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complex and co-ordinated. The Taliban sent attackers in

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explosive-laden vehicles and suicide bombers on foot. Some were

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said to be in Afghan uniform. They made it to the gates of the base

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and tried to blast and shoot their way in.

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With the help of attack helicopters, NATO held them off. There most

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likely are three suicide attackers, using vehicles to attack the base.

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Afghan officials said later there were nine suicide attackers, all

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died in the assault. There were no NATO deaths, but two

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local doctors were killed as they made their way to work. NATO says

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the attack was a failure because the Taliban didn't penetrate the

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base. Questions will be asked about how

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they got so close to such an obvious target, in spite of check

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points on the approach roads. This was the second major Taliban

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attack on the base this year. The latest assault is another reminder

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that the militants can still hit hard in spite of claims that they

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have been weakened. Afghan officials are investigating if any

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of the dead were killed by friendly fire from NATO.

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The coffee chain Starbucks says it is in talks with HM revenue and

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customs and the Treasury over how much tax it pays. It has been

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criticised by its corporation tax payments. It paid none last year

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despite sales of �400 million. The Army is asking all its military and

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civilian staff in the UK to take extended leave over Christmas and

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the New Year, from December 15th to January 6th. The Army says it is a

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thank you after a tough year. A Ministry of Defence memo says by

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closing down buildings over the Christmas period the Army can save

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money on gas and electricity bills. Nearly every newspaper editor in

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Britain is ready to sign up to a new independent watchdog in the

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wake of the Leveson report. That is according to Lord Hunt, the

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chairman of the Press Complaints Commission. He says they are ready

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to strike a deal for the need to avoid legislation. On Tuesday the

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Prime Minister will meet editors to discuss how that new body might

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work. The burning question for victims,

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politicians and press this weekend - should a newspaper's Code of

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Conduct be backed bylaw? Campaigners like Gerry McCann, who

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say yes, now have 100,000 signatures for their online

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petition. We've had Seine attempts in the last 60 years to a-- seven

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attempts in the last 60 years to allow the press to regulate itself.

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Each one is unsuccessful. It beggars belief that the Prime

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Minister can think it will work this time. It might.

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The man searching for a compromise says nearly every newspaper editor,

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national, regional and local, will back a new regulator. By this time

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next week, I want to have a clear agreed timetable to set up the new

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regulator by June next year. Those who share the Prime Minister's

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concern about the threat to a free press believe this initiative must

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be given time to work. Lord Leveson was clear, that there should be no

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MPs indeed or journalists sitting on the independent body and that, I

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think, is something I would agree with and which we must look to all

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the newspapers to sign up to. If they don't, then it may be we would

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have to move to legislate. Shoppers in York today had firm views about

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regulation. The backing of statutory regulations the other day.

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It is necessary. I go fully along with the Leveson report. I feel the

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freedom of the press is - we should have that and it shouldn't be

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regulated in any way whatsoever. nothing is done about it, if it is

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not legislated for, I think they will simply be quiet for a while,

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be good boys for a while and a year down the line, I don't think, I

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think they will go back to their normal ways. MPs will debate tissue

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tomorrow. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister sits down with newspaper

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editors. They are under pressure from Ed Miliband, who says that if

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a cross-party deal cannot be reached by Christmas, he'll force a

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vote. That is something David Cameron is anxious to avoid.

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Now, it stood as a defiant image against China's rapidly expanding

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economy. The image of this house in the middle of a motorway was seen

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around the world. It came to symbolise the efforts of homeowners

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in China who wanted to make a stand against Government attempts to

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expand China's road network. The bulldozers have now moved in.

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It was quite literally life in the fast lane. When a new motorway was

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built, one couple, unlike their neighbours, refused to leave their

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home. Their house became a symbol of resistance to China's

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construction boom. The farmer said the compensation offered by the

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authorities was not enough. TRANSLATION: I just want them to

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build another house for me. They can build a house of the same size

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somewhere else and get it decorated as my house. That is all I want.

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After a deal was apparently reached the couple moved out and the

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bulldozers moved in. It is a scene that is repeated time and again

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across China, as the country experiences change.

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More than 200,000 miles of roads have been built here in the last

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three years alone. Many Chinese welcome the country turbo-charged

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transformation, but such is the scale and the speed of development

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that very little is allowed to stand in the way.

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Let's get some sport now. For a full round up here's Lizzie

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Greenwood-Hughes from the BBC Sports Centre.

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Thank you. Good evening. It was the grudge match to end all grudge

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matches. The Dons, verses the Dons. MK Dons took on AFC Wimbledon. The

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team formed by fans when the club was moved to Milton Keynes. There

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was no sweet revenge for Wimbledon. They were beaten 2-1 in injury time.

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AFC Wimbledon fans infyfyant mood as they -- in defiant mood. They

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used to support Wimbledon, the Crazy Gang, who once won the FA Cup.

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Wimbledon moved 60 miles north here, to Milton Keynes. So their furious

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fans in London formed a new team and now a decade on, they face the

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ultimate grudge match. This is not a game that Wimbledon fans wanted

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to take place. Obviously we have been drawn against them. No-one is

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particularly happy about that. is entirely wrong that a football

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club should be separated from its roots and moved away. Some fans

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boycotted the match, choosing instead to watch at their home in

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South London. As the teams emerged, the visitors once again made their

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points to the club they believe stole their identity. Amid the

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abgco moany a football match broke out. MK Dons were favouritess and

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they showed why. Stephen Gleeson blasting them ahead of the break.

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The underdogs bit back. Jack Midson sparking a minipitch

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invasion as the years of pent up passion spilled over. It set up the

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climaxs. Wimbledon came within a whisker of getting it.

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Jon Otsemobor with a winner. More heartbreak for Wimbledon. After all

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the criticism, the hosts there was relief.

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This was for our fans and for the city of Milton Keynes. The critics

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we get are undeserved. It is nice we have the win. Delight for these

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MK Dons fans. What despair for AFC Wimbledon.

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There was one Premier League fixture today. Match of the Day 2

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follows this programme. If you don't want to know the score,

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please leave the room now. Norwich ended their unbeaten run to

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eight matchs with a 2-1 home win over Sunderland. They are 12th in

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the table. And the final whistle blue on David

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Beckham's US football career this weekend.

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One last game in LA Galaxy colours. The All American Cup Final. The

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stage was set for David Beckham's final appearance. He arrived six

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years ago to a fanfare. There were a few trademark Beckham moments and

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the crowds weren't disappointed. 3-1 was a huge victory for the home

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side and brought a standing ovation for the man who brought the club

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buckets of fame and plenty of good fortune. It didn't look like he

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would live up to the hype or the money, but David Beckham has done

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what he was asked - to take LA Galaxy to victory - twice, and to

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put football in the US firmly on the map.

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Beckham bowed out, still not saying where he would go next for that

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final playing challenge he mentioned. All he was talking about

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was a victory. Today is a special day for us - to win another

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championship in front of our own fans, at our home, in front of our

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friends and family is special. Today is a good day. And the fans

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