01/04/2012 BBC Weekend News


01/04/2012

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The pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi wins a seat in Burma's

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parliament in historic by-elections. There are wild celebrations for

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supporters hoping for political reform. Aung San Suu Kyi wants this

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to be a stepping-stone to a national poll that will bring her

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party to power. Plans to extend the government's power to monitor

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emails of everyone in the UK has been slammed by critics as state

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snooping. More tax on your plane ticket, airlines complain about

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sky-high passenger duty. And to his King Kenny's crown slipping as

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Liverpool lose again in the Premier Hello, good evening. Thousands of

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people have been cheering to victory of Burma's pro-democracy

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leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has won a seat in historic by-elections

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in the country. According to her party she will have one of the 45

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parliamentary seats being contested and despite the vote the government

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remains in the hands of the Burmese military budget is being seen as a

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test of their commitment to political reform. Our special

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correspondent Fergal Keane sent this report from Rangoon. A typical

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morning of the late dry season but one when Freedom Food edged forward

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in Burma. -- freedom edged forward. This 85-year-old was born under

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British rule. She has seen World War, dictated back and now

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democracy. -- dictatorship. One of thousands who have made their way

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to the polls across the country today. I voted for Aung San Suu Kyi,

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she told me. She is for democracy, that is why I love her. The pro-

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democracy leader was south of Rangoon in her constituency. Queues

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had been falling since dawn. By the day's End, and sang Suu Kyi's seed

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would be one, despite her misgivings about electoral fraud

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elsewhere. At this Rangoon polling station a civil servant in charge

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displayed an empty ballot box, nothing suspicious here, he said.

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Yet for some voters it is hard to trust the state.

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You don't believe the government? never believed. The why? Why, they

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are not freedom. We are always suffering from their control.

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all day they kept coming. Seeking their names on the voters' lists.

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For many the crackdowns and tailings that defined political

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life in this country seem part of history now. Even for X political

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prisoners. You spend ten years in prison to get to this day. That is

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right. Are you happy with how things are going so far? Well,

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coming out of the prison, I am happy, and then this is the moment,

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practising democracy, because of election. So I am more happy. Last

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election the political parties had menaced restrictions and people

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were intimidated. They were afraid, but not now, this time. At the pro

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democracy headquarters this evening unofficial results were announced.

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Many constituencies showed their candidates winning. There was joy.

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Their parliament will for now still be controlled by the military. In

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all of this it is vital to remember the gulf between the ambitions of

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the Democrats and the government, which sees the by-elections as a

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way of ending its international isolation. Aung San Suu Kyi however

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wants this to be a stepping stone to a national poll that will bring

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her party to power. The monitoring of phone calls,

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texts and the mills of everyone in the UK will be extended under

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legislation being drawn up by the government -- emails. Ministers say

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they need the new laws to catch up with technological advances and

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help with terrorism and crime. Critics say the government is using

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its powers to snoop on unwarranted people and the move is unwarranted

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and unnecessary. When the coalition government came

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to power they said they would cut Big Brother down to size. They

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would introduce a Freedom Bill to reverse what they saw as Labour's

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attacks on civil liberties. But they are now planning legislation

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which even some of their own supporters say amounts to mass

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surveillance. They don't need this law to protect us. This is an

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unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop on

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ordinary, innocent people, in vast numbers and frankly they should not

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have that power. The intelligence services have the ability to

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monitor communications here that GCHQ, and listening station in

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Cheltenham. The government plans to give them access to email exchanges

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and records of telephone calls and texts on demand. Those records are

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kept by phone and internet companies for a year. The

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government is protect -- proposing to extend these powers to cover

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social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Some experts say this

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would be costly and complicated. is a difficult job to keep track of

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so many different forms of data each time we communicate with a

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company, we use different protocols, different means of sending that and

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that is constantly changing and must be kept up with. In a

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statement the Home Office said, it is vital that the police and

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security services are able to obtain communications data to

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investigate serious crime and terrorism as technology changes.

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This is the headquarters of MI5, but the government are at pains to

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say they are not trying to introduce a new super charter to

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than nation's snoop -- Spooks, although it would be possible to

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find out who is contacting who, the content of those phone calls or

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emails would in most circumstances remain private. The Lib Dems

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support the plans in principle. They believe outdated legislation

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for more than a decade ago needs to be replaced. They have been told

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the new powers would be used sparingly but they want some

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further reassurance. We need to be certain that when unpacking

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information that all the are capturing is that the person who is

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making the call or the electronic communication, that they're not

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capturing the content. I think we can do that, I think that can be

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guaranteed, but it may require some fundamental software changes to

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ensure it happens. Despite doubts amongst some of their own

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supporters the Government say they will go ahead with their plans at

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the earliest opportunity. Up to 3,000 jobs could be saved up

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the struggling computer games retailer Game after a deal to buy

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more than half the company's stores was reached. Is expected around 300

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branches in the UK and Ireland can be saved after deal with the

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investment group Opcapita. Higher taxes on their passengers have come

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into force today. Some airlines including British Airways and

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Virgin say the increase will damage business that could stop tourists

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travelling to the UK. For long-haul flights of more than 4,000 miles

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this has gone up from �85 to �92 per person. Joe Lynam has more

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details. Planning a bid trip abroad this

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year? Well, pack a few extra quid as well as your toothbrush because

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the tax the government charges on every single passenger leaving

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Britain is going up again from today. And the airlines are so

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cross that they had set aside their normal bickering to unify against

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the air passenger duty increase. think it has got to a stage now

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where the sums are so great, such a great percentage of the ticket,

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that it really is deterring people from coming to the UK. So tax is

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all very well when it is not actually costing the country money

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and I think it is getting to a stage where it is going to cost the

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country money. From today, if you are flying short haul to Europe,

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you must pay �13 per person per flight. But if you are flying to

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the US or Australia, it will be �65.92 -- and �95 respectively,

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meaning a family of four will pay �260 on holiday to Florida.

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makes a difference when you're looking around for flight. You look

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for the cheaper option and to find a cheaper option and have �92 put

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on top of that is, it would definitely discourage me from going.

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The government has to raise additional revenue because of the

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strain on resources in relation to health and education and welfare,

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which I believe have to be priorities. The government said

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that airlines don't pay any VAT on fuel or domestic flights and they

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benefit from the recent cut in corporation tax. The reality is

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that today's nudes beans most passengers pay only �1 more on

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their flight as a result of the flight -- today's news means. We

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have made aviation tax fairer by bringing private business jets in

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for the first time. We were able to take action to freeze APD last year

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and we have been able to be clear about what will happen to it this

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year. By making flights to far- flung destinations that little bit

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more expensive some people may decide to have their holiday at

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home, a so-called staycation. While the airlines will hate it local

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guest houses, hotels and indeed the Treasury will be very glad of it

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indeed. Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary

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of the start of the Falklands War. There will be celebrated --

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ceremonies to remember the 255 British to the nest -- service

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personnel who lost their lives. Argentina, which lost 649 troops,

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the President will address a rally of supporters who claimed

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sovereignty over the islands from Ushuaia. We can speak to John

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Simpson. What is the mood there? One of expectancy, I suppose really.

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Pressed -- President Cristina Fernandez is coming here tomorrow

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to make her speech which people think will be fiery and will start

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threatening British commercial interests in Argentina, not of

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course any kind of violence or anything like that, that is all

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very much in the past, but it could be quite fiery. The reason she is

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coming here is because this notionally is the place from which

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the Falklands Islands would be administered if ever Argentina took

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them over, not a very own as job at the moment of course. But this

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isn't a popular feeling at all. People have strong feelings about

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the Malvinas, as they call them, but they are not demanding them

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back, there is no anger against Britain at the moment, certainly,

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and the rough former veterans here that we have bumped into. They have

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all been extremely pleasant about it. People say that the President's

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critics say that the reason she is raising this is because the economy

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is in trouble and she wants to distract attention from that.

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John, thanks very much. As well as John Simpson's report from

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Argentina, we will have full coverage tomorrow of ceremonies

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here in Britain. Saudi Arabia and other countries and the Gulf are

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setting up a multi-million dollar fund to help the opposition forces

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in Syria. The money will pay salaries to members of the Free

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Syrian Army and to soldiers to defect from the regime. The

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announcement was made in Istanbul at a major conference on the future

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of the opposition movement. From there, Jonathan Head reports.

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Months of feverish diplomacy on Syria and what has changed? In a

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week when the Assad government once again promised to comply with a

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peace plan, opposition strongholds were pounded as fiercely as ever.

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The country -- countries supporting political change in Syria represent

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close to half the United Nations. They wanted this conference to

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demonstrate how isolated President Assad is and how little they trust

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him. Rather than allowing access for humanitarian aid, they have

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tightened their siege and rather than beginning a political

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transition the regime has crushed dozens of peaceful protests. We can

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only conclude that Assad has decided to add to his long list of

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broken promises. Strong words could not disguise the lack of new action.

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No internationally policed safe zones, no weapons supplies to the

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insurgents. But there was a promise to fund more non-lethal aid for the

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Free Syrian Army. That was our request, we stated that as it

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urgency to pay all the defected members of the army and we asked

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several countries for supporting such a fund financially.

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opposition hopes that more money will turn the rag-tag rebels and

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defectors into one more united and more effective fighting force. So

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no breakthroughs at this conference but then none was expected but the

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decision to fund the insurgents of the Free Syrian Army is significant,

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recognition of the central roles the armed wing of the opposition is

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now playing in the campaign to oust President Assad and it is a warning

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to those countries still backing the Syrian President of how far

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this conflict could still escalate. The rescue operation is under way

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in the Pacific Ocean after three British Salt -- sailors and an

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Australian yachtsmen were injured while competing in the Round-the-

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World Yacht Race. It is believed a large wave washed over the yacht at

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the start of the race some time yesterday, sweeping away equipment.

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A US coastguard boat and helicopter are expected to reach the yacht and

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the next few hours. Now the sport. A full round up, here's Olly Foster

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Match of the Day 2 has highlights at today's matches. Here's Andy

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Swiss... From a Tyneside hero to pantomime villain. Andy Carroll,

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back at Newcastle for the first time since joining Liverpool in

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what proved a less than happy homecoming. He was booked for

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diving and the replay did not do him any favours. And Liverpool

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stumbled from bad to worse. They could have had the penalty when

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Danny Simpson seemed to use his arm but Newcastle showed why they are

:15:12.:15:22.
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their last seven league games. Carol was eventually substituted to

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the fondest of farewells and Liverpools misery was rounded off

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by a red card for Pepe Reina. He made little impact but that summed

:15:37.:15:47.
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up the day for Liverpool. Another great one for her Newcastle. A

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manual and a day or scored twice for Spurs as they beat Swansea 3 -

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1. Their first win in six matches in the league. Here's the top of

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the table. Spurs level on points. Newcastle's manager might have but

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not any chances of reaching the top four but they're just five points

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If you are watching in Scotland, Sportscene is over on BBC Two,

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showing Celtic's match today. They beat St Johnstone 2-0 at Celtic

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Park. Georgios Samaras got their first but because Rangers won

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yesterday, the party is on hold for another week. Celtic will win the

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Scottish Premier League title if they get at least a draw at

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Kilmarnock next weekend, no matter what Rangers do. Elsewhere in the

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SPL, Hibs beat Inverness 3-2. Andy Murray lost to Novak Djokovic in

:16:38.:16:41.

the final of the Miami Masters this evening, the world number one

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coming through in straight sets. He second but conceded that he lost to

:16:50.:17:00.
:17:00.:17:01.

the better player. Djokovic takes Gavin Henson has apologised for

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behaving inappropriately on board a flight at 7a, yesterday morning. He

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was part of the Blues side that lost at Glasgow Warriors and Henson

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admitted going out drinking following the match and carrying on

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on the plane taking the team back to Cardiff. Henson says he is truly

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embarrassed by the incident. He has been suspended by his club and they

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will meet tomorrow to discuss his future The main news tonight.

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Before we go - Madonna has become the most successful solo artist

:17:32.:17:42.
:17:42.:17:43.

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