Azeri ban on foreign broadcasts

Azerbaijan has decided to ban from 1 January foreign radio broadcasts on the country's national frequencies.

The decision - taken by the Azeri National TV and Radio Council - will affect the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Liberty and Europa Plus.

Azeri officials denied opposition claims that the decision was political.

The move was criticised by the United States and the European security body, the OSCE, who both urged Baku to reconsider the ban.

"These media organisations play a crucial role in supporting democratic debate and the free exchange of ideas and information," said US State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid, quoted by the Associated Press news agency.

"This decision, if carried out, will represent a serious setback to freedom of speech, and retard democratic reform in Azerbaijan," he said.

'International practice'

The OSCE's media freedom representative, Miklos Haraszti, said "closing down FM news radio broadcasts that were among the few remaining sources of varied, public-service quality information is a serious step backwards for an OSCE democracy".

The head of the Azeri National TV and Radio Council, Nushiravan Magerramli, said earlier that the ban "has nothing to do [with politics]".

"The issue here is to bring the practice in line with legislation," he told Azerbaijan's Day.az website.

An official from President Ilham Aliyev's administration said Baku was "not closing down foreign radio stations".

"But we want their activities to be regulated according to international practice," Ali Hasanov added.

Azeri officials said foreign stations could broadcast via satellite, internet or cable. But the OSCE argues that Azeris have less access to those options than to FM radio.

European human rights groups and the Azeri opposition have accused President Aliyev of stifling democracy and media freedom in the oil-rich former Soviet republic.

Mr Aliyev - who took over as president from his father Heydar in 2003 - denies the accusations.

New Belgian government clinched

The king turned to Herman Van Rompuy after Belgium's latest crisis

Belgium's political parties have clinched a deal to form a new government, following the former prime minister's resignation.

Herman Van Rompuy, leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats, is set to become prime minister after reaching agreement with four other parties.

The previous administration of PM Yves Leterme collapsed on 19 December.

Mr Van Rompuy, formerly speaker of parliament, is seen as a much safer pair of hands, correspondents say.

Belgian media said the new government was to be presented to King Albert at 1700 (1600 GMT), to be officially sworn in.

It comprises the same five parties that had made up Mr Leterme's government.

Its immediate task is to tackle the recession looming in Belgium, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels, as well as dealing with the scandal that accounted for his predecessor, and with Belgium's perennial divisions.

Mr Van Rompuy, 61, has long resisted the premiership, but is seen as a safe pair of hands, after successfully cracking down on public debt as budget minister in the 1990s.

Bank scandal

Mr Leterme quit amid allegations about political meddling in the bail-out of stricken bank Fortis.

He only took office in March, nine months after a general election had resulted in political deadlock amid tensions between the country's two main communities, the Dutch-speaking Flemish and French-speaking Walloons.

Prime Minister Yves Leterme was only in office since March

Mr Leterme had tendered his resignation in June after failing to push through plans to devolve more power to the regions - but the king rejected it.

The Fortis scandal was a fresh blow to his government.

The bank was one of those hardest hit by the credit crunch, leaving it desperately short of cash.

The governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg decided to take it over and break it up.

Belgium planned to sell nearly all the company's assets to France's BNP Paribas.

However, hundreds of thousands of investors were left with virtually nothing and so began legal action.

The Brussels appeal court ruled in their favour, freezing the sale.

But Belgium's Supreme Court president said there were "undoubtedly significant indications" that members of the Belgian government had attempted to influence the outcome of the court case. That piled pressure on the government, triggering the prime minister's resignation.

Mr Van Rompuy is an old-style Belgian politician, favouring compromise over confrontation, but he will need all his skills of negotiation to keep this new government together beyond next year's regional elections, our correspondent says.

WBA to investigate Valuev victory

Valuev claimed a majority points win over 12 rounds

The World Boxing Association (WBA) is to investigate Nikolay Valuev's victory over Evander Holyfield on 20 December.

The Russian retained his heavyweight crown with a majority points decision over the veteran American, although the result was questioned at the time.

"The Championship Committee have ordered a panel of judges to review the tape of the fight between Valuev and Holyfield," said a WBA statement.

Holyfield, 46, was bidding to become the oldest ever heavyweight champion.

He was also hoping to become the first five-time heavyweight champion, but was beaten in Zurich, Switzerland.

606: DEBATE What will the WBA investigation reveal?

Two judges had the fight 116-112 and 115-114 with the other scoring it even.

"I saw it the other way from the judges but I'm not disappointed by my performance," Holyfield said after the fight.

Holyfield said he would consider his future in the sport after the defeat.

The WBA has given no specific date for a decision on their investigation only saying it will be made in "the following weeks".

Fritzl's daughter leaves clinic

The trial of Josef Fritzl is expected to begin in March 2009

An Austrian woman allegedly held as a sex slave by her father for 24 years has left the clinic where she had been recovering since being freed in April.

Elisabeth Fritzl and the six children allegedly sired by her father had moved into their own house, her lawyer said.

Josef Fritzl faces trial in early 2009 on charges of kidnapping Elisabeth, now 42, when she was 18 and holding her captive in a bunker in his back garden.

He is also charged with slavery, rape and the murder of one child.

That child - his seventh with Elisabeth - was born in the underground chamber in Amstetten, west of Vienna, but died in infancy.

Mr Fritzl is alleged to have refused to call for medical help after the baby was born, despite knowing the child could die.

Mr Fritzl, 73, has been in custody since the case came to light in April, when Elisabeth's eldest daughter, Kerstin, was taken to hospital suffering from kidney failure.

Three of her surviving children grew up in the cellar, without ever seeing daylight, while the three others were brought up by Mr Fritzl's wife.

Austrian prosecutors say the charges against Mr Fritzl carry a prison sentence of 10 years to life.

Migrants rescued off Malta coast

Malta said the migrants had no food or water on board the boat

About 140 migrants have been rescued from a boat drifting in rough seas off the Maltese coast.

The passengers, including 10 pregnant women, were believed to be on their way to the Italian island of Lampedusa when their boat reportedly ran out of fuel.

The rescue by the Maltese navy comes at amid growing tension between Italy and Libya over illegal migration.

Over the weekend, there was a dramatic increase in the numbers reaching the Italian territory from Libya.

Maltese Navy Lieutenant Claudio Signanini said the people on board had no water, food or fuel.

The boat's distress call was picked up by the Italian coastguard in Sicily but the Maltese authorities coordinated the rescue as the boat was closer to Malta, said Mr Signanini.

Italian officials say there has been a sharp rise in the number of illegal migrants coming from Africa this year.

Last Friday alone, about 1,500 people arrived on Lampedusa, followed by a further 819 on Sunday.

The authorities say the island's migrant detention centre, built to house 850 people, is under severe pressure.

Fleeing war

The Italian interior ministry says more than 24,000 migrants arrived in Italy from January to September, compared to about 14,000 in the same period in 2007.

People smugglers charge them about $1,000 (

Ex-KLA men stay in Serb custody

Armed police could be seen escorting the detainees in Belgrade

Nine ethnic Albanian former guerrillas arrested on war crimes charges in Serbia have been remanded in custody in Belgrade for 30 days.

A judge ruled the former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) should be held as they might otherwise abscond.

They are suspected of murdering, raping and torturing at least 51 Serb civilians around Gnjilane in eastern Kosovo after fighting ended in 1999.

A 10th suspect is being held in Presevo in southern Serbia.

All 10 former KLA members were arrested in Presevo on Friday.

Serbia continues to regard Kosovo as part of its own territory.

On Sunday, some 4,000 ethnic Albanians demonstrated in Presevo against the arrests, saying they were an attempt to push ethnic Albanians out of the area.

The speaker of the Kosovan parliament, Jakup Krasniqi, has called on Serbia to free the suspects.

Ethnic Albanian militants in Presevo waged an insurgency against Belgrade in 2001 which was ended with the help of Nato and EU diplomacy.

Moscow Diary: Hitting the brakes

A crackdown on protesting motorists reveals how the car is intimately linked to Russia's economic fortunes, the BBC's James Rodgers reports.

His diary is published fortnightly.

DRIVEN TO PROTEST

A protest by motorists in Vladivostok was broken up by riot police

Never mind the oil price, just look at the traffic jams.

Last year, and the year before, the streets of the Russian capital were choked in the last two weeks of December.

Muscovites scanned the car number plates knowingly, and moaned about the number of people from outside town who had come in to do their New Year shopping.

This year, there is more traffic than usual - but it feels like much less than the last couple of years.

There must be a fascinating academic study to be done on the history of Russia in the last 20 years, and how it has been affected by the oil price.

The Soviet Union might have lasted longer; Boris Yeltsin might have ended his presidency with some of his earlier popularity still intact; the boom of the Putin presidency might not have been quite so spectacular.

The private car stands at the centre of those last two decades of history: from the legendarily long waiting lists of Communist times to the hundreds of thousands of first-time owners who have come after.

As in many other parts of the world, car ownership is a sign of increasing wealth.

Here in Russia, though, it has become something else too.

Russian motorists have been one of the few groups willing to indulge in prohibited public protest here in the last few years. They have complained about corrupt traffic cops, railed against rising petrol prices.

Now they're driving the demonstrations against the Russian government's response to the financial crisis. Car owners in Vladivostok have rallied against a new tax which will increase the duty on imported cars. They're so far east, so far away from Russia's main manufacturers, that - questions of quality aside - it's simply easier for them to get cars from Japan or Korea.

Prime Minister Putin drove a Mercedes in Sochi in February

The motorists aren't natural revolutionaries but, at a time when the Kremlin seems to be nervous about the prospect of wider protests, theirs is an example the authorities don't want others to follow. Unemployment is growing here. That's likely to continue.

People who have lost their jobs may feel they have little to lose by taking to the streets in a way that few have done in recent years.

Riot police - reportedly flown in from other parts of the country - put an end to the demonstration in Vladivostok. The protesters' example did not go unnoticed.

Moskovsky Komsomolets - one of Russia's leading popular newspapers - cheekily pulled out a quote from a recent speech by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He was explaining how he felt it was wrong to buy imported cars while Russia's manufacturers were forced to cut production. Moskovsky Komsomolets duly reported his words, next to a picture of him at the wheel of

Russia pours money into Abkhazia

A billboard shows Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) alongside Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh, with the slogan "Peace! Freedom! Independence!"

By Tom Esslemont BBC News, Sukhumi

From the bridge over Abkhazia's second largest river the four bright yellow diggers ploughing through the water may look like nothing unusual.

In fact, they are the biggest indication yet of Russia's long-term plans to invest heavily in Abkhazia.

The gravel they are extracting from the Kodori river bed is destined for the Russian city of Sochi, further north along the Black Sea coast, for use in one of its most important building projects in the next decade, the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Russia backed Abkhazia's declaration of independence in August 2008 and is the territory's most prominent supporter.

The two agreed to co-operate long before Georgia's August war with Russia.

Russian money

Now redevelopment is going ahead on a grand scale, despite Georgia's assertion that Abkhazia is still legally one of its territories.

Thanks to Russia, we can feel safe economically Kristina Ozgan, Abkhazia's finance minister

In the capital, Sukhumi, new restaurants, hotels and entertainment attractions line the Black Sea promenade. Many have been renovated with Russian money.

This new wave of investment marks a welcome change for a tiny seaside territory where war is never far from the memory.

Houses, government buildings and palaces still lie in ruins after the war for independence against Georgia in the early 1990s. A subsequent economic blockade by Georgia froze development plans.

Abkhazia's finance minister, Kristina Ozgan, welcomes the recent change. Anyone, not just Russia, should feel welcome to invest in Abkhazia, she says.

"You have to understand, Abkhazia does not select which business comes here, it invites business. Other countries don't want to work here without guarantees, but Russia does."

She refuses to name a figure, but suggests Russian investment amounts to more than

Stalin voted third-best Russian

Stalin continues to be popular with many Russians

Former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was beaten by medieval prince Alexander Nevsky in a poll held by a TV station to find the greatest Russian.

Stalin came third, despite being responsible for the deaths of millions of Soviets in labour camps and purges.

Alexander Nevsky fought off European invaders in the 13th century to preserve a united Russia.

In second place was reformist Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, who was assassinated in 1911.

More than 50 million people voted by phone, the internet or via text messages in the poll held by Rossiya, one of Russia's biggest television stations.

The voting took place over six months as 500 original candidates were whittled down to a final 12.

Rehabilitation campaign

Stalin - born an ethnic Georgian - was riding high for many months and was in the number one slot at one point until the show's producer appealed to viewers to vote for someone else, says the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow.

Stalin sent millions of people to their deaths in the work camps of the Gulag. Millions more perished in political purges or during the forced collectivisation of farms during his rule from the 1920s to his death in 1953.

Many in Russia do still revere Stalin for his role during World War II when the Soviet Union defeated the forces of Nazi Germany.

The poll was conducted online and by phone and text message

But now there is a much broader campaign to rehabilitate Stalin and it seems to be coming from the highest levels of government, says our correspondent.

"We now have to think very seriously, why the nation chooses to put [Joseph] Stalin in third place," said actor and film director Nikita Mikhalkov, one of the contest's judges, after the results were released.

Nevsky fought off Swedish and Germanic invasions to preserve medieval Russia. He also pursued a conciliatory policy with the powerful Mongol rulers to protect Russia's eastern flank.

He was canonised as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in the 16th century.

Stolypin is remembered for his attempts to modernise agriculture and and stifle leftist revolutionaries as prime minister under Tsar Nicholas II.

Migrant wave hits Italian island

Migrants are charged about $1,000 to cross the Mediterranean

Several hundred more migrants from Africa have arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, bringing the total of arrivals in 48 hours to about 1,700.

Two boats carrying more than 300 people were intercepted by the Italian navy off the island a day after four vessels holding about 1,300 people were found.

Italian officials say there has been a sharp rise in the number of illegal migrants coming from Africa this year.

Many risk the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to enter Europe from Libya.

People smugglers

The latest arrivals included two pregnant women who were among 65 people rescued from a large inflatable dinghy south of Lampedusa, Ansa news agency said.

Another boat was intercepted on Saturday carrying 247 people.

Four vessels made their way to Lampedusa or were intercepted close to the island on Thursday night and Friday morning.

Italian authorities say the island's migrant detention centre, built to house 850 people, is under severe pressure.

The interior ministry says more than 24,000 migrants arrived in Italy from January to September, compared to about 14,000 in the same period in 2007.

Many of the migrants are fleeing wars or poverty and leave Africa through Libya, says the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome.

People smugglers charge them about $1,000 (

Serbia urged to free KLA suspects

Armed police could be seen escorting the detainees in Belgrade

The speaker of the Kosovan parliament has called on Serbia to free 10 suspected former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters it accuses of war crimes.

Police in the south Serbian region of Presevo seized them on Friday on suspicion of abductions, murders and rapes during the conflict in 1999.

They are said to include Kosovans visiting relatives in Presevo, which has a big ethnic Albanian population.

Serbia continues to regard Kosovo as part of its own territory.

Jakup Krasniqi, speaker of a parliament not recognised by Belgrade, said in a statement that the arrests were "intended to make Albanians and Serbs enemies and provoke Kosovo".

"We call upon the authorities of Belgrade to be responsible at these important historic moments the region and our two countries are going through," he said.

"In this regard we expect the release of the arrested citizens."

'Months of preparation'

The Serbian war crimes prosecutor's office said the suspects were part of a group which had sought to get rid of Serbs and other non-Albanians from Gnjilane (Gjilan in Albanian), 47km (30 miles) south-east of the Kosovan capital, Pristina.

"From June 1999 until October 1999, they were involved in at least 51 murders and 159 abductions in the town," said spokesman Bruno Vekaric.

The arrests were made in raids on 17 homes in Presevo after months of preparation because of the "extremely high risk as almost all the suspects were armed", the office added.

Nine suspects were transferred to custody in Belgrade while one remained under investigation in southern Serbia.

Ethnic Albanian militants in Presevo waged an insurgency against Belgrade in 2001 which was ended with the help of Nato and EU diplomacy.

Speaking on Saturday, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said he accepted the arrests risked provoking a reaction "from those who were affected by the operation and who participated in war crimes against Serbs", Serbian TV reports.

But he stressed that the interior ministry had in the past arrested "a number of Serbs who held very important posts in the police because of crimes against Albanians", and appealed to ethnic Albanians in Presevo to co-operate with the police.

Festive goat up in flames again

Authorities in Gavle had tried to fireproof the goat

A giant straw goat erected each Christmas in a northern Swedish town has been burned down - yet again.

The 13m-high (43ft) animal in Gavle has been torched 23 times since it was first erected in 1966. It has also been hit by a car and had its legs cut off.

The vandals are rarely caught, though in 2001 a 51-year-old American tourist spent 18 days in jail after being convicted of setting it alight.

In 2007, the goat managed to make it through the festive season unscathed.

Goat committee spokeswoman Anna Ostman said this year's unlucky creature was set on fire early on Saturday morning.

The 7m-long (23ft), three tonne goat was originally designed to attract tourists to Gavle, which is 106 miles (170km) north of the Swedish capital.

GOAT HIGHLIGHTS 1966: The first goat is burned down - beginning the tradition 1970: It is set on fire six hours after being erected 1971: Tired of arson, the project is abandoned. Schoolchildren build a miniature. It is smashed to pieces. 1976: A car crashes into the goat 1979: The goat is burned down before it is finished 1987: The goat is treated with fireproofing - but still goes up in smoke

But in its first year it was burned down on New Year's Eve and since then has been attacked regularly.

In 2005, it was torched by two arsonists dressed as Father Christmas and the Gingerbread Man.

Authorities in Gavle have tried to protect the goat using fireproofing chemicals, security guards and a web camera.

But just 10 of the goats, which are built in the town's central square, have survived beyond Christmas since 1966.

Goats have a special place in Swedish tradition. According to folklore, they delivered festive gifts before Father Christmas took over.

Liverpool 3-0 Bolton

By Paul Fletcher

Liverpool won at Anfield for the first time in the league since 8 November

Liverpool defeated Bolton to end a sequence of three home draws and reclaim top spot in the Premier League.

The Reds took the lead through Albert Riera, who volleyed home beyond the near post direct from a corner.

Robbie Keane collected a Steven Gerrard pass and finished with his left foot to extend the home team's lead.

He then slotted home from eight yards to finish a sharp break that involved Xabi Alonso and Yossi Benayoun and take his team back above Chelsea.

Bolton had won three of their last four away fixtures but were very much second best against a team who had seen Luiz Felipe Scolari's outfit move above them with victory over West Brom earlier on Boxing Day.

However, with manager Rafa Benitez watching from the stands as he recovers from surgery on his kidney stones, Liverpool took the game to a Bolton side that arrived with the aim of stifling their opponents and fully deserved their victory.

606: DEBATE I was always sure Robbie Keane was quality and would come good lfcfan101

In the opening minute Bolton had delivered a stark warning that despite playing five across midfield they would look to break forward and support lone striker Johan Elmander when in possession.

Kevin Nolan, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, ran on to Matt Taylor's pass and tried to lift the ball over Pepe Reina towards the unmarked Ricardo Gardner at the far post.

But the Bolton skipper did not get enough purchase on the ball and Reina took a comfortable catch.

And from that moment Liverpool dominated possession, searching for a way through the congested Bolton defensive structure.

Keane and Riera shot wide, while Emiliano Insua volleyed at goal directly from a corner but was thwarted by Jussi Jaaskelainen, who also saved a Dirk Kuyt header.

Bolton boss Gary Megson resisted the urge to change his formation after the Reds broke the deadlock through Riera in what looked like a set move.

Liverpool continued to press, with Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher both went going close with long-range efforts before the break.

Bolton brought on Kevin Davies for Jlloyd Samuel at the start of the second-half but before the away team had the opportunity to impose themselves Keane had extended Liverpool's advantage.

Gerrard's superb slide-rule pass was controlled by the Republic of Ireland striker with his first touch and smashed home with his second.

Reina started the move that led to Liverpool's third, rolling the ball out to Alonso, who broke through the empty space in midfield.

The Spaniard picked out the run of Benayoun, who squared the ball for Keane to slot home his fifth Premier League goal of the season.

With Bolton forced to show more ambition, Liverpool found more space to exploit and teased and toyed with their opponents.

In fact, Liverpool were so comfortable that skipper Gerrard was withdrawn after 73 minutes.

But Bolton did almost score a consolation when Ebi Smolarek collected a pass from Fabrice Muamba and shot past Reina but inches wide of the Liverpool goal.

Bolton keeper Jussi Jasskelainen made a great double save from Benayoun and David Ngog with the final action of the match.

The final whistle brought blessed relief to central defender Gary Cahill, who picked up an injury but had to stay on the field as his team had already used all three substitutes.

---

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Liverpool's Robbie Keane 8.02 (on 90 minutes).

Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.

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Ukraine mourns Crimea blast dead

There were about 35 flats in the building

Ukraine is mourning the victims of Wednesday's blast at a block of flats in the Black Sea resort of Yevpatoria that left at least 22 people dead.

Officials said 21 people had been rescued but a further 20 tenants were still missing.

Two entrances to the five-storey building were blocked by falling concrete following the blast.

The cause is unknown, although officials believe that gas cylinders may be to blame.

Day of mourning

Rescuers have been scrabbling through the rubble, calling for quiet to hear cries for help.

One resident, Lidia Kovalenko, told the AFP news agency: "I saw a blue flame and smoke and... a horrible explosion."

There were about 35 flats in the building, which was built in the 1960s.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and his political rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, travelled in the same car to the site of the blast.

Mr Yushchenko later declared 26 December a national day of mourning.

Ms Tymoshenko said initial reports suggested dangerous materials were being stored without a proper permit in the basement.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed his condolences and said his Black Sea fleet was ready to help.

Yevpatoria is a popular summertime resort in Ukraine's Crimea peninsular.

Correspondents say casualties caused by gas explosions in often crumbling apartment buildings are common occurrences in former Soviet states, particularly in the winter, when residents use more heating.

One such blast, in October 2007, killed 23 residents in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk.

Alexander's Christmas tree risk

By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News

Alexander always needs to take care

It might be a seasonal delight for most people, but a real Christmas tree could send seven-year-old Alexander to hospital.

Along with the pleasure of kicking autumn leaves or snowball fights, they are something he needs to avoid.

For Alexander, from London, has a rare genetic condition, affecting only four people in a million - Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD).

CGD is a blood disorder mainly affecting boys - a faulty gene in their bone marrow affects some white blood cells so they cannot produce the response they need to fight off infection.

Avoiding danger

This leaves someone with CGD much more susceptible to fungal and bacterial attack - so children like Alexander need to avoid anything which might trigger an attack and lead to them being in hospital.

"Fungal spores and bacteria can trigger it - and they are in the air we breathe," said his mother, Karin.

We would not have a live Christmas tree and if we go into someone's house who does Alexander knows he can look at it, but not stand close Karin

"Every day is a balance for Alexander."

Alexander must avoid damp or dusty places and contact with anything that might harbour spores of mould which could cause him to develop serious lung infections.

The list includes Christmas trees, sawdust for the rabbit hutch, the compost heap and old carpets.

Karin tries her best to ensure Alexander gets as normal a life as possible, but says there are some risks, like the real tree, that are just not worth taking.

"You can cocoon your child, but that doesn't save him from breathing the air," she said.

"You have got to let them almost lead a normal live - but make them aware of issues.

Environmental risks

"If I am taking the underground I am quite nervous because of the amount of fungus and bacteria in the air.

"Building sites are also a high risk because of all the fungal spores and I worry that he might breathe them in.

"We would not have a live Christmas tree. If we go into someone's house who does, Alexander knows he can look at it, but not stand close.

"If Alexander wants to go to a friend's house I will ask in advance if they have a Christmas tree and, if they have, whether he can play elsewhere in the house.

"I know the ideal situation would be to say he can't go - but for me the big thing is inclusion.

"But we don't want to take unnecessary risks, because if he breathes in fungal spores they can go to his lung and he could get respiratory infection and inflammation.

"And as he has quite a weak chest already that is worrying - things could get serious and terminal quite soon."

Alexander has to avoid playing with snow

Alexander has been fortunate to be one of the few patients who has not had a prolonged stay in hospital, but he has been in hospital more often than most boys in his own age group.

"Alexander is also particularly prone to bowel and skin infections and sores can take several months to heal," said Karin.

The family first discovered problems when Alexander was about six months old.

"He got a lump on his anus and it became inflamed and he got it taken out, but it did not heal so the nurses had to dress it every day," she said.

"Then a few months later his lymph gland came up in a big huge golf ball and he had another operation to take that out, but again it did not heal and by this time I was getting concerned."

The family's concerns intensified when Alexander was given a BCG jab to protect him from TB.

His body reacted to the live bacteria in the vaccine so badly that he developed a weeping sore on his arm.

"The community nurse was our guardian angel," said Karin.

"She thought there could be something wrong with his skin and got him referred to a dermatologist, who then referred him onto Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, where he was quickly diagnosed."

Future hopes

It was then that Karin found out how rare her son's condition was and that doctors were still trying to develop an effective treatment.

Bone marrow transplants have yielded some success, and gene therapy holds out hope for the future, but for most patients, the only option is to take drugs to prevent flare ups.

The CGD Research Trust's part-time nurse is Marie Kirwan, based at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. She deals with patients all over the UK.

Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) CGD affects four in one million people People with CGD have a faulty gene in their bone marrow, which means white blood cells do not function properly Medication is needed constantly to fight infecion Bone marrow transplant has offered some success

She said that although there were many risks CGD patients can avoid, some risks were simply not worth taking.

"Any rotting vegetation is a risk so we don't encourage people to have potted plants, as it runs the risk of generating spores and if they are inhaled it can cause lung problems.

"The risk from Christmas trees is low once they are in position in the house and dressed, but it is just easier to avoid it because there are good quality artificial trees out there.

"If you get an artificial tree you have removed the risk," she said.

Rosemarie Rymer, general manager of the CGD Research Trust, said: "For people affected by CGD, their normal pre-occupations of daily life don't disappear for Christmas.

"The decision about Christmas trees illustrates the struggle to keep a balance between living a normal life and keeping possible infection at bay.

"Families with CGD have to take daily decisions, such as should they have a pet, or should their child be at school when building work is taking place nearby?"

Ukraine building blast kills 22

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Rescuers working in the rubble of the building

Hundreds of rescuers are working in the rubble of an apartment building in southern Ukraine, where an explosion has killed at least 22 people.

Emergencies Minister Volodymyr Shandra said 21 people have been rescued. Many more people are feared to be trapped.

Two entrances to the five-storey building in Yevpatoria were blocked by falling concrete following the blast.

The cause is unknown, although officials say that gas cylinders may be to blame.

Day of mourning

Rescuers have been scrabbling through the rubble, calling for quiet to hear cries for help.

One resident, Lidia Kovalenko, told AFP news agency: "I saw a blue flame and smoke and... a horrible explosion."

There were about 35 flats in the building, which was built in the 1960s.

Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko has declared 26 December a national day of mourning.

The president and his political rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, travelled in the same car to the site of the blast in Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Ms Tymoshenko said initial reports suggested dangerous materials were stored without permit in the basement.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed his condolences and said his Black Sea fleet was ready to help.

Yevpatoria is a popular summertime resort.

Correspondents say casualties caused by gas explosions in often crumbling apartment buildings are common occurrences in former Soviet states, particularly in the winter, when residents use more heating.

One such blast in October 2007 killed 23 residents in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk.

British explorers copy Shackleton

The explorers will celebrate Christmas the same way that Shackleton did

Three British descendents of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team will celebrate Christmas Day in the same manner as the explorers did 100 year ago.

Henry Worsley, 47, Henry Adams, 33, and Will Gow, 35, are in the Antarctic, attempting to complete Shackleton's failed expedition to the South Pole.

The trio will have cigars and a spoonful of creme de menthe, as their descendents did.

The men are 43 days into their 80-day Matrix Shackleton Centenary Expedition.

They are currently 300 nautical miles from the South Pole, having completed a 1,500ft climb to the top of the Shackleton Ice Falls.

Shackleton set out on his Nimrod expedition in October 1908, hoping to become the first person to reach the South Pole.

But he was forced to turn back 97 miles from his goal on 9 January, 1909.

Mr Worsley, from Hereford, is the expedition leader and a descendant of Shackleton's skipper Frank Worsley.

The army officer said: "Being away is definitely worth it. We are on track to complete the expedition safely and honour the achievements of Ernest Shackleton."

Foundation launch

Mr Gow, a City worker from Ashford, Kent, is related to Shackleton by marriage.

Mr Adams, a shipping lawyer from Snape, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, is a great-grandson of Jameson Boyd-Adams, Shackleton's number two on the unsuccessful expedition.

Another three team members will meet them on 9 January next year, at the same distance where Shackleton abandoned his attempt, for a final push towards the South Pole.

The expedition is also being used to launch a

Sex shop shooting 'follows row'

The gunman reportedly asked for a refund and compensation

A man complaining that impotence tablets he bought did not work has shot and injured a saleswoman at a north Moscow sex shop, Russian media report.

He drew a pistol and shot the woman at least once in the heat of a row over tablets he had apparently bought the day before, a police source said.

The saleswoman was being treated in hospital where her condition was not immediately clear.

Police in the Russian capital are hunting for her attacker.

He entered the shop on Angarskaya St at around 1800 (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, complaining the tablets he had bought "didn't help" and demanding both a refund and compensation, an unnamed Moscow police source told Interfax news agency.

When the saleswoman refused his demands and an argument erupted, he produced the gun and shot her once before fleeing from the shop.

Ria-Novosti news agency, again quoting an unnamed police source, reports that the 30-year-old woman was hit by two shots from the pistol.

Gazprom to control Serbia's oil

Serbia is being offered a secure gas supply in return for its oil monopoly

Russia and Serbia have signed a controversial energy deal that will hand Russian gas giant Gazprom control of NIS, Serbia's oil monopoly.

Under the deal, Gazprom is to build a gas pipeline through Serbia and an underground gas storage facility there.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic signed the agreement in Moscow.

The plan is for Serbia to host part of a new pipeline called South Stream, to deliver Russian gas to southern Europe.

Gazprom is taking a 51% stake in NIS for 400m euros (

Serial killer jailed in Ukraine

Tkach allegedly used his police training to cover his tracks

A court in eastern Ukraine has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder and rape of about 40 girls and young women over 25 years.

At the trial in Dnipropetrovsk, Serhiy Tkach claimed he had murdered 100 people and said he was an animal who deserved the death penalty.

An ex-policeman, he suffocated girls aged between eight and 18 and performed sexual acts on their bodies.

Over the years 10 innocent people were jailed for murders he had committed.

Priest 'ruins Christmas' for kids

By David Willey BBC News, Rome

Dozens of parents complained after the priest let out the Santa secret

A Catholic priest has been criticised by parents in a city in northern Italy for telling their children that Father Christmas does not really exist.

Father Dino Bottino, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Novara, let out the secret at a children's mass earlier this month.

A local paper published complaints from dozens of parents. "You've ruined my children's Christmas," said one mother.

But an unrepentant Fr Bottino called it his duty to set the record straight.

"I told the children that Father Christmas was an invention that had nothing to do with the Christian Christmas story," he said.

"And I would repeat it again, if I had the chance," he added.

But Father Dino could not have imagined the scorn that would be heaped upon him after he told children at mass that neither Father Christmas - nor the kindly witch called the Befana who provides presents at New Year to Italian children - really exist.

The priest said he had never intended to hurt anyone, but it was his duty to distinguish the reality of Jesus from the story of Father Christmas which was a fable just like Cinderella or Snow White.

Earthquake strikes northern Italy

Northern Italy has been rocked by a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, Italian officials have said.

The quake struck near the city of Parma, north of Bologna, but was felt in cities from Milan to Florence.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries, but Italy's civil protection agency says it is continuing to make further checks.

The National Geophysical and Vulcanology Institute said the quake occurred at 1625 local time (1525 GMT).

'Law is an ass' stunt brings fine

By Petru Clej Chisinau

"Porcuror" is a pun on the word for prosecutor (pic: PRO-TV Chisinau)

A businessman in Moldova who dressed a pig as a prosecutor and a donkey as a policeman has been fined, despite an outcry over his arrest.

Anatol Matasaru, who alleged harassment by the authorities, said he would appeal against the 200 lei (

Third subsea cable repairs begin

Telephone and internet connections to Asia and the Middle East continue to be disrupted after three undersea cables were cut on 19 December.

Two cable ships have now started repairing the cables, about 140km off the coast of Sicily.

Egypt says it has been able to restore most of its communications by re-routing services, but other parts of the Middle East remain badly affected.

The same day, a suspected earthquake has damaged the main cable to Malta.

On Sunday, the French repair ship Raymond Croze started work on two of the cables, with the Italian vessel Teliri arriving the next day to work on the third.

They three cables were cut within 40 minutes of each other, possibly by a trawler net or ship's anchor.

A ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) will locate the ends of the cables on the sea bed and bring them to the surface to be re-connected.

Flag Europe Asia said it expected to have the FLAG subsea cable repaired by 26 December, although that was dependent on weather and how badly damaged the cable was.

Jonathan Wright - director of wholesale products at Interoute which manages part of the optical fibre network - told the BBC that once one of the cables gets repaired, telecommunication companies will have far more options to get their services back online.

"SEA-ME-WE4 is the newest line. It has the largest capacity and so is probably the most critical line. Once that is repaired it should take some of the pressure off the one remaining cable."

"As luck would have it, a second submarine line was being installed to Malta earlier this month and that should go on line today, which will help alleviate some of the communication problems Malta is suffering," he added.

We have to fix the cable fibre by fibre, and it's a very huge cable Louis-Michel AymardFrance Telecom Marine

Experts have warned that it may be days before the fault is fixed and that the knock-on effect could have serious repercussions on regional economies.

Lengthy process

Engineers from France Telecom Marine arrived at the site of the damage to the SEA-ME-WE4 and SEA-ME-WE3 lines onboard Raymond Croze at 1330 GMT on 21 December, spokesman Louis-Michel Aymard said.

The engineers then sent a remotely-operated submarine robot called "Hector" to the sea bed to begin the search for the two ends of each line.

It is unclear how long repairs to the two cables will take, as a ship could have dragged the cables several kilometres from their normal positions.

Once located, the cable ends will be brought to the surface by the robot and repairs will be carried out in a special facility on the ship - a process that could take days.

Engineers will deploy 'Hector' to retrieve cables from the sea floor

"We have to fix the cable fibre by fibre, and it's a very huge cable," Mr Aymard told the Associated Press.

France Telecom said it expected to repair SEA-ME-WE4 by 25 December and SEA-ME-WE3 by the end of the year.

In January the same line was damaged off Egypt's Mediterranean coast, severely disrupting internet and phone communications for many in the Middle East for days, although only two lines were snapped then.

A few hours before the three lines were cut, a suspected sub-sea earthquake damaged a local GO cable to Malta, severely disrupting communications to the island.

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