Prime minister bids to return for two more terms as Russia’s president after months of speculation Vladimir Putin is to run for president of Russia next year in a move that could keep the powerful leader at the helm of the country until 2024. Prime minister Putin and head of state Dmitry Medvedev ended months of speculation on Saturday during the ruling United Russia party congress. “I think it’s right that the party congress support the candidacy of the head of the government, Vladimir Putin, in the role of the country’s president,” Medvedev said. Thousands of flag-waving delegates inside Moscow’s Soviet-era Luzhniki stadium gasped before breaking into applause. Russia has been paralysed by months of speculation regarding the decision, though signs had recently emerged that Putin would announce his intention to return to the Kremlin seat. Putin, who has worked hard to prevent a credible opposition from forming, is all but certain of winning the presidential vote that is set for March, raising further concerns over the growth of soft authoritarianism in the country. The announcement is also likely to dismay the combative prime minister’s numerous critics in the west. In a surprise twist, Medvedev said he was ready to serve as prime minister under Putin. Medvedev will head the party list of United Russia as it readies for parliamentary elections in December, paving the way for the premiership. “I’m ready to head this government and work for the good of the country,” he said, adding that such a move was dependent on United Russia sweeping the parliamentary vote, he said. United Russia has seen its popularity decrease sharply since the financial crisis hit, but it remains the country’s most influential party, created with the aim of supporting Putin. The swapping of roles would be the clearest illustration yet of Russia’s so-called “managed democracy”, a term coined by Kremlin ideologues to describe Russia’s political system. Putin, who served as president from 2000 to 2008, remains the country’s most popular leader, albeit with the help of a carefully controlled media. Under constitutional changes adopted by Medvedev upon coming to office as Putin’s hand-picked successor, Putin will serve for another six years. A possible second term after that would keep him in the Kremlin beyond his 71st birthday. The former KGB agent appeared to enjoy the acclaim yesterday. “I want to thank you for the positive reaction to the proposal for me to stand for Russian president,” Putin said. “For me this is a great honour.” He launched into an electoral programme that focused on addressing the stagnant economy. A return to the Kremlin will hand Putin back formal control over foreign policy. Relations with the west plummeted when he was president. Russia’s opposition denounced the move, despite having expected it. “All authoritarian regimes are the same,” said Lyudmila Alekseyeva, the 82-year-old doyenne of Russia’s human rights community. “Either they have to modernise or they come crashing down, as happened with Gaddafi.” Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Russia Europe Miriam Elder guardian.co.uk
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• Email your thoughts to rob.smyth@guardian.co.uk • Click here for all the latest scores from around Europe • All the stats and tables you need are here 23 min “First day at university? I distinctly remember beer was 28p for a pint of Adnams. And that’s about all,” says Steve McCabe, aged 149. Twenty-eight pence?! 22 min Pennant is receiving treatment. He appeared to twist his knee, under no pressure from any defenders. The camera cuts to the Manchester United, where Jonny Evans is smiling like a man who’s avoided a firing squad. It’s the reverse of the old here’s-what-you-could-have-won ending on Bullseye. 21 min It’s been an interesting game, as it usually is when Stoke play at home to the big boys, but in terms of actual football it’s been a stinker – an “incoherent swirl of energy”, to use the splendid phrase with which Hugh McIlvanney damned English football in the 1970s. Stoke have played the more coherent football, in fact. 20 min “So, you managed to corner a girl, and then instead of trying to put the moves on you talked about naff Britpop bands?” says Nick Honeywell. “Clearly you’re a man who doesn’t believe in being brave.” To be fair, Nick, it was 1995. Wearing Fred Perry polos and talking about Britpop were on page 1 of all good university guides. 19 min Berbatov heads Anderson’s corner wide from 10 yards. It was a tricky chance, as he had to jump backwards to meet the ball. 17 min United haven’t really got going at all as an attacking force. The Hernandez chance came from nothing, and they haven’t really put three or four passes together. You could argue that they are without five first-choice players – Rooney, Hernandez, Vidic, Smalling and Cleverley – so this is a serious opportunity for Stoke. 16 min “Ohhh,” adds Tony, whose emails are adding so much to tonight’s MBM. 15 min “You’re not blogging anymore,” says Tony. “You’re not blo-o-ogging aneeeemore….” What does that even mean? 14 min Delap’s long throw is headed behind for a corner, again with De Gea staying on his line. From the resulting corner, Crouch is penalised for clambering all over Phil Jones. He headed wide from a couple of yards anyway, but these are very good signs for Stoke. 13 min Anyone reading? What do you remember about your first day at university? Some body must have a funny/cute/life-affirming/criminality-based story. It is pretty much the best day of most of our lives. 12 min “I’m neither casual xenophobe nor ABU (okay, maybe a little) but I haven’t found De Gea to be overly convincing for United so far,” says Niall Mullen. “That said I am rubbing my thighs with glee. Although that has nothing to do with the football.” Of all the deviant gestures – or at least the ones you can show before the watershed – there is nothing as terrifying as watching a man drag his palms up and down his thighs with a gleeful look on his face. Thank goodness Killer BOB didn’t do it in Twin Peaks. Can you imagine the horror? 11 min A glorious solo run down the left wing from the remarkable Phil Jones ends with a chipped cross that is headed behind for a corner. Jones appealed for handball and a penalty, vehemently so, but it looked okay on first viewing. Before the corner is taken, Michael Owen replaces Hernandez. 10 min A long throw from Delap causes more problems, with De Gea staying on his line this time. Eventually Pennant’s shot is blocked. Stoke are causing lots of problems here. 9 min “Can we have Susie from Essex’s side of the story?” says Gary Naylor. “Preferably from Mac Millings.” Oh I only spoke to her about Menswe@r and other hip Britpop bands. I wasn’t that competent a human being. 8 min Hernandez is limping down the tunnel. They’ve just shown the penalty incident again. Woodgate got a slight stud on the ball, but that’s irrelevant because he shoved Hernandez from behind. I think it’s a clear penalty, although Craig Burley on ESPN says it was 50/50. How many caps has he won? 6 min Hernandez is still off the field. 5 min Sir Alex Ferguson is prowling the touchline furiously, even more so now after a shocking tackle from Glenn Whelan on Patrice Evra near the halfway line. A clear yellow card. 4 min “It’s my first day at university today and my accumulator is all set to come in… If United win,” says George Solomon. “I’m sure you and your readers would agree this is a good enough excuse to all get behind United, so my first night out is paid for.” It’s your first day at uni and you’re on the MBM. Come on, man! It’s your first day at uni, the greatest day of your life! I’ll never forget mine: inane small talk, Susie from Essex with the green Puma retro trainers, inane small talk, more inane small talk. The best day ever. 3 min That should have been a penalty for United. Hernandez broke beyond a flat-footed defence onto a deflected pass, moved into the area and was shoved clumsily from behind by Woodgate That knocked Hernandez off balance, and he collided with the keeper as he fell. He’s in a bit of pain, and is currently receiving treatment. That should have been a penalty, and probably a red card for Woodgate. 2 min Pennant wins a corner inside the first minute. Etherington plays it short, and Stoke make a bit of a balls of it. No idea what they were doing there, as they should surely have put it under the crossbar. Anyway, it leads to the first throw in, down the right. Delap fires it in, De Gea charges from his line but doesn’t hold it, and eventually Valencia clears. 1 min Manchester United kick off from right to left. They are booed for doing so. Revised teams Stoke (4-4-2) Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Woodgate, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Walters, Crouch. Substitutes: Sorensen, Huth, Whitehead, Upson, Shotton, Jerome, Palacios. Manchester United (4-4-2) De Gea; Valencia, Ferdinand, Jones, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Young; Hernandez, Berbatov. Substitutes: Lindegaard, Owen, Giggs, Park, Welbeck, Fabio, Macheda. Referee Peter Walton. Jonny Evans has injured himself in the warm-up , so Antonio Valencia will come into the side at right-back, with Phil Jones moving into the middle. Prediction on which you are advised not to stake your mortgage, or even four pence Stoke 3-2 United. Team news There’s no Wayne Rooney, as keen followers of Coleen Rooney’s Twitter page will have deduced last night. Rooney has a hamstring strain; his absence means the return of Berbarotica™. Stoke (4-4-2) Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Woodgate, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Walters, Crouch. Substitutes: Sorensen, Huth, Whitehead, Upson, Shotton, Jerome, Palacios. Manchester United (4-4-2) De Gea; Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Young; Hernandez, Berbatov. Substitutes: Lindegaard, Owen, Giggs, Park, Welbeck, Fabio, Valencia. Referee Peter Walton. Preamble Evening. The slogan for this game is simple: it’s Delap v De Gea. Ever since David de Gea signed for Manchester United, casual xenophobes and ABUs have been frantically rubbing their thighs in anticipation of his trial by long throw. It’s a bit of a cliché, of course, and there is so much more to what should be a fascinating clash. Equally, it would be daft to ignore the fact that De Gea is likely to have a character-building 90 minutes ahead. So will a young, injury-ravaged United, on a ground where Stoke have lost only once in 2011. Premier League 2011-12 Stoke City Manchester United Premier League Rob Smyth guardian.co.uk
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Fears for staff at Swiss bank as Oswald Grübel resigns over allegations Kweku Adoboli lost £1.5bn in unauthorised trades Fears for hundreds of City jobs were raised on Saturday after the dramatic resignation of the boss of UBS, who fell on his sword following the $2.3bn (£1.5bn) alleged rogue trading scandal that has engulfed the Swiss bank and raised calls for a sweeping overhaul of the “casino” investment banking industry. With Kweku Adoboli, the 31-year-old alleged rogue trader facing four charges of fraud and false accounting still in custody, Oswald Grübel resigned to “bear full responsibility for what occurs” at the bank, which employs 6,000 people in the UK. Grübel, hauled out of retirement in 2009 when the bank was crippled by the credit crunch, issued a heartfelt farewell message to staff to explain his resignation, although only a week ago he insisted he did not feel the need to quit. “That it was possible for one of our traders in London to inflict a multibillion loss on our bank through unauthorised trading shocked me, as it did everyone else, deeply,” he said. Adoboli is yet to enter a plea to the charges – which date back to 2008 – that he faces and is next due in the City of London magistrates court on 20 October. A trader on the so-called “delta one” desk, he has not applied for bail. “This incident has worldwide repercussions, including political ones. I did not take the step of resigning lightly,” Grübel said. The bank was adamant that the 67-year-old German would leave with pay for the six months he has worked this year and no more, which amounts to around SFR 1.5m (£1.1m). Grübel’s acknowledgement of the worldwide repercussions comes amid calls for investment banks to split off from high street banking operations and the need for investment banks to become less like “casinos” and more focused on their clients. Politicians in the UK have already used the incident as a reason to implement the recommendations by the Independent Commission on Banking, chaired by Sir John Vickers, to “ringfence” high street banks from investment banks. On Saturday, UBS pledged to adopt a more “client-centric strategy” and accelerate an ongoing review of its investment banking activities, which could create more jobs in the City. Some 3,500 cuts had been announced across the group even before the trading loss emerged. Other senior bankers are expected to follow Grübel out of the door once the internal investigation into the incident – which will drive the bank to a loss in the third quarter and caused anxiety among insiders about their bonuses — is completed in the next 10 days or so, Chairman Kaspar Villiger, who stressed his “regret” at the incident, acknowledged the need for change to adopt to the “new paradigm” in financial markets. The search is now on for a permanent successor at the bank which had just begun to restore some confidence among investors after $50bn of losses during the credit crunch and a row with the US tax authorities. Sergio Ermotti, already a director, is to take over for the time being. Careful not to predict the impact on jobs, UBS admitted that “certain business areas” needed to be reviewed . But the board of the bank, which had met in Singapore ahead of the Grand Prix of which UBS is a major sponsor, rejected calls for a full-scale break up and stressed the detail will be presented on 17 November at an investor meeting in New York. Villiger said: “In the future, the investment bank will be less complex, carry less risk and use less capital to produce reliable returns and contribute more optimally to UBS’s overall objectives.” In a memo to staff, Villiger urged them to remain focused. “Please do not allow yourselves to get involved in speculation,” he wrote. He revealed that the board had tried to convince Grübel, a veteran and highly regarded banker, not to quit until the annual meeting next year but Villiger said Grübel would not stay. “It is testimony to his uncompromising principles and integrity,” he said of the former chief executive who has now returned to Zurich after the meeting in Singapore where he was mobbed by reporters asking him if he intended to quit when he left the nine-hour marathon session on Friday night. UBS Banking European banks Kweku Adoboli Crime Jill Treanor guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …David Blunkett warns Ed Miliband: Labour won’t win an election like this
September 24, 2011 No Comment
Labour leader Ed Miliband is not addressing voters’ ‘everyday struggles’, says former home secretary David Blunkett Ed Miliband has been warned by the former cabinet minister David Blunkett that his political message is not being heard by the voters, and that the Labour party would not win an election if it were held today. Blunkett said Miliband had done well over the phone-hacking scandal, but that this had not improved Labour’s relationship with the electorate “one iota”. Echoing remarks by other senior figures in the party, including the shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, he called for the leader to focus on explaining to the public what Labour did right in power while providing answers to the big questions, including how the country should deal with the economic crisis. Speaking to the Observer on the eve of the Labour party conference, Blunkett said Labour, which is 4% ahead in the polls, would fail to win a majority in an early election. “I think it would probably be a hung parliament, with Labour having slightly more seats that the Conservatives,” he said. “But we have got to get in a position where we are 10, 12, 15 percentage points ahead, because a combination of facing two parties in coalition and the boundary changes and the disillusionment that austerity bring, it doesn’t bring revolution.” Blunkett, who voted for Andy Burnham – now shadow education secretary – and then David Miliband in the leadership elections last September, has kept his counsel on Ed Miliband’s performance over the last year. But in an intervention likely to cause some discomfort for the Labour leader, Blunkett concurred with Alexander’s admission yesterday that the Tories had so far been more successful in “framing a public language that made more sense of the economic crisis”. And while claiming that Miliband had enjoyed a “good year” and shed the Red Ed image, he said the Labour leader’s task was all the more difficult because of his lack of an established image among the wider public. “I think if you haven’t got a profile and people don’t easily recognise you or what you stand for, you have got a long haul,” Blunkett said. He added that the party had not recovered from the four months when Labour was leaderless after Gordon Brown’s resignation, during which the coalition was able to blame the country’s economic situation on Labour’s policies. He said: “Over the last year I think we have recovered a lot of our confidence, Ed Miliband has had a good 12 months since he was elected, but we never recovered from that interregnum where we really didn’t have anyone in leadership positions defending Labour’s record. “I think the biggest challenge for Ed is not the decisions he has taken, which on the whole I have agreed entirely with and I think he has handled himself personally very well, but actually getting that hearing with the electorate, getting that foothold on the ladder. That is a very difficult challenge. “We can throw stones at paper giants and get angry about where power lives, but it is almost irrelevant to people out here in their own lives. This taking on the media giants is a necessary part of politics, and actually Ed Miliband did extremely well in relation to what happened with News International, because he pushed David Cameron into having to take action which he was reluctant to take. But good and important as it was, and necessary in terms of our values and where we stand, it hasn’t actually changed our opinion polls one iota. “The lesson I learned from that is, yes, we should take on sources of power and we should speak for those who don’t have a voice, that is what we are in business to do, but we should also recognise that unless what we are saying and doing has a direct relationship to people’s everyday struggle, they won’t reward us.” Blunkett said he supports Miliband’s position on the economy, but spoke of his concerns that the Labour leader is being advised on policy by Lord (Maurice) Glasman, an academic who has made a “Blue Labour” case for more conservative policies on certain social and international issues, such as immigration and crime. Blunkett said: “About 80% of it, I don’t have a problem with because it is old-fashioned communitarianism. About 20% is xenophobia and I don’t like it, and it tries to pretend we can resolve these big issues on a local scale and we can’t.” Blunkett, the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, added that, while he believed that it was important for Labour to set out how it would promote more cohesive communities, much of what had been set out as Blue Labour was a distraction from more important issues, such as the economy. “It is a necessary, welcome comfort blanket which, whilst it is a part counterweight to people’s feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, it doesn’t deal with the central issue of how in 2015 onwards we deal with the big sources of power globally.” Miliband had to be seen “absolutely alongside” ordinary people, “physically and in policy terms”, he said, as they paid their mortgages and dealt with changes in the job market. Ed Miliband Labour conference 2011 Labour conference David Blunkett Daniel Boffey guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Man arrested after firing shots at guard of Pope Benedict guard in Germany
September 24, 2011 No Comment
Man fires air gun as pontiff leads mass for 30,000 in Erfurt following meetings with German victims of paedophile priests Pope Benedict XVI has led an outdoor mass in Germany despite shots being fired close to the service. A man fired an air-gun at a guard at the edge of the security zone about an hour before the service in the eastern city of Erfurt, Vatican and local officials said. The pope’s spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, said there was “no worry” among the papal entourage about the incident, and the pontiff was not informed about it before the mass, which was attended by 30,000 people. Police said the alleged shooter had been arrested and that there were no injuries. The service came after the pope met German victims of paedophile priests in a bid to stem the loss of support for the Catholic Church in the country. Last night he met two women and three men from parishes across the country, who were among the abused. The Vatican said the pope expressed “deep compassion and regret” at the suffering of those who were abused and assured them that the Catholic Church is seeking “effective measures to protect children”. Victims have accused the pope of being part of a systematic cover-up by the church hierarchy for paedophile priests in his earlier roles as an archbishop in Germany, and later when he headed the Vatican morals office. Survivors’ groups were quick to denounce the pope’s meeting with victims as an empty gesture. They maintain the Catholic Church has not done enough to prosecute offending priests and prevent future abuse. Following the mass in Erfurt, the pontiff departed for the south-western city of Freiburg, the final stop of his four-day visit. Pope Benedict XVI Germany Religion Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …CEO quits Swiss bank over £1.5bn losses allegedly due to unauthorised trading by Kweku Adoboli in London The chief executive of the embattled Swiss bank UBS, Oswald Grübel, has quit after the bank lost an estimated $2.3bn (£1.5bn) in the alleged rogue trading scandal. Sergio Ermotti, the bank’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, will take over as CEO for now. The bank said it had accepted Grübel’s resignation and paid “testimony to his uncompromising principles and integrity”. The board said in a statement it had asked management to accelerate an overhaul of the investment bank already under way “concentrating on advisory, capital markets, and client flow and solutions businesses”. UBS’s board meeting, one of four regular meetings per year, had originally been due to end on Friday ahead of the UBS-sponsored Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, when executives will be trying to reassure big clients. But deliberations continued by conference call after the board left Singapore, with some members heading back to Switzerland. The 67-year-old German, brought out of retirement to try to salvage UBS in 2009, refused to comment to reporters as he left the lengthy meeting which had been scheduled to finish on the Friday. An AFP reporter on the scene said Grübel made no response when asked, “Were you fired?” and, “Did you lose your job?” He came under heavy fire over alleged unauthorised trading by Kweku Adoboli, the 31-year-old charged with fraud and false accounting at UBS. Adoboli has been remanded in custody and has not entered a plea to the four charges. UBS Banking European banks Kweku Adoboli Crime Jill Treanor guardian.co.uk
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Current president’s endorsement virtually seals his predecessor’s return to power at the Kremlin The prospect of Vladamir Putin leading Russia until 2024 become more realistic after Russia’s ruling duo ended months of speculation on Saturday with President Dmitry Medvedev proposing his predecessor make a run fort the top job next year. Medvedev told a congress of the ruling United Russia party that he would back Putin in his return to the Kremlin. That means Putin could lead Russia until at least 2024. Speaking to thousands of flag-waving delegates in Moscow’s Soviet-era Luzhniki stadium, Medvedev first accepted Putin’s suggestion that he head the party’s federal party list in December’s parliamentary vote. The crowd erupted into a gasp of surprise and then applause when he said: “I think it’s right that the party congress support the candidacy of head of the government, Vladimir Putin, in the role of the country’s president.” Russia has been gripped by months of speculation regarding the decision. Putin’s return – he is all but assured to win the March vote – will raise further concerns over the lack of democracy and the growth of soft authoritarianism in the country. Putin took the stage after the announcement, launching into a pre-electoral diatribe addressing concerns over unemployment and corruption, and promising to improve the situation in the country. “Huge tasks lie before us,” Putin said. “The focus of our attention must always be the people – the citizens of Russia.” Medvedev addressed the long waiting game over the decision. “Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] and I were always asked: when will you decide? Sometimes we were asked, have you two fought? I want to entirely confirm what was just said: what we propose to the congress, is a deeply thought-through decision.” “I hope you’ll understand why we waited so long to publicly reveal our position,” he said. As the head of United Russia’s party list, Medvedev said he would be ready to head the government – the role of the prime minister – if the party were to win, as is widely expected. Political opposition is either banned or co-opted by the Kremlin. That could mean, in effect, that he and Putin would simply switch roles. “Our loved country, our Russia, she must belong to free, orderly and responsible people,” Medvedev said. “I’m sure it will be that way.” Russia Europe Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Miriam Elder guardian.co.uk
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Doctor says troops loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh fired on pro-democracy protesters after president’s shock return At least 16 people have been killed in an assault by government troops on pro-democracy demonstrators in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, according to a doctor. The deaths came as troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose sudden return to the country on Friday sparked fears of an all-out civil war, tried to storm an opposition movement camp on Change Square, said medic Mohammed al-Qabatis. The doctor said those killed included 15 civilians and one soldier who had joined the opposition movement. Another 54 people were wounded in the attack on the tented shantytown, which broke out last night amid mortar shelling and sniper fire. Protesters distributed plastic helmets in a desperate effort to protect themselves from the bullets of pro-government snipers prowling the rooftops of nearby houses. The opposition camp has been the focal point of Yemen’s anti-government uprising and daily protests to demand Saleh’s removal from power. The abrupt reappearance of Saleh, who has spent the past three months recovering in Saudi Arabia from an assassination attempt, has plunged into confusion tentative hopes for a way out of Yemen’s political crisis. More than 100 protesters have been shot dead in the past week, some by government troops using anti-aircraft guns. There have been street battles and exchanges of shelling between Republican Guards led by Saleh’s son and a division of renegade soldiers who support the pro-democracy movement. Although Saleh called for a truce between the two sides after his return on Friday, it is not clear whether his message will be heeded. The president’s arrival came as a shock, with western diplomats in Sana’a and even members of his ruling party seemingly caught unawares. Many fear that Saleh’s sudden reappearance may draw Yemen’s powerful tribal leaders into the fray. When Saleh was airlifted to Saudi Arabia for treatment after an explosion at his compound in June, Sadeq Al-Ahmar, the sheikh at the head of Yemen’s most influential tribe, the Hashed, swore “by God” that he would never let Saleh rule again. The last time hostilities between the Saleh and Ahmar families turned violent in May, a week’s worth of mortar battles erupted, flattening an entire neighbourhood in east Sana’a and killing hundreds. Yemen Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Protest Saudi Arabia guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Victims in Neasden blaze all believed to be members of the same family Six people, including three children and two teenagers, have been killed in a house fire in north-west London. Around six fire engines and 30 firefighters were called out at about 1am Saturday morning to tackle the blaze at the house in Sonia Gardens, Neasden. It is believed all the victims, including a boy aged two, are members of the same family. Two other people who escaped from the blaze, believed to be a man and a 16-year-old girl, were taken to hospital with burn injuries, according to the London fire brigade. The fire is being treated as unexplained, and the Metropolitan police and LFB have begun an investigation, a police spokesman said. The Metropolitan police confirmed that a woman, two teenage girls and three children had died in the fire. The adult was a 41-year-old woman, the two teenage girls were 14 and 13. The children were a nine-year-old girl and two boys aged five and two. A spokesman for the force also confirmed that two people had been injured in the fire. He said: “Two people have been taken to west London hospitals – a man, aged 51, and a girl aged 16 years. “The girl is understood to be in a critical condition and the man’s condition is described as stable. “All those killed and injured are believed to be members of the same family.” A London ambulance service spokeswoman said: “We sent the air ambulance doctor in a car, four ambulance crews and a hazardous area response team. Sadly four youngsters and an adult were dead at the scene. Our staff treated a five-year-old boy in cardiac arrest but despite extensive efforts they were unable to resuscitate him.” Police said the girl was understood to be in a critical condition while the man was less serious. Glen Gorman, of LFB, speaking at the scene to BBC News, said: “Crews worked extremely hard in some very, very, difficult conditions and were able to prevent fire spreading to adjoining properties and causing further injuries or even further tragedy. “There is a forensic examination being carried out at the moment, our specialist fire investigation unit, in conjunction with the Metropolitan police fire investigators, will carry out a full investigation which could take a number of days to reach its conclusion.” He added: “Our sincere condolences go out to the family and the friends of the people who have been involved in such a tragic incident.” London David Batty guardian.co.uk
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• Email tom.lutz@guardian.co.uk with all your musings • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Follow Tom on Twitter if that’s your thing • Watch World Cup video highlights, interviews and more 56 min: Romania retain the pressure after a scrum-five. Various forwards attempt to crash over but England hold firm. The ball eventually finds its way to England off a stray Romanian boot but they caused England problems for far too long then. 55.04 min: Armitage is on for Foden at full-back. 55 min: Romania have another line-out near the England line but lose out again. They have been pathetic in that area today. Romania continue to pressure though. “This seems a tiny bit better from England, though the way the ITV commentators are going on you’d think it was France they were thrashing,” says Dan Lucas. “I find myself shouting (tweeting) ‘I don’t care what Phil Vickery thinks’, then realising that sentiment suggests that Phil Vickery is capable of thought.” Yup, England are playing well now but this is a second-string Romania side. The cheerleading when England were struggling early on was odd. 52 min: Pressure from Romania, who get within five metres of England’s line. They can’t win the line-out though and England clear. Moody’s lost his contact lens which is floating somewhere behind his eyeball. He’ll need to get a scalpel on that later. 50 min: Mears is on for Thompson. TRY!!!! England 44-3 Romania: Foden gets the score. England win the line-out, the ball comes to Tuilagi, who crashes through the Romania line. Foden’s finish is simplicity itself. Flood gets the conversion to make it England 46-3 Romania . 48 min: England decide to run it, which they do but backwards. Flood eventually clears. Hang on, why are they clearing if they’re on the run? 46 min: May be tougher for England in the second-half. Romania have brought on a few of their better players – they were rested in the first-half that they’d decided they couldn’t win. 45 min: Romania miss the penalty, Dumbrave from distance. 44 min: Romania find some space and look half-threatening but drop the ball. They then win a penalty – they weren’t back 10 metres. TRY!!! England 39-3 Youngs romps home. Manu Tuilagi breaks and hands off to Youngs, who trots home. Not a Romanian tackle to be seen. Flood misses the conversion. 41 min: Wilton is on for Cole and Flood is in for Wilkinson. Half-time: Romania have a good chance to score at the end of the half. Thompson is caught offside after Romania nearly break through following a clever chip. Dumbrava takes the kick from the resulting penalty but hits the post. Like many of the big sides playing against the minor nations this World Cup, England started very slowly but their wingers made the difference. 40 min: Moody’s getting treatment after colliding with a team-mate. Romania have another penalty but miss from long-distance. 37 min: Romania get points on the board after Dumbrava slots over the penalty. That’s how England opened the scoring, so there’s still hope yet. England 34-3 Romania . TRY!!!! England 32-0 Romania: Ashton gets his second. Youngs draws his man, Thompson has a wee run before passing to Ashton who has a straight run for the try. Wilkinson then makes in England 34-0 Romania with the conversion. 34 min: Much, much better from England in the last 10 minutes or so. Although Poparlan nearly intercepts a pass which, in all probability, would have led to a try. TRY!! England 25-0 Romania: Line-out for England. Haskell unloads to Ashton who fends off his man before nipping between two and touching down. Wilkinson gets the conversion England 27-0 Romania . 29 min: Brief scare for England as Dumitras chunters through their line but Romania are eventually stutter after they fail to release the ball. TRY!!!! England 20-0 Romania: England nick the ball from a ruck and flow up the pitch. Cueto gets the final pass and dives over for his hat-trick, or is it? It’s referred to replay, there was doubt he touched down but it’s given. Wilkinson can’t make the conversion from way over on the left. 25 min: Wilkinson chips the ball to Ashton, the first attempt at showboating and a welcome one too. TRY!!!!! England 13-0 Romania: England steal possession after the Romania line-out. Youngs takes a quick tap after England spread the play and Cueto breaks over the line after a few nice dummies. Wilkinson’s conversion is successful: England 15-0 Romania . 20 min: Romania are a sloppy side, which makes England’s failure to break them down consistently disappointing. Poparlan gets treatment from the medic, which consists of water being poured on his head. It works too. 18 min: I had to check it was Ashton who had set up that try, he almost seemed to be playing at centre. England: the maverick’s workhorses. TRY!!!! England 8-0 Romania: Cueto dives home. Ashton created it, speeding through a hole in the Romania defence and Cueto had the easiest of finishes. Wilkinson drags the conversion wide. 15 min: Romania don’t release and Wilkinson finds touch from the kick. England have a line-out a few metres out. Croft is penalised for obstruction though – Johnson raises his eyes to the heavens. On the plus side, England are winning. 12 min: Sirbu, the Romanian scrum-half, has a nice jinking run then produces a kick behind that is nearly run down by a team-mate. England clear though. 11 min: Romania give away a penalty but Wilkinson can’t find touch. England really haven’t been too impressive in terms of doing the simple things right yet. 8 min: England penalised again as they attack. Not the most disciplined of starts. Romania’s line-out didn’t look straight to me but no matter England soon win possession but a forward pass disrupts their momentum. Well, stops it. 6 min: England surge towards the Romania line, but they’re done for not releasing a few metres from the line and their opponents clear. 4 min: Interesting that Australia didn’t attempt a single kick at goal yesterday against USA, while England took the three points at the first opportunity. 3 min: Romania attempt an early attack down the ground, which lasts about 5 metres. England are soon on the attack and win a penalty, which they decide to kick at goal. Jonny splits the posts. England 3-0 Romania. “Ulysses?!” splutters Peter Gibbs. ” This is more exciting . 1 min: We’re off. Having just walked through King’s Cross at 6am I can report the atmosphere is electric: just saw loads of kids pouring out of a club, their eyes shining, their jaws working furiously as they chewed gum, presumably to relieve the tension. This match has gripped people who don’t even look like rugby fans. 6.53am: Dressing room watch: Romania are in a huddle. Steve Thompson tries to form one in the England dressing room but everyone ignores him. Ah, hang on Lewis Moody just joined him. Good captaincy. 6.51am: The only thing more exciting on a Saturday morning than an England pool match: 6.47am: “This match was a bit hard to get up for,” says Peter Gibbs. Not if your bedtime is 9pm anyway, Peter! “Predictions?” I will say England 56-7 Romania and Martin Johnson’s team still to get criticised by the press. 6.40am: A few facts and figures for you. • England are assured of a quarter-final place if they win today and Argentina fail to beat Scotland on Sunday • England have not lost a World Cup match against European opponents since 1995, when they were beaten by France. Romania aren’t as good as France. • England have never lost a World Cup match against a team from outside the Tri Nations and Six Nations. Romania are not part of the Tri Nations or Six Nations. • After two matches at this World Cup, Romania were one of two teams not to produce a single clean line break. Samoa were the other. • In their first two matches, Romania conceded 26 penalties. Only Australia conceded more (27) in their first two matches. That means lots of opportunities for kicks at goal, the choice of the discerning neutral. Morning. First up, your teams for today: England: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Mike Tindall, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Alex Corbisiero, Steve Thompson, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Louis Deacon, 5 Tom Palmer, 6 Tom Croft, 7 Lewis Moody (capt), 8 James Haskell. Replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 17 David Wilson, 18 Simon Shaw, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Richard Wigglesworth, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Delon Armitage. Romania: 15 Florin Adrian Vlaicu, 14 Stefan Eugen Ciuntu, 13 Ionel Cazan, 12 Iulian Dumitras, 11 Adrian Marian Apostol, 10 Marin Danut Dumbrava, 9 Lucian Mihai Sirbu, 8 Ovidiu Tonita, 7 Cosmin Aurel Ratiu, 6 Sandu Stelian Burcea, 5 Cristian Constantin Petre (capt), 4 Valentin Poparlan, 3 Silviu Florea, 2 Bogdan Zebega Suman, 1 Nicolae Nere. Replacements: 16 Marius Tincu, 17 Paulica Ion, 18 Mihai Macovei, 19 Daniel Gabriel Ianus, 20 Valentin Nicolae Calafeteanu, 21 Csaba Minya Gal, 22 Catalin Marius Nicolae. Mike Tindall, who has apparently been in the news of late, returns to the team as do Jonny Wilkinson, Mark Cueto, Steve Thompson, Alex Corbisiero, Tom Croft and Louis Deacon. England will, of course win this game, but it’s the manner of victory that’s important. The fact is that people back home want entertainment at ridiculously early times on a Saturday morning. Down the years Ceefax has provided it, the Open University has provided it, Ulysses 31 has provided it. Why can’t England? Rugby World Cup 2011 England rugby union team Romania rugby union team Rugby union Tom Lutz guardian.co.uk
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