Pan-Starrs telescope begins operations to hunt asteroids

　　

　　

　　The telescope is relatively small, but incorporates cutting edge technology A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational.

　　The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each night to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars (supernovae).

　　The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now operating from dusk-dawn each night.

　　Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every month.

　　The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as 36 full Moons in a single exposure.

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　　These data will help us understand the life cycles of galaxies

　　Prof Carlos Frenk Durham University

　　"Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project.

　　The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 DVDs can hold).

　　By casting a wide net, the telescope is expected to catch many moving objects within our Solar System.

　　Frequent follow-up observations will allow astronomers to track those objects and calculate their orbits, identifying any potential threats to Earth.

　　In January this year, a report by the US National Research Council said the country must do more to tackle the asteroid threat.

　　Professor Carlos Frenk, from Durham University, who is the UK's member on the Pan-STARRS board, said: "PS1 will generate the largest ever multi-colour survey of the cosmos.

　　"Alongside supercomputer simulations of the universe, these data will help us understand the life cycles of galaxies and, if we are very lucky, the nature of the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that control the evolution of our cosmos."

　　The 1.8m (60-inch) diameter telescope on Haleakala will also spot many small, faint bodies in the outer Solar System that hid from previous surveys.

　　PS1 is the experimental prototype for a larger telescope to be built called PS4, which will have four times the power of PS1 and is planned for Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

Sarkozy in UK to mark de Gaulle historic war broadcast

　　

　　

　　Nicholas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni last visited the UK in March 2008 The French president and his wife are visiting the UK to mark the 70th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's radio appeal to German-occupied France.

　　Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni will visit the BBC radio studio in London where the general famously urged his compatriots to resist Nazi occupation.

　　Mr Sarkozy, joined by Prince Charles, will lay a wreath on the Mall at the statue of the Queen's father George VI.

　　The president and British PM David Cameron will later meet veterans.

　　Limited audience

　　The visit is the first by a French president to mark Gen de Gaulle's broadcast on 18 June 1940.

　　The general had fled his country the day before as a new administration, headed by Philippe Petain, sought an armistice with Hitler.

　　DE GAULLE'S HISTORIC BROADCAST

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　　Gen de Gaulle fled France on 17 June 1940 as a new administration sought an armistice with Hitler

　　The next evening he urged the French to fight on in a BBC radio address from Broadcasting House

　　Britain had turned his request to broadcast down, but the decision was reversed after PM Winston Churchill intervened

　　To the general's fury, his speech was not recorded, so he returned four days later to deliver his message again

　　Blog: Head of BBC History on visit

　　In the stirring radio appeal Gen de Gaulle declared himself leader of the "Free French", spawning the French Resistance, which went on to play a crucial role in defeating the Germans.

　　He told his nation that "the flame of the French resistance must not and will not be extinguished".

　　Posters displaying his words were put up all over London in the days that followed the broadcast, to galvanise French exiles.

　　During their visit to Broadcasting House, Mr Sarkozy and his wife will unveil a plaque and view a tapestry presented in thanks to the BBC by France after World War II.

　　The president and Prince Charles will later lay wreaths at the statue of Gen de Gaulle in Carlton Gardens, where he set up his wartime offices.

　　About 800 people from the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, the Free French Foundation and other groups have been invited to London to join events.

　　Many will travel across the Channel on a specially chartered Eurostar, which will take them home again for further ceremonies.

　　The French and UK leaders will later meet resistance fighters and British veterans for a ceremony at the Chelsea Royal Hospital, home of the Chelsea pensioners.

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　　Translation of the speech

　　A student from the French lycee in London will read Gen de Gaulle's speech to Mr Sarkozy, the full text of which is inscribed on a bronze plaque at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

　　He was given a hero's welcome after the liberation of Paris in August 1944, but historians point out that he was not seen as a saviour in 1940.

　　They say his now revered broadcast went almost unnoticed at the time, with a very limited audience on the BBC French Service.

　　Mr Sarkozy's last official visit to the UK was in March 2008, when he was also accompanied by his supermodel-turned-singer wife.

　　The 36-hour stay was the first full state visit by a French president for 12 years.

Man wrongly jailed after Northants Police 'mistakes'

　　

　　

　　Warren Blackwell was freed after more than three years in prison Mistakes by a police force contributed to an innocent man being jailed for indecent assault, a watchdog has ruled.

　　Warren Blackwell, of Woodford Halse, was jailed having been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman with a history of false claims against men.

　　A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) criticised Northamptonshire Police's handling of the case.

　　Mr Blackwell, 40, spent more than three years in jail before being cleared.

　　The IPCC report said a detective was told the woman was "unreliable" and "unstable" but did not pass the information on.

　　Delay in apology

　　Mr Blackwell was accused of a violent sexual assault by a woman who had suffered mental health problems and had a history of making false allegations.

　　The IPCC report criticised police for failing to challenge discrepancies in the woman's account and for not interviewing witnesses whose evidence would have undermined her claims.

　　The report said one officer, which the IPCC felt should have faced a misconduct hearing, had retired from the force.

　　Two detectives have been given management advice about their conduct.

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　　Warren Blackwell was subject to a terrible miscarriage of justice

　　Commissioner Amerdeep Somal IPCC

　　Mr Blackwell had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal in September 2006.

　　Northamptonshire Police only apologised to Mr Blackwell four years after he had been cleared.

　　The IPCC said it was "dismayed" it had taken so long to issue an apology.

　　Mr Blackwell was jailed after a woman claimed he indecently assaulted her outside a social club in the early hours of 1 January, 1999 after a New Year's Eve party.

　　Mr Blackwell was convicted in October 1999 at Northampton Crown Court, despite maintaining his innocence.

　　He was jailed for three years - later increased to five.

　　But the conviction was overturned after the case was referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

　　Commissioner Amerdeep Somal, of the IPCC, said: "As the Court of Appeal has ruled, Warren Blackwell was subject to a terrible miscarriage of justice.

　　"Nothing can bring back the three years four months he wrongly spent in prison.

　　She said a request that the Chief Constable withdraw a commendation given to the detective constable by the former Chief Constable for the original investigation had not been accepted.

　　She also expressed her "deep dissatisfaction" for the "unacceptable" length of time the force had taken to resolve disciplinary matters.

　　"Such unnecessary delay is neither in the public interest, nor in the interest of all those involved, including the police officers," she said.

　　In October 2006, Mr Blackwell's accuser was named in the House of Lords by Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours during exchanges about the rape laws.

Van outside Aughnacloy police station sparks alert

　　

　　

　　Army bomb experts have been called to examine the abandoned van Police are advising the public and motorists to avoid Aughnacloy in County Tyrone after a van was abandoned outside a police station.

　　Army technical officers have been called to examine the vehicle which was left outside the building on the Dungannon Road.

　　Some 350 people living close by have had to leave their homes.

　　Dungannon Road and Main Street have been cordoned off and other agencies are helping police to clear the area.

　　Local DUP councillor Sammy Brush, who is at the scene, said: "There is nothing getting in, or out, of the vicinity of the police station.

　　"There's a white Ford transit van parked in front of the police station."

　　

　　Mr Brush said residents have been moved to nearby halls for the night.

　　"We can open all the halls that are needed. We have the facilities to open them.

　　"We wouldn't have beds in them but we have seats and things like that.

　　"It looks like it's going to be a long night and probably these people are going to be out for some considerable time."

　　He added that the evacuation seemed "fairly well organised" and that there was "no panic".

　　"There's a little bit of anger and disbelief but I suppose the longer this goes on, the feelings will probably get stronger."

Forth Valley Hospital to use robot 'workers'

　　

　　

　　Hospital managers say the robots will not replace humans A hospital in Scotland is to become the first in the UK to use a fleet of robots to carry out day-to-day tasks.

　　The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food, clean the operating theatre and dispense drugs.

　　They are currently undergoing final tests ahead of the August opening of the new £300m Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, Stirlingshire.

　　The robots will have their own dedicated network of corridors underneath the hospital.

　　NHS Forth Valley chairman Ian Mullen said the new hospital would be "packed full of design features to improve patient care and improve the life of staff".

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　　Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever

　　Ian Mullen NHS Forth Valley

　　He added: "Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever.

　　"The robot will come up in the service lift by itself, pick up the item and go back into the lift."

　　Tom McEwen, the project manager for manufacturer Serco, said a series of pre-programmed routes would be set out for the robots to follow.

　　"The robots will follow the sytem using a series of laser beams which will tell it exactly where it is," he explained.

　　Computers on board the robots will be able to tell doors to open, and sensors will tell the robots to stop if anything - or anyone - is in the way.

　　One of the most valuable aspects of using robots is in controlling infection.

　　Dispense drugs

　　"Traditionally clean and dirty tasks are carried out by the same person," infection control nurse Lesley Shepherd said.

　　"Here, you'll have the robots that do dirty tasks, so they may take dirty linen or clinical waste away, and you'll have robots that do clean tasks, such as bringing meals and clean linen to patients.

　　"They have separate lifts so there's no way they can cross, which is great."

　　Other robot models will clean theatre floors and even dispense drugs at the pharmacy.

　　Managers said the robots would not replace humans, but would free up more time for staff to spend with patients.

　　They will also have to keep at least one human on standby, should any of the robots break down.