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Ofsted head warns over bright pupils

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 27 Januari 2013 | 19.12

27 January 2013 Last updated at 00:00 ET

England's chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has ordered a "landmark report" into how state schools teach the most able students.

Ofsted's head warned some pupils, who got top marks at primary school, were not doing as well at secondary school.

Such students ought to be pushed, as they would be at independent or grammar schools, he told the Sunday Telegraph..

The news comes as league tables reveal hundreds of schools failed to produce pupils suitable for elite universities.

The tables, released on Thursday, showed almost a quarter of England's sixth forms and colleges had no pupils with the top A-level grades sought by leading institutions.

'Nonsense'

Setting out a "rapid response" to the data, Sir Michael promised the watchdog's survey would investigate fears that some of the brightest secondary school pupils are being let down by teachers who fail to stretch them to get the best exam results.

Many are left to coast in mixed ability classes, or entered too early for GCSE exams in order to gain the minimum C grades required for league tables, he warned.

He also said the report - to be published in the spring - would address the "nonsense" that a tiny number of independent schools were sending more youngsters to Oxford and Cambridge than thousands of state secondary schools.

England's comprehensive schools would have to learn lessons from the independent and selective sectors, he said.

The new report is due to be carried out over the coming months by Ofsted inspectors visiting a sample of more than 50 secondary schools, looking at statistics on gifted and talented provision and pupil progression, according to Sir Michael.

"I am passionate about this, it will be a landmark report.

"I am as concerned as the next person on the issue of social mobility. Are our children and our children from the poorest backgrounds who are naturally bright doing as well as they should?"

Leading universities have been urged in recent years to do more to recruit bright students from a wider set of backgrounds.

But data released this week shows that many schools are not producing students of a high enough calibre to automatically get places at such universities.

League tables - drawn from the latest official government figures on pupils' academic achievement - have shown some 594 (23.4%) of the 2,540 schools teaching A-levels had no pupils with the two As and a B in the subjects recommended for the best degree courses.


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French-led troops target Timbuktu

27 January 2013 Last updated at 05:48 ET
Army trucks

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French may face little resistence in Timbuktu, the BBC's Thomas Fessy says

French-led forces in Mali are advancing on the key northern city of Timbuktu, as they press on with their offensive against Islamist rebels.

On Saturday Malian and French forces seized Gao, another key northern city.

The advance comes as African Union leaders are meeting to discuss sending more troops to Mali.

Islamists seized the north of the country last year, but have been losing ground since French forces launched an operation earlier this month.

Late on Saturday French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Malian and French troops would arrive "near Timbuktu soon".

Overnight they secured Gao - northern Mali's most populous city- after special forces captured the airport and a strategic bridge to the south.

Most militants appear to have fled into desert hide-outs and the hunt for them may prove more difficult once all major towns are secure, says the BBC's Thomas Fessy in the capital, Bamako.

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  • Timbuktu was a centre of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th Centuries
  • 700,000 manuscripts survive in public libraries and private collections
  • Books on religion, law, literature and science
  • Added to Unesco world heritage list in 1988 for its three mosques and 16 cemeteries and mausoleums
  • They played a major role in spreading Islam in West Africa; the oldest dates from 1329
  • Islamists destroyed mausoleums after seizing the city

Troops from Niger and Chad are to assist Malian forces in further securing the town.

Also overnight, French forces bombed Islamist position in Kidal, Malian officials say.

An army source told AFP news agency that the home of the head of Ansar Dine, the main militant group in northern Mali, had been destroyed in a raid.

US refuelling

African Union leaders are holding a summit in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, as members move to deploy troops to help the French-led operation there.

Outgoing AU chairman Boni Yayi on Sunday hailed France for its military intervention, saying it was something "we should have done a long time ago to defend a member country".

In a statement on Saturday, the AU said it wanted to make "an African Standby Force" operational in Mali soon.

African states have pledged nearly 5,700 troops to support French and Malian forces in their campaign. Only a small part of the African force has so far deployed.

Meanwhile, the US said it would provide mid-air refuelling for French warplanes. The Pentagon said it had also discussed plans for the US to transport troops to Mali from countries including Chad and Togo.

Some 3,700 French troops are engaged in Operation Serval, 2,500 of them on Malian soil.

France intervened in its former colony after Islamist launched a push to the south earlier this month. Paris said the whole of Africa, and even Europe, was under threat if the Islamist offensive succeeded.

As French and Malian troops moved into Gao, Malian officials spoke of scenes of joy, but also some looting.

Malian Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said ahead of the summit in Addis Ababa: "This terrorist group intends to spread its criminal purpose over the whole of Mali, and eventually target other countries."

The AU has recommended civilian observers monitor the human rights situation in the areas which have come back under the control of the Malian government.

Human rights groups have accused the Malian army of committing serious abuses.

Islamist groups and secular Tuareg rebels took advantage of chaos following a military coup to seize northern Mali in April 2012. But the Islamists soon took control of the region's major towns, sidelining the Tuaregs.


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Clegg: Coalition resolute on economy

27 January 2013 Last updated at 06:08 ET

The government is "absolutely not going to change course" on reducing the deficit, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has insisted.

The latest GDP figures showed the UK economy shrank by 0.3% in the last three months of 2012, fuelling fears the economy could re-enter recession.

Mr Clegg said the government was "resolute" and "restlessly creative" in finding ways to make the economy grow.

He also said the government was finding new ways to boost capital investment.

But he warned against a return to the "bad old days" of extensive borrowing.

Mr Clegg's comments come amid rising calls for a new economic strategy in the face of the GDP contraction and figures showing a slight year-on-year increase in public sector net borrowing.

'Long, hard road'

Last week, IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard suggested that Chancellor George Osborne should consider slowing down austerity measures in his March budget, and London mayor Boris Johnson urged his Tory colleague to "junk talk of austerity" and press ahead with major infrastructure projects.

The deputy prime minister told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "You can be very tough on the deficit, which we have - we have reduced it by a quarter - and you can be restlessly creative about how within those strictures you do things to make the economy grow.

"We're being tough, but pragmatic. We are being resolute, but innovative. If people have ideas about how we can provide further capital investment into our infrastructure, without breaking the bank, of course we are open to that.

"We are absolutely not going to change course in paying off one of the world's largest budget deficits - why? Because if you just shrug your shoulders and say 'it's too complicated', we end up asking our children and grandchildren to pay off this generation's debts."

Mr Clegg defended comments he made in a magazine interview in which he appeared to suggest the coalition government had cut capital spending too much when it came into office.

"What I was describing is what is the fact... What we did in the first instance, Labour said there was no money left so we couldn't go around writing cheques.

"What we have done since then is systematically found ways to raise new capital."

He highlighted Crossrail - a new rail line which will run from east to west across London - as one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe and said Monday's expected announcement to extend the £33bn high-speed rail line to Manchester and Leeds would "heal the north south divide".

Treasury-backed guarantees would also help drive private sector investment in infrastructure, Mr Clegg said, allowing investors to take advantage of lower borrowing costs.

Mr Clegg admitted that there was "a long hard road" ahead to secure the economic recovery and said some parts of the economy were going to "take longer to repair than anybody anticipated".


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Dozens die in south Brazil fire

27 January 2013 Last updated at 06:35 ET

At least 90 people have died in a fire that swept through a nightclub in southern Brazil, police say.

They say the fire began when a band on stage started a fireworks display at the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Reports say there was only one exit and panic spread as people tried to get out. Many victims reportedly died from inhaling toxic fumes.

The fire is now out and bodies are being removed from the scene.

"Fire services are looking for other victims. We can't give an exact number of victims. People started panicking and ended up treading on each other," fire chief Guido de Melo told local media.

A reporter at the scene told local radio that the nightclub had a capacity for up to 2,000 people and was believed to be full on a Saturday night.

Thick smoke engulfed the venue after acoustic insulation caught fire, officials say.

Fire crews reportedly knocked through a wall to help those trapped inside escape.

The death toll could be as high as 130, the reporter said.

Hundreds of people have been taken to hospital.

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Floods threaten as UK thaw begins

27 January 2013 Last updated at 07:11 ET

Serious flooding is possible across many parts of the UK as milder temperatures thaw snow and rain moves in, forecasters have warned.

Parts of Carmarthenshire, Powys, Gwynedd and Norfolk have flooded and a Met Office yellow warning for rain is in force for much of the UK.

Seventy flood warnings and 308 alerts are in place in England and Wales. Scotland has seven warnings.

Forecasters say Sunday will see a mix of sunny spells and blustery showers.

The Met Office said heavy rain across much of the country, combined with fairly rapid snow melt, was likely to lead to localised surface water and river flooding.

Western Scotland and Cumbria saw the heaviest rain on Saturday night. Wales, central and south-west England are expected to be the worst-hit areas on Sunday morning, with at least 1in (2.5cm) of rain expected to have fallen by mid-morning.

There are flood warnings in place in East Anglia, south-west England, the Midlands, north-east England, north-west England and Wales.

The Environment Agency said emergency teams were out in these areas checking "high priority defences" to make sure they were working.

Norfolk Police have reported flooding caused by melting snow and ice, which has closed a number of roads in the area.

In Wales, there has been flooding in Powys, Gwynedd and Carmarthenshire.

Environment Agency spokesman Innes Thomson told BBC News: "The message is that there's wet weather all over the country, we've already got flooded fields, we've got localised flooding, we've got high ground water and we've got spring tides this week coming.

Continue reading the main story

Latest local information from the BBC

"So we've actually got a complete cocktail of issues and concerns for us to keep an eye on."

Spring tides occur when the sun and moon are aligned, so their gravitational pull is combined - leading to especially high, high tides and low, low tides.

The seven flood warnings issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) include the Scottish Borders, Whitesands in Dumfries and Galloway and parts of central Scotland.

The BBC weather centre said much of the rain would clear eastwards through Sunday.

BBC forecaster Laura Gilchrist said Sunday would see sunny spells and blustery showers - with the heaviest in the west and north. The wind would be brisk and there was also a risk of hail and thunder.

Moving into the night, the showers would leave off, but Monday would see wet and windy conditions for most.

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UK forecast for 27/01/2013

Map Key

Fog

Fog Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Frost

Frost Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Rain

Rain Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Extreme

Snow

Snow Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Temperature tab only

Temperature (°C)

Temperature range chart

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Gunman dies as public stop robbery

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 26 Januari 2013 | 19.12

26 January 2013 Last updated at 05:18 ET
Ladbrokes in Crownhill Road, Plymouth

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Ladbrokes are assisting the police with their inquiries

A masked gunman has died after being pinned down and restrained by customers during an armed robbery at a bookmakers in Plymouth.

The man, in his 50s, entered the Ladbrokes branch in Crownhill Road at 18:45 GMT on Friday wearing a gas mask and holding a pistol.

Police arrested the man, who was already unconscious, but he died a short time later at the scene.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating.

Ladbrokes, Plymouth

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Chief Insp Ian Drummond-Smith: "We have recovered a firearm of sorts"

'Immediately tackled'

The man has been identified but next of kin have not yet been informed, a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The spokesman said when the man entered the shop, he was "immediately tackled" by customers and "held down still wearing his gas mask".

Ch Insp Ian Drummond-Smith said: "Customers and staff tackled the man, overpowered him, disarmed him and restrained him and when police officers arrived they found him being restrained but noted that he was unresponsive and wasn't breathing."

He said the police and ambulance service attempted to resuscitate him but he was declared dead about 20 minutes later at the scene.

Ch Insp Drummond-Smith added: "We have recovered a firearm of sorts, it hasn't been fully examined yet so I'm unable to confirm whether its a replica or a genuine firearm.

"This is a very serious incident. We cannot speculate on what has actually taken place here today."

A spokesman for Ladbrokes said they were assisting police.

Witness David Marfleet said: "As I drove past you could see that Ladbrokes was absolutely full of policeman at that time.

"[There were] easily 10 police cars and then two riot vans and then the ambulance that turned up on site as well.

"We don't normally have any trouble around here, it's quite a surprise it being such a nice quiet area."


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Call for UK to allow women in combat

26 January 2013 Last updated at 05:38 ET

The UK should consider following the US and allow women to serve in combat roles, says a woman who became one of the most senior female army officers.

Brigadier Nicky Moffat, who retired in December, said it was wrong to dismiss people just on gender.

Major Judith Webb, who became the first woman to command an all-male field squadron disagrees.

She said resources would be wasted trying to train women up to a standard they were unlikely to reach.

On Thursday US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the military's ban on women serving in combat roles, potentially opening frontline positions to women.

Brig Moffat told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Ultimately the responsibility for the operational effectiveness of the army and for the lives of the soldiers that are deployed lies with ministers and with the heads of the services and they must make that judgement."

But she said that judgement should be made on the basis of "capability" and she was "deeply uncomfortable" with the idea of excluding a whole group of potentially capable soldiers, just because of gender.

She said "It is not just about physical strength. It's about endurance, it's about ability to operate within a team, it's about a range of skills.

"But we shouldn't dismiss the point about strength. The infantry combat fitness test is extraordinarily demanding and individuals are required to carry herculean amounts of kit.

"But if we look at the achievements of our women Olympians I don't think any reasonable person could say that there aren't some women who could meet those standards."

Brig Moffat said the British Army was in a difficult position because it worked closely with the US and the Canadian army, which has already allowed women into combat roles.

But Maj Webb previously told Today: "By opening it up to women are women shooting themselves in the foot? Because they are not going to meet those standards.

"Two women who made it through marine training in the US didn't qualify."

'Wasting resources'

She said: "So what are we achieving by trying to open it up to women, except wasting a huge amount of resources by trying to train women up to a level I don't think they are going to meet."

No women are deployed in the infantry where the primary role is to "close with and kill" the enemy - to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

But they do perform support roles, such as medical duties and at any one time about 500 to 600 women are in theatre in Afghanistan.

The armed forces are exempt from the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act "for the purpose of ensuring the combat effectiveness".

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The vast majority of roles in the armed forces are open to women and hundreds are currently serving their country with distinction in Afghanistan.

"Women are fundamental to the operational effectiveness of the UK's Armed Forces, bringing talent and skills across the board.

"The MoD 2010 review into women serving in combat roles concluded there should be no change to the existing policy. There are no plans to review this policy before the end of operations in Afghanistan."

In the US President Barack Obama welcomed the "historic step" and a senior defence official said about 237,000 jobs would be newly open to women "who can meet the standards".

The decision was also welcomed by Congressman Tammy Duckworth, a former helicopter pilot who lost both legs in Iraq.

She wrote in the Chicago Tribune: "It's time we stop being surprised that America's daughters are just as capable of defending this nation as her sons."


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Azarenka defends Australian title

Victoria Azarenka retained her Australian Open title and kept hold of the world number one spot with victory over Li Na in the Melbourne final.

The Belarusian, 23, came back from a set down to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 on a cool and blustery evening on Rod Laver Arena.

In a scrappy match, Azarenka proved the stronger in the closing stages after Li rolled her ankle twice and hit her head in two heavy falls.

Match stats

Azarenka Li

1

Aces

4

78%

1st serves

65%

4

Double faults

5

18

Winners

36

28

Errors

57

54%

1st serve win %

48%

38%

2nd serve win %

42%

54%

Receiving pts won

49%

9/12

Break points

7/18

The victory brought Azarenka her second Grand Slam title after last year's win at Melbourne Park, and ensured she will not be overtaken by Serena Williams in the next world rankings.

"I will always keep a very special memory of this court and you will be in my heart forever," Azarenka told the crowd in her post-match on-court interview.

However it was Li who carried most of the support throughout the final, due in part to Azarenka's controversial medical timeout in her semi-final against Sloane Stephens .

Azarenka had been accused of gamesmanship, despite later insisting the timeout had been necessary because of breathing difficulties.

Either way, the negative attention she garnered in the build-up to the final only added to the support for the already popular Li.

The Chinese player had marginally the better of a desperately scrappy first set of 32 errors and 16 winners between the pair.

Li was much the more effective on the return and after recovering from 5-2 down to 5-4, Azarenka double-faulted on set point, summing up her evening to that point.

A few calls from the boisterous Australia Day crowd probably did not help, although at times it appeared that Li was as distracted by her own vociferous supporters.

Azarenka made a strong start to the second set with a double break as Li's famously unreliable radar went haywire, but the sixth seed was battling back when at 3-2 down when she suffered a fall.

Analysis

"Victoria Azarenka is a warrior. It has been very rough for her, but it has been a tremendous effort tonight. It has been very gutsy. It has not been the best quality match, but it was enthralling."

She hobbled back to the chair and took a medical timeout of her own to get her left ankle taped, leaving Azarenka to don her tracksuit top and practise a few serves.

It looked as though the timeout had worked against Azarenka this time when Li came out firing with five points in a row, but the top seed clung on from 0-40 to stay ahead.

Li then offered up four errors in a row to give Azarenka the break at 5-4, and she closed out the set to force a decider.

After breaks were swapped at the start, Li looked to be regaining some sort of control at 2-1 up only to be interrupted for nine minutes by the annual Australia Day fireworks display.

Disaster struck on the resumption, when Li crashed to the ground during the first point and rolled the same ankle, before cracking her head on the court as she fell.

The sixth seed looked dazed, although she did manage a thin smile when her face appeared on the big screen, but she needed another timeout, and again Azarenka went through an unexpected practice routine.

Li resumed firing forehands but Azarenka held on to her serve at 2-2 and then got the decisive break in game five, hanging on to it when Li squandered a break point at 4-3 down.

After struggling to hold on to her serve in the early stages, Azarenka was now attacking her opponent's with similar gusto.

The world number one avoided having to serve out when Li floated a forehand long on championship point, the Belarusian dropping her racquet and burying her face in her hands in celebration.


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Flood fears as snow turns to rain

26 January 2013 Last updated at 06:57 ET
Stationary vehicles on the M6

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'Carnage' on the M6 overnight

There are fears flooding is on the way, with forecasters predicting the recent snow will make way for heavy rain and milder temperatures.

Overnight, heavy snow across parts of the UK has caused major travel disruption with motorists on the M6 were forced to abandon their cars in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Snow grounded planes at Leeds Bradford Airport.

There has been flooding in Wales, and there are five flood warnings in place.

Temperatures are expected to reach an average 4C on Saturday.

As well as five flood warnings for south-west England and Wales, the Environment Agency has 80 flood alerts in place.

In Northumberland, 33cm (12in) of snow fell overnight at the Met Office weather station at Redesdale - the most recorded this year.

'Stay in your car'

During the night, the Highways Agency closed the M6 motorway in both directions between junctions 25 and 27 near Wigan, after cars and lorries became stuck in the snow.

A shelter was set up at Charnock Services - close to junction 28 - for motorists forced to leave their vehicles in poor driving conditions and freezing temperatures.

David Morris, the Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, was stuck on the M6 near Wigan for more than three hours.

He told the BBC the snow "came from nowhere".

"The gritters were out doing their job, everybody's been doing all they can do to help.

"It's a surreal scene to be had. We've even been having snowball fights on the M6."

Another driver, who said he was stuck near junction 25 on the M6 for three hours, Neil Turner, said "it was horrible".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The snowfall was very sudden and very heavy - over a foot in some places - causing cars to become stranded"

End Quote Highways Agency

"It was very cold, everyone was chatting, trying to keep warm. There was just no movement," he said.

Lancashire Police also worked with Lancashire Mountain Rescue teams, the Highways Agency and Greater Manchester Police to clear roads and provide welfare assistance to those who were stranded.

The Highway Agency worked throughout the night to clear the routes with snow ploughs.

A spokesman for the agency urged those who had abandoned their cars to return to them as soon as possible.

"The snowfall was very sudden and very heavy - over a foot in some places - causing cars to become stranded," he said.

"But we have managed to get through the traffic and clear most routes to get people moving again.

"We are urging those who have abandoned their cars to collect them. All we can do is move them to the side for now, but it makes it difficult to clear routes.

"With the rain falling and ice melting onto very cold road surfaces, we are now warning drivers of the danger of ice."

The M56 was also affected by closures due to the snow.

Cumbria has also been badly affected by snow, where police say many minor roads are impassable.

Continue reading the main story

Latest local information from the BBC

In south-west Wales, flooding has already caused problems - particularly in Whitland in Carmarthenshire and Narberth, Haverfordwest, and St David's in Pembrokeshire.

Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it had received more than 270 calls on Friday evening, with "quite a large number of flooding incidents" across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen and Swansea, including incidents of properties flooding and people becoming trapped in their cars.

Local councils have been asked to assist with sandbags and unblocking drains.

In Narberth, Pembrokeshire, residents are reported to be battling to keep water out of their homes, and roads in the area are flooded.

Local councillor Wyn Evans told the BBC that melting snow and torrential rain had caused "severe flooding and destruction" in the area.

"Even our police station has been flooded this evening and that's never ever happened before, so all our police officers had to relocate elsewhere," he said.

'Some delays'

Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow - meaning be prepared - across the Midlands, London and south-east England.

All flights were suspended at Leeds Bradford International Airport during Friday night as further snow hit most of the Yorkshire area.

The airport has now reopened, although passengers are being warned to expect delays and disruption.

BBC weather forecaster Peter Sloss said snow already affecting much of northern England and the Midlands had extended to high ground in south-east England and East Anglia during the night.

He said that while heavy rain was affecting south Wales and south-west England, drier conditions in Northern Ireland and much of Scotland would extend to most places on Saturday.

It would be a bright, fine day with "more sunshine than we have seen in some time".

But clearing skies could lead to a risk of ice across central and eastern areas into Saturday morning, he warned.

Looking forward, he said wet and windy weather would affect much of the country on Saturday night.

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UK forecast for 26/01/2013

Map Key

Fog

Fog Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Frost

Frost Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Rain

Rain Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Extreme

Snow

Snow Colour Range

Light

Heavy

Temperature tab only

Temperature (°C)

Temperature range chart

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Fans verdicts spark Egypt unrest

26 January 2013 Last updated at 07:07 ET
Cairo al-Ahly supporters celebrate verdict

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Supporters of the victims celebrated the verdict in Cairo

At least 16 people have died in the Egyptian city of Port Said, in clashes sparked by the sentencing to death of 21 local people over football riots.

Supporters of the defendants tried to storm the prison holding them and attacked police stations.

The 21 were sentenced over riots which killed 74 people after a football game at Port Said stadium last February.

Saturday's violence follows a day of unrest on the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

Thousands of people took to the streets on Friday to voice their opposition to Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, accusing him of betraying the revolution.

At least seven people were killed and more than 450 wounded in unrest across Egypt.

Continue reading the main story
  • 74 people killed in Port Said stadium on 2 February 2012
  • Clashes broke out between rival fans of clubs al-Masry and al-Ahly
  • Fans flooded on to pitch attacking Ahly players and fans as match ended
  • Most died of concussion, cuts and suffocation
  • The largest death toll in Egypt's football history

All 21 defendants sentenced to death on Saturday were fans of Port Said club al-Masry. When the verdicts were announced by a judge in the Cairo court, relatives of victims cheered.

However, the ruling caused supporters of the defendants to go on a rampage in Port Said, Two police officers were shot dead outside the city's prison.

At least another 14 people were killed and about 200 were wounded in clashes, officials said. Army units were deployed on the city's streets following the violence.

Last year's football riots led to the suspension of the league.

They began minutes after the game, when al-Masry fans invaded the pitch, hurling stones and fireworks at visiting supporters from Cairo club al-Ahly.

A section of al-Ahly supporters, known as the "ultras", played a prominent role in the protests against ex-President Mubarak.

Some accused supporters of the toppled leader of instigating the Port Said violence. They also accused police of doing little to prevent the violence.

Woman crying

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Families of those give death sentences were seen weeping and fleeing tear gas outside Port Said jail

Seventy-three people, including nine policemen, were tried over the stadium clashes. None are al-Ahly fans.

The judge said he would announce verdicts for the remaining defendants on 9 March.

Economic 'collapse'

Friday saw a big anti-government rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square, with opposition supporters clashing with police.

There was also unrest in 12 out of 27 of Egypt's provinces. At least six of the deaths occurred in Suez.

In Ismailia, protesters set fire to the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. The city's governorate headquarters was later also stormed.

The liberal opposition accuses Mr Morsi of being autocratic and driving through a new constitution that does not protect adequately freedom of expression or religion.

The government is also being blamed for a deepening economic crisis.

One of the demonstrators at Cairo's Tahrir Square, Momen Asour, said he had come to demand an end to President Morsi's rule.

"We have not seen anything, Neither freedom, nor social justice, or any solution to unemployment, or any investment," he said. "On the contrary, the economy has collapsed."

President Morsi and his allies have dismissed the claim, saying they have a democratic mandate following recent elections. The constitution, drawn up by an Islamist-dominated body, was approved by a referendum last month.


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