Ferguson advice 'gold dust' for Murray

WIMBLEDON 2013 MEN'S SEMI-FINALS

• Venue: All England Club, London
• Date: Friday 5 July

Coverage: Live on BBC TV, 3D, BBC HD Channel, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, plus the BBC Sport website, tablet, mobile and connected TV.

Andy Murray goes into Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against 6ft 8in Jerzy Janowicz boosted by "gold dust" advice from Sir Alex Ferguson.

The world number two, hoping to become Britain's first male champion since 1936, plays the Polish 24th seed on Centre Court at about 16:00 BST.

The stats for 2013 at SW19

• Murray is through to his fifth Wimbledon semi-final in a row

• He has hit 60 aces and 10 double faults, with a top speed of 133mph, in five matches

• Jerzy Janowicz tops the standings with 94 aces and a top speed of 140mph

• Murray's first serve percentage for the tournament is 63%

• He has won 82% of points behind his first serve and 55% behind his second serve

• Murray has won more points (115) returning second serves than any other player

• He is top of the standings for breaks of serve, having done so 24 times in five matches

Murray spoke to the former Manchester United boss after his quarter-final win over Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.

"He was giving me some advice on how to handle certain pressures," Murray said.

Top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin Del Potro are first up on Centre Court in their semi-final at 13:00 BST.

In Murray's match:

• The Scot faces the biggest serve in the tournament;
• Janowicz heads the serving charts with 94 aces and a top speed of 140mph;
• The 22-year-old has been broken just four times in the tournament but Murray says "I won't be intimidated by him";
• Pole hopes Murray will feel the pressure "because Great Britain is waiting for the champion in Wimbledon";
• Centre Court is a 15,000 sell out, with another 4,000 on Murray Mount at Wimbledon and millions expected to watch on television.

Ahead of the match Murray spoke of his conversation with Ferguson.

The pair met in New York when Murray won the US Open last year and Ferguson, who won 38 trophies during his 26-year reign at Old Trafford before retiring in May, was a spectator on centre court for Murray's win over Verdasco.

During their chat on Wednesday Ferguson gave Murray advice on how to deal with the most difficult moments that sport can present.

"We spoke about a lot of things - about his retirement, about football and then at the end I spoke to him, not so much about the match, but about everything that goes with it," Murray said.

"Getting that sort of advice from someone like him is gold dust so I'm not going to be sharing too much of it."

From the Royal Box...

A host of stars from the world of sport and showbusiness are set to cheer on Andy Murray from the Royal Box at Wimbledon.

They include former Wimbledon champions Lindsay Davenport and Stefan Edberg.

Boxer Amir Khan and 2000 Olympic triple-jump champion Jonathan Edwards are also due to attend, along with actor Jude Law and broadcaster Sir David Frost

The Duke of York and Princess Michael of Kent are royal guests

Janowicz, Poland's first male Grand Slam semi-finalist, has a win over Murray, having saved a match point on his way to beating the Scot at the Paris Masters in November.

Murray, the second seed, believes his return will be key to his chances of reaching the final.

"That's always been one of the strengths of my game," Murray said in his BBC Sport column.

"I have to take every chance that comes my way. Janowicz might be a big guy with a big serve, but I won't be intimidated by him."

While the power of Janowicz's game is the obvious threat, Murray says there is more than just the serve and the forehand to worry about.

"He also has pretty good touch," said the world number two. "He likes to hit drop shots. He doesn't just whack every single shot as hard as he can. It will be a very tough match."

Murray, 26, needed five sets to get past Fernando Verdasco in the previous round, and he is looking for the Centre Court crowd to help him once again.

"When I went behind, the crowd definitely got right behind me and made a huge, huge difference," he said.

"If they can be like that from the first point to the last in all of the matches, it makes a huge difference."

Janowicz insisted he was not concerned by the prospect of having 15,000 spectators cheering for his opponent, saying: "For sure the crowd will not really help me, but we'll see how it's going to be.

"This is my first semi-final ever, so I don't know what to expect. I hope Andy will feel some kind of pressure.

"I'm sure he feels some kind of pressure because Great Britain is waiting for the champion in Wimbledon."

Janowicz hits Wimbledon's fastest serve of 2013

Djokovic, the 2011 champion, has yet to drop a set but will face Del Potro on the same court where he lost to the Argentine in last year's Olympic bronze medal match.

"That was a close match also, 'Delpo' is a great player," said the world number one, 26. "I have a great respect for him. He's a Grand Slam winner."

Del Potro is through to his first Wimbledon semi-final despite struggling with a knee injury that was not helped by a bad fall in his quarter-final win over David Ferrer.

"I will need to be 100% or 110% against [Djokovic]," said the Argentine. "He's the number one, he's a former champion here."

Send us your Wimbledon celebration

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Azelle Rodney shooting 'unjustified'

5 July 2013 Last updated at 08:09 ET

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Azelle Rodney's mother Susan Alexander: "It seemed to me Azelle was executed"

Police had no lawful justification for shooting dead a man in north London eight years ago, a report says.

Azelle Rodney, 24, was shot six times in Edgware after the car he was in was stopped by Met Police officers in 2005.

An officer known as E7, who said he opened fire because he believed Mr Rodney was reaching for a gun, could now face criminal charges.

Mr Rodney's mother, Susan Alexander, has demanded an apology from the Met for his "execution".

Former High Court judge Sir Christopher Holland has released his findings following the public inquiry into the death.

Continue reading the main story

The fact that he was strongly suspected in being involved in crime does not justify him or anyone else being summarily killed"

End Quote Susan Alexander

He said E7 "could not rationally have believed" that Mr Rodney had picked up a firearm.

Ms Alexander said she believed not one of the eight shots fired at her son were "lawfully discharged by the officer concerned".

"When I gave evidence to the inquiry on September 4 2012, I said that it seemed to me that Azelle was executed," said Ms Alexander

"The chairman's report, after detailed study of the evidence, is that he is sure and satisfied he shares my view.

"The fact that he was strongly suspected in being involved in crime does not justify him or anyone else being summarily killed.

"The police owe me an apology for the unlawful killing of my son. I await an apology from the commissioner himself."

'Career criminal'

Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) had referred the case against E7 to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

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Solicitor Daniel Machover said the police had "violated the right to life of someone"

"I have read the findings carefully and want to express my personal sympathy to Mr Rodney's family," Mr Hogan-Howe said.

"The Met Police Service deeply regrets his death, and I recognise how distressing the inquiry must have been for them."

Mr Rodney, who was described in the report as a "mid-level career criminal", was killed when the VW Golf he was in was stopped by police who had it under surveillance for several hours.

E7 told the inquiry he opened fire after fearing the gang had a sub-machine gun in the car.

'Naked, violent aggression'

Three guns were found in the Golf - a Colt .45 calibre pistol, a Baikal pistol and a smaller gun described as looking like a key fob.

Lawyers for Ms Alexander claimed he was the victim of "naked, violent aggression" and was unlawfully killed.

During the inquiry, Sir Christopher considered issues including what information the police team had, how reliable it was, whether their approach minimised the risk to life, and if stopping the car was done with only the necessary force.

He said: "There was no lawful justification for shooting Azelle Rodney so as to kill him.

He added: "E7's accounts of what he saw are not to be accepted.

"Prior to firing he did not believe that the man who turned out to be Azelle Rodney had picked up a gun and was about to use it."

'Woolwich challenges'

E7 has written to the inquiry to claim that the findings against him are "irrational".

Mr Hogan-Howe added that firearms officers faced "serious challenges".

He said he was anxious the report did not "undermine the confidence of officers to act decisively when making split-second decisions in the face of the most dangerous criminals as recently seen in Woolwich".

Mrs Alexander's lawyer, Daniel Machover criticised the IPCC for its initial findings about the shooting.

"Not only is it shocking that the IPCC's investigation found nothing to criticise as regards the shooting itself, but it found the whole operation virtually faultless, whereas this inquiry has found the whole operation deeply flawed," he said.

Deborah Glass, IPCC deputy chair, said: "We welcome the fact that Azelle Rodney's family have finally seen and heard the evidence in this case as a result of this public inquiry.

"We understand their anger and frustration about how long this has all taken."

The inquiry, which started in September, was held instead of an inquest because of sensitive intelligence information that would have to be withheld from a coroner.

The other two people in the vehicle, Frank Graham and Wesley Lovell, were jailed for possession of firearms.

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Egypt army allows 'peaceful protest'

5 July 2013 Last updated at 08:11 ET

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Mr Mansour praised the armed forces and the Egyptian people

Supporters of Egypt's ousted president are gathering for protests in the capital to demand his reinstatement.

The army, which removed Mr Morsi and detained him in response to widespread unrest, has said it will allowed peaceful protests.

Adly Mahmud Mansour, the top judge of the constitutional court, is now Egypt's interim leader and has promised that elections will take place soon.

The African Union has announced it will suspend Egypt from all activities.

Admore Kambudzi, secretary of the body's Peace and Security Council, said the move was being taken in line with AU policy "until the restoration of constitutional order".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

A couple of months ago, people were sceptical of the army. However, we have now seen our faith restored "

End Quote Reem Shalan Cairo

Clashes

The removal of Mr Morsi by the army followed days of mass protests, largely organised by the Tamarod [Rebel] movement.

The protesters accused Mr Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood - the Islamist group of which he is a member - of pursuing an Islamist agenda against the wishes of the majority, and of failing to tackle economic problems.

Mr Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, is in detention, as are senior figures in the Brotherhood. Arrests warrants have been issued for some 300 others.

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Mohamed ElBaradei: "We were between a rock and a hard place"

The army command has said it will not take "arbitrary measures against any faction or political current" and would guarantee the right to protest, as long as demonstrations did not threaten national security.

"Peaceful protest and freedom of expression are rights guaranteed to everyone, which Egyptians have earned as one of the most important gains of their glorious revolution," it said.

But Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad said the movement was refusing to co-operate with the new leadership and demanded the immediate release of those detained.

At his news conference on Thursday, he said the Brotherhood would take part in "peaceful, people-led protest".

Mohamed Soudan, foreign relations secretary for the Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), said the army action and the arrests were moving Egypt "back to the dictatorship regime".

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Army's post-Morsi roadmap

• Constitution to be suspended temporarily and interim president sworn in
• "Strong and competent" civilian technocratic government to be installed
• Supreme Court to pass a draft law on parliamentary election and prepare for parliamentary and presidential polls
• "Charter of honour" to be drawn up and followed by the media
• Measures taken to empower young people and a national reconciliation committee to be formed

Thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been camped outside Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, vowing to stage a "Day of Rejection".

"We came from all of Egypt for one goal only, to return the democratically elected president to the palace," said one man.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Cairo says some have been calling for the execution of Gen Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief who announced the ousting of Mr Morsi.

Tanks and military personnel have been deployed to potential flashpoints in the capital and the mood is tense, says our correspondent.

On Friday, troops were deployed in Mr Morsi's hometown of Zagazig, in Shariqiya province, after rival protesters clashed. The health ministry said 80 people had been injured.

Some 50 people have died since the latest unrest began on Sunday.

Mohamed ElBaradei - a leading opposition figure who backed the overthrow of Mr Morsi - said the army's intervention had been "painful" but was on behalf of the people and ultimately averted civil war.

"Mr Morsi unfortunately undermined his own legitimacy," he told the BBC.

He said elections would be held within a year at the most as the army had no intention of ruling.

He had urged the military to treat Mr Morsi with "full dignity as a former president", he said, and hoped detained Muslim Brotherhood members would be released.

Continue reading the main story

Egypt's revolution - key events

• 11 February 2011 - Hosni Mubarak resigns as president after two weeks of massive street protests and violent clashes
• January 2012 - Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party wins parliamentary elections with almost half of the vote
• June 2012 - Mohammed Morsi becomes Egypt's first freely elected president
• 22 November 2012 - Mr Morsi issues a controversial decree granting himself extensive powers - after angry protests, he eventually rescinds most of it
• 3 July 2013 - The army suspends the constitution and removes Mr Morsi from power

Mr Mansour was sworn in as interim head of state on Thursday, vowing to safeguard "the spirit of the revolution" which had removed Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011.

He has invited the Brotherhood "to participate in building the nation".

The army's roadmap for the post-Morsi era includes:

• Suspension of the constitution
• A civilian, transitional technocratic government
• Supreme constitutional court to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections
• A "charter of honour" to be drawn up and followed by national media

Early on Friday, one soldier was reported killed after Islamist militants attacked military and police checkpoints in the Sinai Peninsula with rockets and mortar fire.

Security checkpoints at al-Arish airport, near the border with Israel and the Gaza Strip, and a police station in Rafah were targeted, officials said.

Sinai has seen a series of militant attacks on security installations and oil pipelines over the past two years, and it is unclear whether the latest attacks are linked to the political upheaval.

Bowen: Egypt's failed democratic experiment

Gardner: Dangerous moment for the Middle East

Optimism for Egypt economy

Key players in the Egyptian crisis

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Miliband hits back in union row

5 July 2013 Last updated at 07:55 ET

Ed Miliband has stepped up his war of words with the boss of Labour's biggest union backer calling on him to "face up to his responsibilities".

Unite boss Len McCluskey rejects claims his union tried to rig the contest to select a general election contest in Falkirk.

Mr McCluskey said he has "no trust" in the Labour Party following the row.

But Mr Miliband said the union boss should stop defending "malpractice" and "face up" to what went on in Falkirk.

"The Labour Party I lead will select its candidates in a fair and transparent way. We will act without fear or favour," said Mr Miliband in a statement.

"He should not be defending the machine politics involving bad practice and malpractice that went on there, he should be facing up to it."

The Labour Party has suspended two members of the local party amid claims of a "potential abuse of membership rules".

It claims Unite members broke party rules in an attempt to get the union's preferred candidate selected in Falkirk - something firmly denied by Mr McCluskey.

'Good name'

Mr Miliband sought to assert his authority, telling the union chief: "Let nobody be in any doubt.

"There is only going to be one outcome to this: the Labour Party will act in a way that upholds the integrity of our party, the integrity of our party members and the integrity of ordinary trade union members.

"I will not allow the good name of the Labour Party to be undermined by the behaviour of a few individuals."

The row between Labour and its biggest union backer centres around claims of vote rigging in the process to replace Eric Joyce as Labour's candidate in Falkirk for the 2015 general election.

It has already seen the party step in to run the process centrally and suspend rules under which unions could sign up members to the Labour Party and pay the fees on their behalf.

On Thursday, Labour's general election co-ordinator Tom Watson, whose office manager Karie Murphy was Unite's preferred candidate in Falkirk, quit for the "future unity" of the party. Ms Murphy and Falkirk party chairman Stephen Deans were suspended by the party.

'A stitch-up'

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the row was actually about the future composition of the Labour Party and what sort of people became the party's MPs.

Unite's stated strategy is to "shift the balance in the party away from middle class academics and professionals towards people who have actually represented workers and fought the boss".

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Nick Robinson said Blairites within the party believed there was an organised, heavily-funded campaign to try to rig candidate selection in a particular direction.

But in a letter to Labour's general secretary, Mr McCluskey said the union had "nothing whatsoever to do" with the alleged attempt to sign 100 or more members to the constituency party without their knowledge.

"The report has been used to smear Unite and its members," he said. "It is noteworthy that members of the shadow cabinet have been in the lead in initiating this attack."

Mr McCluskey said Labour's internal investigation was "simply a stitch-up" designed to "produce some evidence, however threadbare, to justify pre-determined decisions". He demanded an independent inquiry into the events in Falkirk.

"I, however, am obliged to uphold the integrity of Unite, and I can no longer do so on the basis of going along with the activities of a Labour party administration in which I can place no trust."

Continue reading the main story

Brian Wheeler Political reporter, BBC News

---

Ed Miliband has fought hard to shake-off the "Red Ed" tag - the idea that he is a puppet of the trade unions. And until recently it looked like he was succeeding.

The row over candidate selection in Falkirk is in danger of undoing all of that, to David Cameron's evident delight.

But it also a battle for the soul of the Labour Party.

Unite is determined to end the domination of what it sees as an out-of-touch, Oxbridge-educated elite on the Labour benches.

It wants to return the Labour Party to its working class roots, by getting its activists selected in winnable seats.

How Mr Miliband defuses the row with Unite's Len McCluskey - and it is far from clear at this stage how that can be achieved - will decide a lot more than who stands for Labour in Falkirk in 2015.

Mr Watson, who resigned on Thursday from his shadow cabinet role as election co-ordinator, told BBC Radio WM that he had been thinking about it for a few months but the "fuss" about the Falkirk selection had persuaded him it was time to move on.

He repeated his belief that some within the party had never forgiven him for resigning as a junior defence minister in 2006 and calling for Tony Blair to step down as prime minister.

"I kept reading in papers that there were unattributed briefings from the shadow cabinet... There was clearly a problem with some of my colleagues around the shadow cabinet table and obviously I do accept that.

"It was a big thing I did in 2006. But what I don't want to do is make that a problem... So, no hard feelings, I'm off."

He said he did not know what had happened in Falkirk but "clearly something had gone wrong" that had to be sorted out.

However he added: "I think David Cameron's portrayal of the situation, that everyone is in hock to Len McCluskey, is just not true."

But David Cameron said it was now "quite clear the trade unions have far too much control over Labour".

"This has happened on Ed Miliband's watch. It is something of a scandal that is unfolding and he badly needs to grip it," he said.

Falkirk selection row: Who's who?

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Vatican to make John Paul II a saint

5 July 2013 Last updated at 08:08 ET

The Vatican says Pope John Paul II is to become a saint.

Pope Francis has authorised a second miracle attributed to the late pontiff, clearing the way for his canonisation, which is expected later this year.

The Polish-born pontiff led the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005.

Pope Francis also approved the sainthood of Pope John XXIII (1958-1963), though no second miracle has been attributed to his intercession.

A precise date for the canonisations will be set by a meeting of cardinals, the Vatican said.

John Paul II has been on a fast-track to sainthood since his death. Just six years later he was beatified by his successor Pope Benedict XVI.

Canonisation, the final step in declaring a deceased person a saint, requires the attribution of one further miracle to the intercession of the candidate after they have been beatified.

An "inexplicable recovery" on the very day of John Paul II's beatification has been assessed as a miracle by the Vatican's saint-making department, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and Pope Francis has now approved that decision.

John Paul II streamlined the path to sainthood, and himself created more saints than all previous popes combined.

'The Good Pope'

Pope John XXIII reigned from 1958 until 1963 and was known as "Good Pope John" because of his kindly demeanour.

The Italian convened the Second Vatican Council but died before it was completed.

He was beatified by John Paul II in 2000.

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Herbal stimulant khat to be banned

3 July 2013 Last updated at 07:19 ET

The herbal stimulant drug khat is to be banned, the BBC understands.

The decision goes against the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the government's official advisory body.

In January the ACMD said khat should remain a legal substance, saying there was "insufficient evidence" it caused health problems.

But Home Secretary Theresa May has decided to ban it, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.

An official statement is expected shortly.

'Mild stimulant'

Mrs May's decision is thought to be based on wider security and international considerations, in particular the use of the UK as a transit route for khat to other European countries, our correspondent said.

Khat is traditionally used by members of the Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities.

It is already illegal in most European countries, as well as the US and Canada.

The Home Office commissioned a review by the ACMD and, reporting its results in January, it said chewing khat produced a "mild stimulant effect much less potent than stimulant drugs, such as amphetamine".

The ACMD found "no evidence" khat, made from leaves and shoots of a shrub cultivated in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and contains the stimulant cathinone, was directly linked with serious or organised crime.

Somali groups in the UK had told the ACMD that use of khat was a "significant social problem" and said it caused medical issues and family breakdowns.

The ACMD said withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness and depression were associated with khat, and recommended that the NHS should educate the public about these where necessary.

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Bolivia anger over jet 'aggression'

3 July 2013 Last updated at 07:40 ET

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Footage shows the Bolivian President Evo Morales waiting inside Vienna airport, as Steve Rosenberg reports

Bolivia has accused European countries of an "act of aggression" for refusing to allow its presidential jet into their airspace, amid suggestions US fugitive Edward Snowden was on board.

Bolivia said France, Portugal, Spain and Italy had blocked the plane from flying over their territory.

President Evo Morales was flying back to Bolivia from Moscow when the plane was diverted to Vienna.

The jet was reportedly searched for Mr Snowden, wanted for leaking US secrets.

He was apparently not on board and is still believed to be in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, from where he is seeking asylum in Bolivia and several other countries.

Bolivia's UN envoy Sacha Llorenti told reporters in Geneva that he would complain to the UN about the European countries' actions.

"The decisions of these countries violated international law. We are already making procedures to denounce this to the UN secretary general," he said.

But France denied refusing the plane permission, and Spain subsequently said its airspace was open to the jet.

And a further row broke out about whether the plane had been searched.

'Offence against Latin America'

Austrian officials said the airport authorities had searched the plane, but Mr Llorenti and other Bolivian officials denied there was any search.

The plane took off from Vienna on Wednesday morning.

Mr Morales said presidents should have the right to travel anywhere in the world.

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• Rejected: India, Poland, Brazil
• Considering: Bolivia, Germany, Italy
• Has to be in the country for request to be considered: Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland, Ecuador
• Unconfirmed: China, France, Venezuela
• Withdrawn: Russia
• Pending: Nicaragua, Cuba

"It's not an offence against the president, it is an offence against the country, against the whole of the Latin American region," he said before taking off.

Mr Snowden is wanted by the US on charges of leaking secrets he gathered while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA), America's electronic spying agency.

The leaking of thousands of classified intelligence documents prompted revelations that the US has been systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data.

National Intelligence Director James Clapper apologised on Tuesday for telling Congress in March that the NSA did not have a policy of gathering data on millions of Americans.

He said in a letter to the Senate intelligence committee that his answer had been "clearly erroneous".

China, Russia and several European countries have expressed anger with the US over the apparent scale of its surveillance programme.

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Nicole Farhi enters administration

3 July 2013 Last updated at 08:01 ET

The upmarket fashion retailer Nicole Farhi has gone into administration.

The retailer was founded in 1982 by the French Connection boss Stephen Marks and Nicole Farhi herself, who was his partner at the time.

Nicole Farhi has four standalone stores in London and also sells its clothing in department stores Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser and Selfridges across the UK.

The company has had two different owners in the past three years.

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Army reservists to get new benefits

3 July 2013 Last updated at 08:04 ET

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Simon Bowers says one of his employees "spends a lot of weekends sleeping in the back of trucks"

Army reservists are to get military pensions and healthcare benefits as part of a bid to increase numbers, the defence secretary has announced.

Philip Hammond said they would also get increased remuneration in a move to drive up reserve numbers from around 20,000 to 30,000 by 2018.

The government will spend £1.8bn over 10 years to transform the reserves, and as part of a wider shake-up.

Critics have said it is an attempt to create "an army on the cheap".

The white paper proposals come nearly three years after the coalition said it would be reducing regular army numbers from 102,000 to 80,000.

Mr Hammond told the Commons that the changes were "key" to ensuring Britain has the military capability it needs in the coming years.

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The MoD and the Army have both invested much time and energy working out how to make the best of a difficult financial situation.

The plans are ambitious and will require a change, not just in the structure of the Army, but also in the UK's attitudes to its reservists - not least the attitude of local communities and employers, whose support in this will be vital.

The government will offer financial incentives to smaller businesses, to encourage them to allow staff to join up. But the recession means that some may remain reluctant to employ staff who will need to spend more time in training and could be mobilised for at least one year in every five.

The changes could be seen as an opportunity to modernize and renew the Army for the 21st Century or as a recipe for uncertainty and demoralisation for regulars.

The proposals will also aim to offer employers greater predictability over the call-out of reservists and set out the level of financial incentives for small firms that employ them.

And reserve units will be paired with regular units from 2015, with more joint training.

A Ministry of Defence source described the plans as "a radical overhaul".

'See danger'

In April, Tory MP Col Bob Stewart said the government was "trying to get as inexpensive an army as possible... an army on the cheap".

And speaking shortly before Mr Hammond's statement, he said the commitment businesses have to make to reservists could make it unworkable for small firms.

He said: "If you're a large organisation like British Aerospace or the Ministry of Defence itself or the civil service, it it might not be as big a problem but it's a much bigger problem when you go down in scale, so you go to a company of say 10, 15 people...

"It's my job as a member of parliament to even criticise sometimes my own government when I think there's a danger. I do see a danger."

The latest plans come as a result of the almost 8% cut to the MoD budget announced in 2010.

The MoD aims to reach its target of 82,000 regular soldiers by 2017, while the number of reservists is to increase from 15,000, in 2010, to 30,000 in 2018.

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Egyptian army holds crisis talks

3 July 2013 Last updated at 08:06 ET

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In a late-night appeal for calm, Mr Morsi said he would give his life for Egypt

Egypt's army commanders are holding crisis talks in Cairo as the deadline they set for President Mohammed Morsi to respond to deadly unrest approaches.

Mr Morsi has rejected the ultimatum that he should "meet the demands of the people" or face military intervention.

He says he is Egypt's legitimate leader and will not be forced to resign.

Clashes broke out at rival protests across the country overnight, with at least 16 pro-Morsi protesters killed at a demonstration at Cairo University.

His opponents say he and the Muslim Brotherhood party from which he comes are pushing an Islamist agenda onto Egypt, and that he should stand down.

The Brotherhood have said the army's action amounts to a coup.

In a defiant televised speech on Tuesday evening, Mr Morsi said he would give his life to defend constitutional legitimacy, and blamed the unrest on corruption and remnants of the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Mr Morsi's defiant speech shows that just like his predecessor, he has not been open to American cajoling"

End Quote

'Terrorists and fools'

The army has given a deadline of about 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT) on Wednesday for the crisis to be dealt with, after which it has said it will issue a statement on its next move.

In a statement on Tuesday it swore to "sacrifice even our blood for Egypt and its people, to defend them against any terrorist, radical or fool".

The army's plan reportedly includes an outline for new presidential elections, the suspension of the new constitution and the dissolution of parliament.

However one military source told Reuters news agency that the deadline would mark only the beginning of talks.

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

Some are busily going about their normal day today, others will be protesting again - but many will be holding their breath.

Some of the headlines in the morning papers reflect the overwhelming mood here, with bold lines like "The collapse of the Brotherhood" and "The return of Egypt in a few hours". Others wonder what will happen next: "Army Deadline Ticking Down as Hopes Dim for Way Out" says the Egyptian Gazette.

President Morsi, the wider Muslim Brotherhood and their supporters are up against two formidable opponents - the wider public still taking to the streets in large numbers and the army.

The military's deadline is fast approaching. How the army handles this is key to how it will all play out as both sides dig in their heels with no signs of a compromise on the horizon.

On Wednesday, a defence ministry official said army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was meeting his top commanders as the deadline approached.

A source close to the military told AFP news agency they were discussing details of a post-Morsi roadmap.

Also at the meeting were leading religious figures and opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei. An opposition source told Reuters Mr ElBaradei would "urge the armed forces to intervene to stop the bloodshed".

But a spokesman for Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party said the army had no right to offer such a plan.

"A roadmap is something that the constitution outlines and the president directs. It's not the role of the military," said Gehad el-Haddad.

He said the Brotherhood was open to any solution, but that it had to be through "representatives of the people", and proposed speeding through parliamentary elections.

"If the protests on the street prove anything they prove the people of Egypt are ready to have their say. They can sweep the parliamentary election, impeach the president, change the constitution and set the roadmap that they want, but it has to be the right of the people."

Military sources earlier told the BBC the president's position was becoming "weaker" with every passing minute and suggested that, under the draft plan, he could be replaced by a council of cross-party civilians and technocrats ahead of new elections.

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Egypt in 90 seconds: How did we get here?

The president was put under further pressure by the resignation of six ministers from his government on Monday, including Foreign Minister Kamel Amr.

Mr Morsi became Egypt's first Islamist president on 30 June 2012, after winning an election considered free and fair following the 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak.

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Tamarod (Rebel)

The Tamarod movement says more than 22 million people have signed a petition complaining that:

• Security has not been restored since the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak
• The poor "have no place" in society
• The government has had to "beg" the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $4.8bn (£3.17bn) loan to help shore up the public finances
• There has been "no justice" for people killed by security forces during the uprising and at anti-government protests since then
• "No dignity is left" for Egyptians or their country
• The economy has "collapsed", with growth poor and inflation high
• Egypt is "following in the footsteps" of the US

But dissent has been growing, with protesters angry at the lack of development in post-revolution Egypt and accusing the Brotherhood of trying to protect its own interests.

"This is a president threatening his own people. We don't consider him the president of Egypt," said Mohammed Abdelaziz, a leader of the Tamarod (Rebel) campaign, a rapidly growing anti-Morsi opposition movement.

However, Mr Morsi and the Brotherhood still have significant public support, and both sides have drawn huge numbers to rallies in recent days.

Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square in central Cairo on Tuesday afternoon to demand Mr Morsi step down. There were outbreaks of violence in several parts of the capital, with casualties reported at hospitals in the north, south and centre of Cairo.

In the largest bout of unrest, at least 16 people were killed and about 200 wounded at Cairo University in Giza. Eyewitness Mostafa Abdelnasser told AFP that Morsi supporters had come under attack from unidentified men carrying firearms.

Clashes were also reported in Alexandria, Egypt's second city, on Tuesday.

Crowds began gathering in Tahrir Square again on Wednesday morning, with numbers expected to rise throughout the day.

On Monday, eight people died as activists stormed and ransacked the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

In the wake of the latest unrest, the UK Foreign Office has changed its travel advice for Egypt, recommending against all but essential travel to the country except for resorts on the Red Sea in South Sinai and in the Red Sea governorate.

The instability has also hit global oil prices, sending US light crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since September last year, amid concerns supply routes through the Suez Canal could be affected.

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