|  |  |  | | | | | The Guardian World News | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reports suggest as many as 2,000 workers involved in fight in the dormitory at Taiyuan plant, which makes Apple's iPhone 5 A brawl involving as many as 2,000 workers forced Foxconn to close its Taiyuan plant in northern China late on Sunday, and left a number of people needing hospital treatment. "The fight is over now ... we're still investigating the cause of the fight and the number of workers involved," said Foxconn spokesman Louis Woo, adding that it was possible it involved "a couple of thousand workers". A police statement reported by the official Xinhua news agency said 5,000 officers were dispatched to the scene. Violence was brought under control after about four hours and 40 people were taken to hospitals for treatment, the Taiwanese-owned company said. It said several people were detained by police. The violence did not appear to be work-related, the company and police said. Comments posted on Chinese internet bulletin boards said it might have erupted after a security guard hit an employee. The Taiyuan plant, which employs about 79,000 workers, makes parts for automotive electronics and assembles various electronic devices, according to Woo. Other staff sources said that it makes parts for and assembles Apple's new iPhone 5, released only last week. Woo said the fight happened in the workers' dormitory facilities. Photographs of the incident that were posted to social networks but later deleted showed smashed windows and riot police, and crowds of workers. Geoffrey Crothall, spokesman for the pressure group China Labor Bulletin, told the New York Times that workers at the plants had become increasingly emboldened. "They're more willing to stand up for their rights, to stand up to injustice," he said. The same plant was the subject of a brief strike over pay in March. Foxconn, the trading name of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Company, is the world's largest contract maker of electronic goods. It has seen a few violent disputes at its sprawling plants in China, where it employs a total of about 1 million workers. It is an important supplier for companies including Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. By late Monday morning, Hon Hai shares were down 1.14%, lagging the broader market's decline of 0.28%. In June, about 100 workers went on a rampage at a Chengdu plant in southwestern China. The company has faced allegations of poor conditions and mistreatment of workers at its China operations, and has been spending heavily in recent months to improve the work environment and to raise wages. A staff member at the Taiyuan plant said he was told the plant could be closed up to two to three days for police investigations. "There are a lot of police at the site now," the staff member told Reuters by telephone, who asked not to be named.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Psychological thriller Homeland takes out best drama and Modern Family wins best comedy for the third year in a row
• Emmy Awards 2012 - as it happened Homeland ended the four-year run of Mad Men to win the top drama prize as the Emmy awards favoured politics and 21st century tensions over shows set in bygone eras on Sunday. Modern Family, ABC's show about the chaotic lives of three related couples and their children, won best comedy series for a third year and supporting actor Emmys for Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen, as well as a directing award. "I am praying that everyone doesn't get sick of us," joked executive producer Steve Levitan. Backstage, Stonestreet joked, "We know that eventually it will not be this way and you will hate us all." Homeland, a post 9/11 psychological thriller about a returning Iraq war hero turned by al-Qaida, won best drama after one season on cable channel Showtime. It also took home trophies for best writing and best acting for its two leads, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, for a total of six including technical awards. Homeland, said to be one of president Barack Obama's favourite TV programs, brought to an end the reign of AMC's stylish 1960s advertising show Mad Men, which left the Emmy's ceremony empty-handed. It was the biggest shutout in Emmy history for Mad Men which had gone into the awards as joint top nominee with 17 nominations. Homeland also beat popular Downton Abbey, about aristocrats and their servants in an English country house, and HBO's medieval fantasy series
Game of Thrones, in what was the first year that all the nominated best drama series came from cable television. Danes, who plays a bipolar CIA operative in a cat-and-mouse game with Lewis's sleeper agent, said she believed Homeland had succeeded with viewers and critics because it was neither preachy nor overtly political. "We are a little startled. I don't think anyone was expecting to be recognised this way starting off," Danes told reporters backstage.
(The show) "doesn't take a very biased position (but) it does speak to our feelings of anxiety and unrest right now, in the sense that we're in a new era where the enemy is not so clear." Danes said it was "way cool" that Obama is a fan. "I think it speaks to the relevancy of the show, and it's hugely validating," she added. Homeland returns for a second season on 30 September, with an opening episode set against the fictional bombing by Israel of Iranian nuclear facilities and the global tensions that ensue. American politics did figure strongly in other Emmy races. Game Change, the HBO story of Sarah Palin's entry into the 2008 US vice presidential race, was also a big winner, taking the Emmy for best miniseries, writing, directing and acting for star Julianne Moore. "Wow, I feel so validated because Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down!" Moore said while accepting her first Emmy. Backstage Moore thanked actress and Palin impersonator Tina Fey, and journalist Katie Couric for what she called their "incredible influence" on the 2008 elections. Couric interviewed Palin in 2008 in what became a cultural and political landmark after the encounter was spoofed by Fey on Saturday Night Live. In what was seen as a tight race for lead comedy actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus beat Girls star Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, New Girl Zooey Deschanel and
Tina Fey with her turn as a frustrated US vice president in the wickedly satirical HBO political show Veep. "It's a bit mystifying to me because people say this show is a comedy, but I don't see anything funny about me being vice president of the United States," the former Seinfeld star quipped. With the presidential elections less than two months away, Emmy show host Jimmy Kimmel got the festivities off to a biting and topical start in an opening monologue. Kimmel joked that US television was "the only American product the Chinese haven't figured out how to make." As for the sprawling grandeur of Downton Abbey, which is set in an aristocratic country house at the beginning of the 20th century, Kimmel quipped, "It really gives you a sense of what it must have been like to grow up in (US Republican presidential candidate) Mitt Romney's house." Two and A Half Men's Jon Cryer was the surprise winner in the comedy actor category, beating fellow CBS nominee and double Emmy winner Jim Parsons of geeky show The Big Bang Theory. Stand-up comedian Louis C.K. went home with his first two Emmys - one for writing for his FX show Louie, in which he also stars as a divorced dad, and another for directing his own TV stand-up special. Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner won an Emmy in his first role for television. Costner starred in the popular History channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, about a legendary feud between two 19th century families, while Tom Berenger took a supporting actor Emmy for his role in the show. "I'm a writer-orientated actor and when I find the writing, I don't care what medium it sits," Costner told reporters of his move to television.
The Amazing Race won for the best reality series Emmy for the ninth time, while Tom Bergeron won best reality host for Dancing with the Stars.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Candidates give separate interviews on 60 Minutes, in the first indication of how they may fare in presidental debates Barack Obama has defended his handling of the Middle East against criticism from Mitt Romney, saying pointedly that if the Republican presidential candidate wanted to start another war in the region, he should just come out and say it. Romney accused the president of failing to adopt a more aggressive stance towards ousting Bashar al-Assad from Syria, and claimed Obama's weak leadership elsewhere in the region had opened the way for the riots that led to the death of US ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya and three other Americans. Romney also attacked Obama for failing to offer enough support to Israel, particularly in relation to Iran. But Obama brushed aside the criticism. "If Governor Romney is suggesting that we should start another war, he should say so," Obama said. The clash over foreign policy came in separate interviews with Obama and Romney by the CBS 60 Minutes show, broadcast on Sunday night. The exchanges gave the first indication of lines the pair may adopt in the presidential debates, the first of which is in Denver on 3 October. The Middle East is growing as a campaign issue, with many voters angry over the attacks on the US embassies. Romney is attempting to undercut Obama in an area, foreign policy, in which polls have consistently shown the president enjoys a considerable advantage. There is little public appetite for US involvement in another war after the one in Libya, in which France and Britain were portrayed as taking a lead, though backed by US logistical support. Obama has been careful to avoid the US being drawn into Syria and has refused to agree to Israeli demands that it set "red lines" on Iran's nuclear programme, which if crossed would trigger military strikes. In his interview, Romney criticised Obama for his failure to meet Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu either in New York this week when both will be at the United Nations or in Washington. He said this sent a message that the US was distancing itself from its friends. "I think we also have to communicate that Israel is our ally. Our close ally. The president's decision not to meet with Bibi Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, when the prime minister is here for the United Nations session I think is a mistake and sends a message throughout the Middle East that somehow we distance ourselves from our friends and I think the exact opposite approach is what's necessary," Romney said. Obama said he would not be pressured into making decisions. "When it comes to our national security decisions, any pressure that I feel is simply to do what's right for the American people. And I am going to block out any noise that's out there," he said. But, he stressed that he felt an "obligation, to make sure that we're in close consultation with the Israelis on these issues. Because it affects them deeply." Both men were asked about their biggest vulnerabilities. Obama said his was the failure to change the tone in Washington, a key promise from his 2008 campaign. He said: "I'm the first one to confess that – the spirit that I brought to Washington, that I wanted to see instituted, where we weren't constantly in a political slugfest but were focused more on problem solving that … I haven't fully accomplished that. "Haven't even come close in some cases. And … if you ask me, what's my biggest disappointment is that we haven't changed the tone in Washington as much as I would have liked." The admission echoes a similar remark he made less than a week ago in an interview with Hispanic television network Univision when he said he had been unable to change Washington from the inside as he said the lack of immigration reform had been his biggest failure. The remark was pounced upon by Romney and the Republican campaign. In his 60 Minutes interview, Romney was pressed on his tax reform plans but, as in past months, refused to go into detail. He said he would lower all income tax by 20% and would end many tax loopholes. "The devil's in the details. The angel is in the policy, which is creating more jobs," Romney said. Because the tax cuts were being combined with an end to exemptions and deductions, most Americans would see little change in their tax payments. Working-class people would probably see as "little break". Romney, who released some of his of personal tax details on Friday, defended the fact that he paid less than 15% in tax because on investment income. "I think it's the right way to encourage economic growth — to get people to invest, to start businesses, to put people to work," he said. Obama criticised Romney for having pursuing the same kind of tax policies as George W. Bush: tax cuts for the wealthy and rolling back regulations of the financial sector. "Well, we tried that vigorously, between 2001 and 2008 and it didn't work out so well," Obama said. Romney also brushed aside the suggestion that his campaign was in difficulty. His team has been repeatedly forced on the defensive, unable to gets its message out. Last week was dominated by reports of internal strife and a devastating secret video of a Romney speech dismissive of 47% of Americans as freeloaders. But asked how he planned to turn things around, Romney said: "Well, it doesn't need a turnaround." He added: "I've got a very effective campaign. It's doing a very good job."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Wang Lijun was found guilty of covering up the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood by Bo Xilal's wife Gu Kailai China has spared the high-flying police chief whose flight to a US consulate led to the toppling of leader Bo Xilai, with a court in Chengdu handing him a relatively lenient 15 year jail sentence on Monday. Wang Lijun, 52, had previously been Bo's right hand man in Chongqing, winning plaudits for the pair's populist anti-gang crackdown and earning a promotion to vice mayor. State news agency Xinhua said the Chengdu intermediate people's court found him guilty of defection, accepting bribes of at least 3 million yuan, abuse of power and bending the law to selfish ends by covering up the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood by Bo's wife Gu Kailai. Gu was last month handed a suspended death sentence for the crime, while an aide who helped her was jailed for nine years. "[Fifteen years] was in the realm of expectations but I would say on the low end of what most people were expecting," said Joshua Rosenzweig, an expert on the Chinese criminal justice system. The crimes for which Wang was convicted carry penalties ranging from several years in prison to the death sentence. Wang stood trial in hearings over two days in the southwestern city last week. The first day was held secretly because it touched on state secrets, according to his lawyer. The second was watched by a carefully vetted audience of a few dozen people. An official statement on his trial, issued by the court, had already hinted heavily that he would be treated leniently - with prosecutors citing factors such as his confession and the fact that he had given information on other people to investigators. A subsequent report from state news agency Xinhua formally linked Bo to the case for the first time - raising the chances of him too facing trial. Although it mentioned him only by position, rather than name, it described him scolding and hitting Wang after he alleged that Gu had murdered Heywood. The court had heard that Wang fled to the US consulate in Chengdu several days later, after he had been removed from police duties and three staff members had been illegally detained. There, he repeated his allegations to US diplomats - leading to British demands for a reinvestigation of Heywood's death last November. It had initially been ascribed to excessive alcohol consumption.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Will it be Breaking Bad or Downton Abbey, or will the real drama be elsewhere? Watch live with us starting at 7 pm ET
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Wisconsin governor Scott Walker joins GOP voices calling for candidate to kickstart campaign after a devastating week Mitt Romney denied his campaign needed a "turnaround" as he embarked on an intensive tour of the swing states aimed at kickstarting his presidential bid, starting in Colorado. In an interview to be broadcast on Sunday at the end of his worst week so far, Romney rejected criticism of his handling of the campaign. His team has been repeatedly forced on the defensive, unable to gets its message out. Last week was dominated by reports of internal strife and a devastating secret video of a Romney speech dismissive of 47% of Americans as freeloaders. Asked how he planned to turn things around, Romney told CBS 60 Minutes: "Well, it doesn't need a turnaround." He added: "I've got a very effective campaign. It's doing a very good job." It is surprising that Romney opted for denial in the face of widespread criticism last week, in particular from Republicans. The influential conservative commentator, Peggy Noonan, in her Wall Street Journal column, called for a change at the top of his team, describing the campaign as "a rolling calamity". The Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, joined in the chorus of Republicans critical of the campaign. In an interview on Fox News, he called for more passion from the Romney. "I want to see fire in the belly," Walker said. Romney, referring to his 47% remark, reheated the defence he mounted last week: that his choice of words had been clumsy rather than that his central message had been askew. "Not everything I say is elegant," he told 60 Minutes. The Republican presidential candidate, trailing Barack Obama by 3% in the national polls according to the RealClearPolitics average, is hoping he will finally achieve a clear week in which to get across his message blaming Obama for the slow economic recovery. He will follow up the trip to Colorado with a three-day bus trip of Ohio, one of the major swing states, and Virginia, another swing state. On Tuesday, both Romney and Obama will make a rare appearance at the same event, both making speeches at the Clinton Foundation conference in New York. The campaign stops come after two weeks in which Romney has spent less time on the road than is usual for a candidate at this stage, preferring to devote himself to preparations for the first of three presidential debates, in Denver on October 3. In contrast with Romney, the Republican national committee chairman, Reince Priebus, interviewed on ABC, reluctantly acknowledged that last week had been a setback, in particular the 47% remark. "It probably wasn't the best-said, you know, moment in the campaign and probably not the best week in the campaign," Priebus said. But he insisted it had not been all bad and that overall it had been a good week in some ways. The 47% remark had helped crystalise the difference between the two parties over what kind of America they wanted, he said, echoing the defence offered by the Romney campaign in the middle of last week. In spite of all evidence to the contrary, he claimed that the Romney campaign is delivering on its promise made early last week that it would retool its campaign and start talking more about policy specifics in a Romney administration and less criticising Obama. He said the Romney campaign had "specifics coming out of its eyeballs". One of Obama's senior advisers, David Axelrod, appearing on the same show as Priebus, took issue with his suggestion that overall it had been a good week and that it was delivering on specifics. "Well, I don't know what prism he's looking through. I don't think anybody else would define it as a good week. But it was an enlightening week," Axelrod said. On Fox News, Robert Gibbs, the former White House spokesman who has been drafted back onto the campaign trail, talked up Romney's chances in the debate, saying he had had more recent experience in the Republican primaries and caucuses in debating with his rivals. "I think he starts with an advantage," Gibbs said. The Obama campaign is deliberately building up Romney as the favourite going into the debate, adding to pressure on him and making it easier to talk up Obama after the event if it ends up in a draw.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Commitment to Pentagon relationship comes as Liam Fox backs controversial deal with EADS Attempts by BAE Systems and EADS to win approval for their £28bn merger will include ringfencing the US defence arm, it has emerged , as the former defence secretary Liam Fox backs the controversial deal. To preserve BAE's privileged relationship with the Pentagon, just one British director – BAE's chief executive, Ian King – and no French or German executives will be on the US board in order to maintain secrecy over defence contracts. BAE says its planned tie-up with Airbus owner EADS will form a "world-class" firm, with sales of £60bn and about 220,000 staff. The two firms have until 10 October to finalise terms, but with the support of three European governments and the US defence department required, it is likely there will be an extension to the deadline. Fox said he believed BAE could be "disadvantaged in the global marketplace" without a merger deal. In the Sunday Telegraph, he wrote: "For the UK to retain a national defence industry BAE must diversify and expand into new markets." He said his "instinctive preference" was for a US partner for BAE and warned that the biggest risk to the EADS deal was undue political influence from France and Germany. On Saturday, France and Germany pledged to consult on plans by the two companies, which would employ 48,000 in Britain. "We didn't make any decisions … it wasn't expected that we would, but Germany and France will stay in close contact on this issue," said German chancellor Angela Merkel after talks with French president François Hollande. "We agreed that we will investigate the necessary issues intensively with the necessary care, and in agreement with the companies involved," she added. Fox made clear that there needed to be mechanisms in place to avoid interference from foreign governments. "Without clear mechanisms to preclude foreign interference, the British government should not support the proposals," he wrote. France and Germany are also concerned about the deal, Hollande said: "You can imagine them ... It's about employment, industrial strategy, defence activities, the interests of our respective nations."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Four still missing after snow tears down side of Nepal's Mount Manaslu and destroys tented camp At least nine climbers have been killed and another four are missing after one of the deadliest avalanches in recent years tore down a Himalayan peak obliterating everything in its path. One tented camp nearly 7,000 metres above sea level was levelled and a second, 500 metres further down, was damaged. The identity of the casualties on Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163m, remains unclear, but they are thought to include up to four Frenchmen, a Nepalese guide, a German, a Spaniard, and an Italian. Basant Mishra, a police official, told Reuters that the bodies of a German climber and a Nepalese guide had been recovered from slopes of the mountain, which lies about 60 miles (100km) north-west of Kathmandu. "Rescue pilots have spotted seven other bodies," he said. Helicopters were dispatched to the remote area to look for those missing after the early morning accident, but cloud and fog complicated the rescue efforts, Mishra said. According to Le Parisien newspaper, a source at the French ministry of foreign affairs said, "There were several groups ascending, among them two French groups." Four French climbers are believed to have died, but the ministry has refused to make any confirmations. The Dauphiné Libéré newspaper named three of the missing and presumed dead as Rémy Lécluse and Gregory Costa, who had intended to descend the mountain on skis, and Ludovic Challéac, a guide from the French ski resort of Chamonix. Two French climbers have been flown by helicopter to Kathmandu for treatment. Organisers of one US expedition said they had received a call from their lead guide on Manaslu saying there had been a large avalanche on the upper mountain in the Camp Three area. Their expedition's team was lower down on the mountain but had moved up to help with the rescue, Gordon Janow of Alpine Ascents said. "[The] weather was good. [It] was a large serac [ice cliff] that fell," he told the Guardian. Glen Plake, a celebrity in the world of extreme sports known for his mohican and boundary-pushing skiing, narrowly escaped the avalanche, according to French website EpicTv. Plake, 48, said he was in his tent reading his Bible when he heard a roar. Within moments, the tent had been carried hundreds of metres down the mountain's slopes. "It's a war zone up here," Plake told the site. Hundreds of foreign climbers flock every year to Himalayan peaks in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. September marks the beginning of the autumn, post-monsoon climbing season, which runs through November. Manaslu was particularly popular this year after Chinese authorities restricted access to Cho Oyu, another 8,000m peak. The deaths will undoubtedly provoke further argument about whether big Himalayan mountains favoured by large, fee-paying or sponsored expeditions are becoming too crowded and too commercialised. Several climbers high on the mountain were aiming to be the first-ever to ascent Manaslu without oxygen and ski down. Two teams with around 20 climbers appear to have been waiting at Camp Three for the weather to clear when the avalanche struck. Massive snow falls have made conditions treacherous on and around Manaslu recently. Several climbers had expressed concerns over the avalanche risk before heading up the mountain last week. One Nepalese official said the popularity of Manaslu, first climbed in 1956, was not a problem. "Yes, base camp might have been a bit crowded but the route higher up was not. This is a natural disaster. Not man-made in any way," he said. Authorities in poverty-stricken Nepal are sensitive to charges that too many permits for climbing mountains are sold to foreign expeditions. However, the permits generate much needed hard currency. Dawa Steven Sherpa, a well-known Nepalese mountaineer, said the avalanche might have been caused by heavy snowfall last week. "The incident might have taken place as snow hadn't yet settled properly," he said. Ang Tsering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association who has climbed Manaslu several times, said the mountain was regarded as one of the easiest of the 14 peaks that top 8,000m but the accident was not linked to the number of climbers. "Such avalanche takes place normally if it's too hot or if there is heavy snow fall. Climate change, of course, had some effect but avalanches are uncertain and there is no any exact reason for any one avalanche." A history of recent Himalayan avalanches5 May 2012 At least 13 people died in Nepal when a slide of snow and ice from Mount Annapurna caused a river to burst its banks and flood the surrounding area, including the town of Pokhara. The Regional Meteorological Office said the flood was caused by a disruption in the "snow blanket in the mountains". 30 September 2011 A leading Russian climber, who had scaled many of the world's highest peaks, died in an avalanche on a "simple snow slope" in the Himalayas. Sergei Cherezov was attempting to climb the 7,059-metre-high Tulagi peak with several others. 4 June 2011 Japanese climber Masue Yoshida, 63, and Kumar Rai, her Nepalese guide, were killed in an avalanche while trying to climb the 5,844-metre-high Naya Kanga peak in north-central Nepal.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Keepers at Washington's National Zoo discovered the body after hearing sounds of distress from the cub's mother Mei Xiang
The giant panda cub born a week ago at the National Zoo in Washington has died, zoo officials have said. The cub was found dead on Sunday morning after panda keepers heard sounds of distress from its mother, Mei Xiang. Staff members were able to retrieve the cub about an hour later. The cub appeared to be in good condition and there were no outward signs of trauma or infection. The cub had been a surprise at the zoo. Fourteen-year-old Mei Xiang had five failed pregnancies before giving birth and only one panda cub had survived at the zoo. Panda cubs are delicate infants and some have died in the past when they were accidentally crushed by their mothers. The zoo's first panda couple, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, arrived from China in 1972 and had five cubs during the 1980s, but none lived more than a few days. One of the cubs was stillborn, two others died of pneumonia within a day, another died from lack of oxygen after birth, and the final cub died of an infection after four days. Panda experts have said the first weeks of life are critical for the panda cubs as mothers have to make sure they stay warm and get enough to eat. The cub, which was born on 16 September, had not yet been named, in accordance with the Chinese tradition which stipulates it should receive a name 100 days after its birth. It was Mei Xiang's second cub with male panda Tian Tian, born as the result of artificial insemination. The chances of a cub being conceived after five consecutive pseudopregnancies since 2007 was estimated to be less than 10%, the zoo said. Mei Xiang gave birth to her first cub, Tai Shan, in July 2005. Tai Shan was born as a result of artificial insemination and is now at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Wolong, China. Fourteen-year-old Mei Xiang and 15-year-old Tian Tian are at the National Zoo as part of the giant panda co-operative research and breeding agreement signed in 2011.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Swing state may only have six electoral college votes, but both campaigns are fighting for them – with very different strategies Rick Wilkey knocked on the door in the affluent neighbourhood of West Des Moines, Iowa. Four years ago, when the Barack Obama campaign volunteer talked to voters about the candidate's hope-and-change message, he was greeted with yelps of excitement. This time, it's very different. The man who opened the door looked disdainfully at Wilkey and his bright-red "Fired Up" Obama shirt, a souvenir from the 2008 campaign. Wilkey got only slightly into his introduction – "I am from the Obama campaign … " – before he was cut off. "I want you to leave my property immediately. I hate that son-of-a-bitch," the man said, before closing the door. It is hard work being a volunteer in the swing states where the Obama and Mitt Romney teams are grinding it out district by district, street by street. With six weeks still to go to the election, the focus is shifting is to the ground game: which side is going to prove better at getting its support out. And in Iowa, that is shaping up to be a more closely fought contest than expected. It is one of eight swing states that could help decide the election. The most recent poll, by Rasmussen, gives Obama a two-point lead, while one by NBC/WSJ last week had him up by eight. Both campaign teams on the ground describe it as tight. Obama and Romney are devoting serious amounts of time and resources to the state. The president has made eight trips this year, including a three-day bus tour, unusual for an incumbent. Romney, since the end of the Republican primaries and caucuses, has been here eight times. Last Monday, both vice-president Joe Biden and his Republican challenger Paul Ryan were campaigning in the state. All this is extraordinary in a state that can contribute just six electoral college votes as the candidates aim to get the 270 required for victory. But for Romney, who has failed to overturn Obama's national poll lead or to break through in any of the major battleground states, winning Iowa is crucial. For Obama, part of the reason is his emotional attachment to the state. It provided the launchpad for his White House bid, first with his surprise caucus victory over Hillary Clinton, in January 2008. In November that year, in the White House race, Iowa again delivered for him, giving him a huge 9% majority over Republican John McCain. And the grassroots strategy that delivered victory last time is what gives Obama the edge over Romney now. The Democrat won Iowa in 2008 with a game plan that established a network of offices across the state, a mixture of paid staff and volunteers that dwarfed the efforts of Clinton and later McCain. In addition, his team created a sophisticated data bank to identify supporters. The offices behaved like community centres, inviting various demographic groups to come in to discuss their problems. In 2012, the Obama campaign has 67 offices round the state, more than in 2008, and has an estimated 120 full-time, paid staff, as well as thousands of unpaid volunteers such as Rick Wilkey. Romney has only 13 offices and fewer staff: 25 full-time employees in its headquarters in Urbandale and at least one in each field office. Wilkey works out of Obama's West Des Moines campaign office, a rented space in shopping mall. Inside, amid the maps and coffee cups, is a portrait of Obama as Superman and a calendar listing the days remaining to the election. Wilkey, a 72-year-old former Des Moines city manager and businessman, is a precinct captain, as he was in 2008. He co-ordinates the weekly meeting with other volunteers to discuss canvassing and manning the phone-banks. He saw the inauguration of JFK in 1961 and was inspired, but that marked the end of his political involvement until he met Obama early in 2007. He is not among the disillusioned. "I still support Obama, even more strongly than I did, because the choices are more stark, because his opponents are Romney and Ryan," he said. Wilkey, who puts in between 10 and 15 hours a week, added: "I think the most important thing is getting the ground vote out. There are 2,000 precincts in Iowa. In 2000, Gore won by 4,000: that is an average of two votes per precinct. In 2004, Bush won by 10,000 votes: that is an average of five. These small margins show the importance of precinct level organisation." He spent three hours canvassing in and around 57th and 58th street, in West Des Moines. He said he had not found any "enthusiasm gap" among Democratic supporters He had a list of 46 homes where he hoped there would be potential Democratic voters. About two-thirds were not at home. Of the 14 homes where he received a response of some sort from the people inside, seven people said they will vote Obama, six Romney, four declared they were undecided and one would not say. One of the undecideds was Ron Myers, 68, who was working as a handyman after losing a senior job in publishing. He backed Obama last time but will not make up his mind until the final week. One of the issues for him is the size of the national debt, which tends to be one Republicans become more upset about than Democrats. Among the Obama supporters was Terri Lentz, 57, a speech language specialist, who thinks he deserves more time in office. "I do not think Obama has had enough time to make the changes he has to, to clear up the Bush mess," she said. Then she added: "I am hoping Obama wins but I do not think it is a slamdunk by any stretch." The Obama ground campaign has secured an early success. It already has 80,000 requests for early ballot papers, compared with only 11,000 for Romney, figures confirmed by independent state officials. The Romney team is dismissive, saying early voting is not part of its game plan. The Democrats are just registering for early voting people who would have voted anyway. The Republicans say they are more focused on reaching people who might not vote. The Republicans counter with figures of their own. In the 2008 election, the number of registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by more than 100,000. The figures produced this month, again independently confirmed, show the Republicans ahead, with 620,868 to the Democrats 602,636. The Republican strategy is very different from the Obama one. Instead of the slow build-up of support through a network of offices over many months, the aim is to blitz the ad market in the final weeks. Based on what they say is past experience, they expect Republicans to come out in bigger numbers on polling day. Although it has fewer offices than the Obama team, the Romney headquarters at its headquarters in Urbandale on the outskirts of Des Moines had a steady stream of volunteers passing through over the weekend. Shawn McCoy, Iowa communications director for the Republican campaign, argues that what could be decisive is disappointment with Obama. "This state should not be competitive. He won by 9.5% in 2008. This shows a lot of his voters have left him. It was easy to get caught up in the 'hope and change'." They have volunteers out knocking doors too, though not as many as the Obama campaign team. They concentrate on working the phones. In its headquarters, it names a volunteer as holding the record for most calls in a day, more than 600. McCoy envisages a scenario in which Romney wins all of the swing states in the east and when it is the turn of Iowa, which is on Central time, with polls closing an hour later, the state could be the one that tips him into the White House. "This was the state that launched him and now it is the state that will put Mitt Romney into the White House," McCoy said.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Egypt's first democratically elected and Islamist president takes first trip to US keen to redefine international relations The UN general assembly, which opens in New York this week, is notable for the cast of leaders it draws to the city. This year, it is Mohamed Morsi, who will be the most closely watched, as he embarks on his first visit to the US as president, at a delicate time in relations between America and the Islamic world. Morsi, who will meet David Cameron and French president François Hollande but not Barack Obama – has left the US leadership in no doubt that relations have entered a new era. America was angered by his dilatory response to the attack on the US embassy two weeks ago. On his official Facebook page the president said: "Egyptian foreign relations are now about a balance with other nations based on mutual respect and interests. We open doors and do not close others." An MP from Egypt's dissolved parliament for the Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice party, Mahmoud Helmy, told the Guardian, "The president's visit is primarily about Egypt's interests, and we trust Morsi to do that. He's trying to set foundations for mutual interests and improving relations to a level that was lost with the previous regime, which was more of a stooge." Elijah Zarwan, a Cairo-based fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said: "Morsi and Obama have compelling shared interests in keeping the Egyptian-US relationship strong, and have already moved to mend fences after last week's tensions, which I suspect will be a flash in the pan. US relations with Mubarak were sometimes prickly. Relations with Egypt's first democratically elected and Islamist president may also be, but for different reasons." Morsi is catering to public opinion in Egypt by making it clear that he is his own man when it comes to foreign relations. Choosing to visit Iran, the first visit by an Egyptian leader in 30 years, he then went on to publicly criticise the Syrian regime, in Tehran to the chagrin of its staunchest regional ally. And in the wake of the embassy attacks, he also had to contend with local uproar at the American film which triggered the anger. "The embassy events are not the first nor the last flash points that may happen, and they will not influence relations between two countries so markedly," Helmy said. "We announced that we don't accept the offense to the Prophet Mohammed and we also condemn the violence and attack on the embassy. Any foreigner in your country is your guest and you are responsible for his safety." And despite the events in Cairo having implications on the US presidential race, Morsi does travel to the US with a merit of goodwill, according to Bassel Adel, member of the secular liberal Free Egyptians party. "Morsi goes to the US with a card up his sleeve that the Brotherhood didn't participate in the embassy protest, for the first time in their history. Also events in Libya [where the US ambassador was killed after an attack on the consulate] overshadowed the events in Cairo." However, Adel alluded to a unique relationship that the Brotherhood has with the US administration, going back to the early days of the revolution that ousted Mubarak. "Egyptians not belonging to the Brotherhood feel there is a special relationship between the Brotherhood and the US, a direct line of communication that began with the onset of the revolution. This is something that needs to be looked into."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Laurent Koscielny's late goal rescued a deserved point for Arsenal after Joleon Lescott's opener for Manchester City Afternoon. Again. I've just hopped over from the Liverpool v Manchester United minute-by-minute which was a typically quiet affair, so forgive the lack of an introduction. We'll keep it short and sweet and give you the teams. Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Silva, Garcia, Yaya Toure, Sinclair; Dzeko, Aguero Subs: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nastasic, Barry, Rodwell, Tevez, Balotelli Arsenal: Mannone; Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Diaby, Arteta, Ramsey; Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski. Subs: Martinez, Djourou, Santos, Coquelin, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud. Referee: Mike Dean. Some top banter with Roberto Mancini and David Platt at the moment. They're sitting in an Italian cafe somewhere in Manchester with Geoff Shreeves. But... wait ... where's Brian Kidd? Why isn't Brian Kidd invited? Oh this is a bitter pill. "What do you drink?" asks Shreeves. "British water," says Mancini. "What's that?" says Shreeves. "Beer!" parps Mancini. And up pop three Peronis. I'd like a Peroni. "Disappointing to see City starting with four at the back today," says Ethan Dean-Richards. "If the season after winning the league isn't about thinking of tactically innovative ways of losing it then what is it about? Winning it by more than goal difference? Don't think so." What's your tactical take on today's game, Ethan? Ethan Dean-Richards offers his tactical view. "Two at the back, three in the middle, four up front, one's gone home for his tea. Beans on toast? Possibly, don't quote me on that. Marvellous." Here come the teams. Hello teams! "Mancini did say that his favourite dishes there are pizza and pasta," says SB Tang. "Maybe Mr Kidd's on a gluten-free diet?" Ah, like Novak Djokovic. He'll be off winning grand slams soon. Both teams will wear black armbands to pay their respects to the two police offers who were murdered in Manchester this week. There's also a minute's applause for the pair. Well, off we go. Arsenal, attacking from right to left, get us going. It's immediately hoofed out for a throw-in. Classic Arsenal. 2 min: A confident, bright start from Arsenal. There's a spring in their step and they're passing the ball around very slickly indeed, easily bypassing City's midfield four. The move ends with Diaby losing the ball to Clichy on the right though. Still, it was pleasant to watch. 4 min: Both teams are feeling each other out at the moment - careful - but there's a lack of zip to proceedings so far. It's very technical. 6 min: Ramsey skims a low cross into the area from the right but it's easy for The Hartdog to collect. "Never mind Peroni - where's Vermaelen?" asks John Cox. He's injured. 7 min: A sprightly start from Arsenal, who have been the sharper side so far. They're quicker to the ball, although they're enjoying what Arsene Wenger terms sterile domination, possession for possession's sake. 9 min: Cazorla has an optimistic dig from distance but Hart plunges down low to his left to save comfortably. City are yet to get going. It's very flat inside the City of Manchester Stadium too. 13 min: It's very tight but Arsenal are marginally on top. Gervinho dribbles into the area on the left and tries to beat Lescott, who expertly holds him up with a fine challenge. Arsenal stay on the attack though and Arteta dinks a ball over the top to Gibbs, marauding forward in the style of Marcelo on Tuesday night, but instead of taking the ball down and shooting he cushions a pass to no one. 14 min: Here's the first glimpse of Sergio Aguero. Arsenal allowed him far too much time to cut in from the left and hammer a shot goalwards that Mannone could only beat out. Zabaleta's cross was then awkwardly hooked behind by Koscielny for a corner, which came to nothing. 16 min: What a risible piece of play from Gervinho. Arsenal broke on the counter and Ramsey slid a wonderful pass in behind Clichy, setting Gervinho through. He was clear on goal but with only Joe Hart to beat he clumped the ball around five yards in front of him with his big clown shoes, allowing Hart to smother. That was the worst period of football you will see all weekend. 18 min: Arsenal are really playing very well though. Podolski's canny flick sets Gibbs on a romp down the left but his cross is too high for those waiting in the middle. City counter with Sinclair down the left but his attempted through-ball to Aguero is cut out by Mertesacker. 20 min: Sinclair chips a pass over the top to the onrushing Silva but he can't turn the ball back to the unmarked Dzeko, who would have had a clear sight of goal. "I've just realised," realises Matt Dony. "Barring one large, fairly obvious difference, Gervinho and Foo Fighters tub-thumper Taylor Hawkins look awfully similar. They often play football similarly, too." 21 min: "Niall Quinn is pronouncing it 'Cliché'," says Brian Kitt. Which is ironic because he is fluent in it. 22 min: Thirty yards from goal, Diaby takes his time and then decides he might as well have a shot. Lescott gets in the way. "Pizza, pasta and Peroni?" says Simon McMahon. "You'd never guess Mancini was Italian, would you?" Hang on, I'm not Italian and I had pizza and Peroni last night. 24 min: If this was on Podolski's left foot, Arsenal might be in front. But it wasn't, so they're not. Arteta poked a pass out to the right for Jenkinson to chase but it looked like Lescott had the situation under control. However he allowed Jenkinson to nip round him and into the area, from where he cut the ball back to Podolski, who blasted into orbit with his right foot from 15 yards out. 26 min: "Is there any chance that Arsenal's "meanest defence in the premier league" has more to do with the sale of the defensively incompetent Song than it does with the promotion of Steve Bould?" says Benedict Simmons. 27 min: Gibbs picks out Ramsey with a diagonal ball from left to right but Ramsey's downward header runs straight through to Hart. 28 min: City aren't exactly hanging on here but Arsenal are having the better of this. The excellent Cazorla skitters towards the City area and then pokes an eye-of-the-needle pass behind Clichy and through to Gervinho. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, Clichy stepped in with a crucial challenge. Arsenal have been mightily impressive. By way of contrast, up the other end Sinclair runs the ball out of play for a throw-in under no pressure. 30 min: City's experiment with a four-man midfield isn't working at all. Arsenal are outnumbering them in that department and breaking through it at will. They just have to be more decisive in the final third though. 32 min: Ramsey drives through the middle and is brought down by Kompany around 30 yards from goal. There are frowns on those City faces. 34 min: Cazorla hits a low free-kick through the wall but Hart is alert to the danger and saves down by the left post. He did quite well to hold there as it skipped up off the turf right in front of him. It also took a slight deflection on the way through. 36 min: City can barely string two passes together. Yaya Toure's ball out to Clichy on the left goes out for a throw-in. Dearie me. They are in a rare old funk at the moment. Up the other end, Gervinho cuts in from the left and drags a low shot into the side-netting. "YEAHHHHH!" go the Arsenal fans. They thought it was in. It wasn't. The City fans jeer. Banter. 39 min: Scott Sinclair is out of his depth. GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal (Lescott, 40 min): There wasn't much evidence of that new-found defensive solidity here. After playing so poorly for much of the first half, City take the lead with the softest of goals. Arsenal conceded a needless corner, Gibbs not getting a shout to leave an aimless cross and headed it behind. Silva curled it to the far post and when Mannone came and got nowhere near the ball, there was no stopping Lescott's bullet header. On the touchline, Arsene Wenger slumps deep into his seat. They can't get you in the puffer jacket, Arsene. 42 min: Suddenly City are rampant and Dzeko goes close to doubling their lead with a stunning left-footed shot from 25 yards out. Mannone goes some way to redeeming himself for his error by tipping it over the bar. 43 min: Cazorla drops the shoulder and sees it open up for him, but he skews his shot well wide from the edge of the area. Arsenal's shooting and decision making in the final third has left a lot to be desired. "Arsenal's "sturdy" defence shows the same weakness that has plagued the team since forever," says Shooby Taylor. "The more things change, eh?" Half time: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal. The story of the half: Arsenal dominated, didn't take their chances and let in a moronic goal. Sounds familiar. 46 min: Off we go again. City have made a change at half time, Jack Rodwell coming on for Scott Sinclair and beefing up their midfield. That also means Toure is playing further up the pitch, which could spell trouble for Arsenal. Indeed he's on the charge straight away but his shot from distance is well wide. "Just to say, far too much is being made of the Steve Bould solidity," says Emmo Opoti. "The Southampton and Montpellier matches could've ended far differently." 48 min: A corner to Arsenal. Koscielny heads it away. "Maybe Arsenal watched Liverpool earlier and took offence at their brazen plagiarism of the Wenger blueprint," says Matt Dony. "Arsenal are sure they can self-destruct with even more style. Wait for the comedy penalty conceded halfway through the second half..." 49 min: City look more balanced with three in midfield. Dzeko wins a cheap free-kick off Arteta on the right flank. A chance to put more pressure on Vito Mannone. 50 min: Silva's inswinger is flicked to Aguero at the far post but he greedily shanks a volley over the bar. "I know this day will come where we miss Van Persie (A clinical finisher/focal point) in the final third," says Baby Jayaraj. "The intricate passing is not finding the right person to finish things off. Gervinho looks tired. Ramsey is the best player on the pitch for me and made the most incisive passes." Perhaps that striker on the bench can make himself a hero. 51 min: The way pundits drone on about the evils of zonal marking, you'd think teams never ever conceded a goal from a corner when marking man-to-man. 54 min: Now it's City who are making all the running. When Arsenal lose the ball in midfield Silva nips in and races through the middle, before shuffling the ball to the right to Aguero. A goal beckons but he's put off his stride by Koscielny - he's after a penalty but stayed on his feet, as he did against QPR in May - and eventually is shot is deflected over. 56 min: Silva's corner is headed down into the ground and straight at Mannone by Javi Garcia. I blame zonal marking. 57 min: Arsenal need to change this because since the introduction of Jack Rodwell, City have dominated midfield. Credit to Mancini for rectifying his initial selection error. With the route through the middle now blocked, Arsenal could do with introducing Walcott or Oxlade-Chamberlain to trouble City out wide. It's too congested in the middle now. 61 min: So impressive in the first half, Arsenal have been rubbish in the second. City have a grip on this now. 62 min: City fans are singing their song about the Toures. Which reminds me. 65 min: Tottenham trailed QPR 1-0 at half time, Bobby Zamora with the goal. They now lead 2-1 after an own goal from Alejandro Faurlin and a strike from Jermain Defoe. "Martin Tyler just mentioned 'greasy top'," said Rizwan Qayyum. "I was delighted that someone finally acknowledged Clichy's hair." He's here all week. 66 min: Arsenal have their first shot of the second half. Unfortunately Gervinho had it, so it's still 1-0 to City. He was set up by Cazorla but spanked it over the bar from an angle on the right. 68 min: Edin Dzeko is replaced by Carlos Tevez. 69 min: When are Arsenal going to make a substitution? City are pipe and slippers comfortable. 71 min:At last. Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott replace Abou Diaby and Lukas Podolski. I'm not entirely sure how Gervinho has managed to stay on, but there you go. 74 min: Gervinho shimmies and prods a pass to Giroud, whose hooked effort from eight yards out is deflected wide for a corner. 75 min: Kompany heads the resulting corner. It's pumped straight back in by Arsenal and amazingly the flag stays down despite Mertesacker being a yard offside. He tries to nod it down for a team-mate but Hart is alert to the danger. 77 min: I have to be honest. This game has largely been complete tosh. 78 min: Arsenal are so blunt. Their final pass has regularly been poor. In fact, their all-round passing game has gone to pot in the second half. 80 min: This is not what Arsenal wanted to see: Yaya Toure striding through the middle, charging against a backtracking defence. He hangs on to the ball a bit too long though and when he does pass to Aguero, the angle is that bit tighter. He still forces Mannone to push the ball past his near post though. The corner is cleared. 82 min: At long last, Joe Hart is called into action and he was more than up to the task. Cazorla let rip with a vicious shot from 25 yards out and Hart magnificently pushed it over the bar. Arsenal have a corner on the left. From which... GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal (Koscielny, 82 min): There's the equaliser for Arsenal! There has been a lack of quality in the second half but perhaps they deserve this for refusing to give in. Cazorla's corner was inadvertently sent only as far as Koscielny by Lescott. Koscielny chested it down and before any City player could get to him, he crashed a shot into the top corner from 12 yards out. Yet again City have failed to keep a clean sheet. 84 min: Having got themselves back into the game, Arsenal almost shoot themselves in the foot immediately. From a City corner, Silva headed to Kompany whose overhead kick was pushed out wonderfully by Mannone - but Koscielny astonishingly gave the ball straight to Aguero in front of goal. It looked a certain goal but somehow he slashed wide of the right post from six yards out. What a miss. 85 min: Mario Balotelli replaces Sergio Aguero. "Damn you zonal marking!" says Shooby Taylor. 89 min: Koscielny has just cleared the ball with a backheel on the edge of his own area. Oh me, oh my. 90 min: The Arsenal fans got excited when Gervinho made space on the edge of the area for the shot, sensing a famous last-minute winner. I'm not sure why. It was Gervinho. The ball ended up in the upper tier. For anyone else, that was a glorious chance. 90 min+1: Gervinho is replaced by Francis Coquelin. Arsenal will take a point now. 90 min+2: Javi Garcia is booked for a cynical foul on Jenkinson, who was set to speed off unimpeded down the right. Is there a more improved player around than Carl Jenkinson? Full time: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal. Mike Dean brings an end to a strange game and Arsenal will be delighted with a point that demonstrates a resilience they have not always been associated with. It is, after all, a draw at the home of the champions. Champions who were mostly distinctly underwhelming for the most part. Arsenal might be slightly disappointed not to leave with all three points actually, having dominated the first half and conceded a sloppy goal. They kept plugging away though and got their reward. Thanks for reading. Bye.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Budget and reform programme to be unveiled on Thursday to feature more spending cuts, tax increases and pension freezes Recession-hit Spaniards will this week be told to swallow yet more austerity as the government prepares a fresh round of reforms and another budget filled with spending cuts and tax increases that will allow it to seek a bailout from eurozone partners. Pension freezes are also expected to form part of a raft measures to prepare the way for the European Central Bank (ECB) to give Spain support to control borrowing costs that will eat up a large chunk of next year's budget. The budget is to be announced on Thursday, alongside the reform programme. Neither seemed likely to contain measures to immediately ease Spain's chronic 25% unemployment, which some analysts expect will rise to 26.5% next year. On Friday Spaniards will learn just how big the hole in their banks really is, with an official report expected to say these must find an extra €60bn to cover damage wreaked by toxic real estate loans. The figure to be provided by consultancy Oliver Wyman, which will cover 14 banking groups that make up 90% of the sector, represents the maximum amount banks will have to ask for from the €100bn that the eurozone has already set aside to rescue Spanish banks. Small investors who bought risky hybrid shares in banks will have to shoulder part of the €60bn losses. Some banks may also be able to raise capital without going to the eurozone rescue fund, further reducing the amount to be provided by the fund. The Spanish finance minister, Luis de Guindos, confirmed over the weekend that Oliver Wyman was expected to produce a figure of around €60bn , though there were reports of last-minute tensions with Spanish authorities about exactly how to measure the banking hole. It remained unclear, however, when the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, would make the expected request for a bailout. The reforms and budget are meant to cover most of the conditions that the eurozone might impose, making the bailout easier to negotiate and less politically damaging to Rajoy's government – which has claimed it might still be able to avoid the bailout altogether. Rajoy's decision-making may be coloured by a looming constitutional crisis, as the Catalan parliament next week debates moves towards demanding greater sovereignty amid increasing rage in the north-eastern region over austerity measures and the way tax money is gathered and divided between Spain's 17 regional governments. The prime minister's rejection last week of the tax reform proposals of the Catalan regional leader, Artur Mas, may see the latter's national Convergence and Union coalition ally with openly separatist parties to demand a right to self-determination that is not currently part of the Spanish constitution. Mas is expected to call fresh regional elections before Christmas as Catalonia fights for a larger share of the shrinking Spanish tax pot and as Rajoy's government insists that all regions apply their own austerity measures. A vote on the self-determination proposals would come on Thursday, making the question of the future independence of Spain's wealthiest region a key part of any future election campaign. Juan Rosell, leader of Spain's employers federation and of its Catalan subsidiary, has called the issue "a huge problem" for Spain as it struggles to emerge from a double-dip recession that analysts predict will see the economy shrink by about 1.6% this year and in 2013.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sounds of distress from mother Mei Xiang alert keepers to the death of cub born last weekend, but cause is unknown A giant panda cub born last weekend at the National Zoo in Washington has died. Zoo officials say the cub was found dead on Sunday morning after panda keepers heard sounds of distress from its mother, Mei Xiang. Staffers were able to retrieve the cub about an hour later. The cause of death is unknown. The cub appeared to be in good condition, and there were no outward signs of trauma or infection. The cub had been a surprise at the zoo. Fourteen-year-old Mei Xiang had five failed pregnancies before giving birth. Panda cubs are born about the size of a stick of butter and are delicate infants. They are highly susceptible to infection and so small that it's not unheard of for panda mothers to accidentally crush their young.
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• And click here for all the latest tables and stats 34 min: Cazorla hits a low free-kick through the wall but Hart is alert to the danger and saves down by the left post. He did quite well to hold there as it skipped up off the turf right in front of him. It also took a slight deflection on the way through. 32 min: Ramsey drives through the middle and is brought down by Kompany around 30 yards from goal. There are frowns on those City faces. 30 min: City's experiment with a four-man midfield isn't working at all. Arsenal are outnumbering them in that department and breaking through it at will. They just have to be more decisive in the final third though. 28 min: City aren't exactly hanging on here but Arsenal are having the better of this. The excellent Cazorla skitters towards the City area and then pokes an eye-of-the-needle pass behind Clichy and through to Gervinho. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, Clichy stepped in with a crucial challenge. Arsenal have been mightily impressive. By way of contrast, up the other end Sinclair runs the ball out of play for a throw-in under no pressure. 27 min: Gibbs picks out Ramsey with a diagonal ball from left to right but Ramsey's downward header runs straight through to Hart. 26 min: "Is there any chance that Arsenal's "meanest defence in the premier league" has more to do with the sale of the defensively incompetent Song than it does with the promotion of Steve Bould?" says Benedict Simmons. 24 min: If this was on Podolski's left foot, Arsenal might be in front. But it wasn't, so they're not. Arteta poked a pass out to the right for Jenkinson to chase but it looked like Lescott had the situation under control. However he allowed Jenkinson to nip round him and into the area, from where he cut the ball back to Podolski, who blasted into orbit with his right foot from 15 yards out. 22 min: Thirty yards from goal, Diaby takes his time and then decides he might as well have a shot. Lescott gets in the way. "Pizza, pasta and Peroni?" says Simon McMahon. "You'd never guess Mancini was Italian, would you?" Hang on, I'm not Italian and I had pizza and Peroni last night. 21 min: "Niall Quinn is pronouncing it 'Cliché'," says Brian Kitt. Which is ironic because he is fluent in it. 20 min: Sinclair chips a pass over the top to the onrushing Silva but he can't turn the ball back to the unmarked Dzeko, who would have had a clear sight of goal. "I've just realised," realises Matt Dony. "Barring one large, fairly obvious difference, Gervinho and Foo Fighters tub-thumper Taylor Hawkins look awfully similar. They often play football similarly, too." 18 min: Arsenal are really playing very well though. Podolski's canny flick sets Gibbs on a romp down the left but his cross is too high for those waiting in the middle. City counter with Sinclair down the left but his attempted through-ball to Aguero is cut out by Mertesacker. 16 min: What a risible piece of play from Gervinho. Arsenal broke on the counter and Ramsey slid a wonderful pass in behind Clichy, setting Gervinho through. He was clear on goal but with only Joe Hart to beat he clumped the ball around five yards in front of him with his big clown shoes, allowing Hart to smother. That was the worst period of football you will see all weekend. 14 min: Here's the first glimpse of Sergio Aguero. Arsenal allowed him far too much time to cut in from the left and hammer a shot goalwards that Mannone could only beat out. Zabaleta's cross was then awkwardly hooked behind by Koscielny for a corner, which came to nothing. 13 min: It's very tight but Arsenal are marginally on top. Gervinho dribbles into the area on the left and tries to beat Lescott, who expertly holds him up with a fine challenge. Arsenal stay on the attack though and Arteta dinks a ball over the top to Gibbs, marauding forward in the style of Marcelo on Tuesday night, but instead of taking the ball down and shooting he cushions a pass to no one. 9 min: Cazorla has an optimistic dig from distance but Hart plunges down low to his left to save comfortably. City are yet to get going. It's very flat inside the City of Manchester Stadium too. 7 min: A sprightly start from Arsenal, who have been the sharper side so far. They're quicker to the ball, although they're enjoying what Arsene Wenger terms sterile domination, possession for possession's sake. 6 min: Ramsey skims a low cross into the area from the right but it's easy for The Hartdog to collect. "Never mind Peroni - where's Vermaelen?" asks John Cox. He's injured. 4 min: Both teams are feeling each other out at the moment - careful - but there's a lack of zip to proceedings so far. It's very technical. 2 min: A confident, bright start from Arsenal. There's a spring in their step and they're passing the ball around very slickly indeed, easily bypassing City's midfield four. The move ends with Diaby losing the ball to Clichy on the right though. Still, it was pleasant to watch. Well, off we go. Arsenal, attacking from right to left, get us going. It's immediately hoofed out for a throw-in. Classic Arsenal. Both teams will wear black armbands to pay their respects to the two police offers who were murdered in Manchester this week. There's also a minute's applause for the pair. Here come the teams. Hello teams! "Mancini did say that his favourite dishes there are pizza and pasta," says SB Tang. "Maybe Mr Kidd's on a gluten-free diet?" Ah, like Novak Djokovic. He'll be off winning grand slams soon. Ethan Dean-Richards offers his tactical view. "Two at the back, three in the middle, four up front, one's gone home for his tea. Beans on toast? Possibly, don't quote me on that. Marvellous." "Disappointing to see City starting with four at the back today," says Ethan Dean-Richards. "If the season after winning the league isn't about thinking of tactically innovative ways of losing it then what is it about? Winning it by more than goal difference? Don't think so." What's your tactical take on today's game, Ethan? Some top banter with Roberto Mancini and David Platt at the moment. They're sitting in an Italian cafe somewhere in Manchester with Geoff Shreeves. But... wait ... where's Brian Kidd? Why isn't Brian Kidd invited? Oh this is a bitter pill. "What do you drink?" asks Shreeves. "British water," says Mancini. "What's that?" says Shreeves. "Beer!" parps Mancini. And up pop three Peronis. I'd like a Peroni. Afternoon. Again. I've just hopped over from the Liverpool v Manchester United minute-by-minute which was a typically quiet affair, so forgive the lack of an introduction. We'll keep it short and sweet and give you the teams. Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Silva, Garcia, Yaya Toure, Sinclair; Dzeko, Aguero Subs: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nastasic, Barry, Rodwell, Tevez, Balotelli Arsenal: Mannone; Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Diaby, Arteta, Ramsey; Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski. Subs: Martinez, Djourou, Santos, Coquelin, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud. Referee: Mike Dean.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Follow live updates as Libya pledges to outlaw unauthorised militia groups after Islamists groups were driven out of Benghazi
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Officials seek to exploit wave of people power after gunmen flee angry crowds in Benghazi The Libyan authorities gave armed groups two days to vacate military bases and compounds as they sought to capitalise on the wave of people power that drove an Islamist militia from Benghazi at the weekend. Jihadist militias in Derna, Libya's Islamist stronghold, threw in the towel on Sunday, withdrawing from their stronghold and announcing they were disbanding to avoid a repeat of the scenes in Benghazi in which angry crowds sent armed gunmen fleeing. One of the routed militias was blamed for an attack on the US consulate two weeks ago that left four Americans dead including the ambassador, Chris Stevens. The de facto head of state, Muhammad Magariaf, the president of Libya's parliament, met Benghazi politicians and security officials, anxious to fill a security vacuum that has emerged from the weekend violence in which at least 11 people died. "The army chief Yussef al-Mangoush and Muhammad Magariaf have ordered all illegitimate militias should be removed from compounds and hand over their weapons to the national army," said Adel Othman al-Barasi, a spokesman for the defence ministry, according to Reuters. "A committee made up by the military police has been formed to take over the compounds and the weapons and hand these over to the army." Benghazi's army garrison commander, General Hamad Belkhair, said he was moving military police units into vacated militia bases to prevent their being reoccupied. "What happened was a big mess," he said of the takeover by protesters of Benghazi's three militia bases on Friday night and Saturday morning. "But it has left the government clearly in control of the streets." Bilal Bettamer, a 22-year-old law student in the city who was one of the organisers of the Benghazi protests, told the Guardian he was optimistic the militias would be disbanded. "You can't have 100% success in these situations [But] that's what we wanted – the militias are put on notice and everyone knows now that this country will refuse any extremists and will eventually get rid of them, and become a country that we wanted on 17 February." He condemned the apparent execution of militia guards as a "stupid move" and speculated that pro-Gaddafi elements could be to blame. He even praised the courage of the militias for disbanding, claiming it showed they respected democracy. "Militias are not evil people, they are good people and they have saved Libya before. But it is time for legitimacy to take its place for the police and army. You can't build a country based on militias. "The army are back on the streets. You can see the army and police at night. The collection of individual weapons is beginning right now. They are doing their expected job. They have put small militia on notice to evacuate the neighbourhood. The army got braver. Everyone is telling them, strike with an iron fist." Yet extremists remain a presence: Belkhair himself was kidnapped on Saturday morning by masked gunmen and held for six hours before being released unharmed. He said he thought the group, who did not identify themselves, wanted him to limit the army's role in securing the city. Belkhair and police commanders are uneasily aware that the surge of people power that has swept militias from the streets can degenerate into anarchy – and that he lacks the manpower to impose order. An army unit from Sirte, the former stronghold of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has been rushed to the city to occupy the compound of the Raffalah al-Sahati militia, whose soldiers shot many of the 11 killed in the early hours of Saturday morning. Investigators are trying to establish who killed six militiamen whose bodies were found, each with a bullet to the head, in a field near the Raffalah base. In Derna, a centre for Islamist resistance against the Gaddafi regime, two powerful jihadist formations, Abu Salem and Ansar al-Sharia, have agreed to disband. Commanders of both formations – the latter linked to the group blamed for the killing of Stevens – told Libya's state news agency that they had decided their role was over. In Tripoli, many foreign embassies remain in security lockdown, fearing jihadist units in the capital will seek revenge for the humiliating rout of their comrades in eastern Libya. Benghazi officials say the way is now clear for Washington to deploy an FBI team that is kicking its heels in Tripoli to join the investigation into the death of Stevens, who died from smoke inhalation after the attack on the consulate compound.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Officials seek to exploit wave of people power after gunmen flee angry crowds in Benghazi The Libyan authorities have given armed groups two days to vacate military bases and compounds as they seek to capitalise on the wave of people power that drove an Islamist militia from Benghazi at the weekend. Jihadist militias in Derna, Libya's Islamist stronghold, threw in the towel on Sunday, withdrawing from their stronghold and announcing they were disbanding to avoid a repeat of the scenes in Benghazi in which angry crowds sent armed gunmen fleeing. One of the routed militias was blamed for an attack on the US consulate two weeks ago that left four Americans dead including the ambassador, Chris Stevens. The de facto head of state, Muhammad Magariaf, president of Libya's parliament, met Benghazi politicians and security officials, anxious to fill a security vacuum that has emerged from the weekend violence, in which at least 11 people died. "The army chief Yussef al-Mangoush and Muhammad Magariaf have ordered all illegitimate militias should be removed from compounds and hand over their weapons to the national army," said Adel Othman al-Barasi, a spokesman for the defence ministry, according to Reuters. "A committee made up by the military police has been formed to take over the compounds and the weapons and hand these over to the army." Benghazi's army garrison commander, General Hamad Belkhair, said he was moving military police units into vacated militia bases. "What happened was a big mess," he said of the takeover by protesters of Benghazi's three militia bases on Friday night and Saturday morning. "But it has left the government clearly in control of the streets." Bilal Bettamer, a 22-year-old law student in the city who was one of the organisers of the Benghazi protests, said he was optimistic the militias would be disbanded. "You can't have 100% success in these situations. [But] that's what we wanted – the militias are put on notice and everyone knows now that this country will refuse any extremists and will eventually get rid of them, and become a country that we wanted on 17 February." He condemned the apparent killing of militia guards as a "stupid move" and speculated that pro-Gaddafi elements could be to blame. He even praised the courage of the militias for disbanding, claiming it showed they respected democracy. "Militias are not evil people, they are good people and they have saved Libya before. But it is time for legitimacy to take its place for the police and army. You can't build a country based on militias. "The army are back on the streets. You can see the army and police at night. The collection of individual weapons is beginning right now. They are doing their expected job. They have put small militia on notice to evacuate the neighbourhood. The army got braver. Everyone is telling them, strike with an iron fist." Yet extremists remain a presence: Belkhair himself was kidnapped on Saturday morning by masked gunmen and held for six hours before being released unharmed. He said he thought the group, who did not identify themselves, wanted him to limit the army's role in securing the city. Belkhair and police commanders are uneasily aware that the surge of people power that has swept militias from the streets could degenerate into anarchy, and that he lacks the manpower to impose order. An army unit from Sirte, former stronghold of the late dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, has occupied the compound of the Raffala al-Sahati militia, whose soldiers shot many of the 11 killed in the early hours of Saturday. Investigators are trying to establish who killed six militiamen whose bodies were found, each with a bullet to the head, in a field near the Raffala base. In Derna, a centre for Islamist resistance against the Gaddafi regime, two powerful jihadist formations, Abu Salem and Ansar al-Sharia, have agreed to disband. Commanders of both formations – the latter linked to the group blamed for the killing of Stevens – told Libya's state news agency that they had decided their role was over. In Tripoli, many foreign embassies remain in security lockdown, fearing jihadist units in the capital will seek revenge for the humiliating rout of their comrades in eastern Libya. Benghazi officials say the way is now clear for Washington to deploy an FBI team that is kicking its heels in Tripoli to join the investigation into the death of Stevens, who died from smoke inhalation after the attack on the consulate compound.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Kop sang Brendan Rodgers' name in the closing stages but the final tribute of an emotional afternoon at Anfield came in sympathy and not a victory salute. Liverpool's wait for a Premier League win goes on, the torment inflicted here by referee Mark Halsey's decision to dismiss Jonjo Shelvey and to award a crucial late penalty converted by Robin van Persie. It was Manchester United's first successful spot-kick in four attempts this season and a fortunate reprieve. A commemoration to the victims of Hillsborough and their families was impeccably observed by everyone inside Anfield. Luis Suárez shook hands with Patrice Evra and the focus of too much pre-match concern was over without incident, which made it all the more ridiculous that the controversy should erupt on the pitch. From a Liverpool perspective, it was also completely unnecessary. Liverpool dominated the first half thanks in the main to the prodigious pressing and work-rate of Steven Gerrard and Joe Allen in central midfield, Suárez up front and an intelligent display on the right wing by 17-year-old Raheem Sterling. By contrast, United were slow to the ball and sloppy in possession, with Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick anonymous and Nani a liability out on the left. Six minutes before the interval Shelvey offered United a way back with a dangerous challenge on Jonny Evans. Committed to a 50-50 after the ball had run free from Shelvey's challenge on Giggs, the Liverpool midfielder and United defender both went in with two feet. Evans kept his on the floor and won the ball. Shelvey went over the top with one foot and did not. Red, according to Halsey, and as he left the field the Liverpool player was involved in an angry exchange with Sir Alex Ferguson. Liverpool continued to press with 10 men and it was no less than they deserved when Gerrard put them ahead a minute after the restart when United failed to clear a left-wing cross from the substitute Suso. Gerrard, who lost a cousin at Hillsborough, pointed to the sky in celebration but the lead lasted five minutes before Antonio Valencia and Shinji Kagawa combined for Rafael da Silva to curl an exquisite left-foot shot in off the far post. Halsey correctly ignored Liverpool penalty appeals after challenges by Evans and Paul Scholes on Suárez and Sterling respectively but awarded United a soft one with 14 minutes remaining when Johnson was adjudged to have caught Valencia. Despite the best efforts of José Reina, and following a lengthy delay as Daniel Agger was taken off on a stretcher, Van Persie drove home the spot-kick. United's penalty misery was over. Rodgers' misfortune prolonged.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Robin van Persie's debatable late penalty earned Manchester United the win against 10-man Liverpool Let's not talk about that. Or that. Or that. If Gus Fring has taught us nothing else, it is the importance of keeping your dignity so let us hope that everyone on both sides behaves and ensures the football is the focus after the match. After all, it's Liverpool v Manchester United – Liverpool v Manchester United!!! – and we're not here for tiresome debates about chants or handshakes, we're here to talk about football. Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that's why we're all here in the first place. Good. There are probably better sides to be facing when you're still looking for your first league win than Manchester United but that's the challenge facing Liverpool this afternoon. It has not been an easy start to life for Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, for while his side have passed the ball daintily, their approach has not been accompanied by the requisite punch up front, a familiar failing for Liverpool. They have only managed three goals in their first four games and two of those have come from set-pieces, the other from a Titus Bramble assist. Just as worrying are the defensive mistakes and the comedy stylings of Pepe the Clown in goal. Yet Liverpool do come into this game on the back of a hot one-game winning streak, following their ripsnorting 5-3 win over Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday, and they do tend to save their very best form for this fixture. United, who have not made a wholly convincing start to the season, do not like coming to Anfield. It spooks them. In recent years, they have been bullied here, largely because of their lack of a midfield, and they have not won at Liverpool since a Carlos Tevez goal gave them a 1-0 victory in December 2007. If Liverpool can add controlled aggression to their passing game, then United could be in for an uncomfortable afternoon. Having said that Liverpool have won just twice at home in the league this year and United have Robin van Persie up front, while Liverpool have: Kick-off: 1.30pm. Team news. Apart from the absence of the injured Lucas, Liverpool are at full strength in midfield, where Jonjo Shelvey is preferred to Nuri Sahin. For Manchester United, Nemanja Vidic is spared his inevitable Anfield red card by a mystery injury, so Jonny Evans partners Rio Ferdinand in central defence. David De Gea, who was excellent against Galatasaray in midweek, is surprisingly replaced by Anders Lindegaard in goal, while Ryan Giggs will be anonymous in the centre of midfield. Liverpool (4-3-3): Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. Subs: Jones, Enrique, Sahin, Assaidi, Henderson, Carragher, Suso. Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lindegaard; Rafael, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Carrick, Giggs; Valencia, Kagawa, Nani; Van Persie. Subs: De Gea, Anderson, Hernandez, Welbeck, Scholes, Cleverley, Buttner. Referee: Mark Halsey. For those who think Ryan Giggs will be an irrelevance today, he did produce a fine assist in this fixture last season. You can't accuse them of not trying. Brendan Rodgers and Sir Alex Ferguson are doing their interviews with Geoff Shreeves together. What a double act! They could take this show on the road, though it's not clear who's the Morecambe and who's the Wise. Phil Podolsky sends in Jose delivering some home truths for Liverpool. "They're not the best team in the Premiership. Not even close." "That United midfield is absurd," blasts Samuel Scott-Moncrieff. "I'm beginning to think Ferguson's aversion to combative midfielders who might give us an iota of presence at hostile away grounds is psychological. In exchange for one or two ball winners, tacklers, players who won't crumble immediately under the outpouring of Anfield grief, I would gladly do without van Persie. Going to lose today. And yes i know vaguely applicable midfielders are unavailable, Fletcher being ill, Jones injured, Anderson pants etc." Word is that Nemanja Vidic is being rested. Which is strange. Anyway the teams are in the tunnel. They're both wearing red tracksuit tops. United's has "96" on the back. Out come the players to a strangely muted atmopshere. HANDSHAKE LATEST: Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez shake hands without any fuss at all. And let that be the end of it. "That Jose Mourinho's a pretty smart bloke; who'd have ever thought Liverpool wouldn't win the league this season because their team isn't good enough," says Rob Moline. "No wonder Florentino Perez was so keen to snap him up. As in... he used to be good value being controversial or just a bit of an idiot, when did he become so bland?" Sir Bobby Charlton walks on to the pitch to present flowers to Ian Rush in recognition of the Hillsborough disaster. Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard then release 96 balloons as the Kop bellows "Justice for the 96". The fans in The Kop then hold up a mosaic. The message is simple: "THE TRUTH". And as You'll Never Walk Alone ends, the game begins. United, in their white shirts and black shorts, kick off. They're attacking the Kop in the first half, though I'm not sure if the Liverpool fans are paying too much attention yet. They're still chanting "Justice for the 96". It's loud but there's an eerie atmosphere around Anfield. 2 min: And now, finally, a roar. "Yup, you're right about United's "lack of a midfield" being the root cause of many of their recent problems at Anfield: see, eg, the game at Anfield in the league in Rafa's otherwise abysmal last season in charge when Lucas simply harried the ball off the ancient Scholes, drove at the United goal and put Kuyt through only for the Dutchman to blast wide in classic Kuyt-style," says SB Tang. "Not sure if Liverpool will be able to make United pay to the requisite degree for starting Giggs in central midfield today though. In the absence of Lucas, we don't have a real terrier in midfield. And United will have the mobile, hardworking Kagawa dropping back to help out when they lose the ball ..." 3 min: United are dominating possession in these early stages, albeit without really going anywhere. That's often been the case at Anfield in recent years. 4 min: Young Sterling, the father of three children at the tender age of 17, gets his first chance to run at Patrice Evra. He might be experienced in some regards but he's still a fresh-faced youth on the pitch and Evra quickly steps in to nick the ball off him. 5 min: Three children at 17 though. 6 min: Liverpool win the first corner of the match, Johnson's cross deflected behind by Rafael. They take it short but Gerrard's fine cross is headed away firmly by Rafael. 7 min: Liverpool win the first corner, United have the first shot. Kagawa finds Giggs on the edge of the area and he cuts across the ball with his left foot - rather like Xavi against Granada last night - and his shot fizzes just past the angle of post and bar. By way of response, Liverpool go right up the other end, Sterling playing a neat pass down the inside-right channel for Suarez. He turns a cross-shot into the area that Lindegaard parries out rather shakily, forcing Rafael to head away from Borini, doing superbly not to score an own goal. Gerrard tries to turn home the rebound but Evans is on hand to boot clear. More please! 9 min: Half of the ground thought this was in. The impressive Sterling won another corner on the right. Shelvey cut the ball back low to Gerrard, whose low drive fizzed past the right post and into the side-netting, creating the illusion that he had beaten Lindegaard. Sadly not. United were nearly caught out in similar fashion by Galatasaray on Wednesay. You'd think they'd be wise to that ruse by now. 12 min: "I think Ferguson has dug his heels in on the midfield issue," says Mark Judd. "He knows what everyone else knows but is too stubborn to admit it. Buy Cheik Tiote in January." They do look very lightweight at the moment. Liverpool are the more cohesive side. 13 min: The buccaneering Johnson tumbles under a challenge from Rafael on the left but Mark Halsey waves away his appeals for a free-kick. He accepts the decision with equanimity. Just as well, seeing as it wasn't a foul. 14 min: Liverpool are making chances. Liverpool aren't taking chances. What's new? Suarez pierces the shambles masquerading as the United defence with a pass through to Borini. He's clean through on goal and should score but his first touch is utterly dreadful, taking him away from goal. In the end, all he can do is try to turn it across goal but too many United defenders are back. The young Italian gets an earful from Suarez and Gerrard for his sloppiness. Andy Carroll definitely would have scored that. Maybe. 16 min: You know who would have scored that? Steven Fletcher. What a brilliantly instinctive finisher he is. 17 min: It's all Liverpool. Joe Allen does this really neat thing. He passes the ball to a team-mate. 19 min: A quick look at the possession stats reveals that Liverpool have had 64% of it. But they're yet to turn it into a goal which is, of course, supposedly the object of all this. 20 min: Liverpool have had three corners to United's nice round zero. Gerrard curls it in from the left but Van Persie heads away at the near post. That might be the first time he's touched it. 21 min: Liverpool continue to turn the screw though and from Van Persie's clearance, Gerrard curls a delicious inswinging cross into the box from the left. Agger collapses with Evans keeping a close hold on him but Mark Halsey says no penalty despite loud appeals. There's a stoppage in play, meanwhile, as Rio Ferdinand gets treatment for an injury. Worryingly United's only defensive option on the bench is the inexperienced left-back Alex Buttner. 23 min: Ferdinand is back on the pitch but he's still limping. That decision to rest Vidic is looking curiouser and curiouser. 24 min: "I don't disagree with your assessment of Steven Fletcher, but it's a pity he is either too stupid to too stubborn to admit when he's made a mistake," says Simon McMahon. "Maybe he should give Nick Clegg a call as well as Craig Levein." 25 min: UNITED GET INTO LIVERPOOL'S HALF!!!!!!!! 26 min: Nani wallops a free-kick well over the bar from 35 yards out. Maybe he shouldn't take the set pieces for a while. 27 min: Suarez tries a cute chip into the top-right corner from the edge of the area but his aim is awry. 28 min: Suarez is so frustrating at times. He got clear on the left side of the area and was faced by two United defenders. Suddenly memories of his mesmeric run against United in March 2011 came flooding back so instead of just crossing it, he tried to diddle his way past Ferdinand, who stands up and gets a foot in to howls of annoyance from the home fans. 32 min: The increasingly erratic Evra goes steaming through the back of Sterling as the young winger nicked the ball past the United full-back inches outside the area on the right. Dear me, that was woeful defending. Evra escapes with a final warning, though. 33 min: Gerrard whips the free-kick into the area from the right, but Suarez gets too much on his header when it needed to be a glance and the ball flies behind for a goal-kick. 34 min: Suarez threatens again. He scampers into the area from the left but his fierce shot is deflected behind by Ferdinand, who looks to be back in full working order again. The corner comes to nothing. 35 min: They say managers have to be brave and you have to admire Sir Alex Ferguson's courage in not picking a midfield today. 37 min: Kelly bursts down the right, unimpeded by anything as novel as a tackle from a United player. His cross is cut out by Evans but then Nani helpfully picks out Sterling on the edge of the area. He jinks past one challenge but his left-footed shot is blocked by a United defender. United are awful. 39 min: LIVERPOOL PRESS THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON! JONJO SHELVEY IS SENT OFF! All that dominance and now they're down to 10 men. Shelvey had an inexplicable rush of blood to the head here as he got too excited after tackling Ryan Giggs. He then rushed to challenge Evans but his studs were up and he caught him with his right boot. The strange thing about this incident is the way Evans went into the 50-50 wasn't exactly great either. A split-second later and he could have been the one sent off. Mark Halsey took his time to make his mind up but there was a certain inevitability to Shelvey going. 40 min: After getting treatment, Evans comes back on to loud boos from the Liverpool fans. For the crime of being kicked. 41 min: But despite only having 10 men, still Liverpool press. They win a free-kick after a push from Ferdinand 30 yards from goal. Suarez takes it and demands a good save from Lindegaard, the Dane diving to his right to push the effort away. Liverpool are very much in this, mainly because United have been so poor. 44 min: "How does the player with both feet off the ground stay on the pitch, and the one with one foot on the ground get a straight red!?" says Simon Brereton. This is what I mean about Evans's part in this. You're not going to see both players sent off in an incident like that though. That said, Evans got lucky. 45 min: As Shelvey walked off, he had a pop at Ferguson, pointing at him and effin' and jeffin'. Ferguson, naturally, did not take it in good spirit meaning Shelvey has become the first non-United player to be on the end of the hairdryer treatment. You can bet the United players are going to be in for a rollicking at half time too. Their performance is still miserable. Borini gets clear down the left but his inviting cut-back is put behind by Evra. Where was Suarez? That cross was begging to be tapped in. To think that Michael Owen's at Stoke. Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United. Boos greet the half time whistle following Jonjo Shelvey's red card. Manchester United have been thrashed 0-0 but Liverpool are down to 10 men. Surely United can't be so lethargic against the second half, especially with the one-man advantage. Liverpool should be ahead but once again they haven't taken their chances and they could end up paying for it. Half time emails. "Fergie's tactics appear to be to pick 10 idiots and assume that Van Persie will inevitably nick it when someone from Liverpool gets sent off," says Alec Cochrane. "Rodgers tactics are to get it out wide and cross it in for Andy Carroll, with only one fatal flaw." "It was a badly judged lunge from Shelvey, but replays showed Evans had both feet leading into it as well," says Matt Dony. "On Halsey's red against Shelvey: that was as bad a decision as his subsequently rescinded red against Huddlestone," says SB Tang. "Ferguson's bizarre selections suggest a man who is bored of winning, & now wants to handicap himself to keep the challenge interesting," says Simon Frank. "Remarkably few top, top, top, top, players for this massive, massive game." "I think that crime being booed is that Evans was also studs up (see the replay, he catches Shelvey just as badly) and then rolled around like a chubby fella in a oil wrestling match," says Josh Collis. "Still Shelvey ingratiated himself to all LFC fans by shouting a lot at Ferguson on the way off. A future star." "Liverpool are awfully fired up for this game, Shelvey being sent off as a consequence of their high pressing, aggressive approach going too far," says David Jerome. "Despite their team playing well however their fans have behaved disgracefully on a day that is supposed to be about reconciliation, booing Evra for being racially abused and Evans for being the victim of a challenge? Sort it out Liverpool." "What in name of Jehova is the ref doing?" says Rolf Mellander. "That's a 50-50 challenge. Shelvey is doing exactly what Evans is doing. Both red or no red. Clown of a referee." The red card. Both players were out of control, Jonny Evans going in two-footed as well. On Sky, Gary Neville suggests that both players should have been sent off, so a booking for both might have sufficed. At this juncture, let us remind ourselves of Xabi Alonso's thoughts on tackling. I don't think tackling is a quality. It is a recurso, something you have to resort to, not a characteristic of your game. At Liverpool I used to read the matchday programme and you'd read an interview with a lad from the youth team. They'd ask: age, heroes, strong points, etc. He'd reply: 'Shooting and tackling'. I can't get into my head that football development would educate tackling as a quality, something to learn, to teach, a characteristic of your play. How can that be a way of seeing the game? I just don't understand football in those terms. Tackling is a [last] resort, and you will need it, but it isn't a quality to aspire to, a definition. It's hard to change because it's so rooted in the English football culture, but I don't understand it."
46 min: Off we go again. Both sides have made changes, Liverpool introducing the young Spanish midfielder Suso for Borini and United introducing the Not Young midfielder Paul Scholes for the miserably ineffective Nani. And... GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United (Gerrard, 46 min): Could it have been anyone else? Suso made an instant impact after his introduction off the bench, gloriously jinking past Scholes on the left before sending a cross that was headed away by Ferdinand. United were dawdling on the edge of the area though and Johnson charged on to the loose ball, before juggling it into the area. He couldn't keep control of it but it came to Gerrard and he chested it down before waiting for it to drop and smashing a low volley into the bottom right corner as United stood and watched. The 10 men have the lead and don't they deserve it. 48 min: Liverpool thoroughly merit this lead. There aren't many better players than Steven Gerrard when it comes to the big occasions, although that hasn't always been the case in recent years. 50 min: The inevitable pressure from United. Van Persie swings in a cross from the left and Johnson gets a bit lucky that his header back across his own area doesn't fall to a United player. I fancy this is going to be a long 40 minutes for Liverpool. GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United (Rafael, 51 min): What a goal this is from Rafael. Liverpool's goal has given United the kick up the backside they needed and they're level straight away. They were just starting to turn the screw and were enjoying their first period of sustained pressure when Rafael struck. There didn't look to be too much danger as Kagawa chested Valencia's cross down to Rafael, but the right-back took a touch and then bent a stunning left-footed curler into the far corner off the inside of the post. Reina didn't have a chance. 53 min: Valencia scampers down the right flank and wins a corner off Johnson. United are well on top at the moment. Van Persie sends the corner in and Valencia heads over and wide. 54 min: Liverpool aren't going to sit back and just let United come at them. First a raking long pass finds Sterling in behind Evra on the right of the area. He takes too long to shoot though and his eventual cross is headed away. It comes out to Gerrard whose shot is straight at Lindegaard. 55 min: Carrick slides a pass through to Van Persie, who's clear in the middle of the area. He's off balance though and slips as he goes to shoot. No penalty, despite the appeals for one. 57 min: Now it's Liverpool's turn to cry for a penalty as Suarez leaps through the air – 9.5 say the judges! – after a challenge from Evans. He doesn't really help himself at times, does he? 59 min: Try to contain your shock: Paul Scholes has been booked for a foul on Sterling. 59 min: A rapier United counterattack ends with Evra's low cross from the left going behind Van Persie. It might not be too long before we see either Hernandez or Welbeck introduced to partner Van Persie. Kagawa hasn't done very much. 61 min: Lindegaard makes an outstanding save to stop Suarez restoring Liverpool's lead. He darted in from the right to make space for the shot and then curled a low effort towards the bottom left corner. Lindegaard got a strong hand to it. By the way, United have scored with their only shot on target. 63 min: Van Persie heads Carrick's cross well over. He was under a lot of pressure though. He's still feeding off scraps. 65 min: Despite having 10 men, Liverpool are still the superior side. Suarez breaches the United defence again and this time rolls the ball back to Suso, whose clipped effort from, 15 yards out is pushed over by Lindegaard. If they could finish, Liverpool would be a very good side. 66 min: Liverpool make their second change, Jordan Henderson replacing Raheem Sterling. Patrice Evra breathes a sigh of relief. 68 min: United are so listless. It's as if they don't want to win it. "The dive by Suarez had all the elements and his form was impeccable
but for sheer audacity I am still giving the dive of the week to Ivanovic against Stoke yesterday," says JR in Illinois. For sheer audacity, nothing beats this. 69 min: Suso slips a pass through to Suarez but his cross-shot from a tight angle on the right flashes across goal and, er, out for a throw-in. 72 min: There is no coherence to the United attacks. Liverpool are comfortable in defence. The only reason they're not winning is because of a wonder goal from United's right-back. 76 min: PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED! Out of nowhere Valencia beats Agger and Johnson to a loose ball on the halfway line and steams off upfield with Liverpool completely exposed. He tries to take it past Skrtel but just as he goes to shoot from six yards out, Johnson gets back and clips his heels. Reina is booked for his protests. Will Van Persie dink it? 77 min: There's a delay before Van Persie can take the penalty as Agger gets treatment for the injury he suffered when Valencia stole possession. On second glance, Liverpool might feel the penalty was soft - the contact was so light – although the fact that Johnson didn't appeal was telling, I suppose. 79 min: Agger is going to have to go off on a stretcher. He looks to have hurt his foot. It was a poor pass from Suso, the impressive youngster, who put Liverpool into trouble. He'll learn. 80 min: Agger, clutching his left leg, is taken off on a stretcher and on comes Carragher. Van Persie has had four minutes to think about this penalty. He's going to chip it, isn't he? GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United (Van Persie pen, 81 min): United had missed their last three penalties. They almost missed this one too, Reina getting a hand to Van Persie's penalty but it was hit too firmly into the top-right corner. United have not come from behind to win at Anfield since 1952. This is a complete mugging. 82 min: Javier Hernandez replaces the disappointing Shinji Kagawa. 83 min: What a chance. Johnson looks to make amends with a cross from the left and Kelly beats both Evra and Evans to the ball but heads it wide of the right post from six yards out. What a chance. 84 min: The Liverpool supporters are up in arms after a studs-up challenge from Van Persie on Suso. He's booked. It wasn't too different from the challenge Shelvey was sent off. "Everyone saying pen because Johnson didn't complain," says Niall Mullen. "Everyone should scream at the ref then?" You'd complain if you knew you hadn't touched him. 86 min: "Mind explaining why Johnson not appealing is telling - do you think Halsey would have changed his mind?" says Steve Bowden. "Reina was booked for protesting - does that make it definitely wrong?" Because Johnson was the one penalised so probably has a better idea than Reina. For what it's worth, I want to see it again. The contact, if there was any, looked very soft. 88 min: There's going to be a lot of stoppage time, of course. The delay before Van Persie took his penalty was four minutes and there will be more than that added on. 89 min: Danny Welbeck replaces the hobbling Rafael. Presumably Valencia will go to right-back. "Did nobody take into account that Johnson probably didn't complain because he was lying on the ground in pain having taken a knee to the chest from Reina during the penalty incident?" says David Flynn. "Whether he agreed or didn't he had other things on his mind, like trying to breathe." 90 min: There will be five minutes of added time. 90 min+2: Mark Halsey is not endearing himself to the locals. United have a free-kick after a foul by Henderson on Evans. "Sorry to ruin the fun," says Benedict Simmons. "His response was the mark of a man who knew he'd fudged it for his team. He just lay on the ground. He went to ground on the halfway line, then got into a position which would let the ref get conned by Valencia and there was nothing he could to about it." 90 min+3: All is not going to plan for Liverpool. Now Martin Kelly is down injured. I can't believe they're not going to win this match. They probably should have signed a striker in the summer. I'm not yet sure that Borini counts. 90 min+5: Hernandez's weak effort is snaffled by Reina. One last attack for Liverpool now. Reina will launch it long. Andy Carroll might have been useful in this situation. 90 min+7: Mark Halsey is not a popular man. Ferdinand goes through the back of Suarez on the edge of area. Play continues. Full time: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United. After one of their worst performances in recent memory, Manchester United have their first victory at Anfield since 2007 and move up to second in the table. The victory papers over the cracks in this side though, because for long periods they were absolutely dire. Yet they got the rub of the green with the refereeing decisions, which means they leave with the points. Somehow Liverpool end a match they dominated from start to finish empty-handed. They're 18th in the table after five matches. It will get better though. Thanks for reading. Bye.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Relations between two sides hit lowest point in years as territorial dispute continues to simmer China has cancelled events to commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations with Japan, further signalling its anger over a simmering territorial dispute. A Japanese foreign ministry official, Hiroaki Sakamoto, confirmed that China had cancelled the events, planned for Thursday. He did not provide further details. China's Xinhua News Agency, citing officials from the China-Japan Friendship Association and another government-affiliated group, reported on Sunday that the events would not take place as planned. It said they would be held "at a proper time". Calls to China's foreign ministry were not answered. In its evening broadcast, China Central Television said the timing of the events was being "adjusted". Relations have sunk to their worst level in years as the two sides spar over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries and by Taiwan. In the latest large anti-Japan protest in China, up to 3,000 people demonstrated in Sunday in the southern city of Guangzhou, Xinhua reported. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said in a statement late on Saturday that Japanese personnel had landed on the islands to stop Taiwanese activists from doing so and that China had protested strongly to Japan over the "severe infringement upon China's territorial sovereignty". A group of Taiwanese fishermen have said they will sail 60 boats to the islands on Monday to protect their fishing grounds. Hundreds of people marched in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, on Sunday to protest against Japan for occupying the islands. They waved anti-Japan signs and asked Tokyo to relinquish the islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan's government bought several of the islands from their private Japanese owners this month, setting off angry demonstrations across China. Taiwan's government has maintained a cautious approach to the dispute to avoid straining ties with Japan.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sino-Japanese ties hit lowest point in years as territorial dispute over Senkaku/Diaoyu isles continues to simmer China has cancelled events to commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations with Japan, further signalling its anger over a simmering territorial dispute. A Japanese foreign ministry official, Hiroaki Sakamoto, confirmed that China had cancelled the events, planned for Thursday. He did not provide further details. China's Xinhua News Agency, citing officials from the China-Japan Friendship Association and another government-affiliated group, reported on Sunday the events would not take place as planned. It said they would be held "at a proper time". Calls to China's foreign ministry were not answered. In its evening broadcast, China Central Television said the timing of the events was being "adjusted". Relations have sunk to their worst level in years as the two sides spar over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries and by Taiwan. In the latest large anti-Japan protest in China, up to 3,000 people demonstrated in Sunday in the southern city of Guangzhou, Xinhua reported. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said in a statement late on Saturday that Japanese personnel had landed on the islands to stop Taiwanese activists from doing so and that China had protested strongly to Japan over the "severe infringement upon China's territorial sovereignty". A group of Taiwanese fishermen have said they will sail 60 boats to the islands on Monday to protect their fishing grounds. Hundreds of people marched in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, on Sunday to protest against Japan for occupying the islands. They waved anti-Japan signs and asked Tokyo to relinquish the islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan's government bought several of the islands from their private Japanese owners this month, setting off angry demonstrations across China. Taiwan's government has maintained a cautious approach to the dispute to avoid straining ties with Japan.
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• And click here for all the latest tables and stats 28 min: Suarez is so frustrating at times. He got clear on the left side of the area and was faced by two United defenders. Suddenly memories of his mesmeric run against United in March 2011 came flooding back so instead of just crossing it, he tried to diddle his way past Ferdinand, who stands up and gets a foot in to howls of annoyance from the home fans. 27 min: Suarez tries a cute chip into the top-right corner from the edge of the area but his aim is awry. 26 min: Nani wallops a free-kick well over the bar from 35 yards out. Maybe he shouldn't take the set pieces for a while. 25 min: UNITED GET INTO LIVERPOOL'S HALF!!!!!!!! 24 min: "I don't disagree with your assessment of Steven Fletcher, but it's a pity he is either too stupid to too stubborn to admit when he's made a mistake," says Simon McMahon. "Maybe he should give Nick Clegg a call as well as Craig Levein." 23 min: Ferdinand is back on the pitch but he's still limping. That decision to rest Vidic is looking curiouser and curiouser. 21 min: Liverpool continue to turn the screw though and from Van Persie's clearance, Gerrard curls a delicious inswinging cross into the box from the left. Agger collapses with Evans keeping a close hold on him but Mark Halsey says no penalty despite loud appeals. There's a stoppage in play, meanwhile, as Rio Ferdinand gets treatment for an injury. Worryingly United's only defensive option on the bench is the inexperienced left-back Alex Buttner. 20 min: Liverpool have had three corners to United's nice round zero. Gerrard curls it in from the left but Van Persie heads away at the near post. That might be the first time he's touched it. 19 min: A quick look at the possession stats reveals that Liverpool have had 64% of it. But they're yet to turn it into a goal which is, of course, supposedly the object of all this. 17 min: It's all Liverpool. Joe Allen does this really neat thing. He passes the ball to a team-mate. 16 min: You know who would have scored that? Steven Fletcher. What a brilliantly instinctive finisher he is. 14 min: Liverpool are making chances. Liverpool aren't taking chances. What's new? Suarez pierces the shambles masquerading as the United defence with a pass through to Borini. He's clean through on goal and should score but his first touch is utterly dreadful, taking him away from goal. In the end, all he can do is try to turn it across goal but too many United defenders are back. The young Italian gets an earful from Suarez and Gerrard for his sloppiness. Andy Carroll definitely would have scored that. Maybe. 13 min: The buccaneering Johnson tumbles under a challenge from Rafael on the left but Mark Halsey waves away his appeals for a free-kick. He accepts the decision with equanimity. Just as well, seeing as it wasn't a foul. 12 min: "I think Ferguson has dug his heels in on the midfield issue," says Mark Judd. "He knows what everyone else knows but is too stubborn to admit it. Buy Cheik Tiote in January." They do look very lightweight at the moment. Liverpool are the more cohesive side. 9 min: Half of the ground thought this was in. The impressive Sterling won another corner on the right. Shelvey cut the ball back low to Gerrard, whose low drive fizzed past the right post and into the side-netting, creating the illusion that he had beaten Lindegaard. Sadly not. United were nearly caught out in similar fashion by Galatasaray on Wednesay. You'd think they'd be wise to that ruse by now. 7 min: Liverpool win the first corner, United have the first shot. Kagawa finds Giggs on the edge of the area and he cuts across the ball with his left foot - rather like Xavi against Granada last night - and his shot fizzes just past the angle of post and bar. By way of response, Liverpool go right up the other end, Sterling playing a neat pass down the inside-right channel for Suarez. He turns a cross-shot into the area that Lindegaard parries out rather shakily, forcing Rafael to head away from Borini, doing superbly not to score an own goal. Gerrard tries to turn home the rebound but Evans is on hand to boot clear. More please! 6 min: Liverpool win the first corner of the match, Johnson's cross deflected behind by Rafael. They take it short but Gerrard's fine cross is headed away firmly by Rafael. 5 min: Three children at 17 though. 4 min: Young Sterling, the father of three children at the tender age of 17, gets his first chance to run at Patrice Evra. He might be experienced in some regards but he's still a fresh-faced youth on the pitch and Evra quickly steps in to nick the ball off him. 3 min: United are dominating possession in these early stages, albeit without really going anywhere. That's often been the case at Anfield in recent years. 2 min: And now, finally, a roar. "Yup, you're right about United's "lack of a midfield" being the root cause of many of their recent problems at Anfield: see, eg, the game at Anfield in the league in Rafa's otherwise abysmal last season in charge when Lucas simply harried the ball off the ancient Scholes, drove at the United goal and put Kuyt through only for the Dutchman to blast wide in classic Kuyt-style," says SB Tang. "Not sure if Liverpool will be able to make United pay to the requisite degree for starting Giggs in central midfield today though. In the absence of Lucas, we don't have a real terrier in midfield. And United will have the mobile, hardworking Kagawa dropping back to help out when they lose the ball ..." And as You'll Never Walk Alone ends, the game begins. United, in their white shirts and black shorts, kick off. They're attacking the Kop in the first half, though I'm not sure if the Liverpool fans are paying too much attention yet. They're still chanting "Justice for the 96". It's loud but there's an eerie atmosphere around Anfield. Sir Bobby Charlton walks on to the pitch to present flowers to Ian Rush in recognition of the Hillsborough disaster. Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard then release 96 balloons as the Kop bellows "Justice for the 96". The fans in The Kop then hold up a mosaic. The message is simple: "THE TRUTH". HANDSHAKE LATEST: Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez shake hands without any fuss at all. And let that be the end of it. "That Jose Mourinho's a pretty smart bloke; who'd have ever thought Liverpool wouldn't win the league this season because their team isn't good enough," says Rob Moline. "No wonder Florentino Perez was so keen to snap him up. As in... he used to be good value being controversial or just a bit of an idiot, when did he become so bland?" Word is that Nemanja Vidic is being rested. Which is strange. Anyway the teams are in the tunnel. They're both wearing red tracksuit tops. United's has "96" on the back. Out come the players to a strangely muted atmopshere. "That United midfield is absurd," blasts Samuel Scott-Moncrieff. "I'm beginning to think Ferguson's aversion to combative midfielders who might give us an iota of presence at hostile away grounds is psychological. In exchange for one or two ball winners, tacklers, players who won't crumble immediately under the outpouring of Anfield grief, I would gladly do without van Persie. Going to lose today. And yes i know vaguely applicable midfielders are unavailable, Fletcher being ill, Jones injured, Anderson pants etc." Phil Podolsky sends in Jose delivering some home truths for Liverpool. "They're not the best team in the Premiership. Not even close." You can't accuse them of not trying. Brendan Rodgers and Sir Alex Ferguson are doing their interviews with Geoff Shreeves together. What a double act! They could take this show on the road, though it's not clear who's the Morecambe and who's the Wise. For those who think Ryan Giggs will be an irrelevance today, he did produce a fine assist in this fixture last season. Team news. Apart from the absence of the injured Lucas, Liverpool are at full strength in midfield, where Jonjo Shelvey is preferred to Nuri Sahin. For Manchester United, Nemanja Vidic is spared his inevitable Anfield red card by a mystery injury, so Jonny Evans partners Rio Ferdinand in central defence. David De Gea, who was excellent against Galatasaray in midweek, is surprisingly replaced by Anders Lindegaard in goal, while Ryan Giggs will be anonymous in the centre of midfield. Liverpool (4-3-3): Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. Subs: Jones, Enrique, Sahin, Assaidi, Henderson, Carragher, Suso. Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lindegaard; Rafael, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Carrick, Giggs; Valencia, Kagawa, Nani; Van Persie. Subs: De Gea, Anderson, Hernandez, Welbeck, Scholes, Cleverley, Buttner. Referee: Mark Halsey. Let's not talk about that. Or that. Or that. If Gus Fring has taught us nothing else, it is the importance of keeping your dignity so let us hope that everyone on both sides behaves and ensures the football is the focus after the match. After all, it's Liverpool v Manchester United – Liverpool v Manchester United!!! – and we're not here for tiresome debates about chants or handshakes, we're here to talk about football. Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that's why we're all here in the first place. Good. There are probably better sides to be facing when you're still looking for your first league win than Manchester United but that's the challenge facing Liverpool this afternoon. It has not been an easy start to life for Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, for while his side have passed the ball daintily, their approach has not been accompanied by the requisite punch up front, a familiar failing for Liverpool. They have only managed three goals in their first four games and two of those have come from set-pieces, the other from a Titus Bramble assist. Just as worrying are the defensive mistakes and the comedy stylings of Pepe the Clown in goal. Yet Liverpool do come into this game on the back of a hot one-game winning streak, following their ripsnorting 5-3 win over Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday, and they do tend to save their very best form for this fixture. United, who have not made a wholly convincing start to the season, do not like coming to Anfield. It spooks them. In recent years, they have been bullied here, largely because of their lack of a midfield, and they have not won at Liverpool since a Carlos Tevez goal gave them a 1-0 victory in December 2007. If Liverpool can add controlled aggression to their passing game, then United could be in for an uncomfortable afternoon. Having said that Liverpool have won just twice at home in the league this year and United have Robin van Persie up front, while Liverpool have: Kick-off: 1.30pm.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 45 injured in Bauchi car bombing thought to be work of Islamist group Boko Haram A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic church in northern Nigeria as mass was being heard, killing two people and wounding another 45 in a region under assault by an Islamist group, officials said. An Associated Press journalist heard the explosion after 9am on Sunday in the city of Bauchi, which has seen a number of bombings and shootings blamed on the Boko Haram group. The blast appeared to hit a car park alongside St John's church. Police and military surrounded the church and did not allow journalists inside the cordon. Later at a nearby hospital, the Bauchi deputy police commissioner, T Stevens, said the bomber had been stopped at the church's gate, where he detonated the explosives packed inside his car. Doctors warned that more could die from their injuries. "The situation has been brought under control," Stevens said. "We have our men minding all areas." Stevens said no group or individual had claimed responsibility for the attack, though suspicion immediately fell on Boko Haram. The group, whose name means "western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language of Nigeria's north, has been waging an increasingly bloody fight against the weak central government. More than 680 people have died in drive-by killings and bombings blamed on Boko Haram this year alone, according to an AP count. Boko Haram has demanded the release of all its captive members and has called for strict sharia law to be implemented across the country. The sect has used suicide car bombs against churches in the past, including a 2011 Christmas Day attack on a Catholic church in Madalla which, along with assaults elsewhere in the country, killed at least 44 people. An unclaimed car bombing at Easter in Kaduna killed at least 38 people on a busy road after it was reportedly turned away from a church. Attacks against churches by Boko Haram have waned in recent weeks. Nigeria's military claimed it killed the group's spokesman and a commander outside the city of Kano on 17 September, potentially shaking up an organisation that has continued its attacks despite a tighter military presence in northern cities. The killing of senior leaders comes as the group recently changed some of its tactics and attacked more than 30 mobile phone towers throughout northern Nigeria, disrupting communications in a nation reliant on mobiles. On Saturday night the military conducted door-to-door searches in the northern cities of Damaturu and Potiskum, areas hard-hit by Boko Haram that are now under a 24-hour curfew.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nepalese authorities say nine climbers dead and another four missing after avalanche at Mount Manaslu in Himalayas An avalanche swept away climbers and their camps on the world's eighth highest mountain in north-western Nepal on Sunday, killing at least nine, with another four missing, police said. Police inspector Basant Mishra said the bodies of a German climber and a Nepali guide were recovered from the snow on the 8,163-metre (26,781-ft) Mount Manaslu, about 60 miles north-west of Kathmandu. "Rescue pilots have spotted seven other bodies on the mountain," Mishra said. At least five injured people had been rescued by helicopters and flown to Kathmandu, he said. The accident took place at 7,000 metres, making it difficult for land rescue teams to reach. Helicopters were dispatched to the remote area to look for those missing after the early morning accident, but cloud and fog were complicating rescue efforts, Mishra said. Details of the avalanche and the nationality of the missing climbers were not clear. Hundreds of foreign climbers flock every year to Himalayan peaks in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. September marks the beginning of the autumn climbing season. In the last major accident in the area, at least 42 people including 17 foreigners, were killed in heavy snowfall in the Mount Everest region in 1995.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Only 43% of French voters are happy with the Socialist president – down 11 percentage points since he took office François Hollande's popularity has plummeted just four months after he took office, according to the latest opinion poll. The survey found only 43% of French voters were happy with the Socialist president. The drop of 11 percentage points is one of the worst for a leader in more than 50 years since the start of the fifth republic. The poll by the Ifop organisation for the Journal du Dimanche found 56% of those asked said they were not happy with the president. The Ifop findings were backed up by two other opinion polls. Asked about his disastrous ratings during a press conference with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, on Saturday, Hollande replied: "I ask to be judged on results and these will take time. "We find ourselves in a difficult situation in Europe. There's a crisis, weak growth, unemployment … my duty is to ensure that by the end of my mandate France is in a better state than it was at the beginning." He added that the start of a presidential mandate was always "a time when expectations were high". "During a term in office there are highs and lows, but what counts is that the goal is set as well as the means to achieve it, and the force we put into getting results," he added. Frédéric Dabi, the deputy director general of Ifop, said increased taxes and Hollande's plan to give foreigner residents the right to vote in local elections were the main reasons given by those polled for their dissatisfaction with Hollande. Hollande went on television a fortnight ago to restate his intention to introduce a 75% "supertax" band for those earning more than €1m a year. Only Charles de Gaulle in 1962 and his Gaullist successor Jacques Chirac in 2005 suffered a greater fall in popularity. De Gaulle lost 13 percentage points after the Evian Accords that put an end to the war in Algeria and led to the former French colony's independence. Chirac's popularity fell by 12 points after the French voted against the European constitution.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Lance Bombardier Lynette Pearce, who reportedly did not know she was pregnant, flies to UK after having baby in Camp Bastion A British servicewoman who gave birth while serving in Afghanistan is back in the UK with her baby, it has been reported. Lance Bombardier Lynette Pearce – who is understood to have been unaware of her pregnancy – was rushed to the base's infirmary with stomach pains on Tuesday. The baby is thought to have been born five weeks premature in Camp Bastion's £10m field hospital. The Ministry of Defence earlier confirmed "a specialist paediatric retrieval team" had been sent to provide care on the flight home. The MoD has not confirmed where the new mother and baby are, but it is believed they are in the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. The 28-year-old servicewoman, who serves with the Royal Artillery, is reported to have left her home country of Fiji last year to fulfil her dream of serving in the British army. The keen sportswoman, who captained her national football team, is the daughter of a former police officer in the Fijian town of Nadi. She had reportedly passed every fitness test while pregnant and completed all training, including a gruelling eight-mile march with a 11kg (25lb) backpack.
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