POSTCARD FROM POPRAD with Eric Wiltsher in Poprad, Slovakia Leigh Banks, United Kingdom Rachel Brunsden, Queensland

Date: 05 July 2013

Real gone kids

A military funeral for Drummer Lee Rigby is to take place in Greater Manchester on 12 July. Drummer Rigby, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was killed near his army barracks in Woolwich, south- east London, in May. The funeral will be a private service at Bury Parish Church, broadcast to outsiders via a PA system, an MoD spokesman said. Two men are due to go on trial in November accused of his murder. The body of the soldier, from Middleton near Manchester, will be brought in to the church for a vigil the day before the funeral takes place, it is understood. A parade of drummers will escort the cortege shortly after 16:00 BST on 11 July, to be met by a guard of honour of 40 soldiers drawn from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The chaplain of 2nd Battalion of Royal Regiment of Fusiliers will conduct a service for the family. The body will be guarded overnight by members of his regiment.

Brosnan tragedy Pierce Brosnan has paid tribute to his daughter Charlotte, who has died of ovarian cancer, aged 41. In a statement Brosnan said his "darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life" on June 28. It is the same cancer that killed her mother, Cassandra Harris, who was Brosnan's first wife. "Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our beautiful dear girl," he said. "Charlotte fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity." Brosnan adopted Charlotte and her brother Christopher after their father died in 1986. Cassandra Harris died in 1990 at age 43. Charlotte had been suffering from the disease for three years

All that jazz over American jazz pianist Paul Smith, who recorded with stars including Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Dizzy Gillespie, has died aged 91. Smith died of heart failure on Saturday, his publicist Alan Eichler told the Los Angeles Times. Smith began studying classical piano when he was eight and joined a professional band in his teens. He released his first album, Liquid Sounds, in 1954, going on to record more than 60 records. During his long career he accompanied many performers, including Sammy Davis Jr, Doris Day and the Andrews Sisters.

Mouse man dies The inventor of the computer mouse, Doug Engelbart, has died aged 88. Engelbart developed the tool in the 1960s as a wooden shell covering two metal wheels, patenting it long before the mouse's widespread use. He also worked on early incarnations of email, word processing and video teleconferences at a California research institute. The state's Computer History Museum was notified of his death by his daughter, Christina, in an email. Her father had been in poor health and died peacefully on Tuesday night in his sleep, she said. Doug Engelbart was born on 30 January 1925 in Portland, Oregon, to a radio repairman father and a housewife mother.

Irish singer and actress Bernie Nolan has died aged 52 after a long battle with cancer, her publicist confirmed. The former lead vocalist of The Nolans was told in 2010 she was clear of breast cancer but last year discovered it had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones. A spokeswoman for the family said: "Bernie passed away peacefully this morning with all of her family around her. "The entire family are devastated to have lost beloved Bernie, a wonderful wife, adoring mother and loving sister; she is irreplaceable. "They kindly ask people to respect their privacy at this difficult time."

Enter The Dragon Actor Jim Kelly Dies Aged 67 Kelly became well known for his one-liners and fight scenes as Williams in the 1973 classic. Marilyn Dishman, Kelly’s ex-wife said he died on Saturday at his home in California. His other films included Three The Hard Way, Black Belt Jones and Black Samurai. But it was Enter The Dragon that was his most iconic film. Directed by Robert Clouse, it starred Bruce Lee, Kelly and John Saxon. This was Bruce Lee’s final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973. The film was released six days later in Hong Kong. Kelly started studying martial arts in 1964 in Kentucky and later moved to California. In the 1980s, Kelly re-trained as a professional tennis coach. He told the LA Times in a 2010 interview: "I never left the movie business. It's just that after a certain point, I didn't get the type of projects that I wanted to do. "I still get at least three scripts per year, but most of them don't put forth a positive image. "There's nothing I really want to do, so I don't do it. If it happens, it happens, but if not, I'm happy with what I've accomplished."

Safety Warning for UK Emergency services advise warm-weather revellers on staying safe as Britain's summer temperatures start to climb. Britons set to enjoy the highest temperatures of the year this weekend are being urged to stay safe by the emergency services charged with saving those who get into trouble. Much of England is due to feel the benefits of an area of high pressure moving up from across the south west from today. Parts of Scotland and much of Wales will also enjoy the year's warmest day to date, as temperatures hit the mid-to-late 20s. Forecasters predicted highs of up to 29C (84F) in London and the south east of England on Sunday, with the weekend's Wimbledon finals likely to be in for a balmy few days. But emergency services fear it could be a busy weekend for them and are urging those enjoying the outdoors to take extra care to avoid getting into trouble. Pip Hare, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) coastal safety manager, said: "With the school holidays about to start and the weather set to get better, it's likely people will want to make the most of it and head to the beach. "The RNLI's advice is to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, which is the area most closely monitored by the lifeguards." Those using other beaches should check the weather and tide times, and follow the advice shown on safety signs at the beach entrance, she said. They also advise protecting yourself from the sun, advising people to "slip, slap, slop – slip on a T-shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some suncream" and drink plenty of fluids. The RNLI have worked with the Met Office to produce a video about staying safe on the beach, and have a beach finder mobile app available. Forecasters say the fine weather is likely to continue through the coming week and into next weekend.

Brits' Luggage Worth Over £2,500 Holidaying Britons are packing more valuables in their luggage and risk losing thousands of pounds worth of goods due to travel insurance that doesn't cover the most valuable items. Many people are now packing their cases with items worth more than £2,500. That can add up to more than three times the cost of the actual holiday itself, according to a new poll by travel insurance firm LV=. But as many as 16% of holidaymakers still travel without insurance or having covered their personal belongings against theft. Vanessa Chance, an insurance expert at LV=, told Sky News: "The goods that are being taken have changed. Now there are more, smaller high-value electronic goods being taken. "That's what's making up the bulk of theft claims because they're are very easy to sell on. "We know that thieves will target certain brands because there is a ready market there to buy them." Many people don't realise that travel insurance doesn't always cover these types of personal belongings, Ms Chance added. She advises travellers to keep cash and other valuables on them, rather than packing them away in luggage. On average, Brits take £700 of gadgets on trips, including cameras, iPads, phones, and laptops. Clothes and shoes taken on holiday are often worth as much as £400, accessories and jewellery come to £350 and even toiletries taken on trips can be worth around £100. One in six travellers also pack cash into checked-in luggage but valuables in hold baggage are never covered on travel insurance, the LV= report shows. Children also take items worth hundreds of pounds away with them. A child's suitcase is now worth on average £550, according to the research. Half a million Britons have had items of luggage stolen while away. Gadgets, sunglasses and jewellery are among the things stolen the most from holidaymakers. The research suggests that the value of goods in suitcases and hand luggage has risen 67% over the past five years. Yet many holidaymakers don't use everything they pack and 17% of travellers pay for excess baggage - charges which have totalled £412m over the past five years, according to the report.

New UK Police Investigation into Maddy Case Scotland Yard targets 12 British suspects in new investigation into disappearance of Madeleine McCann as top detectives says there is no evidence to suggest she is dead • Police are convinced the three-year-old was abducted by a stranger • They have uncovered no evidence to suggest she has been murdered • Launching a new investigation, officers say 12 of suspects are from UK • Parents Gerry and Kate McCann along with their travelling friends known as the 'Tapas Nine' are not suspects • The decision to launch a full criminal inquiry on foreign soil is with few precedents in the history of British policing • Suspects include Urs Hans von Aesch who abducted and killed five-year-old Ylenia Lenhard less than three months after Madeleine was taken • Von Aesch took his own life after killing his victim who looked like Madeleine

All Hail The Sainsbury girl who said NO! Nick Clegg has expressed "sneaking sympathy" for the Sainsbury's checkout girl who refused to serve a customer until she stopped talking on her mobile phone. Jo Clarke, a 26-year-old property manager, was refused service unless she ended her phone conversation but she won an apology from Sainsbury's, which also gave her free vouchers. "I strongly suspect I have spoken on the phone in a queue. I like to think I probably wouldn't do that at the front of a check-inqueue," Clegg said during his weekly LBC radio phone-in show. "If the customer was not responding, then the checkout woman couldn't do her job and she's perfectly well entitled to ask 'well do you want it or not?' "I have a sneaking sympathy for her. But I understand Sainsbury's have to be on the side of their customers." The deputy prime minister expressed unease with the way mobile phones were changing the way people communicated with each other in person. "I have sat in numerous meeting where people don't look each other in the eye, they drop in and out the conversation," he said.

Boring, the new UK channel for Rach and Leigh starts Monday – ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Chinese Twins Reunited After 41 Years Twin brothers, separated as babies, have been reunited after more than 40 years following a chance encounter in China's Sichuan province. In late June, a friend of Chengdu resident Zeng Yong, 41, said he had met a man in the city of Neijiang, 200km away, whom he claimed was identical to Mr Zeng. Mr Zeng, a hotelier, travelled to Neijiang, home to close to four million people, to see the man for himself. Amazingly, on meeting Liu Yonggang, a junior manager at the city’s bus company, he realised he was his long-lost twin brother. Due to their parents' poverty, the pair had been put up for adoption in 1972 when only a few months old. They were taken by different families. Since being reunited, the brothers have tracked down their estranged 74-year-old mother on July 3.

Sir Bruce: Glasto Gig 'Not Full Of Oldies' Sir Bruce Forsyth says his Glastonbury performance was full of young people and denies he was booked to appeal to a middle-aged audience at the festival. "That is completely untrue," the 85-year-old told Sky News. "I asked the audience - because I was very intrigued about this - the bulk of my audience yesterday was between 20 and 30. "Lots of 40s, 50s - not that many, 60s none, 70s. I go right through the whole age thing, I do an age thing in my spot. "I was thrilled when I found out the bulk of the audience was 20 and 30-year-olds," said the entertainer. Sir Bruce performed a one-hour set made up of song, dance and his trademark comedy quips and catchphrases - and even summoned four members of the audience to help him on one number. Police were forced to close the Avalon field for 20 minutes such was the demand for his Sunday afternoon performance. "It was one of the most exciting days," said the Strictly Come Dancing host, whose showbiz career goes back more than 70 years. "The 20 and 30-year-olds, they haven't seen me as a performer. They've seen me as a host of Strictly and other things I've done but they don't see me as a performer. "That's why I love getting up there. I'm a stage-struck old fool and I just love it." The Rolling Stones and Kenny Rogers were two other veteran acts that also appeared to go down well with crowds of all ages at the Somerset festival. The Stones' performance in particular picked up glowing reviews from critics. London folk rockers Mumford & Sons brought the curtain down on the event, which this year saw 180,000 fans enjoying unusually sunny weather. The four-piece, who have enjoyed massive success in the US, played a 90-minute set from their two hit albums and ended with a rendition of A Little Help From My Friends, featuring the likes of Vampire Weekend and The Vaccines. Their headline spot came just weeks after bassist Ted Dwane had surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain. Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys headlined the main stage on the first day of the festival and other popular names at the event included Chase & Status, Rita Ora, Primal Scream, the xx, and Elvis Costello. Organiser Michael Eavis has said the festival will be back next year, with headliners already booked.

Ohio Sinkhole Swallows Car And Driver A giant sinkhole has swallowed a car and its driver as she travelled along a street in northwest Ohio. Pamela Knox was briefly trapped in the huge chasm that emerged on the road in Toledo, which police say may have been caused by a broken water mains pipe. Police say the stricken driver managed to climb out of the 10ft-deep hole after authorities gave her a ladder. The 60-year-old was not said to have been hurt but was shaken up and taken to a hospital as a precaution. Toledo police Sergeant Joe Heffernan said she saw the vehicle in front of her start to slip into the hole, but drive beyond it. He said Ms Knox was unable to prevent her own car falling in. Officials used a crane to pull the vehicle from the hole. Repairs to the road are expected to take days.

House Of Lords Refurb Toilets to cost £100,000 The men's and women's lavatories in the House of Lords are in "unacceptable condition for the high profile area they are in", according to an advert inviting contractors to bid for the work. The rooms are not the only toilets in the building and are not particularly big, with one cubicle and two urinals in the men's toilets and one cubicle plus a hand basin in the women's. However, the costs will not be helped by the fact that the work must comply with English Heritage requirements for Grade I listed buildings. It includes replacing "historic oak panelling", minor demolition work, new decorations and new sanitary equipment. The toilets - used by peers, staff and visitors from delegations from overseas parliaments - were built in 1937. They have reached the "end of their serviceable life" and give a "poor image" of the Palace of Westminster, the tender document adds. Twelve companies have expressed an interest in carrying out the work and a House of Lords spokesman said the winner of the contract would be chosen "with a determined focus on value for money for the taxpayer". Taxpayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair said the sums involved were "eye-watering". "A family could afford to build themselves a home for this much cash," he said. "The parliamentary authorities need to ensure refurbishments to the estate provide value for taxpayers' money." The work, which will ensure the toilets in the Salisbury Room area comply with disability access legislation, is estimated to take six weeks. The last revamp took place more than 20 years ago, and the contract is valued by the House of Commons authorities at between £90,000 and £100,000.

Jamie Oliver's Ministry Of Food Temp Shut Down Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food centre has been temporarily shut down for the "welfare of staff and the public". The TV chef opened the flagship Rotherham centre in 2008 as part of a television series of the same name. It provides regular cooking workshops and also has a cafe. The local authority said the closure followed health and safety concerns raised by the staff and their trade union. "There are no issues relating to the safety or quality of the food produced and sold," a spokesman for Rotherham Borough Council said. "Five years after the Ministry of Food launched in Rotherham, it is appropriate that this assessment takes place to ensure the service continues to meet its main objectives of encouraging local people to cook and eat healthy food and providing training activities in local communities." Oliver chose Rotherham for the project after a row with local parents, who were filmed posting fast food and fizzy drinks to pupils through the fence at Rawmarsh Comprehensive School. The parents claimed they were rebelling against Oliver's healthy eating campaign. He reacted by using the town as a base for his 2008 television series. The centre is run by seven members of staff, along with volunteers. Other outlets were later set up in Bradford, Leeds, Newcastle, Alnwick and east London. A statement from the Ministry of Food said: "(On Wednesday) Rotherham Borough Council confirmed that the town's Ministry of Food Centre has had to temporarily close to allow for a review of the All Saints' Square premises. "Rotherham Borough Council are working with the Jamie Oliver Foundation so that the centre can reopen at the earliest opportunity."

Where’s your credit card? NHS Celebrates its 65th Birthday this week. The Health Secretary, I’m afraid, is trying to use a tiny sticking plaster to treat a patient who is suffering from life-threatening injuries. In a bid to tackle health tourism, Jeremy Hunt has proposed that non-EU nationals coming to England for more than six months should be charged £200 a year to access NHS treatment. He has also suggested charging tourists for GP access, and improving the way in which hospitals reclaim costs from EU patients. While these proposals are a step in the right direction, they are woefully inadequate, given the scale of the problem. Health tourists are people who visit the UK with pre-existing illnesses, with the sole purpose of accessing free NHS care. I don’t mean patients who have accidents or suffer from unforeseen illnesses while visiting the UK. I am talking about people who arrive here suffering from cancer, for example, or who are HIV-positive. Also, people who come to Britain seeking renal dialysis or medical help with a complex pregnancy. In other words, they’re looking for specialist and expensive treatment and they travel to the UK to receive it without having to pay for it. They are able to go to a GP and are given a unique and permanent NHS number, which they are then usually able to use to get free hospital care. Of course, that care is not actually free — it’s paid for by you and me, the UK’s taxpayers. No one knows exactly what health tourists cost the NHS annually. The Prime Minister has suggested the sum is £20 million a year. Mr Hunt has previously bandied around a figure of £200 million.

Even standing up it’s all OVER Leigh’s head, this Geek Stuff The UK population has been divided into five personality types based on their love, or hate, for technology The groups include Tech Rich, Social Addict, TV Worshippers, Quality Seekers and Price Pragmatists Geek calculator asks 10 questions about gadgets and lifestyle to detemine which group you belong to, with 'TV Worshipper' the most common Are you obsessed with the latest technology and have a burning desire to own every new device? Or are you a prolific Tweeter or TV addict? A new study has divided the nation into five personality types based on the technology they own and their lifestyle choices. The company behind the research has also created The Great British Geek Calculator so you can discover which group you belong to. The study also found that the UK has become a nation of geeks, spending more than £50 billion a year on technology products such as phones, tablets, TVs, laptops and other devices. Technology advertising spend is also on the increase - at £1.5 billion in 2012, up from £1.4 billion in 2011. And the authors say it is now technology ownership and lifestyle choices - rather than standard demographics and our age - which determines how we fit into the so-called Tech Nation. The study, which was a joint project between marketing firm Newsworks and Kantar Media, surveyed 24,000 people to get their attitudes to technology, the devices they own, how they make decisions about purchases and media consumption. The UK's five tech types, according to the study, include the Tech Rich group, which makes up 19 per cent of adults in the the UK. These people are 'affluent high spenders' with the highest levels of tech ownership and account for over a third of all technology bought in the UK. Women make up 40 per cent of this group and 70 per cent of them are over 35. Social Addicts - 18 per cent of adults - think that mobile is essential; they can't do without mobile communication. This group has the highest ownership of mobile devices including MP3s (95 per cent), laptops (91 per cent), games consoles (77 per cent), smartphones (79 per cent). Almost half are over 35 years old. The Price Pragmatists don’t own many tech devices and aren't interested in technology. They make up 21 per cent of UK adults and will seek out offers and deals when they do decide to buy. Some 17 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds are Price Pragmatists.

Home Sweet Home for Convicts Offenders in England and Wales will be moved to prisons near where they live before they are released, under plans announced by the Ministry of Justice. So-called resettlement jails, aimed at cutting re-offending, will house most male prisoners from autumn 2014. There are plans for 70 such prisons, with a trial of the new system planned in north-west England later this year. The justice secretary said the current system was "hopeless"; Labour queried how the changes would be funded. Under the plans, existing facilities in England and Wales would become resettlement prisons. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said it would mean those in jail could start "working towards their rehabilitation" from the moment they were imprisoned. Prisoners serving 12 months or under would serve all of their time in a resettlement prison and receive a "tailored package of supervision and support" on their release.

British Airways Adds Airbus A380 To Fleet The world's largest passenger plane flew into Heathrow airport as British Airways became the first UK airline to add the aircraft to its fleet. Partly built and designed in the UK and powered by Rolls-Royce engines, the double-decker Airbus A380 will carry 469 passengers at a speed of up to 587mph. The plane was handed over to BA at the French company Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse and flown to London where it was greeted by hundreds of flag-waving staff. BA chief executive Keith Williams said: "The A380 is a fantastic aircraft and an excellent showpiece for British engineering. Our customers are going to love the space, light and comfort on board." It stands at 24 metres high, is 72 metres long and compared to the Boeing 747 jumbo jet it has wings that are 50% bigger, has 50% more floor space and is 50% quieter on take-off. The superjumbo has a range of 9,500 miles, is covered in three layers of paint weighing about 500kg and contains so much wiring that if it was laid out end to end, it would stretch from Edinburgh to London. Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "I am proud that around 40% of this iconic aircraft is made in the UK by a range of aerospace manufacturers of all sizes - from our large global companies through to small enterprises. "With its Rolls-Royce Trent engines and state-of-the-art wings, the A380 slashes travel emissions while boosting efficiency." BA has already received two Boeing 787 Dreamliners and by 2016 will have a total of 12 superjumbos in its fleet. The huge aircraft are already in wide use across the globe, with more than 100 deliveries having been made to world airlines including Air France, Emirates and Qantas. The Airbus A380's first commercial long-haul flight for BA to Los Angeles in September will come almost five years after Singapore Airlines became the first carrier to operate the plane. Prices start from £621 return and go up to £3,799 for a first class ticket.

Apple has applied for a trademark for 'iWatch' in Japan A patent official confirmed the application, which was submitted on June 3 and released on the Japan Patent Office website on June 27. If successful, it would cover computers, computer peripherals and wristwatches. It is unclear how long the approval process might take. Apple boss Tim Cook told a gathering of tech and media executives a month ago that wearable devices were "ripe for exploration". However, he added he was not yet completely convinced about the mass appeal of such products. Google is some way down the road with wearable technology, with its Google Glass head-mounted device set to go on sale early next year. An Android-based watch is also reported to be high on the company's agenda. Samsung has also confirmed that it is working on a 'smart-watch'. While Apple's trademark application does not mean a product will definitely emerge, technology watchers believe it is indeed working on such a product. In February, the New York Times quoted sources who claimed Apple was experimenting with a curved design. Apple's last major new product was the iPad in 2010 and the company is under pressure to maintain its reputation for innovation in the face of increased competition and a share price that has slumped 25% this year. The company has not yet commented on the latest reports.

Unite Union Has 'No Trust' In Labour The general secretary of Unite says he has "no trust" in the Labour leadership - despite the union being the party's biggest donor. Len McCluskey's comments follow a row over the selection of candidates in Falkirk, which has seen Ed Miliband's chief election coordinator resign and two party members suspended. In an incendiary letter to Labour's general secretary, Mr McCluskey said a party inquiry into claims the union tried to stitch up candidate selection was a "disgrace" and demanded an independent inquiry. "I ... am obliged to uphold the integrity of Unite, and I can no longer do so on the basis of going along with the activities of a Labour Party administration in which I can place no trust," Mr McCluskey wrote. "I will therefore be publicly proposing that an independent inquiry be held into all circumstances relating to Falkirk CLP and the conduct of all parties involved." Mr MrCluskey also complained that he had not been shown the "flimsy" internal inquiry report which he said "has been used to smear Unite and its members". "Even if the allegations of people being signed up to the party without their knowledge were true, this had nothing whatsoever to do with my union," he said. "It is noteworthy that members of the shadow cabinet have been in the lead in initiating this attack upon Unite. Have they had sight of this report while I, the leader of the union put in the frame, has not had the courtesy of a copy?" Unite would "co-operate fully" with an independent investigation and "draw appropriate conclusions from any findings regarding our own behaviour", he said. "I trust that you will support such an inquiry, will direct all Labour Party employees to cooperate with it and encourage other individuals to do likewise," he added. His letter further stirs up the seething dispute over allegations that Unite crammed the constituency party with 100 or more members whose subscriptions were paid by the union, some of them without their knowledge. Tom Watson stepped down as Labour's deputy chairman and left the shadow cabinet on Thursday, saying that he was quitting to safeguard "the unity of the party". In his resignation letter, Mr Watson revealed that he offered to resign on Tuesday, but was asked by Mr Miliband - to whom he said he remained loyal and considered could be an "outstanding" prime minister - to "reconsider". As he fought to control the crisis, Mr Miliband announced he was suspending two members of the Falkirk party - constituency chairman Stephen Deans and Karie Murphy, Mr Watson's office manager who was Unite's favoured candidate for the seat. Labour said that there were allegations that the pair may have been involved in a breach of Labour Party rules relating to "potential abuse of membership rules". Mr Miliband also said he was ending the Union Join scheme, established in the Blair era, under which trade unions encouraged their members to join the party and were allowed to pay their subs for the first year. In a direct challenge to Unite, Mr Miliband said he would not allow abuses of membership or selection in "my party". "I am incredibly angry about what's happened in Falkirk because I feel that the good name of Labour Party members, trade union members and the Labour Party have been besmirched by the behaviour of a few individuals," he said. "That's why we suspended the local party, that's why we have now suspended two individuals and that's why we are also clear that we are closing down the scheme that allowed this abuse to happen. "I want to be very clear about this: I am not going to have abuse of membership procedures, of parliamentary selections, in my party. "That is very clear and I want to be clear about that for the leadership of Unite the Union in particular." Conservatives have capitalised on the Falkirk row, with David Cameron repeatedly goading Mr Miliband in the Commons on Thursday over the influence allegedly wielded by Unite, which has donated more than £8m to Labour since he became leader. And the Trade Union Reform Campaign - a pressure group backed by several Tory MPs - wrote to the trade union Certification Officer demanding an investigation into what it claimed was fraud in Falkirk.

UK Firm Rejects Ecuador Embassy Bugging Claim A UK surveillance firm has rejected an accusation that it bugged the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The country's foreign minister Ricardo Patino says the microphone found hidden in the Ecuadorian ambassador's office in June was planted there by The Surveillance Group Ltd - one of the largest private investigative companies in the United Kingdom. "Inside the spy microphone is a SIM card for a mobile telephone that belongs to a telecommunications company from the country, the type that can be activated from a mobile or landline connection," Mr Patino told a news conference in Quito. "With a simple call to the number of the SIM card, a call is made and it automatically answers, setting off a listening mode and the transmission of information captured by this device during the call." He claims the hidden microphone was planted to listen to the conversations of Ecuador's UK ambassador Ana Alban, and has asked the British Government to help investigate. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We have received a request for assistance from the Ecuadorian Government and we are in the process of considering it." Responding to the allegation that it was behind the bugging, the chief executive of Surveillance Group Ltd Timothy Young said: "We have this morning heard an accusation, the source of which is apparently Ricardo Patino, the Ecuadorian foreign minister suggesting that we have bugged the Ecuadorian embassy. "This is completely untrue. The Surveillance Group do not and have never been engaged in any activities of this nature. "We have not been contacted by any member of the Ecuadorian government and our first notification about this incident was via the press this morning. This is a wholly untrue assertion."

App-Controlled Budget Hotel Concept To Launch

Whitbread Launches New Hotel Concept

WHITBREAD LAUNCHES NEW HOTEL CONCEPT

‘hub by Premier Inn’ Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel group, is delighted to announce the launch of its new hotel concept, ‘hub by Premier Inn’. The new concept will target major UK city centres such as London and Edinburgh, with the first ‘hub by Premier Inn’ to open on St. Martin’s Lane in London in summer 2014. ‘hub by Premier Inn’ is a new generation of compact, city centre hotel with ingenious, contemporary room design and excellent connectivity that will offer good value for money and appeal to customers who value price, location and design over space. At 11.4 sq.m a ‘hub’ room is compact, and thanks to its innovative design every centimetre is optimised with a desk that folds into the Hypnos pocket-sprung bed, luggage storage under the bed, an en suite bathroom with power shower, free wifi and a 40” inch smart screen TV. ‘hub by Premier Inn’ will be the UK’s first hotel with its own app, letting customers control their hotel experience. The ‘hub’ app means customers can book and check in online, as well as pre-select their room temperature and light settings. They can even choose which TV or radio channel they want playing in their room when they arrive and stream content from their phone or tablet direct to their TV. When it comes to drinking and dining, ‘hub by Premier Inn’ will have its own deli-style restaurant with plans to source produce from local suppliers. Guests will be able to pre-order breakfast using their ‘hub’ app. Patrick Dempsey, Managing Director, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants commented, “Premier Inn has played a leading role in shaping the budget hotel market and we believe ‘hub’ will do the same for a new generation of compact city centre hotels. ‘hub’ will work in tandem with Premier Inn, appealing to more price sensitive customers seeking quality accommodation in the heart of a city. It will enable us to broaden our customer appeal and further strengthen our competitive edge.” Whitbread has secured five sites (around 1,000 rooms) to open in the next three years and is targeting to have around 40 ‘hub by Premier Inn’ hotels (6,000 rooms) opened or in the pipeline by 2018. ‘hub by Premier Inn’ will have 25% lower build and operating costs compared to a Central London Premier Inn, and its smaller room format gives access to a broader range of buildings in city centres. Andy Harrison, CEO, Whitbread PLC said, “‘hub by Premier Inn’ will reinforce the achievement of our 75,000 UK rooms milestone by 2018 and provide us with another exciting new growth platform. With substantial operating and commercial synergies from the Premier Inn network, we are confident that ‘hub’ will deliver good returns for our shareholders.” Over two years in the making, ‘hub’ has been shaped by customers. Since June 2012, five prototype rooms have been on sale every night at the Premier Inn Kings Cross and during that time 1,825 guests have given individual feedback on everything from having two showerheads, (one on the wall so customers can avoid getting their hair wet) to the high absorbency, fast-drying micro fibre towels meaning no more soaking wet towels hanging around the bathroom for hours. The result has been seven iterations of the ‘hub’ experience to ensure it reflects all key customer needs. * ‘hub by Premier Inn’ committed pipeline:

St Martin's Lane - 167 beds, Autumn 2014 Goodge Street - 179 beds, early 2015 Great Tower St - 119 beds, early 2015 Spitalfields - 185 beds, early 2015 Kings Cross - 408 beds, early 2016

Whitbread says most 'hub' rooms will have windows

Talking Train Windows A German firm is proposing to transmit adverts via train windows so that the sound appears to "come from inside the user's head" when passengers lean against them. The idea would use bone conduction technology, a technique that transmits sound to the inner ear by passing vibrations through the skull. The concept has been developed by ad agency BBDO Germany on behalf of broadcaster Sky Deutschland. It is already proving controversial. Comments posted under a video showing off the concept include "This is a violation to a person's right to rest" and "I think I'd take a sledgehammer to the window." Streamed video The Talking Window campaign idea was shown off at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes last month.

A woman had to make a rather embarrassing call to police after getting stuck in a charity donation bin. Hot on the heels of a police list of the most embarrassing 999 calls from the past 12 months, the red-faced woman was forced to ring for assistance last Saturday. ‘We received a call from a lady that was actually stuck in a donation bin,’ explained fire chief Brian Stanaland. The woman, who has not been named, became stuck after she dropped a tennis bracelet in the bin and jumped in after it. ‘I came down here and was kind of looking around, looking around, looking around and I got inside it,’ she told police in the US state of Oklahoma. ‘And I have MS so it doesn’t take much before I start really cramping up and hurting you know. And I can’t get out.’ She was eventually rescued by officers after a couple of hours in the bin, although it is unclear if she found the bracelet.

How Gull-ible is the Post Office Petrified postmen are refusing to deliver letters to a seaside cul-de-sac after coming under attack from aggressive dive-bombing seagulls. Postal workers dropping off mail at the street in Perranporth, Cornwall, have been targeted by the swooping birds pecking at their heads. Royal Mail has declared the street off-limits after a postwoman was injured by a seagull as she attempted to deliver mail to residents in Liskey Hill Crescent. The birds are apparently angered by the postal workers’ brightly-coloured uniforms and have also launched aerial onslaughts on children and dog walkers to protect their nests. Elderly resident Jackie Bray, who has lived on the crescent for 35 years, said the lack of service was unacceptable. ‘I’m waiting for a hip operation and now I have to go to the post office every day to collect my mail,’ explained the 67-year-old. ‘It’s a service that we pay for, a service we are not getting. We have to put up with the seagulls so why can’t they? They should man up, buy a hard helmet and deal with it.’

TUNE IN VIA

Will You Be Next

or http://audioboo.fm/tag/rti RTIcast Ustream

Also available from these quality stations, TalkRadioX and Replay Radio