Fruit flies offer DNA clue to why women live longer

Scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men - by studying fruit flies.

Fruit flies can give clues to what
happens in other species

Writing in Current Biology, they focus on mutations in mitochondrial DNA - the power source of cells.

Mitochondria are inherited only from mothers, never from fathers, so there is no way to weed out mutations that damage a male's prospects.

But one ageing expert said there were many factors that explained the gender difference in life expectancy.

By the age of 85, there are approximately six women for every four men in the UK, and by 100 the ratio is more than two to one.

And females outlive males in many other species.

'No effect' on females

In the research, experts from Australia's Monash University and the UK's Lancaster University analysed the mitochondria of 13 different groups of male and female fruit flies.

Mitochondria, which exist in almost all animal cells, convert food into the energy that powers the body.

Dr Damian Dowling, of Monash University who was one of the researchers, said the results point to numerous mutations within mitochondrial DNA that affect how long males live, and the speed at which they age.

"Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of ageing in females," he said.

"All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species.

"Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male ageing across the animal kingdom."

They suggest this is because there is no evolutionary reason for the faults that affect males to be picked up - because mitochondria are passed down by females.

Dr Dowling added: "If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed.

"Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed."

Tom Kirkwood, professor of ageing at Newcastle University said the paper was "intriguing".

He said: "It may be it does tell us something rather important about mitochondria and the difference between male and female fruit flies.

"And we know that mitochondria are important for ageing in a number of species.

"But I certainly don't think this is a discovery that explains why women live five-to-six years longer than men.

"There are other things we know also count - lifestyle, social and behavioural factors. But the biggest difference in biology is that we have different hormones."

Facebook has more than 83 million illegitimate accounts

Facebook has said it believes there are now more than 83 million illegitimate accounts on the social network.

Advertising is Facebook's main revenue stream

In company filings published this week, it said 8.7% of its 955 million active accounts broke its rules.

Duplicate profiles - belonging to already registered users - made up 4.8% of its membership figure.

User-misclassified accounts amounted to 2.4% - including personal profiles for businesses or pets - while 1.5% of users were described as "undesirable".

The estimate comes at a time of growing concern about the effectiveness of marketing on the platform.

Facebook defined duplicates as "an account that a user maintains in addition to his or her principal account."

It said profiles were "user-misclassified" if "users have created personal profiles for a business, organisation, or non-human entity such as a pet".

It added that "undesirable" accounts included those using fake names which were "intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, such as spamming".

'Harm our business'

Facebook, whose business model relies on targeted advertising, is coming under increased scrutiny over the worth of its advertising model which promotes the gathering of "likes" from users.

"We generate a substantial majority of our revenue from advertising," the company said in its filing.

"The loss of advertisers, or reduction in spending by advertisers with Facebook, could seriously harm our business."

Last month, the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones set up a fake company called VirtualBagel to investigate allegations of fake "likes".

His investigation found that the large majority of "likes" for the fake firm originated from the Middle East and Asia.

Many users appeared to be false, such as "Ahmed Ronaldo" - apparently a Cairo-based user who is employed by Spanish football club Real Madrid.

Last week, digital distribution firm Limited Press alleged that, based on its own analytics software, 80% of clicks on its advertisements within Facebook had come from fake users.

In a post on its Facebook page, the company said: "Bots were loading pages and driving up our advertising costs. So we tried contacting Facebook about this. Unfortunately, they wouldn't reply.

"Do we know who the bots belong too [sic]? No. Are we accusing Facebook of using bots to drive up advertising revenue. No. Is it strange? Yes."

After a surge of attention to the company, it has since removed the Facebook posting, and said Facebook was now looking into its concerns.

US resists control of internet passing to UN agency

The US has confirmed it would resist efforts to put the internet under the control of the United Nations.

The UN's Dr Toure says any change to governance
of the internet must be supported by all countries

At present several non-profit US bodies oversee the net's technical specifications and domain name system.

They operate at arms-length from the US government but officially under the remit of its Department of Commerce.

There has been speculation that other nations will push for a change later this year, but they cannot force the US to comply.

The US has set out its position in documents filed with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - the UN agency responsible for encouraging the development of communications technologies.

The ITU is hosting a conference in December in Dubai to which representatives from 178 nations have been invited to review the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR).

The ITR is a 1988 treaty which set out rules for how traffic should flow between different telecom networks, and how to calculate charges for traffic exchanged between carriers in different countries.

The rise of the internet and mobile devices has led to calls for it to be revised, but countries are expected to disagree over the changes needed.

The US's ambassador to the conference, Terry Kramer, outlined his worries in a statement published by the country's Department of State.

"The US is concerned that proposals by some other governments could lead to greater regulatory burdens being placed on the international telecom sector, or perhaps even extended to the internet sector," he wrote.

"The United States also believes that existing multi-stakeholder institutions, incorporating industry and civil society, have functioned effectively and will continue to ensure the health and growth of the internet and all its benefits."

Leaked documents

The ITU does not publish submissions by each country - leaving it up to the individual states to decide which material to release. But a site called Wcitleaks.org has posted proposals leaked to it.

They include a submission from Russia suggesting the ITU could become responsible for allocating at least some of the internet's addresses as well as the "determination of the necessary requirements".

At present US-based Icann (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) co-ordinates the codes and numbering systems, deciding which new internet address endings should be allowed as an alternative to .com. It then leaves it to ISPs (internet service providers) to assign individual addresses.

President Vladimir Putin has signalled Russia's final submission could go further. In 2011 he said he was keen to discuss "establishing international control over the internet using the monitoring and supervisory capabilities of the International Telecommunication Union".

The Russia Today news service has since reported that China and India had backed this stance.

No votes

But the ITU has made it clear that any changes to the treaty must have unanimous support, and it would block members trying to put any matter to a vote.

"We never vote because voting means winners and losers and you can't afford that," Dr Hamadoun Toure, the ITU's secretary-general told the BBC.

"Whatever one single country does not accept will not pass."

He acknowledged that some countries were unhappy with the way Icann had looked after the internet address system.

"Some people are saying the governments are not consulted enough," he said.

But he played down the idea that there would be a serious effort to seize control of its functions and pass them to the ITU.

London 2012: Games transport challenge as athletics starts

The Olympic Stadium is being used for the first time since the London 2012 opening ceremony

Transport plans for London's Olympics face their sternest test ahead of what is expected to be the Olympic Park's busiest day since the Games opened.

More than 200,000 people will be at the park later, including up to 80,000 who will descent on the Olympic Stadium for the start of athletics events.

The Central Line, which serves the Olympic Park in Stratford, is suspended from Liverpool Street to Leytonstone.

British hopes for medals are in rowing, track cycling and swimming later.

Problems on the Central Line follows a signal failure at Bethnal Green station, London Underground said. Tickets are being accepted on National Rail services in the area, while Transport for London are encouraging those attending the Games to use alternative lines and stations close to the Olympic Park.

Team GB have risen to fifth in the overall medal table with five golds after three were secured on Thursday.

Among the gold medallists on day six were track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. His victory, with Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny in the team sprint, represented his fifth Olympic title and equalled rower Sir Steve Redgrave's record British, Olympic gold medal haul.

Meanwhile, hopes are high for rowers Katherine Grainger, who has three silvers from three previous Olympics, and Anna Watkins in the double sculls, swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who defends her 800m freestyle title, and the men's track cycling pursuit team.

Highly fancied heptathlete Jessica Ennis also gets her campaign under way at the Olympic Stadium, in the 100m hurdles, the high jump, the shot put and the 200m.

Other British athletes in action on Friday will include world champion Dai Greene in the men's 400m hurdles heats and defending Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu in the women's 400m.

In developments on Thursday:

• Peter Wilson took gold for Britain in the men's double trap shooting event. He said it "felt amazing" and was "a dream come true"
• Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie triumphed in the two-man canoe slalom at at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, ahead of fellow Britons David Florence and Richard Hounslow
• US swimmer Michael Phelps won his 20th Olympic medal, in the men's 200m individual medley and became the first swimmer to successfully defend the same title twice. He will be looking to win his 21st Olympic medal on Friday when he takes part in the men's 100m butterfly
• The latest set of Royal Mail stamps honouring Britain's gold medallistswere printed in the wake of Thursday's three golds, with the promise of more to come with each gold medal
• Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said Team GB's "superb performances" had given them great momentum

Friday's events at the 80,000-capacity Olympic stadium will bring thousands more people pouring into the east London park and mean access to the neighbouring Westfield shopping centre will be restricted for the next two days.

Only staff and Olympic ticket holders will be able to go into the centre between 10:30 BST and 17:00 as organisers seek to minimise congestion.

Transport for London (TFL) said public transport services and roads to the Olympic Park would be exceptionally busy on Friday and urged anyone not going to the site to avoid the area.

The Docklands Light Railway, Jubilee and Central lines are expected to be busier than usual, especially in the morning, evening and late-evening peaks and driving in central London should be avoided where possible, TFL said.

London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy said: "This Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days of the Games so far as the Olympic Stadium opens its doors and sporting events continue to take place across the capital.

"Westfield Stratford City may not be open to shoppers without a ticket during these times but London has a rich and vast array of other attractions to offer during the Games."

Among other British sporting interest on Friday will be Andy Murray playing Novak Djokovic in the men's tennis singles semi-finals at Wimbledon, and Great Britain's women's football team taking on Canada in their quarter-final match in Coventry.

Syria crisis: UN General Assembly to vote on resolution

The UN General Assembly is due to vote on a resolution that condemns the Security Council for failing to stop the violence in Syria.

The conflict in Syria has claimed some 20,000 lives

The text is not legally binding but is intended to increase pressure on the council to take action.

Russia and China have blocked attempts at the UN to impose sanctions against Damascus.

The vote follows the resignation of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, whose peace plan failed to end the bloodshed.

Announcing his decision on Thursday, Mr Annan said growing violence had made his job untenable, but also hit out at "continuous finger-pointing and name-calling" at the UN Security Council, which he said had prevented any consensus on action.

The Syrian government expressed "regret" at Mr Annan's decision to stand down. Correspondents say it is a clear recognition that the political process has failed.

Activists say 170 people died across the country on Thursday, including in Syria's biggest city, Aleppo, where government forces have been trying to reclaim areas seized by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council that UN observers in Aleppo were seeing "a considerable build-up of military means, where we have reason to believe that the main battle is about to start".

More than 50 people were said to have died in Hama, south of Aleppo.

Also on Thursday, at least 10 people were reported killed when mortars hit a Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk, on the southern edge of the capital, Damascus. Both sides blamed one another for the incident.

Activists say more than 20,000 people - mostly unarmed civilians - have died in 17 months of unrest.

Text 'toned down'

The UN resolution requires only a simple majority of the 193-member General Assembly to pass.

But, unlike a Security Council resolution, it will not be legally binding.

Drafted by Saudi Arabia, which openly supports the armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, the text condemns the Syrian government's use of "heavy weapons" and its failure to withdraw forces from civilian areas, as demanded by Mr Annan's peace initiative.

In an attempt to maximise votes, diplomats have toned down the wording of the text by dropping an explicit demand for President Assad to stand down, according to AFP.

"The aim is to increase pressure on the Assad government. We want as many people to back this which is why some changes have been made," one Arab diplomat told the news agency.

France's UN ambassador, Gerard Araud, said it would show that Russia and China were in a "tiny minority" at the UN General Assembly.

Russia and China have vetoed resolutions on the crisis three times, citing opposition to any action which might be seen as regime change imposed from outside.

"Those same countries who were pushing this resolution most actively are the countries who are providing weapons to the armed opposition groups, this is unfortunately the tragedy of the matter and something which made Kofi Annan's efforts so difficult," Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said.

Meanwhile, China expressed regret at Mr Annan's decision not to renew his mandate, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We understand the difficulty of Annan's mediation work, and respect his decision," it said, according to AFP.

Mr Annan's six-point peace plan for Syria was intended to bring an end to the fighting. But it was never fully adhered to by either side and the violence has continued to escalate.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was in discussion with the Arab League to find a successor to "carry on this crucial peacemaking effort".

But the BBC's Jim Muir, who is monitoring events in Syria from neighbouring Lebanon, says is hard to imagine a figure with anything approaching the stature and profile of Mr Annan taking over the task, when the prospects for success are currently negligible.

Shift work link to increased risk of heart problems

Shift workers are slightly more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke than day workers, research suggests.

An analysis of studies involving more than 2m workers in the British Medical Journal said shift work can disrupt the body clock and have an adverse effect on lifestyle.

It has previously been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Limiting night shifts would help workers cope, experts said.

The team of researchers from Canada and Norway analysed 34 studies.

In total, there were 17,359 coronary events of some kind, including cardiac arrests, 6,598 heart attacks and 1,854 strokes caused by lack of blood to the brain.

These events were more common in shift workers than in other people.

The BMJ study calculated that shift work was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart attack, 24% increased risk of coronary event and 5% increased risk of stroke.

But they also said shift work was not linked to increased mortality rates from heart problems and that the relative risks associated with heart problems were "modest".,

The researchers took the socioeconomics status of the workers, their diet and general health into account in their findings.

No rest

Dan Hackam, associate professor at Western University, London, Ontario in Canada, said shift workers were more prone to sleeping and eating badly.

"Night shift workers are up all the time and they don't have a defined rest period. They are in a state of perpetual nervous system activation which is bad for things like obesity and cholesterol," he said.

The authors say that screening programmes could help identify and treat risk factors for shift workers, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

They add that shift workers could also be educated about what symptoms to look out for, which might indicate early heart problems.

Jane White, research and information services manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said there were complex issues surrounding shift work.

"It can result in disturbed appetite and digestion, reliance on sedatives and/or stimulants, as well as social and domestic problems.

"These can affect performance, increase the likelihood of errors and accidents at work, and even have a negative effect on health.

She said the effects of shift work needed to be well managed.

"Avoiding permanent night shifts, limiting shifts to a maximum of 12 hours and ensuring workers have a minimum of two full nights' sleep between day and night shifts are simple, practical solutions that can help people to cope with shift work."

Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the increased risk to an individual shift worker "was relatively small".

"But many Brits don't work nine to five and so these findings becomes much more significant.

"Whether you work nights, evenings or regular office hours, eating healthily, getting active and quitting smoking can make a big difference to your heart health."

Spoof newspaper executive tweeter accused of hacking

The man behind a Twitter account spoofing the chief executive of a newspaper group has been accused of hacking into an email account.

Northcliffe Media, owned by the Daily Mail, has taken legal action to make Twitter reveal the man's identity.

In court documents, the company accused "@UnSteveDorkland" of making staff "fear for their safety".

The account holder told the BBC he denied "all accusations of illegal conduct set out in this document".

Twitter has said it will comply with a court order and reveal the user's details on 1 August.

However, the BBC understands, the account holder will be challenging the decision with the help of a pro-bono lawyer, whose services are provided free of charge "for the public good", in the US. The account holder is also being advised by internet rights groups.

If the court order, which has been posted on the Guido Fawkes blog, is quashed, lengthy court proceedings could result.

'Hacking email'

Court documents filed at the beginning of the month accused the account holder of being "the creator and/or maintainer of at least three particular accounts", which impersonated - to varying degrees - Steve Auckland, Northcliffe's chief executive.

"At least some of the information made public on Twitter by the defendant was not known publicly," the court papers said.

"And on information and belief, the only way that such information could be obtained was by hacking into an email account at the plaintiff's [Northcliffe] business."

It also accused the account owner of posting information "apparently obtained from surveillance of plaintiff's employees", as well as engaging in other fraudulent and defamatory activity.

The account older told the BBC he denies all of the accusations outlined in the document.

'Abusive and obsessive'

Northcliffe's Mr Auckland said in a statement: "I can confirm we have taken action to ask Twitter for help in identifying the individual in order to protect our staff from harassment.

"We made no request for, nor had any input in, a decision to stop tweeting. Our first priority is a duty of care to all of our employees."

Northcliffe is yet to make public the specific tweets at the centre of their accusations, although one source at the company told the BBC they were concerned about "homophobic" remarks.

Speaking last week, the account holder denied making offensive comments on the social network.

"People can make their own judgement," he told the BBC.

"I've not taken anything down. It's all in the public domain, I've not touched them at all."

Madonna says boos at Paris gig were from 'a few thugs'

Madonna has said the angry reaction from a crowd at her recent 45-minute show in Paris was from "thugs who were not my fans".

"Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me," she said in a statement on her website.

"Unfortunately at the end of the show, after I left the stage, a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage... pretending to be angry fans," she said.

Some fans on Twitter agreed with her but others said they had booed her.

One said: "I have been a fan for 20 years and I booed Madonna at the Olympia! 45 minutes for 275 euros. Shame on you."

Another tweeted: "Madonna has blamed 'rogues' attending her concert at the Olympia without understanding that her fans feel cheated."

'Very frustrated'

Media website The Examiner said "many fans did feel short-changed due to lack of communication on how the show would be shorter".

But it suggested that "the actual riots and the screaming were started by supporters of Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far right National Front in Paris. Apparently, they are still upset that Madonna compared Le Pen to a Nazi in her tour."

The 2,000 tickets sold out in minutes, with fans paying between £80-£200 and some reportedly changing hands for up to £1,000.

Speaking to the BBC's John Hand at the show on Thursday, Paris resident Allain Zambrana, 26, from Nicaragua, said he wanted to ask for his money back.

"I felt very frustrated because I camped out on the streets and then the show just ends like that."

Several people cried "refund" as they realised Madonna had left the stage for good.

Dutch fan Ellis Van Zoen, 22, agreed the show was "very short", but added: "I'm torn - I thought it was a fantastic show and it was special. I don't want to see fans yelling at her but I can understand why."

Other fans vented their frustration on a Facebook page owned by the star's publicist, Liz Rosenburg.

"Some people slept in the streets for 48 hours. So what happened with the concert?" asked Rudy Vanhover. "She was incredible but we were all shocked by the departure and the duration of the concert."

Others were more supportive. "It was an amazing experience to be part of this wonderful show," commented Christopher Houthaeve.

"I purchased the categorty 1 ticket and have absolutely no regrets."

'Wonderful experience'

Madonna said the "thugs" threw plastic bottles at the stage and that "the press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening".

"But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again."

At her concert in Vienna on Sunday, the singer told the crowd: "Those people were not my fans, they were not there to support me.

"But that's ok because wherever there is darkness, I'm going to bring you some light... we're not going to let them spoil our fun, are we?"

Olympics football: Michel Morganella expelled for racist tweet

Switzerland's Olympic football team has expelled defender Michel Morganella from the tournament for posting racist comments on Twitter.

An offensive message aimed at South Korean people was posted from his Twitter account after Switzerland lost 2-1 to the Koreans on Sunday.

The 23-year-old's Twitter account has since been deleted and he apologised.

He said he accepted the consequences of his actions: "I made a huge mistake after the disappointing result."

Morganella added: "I wish to apologise to the people in South Korea and their team, but also to the Swiss delegation and Swiss football in general."

Earlier this month, Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou was expelled from her country's Olympic team over comments she posted on Twitter which were deemed racist.

She later apologised for the "unfortunate and tasteless joke".

Switzerland head coach Gian Gilli said Morganella, who plays his club football for Palermo in Italy, had let the team down.

"He discriminated, insulted and violated the dignity of the South Korean football team and people," he said.

Morganella has one senior cap for Switzerland and started both Olympic Group B games for his country, who have taken just one point from a possible six.

Switzerland round off their group campaign against Mexico at the Millennium Stadium on Tuesday.

Syria conflict: Army steps up attack on rebels in Aleppo

Syrian government forces have been continuing their assault with artillery, ground forces and helicopter gunships on rebel-held areas of the second city, Aleppo.

Officials said one area, Salah al-Din, had been recaptured, but rebels said the battle there was still going on.

UN observers have reported an upsurge in violence in the city, the new head of their mission Babacar Gaye said.

He added that he had personally seen heavy shelling in the city of Homs.

Lt-Gen Gaye also said he had witnessed serious damage from shelling and fighting in the nearby town of Rastan.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon later reported that Gen Gaye's convoy had been attacked by government tanks at the weekend.

In other developments:

• Greece is to quadruple the number of guards on its border with Turkey to pre-empt a possible influx of Syrian refugees, AP quotes Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias as saying
• The al-Jazeera media network says one of its journalists, Ankara-based correspondent Omar Khashram, has been wounded by shrapnel in Aleppo and evacuated to Turkey for treatment
• Syria's most senior diplomat in London, Charge d'Affaires Khaled al-Ayoubi, says he has left his post and is no longer willing to represent a regime that has "committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people", a UK Foreign Office statement says

'Not one metre'

Government forces launched a ground assault on Aleppo on Saturday after a week of sporadic shelling and sorties by fighter jets.

With fighting into its third day, UN observers and witnesses reported fire from mortars, tanks and helicopter gunships.

Fighting has focused on the Salah al-Din neighbourhood in Aleppo's south-west, where the rebels had embedded themselves.

Syrian state television showed footage from the city and interviewed soldiers who said they had taken complete control of Salah al-Din late on Sunday.

On Monday, officials in Damascus again said they had "purged" the area.

But activists have denied that the quarter has been overrun by the army, saying rebels are still in control.

The head of the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo, Col Abdel Jabbar al-Oqaidi, told the AFP news agency the government "had not progressed one metre".

Heavy shelling and clashes have also been reported in the Sakhur quarter on the north-east side of the city centre, where another attack by government forces appeared to be under way.

And an AFP reporter said rebels had captured a checkpoint at Anadan, 5km (three miles) north-west of Aleppo, seizing government armoured vehicles.

Correspondents say that controlling the checkpoint would give the rebels a direct route between Aleppo and the Turkish border.

Meanwhile UN humanitarian chief Baroness Valerie Amos said that, according to Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimates, some 200,000 people had fled fighting in Aleppo.

She said others were trapped in the city and needed urgent help.

"I call on all parties to the fighting to ensure that they do not target civilians and that they allow humanitarian organisations safe access."

She said many people had fled their homes to take shelter in schools and other public buildings.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, in the Aleppo area, says residents are facing food shortages and power cuts.

He says the rebels are outgunned by the army, but they are fighting an effective guerrilla war in the streets.

Speaking of the attack on Gen Gaye's convoy, Ban Ki-moon said no-one had been injured, as personnel were protected by the vehicles' armour.

Mr Ban also said the UN was "still waiting" for the Syrian government to honour its commitment to end armed violence.

He expressed particular concern about the impact of shelling and heavy weapons such as helicopters in Aleppo.

He also called on the government to renounce any possibility of using weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons and to ensure that stockpiles were kept secure.

Last week Damascus said it would not use chemical weapons inside Syria, but did not rule out their use in the event of an attack by foreign powers.

'Try everything'

The fighting comes as the UN Security Council remains chronically divided over Syria, with Russia blocking attempts by Western nations to ramp up pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

France is due to take over the presidency of the Security Council this week, and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has pledged to continue pushing the issue.

He called Mr Assad an "executioner" and said he would ask for a ministerial level meeting of Security Council members before the end of the week.

"We must try everything," he said on French radio, "even though Russia and China have blocked resolutions on three separate occasions."

Meanwhile Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said there could be room for compromise.

In an interview with The Times newspaper, he said the positions of Russia, the US and UK were not as different as is sometimes suggested.

England v South Africa: Dale Steyn sends England to innings defeat

Dale Steyn took five wickets as South Africa swept to an innings-and-12-run win in the first Test at The Kia Oval.

The pace bowler claimed 5-56 and Imran Tahir 3-63 to bowl England out for 240 shortly before tea on the final day.

Ian Bell's defiant 55 from 220 balls and Matt Prior's 40 failed to prevent England slipping to a first Test defeat at home since 2010.

Once they fell within six overs of each other, England were quickly finished off by a ruthless South Africa side.

Victory for South Africa - the last side to inflict an innings defeat on England, in early 2010 - capped a remarkable turnaround in fortunes after the hosts closed the first day on 267-3.

Steyn did the damage on Monday, removing Ravi Bopara half an hour into the day before dismissing Bell, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann to give him seven wickets in the match.

With Bell and Prior at the crease, confidence grew that England could achieve the unlikely and save the Test, the first in a three-match series that will decide the best team in the world.

Bell was particularly stoic, reining in any attacking instincts on his way to a hard-working half-century.

His steadying influence helped England recover from the early blow of losing the under-pressure Bopara, who followed up his first-innings duck by dragging a back-footed force off Steyn on to his stumps.

The ugly nature of the dismissal seemed to focus Bell and Prior on the task at hand and they knuckled down for the remainder of the morning session, taking the sting out of the seamers and using their feet to negate any turn from leg-spinner Tahir.

Bell did get a faint edge on one Tahir delivery, but stand-in wicketkeeper AB de Villiers spilled the chance, helping England reach lunch without further alarm.

However, Prior's departure sparked a collapse that saw England lose their last five wickets for 37 runs.

The sweep shot was redundant until Prior attempted it against Tahir, succeeding only in gloving the ball to Jacques Kallis at first slip.

The importance of the wicket was not lost on South Africa, who took the new ball four overs later and set about finishing off England's tail.

Steyn, bowling with great hostility, drew Bell into playing at a wide one that found Kallis at second slip.

Broad was caught down the leg side after South Africa successfully reviewed a not-out decision, Swann drove tamely to extra-cover and James Anderson was trapped in front by Tahir.

The second match of the series starts at Headingley on 2 August, with South Africa knowing a victory will see them overtake England as the world's leading Test team.

Aurora shooting: Suspect James Holmes appears in court

The US man accused of killing 12 people in a shooting at a Batman film screening in Aurora, Colorado has appeared in court for the first time.

James Holmes, 24, sat in court in a red jail suit with dyed orange hair, and appeared sleepy during the proceedings.

Nine of 58 people wounded by the gunman remain in critical condition.

On Sunday, President Barack Obama met survivors and families of the dead as hundreds of people took part in a service of remembrance.

Mr Holmes is to be held without bail at a jail in Centennial, Colorado, the judge said.

Mr Holmes is accused of throwing two canisters of gas into a busy midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises before firing at random at the crowd. Witnesses say he was wearing full body armour during the attack.

It is reported that a semi-automatic rifle jammed during the attack and the gunman switched to a weapon with less firepower, possibly saving some lives.

Mr Holmes was being held in solitary confinement. Police say he is not co-operating with them.

The dead include a six-year-old girl and two US military servicemen.

'Hearts are broken'

Mr Holmes appeared in court at 09:30 local time (15:30 GMT) for the first stage in a process likely to see him face at least 12 counts of first-degree murder. He could face further charges of aggravated assault and weapons violations.

Prosecutors are to formally file charges on 30 July.

One prosecutor has warned it could take at least a year before Mr Holmes stands trial, the AP reported.

The office of prosecutor Carol Chambers is considering whether to press for the death penalty for Mr Holmes, a decision that will be made in consultation with the victims' families, she said.

On Monday morning uniformed police were stationed outside the court house, and deputies were patrolling the roofs of court buildings.

President Obama said that when he visited Aurora on Sunday he had shared hugs and tears, but also laughter as the families recounted the lives of their loved ones.

He added that he visited as much as a father and husband as a president, and that Aurora was in the nation's thoughts.

Mr Obama said: "I confessed to them words were inadequate but my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and say we are thinking about them at this moment each and every day."

Both Mr Obama and his Republican Party challenger, Mitt Romney, curtailed their election campaigns in the wake of the Aurora attack, dropping advertising in Colorado state out of respect for victims and their families.

Meanwhile, residents have been laying flowers at a memorial site near the Century cinema and thousands of people have been participating in vigils outside City Hall.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan told the crowd on Sunday: "While our hearts are broken, our community is not."

'Calculation and deliberation'

On Saturday police managed to gain access to Mr Holmes' flat, which had been laid with booby traps connected to explosives that could have killed someone entering through the door.

The FBI is now collecting evidence, and investigators say a computer found inside his home could provide crucial details.

Several US media outlets have reported that a Batman mask and poster were in the flat, but police have not confirmed this.

Police said the suspect had acted with "calculation and deliberation", adding that he had been stockpiling ammunition for months.

Over the course of eight weeks he bought 6,300 rounds of ammunition: 3,000 for a .233 semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, 3,000 for two .40 Glock 22 pistols and 300 cartridges for a pump-action shotgun.

Mr Holmes bought the four weapons legally.

Authorities say the suspect is not linked to terror groups and have not established a motive for the attack. Mr Holmes had no criminal record other than a speeding fine.

Mr Holmes grew up in San Diego and was pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Colorado in Denver. School officials have said that he recently left the programme.

Spain bans short-selling of shares as markets fall

Spain has banned short-selling of shares to try to limit price moves after markets fell sharply on fears the country may need a full bailout.

Spain's market regulator blocked the practice for three months to try to restore order after sharp falls in bonds and shares.

"Short-selling" is a way that traders can make money by betting on falling share prices.

Italy has also banned short-selling of financial stocks for one week.

'Extreme volatility'

Short-selling is a technique used by investors who think the price of an asset, such as shares, will fall.

They borrow the asset from another investor and then sell it in the relevant market. The aim is to buy back the asset at a lower price and return it to its owner, making a profit along the way.

In a statement, Spain's CNMV regulator said it was imposing the ban in order to maintain market order: "The situation of extreme volatility across the European markets could interfere with their smooth functioning and the normal course of their activities."

It is not the first time that such a curb has been used by regulators. Almost a year ago, France and Belgium joined Spain and Italy in a ban on short-selling financial stocks to try to stabilise bank shares which had fallen sharply.

Markets have had a turbulent few days on fears that Spain's indebted regional governments will push the country towards a full bailout.

On Friday, Valencia, one of the country's 17 regions, asked the central government for a financial lifeline, and on Sunday, the Murcia region said it was considering following suit.

Shares in Europe fell when trading got underway on Monday, with Spain's main share index, the Ibex, down 5% at one point. It recovered slightly to close down 1% but Germany's Dax ended the day down 3%.

The US share markets opened with a downward jolt and the euro hit a new two-year low against the dollar.

'No help'

Spain's economy minister denied the country needed more help.

Luis de Guindos said: "We have made important economic reforms and we just reached an agreement with our regional partners over the recapitalisation of the banks, and from there we have done all what we could to establish the bases of a return to a healthy growth for Spain's economy."

Markets remained unsettled. The yield on Spain's 10-year bonds reached a new euro-era high of 7.56% before falling back to 7.39% in late afternoon trading.

The bond yield indicates the interest rate the government would have to pay to borrow new money, and acts as a measure of investor confidence in Spain's creditworthiness.

Spain has already asked for and been granted a 100bn-euros bailout for its banks, so far avoiding asking for the same sort of national bailout that was needed by Greece, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.

However, on Friday the Valencia region said it would be the first region to seek financial help from an 18bn-euro fund set up to help the country's regions.

On Sunday, Murcia's government said: "Regarding the liquidity fund provided by the state, the regional government has repeatedly stated that it is studying whether to apply for it."

There is speculation that other regions are also considering seeking assistance, creating further pressure on central government finances.

There was more bad news for Spain on Monday when the Bank of Spain said the country's economy contracted by 0.4% in the three months to the end of June, having shrunk by 0.3% in the previous quarter.

Eurozone jitters also spread to Italy, which is also struggling with high debts. The main Italian share index closed down 2.7% with banks being the worst hit. UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo were among six Italian banks suspended from trading after their share prices fell sharply.

On the currency markets, the euro fell to a two-year low against the US dollar, at $1.2082 at one point on Monday and an 11-year low against the Japanese yen, 94.37 yen, its lowest level since November 2000, before recovering slightly.

The price of oil has also fallen by nearly 3%, a sign that markets think there will be waning demand for oil as a result of worsening economic prospects.

Greece review

Focus is also returning to Greece's woes. On Tuesday, officials from the so-called "troika" - the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank - will arrive in Greece to assess the progress made on reforms that were agreed as part of the country's latest bailout.

Reports over the weekend suggested that the IMF would refuse calls for further aid, if, as expected, the country fails to meet targets for cutting spending and raising taxes.

In response, the IMF said it was "supporting Greece in overcoming its economic difficulties" and would work with the country to get it "back on track".

There are also questions over how the country will make a 3.2bn-euro bond payment due in August.

A European Commission spokesman said on Monday that it was unlikely that the next tranche of eurozone aid for Greece would be paid before September.

"The decision on the next disbursement will only be taken once the ongoing review is completed," the spokesman said.

"Over the last few months, significant delays in programme implementation have occurred due to the double parliamentary elections in the spring.

"The Commission is confident that the decision on the next disbursement will be taken in the near future, although it is unlikely to happen before September," he said.