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.

Iraq attacks in Baghdad and north 'kill 107'

A wave of bomb attacks and shootings in Baghdad and north of the capital has killed at least 107 people, say security and medical officials.

Many of those killed were security forces - who appear to have been a prime target, correspondents say.

One of the worst-hit places was Taji, a Sunni neighbourhood some 20km (12 miles) north of Baghdad, where at least 41 people were killed.

At least 216 people were wounded on one of the bloodiest days of the year.

Some 13 Iraqi towns and cities were hit in the spate of apparently co-ordinated attacks.

Fatal bombings hit Shia districts in Baghdad. In the deadliest attack, a car bombing at a government building in Sadr city killed at least 16

At least five car bombs hit the northern oil city of Kirkuk, and further north in the city of Mosul at least nine people died, reportedly including six soldiers.

Bombs and shootings in the restive province of Diyala killed 11.

Saadiya, Khan Beni-Saad, Tuz Khurmatu, Dibis, Samarra and Dujail were also said to have suffered attacks.

The attacks come days after a man purporting to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, declared a new offensive to retake areas the group retreated from before US soldiers left the country last December.

"The majority of Sunnis in Iraq support al-Qaeda and are waiting for its return," the man said, according to Associated Press, in an audio message posted on militant websites.

Analysts suggest al-Qaeda is seeking to deepen the sectarian political crisis in Iraq that is setting Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders against their Shia counterparts.

They say Monday's violence seemed to aim at security forces and government offices - favourite targets of al-Qaeda.

'Why?'

The security forces suffered badly in Monday's attacks, with 15 soldiers reportedly killed in a single brazen attack on a base in Dhuluiya in Salaheddin province.

Police checkpoints were hit by car bombs, army bases were struck by mortar fire, and one policeman was even attacked in his home, says the BBC's Rami Ruhayem in Baghdad.

In Taji, a string of five or six explosions went off. When police arrived on the scene to help, another explosion struck - according to one report, a suicide bomber.

In all, at least 41 people were killed, including at least 14 police. A row of houses was completely destroyed and residents were trying to find victims in the rubble, said a reporter for AFP news agency.

Resident Ali Hussein lamented the number of ordinary people killed in Taji.

"What is the guilt of these poor people?" he asked.

"They are working to earn a living. It is a poor market and people were here to shop in this market when the blast happened. Why did this happen?"

There was no immediate statement from the Iraqi government.

On Sunday, bombings south of the capital killed at least 17.

Monday's swiftly rising death toll made it the deadliest day of the year.

Violence dipped in Iraq following the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, but sectarian violence has returned across the country in recent months amid the worsening political tensions.

At least 237 people were killed during June, making it one of the bloodiest months since US troops withdrew in December.

Batman Paris premiere cancelled

he Paris premiere of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, has been cancelled following a shooting at a midnight screening in the US.

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured in the attack in Denver, Colorado on Thursday night.

Witnesses said a man wearing a gas mask opened
fire as movie-goers watched the new Batman film

Witnesses said a man wearing a gas mask opened fire as movie-goers watched the film.

In a statement film studio Warner Bros. said they were "deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident".

"We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time," the statement said.

As well as the cancellation of the red carpet premiere on the Champs-Elysees, the Hollywood Reporter reported that media interviews with the director, Christoper Nolan, and the film's cast have also been cancelled.

The Paris premiere was due to take place on Friday.

Meanwhile, according to reports, Warner Bros. has also pulled a trailer for its upcoming film Gangster Squad, a 1940s-set thriller starring Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling.

Movie website Deadline said the trailer, which was being shown during the previews of The Dark Knight Rises, featured a scene of gunmen going into a cinema and shooting patrons as they watch a film.

Shackleton and Scott's Antarctic huts are put online by Google

Google took several images with fish-eye lenses and then stitched them together to allow users to explore Shackleton's hut

Images of the Antarctic huts used by polar explorers Sir Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott have been posted online as part of the latest extension to Google's Maps service.

The prefabricated wooden cabins were erected in 1908 and 1911 respectively, and were used as bases for the men's attempts to reach the south pole.

Users can navigate the 360-degree photographs to see some of the kit and supplies used by both expeditions.

The locations appear well-preserved.

The buildings have benefited from ongoing conservation work by the New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust, which co-operated with Google on the project.

Both structures had previously appeared on the World Monuments Watch List of the most endangered sites in the world.

Frozen food

Shackleton's hut is located at Cape Royds, where the explorer and nine other team members left their ship, the Nimrod, to stay during the winter.

It still houses about 5,000 of the team's personal possessions including books, clothing and canned food, which have been preserved by the cold temperatures.

Shackleton's expedition was the first to climb the volcano Mount Erebus, but bad weather and diminished supplies caused them to turn back about 156km (97 miles) before reaching the south pole. Nevertheless this was the furthest south anyone had reached at the time and the group returned to the UK as heroes.

Scott's base at Cape Evans was erected three years later and still contains more than 8,000 artefacts from his doomed adventure.

Boxes of Tate sugar cubes, Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles and clothing can be seen in the uploaded pictures from the location.

Scott's hut still contains many items of food
abandoned when his team set out to the pole

Scott and four others did reach the pole in January 1912 but found they had been beaten to there by a Norwegian party led by Roald Amundsen. The members of Scott's party died as a result of the freezing conditions during their return journey.

Google said it had carried out the fish-eye lens photography project to provide school children and others with an "insight into how these men lived for months at a time".

In addition to the two huts it has also added images of the Ceremonial South Pole - where flags can be seen planted by the various teams that reached the spot - as well as the Cape Royds Adelie Penguin Rookery.

Syria crisis: Heavy clashes in second city of Aleppo

There have been heavy clashes between security forces and rebels in Syria's second city of Aleppo, activists say.

The fighting was centred on the Salah al-Din district, but had also spread to Sakhur and Haydariya, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The rebel Free Syrian Army has gone on the
offensive in Aleppo province in recent days

Aleppo has so far been spared the daily bloodshed seen in other cities since the uprising began in March 2011.

The violence came a day after the UN Security Council voted to extend the UN observer mission for a "final" 30 days.

A resolution stated that after that period the monitors would leave if they were unable to carry out their job of verifying the peace plan brokered by the UN and Arab League's special envoy, Kofi Annan.

Their mandate may be renewed if the use of heavy weapons ends.

The observers' work has been mostly suspended since June because of the escalating violence, which reportedly left more than 300 people dead on Thursday and another 200 on Friday.

On Saturday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to forge a united way forward and exercise its collective responsibility.

Mr Ban also said he would send his Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, to Syria and had asked his top military adviser to take charge of the observer mission.

'Exodus'

Activists said the clashes in Aleppo between troops and members of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) began in Salah al-Din on Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, they had spread into Sakhur and Haydariya.

Aleppo-based activist Mohammed Saeed said the fighting continued throughout the night until Saturday morning, most of it in Salah al-Din.

"Last night was very bad," he told the Associated Press. "There were huge explosions and the gunfire didn't stop for several hours."

"The uprising has finally reached Aleppo," he added.

The governor of Damascus has said all
resistance will be cleared up within five days

Mr Saeed said dozens of FSA fighters had entered from the countryside. Aleppo is not far from Turkey, where the FSA commanders are based.

The Local Co-ordination Committees, an activist network, said there had been an "exodus" of Salah al-Din residents "because of fear of a regime bombardment and offensive".

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says fighting in Aleppo is ominous for President Bashar al-Assad's government, since the city has so far stayed out of the uprising.

So too had the capital, Damascus, but those days are now over, our correspondent adds.

Government forces hit back hard on Friday, using all their firepower to retake the southern district of Midan, causing massive damage. Sporadic gunfire and explosions were heard by residents of the city throughout the night.

The governor of Damascus has said all resistance will be cleared up within five days, but not far south of Midan, at Yarmouk, video published online by activists appeared to show the local police station overrun by rebels.

On the other side of the city, in the northern suburb of al-Tal, another video purportedly showed the head of the local Political Security Directorate (PSD) branch and all his staff surrendering to FSA fighters.

There was also a violent and prolonged battle in the rebel-held town of Talbasiya, north of the city of Homs in central Syria. Activists said government forces tried to storm the town then bombarded it heavily.

Microsoft fixes 'big boobs' coding gaffe

Microsoft has swiftly fixed an embarrassing gaffe which saw a chunk of code labelled "big boobs".

The hexadecimal string 0xB16B00B5 was discovered lurking in code that helps a Microsoft program work with Linux open source software.

The controversial string came to light on a mailing list for developers who oversee the core, or kernel, of Linux.

The string was used every time the Microsoft program ran a virtual version of Linux.

Kernel hacker Paolo Bonzini posted a message about the string on the Linux Kernel mailing list saying "Somone (sic) was trying to be funny, I guess".

Microsoft was alerted to the mistake and swiftly issued a statement.

"We thank the community for reporting this issue and apologise for the offensive string," it said to Network World.

It added that it had prepared a patch that would change the spelling of the string in an update.

Commenting on the gaffe, developer Dr Matthew Garrett noted that the first version of the Microsoft code used a similar string of 0x0B00B135 - a form of letters that roughly translates to "boobies".

"Puerile sniggering at breasts contributes to the continuing impression that software development is a boys' club where girls aren't welcome," Dr Garrett wrote.

His comments, and those on the Linux mailing list, have started a huge debate about whether use of the string was sexist and how male developers should conduct themselves.

On his blog, Dr Garrett also wondered how easy it would prove to change the string. Other services, such as access to Microsoft's Azure cloud service, are believed to make extensive use of it.

In early June, Microsoft suffered another embarrassment over '"vulgar" language used during a song and dance routine at a company conference.