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Regime 'hides' tanks in flashpoint district of rebel city Observers already in Homs 'unable to move freely' Al-Qaida in Iraq claims bomb attacks in Baghdad Iranian woman convicted of adultery 'may be hanged' 10.33am: The Arab League observer mission has arrived in Homs and is meeting with the governor of the province, AFP reports. It quotes Syria's Dunia television as reporting: The Arab League observers' delegation has begun its meeting with Homs governor Ghassan Abdel Al. 9.33am: Tanks are reportedly being pulled out from the city of Homs as Arab League officials make their way there. At least 11 tanks have withdrawn this morning from the particularly badly hit district of Baba Amr, Reuters quotes the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But it also quotes Rami Abdelrahman, the organisation's chief, as saying the pull-out may not be quite as it seems: Many tanks remain inside the neighbourhood; the army is hiding them inside government buildi

Duke of Edinburgh expected to rejoin the royal family at Sandringham after treatment for a blocked coronary artery The Duke of Edinburgh has left Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire following treatment for a blocked coronary artery. He is expected to rejoin the Queen and other members of the royal family at Sandringham, according to a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman. Prince Philip who has taken to hospital last Friday after complaining of chest pains, has been recuperating after treatment for a blocked coronary artery at the specialist heart hospital in Cambridgeshire. Following tests, doctors discovered a blocked artery and he underwent a "minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting", which was declared a success but he has been kept in for four nights so doctors can keep a close eye on his recovery. This is the most serious health scare suffered by the duke, who is known for being a robust and active 90-year-old. On Christmas Day, Princes William and Harry drove separat

Senior officials from foreign ministries of China and South Korea held the fourth high-level strategic dialogue in Seoul on Tuesday, vowing to deepen cooperation and boost bilateral ties. The one-day talks, led by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Park Suk-hwan, come under a mechanism established in 2008 for annual dialogues between high-level diplomats of the two nations. During Tuesday's talks, the two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations, and major international and regional issues of common interest. They agreed that the two nations should take the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year as an opportunity to further boost practical cooperation in various areas, and achieve new development on bilateral ties. The two sides also agreed that all parties concerned should make joint efforts to maintain peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region. On the same da

Zhu Mingguo condemns local party officials as 'red apples, rotten inside' in wake of Wukan protests over confiscated farmland The senior Chinese official who helped defuse a standoff with protesting villagers has told officials to get used to citizens who are increasingly assertive about their rights and likened erring local governments to red apples with rotten cores. Zhu Mingguo, a deputy Communist party secretary of southern Guangdong province, last week helped broker a compromise between the government and residents of Wukan village. Ten days of protests over confiscated farmland and the death of a protest organiser drew widespread attention as a rebuff to the government. Guangzhou Daily, the official paper of the provincial capital, quoted Zhu as telling officials that Wukan and other protests were not isolated flare-ups. "In terms of society, the public's awareness of democracy, equality and rights is constantly strengthening, and their corresponding demands are

Rule change will help stretch Tokyo's defence budget further in response to China's increased military spending Japan has relaxed its self-imposed decades-old ban on military equipment exports in a move that will open up new markets to its defence contractors and help it squeeze more out of its defence budget. The rule adopted in 1967 banned sales to communist countries, and those involved in international conflicts or subject to United Nations sanctions. It later became a blanket ban on exports and on the development and production of weapons with countries other than the United States, making it impossible for manufacturers to participate in multinational projects. The government's security council agreed to the relaxing of the ban to allow Japan to take part in the joint development and production of arms with other countries and to supply military equipment for humanitarian missions, chief cabinet secretary Osamu Fujimura said. "The new standards [on weapons export

Kuram Shaikah Zaman was shot and stabbed after argument broke out at resort of Tangalle, reports say A British man has died after being shot and stabbed in a Sri Lankan resort, according to reports. Local police said the victim, named as Kuram Shaikah Zaman, was killed in Tangalle early on Christmas Day. The Foreign Office confirmed a British man had died in the country but would not confirm any other details. "Next of kin have been informed and we are providing consular assistance," said a spokesman. Zaman and a Russian woman were attacked following an argument with a man at a hotel, according to reports. Four men had been arrested, including Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana, 24, the chairman of Tangalle village council, Sri Lankan police told the BBC. A post-mortem examination revealed Zaman, believed to be a British national of Israeli origin who was working in the Gaza Strip, had been attacked by a sharp weapon and shot. The Russian woman, named as 23-year-old Victo

Afghanistan will accept a Taliban office in Qatar to help peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government's peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the 10-year war. Afghanistan's High Peace Council, in a note to foreign missions, has set out ground rules for engaging the Taliban after Kabul grew concerned that the United States and Qatar, helped by Germany, had secretly agreed with the Taliban to open an office in the Qatari capital, Doha. It said that negotiations with the Taliban could only begin after they stopped violence against civilians, cut ties to al-Qaida, and accepted the Afghan constitution, which guarantees civil rights and liberties, including rights for women. The council, according to a copy of the 11-point note made available to Reuters, also said any peace process with the Taliban would have to have the support of Pakistan since members of the insurgent group were based there. "

Netherlands health authority says a Dutch firm bought implants made by PIP, the French company at centre of health scare Around 1,000 Dutch women have breast implants of the suspect kind made by a French company but sold under a different name, a Netherlands health official has said, broadening a scandal that could affect 300,000 or more women worldwide. Health authority spokeswoman Diane Bouhuijs said a Dutch company had bought implants made by Poly Implant Prothese, which went bankrupt in 2010 after French authorities shut its doors. It is now under investigation. They were sold rebranded as "M-implants". "We estimate 1,000 women in the Netherlands have them. We have advised them to consult their physician," Bouhuijs said. She declined to name the Dutch company. The rebranding expands the controversy in which PIP, once the world's third-largest maker, is accused of using industrial-grade instead of medical-grade silicone in some of its implants, which made the

Research challenges Michael Gove's claim that savings will help the government in 'protecting the frontline' Pupils are being denied careers advice at a time of record youth unemployment, schools are scrapping projects to help the neediest children catch up on their reading, and teachers of music, art and sport are losing their jobs, a Guardian investigation into the impact of cuts on education reveals. The education secretary, Michael Gove, claimed last year that the government was "protecting the frontline", and the coalition says schools and colleges will manage to save 1bn between now and 2014 just by trimming back-office functions. However, research by the Guardian indicates that shrinking budgets are already significantly reducing the range and quality of education on offer to all pupils across England, from toddlers to teenagers. Even schools in deprived neighbourhoods are having to make swingeing cuts, despite receiving the pupil premium, which this year h

China aims to curb illegal entry, stay and employment of foreigners, which has developed into a "prominent problem" in the world's second largest economy. The State Council, or the Cabinet, submitted Monday a draft law on exit and entry administration to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the top legislature of the country, for its first reading. The existing law on exit and entry administration, established 26 years ago when China was far from "the world workshop," barely mentioned illegal employment of foreigners in China. A foreigner shall get work permits and residence certificates for employment before getting employed, according to the draft law. Foreigners who work illegally in China will be fined between 5,000 yuan (US$792) and 20,000 yuan, and may be detained 5-15 days for serious violations. Those who illegally provide job placement services for foreigners or illegally employ foreigners would be also fined. "We shall put

Jaywick Sands, in Essex, should have the chance to 'gain from the hopes and dreams' of the 2012 Games, councillors say Organisers of the London Olympics have been accused of scoring an own goal after deciding that the torch relay should miss the most deprived ward in England. David Cameron is being asked to lobby Lord Coe to ensure the relay passes through Jaywick Sands, on the north-east Essex coast, to give residents the chance to "gain from the hopes and dreams" of the Games. Councillors from all political parties on Tendring district council wrote to the prime minister after they voted unanimously to condemn the decision by Locog, the London organising committee, to bypass the ward. Jaywick Sands, built as a resort in the late 1920s, was placed first in the 2010 indices of multiple deprivation, which uses official statistics for crime, unemployment, health, income and disability to assess where 32,482 neighbourhoods rank in a national poverty league table. Some 62

It was the day Dimitar Berbatov reminded Manchester United of the ability that saw him finish alongside Carlos Tevez as the joint winner of last season's Golden Boot. While Tevez has been on strike for Manchester City, Berbatov's continued absence has been far more perplexing, and he took this hat-trick with an expertise that made it feel faintly ludicrous it was his first league start since 24September. Berbatov's second, in particular, was a reminder of his talent on a day when Wayne Rooney stepped aside to leave the Bulgarian to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot and the champions recorded their second successive 5-0 win to close the gap on the leaders, Manchester City, when it comes to their respective goal differences. They did so, however, amid a note of controversy and Wigan Athletic were certain to feel aggrieved after being left painfully vulnerable by Conor Sammon's red card six minutes before the interval. Sir Alex Ferguson's team were leading 1

Arrests made after death of man, believed to have been in late teens or early 20s, on busy shopping street in central London A man has been stabbed to death at the height of the Boxing Day sales on Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping streets in central London, police have said. Officers said the man, believed to be in his late teens or early 20s, was killed in broad daylight opposite Bond Street underground station. Police were called to the incident at around 1.45pm and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. A number of arrests have been made. The victim is believed to have been stabbed outside the Footlocker shop at the junction of Stratford place. The stabbing caused chaos on the busy shopping street on the opening day of the post-Christmas sales after police cordoned off much of the area, causing many shops to close their doors. Hundreds of thousands of shoppers were in the area, with many stuck behind police cordons. An employee at the nearby Disney Store said the shop h

Goals, news and, um, other stuff in a packed afternoon of fantastically festive footer! Email simon.burnton@guardian.co.uk if you've got something to say. Please Follow Simon on Twitter , if that's your thing 1.54pm: Comeback of the day (probably): Bottom of the table Plymouth, 2-0 down at half-time away at Bristol Rovers, appear to have scored a stoppage-time winner it's 2-3! 1.48pm: Luiz and Sturridge with useless long-range attempts in the last couple of minutes, and it's half-time. 1.45pm: The last 20 minutes at Stamford Bridge have been very poor. Chelsea have had a couple of shots from range Mereiles' was the best but otherwise have lacked width and wit. 1.41pm: My attempts to combine these occasional updates on Chelsea v Fulham with work on a forthcoming feature on the Blood in the Water match and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution have been incredibly frustrating. The feature can wait. I'm all yours. 1.39pm: Early kick-off home-side recently-earne

Goals, news and, um, other stuff in a packed afternoon of fantastically festive footer! Email simon.burnton@guardian.co.uk if you've got something to say. Please Follow Simon on Twitter , if that's your thing Midday update: Well, I hope everyone had a thoroughly merry Christmas, because it's over now, and a fair preportion of us will lose all sense of goodwill to all men if our teams turn out to be festive flops. It's an action-packed day, which could end with Manchester City being toppled from the top of the Premier League (but probably won't). Notable 3pm kicks-offs include: Manchester United host Wigan knowing a win will take them top of the top flight if West Brom somehow beat Manchester City. United will surely win (their head-to-head record against the Latics: P13 W13 D0 L0 F41 A4), but perhaps the Baggies have half a chance? Liverpool play Blackburn in a match which forces journalists to decide whether to talk about someone who may or may not be sacked

At least six people killed and 34 others wounded in suicide bomb attack in Baghdad following series of blasts on Thursday At least six people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack on Iraq's interior ministry, the latest since a crisis erupted between the country's Shia-led government and Sunni leaders a week ago. Shia prime minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of Iraq's Sunni vice-president last Monday and asked parliament to fire his deputy, a move that threatens a new wave of sectarian strife just after the withdrawal of the last US troops. The blast occurred when the bomber drove his vehicle into a security cordon outside the interior ministry in central Baghdad, detonating an explosion that left dead and wounded on the ground and set fire to nearby vehicles, police said. The attack on Bab al-Sharji Street followed Thursday's wave of explosions in mainly Shia areas across the Iraqi capital, in which at least 72 people were killed. "When I went ou

A Czech of the post-1989 generation offers his personal reflection onVclav Havel life and times. In the days sinceVclav Havel's death, Czechs and citizens from around the world have been slowly saying goodbye, paying their respects to a man who profoundly inspired them and whose moral presence the world so desperately needed. In the three days of state mourning, a space opened in which we have begun to comprehend the immensity of our loss, the depth of what happened to us with his passing. There is, within this space, the recognition of Havels great gift to us: not only the courage to hope and to see a future different and brighter than the present, but also the promise that politics itself can be caring and honest, humble and good, that politics can be humane. The gift of a humane politics is one that can now endure only in our hearts and in our efforts; it is a project begun but of course never finished by Havel. He gestured at itthis humanity can always only be gestured towards.

Seven people were found dead in a Dallas-area apartment after police in Texas, U.S. entered the unit on Sunday, according to local media reports. Police said that the four women and three men have apparently been shot. "All victims appear to have gunshot wounds," Grapevine police said in a statement. Police responded to the address "in reference to a 911 open line," said the statement. The victims appeared to be related, Grapevine Police Sgt. Robert Eberling was quoted as saying. All the dead were found in the same adjoined kitchen and living room area of the apartment in Grapevine, about 25 miles northwest of Dallas, police said. Police are now investigating the cause of the incident.

Two private delegations, led by South Korea's former first lady and the chairwoman of Hyundai Group respectively,wentto the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday to pay condolences over the death of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Il. In this photo released by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s official KCNA news agency, the body of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Il lies in the bier at the Kumsusan Memorial in Pyongyang, DPRK, Dec. 20, 2011. [Xinhua/KCNA] A 13-member delegation led by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of the late former president Kim Dae-jung, and another five-member delegation led by Hyun Jeong-eun, the wife of the business group's late chairman Chung Mong-hun, left for Pyongyang for a two-day trip. "I think it's the right thing to pay condolences as Kim Jong Ilsent a condolence delegation to Seoul when my husband passed away in August 2009," Lee said in a written message. She also expressed the hope thattheir trip

Kim Jong-il's son lauded as head of Workers' party central committee, while uncle shapes as powerbroker North Korean state media has referred to Kim Jong-un as head of the ruling Workers' party central committee, giving him power over one of the country's highest decision-making bodies just over a week after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. The reference in the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper came as a former South Korean first lady and a prominent business leader travelled with two private delegations to North Korea to pay respects to Kim Jong-il as the North prepares for his funeral. In another signal of the shape of North Korea's future hierarchy, state television showed footage of Kim Jong-un's uncle and key patron, Jang Song Thaek, wearing a military uniform with a general's insignia. It is a strong sign he will play a crucial role in ensuring his nephew keeps a grip on power and upholds his father's trademark "military-first"

Watch Video Play Video Irans military drill, dubbed "Velayat-e 90", has entered into its third day. Iranian Navy Commander Habibollah Sayyari, says the drill is a display of the countrys military capabilities and defense powers in international waters. But he adds that the drill would not involve closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel and the United States have not voiced their concerns on the drill so far. In this file picture, obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency, Iranian troops prepare rockets on a launcher during a military drill near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow strategically located waterway through which 40 percent of world's seaborne oil supplies passes. (AFP Photo/Rouholla Vahdati) Iran's navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari briefs media on an upcoming naval exercise, in a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011. Sayyari said Thursday his forces plan to hold a 10-day drill in international waters beyond the strategic Strait of

Apparent murder-suicide in Grapevine, near Dallas, where group had just finished unwrapping gifts Seven people who had just unwrapped their Christmas gifts have been found shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide, Texas police have said. The group, believed to have been from the same family, were cleaning up the wrapping paper when they were killed in a Grapevine apartment, authorities said. The four women and three men, aged 18 to 60, were found in an adjoining kitchen and living room when police entered the apartment around midday, said police sergeant Robert Eberling. Two handguns were found near the bodies in the apartment, which was decorated with a Christmas tree. "It appears they had just celebrated Christmas. They had opened their gifts," Eberling said, adding that police did not know the motive for the killing. Grapevine is just outside Dallas. Police lieutenant Todd Dearing said investigators believe that all the victims were related some were visiting and did not l

According to Guardian/ICM poll, 48% of respondents say PM is doing a good job, while coalition's score is 39% David Cameron is ending 2011 on a high, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. The main parties remain stuck in a political deadlock as the year draws to a close, but the prime minister is outpolling his own government and Labour's leader, Ed Miliband. After 12 months in which a nascent economic recovery fizzled out, Cameron retains a positive personal rating of five points the gap between the 48% who think he is doing a good job and the 43% who say he is doing a bad one. The survey finds a country which is approaching the new year with many anxieties, and unimpressed by the performance of the government as a whole. Almost half (47%) of respondents say the coalition is doing a bad job as against 39% who say it is doing well, an eight-point gap which plunges the coalition as a whole into negative territory. The prime minister is the only one of Britain's leading poli

Labour warns that government guidelines on new housing put unprotected recreation areas at risk of development Playing fields and sports grounds in towns and cities across England and Wales face being built over with new housing under government planning reforms, Labour has warned. New planning guidelines intended to dramatically speed up development to boost the economy and help solve the housing crisis risk allowing unprotected recreation areas to be earmarked in development plans, according to the opposition planning spokeswoman, Roberta Blackman-Woods. She has warned the threat is compounded by proposals from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to demand a fee of up to 1,000 from anyone who wants to register land as a village green, and thereby give it protected status. Labour is preparing for a tussle with the government over the proposed national planning policy framework (NPPF) in January as Greg Clark, the planning minister, finalises reforms that have be

According to Guardian/ICM poll, 48% of respondents say PM is doing a good job, while coalition's score is 39% David Cameron is ending 2011 on a high, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. The main parties remain stuck in a political deadlock as the year draws to a close, but the prime minister is outpolling his own government and Labour's leader, Ed Miliband. After 12 months in which a nascent economic recovery fizzled out, Cameron retains a positive personal rating of five points the gap between the 48% who think he is doing a good job and the 43% who say he is doing a bad one. The survey finds a country which is approaching the new year with many anxieties, and unimpressed by the performance of the government as a whole. Almost half (47%) of respondents say the coalition is doing a bad job as against 39% who say it is doing well, an eight-point gap which plunges the coalition as a whole into negative territory. The prime minister is the only one of Britain's leading poli

Exclusive: Guardian/ICM poll shows strong support for PM while Labour leader struggles to make his case David Cameron is ending 2011 on a high, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. The main parties remain stuck in a political deadlock as the year draws to a close, but the prime minister is outpolling his own government and Labour's leader, Ed Miliband. After 12 months in which a nascent economic recovery fizzled out, Cameron retains a positive personal rating of five points the gap between the 48% who think he is doing a good job and the 43% who say he is doing a bad one. The survey finds a country which is approaching the new year with many anxieties, and unimpressed by the performance of the government as a whole. Almost half (47%) of respondents say the coalition is doing a bad job as against 39% who say it is doing well, an eight-point gap which plunges the coalition as a whole into negative territory. The prime minister is the only one of Britain's leading political fig