Remembrance Sunday: Queen leads tributes at Cenotaph

             The Queen was the first to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London

The Queen has laid a wreath at London's Cenotaph as part of the Remembrance Sunday events held to honour the UK's war dead.

Other members of the Royal Family, Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicians, religious leaders and military chiefs also attended.

More than 7,000 ex-servicemen and women marched past the Cenotaph, followed by civilians including 60 war widows.

A two-minute silence was observed as Big Ben chimed.

The Queen laid the first wreath, followed by other members her family, including the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Prince William.

Maj Peter Norton, who won the George Cross for Gallantry after being injured in Iraq, said for Armed Forces personnel it was particularly poignant.

"Most of us also have got personal experiences, we've either lost friends or colleagues over the years.

"You have that common bond between you no matter what cap, badge or regiment you come from and the ability to get together to go over old memories, but also to remember those who can't be here with you really means a lot to most people here," he said.

Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely, of the Royal British Legion, said the commemorations this year were "as important as ever".

"Remembrance Sunday is a time for the nation to unite in its reverence for the British armed forces past and present," he said.

"When we bow our heads in reflection, we remember those who fought for our freedom during the two world wars, but we also mourn and honour those who have lost their lives in more recent conflicts."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the day was important for millions of people.

"The armed services have acquitted themselves incredibly well, of course in Afghanistan on an ongoing basis and also in the operation in Libya over the course of this year.

"The public hugely respects and admires what our service people do and the professionalism with which they do it."

All British troops not on operational duty in Camp Bastion and across Afghanistan observed the two-minute silence.

In Helmand province, a wreath was laid by 18-year-old Private Jake Noble, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, who said it was "a privilege".

"It's good having a service here, it's more personal, because it's a small group of guys," he said.

It is 90 years since the Royal British Legion instigated the first official Remembrance Day.

Ceremonies were held at the same time across the UK.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Remembrance Sunday is the time when every man, woman and child in Scotland should pause and give thought to the immense sacrifice which so many have made to protect our way of life and freedom."

Anti-war campaigners also took part in services across the country.

Chris Nineham, from the Stop the War Coalition, told BBC Radio 5 live they would wear white poppies instead of the traditional red ones.

"Lots of people will be wearing red poppies and laying red wreaths... but we also think that people have the right to wear white poppies and lay white wreaths as a way of saying the waste of life that has occurred in the past should not occur in the future," he said.

Sir David Richards, chief of the defence staff, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the wearing of poppies was "very humbling for us as we go about our daily business not thinking about these bigger issues".

In Oxfordshire, the village of Brize Norton, which has seen five repatriations of soldiers since September, also honoured the dead.

Chairman of Brize Norton Parish Council, Keith Glazier, said: "I cannot quite express how one feels when you see the cortege.

"It's very heart-wrenching and we would rather not see any more."

Facebook 'to seek consent for privacy changes'

Privacy campaigners have welcomed a report that Facebook is to ask users to opt into any changes in the way it uses their personal information.

The social network previously announced alterations to its members' settings without asking for fresh consent.

The website is changing its policy after an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Facebook is not commenting on the story at this time.

The report suggests the site has also agreed to privacy audits by an independent organisation over the next 20 years.

However, it says the FTC does not prescribe how consent should be obtained.
Suspicion
"Facebook has historically been extremely resistant to transparency in its own operations, so we welcome measures that would force the company to obtain express consent of its users," said the London based advocacy group Privacy International.

"However, it seems likely that the FTC's demands will only present a temporary obstacle in the path of Facebook's ambitions to collect its users' information.

"Faced with reams of small print, most users are likely to automatically agree to policy changes, with each change bringing us one step closer to Zuckerberg's vision of a privacy-free future."

The website's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was questioned about the firm's privacy policies on the US television network PBS' Charlie Rose show earlier this week.

"You have control over every single thing you've shared on Facebook," he said, "You can take it down."

He also said other search engines and advertising networks gathered "huge amount of information" about internet users through cookies, which he claimed was "less transparent than what is happening at Facebook".

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Users are not social networking sites' primary customers, advertisers and marketers are”

End Quote Andrew Charlesworth University of Bristol

Complaints

The FTC's intervention is being linked to the Washington-based campaign group, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).

It filed a complaint with the commission in December 2009 claiming that privacy setting changes "violate user expectations, diminish user privacy and contradict Facebook's own representations".

EPIC noted that the website's users, security experts and others had voiced opposition to the change.

The organisation filed a follow-up complaint in 2010 claiming the social network had violated consumer protection law.

This year, EPIC also asked the FTC to investigate Facebook's use of facial recognition software on users' uploaded photographs and changes that gave the firm "far greater ability to disclose the personal information of its users to its business partners".
Knock-on effects
Facebook says it has more than 800 million members who have used the site at least once in the past 30 days.

The Reuters news agency recently reported that the site's revenues totalled $1.6bn (£1bn) in the first six months of the year thanks to its popularity with advertisers.

Facebook does not release detailed results as it is not a publicly traded company, although there is speculation it will float its stock in 2012.

Legal experts say any settlement with the FTC is likely to have implications for other internet firms.

"Users are not social networking sites' primary customers, advertisers and marketers are," said Andrew Charlesworth, director of the centre for IT and law at the University of Bristol.

"While the FTC settlement indicates sites must be more open about the ways they make personal data available, and provide users with greater control, Facebook and others will already be rethinking the techniques they use to persuade users to keep their personal data publicly accessible."

Tendulkar falls short in chase for 100th international century

 Sachin Tendulkar fell short in his quest to complete a 100th international century as India beat the West indies by five wickets in the first Test in Delhi.

The batsman, dubbed the 'Little Master' was 33 not out overnight and raced to 76 as he chased down the landmark but was then dismissed by spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Tendulkar has been stuck on 99 hundreds since March but did become the first player to score 15,000 runs in Test match cricket on Tuesday. He is also the highest run scorer in one day international cricket.

Despite the 38-year-old' being trapped LBW, India needed just over one session to reach their winning target, finishing on 276-5 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

After VVS laxman's unbeaten 55 took India to their target, captain MS Dhoni told reporters Tendulkar would soon reach the milestone.

"The media are putting pressure on him," he said in a press conference. "Let him score his hundred and he will do at some point in time. He is pretty good at doing that and he will do it. Let him score the hundred without pressure.

"If you are talking about the gentleman, expectations of him by the people have been high as (Mount) Everest. Since his second year in international cricket he has been the star.

Expectations of him by the people have been high as (Mount) Everest
MS Dhoni on Sachin Tendulkar

"When he goes to a cricket field and scores 50, people say he has not scored runs and it has been like this each and every day.

"And what we have seen is that any individual, when he reaches a milestone, he may take a little bit more time than usual. But I think it's around the corner."

The second Test begins in Kolkata on Monday.

Elsewhere, South Africa took full advantage of helpful bowling conditions to reduce Australia to 214-8 in the first Test in Cape Town.

The tourists were grateful to captain Michael Clarke's unbeaten 107 to take them past the 200 mark. Shaun Marsh (44) and Mitchell Johnson (20) were the only other players to reach double figures on a rain-affected day in South Africa.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn was the stand out performer for the hosts, taking four wickets, including the scalp of former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.

Vernon Philander took three wickets as only 55 overs were possible on the opening day due to the weather.

Turkey earthquake: Van hotel topples, 'killing three'

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake has killed at least three people in eastern Turkey, and trapped many more under collapsed buildings, reports say.

About 20 buildings have collapsed, including a six-storey hotel in the city of Van, where dozens of aid workers and journalists were staying.

The quake hit at 21:23 (19:23 GMT) and was centred 16km south of Van.

The same region was struck last month by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 600 people.

That earthquake struck a little north of Van but the city became the headquarters of the relief effort and has been flooded by aid workers and journalists, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul.

The city was only lightly damaged, but some of the weakened buildings are now thought to been brought down.

Television pictures from Van showed residents and rescuers trying to lift debris to free people trapped under ruined buildings.

Rescue workers were using high-powered lights to work through the night.

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said the quake toppled a school and a number of mudbrick homes, as well as the hotel.

He said rescue teams were being sent to the region from the capital, Ankara, and other areas.

Alper Kucuk from the Turkish Red Crescent told the BBC that 11 people had been rescued from the rubble of the hotel.

He said most of the other buildings that had collapsed were empty after being damaged in last month's earthquake.

Mr Kucuk said the Red Crescent was sending two more planeloads of relief supplies to the area, including tents and blankets, as well as rescue personnel.

He described it as the biggest aftershock to hit the area and said it had frightened a lot of people.

Thousands of people were made homeless by the 23 October earthquake, with many still living in tents in the cold weather.

Italian PM faces calls to resign

Calls mount for Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi to resign as he wins a budget vote but appears to lose his parliamentary majority.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is famed for making his views known in blunt, colourful, sometimes combative language.

At times he strays into what one of his predecessors, Massimo D'Alema, described as "planetary gaffes".

Here is a selection of quotations from Mr Berlusconi on a range of topics over his years in and out of office.

On Italy's debt crisis

Speaking on 13 August 2011, as he announced a raft of new austerity measures: "Our hearts are bleeding. This government had bragged that it never put its hands in the pockets of Italians but the world situation changed. We are facing the biggest global challenge."

But on 4 November 2011, he told a news conference at the end of a G20 summit: "The life in Italy is the life of a wealthy country: consumptions haven't diminished, it's hard to find seats on planes, our restaurants are full of people."

Scandals over his private life

Mr Berlusconi - caught in a series of scandals over his private life, including his alleged dealings with younger women and prostitutes - has frequently turned to a pithy phrase in an attempt to shrug off the allegations.

For instance, in April 2011, he said: "When asked if they would like to have sex with me, 30% of women said, 'Yes', while the other 70% replied, 'What, again?'"

At the end of the previous year, as allegations swirled about escorts and "Bunga, bunga" parties, the PM deadpanned the line: "I unfortunately have never in my life been to a wild party."

However, the talk of scandal has got under his collar at times.

He told Il Giornale newspaper in an interview on 12 August 2009 that he had nothing to apologise for and no skeletons in his cupboard: "I deserve to be left in peace: enough violations of privacy."

Questioned on the sex allegations in late July, Mr Berlusconi admitted: "I am not a saint, you've all understood that."

In an earlier interview with gossip magazine Chi, Mr Berlusconi denied he pays for sex, adding: "I never understood where the satisfaction is when you're missing the pleasure of conquest."

More bluntly, in November 2010 Mr Berlusconi hit out with the following: "It's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay."

Battles with the courts

On the news in October 2009 that Italy's constitutional court had overturned a law granting him immunity from prosecution while in office:

"Lucky that there's Silvio, otherwise we'd be completely in the hands of these gentlemen of the left... I will defend myself in the courts, exposing the accusers to ridicule, showing all Italians what stuff they're made of and what stuff I'm made of."

Earlier, he insisted that the charges against him were farcical and that his administration would "govern for five years with or without the law".

His view of Italy's judiciary in June 2008: a "cancerous growth".

On judges pursuing former Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti on charges relating to the Mafia: "Those judges are doubly mad! In the first place, because they are politically mad, and in the second place because they are mad anyway.

"If they do that job, it is because they are anthropologically different from the rest of the human race."

Politics and the Italian Left

In November 2011, facing the biggest crisis of his leadership, he said: "I want to look those who want to betray me in the face."

As a spat with his former wife hit the papers in late April 2009, Mr Berlusconi rebuffed her accusations that his party planned to field attractive young women as European election candidates: "We want to renew our political class with people who are cultured and well prepared... [Candidates standing for my party would be unlike the] malodorous and badly-dressed people who represent certain parties in parliament."

He is quoted as saying on 9 April 2008: "The left has no taste, even when it comes to women."

On left-wing voters at a conference of retailers during the 2006 campaign: "I trust the intelligence of the Italian people too much to think that there are so many pricks around who would vote against their own best interests."

Promising to put family values at the centre of his campaign for the April 2006 general election: "I will try to meet your expectations, and I promise from now on, two-and-a-half months of absolute sexual abstinence, until [election day on] 9 April." He later insisted the pledge was "just a joke".

On Mussolini

"Mussolini never killed anyone. Mussolini used to send people on vacation in internal exile."

In the wake of 11 September

"We must be aware of the superiority of our civilisation, a system that has guaranteed well-being, respect for human rights and - in contrast with Islamic countries - respect for religious and political rights, a system that has as its value understanding of diversity and tolerance...

"The West will continue to conquer peoples, even if it means a confrontation with another civilisation, Islam, firmly entrenched where it was 1,400 years ago."

His response to worldwide condemnation of the above speech: "They have tried to hang me on an isolated word, taken out of context from my whole speech."

"I did not say anything against the Islamic civilisation... It's the work of some people in the Italian leftist press who wanted to tarnish my image and destroy my long-standing relations with Arabs and Muslims."

On his alleged conflict of interest as prime minister and one of Italy's biggest tycoons, with major media holdings: "If I, taking care of everyone's interests, also take care of my own, you can't talk about a conflict of interest."

President Obama's skin colour

Of Barack Obama, upon his election as US president in November 2008, he said: "[Mr Obama is] young, handsome and suntanned".

His response to the wave of criticism following the remark: ''God save us from imbeciles... How can you take such a great compliment negatively?"

An unabashed Mr Berlusconi rehashed the jibe on his return from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh on 28 September 2009: "Ah, Barack Obama. You won't believe it, but the two of them sunbathe together, because the wife is also tanned."

The L'Aquila earthquake

In general Mr Berlusconi won praise for his handling of an earthquake that hit central Italy on 6 April - except for his advice to homeless survivors that they should see their plight "like a weekend of camping."

Women

In September 2010, speaking at a youth rally, saying women should marry rich, older men: "Women are lining up to marry me. Legend has it, I know how to do it."

In January 2007, Mr Berlusconi was forced to issue a public apology to his wife, after she accused him of flirting with two women.

"If I wasn't already married, I would marry you right away," Mrs Berlusconi accused him of telling women at a TV awards dinner.

"With you, I'd go anywhere," he was quoted as telling another woman.

On Italian secretaries (comments made at the New York Stock Exchange): "Italy is now a great country to invest in... today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls."

On himself

After his immunity from prosecution was lifted by the Constitutional Court in October 2009, he declared:

"I am without doubt the person who's been the most persecuted in the entire history of the world and the history of man."

"In my opinion, and not only mine, I am the best prime minister we can find today."

Previously, on the same theme: "I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."

"The best political leader in Europe and in the world."

"There is no-one on the world stage who can compete with me."

"Out of love for Italy, I felt I had to save it from the left."

"The right man in the right job."

"I don't need to go into office for the power. I have houses all over the world, stupendous boats... beautiful airplanes, a beautiful wife, a beautiful family... I am making a sacrifice."

Yet by May 2010, he appeared in a chastened mood when he told a news conference at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris: "As prime minister, I have never had the feeling that I was in power."

To a German newspaper:

"In Italy I am almost seen as German for my workaholism. Also I am from Milan, the city where people work the hardest. Work, work, work - I am almost German."

Other politicians

In June 2005, on enlisting the support of Finnish President Tarja Halonen for Italy to host the European Food Safety Authority: "I had to use all my playboy tactics."

Mr Berlusconi added insult to injury by saying that he had had to "endure the Finnish diet", such as smoked herrings.

To German MEP Martin Schulz, at start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003: "I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps - I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo (guard chosen from among the prisoners) - you would be perfect."

During the controversy raging over the above remark: "I'll try to soften it and become boring, maybe even very boring, but I am not sure I will be able to do it."

At the Brussels summit, at the end of Italy's EU presidency, in December 2003: "Let's talk about football and women." (Turning to four-times-married German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.) "Gerhard, why don't you start?"

On his first meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2002, Berlusconi complimented him with the words: "Mr Rasmussen is not only a great colleague, he's also the best-looking prime minister in Europe."

On Aids

A joke about Aids told by Mr Berlusconi: "An Aids patient asks his doctor whether the sand treatment prescribed him will do any good. 'No', the doctor replies, 'but you will get accustomed to living under the earth'."

His response to critics who said the joke was offensive: "They have lost their minds; they really have come to the end of the line, indeed they have gone beyond it. I would advise them, too, to undergo sand treatment..."

Szczesny - I'm not surprised by goal rush

Wojciech Szczesny believes the Premier League's wealth of attacking talent is responsible for this season's glut of top-flight goals.


The 2011/12 campaign has already seen some eye-catching scorelines including Arsenal's 5-3 win at Chelsea, their 8-2 defeat at Manchester United and the champions' own 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City.


Fulham have also racked up six goals in one match as the Premier League lives up to its reputation for entertainment, leaving the likes of Szczesny picking the ball out of the net more than usual.


The Polish goalkeeper was named Arsenal's Player of the Month for August and September and he kept a clean sheet against West Brom at the weekend, and yet he has conceded 21 times in ten top-flight games. Szczesny puts that down to exceptional offensive play and a string of unstoppable strikes.


“Listen, if you look at the attacking quality throughout the top teams in the league there are going to be goals,” he told the Official Matchday Programme.


“Look at some of the results recently: Man City against United, us against United, us against Chelsea and so on. The players are so good at the moment that you will get these high scorelines. Basically though, as long as you end up winning it doesn’t matter how many go in. You’d rather win 5-3 than lose 1-0 of course.


“I could probably have done better on some of the goals but others were just fantastic strikes and you have to take it. Some of the best goals of the season have been scored past us – the one in Dortmund and probably two from the United game. 


"As long as you can’t do anything about it, you have to accept it. I just want to make sure that the ones I can do better with, I improve on.”


Szczesny would be vying for top spot with Robin Van Persie if Arsenal's Player of the Season award was handed out early but the Polish keeper thinks he can do much better.


“It’s difficult to be objective, but I’m trying to be a harsh critic," he explained. "It’s a bit weird because at the start of the season when we weren’t doing very well, I was actually quite pleased with my performances. Now that the team has picked up, I think that my own performance has dropped a little bit. 


"I’m happy that we are getting the results now of course, but the fact that my level has dropped a bit is a little bit worrying. I think overall I’m pleased, but nothing more than that.


“But there is a really positive feel around the team now. It was really hard for us at the start but we worked hard, picked up our form and got some results. All of a sudden the mood in the dressing room changed completely. 


"We are very positive, looking forward to all the games and I hope we can keep it that way.”

Van Persie is EA SPORTS Player of the Month

Robin Van Persie is the EA SPORTS Player of the Month.

The Arsenal captain has been unplayable at times this season and enjoyed an incredible October, scoring seven goals in five matches.

Robin was on target after just 29 seconds against Sunderland - netting the Club's fastest ever Premier League strike - and secured all three points with a sumptuous late free kick.

He came off the bench to score another brace and earn another victory against Stoke but saved his best for the final weekend of the month when his hat-trick stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Robin has now scored 28 goals in 27 Premier League games in this calendar year but it was his leadership as much as his form that earned him a landslide win in our official Club poll.

The fans voted in their thousands, handing the captain 88.1 per cent of the vote. Laurent koscielny and Aaron Ramsey both enjoyed solid months but they finished well behind in second and third place.

OCTOBER PLAYER OF THE MONTH RESULT

Player	% of votes
Robin van Persie	88.2
Laurent Koscielny	3.7
Aaron Ramsey	1.4
Others	6.7