Falklands Oil Threat Protest Lodged By UK

Britain has accused Argentina of "bullying tactics" over its threat to punish oil firms operating off the Falkland Islands with heavy fines, the seizure of assets and jail sentences of up to 15 years.

The Foreign Office (FCO) insisted the Falklands were not subject to a new law passed last month by the Argentine Congress, and branded it "a baseless gesture intended to deter legitimate commercial activity".

The FCO director for the Americas, Kate Smith, has now lodged a formal protest with the Argentine charge d'affaires, Oscar Horacio Galli.

It follows a law change aimed at criminalising individuals or companies involved in the oil industry within the Argentine continental shelf, without approval by Buenos Aires.

A depot for machinery and equipment in Port Stanley used in oil exploration

The Falkland Islands Government has already firmly rejected that the legislation applies to its territory and waters.

An FCO spokesman said: "Argentine domestic law does not apply to the Falkland Islands, so this is a baseless gesture intended to deter legitimate commercial activity.

"We are confident it will not succeed.

"It is shameful that Argentina is once again adopting bullying tactics in an attempt to strangle the Falkland Islands economy.

"The British Government fully supports the rights of the Falkland Islanders to develop their hydrocarbons sector for their economic benefit.

"This right is an integral part of their right of self-determination, which is expressly contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

"All hydrocarbons activities on the continental shelf of the Falkland Islands are regulated by legislation of the Falkland Islands Government, in strict accordance with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea."

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Harvard Evacuated Over 'Explosives On Campus'

Staff and students have been evacuated from Harvard University after "unconfirmed reports of explosives" on campus.

The Ivy League institution has issued a warning about "unconfirmed reports" of explosives at four of its buildings.

Police, the bomb squad and bomb-sniffing dogs are on site at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus and searches of the buildings are taking place.

CNS News reports that police received the report by email.

Police gather at one of the affected buildings. Pic: Harvard Crimson

A statement on the university's website said: "The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) this morning received an unconfirmed report that explosives may have been placed in four buildings on campus -  the Science Center, Thayer, Sever and Emerson Halls.

"HUPD and Cambridge Police are on the scene. Out of an abundance of caution, the buildings have been evacuated while the report is investigated. 

"Harvard's focus is on the safety of our students, faculty and staff.  We will update the media when we have more information."

Firefighters outside a gate at Harvard Yard

The school, where final exams have begun, posted alerts on its emergency page and Twitter account.

One student said she was preparing to start an exam when a fire alarm went off and everyone was ordered to leave the hall.

Freshman Hamidah Mahmud said: "We were about to take our science final in the Science Center. We had our pencils out, we were about to start it and right when he was about to say 'go' the fire alarm started and they evacuated everyone.

Police cordoned off Science Center plaza. Pic: Harvard Crimson

"Because the Boston bombings happened so recently, I think they are taking extra precautions.

"It was pretty scary."

The Harvard Crimson newspaper reported that students have been moved to Annenberg Hall, one of the college's main eateries.

Students taking exams were moved to Annenberg Hall. Pic: Harvard Crimson

The paper said that Harvard dean of undergraduate education Jay Harris told those assembled in the hall that the morning's final exams had been cancelled.

Transport police carried out a sweep of Harvard's subway station, but it was not closed or evacuated, according to the Boston Globe.

Harvard's main campus covers 209 acres in a heavily-populated area, around 5km from downtown Boston.

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Sacked Chef Hijacks Employer's Twitter Account

A sacked pub chef has used his former employer's Twitter account to post a series of angry messages.

But bosses at The Plough pub in Oxfordshire say they had no choice but to dismiss him because he refused to work on Christmas Day - one of their busiest days of the year.

They also said his claim that the pub bought cheap meat and passed it off as premium was "outrageous and untrue".

At 7pm on Sunday, a message appeared on The Plough's account saying: "Happy Christmas everyone".

But that was followed by several messages claiming head chef Jim Knight had been sacked for asking for three days off this month, including the key Christmas Day shift.

Some of the Twitter messages posted by the chef

The first read: "We'd like to inform you that we've just fired our head chef.

"Unfortunately he wanted to have a weekend off this month and Christmas Day this year for family commitments so we thought we'd sack him. Yeah, a week before Christmas!

"We don't care that he has a 7½-month-old baby daughter."

It was followed by a derogatory comment about the source of the produce used by the pub, saying supermarket meat was passed off as premium cuts.

The pub, in Great Haseley, Oxfordshire, gained hundreds of new followers on Twitter as the controversial messages were retweeted more than 1,000 times each.

A spokesman for The Plough said Mr Knight had informed bosses he would not be working Christmas Day and other Sundays in the near future, breaking an understanding reached when he was first employed.

Landlord Steve Potts said he was left with "little choice" but to dismiss him, as all of the pub's chefs have to work on Sundays and Christmas Day.

He also said the claim about the pub's produce was "outrageous and untrue".

"Our suppliers are transparent: our meat is fresh, never frozen, and comes from Booker's in High Wycombe and from a local farmer called Peter Vogt."

He added: "I've been in this business 25 years and have a lot of contacts who have been asking me on an ongoing basis if there is a position available, as this is a fantastic pub to work for.

"Since the villagers bought it out two years ago, it's been renovated to a wonderful standard, the kitchen facilities are second to none and it must be one of the most beautiful villages in the country."

He added that Mr Knight's dismissal would not affect the Christmas Day food service.

A message posted on Mr Knight's own Twitter account read: "It's my daughter's first Christmas. I wouldn't miss that for ANYTHING.

"Thank you for the kind words. I had no idea this would escalate so quickly. See you in the job centre tomorrow. X"

It was followed by: "I would like to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR I have not "hacked" any account. I created the account with permission of my ex-employers. Night x."

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Portugal: Five Students Missing In Sea

One university student has died and five others are missing after they were swept away by a huge wave on a beach in Portugal.

Three men and four women, all in their early 20s, had rented a house for a weekend break at Praia do Meco beach in Setubal, south of Lisbon.

All seven were sitting on the beach late on Saturday night when they were dragged into the sea.

One of the men managed to swim back to shore and used a mobile phone to call emergency services.

Rescuers later found the body of one of the men and are searching for the four women and remaining man.

The search is taking place three miles south of where they were dragged in

A military helicopter and boat are being used in the search.

Commander Carlos Manuel Lopes da Costa, leading the hunt, told Portuguese newspaper Publico: "We always hope of finding anyone alive."

The search area has been increased from a three-mile radius to a five-mile radius, to between Lagoa de Albufeira and Prais dos Lagosteiros, near Cabo Espichel.

Sesimbra mayor Augusto Polvora said: "We know that the sea here is dangerous, we often have yellow flags and red flags, but it is the first time there has been an accident of this kind."

Lusofona University in Lisbon, where the students were studying, has declared three days of mourning.

The flag at the humanities and technology campus is flying at half mast.

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Groom Killed Helping Motorist Stuck In Snow

A groom was killed hours after his wedding when he and a motorist stranded in snow were hit by several vehicles.

William Riley Knight, 49, was on his way from his wedding reception to a hotel with his new bride when the accident happened.

Mr Knight, from Crown Point, Indiana, stopped his truck when the couple saw a woman whose car had slid off the road into the snow.

He pulled into a nearby driveway and left his wife Nikki Knight waiting while he went to help 42-year-old Linda Darlington.

The pair were standing at the side of the road when they were struck by one vehicle and then by two more, the Lake County Sheriff's office said.

Mrs Knight, a registered nurse, said neither her husband nor Ms Darlington had pulses when she got to the accident scene. Both were pronounced dead early on Sunday morning.

Parts of the US have been gripped by a winter freeze

She told the Chicago Sun-Times: "I went from being a newlywed to a widow in less than 48 hours - the highest high to the lowest low. It's a blur.

"He said 'we've got to stop, it's late and they need help'.

"He was the type of person who was willing to put himself on the line and support you no matter what."

Mr Knight, who went by his middle name of Riley, had served in the US Army Rangers before retiring in the mid-1990s, his ex-wife told WBBM.

He had two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter.

All the drivers involved in the accident stayed at the scene and police said no charges had been filed.

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Andre Villas-Boas Sacked By Tottenham Hotspur

Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked as manager of Tottenham Hotspur after less than six months in the job.

The club announced it had parted company with the Portuguese by "mutual consent" after a 5-0 thrashing at home to Liverpool in the Premier League.

Last month, Spurs suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Manchester City, heaping pressure on Villas-Boas after a 3-0 defeat to West Ham the previous month.

According to Sky Bet, Fabio Capello is the 11/8 favourite to replace the 36-year-old, followed by Michael Laudrup (5/1), Glenn Hoddle (8/1) and Guus Hiddink (8/1).

Villas-Boas guided Tottenham to 29 wins and 12 draws during his 54 games in charge.

He steered the side to their current seventh place in the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester United, and maintained an unbeaten record as Tottenham won their Europa League group.

However, more was expected of a team that spent £108m on seven new players during the summer following the departure of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for an enormous transfer fee.

Speaking after the Liverpool defeat, Villas-Boas said he would not stand down.

"The call to make that decision is not mine, because obviously I won't resign and I'm not a quitter," he said.

"The only thing I can do is work hard with the players to get them back on track.

"This is a top-four squad but in our Premier League form we are not there."

Villas-Boas, who lasted less than a year in his previous job at Chelsea, guided his boyhood club Porto to a trophy treble in 2011, as the Portuguese side won the league title, the Portuguese Cup and the Europa League.

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Cameron: 'Afghanistan Mission Accomplished'

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent, in Camp Bastion

British troops in Afghanistan can be proud of a "mission accomplished" as they prepare to pull out of the country next year, David Cameron has said.

On an unannounced visit to Camp Bastion in the run-up to Christmas, the Prime Minister said the Armed Forces would be able to leave after a 12-year campaign having ensured it was no longer a terrorist stronghold.

Speaking during his visit, Mr Cameron said troops could leave Afghanistan with their "heads held high".

He said: "To me the absolute driving part of the mission is the basic level of security so that it doesn't become a haven for terror.

"That is the mission, that was the mission and I think we will have accomplished that mission and so our troops can be very proud of what they have done."

David Cameron was travelling with Michael Owen and took top bunk

It is likely to be Mr Cameron's last festive trip to the country as combat troops will have withdrawn by the end of 2014.

Around 5,200 British troops are now based in Afghanistan, down from 9,000 at the start of the year.

However, there are still fears of a Taliban resurgence once Western troops pull out and the first big test for security in the country will come with next year's election.

Militants could target candidates and officials in a bid to undermine the political transition.

The withdrawal of UK troops will be paused during the election period, to try and maintain stability, however, the pace will be upped again soon after.

The Prime Minister arrives at Camp Bastion

Mr Cameron said: "I said, back in 2010, that after the end of 2014 there would not be British troops in a combat role and we will stick to that.

"We are not going to abandon this country. We are going to go on funding the Afghan National Army and police into the future.

"We will have a development programme into the future and, of course, we are providing what the president of Afghanistan asked me for, which is an officer training academy in Kabul which will help provide the backbone of the Afghan National Army for the future.

"So, we have more than played our part in helping to rebuild this country and making it safe.

"Our commitment goes on into the future but our troops have done enough and it's time for them to come home."

Last year during his Christmas visit, the Prime Minister acknowledged that Britain had "paid a heavy price" for its involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan.

Mr Cameron greets troops who will pull out by the end of 2014

There have been 446 British service personnel killed in the fighting.

Travelling with Mr Cameron this year was the footballer Michael Owen. The pair even shared a bunk bed together on the eight-hour flight in an Army plane.

The Prime Minister insisted on having the top bunk - but it was the former England player who was the top dog in the eyes of the forces.

Owen was there to launch a new partnership between the FA and Afghan football, providing training and helping the sport grow from grassroots to premier league.

Despite offering a photo opportunity for Mr Cameron, there was a serious aim.

Football is one of Britain's best-loved exports, and the military see this as a key way of strengthening relationships with the Afghans.

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Severed Hand Saved By Being Sewn To Ankle

A man who lost his right hand in an accident at work has had it successfully reattached after doctors grafted it to his ankle for a month.

Xiao Wei underwent reattachment surgery in Changsha, Hunan province, after badly injuring himself in November.

Initially, doctors said they would be unable to save his limb.

Mr Wei said: "I was just shocked and frozen to the spot, until colleagues unplugged the machine and retrieved my hand and took me to the hospital.

Xiao Wei is hopting to regain full function of his hand

"I am still young, and I couldn't imagine life without a right hand."

However, doctors at a larger hospital offered a solution and opted to sew the hand to the ankle to stop it dying while they treated his other injuries.

Wei's doctor told Rex Features: "His injury was severe. Besides ripping injuries, his arm was also flattened. We had to clear and treat his injuries before taking on the hand reattachment surgery."

Nearly a month after his hand was severed, Wei had recovered sufficiently to undergo reattachment surgery.

According to doctors he will need to undergo several other procedures, but they are hopeful that he will regain full function of his hand.

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Riviera Bones Not From Missing Stephane Hirson

A pile of human bones found off the French Riviera do not include the remains of a missing Parisian teenager as previously thought, according to investigators.

Police said in November that DNA tests indicated that the remains of vulnerable 17-year-old Stephane Hirson, who disappeared from his home near Paris in 1994, were among the bones of at least four people discovered by an amateur diver in the sea close to the resort of Antibes.

But now the prosecutors' office in Grasse, which is leading a murder investigation into the case, said new tests had disproved that.

The bones include the remains of two men and two women.

The remains were found by a diver in the sea close to the resort of Antibes

Among them was a skull that had a target sign drawn on it, together with the words "death to paedophiles" written in indelible ink.

"In the end the DNA of the bone found at Antibes does not correspond to that of the young Hirson," prosecutor Georges Gutierrez said in a statement.

Tests based on the DNA of Stephane's mother had initially indicated the bones were his, but later tests on samples taken from his father showed this was not the case.

The development leaves investigators with few leads in a case that has fascinated France, following the discovery of the bones in February.

Police recovered the remains after they were found by the diver who was searching for sea urchins just off the rocky Cap d'Antibes coastline.

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Firefighters To Strike On New Year's Eve

Firefighters in England and Wales are planning to strike on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and January 3, 2014.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) say they will walk out for five hours from 7pm on December 24, for six hours from 6.30pm on December 31 and for two hours from 6.30am on January 3.

The action is being called in an escalation of their long-running dispute with the Government over pensions. The union argues that firefighters in their late 50s face being sacked or seeing their pension reduced by half because of changes in the retirement age.

FBU members in Scotland will also join the industrial action for the first time since the row flared, by joining a ban on overtime. Negotiations have been continuing in Scotland, making enough progress to avert strikes, but the union said no settlement had been made.

Firefighters have staged a number of walkouts since September

Between 7pm on December 27 and 7pm on the 29th, all firefighters in the union across England, Wales and Scotland will refuse to work voluntary overtime.

It will be the first time firefighters in the three nations will be taking industrial action in the bitter row over retirement age and pensions.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "Firefighters provide a first-class standard of service 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and these strikes will remind Government just how reliant they are on our members' professionalism, commitment and flexibility.

"However, there should be no need for industrial action, and it's absurd that firefighters' concerns over pensions have not been addressed already.

"The Government must stop claiming they are negotiating when they have refused to talk for two months and insist on forcing through proposals that are unaffordable, unworkable and unfair.

"By simply conceding common sense and allowing firefighters a fair deal, the Government could end this industrial action today."

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