US sues Apple over e-book prices

Steve Jobs described Apple's strategy as an "aikido move" Technology giant Apple and major book publishers are being sued by the US Department of Justice over the pricing of e-books.

The US accuses Apple and Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon and Schuster and Penguin of colluding over the prices of e-books they sell.

This lawsuit is over the firms' move to the agency model where publishers rather than sellers set prices.

But Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon and Schuster have already settled.

The case will proceed against Apple, Macmillan and Penguin "for conspiring to end e-book retailers' freedom to compete on price", the Justice Department said.

"As a result of this alleged conspiracy, we believe that consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles," Attorney General Eric Holder said.

'Effectuate their conspiracy' "To effectuate their conspiracy, the publisher defendants teamed up with defendant Apple, which shared the same goal of restraining retail price competition in the sale of e-books," according to papers filed in New York's Southern District court on Wednesday morning.

"Apple facilitated the publisher defendants' collective effort to end retail price competition by coordinating their transition to an agency model across all retailers."

Apple, which sells books through its iBooks platform on the iPad and iPhone, declined to comment.

Hachette said that it remained "confident that we did not violate the anti-trust laws" while adding it "reluctantly" joined the settlement.

But Macmillan's chief executive, John Sargent, said "the terms the DOJ demanded were too onerous" to settle and would allow Amazon "to recover the monopoly position it had been building before our switch to the agency model".

Meanwhile, the European Commission has also been probing e-book price fixing.

Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon and Schuster have now made proposals to settle that probe.

"The European Commission has received proposals of possible commitments from Apple and four international publishers," said the EU's competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia.

"I welcome the fact that these five companies are making proposals to reach an early resolution of the case, so promptly after we opened proceedings in December 2011," he added.

Agency versus wholesale

Electronic books are sold according to a different formula from that governing the sales of physical books.

Continue reading the main story

Given the situation that existed, what was best for us was to do this aikido move and end up with the agency model”

End Quote Steve Jobs Apple founder, as quoted by Walter Isaacson For most physical books publishers set a wholesale price, often about half the cover price, and then let a retailer decide how much they actually want to charge for the title.

This model was initially adopted for e-books but has since been changed for what is known as an agency model.

Under this scheme, publishers set the price of a book and the agent selling it gets a 30% cut. The agency model was adopted by publishers largely at the prompting of the late Steve Jobs.

The shift to agency pricing was also seen as a protective measure to head off attempts by Amazon to corner the market in e-books. It had been aggressively cutting prices to win customers over to its Kindle e-book reader.

Amazon once tried to apply the wholesale model on book publishers - by selling all books at $9.99 - but was rebuffed by the publishers.

In the complaint, the Justice Department said that Amazon "capitulated" when publishers and Apple teamed up to offer e-books on agency terms.

The retailer faced the prospect of having fewer books on its Kindle platform if it did not agree to publishers' terms.

Apple founder Steve Jobs described the strategy as an "aikido move" according to a biography published after his death.

"We were not the first people in the books business," Mr Jobs told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, in the book.

"Given the situation that existed, what was best for us was to do this aikido move and end up with the agency model. And we pulled it off."

The lawsuit comes a day after Apple surpassed $600bn (£379bn) in value, affirming its position as the world's most valuable firm.

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Blair 'blank' over rendition case

Mr Belhaj claims MI6 and the Commission for Diego Garcia were complicit in his illegal rendition to Libya Tony Blair says he has no memory of an alleged 2004 rendition case involving an ex-terror suspect who claims he was tortured after being flown to Libya.

The former prime minister said Britain had always opposed rendition and "absolutely adhered to that position".

Abdel Hakim Belhaj claims his flight from Bangkok to Libya refuelled at the UK territory of Diego Garcia, which was complicit in his illegal rendition.

He is suing the UK, MI6 and the UK commission in charge of Diego Garcia.

The legal action came after several documents emerged during the collapse of Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime last year.

The BBC understands Mr Belhaj's rendition - the act of transferring people from one jurisdiction to another - was approved by the government.

'Dangerous job'

Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme: "About the Belhaj case, I don't have any recollection of it at all.

"There are many, many complicated reasons why the West's relationship is difficult with the Middle East but I think [rendition] is probably the least of them.

"Rendition has been the policy of successive US administrations. It remains the policy of this US administration.

"We have always had our own position. [Then Foreign Secretary] Jack Straw made it very clear at the time and as far as I know, we absolutely adhered to that position."

Mr Blair, the prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said the security services did an "important, dangerous job" and generally deserved the full support of the country.

He also said co-operation with the former Libyan regime had been important in the fight against terrorism.

Mr Belhaj believes he was rendered from Bangkok to Libya by the CIA, and claims that during his more than four years in a Libyan prison he was interrogated by agents from countries including Britain and United States.

He has since worked with Nato as one of the leaders of the forces that helped overthrow Col Gaddafi and is now a senior military commander in the new Libya.

Mr Belhaj's lawyers filed legal papers on 5 April against the Commission for the British Indian Ocean Territory - of which the island of Diego Garcia is a part.

Diego Garcia, in the Chagos archipelago, has been a military base since the island was leased to the US in the 1970s.

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Eyes on Syria as deadline nears

11 April 2012 Last updated at 21:23 GMT The Syrian authorities have made no mention of troop withdrawals from urban areas A ceasefire for Syria proposed by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan is due to come into force in the next few hours, but Western countries have publicly doubted Syria's willingness to comply.

On Wednesday, Syria said it would abide by the ceasefire but reserved the right to respond to attacks.

The US said Syria's pledge held "little if any credibility".

The main armed rebel group said it would not stop shooting if government troops continued to attack.

Mr Annan received written assurances from the Syrian foreign ministry that government troops would "cease all military fighting throughout Syrian territory as of 06:00 (03:00 GMT)... while reserving the right to respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups", his spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi said.

Commitments 'broken'

US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice described the caveats in the letter as "worrying" and added that the onus was on the Syrian regime to halt the violence.

Continue reading the main story Jim Muir BBC News, Beirut

A huge amount of pressure has been mounted to bring about the agreement of all sides to the Annan truce.

Above all, Russia must have exerted powerful influence behind the scenes to induce the change of tune by the Damascus regime.

China and Iran, Syria's other two important international friends, have also strongly backed the Annan mission and may have helped bend President Bashar al-Assad's ear.

Mr Annan's priority was to stop the carnage. If that can be achieved, and stabilised by the insertion of UN observers, huge challenges will remain - above all, working towards an workable political settlement.

Again, Russia is poised to play a crucial role. Much will depend on what vision it has for Syria's future - perhaps regime mutation rather than the regime change sought by the opposition and its western backers.

"Nothing casts more doubt on the credibility of the commitments than the fact that commitments have been made and made and made and broken and broken and broken," she told reporters in New York.

"Far from fulfilling their commitment, the [Syrian] regime has cynically exploited the window of diplomatic negotiations to crack down even harder on its own people," British Prime Minister David Cameron said.

But Russia - one of Syria's closest allies - said the rebels must respond with their own ceasefire.

Syria said it would halt operations against what it called "the criminal acts of armed terrorist groups" on Thursday morning.

The announcement on state TV made no mention of the withdrawal from urban areas which, under the Annan plan, should have been completed by Tuesday.

'Regime won't stop'

Meanwhile, the violence continued on Wednesday, especially in the city of Homs.

Activists said at least 30 people were killed in offensives around the country, including the north and north-west, a valley west of Damascus, and in the south, near Deraa.

A spokesman for the main rebel force, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), said the ceasefire was unlikely to take effect because neither side would stop shooting.

Footage purporting to show clashes in Homs on Wednesday has been posted online

"If the other side stopped, the Syrian people would march on the president's palace on the same day. This means the regime won't stop," Captain Ayham al-Kurdi said in a BBC interview on the Turkey-Syria border.

The BBC's UN correspondent, Barbara Plett, says Mr Annan has been in contact with Iran, as well as Russia, asking them to use their influence.

If he fails, some Council members have said they will push for tougher action - not military intervention, but perhaps sanctions, our correspondent says.

However, there is no guarantee Russia and China would agree; they have already vetoed two Security Council resolutions on Syria.

Mr Annan is due to brief the UN Security Council later on Thursday.

The UN estimates about 9,000 people have died since anti-government protests began in March 2011. In February, the Syrian government put the death toll at 3,838 - 2,493 civilians and 1,345 security forces personnel.

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Shock losses warning from Nokia

Nokia said it was increasing its investment in its Lumia smartphones Shares in Nokia plunged 17% after the mobile phone giant suprised investors by saying it expected to make losses in the first half of 2012.

The Finnish company said competition in the industry had led to lower sales particularly in India, the Middle East, Africa and China.

Nokia had previously expected to break even in the first quarter.

It said it would continue to increase its focus on accelerating sales of its Lumia smartphones and cutting costs.

'Disaster'

The statement, issued in the middle of the day, surprised the markets and prompted an immediate sell-off of Nokia shares, pushing their value down to their lowest level since the late 1990s.

"It's a disaster," said Thomas Langer, an analyst at West LB.

Nokia said: "During the first quarter [of] 2012, multiple factors negatively affected Nokia's Devices & Services business to a greater extent than previously expected."

Continue reading the main story

Nokia's challenges have been exacerbated by rampant competition - notably from Apple and Samsung ”

End Quote Ben Wood CCS Insight As a result it now expects operating margin in the first quarter 2012 of "approximately negative 3%", compared with the previously expected range of "around breakeven, ranging either above or below by approximately 2 percentage points".

It expects operating margin in the second quarter "to be similar to or below the first quarter 2012 level".

Last year, Nokia announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft that would see it move away from its Symbian operating system on its smartphones in favour of the Windows operating system.

"Shipments of Symbian devices are declining faster than we anticipated," Mr Langer added.

"I think that was maybe the single most important risk with regard to the Nokia model: that the ramp up of Lumia devices is not fast enough to compensate for the shortfall in Symbian shipments."

Transition

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop said the business was in transition after a difficult first quarter.

Its Lumia 900 smartphone, which uses the Windows software, went on sale in the US on Sunday.

"We have established early momentum with Lumia, and we are increasing our investments in Lumia to achieve market success," Mr Elop said.

Also on Wednesday, Nokia revealed a new version of the Lumia 610 with near field communication (NFC) technology, which allows users with similar technology to exchange data on their handsets and make payments.

'Rampant competition'

Ben Wood from CCS Insight said the first half of the year was always going to be challenging for the company.

"Nokia's challenges have been exacerbated by rampant competition - notably from Apple and Samsung who are extracting a disproportionate amount of margin from the industry at present," he said.

In February, Nokia announced the details of 4,000 job cuts, two weeks after posting a 1.08bn euro ($1.4bn; £905m) loss for the three months to the end of December 2011.

The company announced earlier that a software bug in the latest Nokia smartphone had caused some handsets in the US to occasionally lose their data connection.

The Finnish manufacturer offered customers $100 (£63) in call credits and said a fix for the Lumia 900's "memory management issue" would be issued on 16 April.

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Man jailed for riots store arson

Trevor Reeves said his business which has been in his family for five generations has been "completely trashed"

A looter has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years for starting a fire which destroyed a family-run furniture shop in south London in the summer riots.

Gordon Thompson, 34, stole a laptop from the House of Reeves in Croydon on 8 August before setting fire to a sofa.

The Old Bailey trial in February heard that he told another man "it was me" as he walked away from the blaze.

Thompson, of Waddon Road, Croydon, changed his plea to guilty at the end of the prosecution case.

He had previously looted two other stores, Iceland and House of Fraser, before turning on the Reeves furniture store, the court heard.

Following Thompson's guilty plea jurors were ordered to find him not guilty of charges of violent disorder and arson with intent to endanger life.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the sentence given to Thompson was the longest to date in connection with the riots.

Forced to jump

The fire caused an estimated loss to the 144-year-old Reeves business of £3m, the court heard.

The blaze was so fierce buildings on the opposite side of the road caught fire and tram lines in the road were damaged.

Gordon Thompson had admitted burglary of two shops in Croydon

One woman, Monika Konczyk, who lived opposite the Reeves store, was forced to jump from the building where she lived to escape the flames.

The burnt-out store has since been demolished but the company - which has been in the Reeves family for five generations - is still trading from refurbished premises across the street.

In a victim impact statement, Trevor Reeves said: "The total destruction of the site has been a bereavement to me, I just can't understand what I have done to make someone do this to me.

"I wonder with despair what my father and grandfather would make of the situation."

He added that the sentence "will not bring it back" and added: "My father built that store up. That store was his baby.

"I lived there as a child, played there as a child, I lived there as an adult, I worked there for most of my adult life, and when you lose something like that it's like a bereavement."

After sentencing, owner of the store, Maurice Reeves, 80, said: "He's [Thompson] done tremendous harm for everybody, but we have to fight back and that's what we will do. That's the typical Reeves family.

"He has apologised and it is accepted by the Reeves family and me."

Maurice and Trevor Reeves say that losing their shop was "like a bereavement"

The court heard Maurice Reeves had worked at the store since the age of 16.

Judge Peter Thornton told Thompson: "This day was a bad day for Croydon and the people of Croydon.

"Perhaps the most shocking event was that the House of Reeves was set alight and burned to the ground, putting lives at risk."

He said the shop "had stood on the site for over 140 years, proudly giving its name to its location, Reeves Corner. You were about to bring all that to an end".

The judge added: "This was a deliberate, wilful act of shocking, dangerous vandalism.

"The Reeves family lost their historic business, something they and generations before had lived and worked for all their lives. Their loss is priceless."

In mitigation, Adam Davis QC, for Thompson, said the defendant had been depressed following his divorce and had not intended to cause the damage.

He said Thompson wanted to apologise "to all those involved and in particular the Reeves family for what happened as a result of his reckless actions and apologise for the loss that he has caused them".

Following the sentencing Jenny Hopkins from the Crown Prosecution Service said Thompson's "callous actions had recklessly endangered the lives of many innocent people".

The 144-year-old furniture store has been in the family for five generations

"Few will forget the terrifying ordeal of Monika Konczyk, whose flat overlooked the store.

"She had to throw herself from her blazing flat into the arms of those same firefighters after she had become trapped by the flames.

"Members of the public, both in Croydon and elsewhere, were shocked at the television footage which showed the extent of the damage caused by Thompson's actions."

Thompson, who has 20 previous convictions, including one for violent robbery, was filmed on mobile phones and by CCTV cameras during the arson, the court heard.

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Skydiver eyes parachute-free fall

The specially designed wingsuit will enable Mr Connery to land without a parachute A stuntman is preparing to leap from a helicopter at a height of 2,400ft (730m) - without using a parachute.

Gary Connery, from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, will attempt the stunt this week, weather permitting, wearing a specially developed wingsuit.

The 42-year-old will make the jump above Ridge Wood in Buckinghamshire and land in an area containing a stack of 18,600 cardboard boxes.

"No-one has ever attempted this before, but I will do it," he said.

Mr Connery has worked closely with Tonysuits to develop a suit which will enable him to fly at slower speeds and land without a parachute.

The father of two, who has already completed about 880 skydives and 450 base jumps, has been working on the precision and accuracy of the suit in Switzerland, Italy and America.

"I've been doing lots of base jumping wearing the wingsuit, flying close to cliffs and treetops to get familiar with the ground rush," he said.

'Feeling scared'

During the attempt, Mr Connery will drop for three seconds before his suit "starts to fly", and will accelerate to a top speed of about 80mph.

He will land on the giant stack of cardboard boxes - which covers a strip of about 350ft (100m) by 45ft (15m) at Temple Island Meadows on the Buckinghamshire and Berkshire border.

Mr Connery must flare his wingsuit about 200ft (60m) from the target to bring his gliding speed down to 50mph and his vertical falling speed to 15mph.

The entire flight will take about 50 seconds, but can only take place under "perfect" weather conditions.

"We need a clear, sunny day with zero wind to stop the cardboard boxes blowing away," he explained.

"Everything to do with the jump is about precision and timing."

Mr Connery, who will have an emergency parachute in case the stunt doesn't go to plan, admitted to feeling "scared" ahead of all his jumps.

"It's part of what keeps you safe."

'It's phenomenal'

He added: "Paranoia in this kind of situation is a very good state of mind. It makes you look out for all eventualities and deal with them before they arrive.

"When you're in flight, you are so in control it's phenomenal."

Mr Connery, who has worked on films including Die Another Day, Batman Begins and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, said performing stunts was "his life".

"I've been a stunt performer for TV and film for the last 16 years and have been base jumping for 18 years so this is just an extension of who I am," he said.

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PM welcomes China murder inquiry

  Businessman and father-of-two Neil Heywood had lived in China for about 10 years PM David Cameron has welcomed an investigation by China into the murder of UK businessman Neil Heywood, who was found dead in the country in November.

Speaking in Indonesia, he said it was very important to get to the truth in this "disturbing" and "tragic" case.

Gu Kailai, the wife of dismissed senior Communist Party official Bo Xilai, has been detained for "intentional homicide" over Mr Heywood's death.

The 41 year old was found dead in a hotel room in Chongqing, central China.

At a press conference in Indonesia on trade, Mr Cameron said: "We did ask the Chinese to hold an investigation and we are pleased that they are now doing that.

"It is very important we get to the truth of what happened in this very disturbing case, this very tragic case."

'Economic issues'

On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The Chinese are doing as we asked them to do and we now look forward to seeing those investigations take place and in due course hearing the outcome of those investigations."

Mr Bo's removal from key party posts was announced late on Tuesday and followed weeks of speculation over his fate.

Bo Xilai and his wife Gu Kailai are both under investigation

The 62-year-old was once tipped as a future leader, and the scandal has shocked China.

Police had initially said Mr Heywood died from excessive drinking.

The police allegations led to a second investigation and state news agency Xinhua claimed Gu Kailai and her son were in "conflict" with Mr Heywood over "economic issues".

The exact nature of Mr Heywood's role and his relations with the family remain unclear.

The father-of-two had lived in China for about 10 years and was fluent in Mandarin. It is understood his mother lives in London.

Wang Feng of the Brookings-Tsinghua Centre for Public Policy described the scandal as "almost unprecedented in China's political history".

"For the last 30 years this is the biggest scandal we can think of," he told the BBC.

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Fears grow of widening Sudan war

11 April 2012 Last updated at 20:42 GMT Violence in and around the Heglig oilfields has sparked international alarm A second day of fighting between Sudan and South Sudan in their disputed border regions has prompted international concern that the conflict might develop into outright war.

The African Union says it is deeply alarmed by the clashes over oilfields, and called on both sides to exercise the utmost restraint.

Sudan has pulled out of negotiations with South Sudan.

The fighting is the worst since South Sudan seceded in July last year.

South Sudan has seized the town of Heglig, which is internationally recognised as Sudanese territory, though South Sudan disputes this.

Sudan has complained to the United Nations and the AU about South Sudan's "aggression". The parliament in Khartoum called for a "mobilisation and alert" of the people.

After talking to President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he had suggested an immediate summit between the two countries to build confidence and reaffirm that dialogue was the only solution.

UN Security Council members and the AU urged the Southern forces to withdraw immediately from the disputed oilfields.

The US condemned South Sudan's seizure of Heglig, saying it was "an act which goes beyond self-defence and has increased tensions between Sudan and South Sudan to dangerous levels".

'Destruction'

Sudan relies on the Heglig oilfields for a sizeable part of its budget, and has vowed to use "all legitimate means" to retake them, warning of "destruction" in the South.

Continue reading the main story

If they want peace, they have to pull their forces from the territory of Sudan”

End Quote Ibrahim Ghandour Sudanese official Rahmatullah Mohamed Osman, the under-secretary at Sudan's foreign ministry, acknowledged that it would not be possible to continue pumping oil as long as South Sudan controls Heglig.

Mr Osman said there would be an economic impact on Sudan, but not necessarily in the short term. The country does have other oilfields.

The BBC's James Copnall, in Khartoum, says many of the underlying problems between the two countries have not been resolved, with little progress in negotiations over the border, citizenship and oil - despite the optimism at the time of South Sudan's independence nine months ago.

A presidential summit, which was to have been held in South Sudan's capital, Juba, at the beginning of April, has been postponed indefinitely because of the recent violence.

A senior Sudanese official, Ibrahim Ghandour, says South Sudan's actions mean reconciliation efforts are now off the agenda.

"We cannot talk about peace while there is an aggression," he said. "If they want peace, they have to pull their forces from the territory of Sudan."

'Self-defence'

But South Sudan's military spokesman, Col Philip Aguer, says his forces are simply acting in self-defence.

"We pursued them up to Heglig," he said. "We think this is our right.

"We have never aggressed anybody. We have never crossed into the territories of the Republic of Sudan."

He accused Sudan of carrying out air raids.

In a statement, the African Union called upon both countries to resolve this and all other outstanding issues "in a peaceful way in accordance with the overriding principle of establishing two viable states in Sudan and South Sudan".

Correspondents say Sudan, having lost most of its oil when the south seceded, will not tolerate losing any more.

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Stardust recycling mystery solved

Polarised images of the red giant W Hydrae show the central star and a sphere of dust surrounding it A long-standing mystery about how dying stars spew out the material of future planets is now solved, scientists say.

While stars like our Sun are known to eject much of their mass in their final years, it has remained unclear just how the dust is blown away.

Scientists reporting in Nature describe an astronomical study of extraordinary resolution to tackle the mystery.

They found dust grains of nearly a millionth of a metre across, big enough to be pushed out by dying stars' light.

Continue reading the main story

The dust grains are like lots of little sails catching the wind, or in this case, starlight”

End Quote Barnaby Norris University of Sydney The team of astronomers from Australian and European universities took a look at three so-called red giant stars - stars that were once like our Sun is now, but that have exhausted their supply of hydrogen and grown to gargantuan proportions.

In a process that is an extreme case of the kind of solar wind that our own Sun experiences, such stars blow much of their mass away in the form of gas and grains of mineral material on their way to becoming white dwarfs.

Lead author of the study Barnaby Norris, of the University of Sydney, told BBC News that the stars were "the galaxy's great recyclers" - the material that they spit out "goes on to make the next generation of stars and planets".

Polarising discussion

What has confused astronomers until now is just how that material is expelled; computer models of the process suggest that particles coming from the stars should be so small that they would simply absorb the light around them and undergo significant heating.

The measurements were made with the European Southern Observatory's VLT

To get a look at the dust surrounding the three red giants, Mr Norris and his colleagues used the Very Large Telescope in Chile, applying a technique called polarimetric interferometry.

The light from the three stars, like that from our Sun, is unpolarised - the light waves undulate in random directions.

But light that strikes the dust surrounding them is preferentially bounced toward us undulating along a particular direction - just as sunlight reflected off of a body of water is polarised along a direction parallel to the water's surface.

The team refined a method of blocking some of the VLT's light and combining images of the stars in different polarisations. As a result, they could tell apart distant objects separated by just 15 billionths of a degree in the sky.

"This is equivalent to standing in Sydney and looking at a coffee cup sitting on a desk in Melbourne, and being able to measure its size," Mr Norris explained.

The team saw that the sphere of dust surrounding the red dwarfs was smaller than many models suggest - within two times the radius of the star itself.

Because grains of dust scatter the light differently depending on the colour of the light that hits them, the team was able to analyse their data for different colours and determine an average grain size: not much more than half a millionth of a metre.

That is far larger than anticipated, and as Mr Norris explained, large enough to solve the mystery of how the dust gets expelled: "The dust grains are like lots of little sails catching the wind, or in this case, starlight."

"The mechanism by which mass is transported away from these stars is one of the biggest questions in stellar astronomy, and underpins our whole understanding of how heavy elements are spread throughout the galaxy. Our study is just one small piece in this puzzle."

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BA plans to cut jobs at Gatwick

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
11 April 2012 Last updated at 17:58 GMT Almost 600 British Airways (BA) employees at Gatwick Airport could lose their jobs or be transferred to another company as part of plans by the airline to cut costs.

BA is proposing to shed 170 customer service and management support jobs and outsource 400 ramp worker roles.

The airline said it had begun consultation with unions over the plans.

The GMB union said the announcement was a "disaster for staff morale".

Gavin Davies, of the GMB union, said: "We will want to see proper consultations with our members on the way forward.

"GMB members want BA to take this announcement off the table to allow this to happen."

The Unite union said the plans were "extremely worrying" and called for the airline to guarantee no compulsory redundancies.

'Meet the challenge'

In a statement BA said its proposals were part of a wide-ranging plan to build a stronger and more cost-competitive business and safeguard jobs for the future.

The jobs it plans to outsource include baggage, de-icing and coaching operations, and the arrivals baggage service.

The airline said it hoped to offer anyone who works on the ramp a role with a new external supplier.

BA's statement continued: "We have to meet the challenge of transforming our cost base to compete more effectively in the short-haul market, while continuing to deliver outstanding service and value for our customers."

BA is the only airline operating out of Gatwick with its own ground staff workforce.

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Charles Manson is denied parole

California prison officials recently released new photos of Manson, now 77 years old Notorious mass murderer Charles Manson has been denied parole in California, for the 12th and possibly last time, but he did not appear at the hearing.

The parole board ruled that the 77-year-old did not appear to have made any efforts to rehabilitate himself.

"This panel can find nothing good as far as suitability factors go," said a member of the bench, John Peck.

Manson, convicted in 1971 and serving life for seven murders, has not appeared before the board since 1997.

His previous hearing was in 2007.

Smuggled mobile phones

Debra Tate, the sister of a Manson victim, said earlier she would attend to argue against his release.

"I've tried to take this thing that I do, that has become my lot in life, and make it have purpose," Ms Tate, whose sister was actress Sharon Tate, told the Associated Press news agency.

"I've been doing it for Sharon and the other victims of him for the last 40 years."

The wife of film director Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when she was murdered by the Manson gang.

The cult leader and his followers, known as the Manson family, stabbed and shot seven people in Los Angeles over two nights in 1969 in an attempt to start a race war.

Manson and three women accomplices were sentenced to death in 1969, but that was commuted in 1972 when California temporarily outlawed the death penalty.

Since his last parole hearing, Manson has been caught in possession of a weapon, twice with contraband mobile phones, and has threatened an official, according to the California Department of Corrections.

Prison officials found he had been talking with people in California, New Jersey, Florida, British Columbia, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Indiana.

Debra Tate said earlier she doubted Manson would ever be freed but hopes that she can confront any perception of him as a cult figure.

She said: "It's important to me that I try to diminish and tarnish their status as urban legends. It's wrong, it's just plain wrong."

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ITV moves BGT to later time slot

The latest series of Britain's Got Talent has introduced a new line up of judges Britain's Got Talent will be broadcast at a later time to avoid an overlap with the BBC's Saturday night programme The Voice, ITV has announced.

Starting from 21 April, the ITV talent show will begin at 20:30 BST, half an hour later than previous shows.

An ITV spokesman said the move ensured "as many people as possible have the opportunity to watch the show in full".

The Voice has consistently attracted bigger audiences during the overlap between the two shows.

'Irritated congrats'

The new time slot means Britain's Got Talent will start just as The Voice is drawing to a close.

At the weekend Britain's Got Talent creator and judge Simon Cowell congratulated the BBC, after it emerged that The Voice had attracted a higher overall audience for the first time.

According to overnight figures, an average audience of 9.5 million tuned in to watch The Voice, compared with BGT's 9.1 million, excluding ITV+1 viewers.

Cowell praised BBC One controller Danny Cohen via Twitter, saying: "A slightly irritated congrats to Danny and the BBC".

The premise of The Voice UK is the focus is on the contestant's voices, rather than what they look like

However, the audience for Britain's Got Talent peaked at 11.9 million, which was considerably higher than The Voice's peak of 10.7 million.

During the overlap of the two programmes, only 6.6 million people were watching ITV, compared with the BBC's 10 million.

An ITV spokesman said: "At its peak, 11.9 million people watched Britain's Got Talent this weekend; the highest recorded audience figure on any channel so far this month.

"Viewing figures for BGT are up year-on-year. By moving to 20:30 BST, we are ensuring that as many people as possible have the opportunity to watch the show in full."

Last month it was announced that ITV was bringing forward the launch date of Britain's Got Talent to the same night as the first episode of The Voice.

The BBC said it was "disappointed" by the move.

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F1 teams expect Bahrain to be off

A number of Formula 1 teams expect the Bahrain Grand Prix to be called off amid security concerns caused by civil unrest, BBC Sport has learned.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says no teams have expressed concerns to him.

A statement from the Formula One Teams' Association on Tuesday said it was down to the FIA to cancel the race.

Teams will meet Ecclestone at the weekend when a decision is expected. However authorities remain confident the race will go ahead.

Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer

Bahrain has a contract to 2016 but the rules state that any race that has to be cancelled two years on the trot cannot be put back on the calendar the following year unless there is an argument for force majeure. But the unrest in Bahrain has been ongoing since February 2011, so it would be difficult to make that case. As Bahrain is one of F1's most lucrative races, it's not hard to understand the reluctance to call it off, despite many believing the sport has no choice given the situation in the Gulf state.

Violence between protesters and security forces erupted again on Bahrain's streets earlier this year after unrest during the 2011 Arab Spring led to last year's Bahrain GP being cancelled.

Unlike last year, the Bahrain authorities are in no mood to cancel the race themselves, so the decision rests with the FIA this time.

Bahrain's majority Shia population have been demanding democratic reforms from the country's Sunni rulers, and the government has tried to quell their protests.

The Bahrain race organisers argued last week that holding the GP would have an important unifying role in the country and Ecclestone has said he has no doubts about staging the race, scheduled for 22 April.

Former world champion Damon Hill said this week that Formula 1 should re-think plans to hold the event.

Bahrain GP row explained

Hill had originally backed the race after visiting the country on a fact-finding mission with motorsport boss Jean Todt in December.

But another British former world champion, Sir Jackie Stewart, believes the race should go ahead. He told BBC Sport: "It is a dangerous precedent to set [if] we don't go to Bahrain.

"Democracy doesn't happen in three months, 12 months or 36 months. It takes a generation sometimes.

"In reality, a specialist of the Middle East would say Bahrain is more developed than any other Middle East state. However, they have a problem."

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Florida gunman on murder charge

11 April 2012 Last updated at 23:02 GMT In 911 calls before the shooting George Zimmerman told police that Trayvon Martin looked suspicious A Florida neighbourhood watchman has been charged with second-degree murder over the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

George Zimmerman turned himself in on Wednesday and is now in custody, special prosecutor Angela Corey said.

Martin's parents said the charge was a first step towards justice, but added there was "a long way to go".

Mr Zimmerman, 28, claimed self-defence and was not arrested in the weeks after Trayvon Martin's fatal shooting.

Announcing the charge, Ms Corey said that no bail had yet been set for Mr Zimmerman. She did not disclose Mr Zimmerman's current location, but indicated that he would appear in court within 24 hours.

He is expected to be transferred to jail in Seminole County before his court appearance.

In the wake of the announcement, Trayvon Martin's mother and father appeared alongside civil rights leader Al Sharpton to hail the charge against George Zimmerman.

"We just wanted an answer, and we got it," Sybrina Fulton said.

"A heart has no colour - it is not black, it is not white. It's red," she added, her voice cracking with emotion.

His father, Tracy Martin, said more effort and more faith would be required from those seeking justice.

'Looking suspicious'

Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law grants individuals leeway to use deadly force if they feel seriously under threat.

Trayvon Martin was walking home from a local shop carrying a bag of sweets and a can of iced tea when he was approached by Mr Zimmerman.

The neighbourhood watch volunteer had told a police dispatcher he thought Martin, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, looked suspicious.

According to 911 emergency calls released afterwards, the dispatcher told Mr Zimmerman not to go after the young man. But minutes later a confrontation ensued, leading to the fatal shooting of Mr Martin.

Trayvon Martin's family and supporters have said Mr Zimmerman killed him in cold blood. They allege he suspected the teenager was a criminal based on his race and the fact he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Mr Zimmerman's supporters say he only opened fire after the teenager attacked him, broke his nose and banged his head against the pavement.

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Fans banned from football match

Medway Council said there were "serious concerns" over fans' safety Football fans have been banned from a League Two match between Gillingham and Swindon Town following a row over policing costs.

Medway Council said that a prohibition notice had been issued for the game on 21 April due to "serious concerns" over public order at the Priestfield ground.

Kent Police said the provision of appropriate numbers of officers at Gillingham's stadium was "essential".

Swindon could secure promotion to League One if they win the match.

Gillingham FC said it was making no comment on the council's statement.

'Specific intelligence'

Ch Supt Alasdair Hope said: "The safety of all fans attending this football match is our main priority and we are not prepared for their safety to be compromised.

"The cost of this must be met by Gillingham FC."

Councillor Mike O'Brien, from Medway Council, said that Kent Police had "serious concerns about public order at the ground".

He said: "We have done this following advice from Kent Police that they have specific intelligence concerning the match and its fans.

"The risk is so serious for fans that, until steps have been taken to reduce it to a reasonable level through agreeing adequate policing levels, spectators will be prohibited from attending the match."

A spokesman for Swindon Town Football Club (STFC) said: "At this stage STFC are in continued talks with Gillingham to get the matter resolved."

'Pay the bill'

Gary Liptrott, chairman of the Gillingham Independent Supporters Club, said: "There have been issues with Swindon in the past.

"We have a lot of families within our membership and their safety is of the utmost importance."

Mr Liptrott said the game was important to Swindon Town in their push for promotion and so the club would bring lots of fans, which would require extra policing within the stadium.

"I would like to think that the game will go ahead and the club will have to go along with it and pay the bill."

Nigel Bennett, a spokesman for the Swindon Town Supporters Club, said: "This will be a shock and a major concern for all Town fans that were planning on going to the game, or have already made arrangements to travel.

"One can only hope that Gillingham FC and Kent Police can come to some agreement so that the game can take place.

"It's a game which could see us win the league championship and fans would like to be there to see us win the league."

Swindon are top of League Two, with a seven point lead over nearest rivals Torquay.

Gillingham are currently ninth, four points off the play-off places.

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Bo wife suspect in 'murder' case

Bo Xilai, 62, had been tipped for a top job in China's ruling Communist Party The wife of a disgraced Chinese politician once tipped as a future leader has been detained over the suspected murder of a British national.

Gu Kailai has been "transferred to the judicial authorities" as part of an investigation into the death of Neil Heywood, state news agency Xinhua said.

Her husband Bo Xilai, former mayor of Chongqing, has now been stripped of key posts in the ruling Communist Party.

He had been one of China's most popular politicians.

The news that his wife is now a suspect in a murder investigation only intensifies the rumours swirling around him.

Mr Bo, 62, suffered a spectacular fall from grace last month when he was sacked as party chief in Chongqing.

This came after his police chief Wang Lijun spent a day holed up in the US consulate in Chengdu.

Continue reading the main story Michael Bristow BBC News, Beijing

It is difficult to know which piece of news is more startling - Bo Xilai's fall from grace or his wife's suspected involvement in murder.

Mr Bo was until recently tipped for promotion when China begins its once-in-a-decade leadership change later this year.

But he has now been suspended from the politburo, the 25-member body at the top of the Chinese Communist Party.

It suggests a real fight to gain control of the party at a time when China's top leaders would have wanted to put on a united front, to show power can be handed over smoothly in China.

Mr Bo's suspension has been rumoured ever since he was sacked as chief of the city of Chongqing.

But the confirmation is still big news.

That story, though, was possibly overshadowed by the downfall of Mr Bo's wife.

Once feted as a great lawyer, she is now on the wrong side of the law.

Her suspected involvement in the alleged murder of British businessman Neil Heywood adds another layer to this already murky tale.

And with only scant details about this affair in the public domain, there will probably be more revelations to come.

It was rumoured that Mr Wang had been attempting to defect.

The suggestion was that he had been demoted by an angry Mr Bo after the officer had alerted him to the fact that the mayor's family was the subject of a police investigation linked to Mr Heywood's death in November.

While in the consulate Mr Wang alleged that Gu Kailai had been involved in murdering 41-year-old Mr Heywood in Chongqing, Xinhua reported.

Police said after Mr Heywood's death that he had died from excessive drinking and his body was cremated. However, his friends said he did not drink that much.

The new allegations led to a second investigation. Xinhua says this showed that Gu Kailai and her son were in "conflict" with Mr Heywood over "economic issues", and these had intensified despite them being friends.

'Good friend'

Mr Bo has been dismissed from the Communist Party's hugely powerful 25-member Politburo, and the 300-member Central Committee due to suspected "serious discipline violations", Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

The exact nature of Mr Heywood's role and his relations with the family are unclear and have been the subject of much speculation inside and outside China.

"According to reinvestigation results, the existing evidence indicated that Heywood died of homicide, of which [Gu Kailai] and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Bo's home, are highly suspected," the news agency reported.

News of the reinvestigation was welcomed by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, who had recently called on the Chinese authorities to look again at Mr Heywood's death.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the death of British businessman Neil Heywood should be investigated without political considerations

"The Chinese are doing as we asked them to do and we now look forward to seeing those investigations take place and in due course hearing the outcome of those investigations," he said.

The BBC's China correspondent Martin Patience describes the developments as the biggest scandal to hit China in many years.

Mr Bo, who made his name taking on corruption in Chongqing, had been expected to be elected to the Politburo's standing committee later this year - as the party prepares for a once-in-a-decade change of leadership.

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No 10: Rich abuse charity giving

Charities are worried that donations from wealthy people will dry up Some wealthy people are donating to charities which do not "do a great deal of charitable work" in order to cut their tax bills, Downing Street says.

It follows a row after Chancellor George Osborne's Budget decision to cap tax relief on charitable donations.

Mr Osborne said on Tuesday he was left shocked by the scale of legal tax avoidance by multi-millionaires.

But the Charities Aid Foundation said major donations to charity were "not a ploy to save tax".

When higher rate taxpayers donate money to charity, some of the tax can be reclaimed. Effectively they could pay no tax at all, if they choose to give away their income to charities.

'Shocked'

But Mr Osborne announced in the Budget that from April 2013 the maximum amount that will be able to be reclaimed in tax relief - including on charitable giving - is £50,000 or 25% of the individual's income, whichever is the greater.

The decision has been criticised by some charities - and there was further criticism of an interview Mr Osborne did with the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday about wealthy people avoiding taxes.

The chancellor told the newspaper he had been "shocked" by the scale of legal tax avoidance by the very rich, after seeing the result of a confidential study by HM Revenue and Customs.

The study said the use of tax reliefs on charitable donations was among the top three tax loopholes used to legally reduce income tax bills.

Continue reading the main story

The Treasury has always been rather distrustful of the philanthropists”

End Quote Dame Stephanie Shirley Leading philanthropist 'Distrustful' The interview was criticised by leading philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, who said it was wrong to suggest wealthy charitable donors were trying to avoid paying tax.

"The Treasury has always been rather distrustful of the philanthropists," she told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

"To look at philanthropists as if they were just being tax avoiders is really rather disgusting."

And John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "Whoever is advising the chancellor is quite wrong to equate tax relief on major donations to charity with tax avoidance.

"This is not a ploy to save tax. Philanthropists who make large donations give away far, far more than they could ever claim in tax relief. That money goes to fund projects for the public good, such as medical research and help for the most vulnerable in society."

He said a blanket cap "will cost charities millions of pounds by making it more difficult for philanthropists to make major donations" adding: "We should recognise and celebrate today's great philanthropists, not brand them as wealthy tax dodgers."

Bills 'wiped out'

But the prime minister's official spokesman defended the decision to cap tax reliefs on charitable donations, saying change was needed to prevent "abuse" of the system by some wealthy people.

"In certain instances they may be giving to charities and those charities don't, in all cases, do a great deal of charitable work," he said. Some of those charities were operating abroad, he suggested.

"The reason that the chancellor decided to bring in the cap was that certain individuals in this country on very high incomes are exploiting these reliefs to reduce their tax bills.

"We cannot be in a situation where very wealthy individuals are able to wipe out their bills by using these reliefs.

"We don't think it is right that someone on a very high income is paying far less tax than the average family in this country."

In his Budget speech, Mr Osborne stressed that "most rich people pay a lot of tax" and said it was right to have tax reliefs promoting investment and charitable giving.

But he added: "It can't be right that some people make unlimited use of these reliefs year after year.

"Everyone in this country and particularly those with the highest incomes should contribute a fair share to the exchequer."

A new definition of a charity for UK tax purposes was introduced in 2010 which includes a requirement for the managers to be "fit and proper persons" and HM Revenue and Customs says it does tackle abuse of donor charitable reliefs through "sham" charities.

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Norway killer Breivik found sane

Anders Breivik was filmed in court for the first time in February

A second psychiatric evaluation of Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has found him sane enough to face trial and a jail term.

The findings contradict a previous evaluation, published in November, that found him legally insane.

Breivik is due to stand trial on Monday over a bomb attack and shooting spree last July that killed 77 people.

The 33-year-old, who insists he is mentally stable, was "pleased" with the new assessment, his lawyer said.

Geir Lippestad told reporters his client would defend his actions during his 10-week trial, adding, "he will also regret that he didn't go further".

Both reports will be considered by the court when it decides, at the end of the trial, whether he should be sent to a psychiatric ward or jail.

If Breivik is deemed to have been sane at the time of the killings then he could face 21 years in prison with the potential for indefinite extensions to his term as long as he is considered a danger to the public.

'Crusade' The second evaluation was approved by a court in January following widespread criticism of last year's assessment that concluded he was psychotic at the time of the attacks and diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic - meaning he would most likely be detained in psychiatric care.

Many of his surviving victims believed he was sane, and that the only proper punishment would be a prison sentence.

"Our conclusion is that he is not psychotic at the time of the actions of terrorism and he is not psychotic now," psychiatrist Terje Toerrissen, who carried out the second assessment with fellow psychiatrist Agnar Aspaas, told the Associated Press.

The full report is confidential, and the two psychiatrists will give their reasons for arriving at a different conclusion to the first team of experts when they testify during the trial, AP reports.

Breivik was charged with terror offences last month.

Prosecutors said at the time they were prepared to accept that he was criminally insane and would therefore seek compulsory psychiatric care, but they reserved the right to alter that view if new elements emerged about his mental health.

Continue reading the main story Eight people killed and 209 injured by bomb in Oslo69 people killed on Utoeya, of them 34 aged between 14 and 17 including Eva Kathinka Lutken (above) 33 injured on UtoeyaNearly 900 people affected by attacksBreivik has always admitted carrying out the attacks, saying they were an atrocious but necessary part of a "crusade" against multi-culturalism and Islam. He denies charges of terrorism.

In a recent letter to Norwegian tabloid Verdans Gang, he said being sent to a psychiatric ward would be a "fate worse than death".

"To send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him!" he wrote.

Mostly teenagers

The attacks on 22 July last year were the worst act of violence Norway has seen since World War II, and have had a profound impact on the country.

Breivik disguised himself as a police officer to plant a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding 209.

Still in uniform, he then drove to the island of Utoeya, where a summer youth camp of Norway's governing Labour Party was being held.

In a shooting spree that lasted more than an hour, he killed 67 people - mostly teenagers - and wounded 33, while a further two people died falling or drowning.

According to prosecutors, nearly 900 people were affected by the two attacks - 325 in Oslo and 564 on Utoeya.

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Titanic cruise delayed by illness

Footage of the passenger being airlifted from the ship

The Titanic memorial cruise - tracing the route taken by the liner 100 years ago - has been forced to take a short detour after a passenger was taken ill.

BBC cameraman Tim Rex, 56, was airlifted off the MS Balmoral by rescue helicopter as a medical precaution.

The Balmoral, which left Southampton on Sunday, had headed back towards the Irish coast to enable the rescue.

The ship is still expected to arrive at the wreck site in time for scheduled memorial services at the weekend.

The Balmoral set sail from England's south coast on Sunday, travelling near Cherbourg in north-west France and stopping off at Cobh in the Irish Republic, before setting off for the North Atlantic spot where Titanic went down.

The Balmoral had been carrying 1,309 passengers - the same number as were on the Titanic - including relatives of those who died, authors and historians.

The cruise - which is scheduled to last 12 nights, travelling between Southampton and New York - has attempted to recreate Titanic's original voyage.

Many passengers and crew are dressed in period costumes, while guests have been able to eat meals from Titanic's original menu and attend lectures by historians and experts.

More than 1,500 passengers and crew died when Titanic hit an iceberg on the night of 14 April 1912 and sank several hours later.

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Rick Santorum ends presidency bid

Rick Santorum: "We are not done fighting"

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has ended his bid for for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee.

The former Pennsylvania senator made the announcement at a news conference in the city of Gettysburg.

"While this presidential race is over for me, we are not done fighting," said Mr Santorum, a social conservative.

He had been campaigning in Pennsylvania, his home state, ahead of its primary on 24 April.

But he was far behind Mr Romney in terms of funding and was in danger of losing the state for the second time in six years, analysts said.

In 2006 Mr Santorum lost his Pennsylvania Senate seat by an 18-point margin.

In the current race for the Republican nomination, Mr Santorum lags far behind Mr Romney in terms of the number of delegates needed to seal the nomination at the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, in late August.

'Against all odds'

Mr Santorum's children and his wife Karen stood behind him in Gettysburg as he made the announcement that he was suspending his campaign.

Continue reading the main story Daniel Nasaw BBC News, Washington

Rick Santorum's withdrawal from the Republican presidential race certifies what the US has known since last month: Mitt Romney will be the party's nominee to take on President Barack Obama in November.

The former Pennsylvania senator shot to prominence with a surprise victory in the Iowa caucuses in January, and nipped close enough at Mr Romney's heels to keep the race interesting.

But with each victory Mr Romney chalked up, Mr Santorum's path to the nomination grew narrower and the calls for him to yield to the party establishment's favourite grew louder.

Recent polls had shown Mr Romney gaining on him fast in his home state of Pennsylvania.

His staunch social conservatism and on-his-sleeve Catholicism won Mr Santorum support from the religious conservatives who are a key voting bloc in the Republican electorate.

But wealthy donors along with rank-and-file voters, centrists and independents rejected him in favour of Mr Romney. Many within the Republican party leadership feared if Mr Santorum were nominated, the party would suffer a historic rout in November.

It remains to be seen now whether Mr Santorum's supporters, especially religious conservatives, will fall in line behind Mr Romney. If they stay home in November, it will be nearly impossible for the Republicans to take the White House.

He had taken time off the campaign trail in recent days as his three-year-old daughter Isabella, who has a rare genetic disorder, was admitted to hospital.

Mr Santorum proved to be the most resilient of the Republican rivals challenging Mr Romney's front-runner status.

In his statement he said he had surpassed expectations, adding that "against all odds, we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes".

"We were winning in a very different way," Mr Santorum said, "We were touching hearts."

Mr Santorum won a total of 11 primaries and caucuses, and picked up additional delegates in states that awarded them proportionally.

He emerged on the national scene on the night of the Iowa caucuses in January, eventually winning the state by a whisker after victory was initially handed to Mr Romney.

His old-fashioned, hard-working campaign style saw him visit every one of the Iowa's 99 counties in the months preceding the vote, and won him the respect and support of many in the state.

He continued to garner strong support in the Midwest and in the South, halting Mr Romney in a swathe of states from Minnesota to Alabama and as far west as Colorado and North Dakota.

In conceding that he could not win the nomination Mr Santorum made no specific mention of Mr Romney, and did not say whether he planned to endorse the front-runner.

However, he reportedly telephoned the former governor to concede shortly before speaking to reporters.

In a statement, Mr Romney congratulated Mr Santorum on his campaign, calling him an "able and worthy competitor".

"He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation," the former Massachusetts governor said.

Gingrich and Paul defiant

Meanwhile, fellow candidate Newt Gingrich said Mr Santorum had run a "remarkable campaign", adding that "his success is a testament to his tenacity and the power of conservative principles".

Mr Gingrich, though, insisted that he would remain in the race in an effort to broaden the policy discussion and offer a conservative alternative to Mr Romney.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul congratulated the former senator on running a "spirited campaign". Mr Paul has the fewest delegates but, like Mr Gingrich, has refused to pull out of the contest.

Despite them remaining in the race, many analysts quickly characterised Mr Santorum's decision as the moment the general election campaign effectively began.

Mr Romney, who made his fortune in a private equity firm is now seen as the man to take on Democratic President Barack Obama, a former law professor and community organiser, in November's election.

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