"Piracy in many ways is socially acceptable. They have become fashionable." Most of them are aged between 20 and 35 years - in it for the money. And the rewards they receive are rich in a country where almost half the population need food aid after 17 years of non-stop conflict. Most vessels captured in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden fetch on average a ransom of $2m.

BBC Somalia analyst Mohamed Mohamed says such pirate gangs are usually made up of three different types:
- Ex-fishermen, who are considered the brains of the operation because they know the sea
- Ex-militiamen, who are considered the muscle - having fought for various Somali clan warlords
- The technical experts, who are the computer geeks and know how to operate the hi-tech equipment needed to operate as a pirate - satellite phones, GPS and military hardware.

The three groups share the ever-increasing illicit profits - ransoms paid in cash by the shipping companies. A report by UK think-tank Chatham House says piracy off the coast of Somalia has cost up to $30m (£17m) in ransoms so far this year. The study also notes that the pirates are becoming more aggressive and assertive - something the initial $22m ransom demanded for MV Faina proves.

BACKGROUND - We undertook a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to test whether intake of artificial food colour and additives (AFCA) affected childhood behaviour. The subjects were from the general population, not diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

METHODS - 153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. The challenge drink contained sodium benzoate and one of two AFCA mixes (A or B) or a placebo mix. The main outcome measure was a global hyperactivity aggregate (GHA), based on aggregated z-scores of observed behaviours and ratings by teachers and parents, plus, for 8/9-year-old children, a computerised test of attention. This clinical trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials (registration number ISRCTN74481308). Analysis was per protocol.

INTERPRETATION - Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.

In the February edition of The American Academy of Pediatrics Grand Rounds, two medical experts praised the current research and advised pediatricians to recommend "a trial of preservative-free, food coloring-free diet" when a child is hyperactive.

IN A SIGN THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO SIDELINE THE OUTGOING US PRESIDENT, Mr Medvedev backed the call from President Sarkozy for a follow-up summit in February once Barack Obama has taken over. Mr Sarkozy said after a one-day EU/Russia summit in Nice that he welcomed the meeting of minds with President Medvedev, which came despite lingering disagreements over Russia's invasion of Georgia.

"Russia's financial, technical and economic proposals are of singular quality and they are very close to the European proposals," Mr Sarkozy said. "I am delighted to know that there is a determination on behalf of the Russian Federation to ensure that something strong comes out of the Washington summit. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A SUMMIT HELD WITHOUT ANY POSITIVE OUTCOME."

Mindful that the combined pressure of Russia and the EU will be seen as A CONCERTED EFFORT TO FORCE PRESIDENT BUSH TO MAKE DEEPER CHANGES THAN HE WANTS TO, Mr Sarkozy added: "I do not say this in a spirit of aggressiveness to anybody but this crisis is very serious and we have to change things on a long-lasting basis." President Medvedev said: "The positions that I have and Nicolas has pretty much coincide. We need an appropriate, adequate response, not just a list of decarations, not just hand-shaking, not just photos."

The new industrial revolution in Asia, above all in China and India, has led to the redistribution of the world's wealth in favor of new leaders. In the 1980s and 1990s, globalization favored developed nations, but now the tables have turned. STILL MORE CRITICAL IN THE LONG TERM IS THE WEST'S DECLINING MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL AUTHORITY in defining the international agenda. It has made too many mistakes and has used too much self-serving rhetoric.

The weakening of the traditional democratic model of development has dealt a serious blow to the ideal of political democracy, which has suffered from the economic success of authoritarian nations. China is doing much better than the more democratic - but far from fully democratic - India. A partially democratic Kuwait is lagging behind the monarchies of the Persian Gulf. A democratic Lebanon and the Palestinian state ruled by democratically elected radicals are in the throes of civil war. Their more authoritarian neighboring Arab states are doing better.

Until the 1990s there had been two shining paths: democratic capitalism and communism. The latter collapsed ignominiously. The West celebrated the final and seemingly irrevocable victory ("the end of history"). In addition to winning a moral victory, the West enjoyed a redistribution of wealth, human, and other resources in its favor. However, this process was eventually stopped and reversed by economic slowdown and - most importantly - the success of new capitalist and relatively authoritarian states.

The Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, the Bishop of Lancaster, has claimed that graduates are spreading scepticism and sowing dissent. Instead of following the Church's teaching they are "hedonistic, selfish and egocentric", he said. In particular, the bishop complained that influential Catholics in politics and the media were undermining the Church.

While not naming names, he suggested that such people had been compromised by their education, which he said had a "dark side, due to original sin". Prominent Catholics in public life include Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, and Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister. Bishop O'Donoghue, who has recently published a report on how to renew Catholicism in Britain, ARGUED THAT MASS EDUCATION HAS LED TO "SICKNESS IN THE CHURCH AND WIDER SOCIETY".

Mr Blair, also Oxford-educated, became a Catholic last year but has received Mass for years. As Prime Minister he oversaw the introduction of laws on gay rights and abortion which the Catholic church opposed. THE BISHOP SAID THAT INFLUENTIAL CATHOLICS HAD SET A BAD EXAMPLE AND CORRUPTED THE FAITH of those who had not gone to university.

Night time temperatures on Saturday night in northern England and Scotland could fall as low as 23F (-5C), the Met Office said. But the whole country will feel raw, with day time temperatures across large parts of the British Isles struggling to get above 41F(5C). A second Arctic spell is likely to follow quickly behind early next week, according to forecasting services, bringing the first prolonged taste of winter this season.

Obergurgl in Austria and Laax in Switzerland are among a handful to open their pistes early, weeks before normal, while resorts with high altitude glacier skiing like Zermatt, Saas Fee and Tignes have more than 5ft (1.5m) of snow on upper slopes. A spokesman for the Ski Club of Great Britain said: "Snow is forecast pretty much for the whole week, with 20 to 70cm expected, with the heaviest falls on Friday and Saturday." She added: "We have not had snowfalls like this in November for quite a few years.

It promises to be one of the great photo ops of 2009. Benedict sent a personal message to Obama the day after his victory, which referred to the "historic occasion" of his coming presidency; and Obama subsequently telephoned the Pope as part of a round of calls to world leaders. But well before the two men have their historic handshake, THE GROUND IS ALREADY SHIFTING UNDERNEATH U.S.-VATICAN RELATIONS. And the first issue to watch is abortion.

The Pope's top aides may have already informed Benedict about a campaign promise Obama made on July 17, 2007, to Planned Parenthood, stating that his first act as President would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would undo legislation that put restrictions on access to abortions. Some Catholics have warned that such a decree, which would essentially codify Roe v. Wade into federal law and could force doctors in Catholic hospitals to perform abortions against their conscience. "There's more fear here than wrath," a senior Vatican official told TIME with regard to the Catholic hierarchy's attitude toward Obama.

However, if Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act in his first months in office "it would be the equivalent of a war," says the same official. "It would be like saying: 'WE'VE HEARD THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN THEIR CONCERNS." U.S. Catholic bishops meeting last week in Baltimore vowed to take on Obama for his support of abortion rights; they are also skeptical about his assurances to try to reduce the number of abortions while supporting the right to choose.

It's hard to keep track of just how fast the Zimbabwean dollar has fallen since the government reinstated electronic parallel market transfers on Nov. 13, but even before that the currency of Zimbabwe was the most worthless in the world.

While the official rate on Monday was 19,393.94 Zimbabwean dollars to the $1 USD, the old mutual implied rate, generated from comparing the Zimbabwe and London stock exchanges, valued the currency at more than 642 quadrillion to one.

When the currency was revalued this summer, an egg cost about $35 billion Zimbabwean dollars.

The national price for regular unleaded gasoline fell for the ninth week in a row, sinking to $2.07 a gallon, down $1.03 from a year ago, the department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly survey of service stations. Seventeen states have gasoline prices that average under $2 a gallon, according to the AAA travel club.

Falling gasoline prices are putting extra money in the pockets of consumers, but there is also concern some drivers may return to their gas-guzzling vehicles. The chairman of the Senate Energy Committee said on Monday the new Congress probably will not approve legislation to raise the federal tax on gasoline.

The Sirius Star is the biggest tanker ever to be hijacked, with a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m. The vessel was captured in what the navy called an "unprecedented" attack 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Kenyan coast on Saturday. Its international crew of 25, including two Britons, is said to be safe. The ship's operator, Vela International, said a response team had been mobilised to work towards ensuring the safe release of vessel and crew.

The hijacking was highly unusual both in terms of the size of the ship and the fact it was attacked so far south of Somalia, says BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner. The seizure points to the inability of a multi-national naval task force sent to the region earlier this year to stop Somali piracy, he says.

Hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Bureau. At least 12 vessels - including the Ukrainian freighter MV Faina carrying 33 tanks and other military hardware, which was seized in September - remain captive and under negotiation with around 250 crew being held hostage. War-torn Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991 and the anarchy on land has spread to the high seas in recent years.

The top US military officer said Monday he was "stunned" by the reach of the Somali pirates calling piracy a growing problem that needs to be addressed. The huge, oil laden prize, which is three times the size of a US aircraft carrier, was some 450 miles east of Kenya when it was boarded, he said. A cargo ship and a fishing vessel were the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates this year.

There are currently no GM food trials underway in the country and the more than 50 that have been conducted since 2000 have been affected by vandalism. Opponents of GM benefit from current rules, which dictate that all trials must be disclosed on a Government website. However, a review of security arrangements for trials has been ordered by Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary and Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary.

THE INDEPENDENT REPORTED THAT MINISTERS ARE PREPARING TO SCRAP THE DISCLOSURE RULE. Lord Mandelson acted to loosen rules on GM licensing in his previous job as EU Trade Commisioner, and it is thought he favours a relaxation of the conditions in Britain.

Professor Tim Benton, the research dean at the university's Faculty of Biological Science, told The Independent: "We need to find a way to do crop trials in a safe way and to minimise the environmental risk. We cannot carry on for the next 20 or 30 years saying it's too scary, the public is too frightened, it is politically too dangerous. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY WE CAN MOVE TOWARDS A WORLD WITH FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT USING GM TECHNOLOGY. The amount of food we need could double because the population is growing, climate change will reduce yields and we will take land out of food production for biofuels."

"Ireland cannot evade its European calling nor shrink from its European responsibilities," he said at the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin yesterday. "'CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO WORK TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE', to quote Pope Benedict XVI, 'WILL UNDERSTAND FULLY THE GREATNESS OF THE ENTERPRISE THAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND WILL BECOME ACTIVE ARTISANS OF THE SAME'," he added.

He told the committee that "Ireland must stay at the heart of Europe", and that "Irish bishops believe passionately in Europe". But he wondered whether some of the original idealism had been lost within the EU. Was this because the human and social dimension of Europe, on which it was founded, had been relegated by structural and bureaucratic priorities, he asked.

Gordon Brown described protectionism as a "road to ruin", citing the experience of the 1930s.

Reuters reports that THE COMMISSION THEN PUT ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON CHINESE-MADE CANDLES AND NON-ALLOY STEEL PRODUCTS ON SATURDAY. The British Retail Consortium described Saturday's move as "worrying". Alisdair Gray, BRC Director, said: "The EU must show some sensitivity and understanding of the impact of the global recession on hard-pressed customers before Christmas". According to the Times, the EU COMMISSION SAID IT WOULD TAKE WTO ACTION AGAINST THE US IF AID TO THE CAR INDUSTRY IS JUDGED ILLEGAL.

Feeding mice with genetically engineered corn developed by the US-based Monsanto Corporation LED TO LOWER FERTILITY AND BODY WEIGHT, according to the study conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Lead author of the study Professor Zentek said, there was a direct link between the decrease in fertility and the GM diet, and that mice fed with non-GE corn reproduced more efficiently.

In the study, Austrian scientists performed several long-term feeding trials over 20 weeks with laboratory mice fed a diet containing 33% of a GM variety (NK 603 x MON 810), or a closely related non-GE variety used in many countries. Statistically significant litter size and pup weight decreases were found in the third and fourth litters in the GM-fed mice, compared to the control group. The corn is genetically engineered with genes THAT PRODUCE A PESTICIDAL TOXIN, as well as genes that allow it to survive applications of Monsanto's herbicide Roundup. Monsanto press offices in the UK and USA were unable to provide a comment on the findings for journalists yesterday.

THE AUSTRIAN AGENCY FOR HEALTH & FOOD SAFETY (AGES) was established in 2002 following a series of crises in the food sector in the late 1990s. One of the key responsibilities of AGES is the assessment of risk along the entire food chain. This is why, in 2007, the Division for Data, Statistics & Risk Assessment (DSR) was set up. In close cooperation with other specialist divisions of AGES, federal ministries, and public authorities, DSR draws up independent scientific assessment reports to safeguard a high level of protection of human, animal, and plant health.

The cuts will come from redundancies, the sale of units and natural wastage, the bank said. Citigroup has lost more than $20bn (£13.6bn) in the past year because of the global financial crisis. It has reported four straight quarterly losses and some analysts believe the bank will not make a profit again until 2010.

Citigroup, one of the largest US banks, is one of nine financial institutions benefiting from the US government's bail-out programme. The Treasury announced last month that it would be providing cash injections worth $125bn to be shared between Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Bank of New York Mellon, State Street and Merrill Lynch.