East European worker influx slows

There has been a big fall in the number of East Europeans registering to work in the UK, official figures show. Some 720,000 National Insurance numbers were issued to foreign workers in the year to September 2008, the Office for National Statistics has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7906277.stm

Charles declares Mumbai shanty town model for the world

The Mumbai shanty town featured in the film Slumdog Millionaire offers a better model than does western architecture for ways to house a booming urban population in the developing world, Prince Charles said yesterday

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/06/prince-charles-slum-comments

Pots of gold

As a French multinational and Bangladeshi villagers join forces to help people work their way out of poverty, Liam Black finds a lesson for British business – and banks

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/18/liam-black-bangladesh

‘Everybody knows it doesn’t work’

Despite receiving more than $1 trillion from the west over the last half century, Africa remains in dire economic straits. Dambisa Moyo thinks aid is to blame and should stop now. She talks to Aida Edemariam

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/19/dambisa-moyo-dead-aid-africa

Letter to the Guardian responnding to this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/21/development-aid-africa

Days of dust: the impact of global drought

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/feb/05/global-drought?picture=342842970

Britain joins rush to rebuild Africa’s transport network

Britain is joining the latest scramble in Africa – to reverse decades of decay and even the disappearance of large parts of road and rail systems – with a $1bn (£690m) project to rebuild the transport network across the south of the continent

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/19/africa-transport-network-britain

Bath flood threat recedes

The threat of flood chaos in the centre of Bath receded last night after river levels dropped. Emergency services were on standby yesterday as flooding replaced snow as a new source of disruption in Bath. The car park at the city’s sports and leisure centre was closed and water was lapping around the edge of The Rec as snow melted and heavy rain fell.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/environment/Okay-snow-s/article-684254-detail/article.html

Helicopter video of severe floods

Aerial footage taken by an Essex Police helicopter shows severe flooding over parts of the county.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7882215.stm?lss

Tornado touches down in Oklahoma

A tornado has ripped through central Oklahoma, killing at least four people, damaging buildings and knocking down power lines.  Local schools were placed in lockdown during the storm. Forecasters are warning of further thunderstorms and tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7882733.stm

Storm due to bring snow and rain

A winter storm is set to bring snow and heavy rain to parts of the UK.

It is due to arrive in southern England and Wales on Monday afternoon, spread to the Midlands and continue overnight into Tuesday, forecasters say. It could bring up to eight inches of snow (20cm) in some areas, and 30 to 40 millimetres of rain in others.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7877544.stm