Expenses clean-up bill is passed

The bill was a response to the MPs' expenses scandal

A bill aimed at cleaning up Parliament after the MPs' expenses scandal has become law after getting Royal Assent.

However, the government dropped plans for a legally-binding code of conduct and two new criminal offences for MPs in the face of stiff opposition.

Ministers insisted the changes made for a better bill and that it was vital it became law before the summer recess.

Opponents complained it has been rushed through and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said it would not restore public trust.

The Parliamentary Standards Bill sets up an independent body to authorise MPs' expenses.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said its speedy approval was imperative for rebuilding public confidence in the way Parliament works, with MPs leaving Westminster for their constituencies.

Nothing really has been done to fix the rotten state of British politics Nick Clegg Liberal Democrat leader The new rules for MPs explained

When it was introduced, it had been expected to apply eventually to peers as well as MPs.

However, as it returned to the Commons on Tuesday, the Lords had been assured "categorically" it would not apply to them.

Two of three proposed offences - relating to breaking rules on the registration of interests or the ban on paid advocacy - had been dropped.

A bid to scrap Parliamentary privilege, which protects MPs from court action over what they say in the Commons, was also rejected after a surprise Commons defeat for the government.

During Tuesday's debate on amendments made in the House of Lords, which were approved without a vote, Mr Straw faced accusations the bill had been rushed through for "public relations purposes" and had since been "emasculated".

Punishment threat

He said "improvements" had been made to the bill and the three main parties had backed plans for a new Parliamentary Standards Authority but they had to work "from a standing start".

He said it had been a difficult process and he would have been condemned if he had resisted making changes.

"I think we have achieved a very much better measure as a result," he said.

In a later interview, Mr Straw said the new authorisation process for expenses, combined with full transparency in the disclosure of claims, would mean past abuses could not happen again.

"Thankfully the expenses scandals will be a thing of the past," he told the BBC.

Jack Straw responds to criticism of the legislation

He said any MP "daft" enough to fiddle their expenses in future would be severely punished.

Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan said the bill had arrived "in a state of some confusion" and he was pleased "significant" concessions had been made.

"It was obvious that ministers had been required at very short notice to create a bill that had to match the prime minister's press release, initially at least, no matter what the consequences."

The Lib Dems said the government's enthusiasm for a radical reform of the political system in the wake of the expenses scandal had been short-lived.

Nick Clegg said it "beggared belief" that MPs should be about to go on a 82-day recess with so little achieved in the way of real reforms to the House of Lords, party funding and new mechanisms for sacking dishonest MPs.

He had called for Parliament to continue sitting until such measures had been introduced.

"It[the bill] is a fig leaf to cover up the government's abject failure to deliver on the promises it made to the British people at the height of the expenses scandal that it would sort out British politics for good," he said.

Iraq's PM to meet Obama in US

Bombings continued to claim lives in Iraq ahead of Mr al-Maliki's US visit Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is beginning a four-day visit to the US, during which he will meet President Obama at the White House. The visit comes after American troops withdrew from Iraqi towns and cities three weeks ago. The talks with President Obama on Wednesday are expected to include Iraqi reconciliation efforts. They will also cover the role of US troops as they prepare for a complete departure from Iraq by the end of 2011. On Tuesday, at least 18 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks in Iraq, including the capital, Baghdad, and the cities of Ramadi and Baquba. Iraqi troops now take the lead security role in Iraq's urban areas, and analysts say the latest attacks are a sign that insurgents remain intent on destabilising the country. There has been a marked drop in violence in Iraq in recent months, though attacks increased in June in the run-up to the American pull-back. Reconciliation 'key' The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Baghdad, says Mr Obama and Mr Maliki will, on the face of it, want a swift and orderly exit of American troops from Iraqi soil. Mr Obama promised a withdrawal during his election campaign last year, and Mr Maliki faces a general election in Iraq in January in which he is staking his reputation on being the man who oversaw the transfer of military control from US to Iraqi hands. But our correspondent says that, behind the optimistic talk about withdrawal, reduced violence and the increased capabilities of Iraqi security forces, lie two facts - there are still around 130,000 American troops inside Iraq, and fatal attacks remain an everyday occurrence. He says the question is how to get American forces out of Iraq by the end of 2011 without the security situation getting any worse. Our correspondent says Iraqi reconciliation is key. Iraq's Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups are divided on a number of issues, including how to share Iraq's oil wealth, the authority of the central government, and political power-sharing. None of this will be easy to resolve, our correspondent says, with the various parties jostling for position ahead of January's elections.

S interest rates to 'remain low'

Bernanke gives his monetary policy report US interest rates are likely to remain "exceptionally low" for some time, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke has said. Testifying before the House Financial Committee in his twice-yearly report on monetary policy, he defended the Fed's policies in fighting the recession. He said low interest rates and a stimulus plan had buoyed the economy. He sought to reassure markets that government intervention could be withdrawn in a "smooth and timely" way. 'Persuaded' Economic conditions meant interest rates would be kept at exceptionally low levels for "an extended period", between 0% and 0.25%, said the chairman and underlined that the Fed's main focus was to foster "economic recovery", said Mr Bernanke. As well as the Fed's policy of low interest rates and extending credit to banks, Congress approved a $787bn economic stimulus plan in February, aimed at saving or creating 3.5 million jobs and encouraging consumer spending and rebuilding infrastructure. The plan included tax breaks and money for social programmes. "It is important to assure the markets that the extraordinary policy measures we have taken in response to the financial crisis and the recession can be withdrawn in a smooth and timely manner as possible," said Mr Bernanke. Barney Frank, the head of the committee highlighted concerns over inflation. "If people think there's going to be inflation, then that's inflationary." He said Mr Bernanke had addressed such concerns, adding that he was "persuaded by the chairman and others that we are able, in an orderly way, to undo what we had to do so that there will not be that inflationary impact". Analyst Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer at Johnson Illington Advisors, said Mr Bernanke's remarks showed that if the job market improved, the Fed would not hesitate in changing its policy. The Fed is saying it has "the tools for preserving price stability, which effectively means that they have the tools to reduce the levels of liquidity in the financial system before inflation takes hold", said Mr Johnson. Recovery Mr Bernanke cited signs that the financial markets had improved, and so had the US economy. "Although the recession in the rest of the world led to a steep drop in the demand for US exports, this drag on our economy appears to be waning," he said. However, he cautioned that the unemployment rate remained high and job insecurity, coupled with a fall in home values and limited credit, meant gains in consumer spending would be restricted. Looking ahead, Mr Bernanke said the central bank expected output to improve in slightly in the rest 2009, with 2010 seeing a gradual recovery. Rudy Narvas, an analyst at 4Cast in New York, said: "[Mr Bernanke] is still pretty dovish on the economy. He still believes that slack is going to remain at least through 2011." But he added: "He is saying that they can raise rates even though the unwinding of the balance sheet hasn't finished yet, which is kind of important, because it suggests to us that they could begin raising rates by as early as 2011."

Arrests at new Iranian protests

Mousavi supporters have used mobile phones to arrange protests

Iranian riot police are reported to have arrested a number of pro-reform protesters in Tehran after demonstrations turned violent.

Police clashed with hundreds of people marching despite a ban on public gatherings since the disputed election in June, Reuters news agency said.

The re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked widespread protests and allegations of vote-rigging.

Defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has continued to contest the result.

Mr Mousavi has issued statements opposing the election result, saying detention of protesters would not end opposition.

Power protest

Witnesses said hundreds or even thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, although curbs on the international media mean it is difficult to verify reports from Iran independently.

IRAN UNREST 12 June Presidential election saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected with 63% of vote Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi called for result to be annulled, alleging poll fraud Mass street protests saw at least 20 people killed, hundreds arrested, and foreign media restricted Rafsanjani fans flames of dissent Guide: How Iran is ruled

Large numbers of riot police were deployed to meet them, and militia men in civilian clothes also mingled with the crowd, the BBC's Jon Leyne reports.

In a new form of protest, activists were urged to turn off lights and domestic appliances at 2055 (1625 GMT).

They planned to switch on five minutes later appliances that consume large amounts of electricity, such as irons, toasters and microwave ovens.

Activist leaders hoped the resulting surge in demand could cause a power outage and cloak Tehran in darkness, allowing some the chance to protest on the streets.

The power protest is the latest in a series of efforts to continue demonstrating without breaking the law or risking arrest.

Following a government clampdown on protests shortly after the disputed election, many in Tehran took to their roofs after dark to shout Allahu Akbar (God is Great) in solidarity with the opposition.

Referendum call

The renewed street protests come shortly after Mr Mousavi issued one of his strongest critiques of Iran's ruling elite since the election result was declared.

He said it was an insult to the nation to suggest that opposition members were only protesting because they were told to by foreign powers.

And he insisted that intimidation and threats would not silence his supporters.

Since the announcement that Mr Ahmadinejad had won June's presidential election, Mr Mousavi - a reformist former prime minister of Iran - has received backing from several senior figures within the Iranian establishment.

Among them are two former presidents, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami.

On Monday Mr Khatami called for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government. Only the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can organise a referendum, and he has already declared the election result valid.

Mr Khatami, quoted on Iranian websites, said millions of Iranians had lost faith in the electoral process.

But Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, which answers to the Supreme Leader, has described the election as a turning point. The head of the Guards' political bureau said the election allowed the Guards to take power into their own hands.

Our correspondent says many Iranians will see the Revolutionary Guards' confidence as confirming their omilitary coup.wn fears that the outcome of the election was just a thinly-veiled

Asia watches long solar eclipse

People have been buying masks to view the eclipse

People in Asia are watching what will be the longest total solar eclipse this century, with swathes of India and China to be plunged into darkness.

Amateur stargazers and scientists have travelled far to see the eclipse, which will last for about five minutes.

The eclipse could first be seen early on Wednesday in eastern India, though in some regions there was thick cloud.

The eclipse is moving east across India, Nepal, Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and the Pacific.

The eclipse first became total over India at 0053GMT. It will cross some southern Japanese islands and will last be visible from land at Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati. It will end at 0418GMT.

Elsewhere, a partial eclipse is visible across much of Asia.

Taking shelter

In India the village of Taregna, near Patna, has been swamped by researchers expecting a particularly clear view of the eclipse.

"We are hoping to make some valuable observations on the formation of asteroids around the sun," scientist Pankaj Bhama told the Associated Press news agency.

Eclipse fever in India village

But pregnant women in India were advised to stay inside, following beliefs that the eclipse could harm a foetus.

"My mother and aunts have called and told me stay in a darkened room with the curtains closed, lie in bed and chant prayers," said Krati Jain, a software worker in New Delhi who is expecting her first child.

In eastern China, heavy cloud or rain was expected to make it virtually impossible to see the eclipse.

The previous total eclipse, in August 2008, lasted two minutes and 27 seconds.

This one will last six minutes and 39 seconds at its maximum point.

'Special opportunity'

Alphonse Sterling, a Nasa astrophysicist who will be following the eclipse from China, scientists are hoping data from the eclipse will help explain solar flares and other structures of the sun and why they erupt.

"We'll have to wait a few hundred years for another opportunity to observe a solar eclipse that lasts this long, so it's a very special opportunity," Shao Zhenyi, an astronomer at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in China told the Associated Press.

Solar scientist Lucie Green, from University College London, is aboard an American cruise ship heading for that point near the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where the axis of the Moon's shadow will pass closest to Earth.

"The [Sun's] corona has a temperature of 2 million degrees but we don't know why it is so hot," she said.

"What we are going to look for are waves in the corona. ... The waves might be producing the energy that heats the corona. That would mean we understand another piece of the science of the Sun."

The next total solar eclipse will occur on 11 July next year. It will be visible in a narrow corridor over the southern hemisphere, from the southern Pacific Ocean to Argentina.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE In the area covered by the umbra (the darkest part of the shadow), a total eclipse is seen In the region covered by the penumbra (where only some of the light source is obscured) a partial eclipse is seen

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Will you be watching the eclipse? You can send us your pictures and videos of the eclipse.

Chechnya's dissenting voice silenced

The murder of Russian human rights activist Natalia Estemirova shows that life in Chechnya - although more peaceful than it was a decade ago - can still be brutal, says Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

Now Natalia herself has become a victim of the brutality she had worked so fearlessly to document

I cannot pretend to have been a friend of Natalia Estemirova.

I met her only once, in April this year, in her little office in the Chechen capital Grozny.

We sat for an hour sipping tea as she told me about the latest horrors she and her team had uncovered in the dirty war that is still going on in southern Russia.

Outside, a group of rough-looking country folk were sitting in the hallway, their faces strained, their eyes haunted.

Natalia was the person they all came to, to tell of a missing son or husband, of a fresh abduction in the middle of the night, or a house burned in retribution for a rebel attack.

Most recently, Natalia had been investigating a killing by a government death squad in a small village in southern Chechnya.

Last words

Locals told her an old man had been accused of giving one of his sheep to the Islamic insurgents. On 7 July, government troops came to his home, dragged the old man to the village square, and then - as villagers looked on - they shot him in the head.

"This," they were told, "is what will happen to any of you who help the rebels."

Now Natalia herself has become a victim of the brutality she had worked so fearlessly to document.

At 0830 local time on Wednesday, four men dragged her from her apartment in the centre of Grozny.

Passersby saw her being forced into a white Lada. She managed to shout out: "I am being abducted."

They were the last words anybody would hear her say.

Nine hours later, her body was found 30 miles (50km) away, dumped in a forest. She had been shot in the head.

Sitting here in Moscow it is still very hard to comprehend how anybody could murder this softly spoken 50-year-old woman.

The finger of blame has immediately been pointed at Ramzan Kadyrov, the 32-year-old warlord who now runs Chechnya at Moscow's behest.

He has emphatically denied it, and has promised that he will personally take control of the investigation.

That promise has been met with derision by friends and colleagues.

The truth is that Natalia was not short of enemies.

She was born to a Russian mother and Chechen father. When the first Chechen war broke out in the mid-1990s, most with Russian blood fled Grozny.

But she refused to leave.

Critics 'end up dead'

When Moscow began its second onslaught on the city in 1999, she fled.

But a year later she returned and began documenting the abductions, torture and murders of thousands of young Chechen men by federal Russian troops.

President Kadyrov denies any involvement in Estemirova's death

Later - as Moscow handed its war to its Chechen allies - she took on the local regime.

She was a thorn in the side of many, but particularly of President Kadyrov. And she is not the first of his critics to end up dead.

Three years ago a Chechen man called Umar Israilov turned up in Austria seeking political asylum. For several years he had worked as one of Mr Kadyrov's bodyguards.

In testimony to Austrian authorities he said he had personally witnessed Mr Kadyrov taking part in torture sessions. He also said Mr Kadyrov kept a list of 300 enemies to be killed.

On 13 January this year, Umar Israilov was shot dead outside his Vienna apartment.

Sulim Yamadayev is another of Ramzan Kadyrov's enemies to have met a sticky end.

He used to be one of the most powerful military commanders in Chechnya. But last year he fled to Dubai after falling out with the Chechen president.

On 30 March this year, Sulim Yamadayev was shot dead in the car park of his Dubai apartment. A week later the Dubai police issued an international arrest warrant for a man named Adam Delemkhanov.

It just happens that Mr Delemkhanov is Ramzan Kadyrov's right-hand man. In April when I went to the Grand Mosque in Grozny for Friday prayers, there he was kneeling down right beside Chechnya's president.

Culture of impunity

Anna Politkovskaya exposed Russian excesses in Chechnya

My guess is that it will never be proved who ordered Natalia Estemirova's killing. In Russia such murders are rarely solved.

Look at the case of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, shot dead outside her Moscow apartment three years ago.

Or of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov, gunned down in broad daylight in Moscow this January.

They were both close friends of Natalia Estemirova.

There is what Amnesty International this week called a culture of impunity in Russia.

One by one, the voices of those still willing to stand up and speak out are being silenced.

Without them the outside world will never know about the horrors still being committed in places like Chechnya.

Royal tributes for oldest veteran Henry Allingham and the Queen Henry Allingham wanted people to remember the toll of war The Queen has led the trib

Royal tributes for oldest veteran

Henry Allingham wanted people to remember the toll of war

The Queen has led the tributes to Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and one of the last surviving World War I servicemen, who has died aged 113.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said, on her behalf, he was of a generation who "sacrificed so much for us all".

Mr Allingham served with the Royal Naval Air Service in WWI, later transferring to the Royal Air Force at the time of its creation.

Prince Charles and Gordon Brown have also paid tribute to the veteran.

'True gentleman'

Mr Allingham's military service took him to Ypres and the Battle of Jutland.

His life spanned three centuries and six monarchs and he had five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren and one great-great-great grandchild.

The prime minister, who had met him a number of times, called Mr Allingham a "tremendous character".

WORLD EVENTS SINCE 1896 1901 - Queen Victoria dies 1914 - WWI begins 1929 - The Wall Street Crash 1945 - First atomic bomb detonated 1953 - Everest scaled for first time 1963 - President Kennedy assassinated 1969 - Neil Armstrong walks on moon 1977 - Death of Elvis Presley 1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall 1990 - Nelson Mandela freed from prison after 27 years 2008 - US elects first black president

Prince Charles reiterated his mother's comments, saying Mr Allingham belonged to that "incredible generation who did so much for their country".

A Clarence House spokesman said: "We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for all he has done."

Mr Allingham's grandson, Tim Gray, described his grandfather as very sincere and someone who loved life.

The 53-year-old, from Michigan in the United States, said: "He was always telling all these stories about the war, he wanted people to remember it.

"But he thought the ones that should really be remembered were the ones that died, not himself."

He added that "the whole family" would be coming to the UK from Canada and the US for his funeral, which takes place at St Nicholas' Church in Brighton later this month.

Dennis Goodwin, founder of the First World War Veterans' Association and a friend of Mr Allingham, said: "Henry was truly a gentleman - his strength of character, his purpose.

"He left quite a legacy to the nation of memories of what it was like to have been in WWI," he said.

For decades, Mr Allingham buried his memories of the war, avoiding reunions and refusing to tell his family about his experiences.

But, in recent years, he started making public appearances to make sure new generations did not forget the toll of war and went on to tell his life story in a book which was published last year.

Henry Allingham dies aged 113

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band said: "Henry will be remembered with great fondness for his strong sense of humour and joy of life, and he was an inspiration for all those serving in the Royal Navy."

And Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, Chief of the Air Staff, said his passing was a "milestone in history".

"Henry was an inspiration to many and his thirst for life, cheery disposition and a desire to help others was his mark," he added.

The veteran's death has moved people across Britain.

At Lord's cricket ground in London, a minute's silence was held to mark his passing before play resumed on the third day of the second Ashes test.

There were condolences too from staff at his Brighton care home, who said he had been very active right up to his final days and would be missed by all.

Last month, the Royal Navy hosted a 113th birthday party on HMS President in London for his family, close friends and members of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

That was the last time his nephew Ronald Cator saw him.

Mr Cator said his uncle looked "very, very frail. He went downhill in the last few months."

"He used to sleep a lot at the end. He wanted to pass away, poor old boy."

His death means there are now only two British survivors of WWI - Harry Patch, 111, and Claude Choules, 108, now living in Australia.

Last month, Guinness World Records declared Mr Allingham, born in 1896, the world's oldest man following the death of another 113-year-old man in Japan.