Sunday, 7 December 2014

Archbishop Justin Welby urges help for UK hungry

tins of food in a bagA new parliamentary report is expected to call for some food banks to be bigger

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More help is needed to prevent families in the UK going hungry, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
Food is being wasted in "astonishing" amounts but hunger "stalks large parts" of the country, Justin Welby wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
He backed a parliamentary report, to be released on Monday, which aims to end hunger in the UK by 2020.
Nick Clegg said benefits sanctions were partly to blame and proposed a "traffic light system" to limit them.
The deputy prime minister said sanctions - where benefit payments are stopped for infractions such as missing interviews or failing to take part in a work-related activity - should not always be imposed "overnight".
The archbishop said he was left more shocked by the plight of the UK's poor than by those suffering in African refugee camps, because it was so unexpected.
Justin WelbyThe archbishop said the report makes recommendations that should be seized on by politicians and charities
The parliamentary report is expected to propose a new publicly funded body, known as Feeding Britain, to tackle hunger among poor people.
It is expected to call for bigger food banks to distribute more free food and advise people on how to claim benefits, a rise in the minimum wage, and the provision of free school meals during school holidays for children from poor families.


'Ashamed to be hungry'
The archbishop said the report sought to "bring people together from churches, food banks, the food industry and government to make a real difference".
Among the suggestions in his article, he said it should be made easier for UK food companies to pass on food they could no longer sell.
After describing scenes of a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, e wrote: "... a few weeks later in England, I was talking to some people - a mum, dad and one child - in a food bank.
"They were ashamed to be there. The dad talked miserably. He said they had each been skipping a day's meals once a week in order to have more for the child, but then they needed new tyres for the car so they could get to work at night, and just could not make ends meet.
"So they had to come to a food bank. They were treated with respect, love even, by the volunteers from local churches. But they were hungry, and ashamed to be hungry.
"I found their plight more shocking. It was less serious, but it was here."
Nick CleggNick Clegg spoke to the Andrew Marr Show earlier
Mr Clegg said there was "some evidence" that benefit sanctions forced people to use food banks temporarily.
"Whilst it is of course necessary to have sanctions in the benefit system, I think we should introduce a sort of traffic light system so that some of the sanctions are not imposed quite as 'overnight' as they sometimes are," he said.
"That might help alleviate some of the problem."
The Trussell Trust, which runs more than 400 food banks, has blamed growing use of them on the rising cost of living, static incomes and changes to benefits.
'Sticking to plan'
Business Minister Matthew Hancock said one reason use of food banks had increased was that "more people know about them".
He added: "The key and essential question here is: how do you tackle these deep ingrained problems of poverty? And the single best way through that is - undoubtedly - work."
A government spokesman said UK people should not go hungry because "we have enough food to go around".
"While this report outlines important areas for consideration, we should remember that this country has been through the deepest recession in living memory, and sticking to this government's long-term economic plan is the best way to improve living standards," he said.
Earlier this year 43 Christian leaders, including 27 Anglican bishops, signed a letter urging David Cameron to ensure people get enough to eat, saying "cutbacks and failures" in the benefits system were driving people to food banks.
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Do you work for a food bank or have you made use of one? Do you agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please include a telephone number.

more info:http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30366020
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Yemen raid: US 'unaware' hostage Korkie was with Somers

Mr Korkie (right) in an undated photo provided by Gift of the GiversTeacher Pierre Korkie (right) was seized in Yemen in May 2013A charity working with Mr Korkie said he was to have been freed on Sunday.
Its project director said the US rescue attempt had "destroyed everything".
The US says the raid in southern Yemen was launched because they believed there was an immediate threat to Mr Somers' life.
However, it is understood that a payment had been made to enable the release of Mr Korkie.
Some workers at the charity that he was with, Gift of the Givers, have criticised the US raid.
The South African government said it was "deeply saddened" by Mr Korkie's killing, adding that his body was expected to arrive in the country on Monday.
Luke Somers was abducted in Yemen in 2013, as the BBC's Frank Gardner reports
A senior official in the US administration told the BBC's Tom Esslemont in Washington that the rescuers were not aware that Mr Korkie was being held with Mr Somers.
Separately, details have been emerging of the rescue mission. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said some 40 special forces took part in the rescue attempt, which came after drone strikes in the area.
The rescuers reportedly landed by helicopter around six miles (10 km) from the compound where the hostages were being held. Backed by Yemeni ground forces, they advanced to within 100m (320ft) of the site in Shabwa province.
A gunfight broke out when they were spotted by the militants, one of whom was briefly seen entering the compound. US officials believe this was when the hostages were shot.
Both hostages were evacuated with serious injuries and received immediate medical care. Mr Korkie died on a helicopter while Mr Somers died while being treated on a US navy ship in the region.
South African Yolande Korkie, a former hostage and wife of Pierre Korkie, holds a press conference in Johannesburg in January 2014 Former hostage Yolande Korkie had campaigned for her husband's release
US officials said the men could not have been hit by US gunfire, based on where they were being held. The raid lasted about 30 minutes.
The US ambassador to London, Matthew Barzun, told the BBC that the rescue mission had lacked the "element of surprise" because of threats made by the hostage takers in a video featuring Mr Somers.
"In this case, sadly, the timetable was set by the hostage takers because they had basically said publicly that they were going to do awful things by a [certain] date," he said.
US President Barack Obama condemned the "barbaric murder" of both hostages.
He said he authorised the raid to rescue Mr Somers and other hostages held in the same location.
He also offered his "thoughts and prayers" to Mr Korkie's family, saying: "Their despair and sorrow at this time are beyond words".
BBC map of Yemen, showing Shabwa
The charity working with Mr Korkie said it was saddened by his death.
"Pierre Korkie was very sick - he had a hernia," Gift of the Givers' Yemen project director Anas Hamati told the BBC's Newshour.
Mediators had been working on an "arrangement to take him out", he said, adding: "His passport was ready, everything was ready.
"In that time, the attack happened by US special forces in Yemen and that has destroyed everything."
Mr Korkie was abducted with his wife Yolande in May last year in Yemen's second city, Taiz.
She was freed on 10 January without ransom and returned to South Africa.
"The psychological and emotional devastation to Yolande and her family will be compounded by the knowledge that Pierre was to be released by al-Qaeda tomorrow," the charity said in a statement.
more info:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30366455
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Typhoon Hagupit sweeps across Philippines

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports on the damage done by Typhoon Hagupit


Typhoon Hagupit is sweeping across the Philippines, toppling trees and power lines and threatening areas with heavy rain, flooding and mudslides.
About a million people have fled their homes for shelter. The storm has killed at least three people, officials say.
In Tacloban, where thousands were killed by typhoon Haiyan last year, roofs have been blown away and streets are flooded.
But Hagupit does not appear to have been as severe as many had feared.
Hagupit, known locally as Ruby, weakened on Sunday as it continued to move slowly across the Philippines.
It was packing maximum sustained winds of 140km/h (90mph) and gusts of 170km/h (105 mph) at 17:00 local time (0900 GMT), government forecaster Pagasa said.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Legazpi, about 200km (125 miles) north of Tacloban, said Hagupit was clearly a powerful storm but nowhere near as powerful as Haiyan.
The authorities believed they were well prepared this time, he adds, but it could be some time before the extent of damage in more remote areas becomes clear.
Correspondents say the Philippines has undergone its largest peacetime evacuation in history.
Typhoon Hagupit slow to clear
Homes destroyed
Officials say at least three people have been killed by Hagupit. One person was killed by a falling tree in the eastern town of Dolores.
Another two people in the central province of Iloilo reportedly died from hypothermia.
"The devastation in homes is huge because of the strong winds," Philippine Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas told local radio DzBB.
"Many people voluntarily returned to evacuate centres tonight... because they do not have homes anymore."
Damage on the seafront in Tacloban (7 Dec 2014)The BBC's Maria Byrne in Tacloban sent this image of people beginning to clear up along the seafront on Sunday morning
The government has warned residents in low-lying and mountainous areas to be alert to possible flash floods and landslides, while those on the coast were warned of the risk of big waves associated with storm surges.
Soldiers have been deployed to major roads along the typhoon's path, to clear debris from roads and prevent looting.
Joey Salceda, governor of Albay province where Legazpi is situated, told the BBC that the main lesson from Typhoon Haiyan had been to prepare well and to evacuate people from vulnerable areas.
"It doesn't happen overnight so you need to train people. I feel confident we can achieve our zero casualty goal," he said.
Waves batter coast at Legazpi. 7 Dec 2014High winds sent waves crashing into the coast at Legazpi
Policeman moves a fallen tree in Legazi (7 Dec 2014)Though trees were brought down in Legazpi the city appeared to have escaped extensive damage
Joey Salceda, governor of Albay province. 7 Dec 2014Joey Salceda, governor of Albay province, says widespread evacuation has been vital
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At the scene: Saira Asher, BBC News, Legazpi
The main cities that have so far been in the path of Typhoon Hagupit look to have avoided major damage. But Northern and Eastern Samar are the big worry now, with many small communities that are isolated.
The Philippines Red Cross says their teams are trying to get into some of these areas, but floods or fallen trees blocking roads mean they are unreachable.
Until rescue teams can get to the isolated communities, we will not know the extent of the damage or the loss of life.
Hagupit is a slow-moving typhoon which means a higher risk of prolonged rain that can cause flooding and mudslides. While we may not be seeing the scenes of mass devastation we saw after Typhoon Haiyan, there is still cause for concern.
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The typhoon first made landfall in the Philippines on Saturday.
It is expected to cross Sibuyan island in the early hours of Monday. According to forecaster Pagasa, it is expected to leave Philippine territory on Thursday morning.
Man climbs over fallen building in Borongan city, Samar island (7 Dec 2014)In Borongan city, north-east of Tacloban, buildings were brought down by the strong winds
Maulid Warfa, the head of Unicef's field office in Tacloban, said their five-storey concrete building was shaking under the force of the storm.
Speaking early on Sunday he said: "We're in this dark building and it's raining heavily and there's no electricity and we are using candles.
"We have a generator... but because of the rain and the flood and power problems we have switched it off. It's too dangerous."
Mr Warfa added: "Our concern now is not us sitting in this building. Our concern is for the little children who have had to go through this experience for the second time in 13 months."
About 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centres, Tacloban's disaster office spokesman Ilderando Bernadas told Reuters.
Haiyan - known as Yolanda in the Philippines - was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore through the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
Map showing route of Typhoon Hagupit

More info:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30365721

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Friday, 5 December 2014

India cataracts scandal: Arrests over 'botched' surgery

A man sits on a bed while waiting for treatment at a hospital after undergoing cataract removals from a free eye surgery camp, in the northern Indian city of Amritsar December 5
India's medical infrastructure is under intense scrutiny after 15 women died following sterilisation surgery.
Tens of thousands of older people are operated on for cataracts in charity-run camps and government hospitals every year.
The operations are generally considered to be low risk and easy to perform.
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Amritsar says all of the cataract patients who claim to have lost their sight were poor villagers attracted by the offer of free treatment.
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Close-up of the eye showing a cataract, an opacity in the lens of the eye that results in blurred vision
Cataracts are the main cause of impaired vision worldwide. They are cloudy patches that develop in the lens of the eye and can cause blurred or misty vision, which can become worse over time. Cataracts are very common, especially in older people.
Surgery to remove cataracts is a relative straightforward procedure, which is usually carried out under local anaesthetic. During the operation, the surgeon makes a tiny cut in the eye so the affected lens can be removed. The surgeon then inserts a small plastic lens in its place.
The risk of serious complications as a result of cataract surgery is small. The most common complication is vision becoming cloudy again. This can happen when a skin or membrane grows over the back of the lens implant months or years later.
Other complications are much rarer. There is a very small risk of permanent sight loss in the treated eye from the operation.
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Mr Joshi organised the cataract surgery in the Gurdaspur district of Amritsar on 4 November.
Before he was arrested, he told the BBC that 49 people had been treated and all had received proper care.
However, some 20 patients later said they had not been able to see since removing their bandages.
Our correspondent says 10 of those patients are in danger of losing sight in one eye, and one patient who had already lost sight in one eye was in danger of going blind.
Indian patients Gurbachan Singh, (L), Sampuran Kaur (C) and Pooro Kaur, who lost their eyesight after undergoing surgery at an eye camp, show their damaged eyes at a government hospital in Amritsar on December 5It is not yet known whether the patients have permanently lost their sight
An Indian doctor checks the eye of patient Shinder Kaur, (R), who lost her eyesight after undergoing surgery at an eye camp, at a government hospital in Amritsar on December 5The patients are now being treated by doctors in an Amritsar hospital
The cause of the problem was not clear, with officials suggesting the patients had contracted infections either as a result of a lack of proper equipment, or because the equipment was not sterilised.
Dr Rajiv Bhalla, Amritsar's chief medical officer, said the charity did not have proper permission to set up the camp.
It is not the first time cataract surgery has hit the headlines in India.
Between 2008 and 2009, 14 patients lost their sight after contracting infections in northern Uttar Pradesh state.
And in August 2008, eight patients lost their eyesight and 21 became partially blind after free eye surgery in Tamil Nadu.

for more info:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30341213
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James Bond: What can 007 fans expect of Spectre?

Daniel Craig


    The title and cast of the 24th official James Bond film has been unveiled - so what can 007 fans expect of Spectre?
    Just after 11am in the chilly and cavernous interior of the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios, director Sam Mendes revealed the next Bond film will be called Spectre - a name that goes back to the very roots of the world's longest-running film series.
    Mendes, who also directed previous Bond adventure Skyfall, said the new film had "everything you would expect from a Bond movie" with "a little more variety... maybe a little more mischief".
    Filming starts on Monday with a scene involving Daniel Craig's superspy and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) in her office.

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    "I've wanted to involve Spectre for many years and Spectre is back," Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said at Thursday's launch event.
    The global crime syndicate - Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion - first appeared in Ian Fleming's original novels and was mentioned in the first Bond film, Dr No, in 1962.
    It has been the subject of a legal case with a rival film producer that was recently resolved after many years.
    While nothing is confirmed, the speculation now is that Bond's old nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld - the head of Spectre - will make an appearance in the film.
    "I don't see the point of using Spectre unless they are going to use Blofeld as well," said Professor James Chapman of Leicester University, and author of Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films.
    Sam Mendes unveils the Aston Martin DB10Sam Mendes unveils the Aston Martin DB10
    Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci and Christoph Waltz Spectre cast members: (l-r) Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci and Christoph Waltz
    But he doubted Blofeld will appear the way he was portrayed in the 1960s films. "I don't expect to see a man with a stroking a white cat sitting inside a hollowed-out volcano hijacking rockets.
    "The recent films have been about modern plausible villains - terrorists and backers of terrorists in big business. I think we might see Spectre modelled along those sorts of lines."
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    What is Spectre?
    First appearing in the Ian Fleming novel Thunderball (1961), Spectre is an acronym for the clumsily-titled Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.
    Headed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, it began as a small enterprise of like-minded criminals. But, as the book and film series developed, it grew to include the criminal masterminds of the Gestapo, the Mafia and Smersh (among others) to create a diabolical - but, crucially, apolitical - empire of evil.
    It appeared in three of the 007 novels, but gained greater prominence in the film series where Blofeld, with his white Persian cat, played the antagonist seven times. The films also saw the organisation become more closely aligned with the Cold War-era Soviet Union than Fleming had envisaged.
    Its logo was an octopus, which is echoed in the first poster for the new Bond film.
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    Skyfall is the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK and made more than $1.1bn (£705m) at the worldwide box office.
    Broccoli told the BBC the budget for Spectre was "higher" than for Skyfall. "Obviously we have a hell of a challenge ahead of us - we want to make this the best Bond movie ever.
    "All the money is going to be on the screen as always. That's the thing my father [original Bond producer Cubby Broccoli] always insisted since the very beginning - don't disappoint the fan.
    "We believe that we've got a great movie and can't wait to get started on Monday."
    Director Sam Mendes: "It would be, perhaps, too easy to assume that because the movie is called [Spectre] that the villain is necessarily one you already know"
    Even with a bigger budget, Mendes admitted "money is still tight" and he was still "cutting and adjusting things".
    "The fantasy that I had before I directed my first Bond was that finally you get to have all the money you need to make a movie - but the bigger the movie, the more the pressure.
    "For me the pressure is just as big as it was on the last one - not for financial reasons, just because you want to make a great movie."
    Everyone was staying tight-lipped about the plot at Pinewood.
    Here's a sample exchange with Christoph Waltz, who plays a character called Oberhauser, but many speculate might turn out to be Blofeld.
    Q: Tell us about your role. A: Absolutely not.
    Q: Are you playing Blofeld? A: No, I'm playing someone called Oberhauser.
    Q: And what kind of baddie is he going to be? A: Who says it's a baddie?
    Ralph Fiennes, who plays the new M, said Dame Judi Dench's M "still haunts this movie in a way you'll find out".
    He added: "There's an interesting follow-on from things in other films - I wouldn't say it's a sequel but there's a connective tissue."
    Andrew Scott, who will play an MI6-based character called Denbigh, said: "This script is very moving but it's still got all those elements of adventure and action and great wit."
    Asked how the secrecy on Bond compared to that on BBC drama Sherlock, in which he plays Moriarty, he responded: "My whole life is a secret."
    New and returning cast members struggle to answer questions about the top secret script
    Ajay Chowdhury, of the James Bond International Fan Club, said the details of the new film were like a "Christmas present" for Bond fans.
    "This announcement is like opening the first window of a Bond advent calendar. Further windows will be: who will sing the song, the first trailers, the premiere.
    "The only thing better than this news would be Santa driving an Aston Martin sleigh."
    Expect much speculation over the coming months about who will sing the theme song after Adele's Oscar-winning Skyfall. Some cast members at Pinewood on Thursday hinted they already knew who it was.
    Bookmaker William Hill puts Sam Smith as favourite at 4/1, with Ed Sheeran second at 6/1, while Lana del Rey, Rita Ora and One Direction are at 8/1.
    With so much rumour still floating around the long-running franchise, Mendes revealed how he plans to cope in the months ahead.
    "This marks the beginning of the year where I don't read the internet," he quipped, before disappearing behind the scenes on the 007 stage to prepare for his opening shots.
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    Spectre - what do we know?
    Rory Kinnear, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Mendes, Daniel Craig, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, Lea Seydoux and Christoph WaltzThe full cast of Spectre pose for the world's photographers
    • Principal photography is due to begin on Monday at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and continue for seven months.
    • Daniel Craig will play 007 for the fourth time
    • Other cast members include Sherlock's Andrew Scott, as a character called Denbigh, and Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista, playing a henchman called Mr Hinx.
    • Italian actress Monica Bellucci and France's Lea Seydoux have been unveiled as the new 'Bond girls', named Lucia Sciarra and Madeleine Swann respectively.
    • Christoph Waltz plays a character called Oberhauser
    • Bond will drive an Aston Martin DB10
    • Returning cast members are Ralph Fiennes (M), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Rory Kinnear (Tanner)
    • Locations include London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco, as well as snow sequences in Austria.
    • Skyfall's John Logan has written the script for Spectre alongside Bond writing team Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
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    Elgin Marbles: British Museum loan 'an affront to the Greek people'

    BBC News takes a look at the history behind the Elgin Marbles


    The Greek prime minister has said the British Museum's decision to loan one of the Elgin Marbles to Russia is "an affront" to the Greek people.
    Antonis Samaras added: "We Greeks are one with our history and civilisation, which cannot be broken up, loaned out, or conceded."
    He said Britain's view that the marbles could not be moved was now invalid.
    A depiction of the river god Ilissos will go on show in St Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum.
    It is due to remain on display in the Russian city until mid-January.
    The work is one of a number of relics acquired by Lord Elgin in Athens in the early 19th Century, now known collectively as the Elgin Marbles.
    Ownership of the artefacts, once part of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, is disputed by Greece.
    It maintains that Lord Elgin removed them illegally while the country was under Turkish occupation as part of the Ottoman Empire. The items have remained in the British Museum ever since.
    Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, said it was a "very big moment".
    He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is the first time ever that the people of Russia have been able to see this great moment of European art and European thought."

    The Elgin Marbles

    2,500
    years old
    1816
    year acquired by the British Museum
    • British Museum collection includes:
    • 247ft of the original 524ft frieze
    • 15 of 92 metopes (marble panels)
    • 17 figures
    Source: British Museum
    Reuters
    Mr MacGregor added that he hoped the Greek government would be "delighted".
    "I hope that they'll be very pleased that a huge new public can engage with the great achievements of ancient Greece. People who will never be able to come to Athens or to London will now here in Russia understand something of the great achievements of Greek civilisation."
    Asked whether the marbles would be loaned to Greece if it promised to give them back, he said the museum was willing to lend anything in the collection provided it was fit for travel and if it was going a place where it would be safe and from where it would be returned.
    The Greek government, he added, had to date not asked to borrow them.
    Mr Samaris also said in his statement: "The British argument held until recently - that the Parthenon Marbles cannot be moved - is no longer valid, just as the existence of the new Acropolis Museum invalidated the other British argument that there was no appropriate space for exhibiting the sculptures.
    "The Parthenon and its Marbles have been looted. The sculptures are priceless."
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    The Ilissos statueThe Ilissos statue will remain in Russia until January
    Analysis - Trevor Timpson, BBC News
    The statue of Ilissos, with its beautifully carved drapery suggesting river water, is one of the sculptures which adorned the triangular ends (the pediments) of the Parthenon.
    The British Museum was willing to send it to the Hermitage for its 250th anniversary, but sent nothing to the new Acropolis museum in Athens, where places are reserved for Ilissos and all the other missing sculptures.
    British Museum director Neil MacGregor must have been on tenterhooks when it disappeared from show, in case anyone asked what "display" it was being prepared for.
    Sending it in secret to Russia was a nifty piece of footwork. Equally nifty would be if the Greeks could persuade Mr Putin to "return" it - but to Athens, not London.
    Mr MacGregor says he is willing to start a dialogue with the Greeks about loans of this kind - and the idea of a permanent loan (of the whole Elgin collection) has been suggested in the past.
    But for many Greeks, the idea of borrowing back what they regard as their own property would be painful.
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    BBC Monitoring says the loan of the Elgin Marbles did not get front page coverage in major Greek newspapers on Friday morning, but it was reported widely.
    Most simply related the story, relying on British media reports for detail, and recalled Greece's long campaign to have the sculptures returned.
    Kathimerini and Ta Nea both saw the loan as act of defiance, given Greek wishes.
    "The British Museum not only refuses to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, but, in a move interpreted as a 'show of strength', has decided to lend one of them to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg," said Ta Nea. Ethnos called it an "unprecedented move".

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    He noted that the British Museum had opened its doors in 1759 and the Hermitage just five years later - making them "almost twins... the first great museums of the European Enlightenment".
    The British Museum was today "the most generous lender in the world", he said, "making a reality of the Enlightenment ideal that the greatest things in the world should be seen and studied, shared and enjoyed by as many people in as many countries as possible".
    "The trustees have always believed that such loans must continue between museums in spite of political disagreements between governments."
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    The Parthenon Marbles
    The Elgin Marbles at the British MuseumThe Elgin Marbles at the British Museum
    • Friezes and pediment figures which decorated the Parthenon temple in Athens, built 447-432 BC
    • Many were removed by agents of the British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th Century, and eventually sold to the British Museum
    • Most of the surviving sculptures are roughly equally divided between London and Athens
    • The new Acropolis Museum opened in Athens in 2009. It is designed to display all the surviving sculptures, in their original layout
    • Celebrities previously involved in the campaign for their return include the late actress and former Greek Culture Minister Melina Mercouri
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