Golden Globes to kick off race for Oscars

By Tim Masters Entertainment correspondent, BBC News

Signs promoting the Golden Globe awards can be seen on the streets of Los Angeles

The Hollywood awards season kicks off later with the Golden Globes, where British film The King's Speech leads the pack with seven nominations.

The Social Network and The Fighter follow with six nominations apiece.

Presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the Globes are first major film awards of the year.

Comedian Ricky Gervais is to host the ceremony, beginning at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at 1700 LA time (0100GMT).

Television shows are also celebrated at the gala, where the prizes are divided between dramas and comedies or musicals.

High school comedy Glee has the most nominations for a TV show, having been shortlisted in five categories.

Colin Firth, who plays a monarch battling a stammer in The King's Speech, is widely expected to win the best actor in a drama prize.

The 50-year-old is one of four actors in his category nominated for playing real people.

MOST NOMINATED FILMS

• The King's Speech - 7
• The Fighter - 6
• The Social Network - 6
• Black Swan - 4
• Inception - 4
• The Kids are All Right - 4

Jesse Eisenberg is also in contention for his role as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, as is James Franco for playing climber Aron Ralston in 127 Hours.

Wahlberg completes the quartet for his performance in The Fighter, a film about US boxer Micky Ward.

The biopic has additional acting nominations for Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, while its director David O Russell is also up for a prize.

In the best actress in a drama category, Natalie Portman has received a nod for her role in Darren Aronofsky's ballet-based Black Swan.

Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Williams are also in contention for that award.

Films up for best musical or comedy include Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids are All Right and The Tourist.

Johnny Depp has landed two nominations in the best actor in a comedy or musical category, for Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist.

Glee's competition for the best TV comedy or musical prize includes 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory amd Modern Family.

Ricky Gervais returns to host the ceremony for a second consecutive year

Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife and Mad Men vie for the best TV drama series award with zombie thriller The Walking Dead.

The Globes have traditionally been solid indicator as to which films and stars will be recognised at the Academy Awards.

Yet in the last six years, the only winner of a Globe for best drama that went on to Oscar success was 2008's Slumdog Millionaire.

Last year Avatar was feted at the Globes, only to be beaten at the Oscars by Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker.

However, all four of last year's Oscar-winning actors - Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique - were also successful at the Globes.

Gervais's first stint as host in 2010 saw the British comedian take gentle jabs at the Hollywood glitterati.

Earlier this week, though, the Office and Extras star said he didn't think he "went far enough".

"So I'm going to do it again [and] do a proper job," he continued. "And I guarantee they will not invite me back."

This year's Bafta nominations are announced on Tuesday, with Oscar nominations to follow on 25 January.

Tourists trapped in Chile due to fuel price strikes

By Gideon Long BBC News, Santiago

The protests and road blocks have brought the region to a standstill

Thousands of foreign tourists are trapped in southern Chile due to strikes and road blockades by locals protesting a rise in fuel prices.

The tourists, some of whom have been stuck for four days, had hoped to leave for neighbouring Argentina, but have reportedly been turned back.

The strike was sparked by a government plan to hike gas prices by nearly 17%.

The move has brought the region to a standstill and led to clashes with police, who responded with tear gas.

On Tuesday, two young women were killed when a truck smashed through a blockade.

'Turned back'

About 2,000 tourists are stuck in the cities of Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, in the deep south of Patagonia.

Most of the tourists, who come from more than 20 countries, had been visiting the majestic Torres del Paine national park, Chile's biggest tourist attraction and a popular destination for hikers.

The demonstrators say they have now relaxed the blockades to allow tourists to leave.

But one American tourist, speaking to the BBC from Puerto Natales, said that when the first group of foreigners had tried to leave for Argentina, they had been turned back.

The Red Cross is assisting tourists, and the Chilean military is on hand to maintain order.

Several foreign governments have advised their citizens not to travel to southern Chile, and some embassies have put pressure on the government in Santiago to resolve the issue.

Ex-undercover Pc Mark Kennedy 'living in fear'

Mark Kennedy says he left the police force last year

Ex-undercover officer Pc Mark Kennedy has said his "world has been destroyed" after his covert work was exposed.

The case against six green activists accused of conspiring to shut down a power station collapsed after he said he would testify for the defence.

Mr Kennedy told the Mail on Sunday his secret work had "jeopardised" his life.

And he claimed he was now being made a scapegoat for the failure of the trial when, in fact, "a lot of mistakes" were made in the operation's handling.

The former Pc led a double life, serving as a Metropolitan Police officer while posing as an activist known as Mark "Flash" Stone, involved in the green movement since 2000.

On Monday, the trial of six men allegedly involved in a protest at Nottingham's Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in 2009 was stopped after their defence team asked prosecutors to disclose full details of the officer's activities.

This reportedly prompted the Crown Prosecution Service to drop their case, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is now examining whether Nottinghamshire Police properly disclosed all relevant material in advance of the trial date.

Mr Kennedy told the Mail on Sunday he believed tape recordings secretly made by him were withheld for fear they would destroy the prosecution's case.

Sexual relationships

The former Pc was involved in a number of protests during his time undercover, including at the Drax power station in North Yorkshire - where he claims he was hit by some of his fellow officers.

He also picketed arms fairs in London and the construction of the Karahnjukar Dam in Iceland.

He said he was particularly useful because he owned a van and could drive people to demonstrations, and was also a skilled climber who could scale buildings.

“Start Quote

I am in genuine fear for my life”

End Quote Mark Kennedy Former undercover officer

Mr Kennedy admitted having two sexual relationships with female activists and said it was "a wrong thing to do".

"The circumstances I was involved in led to that to happen and I can assure you that I am not the only person who has been involved in sexual relationships as an undercover officer."

But he denied "going native" despite getting very close to his targets.

"As the years went on, I did get a sort of Stockholm Syndrome [where kidnap victims come to love their captors], but I never lost sight of my work. I texted and informed on a daily basis."

Mr Kennedy was unmasked in September by some of the activists and subsequently told them he had been a police officer, but had left in 2009.

He said he had recently fled abroad and had sought help from a psychiatrist after having suicidal thoughts.

"My world has been destroyed. I don't have any friends - they were all in the activist movement.

"I can't sleep. I have lost weight and am constantly on edge.

"I barricade the door with chairs at night. I am in genuine fear for my life. I have been told that my former bosses from the force are out here in America looking for me. I have been told by activists to watch my back as people are out to get me."

"Grey and murky"

Mr Kennedy criticised police procedures for dealing with him.

"There have been a lot of mistakes made, a lot of operational decisions have been wrong... and I think I am being made a scapegoat."

“Start Quote

Nobody can put your arm up your back and force you into going undercover”

End Quote Peter Bleksley Founder member of Scotland Yard's undercover unit

He described the "world of undercover policing" as "grey and murky" and said there was "some bad stuff going on" within in.

"The extraction policies for taking an undercover officer out of the activist scene after their deployment has finished is appalling. I had no confidence at all that my safety was ever going to be regarded."

He added: "I want to tell my story and tell how there is a huge mismanagement of staff for the sake of gathering intelligence.

"It has jeopardised my life and it could jeopardise the lives of other officers."

But Peter Bleksley, who was a founder member of Scotland Yard's undercover unit, said all those taking part in such work had chosen to do so.

"Nobody can put your arm up your back and force you into going undercover," he told the BBC.

"So consequently, as a volunteer, that means you've got the ultimate power of veto. If you're not happy with how an operation's being run, if you're not happy with what you're being asked to do, it's very simple, you just say, 'Nope, I'm not doing it.'"

China toll dodger Shi Jianfeng 'took blame for brother'

Many in China complain that road tolls are too high for ordinary people

The younger brother of a Chinese man sentenced to life in prison for dodging road tolls has turned himself into police, state media reports.

Shi Junfeng said he - and not his elder brother - had put military number plates on the vehicles to evade tolls of 3.7m yuan (£350,000;$560,000).

The case caused an outcry in China, with many questioning the harsh sentence given to Shi Jianfeng.

The court in Henan province had already ordered a retrial.

Shi Jianfeng had been found guilty last week of evading the fees over a nine-month period while delivering sand and gravel in two trucks. The court ruled he had used military number plates, meaning the vehicles could avoid paying road tolls.

He was sentenced to life in prison, a fine of 2m yuan and the loss of his political rights. He also had his illegal earnings confiscated.

'Manipulated'

But last Friday, the court in Pingdingshan ordered a retrial of the case, ruling that other people may have been involved.

Court official Liu Penghua said the convicted man had claimed he was "manipulated by a relative," the Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday night, Shi Junfeng turned himself in to police in Yuzhou City, saying his brother, a farmer, had taken the blame for him.

It appears he had not thought his older brother would be sentenced so severely, telling police he had offered bribes to officials and had been assured he would be released quickly.

Senior police officer Wang Xucan told Xinhua that Shi Junfeng was now being questioned and would soon be transferred to Pingdingshan.

The case had generated a furious reaction online in China.

Many argued that far more lenient sentences are usually given for more serious crimes. There were also complaints that road tolls, required on most major highways, are too high for ordinary people to be able to afford.

Smoking 'causes damage in minutes', US experts claim

There may be genetic damage just moments after smoking

Smoking damages the body in minutes rather than years, according to research in the US.

The report, published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, shows that chemicals which cause cancer form rapidly after smoking.

Scientists involved in the small-scale study described the results as a stark warning to people considering smoking.

Anti-smoking charity Ash described the research as "chilling" and as a warning that it is never too early to quit.

The long term impact of smoking, from heart disease to a range of cancers, are well known. This study suggests the damage begins just moments after the first cigarette is smoked.

Faster than you might think

The researchers looked at the level of chemicals linked with cancer, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), in 12 patients after smoking.

A PAH was added to the subject's cigarettes, which was then modified by the body and turned into another chemical which damages DNA and has been linked with cancer.

The research shows this process only took between 15 and 30 minutes to take place.

Professor Stephen Hecht, from the University of Minnesota, said: "This study is unique, it is the first to investigate human metabolism of a PAH specifically delivered by inhalation in cigarette smoke, without interference by other sources of exposure such as air pollution or the diet.

The results reported here should serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke cigarettes."

Martin Dockrell, director of policy and research at Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), said: "Almost everybody knows that smoking can cause lung cancer.

"The chilling thing about this research is that it shows just how early the very first stages of that process begin - not in 30 years but within 30 minutes of a single cigarette for every subject in the study.

"The process starts early but it is never too late to quit and the sooner you quit the sooner you start to reduce the harm."

The research was funded by the US National Cancer Institute.

France's National Front picks Marine Le Pen as new head

Ms Le Pen looks set to be a genuine contender in the 2012 presidential elections

France's far-right National Front has named Marine Le Pen as its new leader at a party conference.

She is succeeding her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the FN in 1972.

On Saturday party sources reported that she had secured two-thirds of votes against rival Bruno Gollnisch in a recent referendum of members.

The anti-immigrant FN has been shunned by France's main parties, but Ms Le Pen has said she wants to break with the party's xenophobic image.

In a combative farewell speech on Saturday Mr Le Pen, 82, insisted that "unceasing immigration" posed a threat to France.

"All my comments were distorted from their true meaning... because I refused to submit to the dictatorship of the thought police," he told cheering supporters at the conference in the central city of Tours.

He added that it was up to FN members to ensure the party's future success under a new leader.

"I entrust you with the destiny of our movement... its unity, its pugnacity," he said.

French TV footage showed Marine Le Pen, 42, crying as she applauded her father.

Although Mr Le Pen's five presidential bids have failed, the FN has steadily grown under his leadership. In recent elections the party has been able to garner about 15% of the vote.

In 2002 he came a shock second in the first round of presidential elections, but lost the second round to incumbent Jacques Chirac.

A recent poll suggested the party could come third in presidential elections to be held in 2012.

Man sentenced to death in Egypt over Copt killings

Pope Shenouda III says Egypt should do more to protect its Coptic Christians

Egypt has sentenced a man to death for killing six Coptic Christians and a Muslim policeman in January 2010.

Mohamed Ahmed Hussein was found guilty of shooting the group outside a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas in Naga Hamady, southern Egypt.

The attack was thought to be revenge for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old Muslim girl by a Christian man.

The court ruling comes two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 23 people at a Coptic church in Alexandria.

Hussein was found guilty of "premeditated murder" of the seven dead and with "intimidating citizens", AFP news agency reports.

Two other men are also on trial for the shooting. The court said the verdict against them would be announced next month.

Coptic Christians make up 10% of Egypt's 80 million population.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the case has caused continued bitterness in the community, partly because of the delay in bringing the men to justice but also because of Hussein's alleged links to a senior MP in the ruling party.

Little progress

Egypt's Copts have often complained of harassment and discrimination, and argue that attacks on them go unpunished or result in light sentences.

• Growing fears of Egypt's Copts

Coptic churches in Egypt have been on high alert since the 6 January bombing.

Twenty-three people were killed and 70 injured as worshippers were leaving midnight Mass at al-Qiddissin church to bring in the New Year.

The attack was condemned in Egypt and abroad - President Hosni Mubarak said it bore the hallmark of "foreign hands" seeking to destabilise Egypt.

No group has said it carried out the attack and there has been little progress in the investigation, says our correspondent.

The government denies descriminating against Copts but the head of the Church, Pope Shenouda III, has urged officials to do more to address their concerns.