In Devon, England , Warhorse

In Devon, England,

 Albert Narracott admires a young thoroughbred foal. Much to his mother Rose's dismay, Albert's father, Ted, buys the colt at auction, though he was intending to buy a plough horse for his farm. The purchase is also to spite his landlord, Lyons, who tried to outbid him for the colt. Albert names the horse Joey and devotes much time to training him. Albert's best friend, Andrew Easton, watches as Albert teaches his colt many things, such as to come when he whistles.
Ted, who has a bad leg and is an alcoholic, has fallen behind on the rent. He promises to pay Lyons after the family sells its turnip crop. Rose shows Albert his father's medals from the Second Boer War in South Africa, where Ted served with the Imperial Yeomanry. Ted was severely wounded in action, and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery under fire. She gives Albert his father's regimental pennant, telling Albert that his father was not proud about what he did during the war, and that he had thrown the flag and medals away, though Rose saved and kept them hidden. Albert trains Joey for the plough and, to his neighbours' astonishment, prepares a stony hillside field to plant with turnips. But a rainstorm destroys the turnip field and, to pay the overdue rent (and without telling Albert), Ted sells Joey to Captain Nicholls as World War I breaks out. When Albert finds out, Nicholls promises him he will take care of Joey and hopefully return him after the war. Albert tries to enlist in the army, but is too young. Before the captain leaves with Joey, Albert ties his father's pennant to Joey's bridle.
Joey is trained for military operations and deployed to France with Captain Nicholls. In France, Captain Nicholls is killed in a cavalry charge, and the Germans capture the horses. Joey becomes attached to Topthorn, a larger black horse he had military training with. The two horses are used to pull an ambulance wagon driven by two German soldiers, Gunther, and his 14-year-old brother, Michael. Gunther gives the pennant to Michael when he is assigned to the German front, but then steals the horses so he and his brother can ride them back to Germany. One night, German soldiers discover the absent without leave brothers hiding in a windmill and execute them by firing squad for desertion.
A young French girl named Emilie finds the two horses inside the windmill. Emilie, who suffers from an unspecified illness, lives with her grandfather, who owns the property. Later, German soldiers arrive and confiscate all food and supplies from the property. Emilie's grandfather allows her to ride Joey on her birthday, but when the German soldiers return, they take the horses, though the grandfather keeps the pennant.
The story shifts to Albert, who has now enlisted and is fighting alongside Andrew in the Second Battle of the Somme in 1918, under the command of Lyons's son, David. After a British charge into no-man's land, Albert, Andrew, and other British soldiers miraculously make it across into a deserted German trench, where gas bombs explode, filling the trench with white fumes.
Joey and Topthorn are now being used to pull German heavy artillery, causing Topthorn to die from exhaustion. Joey escapes and runs into no-man's land where he gets entangled in barbed wire. Both British and German soldiers spot Joey and try to coax him to their respective sides. A British Geordie soldier named Colin, waving a white flag, arrives at Joey's side. A German soldier named Peter from Düsseldorf also comes over with wire cutters, and together they free Joey from the barbed wire. They flip a coin to decide where Joey goes; Colin wins and takes Joey back to the British camp.
Andrew died in the gas attack, but Albert survived, though he is temporarily blinded, with bandages covering his eyes. He is recuperating at a British medical camp when the Geordie soldier brings Joey into the medical camp looking for a veterinary surgeon. Meanwhile, Albert is told about the miracle horse back from no-man's land. The army doctor instructs Sgt. Fry to put Joey down due to his injuries, but when Fry is about to shoot, a soft whistle catches Joey's attention. Albert is led through the crowd to Joey, again whistling, while Joey comes over to Albert.
Albert says that he raised Joey, and gives the exact description of his horse markings, confirming his claim. The war ends and Albert's eyesight is restored, but only officers' horses will be shipped home. Joey and the others are to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The soldiers gather funds to buy Joey for Albert, but during a bidding war with a French butcher reaching 30 pounds, an older gentleman suddenly arrives and bids 100 pounds, winning Joey. The man is Emilie's grandfather. It is implied that Emilie has died, and after hearing about the miracle horse, her grandfather walked three days to get Joey back for the sake of Emilie's memory.
Albert pleads with Emilie's grandfather for the horse to no avail, but before leaving, the grandfather pulls out the pennant and asks if it means anything to Albert. On being told it belonged to Albert's father, the grandfather has a change of heart, and gives Albert the flag and Joey, saying it is what Emilie would have wanted. In the end, Albert rides Joey back to his family's farm and returns the pennant to his father

this may start a new debate on the "call someone a racist tactic" needs it , breeding seperatism .

BRITAIN'S first black female MP

engulfed in a racism storm today after she claimed white people love playing "divide and rule".

Outspoken Labour frontbencher Diane Abbott's remark sparked calls for her to resign after she posted the comment on Twitter yesterday.

In a humiliating move, she was then shunned by her own party which made her out to be a HYPOCRITE given her work promoting anti-racism in the past.

And as she was quizzed over the tweet on Sky News she was embarrassingly interrupted by a phone call reportedly from Labour leader Ed Miliband who is said to have given her a dressing down and demanded she apologise.

The Labour Party said she was "wrong" to make such "sweeping generalisations".

A spokesman said: "We disagree with Diane's tweet. It is wrong to make sweeping generalisations about any race, creed, or culture.

"The Labour Party has always campaigned against such behaviour - and so has Diane Abbott."

Twitter followers also rounded on her.

N_Westie79 told her: "Surprised at racism shown by you. Always thought you had earthly quality, now I think you're a disgrace."

She desperately tried to defuse the row today by claiming her words had been taken out of context

Unwanted Christmas trees

Christmas trees help Teignbridge Scouts and zoo animals

Unwanted Christmas trees could benefit both scouts and zoo animals in Devon.

Teignbridge Scouts, who are trying to raise funds for new headquarters in Kingkerswell, plan to collect trees and take them to Paignton Zoo in January.

The zoo said many of its animals will enjoy playing with the Christmas trees, provided they have not been sprayed with toxic fake snow or glitter.

The scouts, who are asking for a minimum donation of £5, will carry out tree collections on 7 and 8 January.

'Novelty value'

In order to help the scout troop's venture, a number of local Christmas tree retailers handed out flyers with the trees.

Scout spokesman Steve Michaels said it was a service with multiple benefits.

"It's great to be able to deliver the trees to the zoo rather than send them off to landfill," he said

"This is helping young people, helping the environment and helping the animals at the zoo."

Paignton Zoo spokesman Phil Knowling said meerkats, primates and tapirs were among the animals that would benefit.

"The new textures and scents are stimulating - and you can't underestimate the sheer novelty value of a small conifer tree suddenly appearing in an enclosure," he said

Paignton Zoo elephant Duchess recovering after eye surgery

An elephant in a south Devon zoo is recovering well after receiving surgery to remove an eye.Continue reading the main story

Paignton Zoo's four tonne African elephant Duchess became the first in the UK to undergo the operation.Duchess had been plagued by pain after glaucoma and cataracts had left her virtually blind.Animal experts decided the operation would be the best treatment after using eye-drops and pain relief for some time.Ghislaine Sayers, head of veterinary services for Paignton Zoo, said pressure in Duchess's right eye had increased to the point where it could "no longer be controlled by drugs".

Tense procedure'

Ms Sayers said: "The drops worked short term but became less effective and long-term pain relief can have side effects.Paignton Zoo spokesman Phil Knowling said the operation - which took place earlier this month - went smoothly but "everyone wanted to see her come round from the anaesthetic"."The only solution to keep her pain free was to remove the eye," she added.Zoo keeper Jim Dicks, who has been with Duchess for 20 years, called her name and shouted encouragement as she came around.

Mr Dicks said it was "always tense during major procedures" and there was a "spontaneous cheer and a round of applause when she got to her feet".

Ms Sayers said a "fairly large team of people" had been drafted in for the operation so Duchess could go on to live a happy and healthy life.

"The procedure certainly seems to have gone well," she said.

"She was up on her feet within minutes of coming round and is eating and looking well.

"She will be a little groggy for a while but we're confident the procedure was a success."

An EU ban on battery cages comes in to effect on 1 January 2012

Devon charity rehouses last battery hen

A chicken - being described as "Britain's last battery hen" - is to be given a new home in Devon later.Continue reading the main story

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The hen, named Liberty, is being re-housed in time for the EU-wide ban on small, cramped cages.

From 1 January, cages will have to provide enough space for birds to spread their wings, perch and be able to move around.

But the British Hen Welfare Trust said not all EU countries would adhere to the ban.

The ban was brought about after animal welfare campaigners fought for four decades to outlaw battery cages.

Jane Howarth, from the British Hen Welfare Trust, said over December volunteers had re-housed 6,000 battery hens, with just one more to be rehomed.

She said: "She will be sitting in her cage very unaware that we're going to arrive and bring her out. We are looking forward to getting her. She will be living with me."

While she is confident the UK will adhere to the ban, Mrs Howarth and her members have concerns about other countries.

She said: "The British egg industry has really stepped up to the mark and they are ready. But at the moment we're looking at a situation where there could be 80 million hens still in illegal cages in Europe."

The British Hen Welfare Trust said the new cages can hold up to 90 birds, which will have space to spread their wings, perch and be able to go from one end of the cage to the other. The cage will now have to provide 750 square centimetres of space for each bird

The cage must also contain litter, perches and claw-shortening devices.

'Profit from flouting law'

Old-style cages only had 550 square centimetres of space for each bird - which is less than a sheet of A4 paper.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said: "It is unacceptable that after the ban on battery cages comes into effect, millions of hens across Europe will still remain in poor conditions.

"We have all had plenty of time to make these changes, but 13 EU nations have not done so. The UK egg industry alone has spent £400million ensuring hens live in better conditions.

"It would be unthinkable if countries continuing to house hens in poor conditions were to profit from flouting the law."

About 80 firefighters worked through the night to tackle a blaze which destroyed a derelict four-storey hotel in Torquay

A derelict hotel in the Devon resort of Torquay has been destroyed by fire.

About 80 firefighters tackled the blaze at the derelict Conway Court Hotel in Warren Road which started about 21:15 GMT on Monday. No-one was hurt.

Nearby buildings were evacuated and Torquay seafront closed after part of the four-storey hotel collapsed.

Meanwhile, crews from north Devon have been dealing with a big fire at the empty four-storey Southcliffe Hotel in Ilfracombe.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised just before 06:30 GMT.

The fire caused severe damage to the derelict four-storey hotel in Ilfracombe

Appliances were sent from Ilfracombe, Barnstaple, Combe Martin, Lynton and Woolacombe, including an aerial ladder platform from Barnstaple.

No-one was injured, but the fire caused severe damage to the building which has been empty for a number of years.

There are concerns that the structural integrity of the hotel may have been compromised.

Investigations into the cause of both hotel fires will be carried out.

wind turbines in the South West.

Two hundred more wind turbines for South West?

To put that in context there are currently just over 100 - so that would mean a threefold increase.Senior figures in the renewable energy industry are calling for nearly 200 more onshore wind turbines in the South West.

Here's Robert Norris from Renewable UK (the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries) setting out his stall:

The cue for this was the government's recently published Carbon Plan, which aims to generate 30% of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

This envisages a combination of onshore and offshore wind helping in the push to meet the target.

At the moment three quarters of Britain's wind power is generated onshore.

According to Mr Norris, though, offshore will be the dominant partner within the next 10 years.

But he insists this still leaves a large gap to be filled by onshore turbines - "the cheapest form of renewable technology which can be deployed on a mass scale in the time frame that we need".

'Giant' turbines

And Mr Norris isn't a lone voice.

Johnny Gowdy, director at Regen South West, agreed that 200 more onshore turbines was "about right" when he joined me on the Politics Show this week.

Cornwall Council is also talking about adding more onshore turbines to the county's sizable existing stock - though "not thousands", according to Cllr Julian German, Cabinet Member for Climate Change.

Everybody agrees that new wind farms are likely to be much smaller clusters of just two or three turbines.

The turbines themselves, though, will be much bigger - like the giants inaugurated by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne at Delabole this spring.

Needless to say, the prospect of the region's wind turbine population tripling - and the turbines themselves doubling in height - is a nightmarish vision to some.

Folly or solution?

Steve Bazeley, chairman of Residents against Turbines, which campaigned unsuccessfully against the installation of a new generation at Carland Cross near Truro, dismisses wind turbines as "inefficient, unreliable and expensive".

eyesores

"Wind turbine generation", he says, "is going to prove to be, in the long term, the biggest folly that this generation has ever had to stump up for".

And before you even get on to arguments about efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness, many people voice the more fundamental objection that turbines are unacceptable eyesores.

It's now clear, though, that onshore turbines won't be standing aside or slipping quietly into retirement to make way for their offshore cousins any time soon.

But getting 200 giant windmills through the planning system will be interesting and eventful to say the least.

Cornish shipwreck

Mount Edgcumbe to display Cornish shipwreck cargo

The exhibition will include interactive displays and an introductory film about the ship

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Artefacts from a ship that sank off the Cornish coast in the 18th century will be on show at a country park when £41,000 has been secured.

The Metta Catharina sank in 1786 off south east Cornwall. Its cargo, including calf hides and glassware will be on display at Mount Edgcumbe House.

For 32 years divers have retrieved the artefacts which will be on show alongside an exhibition in 2013.

A lottery grant has provided the money to help fund the project.

Items found on the Metta Catharina von Flensburg included Russian calf hides, wine carriers, clay tobacco pipes and shoe buckles, a spokesperson from Plymouth City Council said.

'Fitting location'

Ian Skelton, chairman of the Metta Catharina Trust, said: "It is wonderful news that after 32 years of diving and research, the story of it can be told.

"Mount Edgcumbe is a fitting location for the artefacts to be displayed."

The total cost of the project will be £60,500 with additional funding coming from the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe, the Metta Catharina Trust and Mount Edgcumbe, the council spokesperson added.

Divers found the Metta Catharina in 1973

The Metta Catharina lay almost completely buried in deep silt off Mount Edgcumbe and was discovered by divers in 1973.

Some of the leather recovered from the wreck was "extremely well preserved", the council spokesperson added.

The exhibition will include interactive displays and an introductory film about the ship.

Mount Edgcumbe House & Country Park is jointly owned and managed by Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council.

cash bid for Military Wives Choir single

VAT cash bid for Military Wives Choir single by Devon MP

Continue reading the main story

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Tax raised from the sales of a hit single should be donated to armed forces' charities, a Devon MP has said.

Wherever You Are was written for Gareth Malone's Military Wives Choir whose husbands served in Afghanistan.

The song is tipped to knock X Factor's Little Mix off the top of the charts and become the Christmas number one.

Oliver Colvile, Conservative MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, is to ask the Treasury to donate the VAT to the choir's chosen charities.

The song was performed by the women from Chivenor and Plymouth at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in November.

Live aid 'precedent'

Proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA).

Mr Colville said allowing the charities to benefit from the VAT would not only help them continue to deliver good mental health services for military personnel, but would also be a fitting way to thank their families.

"I think its very, very important that we thank the families and wives who have put up with an enormous amount during the course of the past nine or 10 years," he told BBC News.

The Military Wives Choir, featured in the BBC Two television programme The Choir, is made up of about 100 wives and girlfriends from RMB Chivenor in north Devon and Plymouth.

Their husbands and partners spent six months earlier this year in Afghanistan as part of 3 Commando Brigade and the song is based on letters sent and received during the deployment.

Prime Minister David Cameron praised the choir after it performed at 10 Downing Street during a reception for troops involved in operations in Libya.

Mr Colville said, although he was not confident the government would agree, a precedent had been set in 2004 when VAT raised by sales from a new version of Do They Know It's Christmas was given to Bob Geldof's Live Aid charity.

Mr Colvile will make his request to the Secretary of State for Defence in the House of Commons later.

"If you don't bother to ask the question, nobody's going to take any notice," he added.

The Official Singles Chart will announce the Christmas number one on Christmas Day.

Money raised for homeles sstaff

Chudleigh pub fire: Money raised for homeles sstaff 

Investigators believe the blaze, which gutted much of the Old Coaching House, in Chudleigh on Wednesday night, was accidental.

The fire also left a number of staff without a home.

Residents took to the streets with buckets to collect money for them and visited other pubs in the area too.

A quiz evening is also being planned for Friday at the nearby Globe pub to raise funds.

Local resident Chris Fleet said: "The local community has really come together. Stuff has been donated, there's about £1,000 collected now.

"For some of the staff, quite literally the clothes they were wearing for work that night, that's all they have left in the world."

The fire is believed to have started just before closing time on Wednesday.

It took more than 30 firefighters about 24 hours to extinguish the fire in the old building.

The fire came at one of the pub's busiest times of the year with hundreds of people booked in for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Managers said they hoped they would be able to transfer bookings to a function room separate to the main pub.

However, they said that depended on getting health and safety clearance.

Wikileaks: Bradley Manning military hearing bias row

Bradley Manning is accused of leaking 720,000 diplomatic and military documents

Continue reading the main story

A military officer overseeing the hearing of the US Army analyst accused of leaking government secrets has rejected a request to recuse himself.

The request was made by a defence lawyer for Private Bradley Manning, 23, as he appeared at a military court.

He faces 22 charges of obtaining and distributing government secrets - which he allegedly leaked to anti-secrecy site Wikileaks.

The Article 32 hearing will determine whether Pte Manning is to stand trial.

During the hearing, expected to last several days, prosecution and defence lawyers will each make their initial cases and are permitted to cross-examine witnesses.

The hearing offers the first opportunity for Pte Manning's defence team to present their case since he was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 and placed in military custody.

It is taking place under tight security at an army base at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Pte Manning sat in the courtroom dressed in military khaki and wearing black-rimmed glasses.

But his defence team quickly switched focus by asking for the investigating officer - equivalent to a judge in a civilian court - to withdraw from the case.

Defence lawyer David Coombs said Lt Col Paul Almanza, the investigating officer, was "biased".

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

Paul AdamsBBC News, Fort Meade

For almost everyone present, this is our first glimpse of the man accused of the biggest leak of confidential material in American history. Private Manning sat in uniform, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, hands clasped before him. In his only remarks so far, he said he understood his rights and confirmed the identities of the one civilian and two military officers representing him.

But the focus of attention was the investigating officer. Manning's civilian lawyer demanded he recuse himself, arguing that as prosecutor for the Department of Justice, Lt Col Paul Almanza works for an organisation actively pursuing a separate case against Wikileaks.

Mr Coombs said Lt Col Almanza's decision to reject defence witnesses, as well as the government's alleged reluctance to put forward witnesses to explain the damage done by the leaks suggested Almanza was biased.

"Where's the damage? Where's the harm?" Mr Coombs demanded, in an early indication of part of his defence strategy. Lt Col Almanza announced a recess to consider the defence plea. It could last some time.

Lt Col Almanza is a former military judge who now works for the Department of Justice, which has its own investigation into Wikileaks. His refusal to accept all but two of 38 defence witnesses meant the defence could not adequately make their case, Mr Coombs said.

Following two recesses and arguments by the prosecution and the defence, the investigating officer refused to recuse himself and the hearing continued.

Proceedings are expected to last around five days, according to Mr Coombs.

Afterwards, recommendations will be made to a military general, who will decide whether to proceed to a full trial.

The BBC's Paul Adams says the soldier's defence team is likely to argue that little harm came of the leaks, and that their release was in the greater public interest.

Assange link?

Pte Manning has also been charged with "aiding the enemy", a charge that could carry the death penalty. However, reports say prosecutors will only seek a prison sentence.

He is accused of the unauthorised possession and distribution of more than 720,000 secret diplomatic and military documents.

"If it is the case that Bradley Manning is indeed the source of this and other Wikileaks materials, Manning would have single-handedly changed hundreds of thousands of people's lives for the better," Wikileaks said in a statement.

Continue reading the main story

The Wikileaks disclosures

• 
  

"This material has contributed to ending dictatorships in the Middle East, it has exposed torture and wrongdoing in all the corners of the world and it has held diplomatic bodies and politicians accountable for the words, deals and pacts held behind close doors," Wikileaks said.

One of the key questions is expected to be whether Pte Manning had any kind of relationship with Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, our correspondent at Fort Meade says.

Mr Assange is also embroiled in a legal battle, facing extradition to Sweden from the UK to face sexual assault charges. As Pte Manning was preparing for his own court appearance on Friday, the UK Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from Mr Assange against his extradition ruling.

Detention conditions

Pte Manning was arrested after a computer hacker went to US authorities with details of an online exchange he had had with Pte Manning in which he allegedly confessed to the data theft.

The conditions of Pte Manning's confinement since his arrest have been denounced in the US and abroad.

PJ Crowley: "I think it is a necessary prosecution"

State department spokesman PJ Crowley resigned after publicly criticising the detention conditions of Pte Manning, and British politicians and members of the European Parliament have also spoken out on the subject.

Pte Manning was brought to the maximum security prison at Quantico in July 2010, where he was held in isolation and was reported to have had his clothing removed at night as a suicide-prevention measure.

But in April 2011 Pte Manning was moved to a lower-security prison at Fort Leavenworth, where his lawyers say conditions are better.