China overtakes US in world trade

China 1) would become become became has become becomes the world’s biggest trading nation in goods, ending the post-war dominance of the US, according to official figures.

China’s customs administration said the combined total for imports and exports in Chinese goods reached $3.87tn in 2012, 2) homing edging wedging sledging dodging past the $3.82tn trade in goods registered by the US commerce department.

The landmark total for Chinese trade indicates the 3) extention misspent relent extent extended of Beijing’s dependence on the rest of the world to generate jobs and income, compared with a US economy that remains twice the size, and more self-contained.

The US not only has a large internal market for goods, but also dominates the trade in services. US total trade 4) added up added to amounted to amounted in amounted $4.93tn in 2012, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

But like most western nations, the US deficit in the trade of goods weighs 5) largely heavily widely slowly highly and is only expected to get larger.

The deficit in goods was more than $700bn 6) compared with similar to same as comparing to similar China’s 2012 trade surplus, measured in goods, which totalled $231bn.

Jim O’Neill, head of asset management at Goldman Sachs, said the huge market for western goods would disrupt regional trading blocs as China becomes the most important commercial partner for some countries. Germany may export twice 7) more too much as much much more than to China by the end of the decade as it 8) is does be will have being to France, he told Bloomberg.

"For so many countries around the world, China is becoming rapidly the most important bilateral trade partner," he said. "At this kind of 9) step pace skip foot move , by the end of the decade many European countries 10) will be doing do be doing have done have had done more individual trade with China than with bilateral partners in Europe."

Denzel Washington: Film "Flight"

The star of "Flight", whose career has gone from "Malcolm X" to action hero, talks about why he 11) tunes shuns puns hums sums the showbiz spotlight and reveals that a prophecy in a beauty salon first led him to 12) take on take over take upon take back take up acting.

Denzel Washington rolls into London on a chill January morning and the snow-storm that follows can barely compete. He has a cup of coffee at his elbow and a frosted window at his back. He’s talking up a blizzard, he’s talking to keep warm: spouting 13) off through by from up in great, rousing, charming gusts.

Over the past quarter-century Denzel Washington has been known as "Malcolm X" and "Easy Rawlins", as a 14) faraway runaway highway tucked away throwaway slave and a corrupt LA cop. I’ve seen Mm gassing with Oprah, and collecting his Oscars, and yet could probably walk past him in the street without so much as a 15) top behind front backward down glance.

In person, he is trim, athletic and casually self-assured, a 58-year-old man who could 16) pass on pass for pass over pass around pass by 40 and a far cry from the human 17) litter debris rubbish trash wreckage he plays in "Flight". Robert Zemeckis’s film casts Washington as William "Whip" Whitaker, an alcoholic, coke-snorting airline pilot who performs a 18) daredevil demon defying devilish demonic rescue and is then hauled before a jury to account for his actions. The actor explains that he researched the role by working on flight simulators and sitting with pilots. Some pilots felt the plot was unrealistic and said that they never had this kind of problem. "Drunken pilot, no such thing."

The film "Flight" succeeds as both a big, brassy Hollywood entertainment and a knotty, perfectly played study of a man in crisis. It also possesses a bracingly ambivalent attitude to drug abuse. Whip is in the 19) power of influence of tune of grip of sum of an addiction that seems, in each instance, at least, to be as much angel as demon.

Washington frowns. He’s not sure he quite views it that way although yes, he can understand why some may feel differently. He thinks it’s probably a hazard of any job - be it aviation or acting - that involves long 20) times stretches pulls muscles tears away from home and brief periods of intense activity. But on balance it is not for him.

Church is central to tackling poverty - First World War hero’s message is still relevant today

The centenary of the First World War could show how relevant the message of Woodbine Willie, the 21) tuneless unsung musical harmonious cordless social reformer, still is.

Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, aka Woodbine Willie, argued that wealth redistribution would only come following changes in people’s values and attitudes.

In 1914, Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was an unknown parish priest. Ten years later, he was the church’s best known speaker, 22) scribbling painting writing sketching drawing larger crowds than politicians and publishing books that sold millions. How did this happen?

The answer is the First World War. In 1914, he enthusiastically supported Britain’s declaration of war on Germany and soon 23) enlisted ensured encountered encompassed enclosed as a chaplain. He distributed fags to troops and earned the affectionate 24) first name surname nickname Christian name full name Woodbine Willie. His speaking skills were used to maintain morale. Sickened by the 25) needless needy needful needle need-not slaughter, on his discharge, in 1919, he spoke all over the country, opposing war and calling for an end to unemployment and poverty.

Today "Willie" is largely forgotten, although the centenary of the start of the war may show how relevant he is to contemporary problems. Poverty campaigners and academics do 26) call up call out call short call for call to social reform. But few are as close to poor people as Willie was. His turning point was when he stopped talking to, and instead listened to, the troops. Through his magnetic preaching, he publicised their views on 27) to want wanting wanted have wanted could want to end war, their dislike of the monarchy, and their desire for the end of poverty.

He became a great social evangelist calling for reform. So did others, but he was different. He gave away his possessions. His salary was modest but he received large royalties - all of which he gave to charities. He left very little money. He was genuine and. when he died, in 1929, exhausted at the age of 45, poor people 28) flocked grouped bunched up hurled squashed to his funeral in Worcester.

His close friend William Temple used a different strategy. He had been a member of the Labour party. In 1942, he became Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke in support of Labour’s proposed welfare state and 29) encourage claimed shouted at called at urged people to back Labour. In 1945, Labour won a large majority with considerable middle-class approval. 30) Now and then By this time This time Now That time Temple was dead but his strategy remained: the church should work in co-operation with reforming parties.

Star maths pupils in England two years behind Asian pupils by age 16

England’s brightest pupils are two years behind the best in countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan by the time they take their maths GCSE, research shows.

A study reveals England’s cleverest pupils can match their 31) pairs peers piers pears plums in leading east Asian countries at the age of 10 but then fall behind.

Researchers suggested more needed to be done to ensure the most 32) impaired able impoverished improved implied pupils are able to keep pace with the highest achievers in other countries.

Ministers have raised concerns about England 33) pulling down tearing off peeling off sliding across slipping down international rankings and corning 28th in maths in the Pisa 2009 tests.

Study author Dr John Jerrim said: "At age 10 the highest 34) climbers achievers preachers uppers creepers in England are roughly similar to those in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but by age 16, they are roughly two years behind the brightest students in those countries."

English policymakers should concentrate on reforming maths in the early primary, and pre-school years, the report says, 35) as well as on top also as as also as long as ensuring the brightest youngsters are stretched in secondary school.

It says that the gap between the brightest pupils is an Important issue. "Having a pool of very highly skilled individuals is vital for technological innovation and long-run economic 36) pull lift height rise growth the report says.

The researchers say "cultural and social factors" may be behind the strong scores in east Asian countries. "In east Asian cultures, education has historically been highly valued. This 37) might have can be would could have been might have been seen not only in teachers’ high salaries, but also in the heavy investment of families in private tutoring services," they say.

The education minister Elizabeth Truss said reforms 38) in all throughout overall under way by-pass , such as measures designed to bring in tougher discipline, more rigorous exams, more freedom for head teachers, a more demanding curriculum and higher-quality teaching would 39) drive skate fly hoover sail up standards.

The shadow schools minister, Kevin Brennan, called for more support in basic skills at primary level at a time when the government had cut support for catch-up tuition in English and maths. "We also need to strengthen English and maths teaching at secondary level," he said, "allowing all students to 40) carry stroll bear lift hold on doing these subjects until 18".

Why we should all worry about being tracked online

Separating paranoia from healthy caution in the 21st century is only getting harder, as it gets easier and easier for governments and corporations to track our online behaviour. The latest development, revealed by a popular newspaper, is that defence giant Raytheon has created software capable of tracking people, based on information posted to social networks.

Its capabilities are impressively 41) scalding wounding fretful scared creepy , by extracting location information from Facebook, check-ins, and even latitude and longitude details from photographs in which targets are tagged, it builds a picture of where someone’s been, who they’ve been there with, and where they might go next.

This software, named Riot, is the latest in a long line of products offered to track people online, 42) whatsoever whoever whatever whether which ever through spyware on their machines or by generating fake online personas who befriend dissidents. In the past, tracking individuals was difficult and costly, and 43) so as so much such is such so kept well targeted. Today, it’s just too easy.

The "big data" theory works like this: by 44) greeting grabbing griping grassing grieving hundreds or thousands of data points on millions of people, we build a systematic picture of how everyday people act. By analysing these by machine for "outliers", or suspicious activity, we can catch the bad guys - and it’s OK, because only at that stage is another human being looking through your personal info.

This is, 45) by and large widely broadly deeply deep and wide , fantasy. For one thing, any algorithm will generate hundreds if not thousands of false positives (innocent people who hit a red flag). 46) Given To give Having given Gave Had given how rare, say, terrorism is, the vast majority’- of people bothered by these systems will be ordinary people-facing previously unbelievable intrusion.

It’s easy to believe those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear - and most of us are essentially decent people, with frankly boring social network profiles. But, of course, for a 47) proven paltry pretty peevish petty official with a grudge, almost anything is enough: a 48) skive skid skip skim skirmish from work, using the wrong bins, anything. Everyone’s got something someone could use against them, even if only for a series of annoyances.

It’s also tempting to believe that with good privacy settings and tech 49) tunes skill savvy tubes nets , we can protect ourselves. Other people might be caught, but we’re far too self-aware for that. But stop and think. Do you trust every friend you have to lock their privacy settings down? Your mum? Your grandad? Do they know 50) to strip stripping strip to have stripped stripped location data from photos? Not to tag you in public posts? Our privacy relies on the weakest point of each of our networks - and that won’t hold.

Athens metro staff forced back to work

With the help of an emergency law, usually used at times of war, the Greek Government last night finally cracked a strike by subway workers that had brought Athens to a 51) treadmill standstill stop-over full stop handover After a showdown, employees gradually returned to work in the 52) watch dawn dusk twilight wake coalition’s high-risk decision to forcibly mobilise them under threat of arrest.

With the strike seen as a test of the government’s resolve to 53) take up take over take in take on take off austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF, the move by the prime minister, Antonis Samaras, brought a 54) storm cloud thunder gale wind of protest, with politicians and unions condemning it as resonant of authoritarian rule.

The Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, said he had resorted to the emergency step because 55) transporters commuters computers train spotters transistors could no longer be held hostage to unions who had created unprecedented traffic chaos in the capital.

"The Greek people have made enormous sacrifices and 1 will not allow exceptions," said the conservative leader, referring to hostility over austerity measures that the EU and IMF have demanded to 56) track down prop up stand up back down sit up the moribund Greek economy.

Riot police stormed the metro’s main depot in a pre-dawn raid yesterday morning to remove protesting employees who had 57) dedicated swear vowed breadched forecast to intensify the strike.

State-run television showed police handing strikers civil mobilisation papers. The workers, who had defied court decisions labelling the action "illegal and abusive", face immediate arrest and 58) jobless loss of jobs losses of jobs losing job lost job if they refuse to return to work in the next 24 hours.

Under immense pressure to enforce unpopular cuts from international creditors - the source of funds keeping debt-crippled Greece 59) surfing afloat sailing rowing airborne - the governing coalition has almost no room for manoeuvre in rolling back on reforms that will see metro workers’ pay fall by about 20 per cent.

But the decision to invoke emergency laws mobilising workers in a country where industrial action is regarded as a hallowed right antagonised other transport unions representing employees operating trams, trolleys, trains and buses, prompting them to take the rare step of walking off the job in solidarity.

With both sides 60) playing the tune facing the music footing the bill digging their heels eyeing up in, transport unions declared mass rallies. Passions also rose inside parliament, where parties opposed to the terms of the bailouts added to the rising temperature.

Amnesty: Mexico ’failing to tackle disappearances’

A latest report from Amnesty International" has said the Mexican Government is not doing enough to investigate the disappearances of thousands of people.

"Disappearances in Mexico have become 61) all over the place everywhere common ground commonplace background because federal and state authorities have tolerated and refused to 62) clamp down put down stamp down step down hold down on them," Amnesty says in the report.

Official figures say 26,000 people have gone 63) amiss missed missing to be missed to have missed since December 2006. The date coincides with the deployment of the army to fight drug cartels.

Critics of the war-on-drugs policy of former President Felipe Calderon say police 64) brought past brought up brought down brought about brought by an escalation in violence.

"These figures demonstrate one of the key human rights challenges facing the government of Enrique Pena Nieto," said Rupert Knox, Amnesty International researcher on Mexico.

"Ending the crisis of disappearances, locating the victims and holding those responsible 65) to accounting in accounting accounted accounting to account regardless of whether they are criminals or public officials, is our ultimate goal."

The human rights group has 66) phoned asked called shouted yelled on the Mexican authorities to commit the resources to address what it describes as "a national crisis".

The report also makes reference to the struggle of relatives who have to 67) put over put off hold up carry out iron out their own investigations, and often become the victims of intimidation.

Amnesty tells the story of Israel Arenas Duran’s mother. Her son disappeared at the hands police in northern Nuevo Leon state 68) in on at by to June 2011, Amnesty says. When she went to the investigator in charge of the case, she was sent home in a patrol car after being removed from his office for "demanding an investigation".

69) Upon Whenever Alas Whatever However , the report welcomes measures taken by President Pena Nieto, who took office in December 2012, including the publication of data on disappearances.

"It is essential that the government 70) are going to confront confronts confronted has confronted will confront this nightmare by involving victims and human rights groups in the development and implementation of policy," the report says.

Fake commercial airline pilot Michael Fay jailed

A man who forged pilot’s qualifications to fly commercial airlines has been jailed after going 71) on the rebound on the run off the rail off the tracks off the record and failing to attend his sentencing.

Michael Fay was sentenced to three years and one month at Winchester Crown Court earlier having 72) abstained absconded ascertained asserted assured before his original hearing in May.

The 61-year-old US national was convicted of faking papers to get a job with Libyan firm Afriqiyah Airways. He flew passengers into Gatwick on eight 73) opportunities chances times slots occasions .

Fay, who had already been given a three-year prison term in his absence for fraud, was arrested on Monday evening on suspicion 74) to fail of failing failing failed to have failed to appear for sentencing.

He was handed an extra month in jail for failing to 75) turn away turn around turn at turn in turn up to the hearing on 3 May.

The former US Air Force pilot first fled to Qatar, then Germany and finally Ireland using another passport before deciding to come back and face justice. Police believe he was attempting to seek work as a pilot or flying instructor. On his return to the UK, he was arrested after 76) giving up soldering spilling giving in surrendering at Winchester police station.

Fay, who had settled in Alton, Hampshire, was first arrested in February 2011, after he raised the suspicions of another pilot on an internet forum.

Police said he operated Airbus A320 aircraft for eight months after 77) foraging forging filing filling in forfeiting his licence and medical certificates.

Speaking outside court. Detective Chris Thorne said: "He put people’s 78) safety security safe secure safely in jeopardy. "People in a plane need to know that the guy at the front is qualified and in good health. "Michael Fay is a clever and resourceful man who 79) transparenty crystal clearly visually awkwardly shows no concern for public safety if he’s willing to work without the correct licences and medical certification". 80) Not had it been Only had it been Had it not been Being only for Except for being for the quick-thinking of a genuine pilot on the internet forum, Fay may have continued to put the public at risk in this manner unnoticed."