LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) – Britain demanded an apology from Argentina on Friday, accusing it of exploiting the upcoming Olympic Games for political purposes by broadcasting a “tasteless and insulting” TV advert that reasserted its claim to the disputed Falkland Islands.

The offending advert shows an Argentine hockey player training in the Falklands – the contested archipelago in the South Atlantic which the two countries fought over in 1982 – and exercising on the steps of a war memorial to British soldiers.

The 90-second ad was made to coincide with the runup to the Olympic Games in London this summer and ends with the voice-over: “to compete on English soil, we are training on Argentine soil.”

British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to examine the advert, strongly condemning its broadcast.

“It’s tasteless, it’s provocative and very insulting to the many British soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives protecting the Falklands,” Hammond told Sky TV.

“I think it’s a breach of one of the fundamental principles of the Olympics – that politics are set aside, that nobody should exploit the Olympic logo, the Olympic message for political purposes and I hope the IOC will be looking at that.”

He stopped short of calling for Argentina to be banned from the Games but added: “I think at the very least the Argentines should withdraw that video and apologise for it.”

LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) – British fuel tanker drivers voted on Monday to go on strike to improve terms and conditions, raising the prospect of disruption of supply to petrol stations around the country in the run-up to the July London Olympics.

A spokeswoman for the Unite union said it needed to give seven days’ notice, so a strike could begin next Monday at the earliest.

The vote unnerved the Conservative-led coalition government. The previous Labour government suffered a dent to its popularity in 2000 when a previous strike led to petrol stations running dry.

“With the London 2012 Olympics approaching, it is unacceptable and selfish to behave in this manner and jeopardise our international reputation,” Ed Davey, the minister responsible for energy and climate change, said.

The union, which represents 2,000 members who are involved in the action, said that drivers face growing job insecurity as a result of insecure contracts and a ‘beat the clock’ culture.

“These votes send a clear message throughout the industry and should prompt all the major companies to get around the table to establish minimum standards,” Diana Holland, Unite assistant general secretary, said.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

LONDON (Reuters) – The government plans to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes were ruled legally flawed by the High Court Wednesday.

The decision was a victory for environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth and two solar companies, Solar Century and HomeSun, who said the plans were creating economic uncertainty.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne wants to cut feed-in tariff subsidies (FITs) — payments made to households and communities that generate green electricity through solar panels — on any installations completed after December 12 this year.

But Mr Justice Mitting, sitting in London, said the minister was “proposing to make an unlawful decision,” the Press Association reported.

“Friends of the Earth is urging the government to come up with a new proposal which would allow solar payments to fall in line with reduced installation costs, while ensuring the solar industry continues to play a key part in developing a cleaner future,” the group said.

The UK’s department of energy and climate change said it would challenge the ruling.

“We disagree with the Court’s decision. We will be seeking an appeal and hope to secure a hearing as soon as possible. Regardless of today’s outcome, the current high tariffs for solar PV are not sustainable, and changes need to be made in order to protect the budget, which is funded by consumers through their energy bills,” Climate Change Minister Greg Bark said.

LONDON (Reuters) – British government plans to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes were ruled legally flawed by the High Court on Wednesday.

The decision was a victory for environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth and two solar companies, Solar Century and HomeSun, who said the plans were creating economic uncertainty.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne wants to cut feed-in tariff subsidies (FITs) — payments made to households and communities that generate green electricity through solar panels — on any installations completed after December 12 this year.

But Mr Justice Mitting, sitting in London, said the minister was “proposing to make an unlawful decision,” the Press Association reported.

“Friends of the Earth is urging the government to come up with a new proposal which would allow solar payments to fall in line with reduced installation costs, while ensuring the solar industry continues to play a key part in developing a cleaner future,” the group said.

The UK’s department of energy and climate change said it would challenge the ruling.

“We disagree with the Court’s decision. We will be seeking an appeal and hope to secure a hearing as soon as possible. Regardless of today’s outcome, the current high tariffs for solar PV are not sustainable, and changes need to be made in order to protect the budget, which is funded by consumers through their energy bills,” Climate Change Minister Greg Bark said.

LONDON (Reuters) – A technology firm has told British legislators it was aware of the deletion of hundreds of thousands of emails at the request of News Corp unit News International between April 2010 and last month, parliamentarian Keith Vaz said on Monday.

The revelation came in a letter by the firm, HCL, to the Home Affairs Select Committee, of which Vaz is chairman.

“I am most surprised by the contents of the letter sent on behalf of HCL,” Vaz told Reuters. “The fact that so many emails have been deleted at the request of News International raises a number of further questions which we will continue to probe.”

British police are investigating the extent of phone-hacking at the now defunct News of the World Sunday tabloid which was owned by News International, the British newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

The paper had long maintained that illegally hacking into the voicemails of celebrities and members of the royal family had been confined to one “rogue reporter” who was jailed for four months in 2007.

But police now have a list of 4,000 possible targets including a missing schoolgirl, later found murdered, and families of victims of the 2005 London bombings, as well as politicians and celebrities.

Last month, senior police officers appeared before Vaz’s committee and said News International had tried to “thwart” an original inquiry into phone hacking at the paper five years ago.

BENGHAZI/LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) – Pressure increased on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Wednesday as the rebels opposing him won diplomatic recognition from Britain and their leadership withdrew an offer for him to stay in Libya if he gave up power.

Britain, one of the main foreign players in the campaign to oust Gaddafi, also expelled his diplomats from London and invited the rebel National Transtional Council to replace them.

Gaddafi has scoffed at the efforts to end his 41-year-rule and has weathered a now-stalled rebel advance and NATO air raids on his forces and military infrastructure.

France and Britain earlier this week dropped their insistence that he must leave the country as part of any settlement, a softening of position that indicated a growing anxiety to end a conflict that has now lasted five months.

However, rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Wednesday the NTC had offered a month ago to allow Gaddafi to stay in Libya provided he step down first but that this offer had now expired.

“This offer is no longer valid,” Abdel Jalil told reporters in the rebel-held eastern city of Benghazi.

The proposal was made about a month ago through U.N. envoy Abdel Elah al-Khatib with a two-week deadline attached, he said. The two weeks had passed.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Wednesday recognized the Libyan rebel movement as the country’s legitimate government and swiftly unblocked 91 million pounds in frozen assets.

It also invited the opposition to replace diplomats of Muammar Gaddafi’s government in London, who have been expelled.

The move was announced after a United Nations peace envoy left Libya having spoken to both sides but apparently failing to make a breakthrough in ending the five-month uprising against Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

The United States and some 25 other nations have also recognized the Benghazi-based opposition, potentially freeing up billions of dollars in frozen funds. Russia, however, has criticized such moves, accusing nations of pursuing a “policy of isolation” and taking sides in a civil war.

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Gaddafi and two of his sons, said “justice must be done” irrespective of any political agreement.

The ICC comments follow Britain and France dropping their calls for Gaddafi to quit power and leave the country — seemingly part of a new diplomatic push to end the war as the rebels struggle to make significant gains on the battlefield, despite four months of NATO bombing of Gaddafi’s forces.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, confirming London’s recognition of the rebels, said: “This decision reflects the National Transitional Council’s increasing legitimacy, competence and success in reaching out to Libyans across the country.”

By Stephen Addison

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – Madonna and Demi Moore may be fuelling talk of a growing trend for older women on the prowl for younger men but a study on Wednesday said the phenomenon of the “cougar” is a myth, confined to the world of celebrities.

The study of online dating, by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), found men and women are still rather traditional when it comes to searching for their ideal partner.

Women generally seek an older and, therefore hopefully, wealthier man, according to the UWIC study.

Men, on the other hand, desire a young and attractive female, and often prefer a much younger partner as they themselves age.

The findings, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, disputes the “cougar” phenomenon popularized in TV shows and movies like “Cougar Town” starring Courteney Cox and “Sex and the City” of women aged over 40 seeking “cubs.”

Psychologist Dr Michael Dunn of UWIC’s Cardiff School of Health Sciences led the study which involved analysing the age preferences of 22,000 men and women using online dating sites across 14 countries and two religious groups.