Mount Mayon: a tale of love and destruction

Mount Mayon is mythologised as the result of a tortured love affair

Mount Mayon is one of the Philippines' most distinctive volcanoes. It draws tourists to see its conical shape, farmers for its fertile soil and volcanologists who want to examine its explosive power, as the BBC's Vaudine England reports.

According to local folklore, Mount Mayon was formed because of a Romeo and Juliet-style love story.
Legend has it that Daragang Magayon - literally Lady Beautiful, from a ruling family of Bicol province - fell in love with a prince who was from a clan at war with her own.
Their families forbade their passion, so they fled. Tribal war ensued, prompting the lovelorn couple to commit suicide together at a site now marked by the volcano.
More lyrical versions of the tale insist the site is a perpetual combination of beautiful Magayon - the volcano - wreathed in white clouds representing the prince.
During eruptions, some older people say they can hear the volcano crying from a voice of a male and a female.
Alex Baloloy, a scientist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology station at Mayon and veteran of half a dozen eruptions, laughs at the legend, but is convinced the volcano is female "because she's beautiful".
Dangerous force

The lava flows are a spectacular sight at night

But the reality is that Mayon has a destructive power, and a major eruption could trigger pyroclastic flows - superheated gas and volcanic debris that race down the slopes at high speeds, incinerating or vaporising everything in their path.
In previous eruptions, such flows have reached 6 km (4 miles) from the crater.
More extensive explosions of ash could drift toward nearby towns and cities, including Legazpi, about 15 km (9 miles) away.
The first recorded eruption of Mount Mayon was in 1616, but the most destructive came in 1814, when the volcano emitted several hundred million cubic metres of ash.
According to reports at the time, the town of Cagsawa, 11 km (6.8 miles) away from the summit, was completely buried — only the tower of the town's church remained above the new surface.

I've seen a lot of volcanoes and I think Mayon is the archetypal volcanic beauty Mahar Lagmay, volcanologist, University of the Philippines

In July 2006, the 48th eruption since records began, the volcano oozed lava and vented steam and ash for two months.
Then three months later, the powerful Typhoon Durian (local name Reming) brought heavy rainfall, dumping 495.8 mm (almost 20 inches) of water over one-and-a-half days.
This combined with the tons of volcanic ash and debris that had collected on Mayon's slopes, creating a fast-moving avalanche of mud and boulders called lahar, destroying villages and leaving 1,266 people dead.
"The Durian event was exceptional," experts reported in the aftermath, but such post-eruption devastation had happened before. A similar event in 1825 again affected the town of Cagsawa, and killed 1,500 people.
Restive earth
Professor Mahar Lagmay, a volcanologist from the University of the Philippines' National Institute of Geological Sciences, has studied several of his country's 22 active volcanoes.
"There are different types of volcanoes and eruptions, and we can study these based on written records and records of the rocks and deposits around each volcano," he told the BBC.
The Philippines' most dramatic eruption in recent decades was of Mount Pinatubo, in June 1991.
Hundreds of people died in that explosion, which scattered ash as far as away as Manila 60 km ( 37 miles) away, and radically altered negotiations over the future of two United States military bases nearby.

Residents love Mayon for its fertile land and dangerous beauty

"For Pinatubo, the records show the eruptions were very large, widely spaced by about 100 years each time," said Professor Lagmay.
The lengthy build-up of magma beneath the surface over a long period of time produced 11bn cubic metres (390bn cubic feet) of volcanic material, he explained.
By contrast this latest build-up on Mount Mayon is "relatively small", he said, having produced tens of millions of cubic metres of volcanic material.
The general rule of thumb for geologists is that the more often a volcano erupts, the smaller each eruption is likely to be - and Mayon has been a regular emitter.
But "all explosive eruptions are dangerous", Professor Lagmay warned.
Mayon's near perfect cone and its single vent continue to hold experts in thrall.
The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has a monitoring station just at the base of Mayon, which is akin, scientists said, to having Mayon in an intensive care unit with all its vital signs subject to constant examination.
"I've seen a lot of volcanoes," said Professor Lagmay, "and I think Mayon is the archetypal volcanic beauty."

HP camera 'can't see' black faces

A You Tube video suggesting that face recognition cameras installed in HP laptops cannot detect black faces has had over one million views.

The short movie, uploaded earlier this month, features "Black Desi" and his colleague "White Wanda".

When Wanda, a white woman, is in front of the screen, the camera zooms to her face and moves as she moves.

But when Desi, a black man, does the same, the camera does not respond by tracking him.

The clip is light-hearted in tone but is titled "HP computers are racist".

"HP has been informed of a potential issue with the facial-tracking software included on some of its systems, which appears to occur when insufficient foreground lighting is available," an HP spokesman told BBC News.

"We take this seriously and are looking into it with our partners."

Molecules and synapses cement memories, say scientists

Neurons are core components of the brain, transmitting and processing data US scientists believe they have uncovered one of the mechanisms that enables the brain to form memories. Synapses - where brain cells connect with each other - have long been known to be the key site of information exchange and storage in the brain. But researchers say they have now learnt how molecules at the site of the synapse behave to cement a memory. It is hoped the research, published in Neuron, could aid the development of drugs for diseases like Alzheimer's. The deteriorating health of the synapses is increasingly thought to be a feature of Alzheimer's, a disease in which short-term memory suffers before long-term recollections are affected. Scientists have been perplexed for some time as to why, when synapses are strengthened, you have the degradation of proteins going on side by side with the synthesis of new proteins Kenneth Kosik University of California Santa Barbara A strong synapse is needed for cementing a memory, and this process involves making new proteins. But how exactly the body controls this process has not been clear. Now scientists at the University of California Santa Barbara say their laboratory work on rats shows the production of proteins needed to cement memories can only happen when the RNA - the collection of molecules that take genetic messages from the nucleus to the rest of the cell - is switched on. Until it is required, the RNA is paralysed by a "silencing" molecule - which itself contains proteins. When an external signal comes in - for example when one sees something interesting or has an unusual experience - the silencing molecule fragments and the RNA is released. This interesting development could give a greater understanding of the memory loss experienced by people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and lead to new treatments Rebecca Wood Alzheimer's Research Trust Kenneth Kosik of the university's neuroscience research institute said: "One reason why this is interesting is that scientists have been perplexed for some time as to why, when synapses are strengthened, you have the degradation of proteins going on side by side with the synthesis of new proteins. "So we have now resolved this paradox. We show that protein degradation and synthesis go hand in hand. The degradation permits the synthesis." Identifying the proteins the brain needs in order to cement the memory could ultimately have benefits for those suffering from memory disorders. Rebecca Wood, head of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Scientists say they have studied nerve cells in the laboratory and learnt more about how specific proteins may have a role in areas of the brain that transmit messages and help us store memories. The health of synapses and their activity levels is becoming an important and interesting focus of research Professor Julie Williams "This interesting development could give a greater understanding of the memory loss experienced by people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and lead to new treatments." The most recent projections suggest 115 million people across the globe will suffer from dementia by 2050. Julie Williams, professor of psychological medicine at Cardiff University, said: "Our increasing understanding of genetic risk factors in Alzheimer's is pointing to the synapses so any new study in this area is welcome. "Alzheimer's is a complicated disease and it is early days, but the health of synapses and their activity levels is becoming an important and interesting focus of research."

Archbishop of York condemns Ugandan anti-gay bill

The Archbishop of York has condemned an anti-homosexuality bill going through parliament in Uganda.

Dr John Sentamu, who was born in the African country, said the laws being debated were "victimising".

Under the plans gays and lesbians would be jailed for life if convicted of having sex, and gay people who had sex with a minor would be put to death.

Dr Sentamu told the BBC the Anglican communion was committed to recognising that gay people were valued by God.

Aid threat

Under the bill, proposed by MP David Bahati, people who fail to report homosexuality face up to three years in jail.

Under its terms 'serial offenders' would face the death penalty.

Dr Sentamu told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm opposed to the death sentence. I'm also not happy when you describe people in the kind of language you find in this private member's bill."

He added it seemed not only victimising but also "a diminishment of the individuals concerned".

He also pointed out that the current law in Uganda already had provision to jail gay people for engaging in homosexual acts.

The new bill wants the 14-year limit raised to life imprisonment.

Dr Sentamu said: "Sometimes people have not understood that at the moment the law in Uganda, without this bill, does exactly the same thing."

Sweden has threatened to withdraw aid if the bill is approved and Africa minister Baroness Kinnock has raised concerns with her Ugandan counterpart.

Mr Bahati, from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), said: "Here, we don't recognise homosexuality as a right. We are after the sin, not the sinners. We love them - and we want them to repent and come back.

"It's not an inborn orientation, it's a behaviour learnt - and it can be unlearnt."

'Grisly' Brittany Murphy artwork withdrawn

Promotional artwork for a DVD release showing late actress Brittany Murphy lying apparently lifeless in a bathtub has been pulled by a US rental chain.

Redbox said it planned to complete the removal of DVD covers and posters from its outlets by 1 January.

The artwork promotes Deadline, a direct to DVD title in which Murphy played a writer staying in a haunted house.

A private funeral service is expected to be held later at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

'On her game'

It is the same cemetery where singer Michael Jackson was laid to rest earlier this year.

Murphy, 32, was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre after collapsing in the bathroom of her Hollywood home on Sunday.

The county coroner's office is awaiting the results of toxicology and tissue tests before releasing an official cause of death.

Best known for her roles in Clueless and 8 Mile, Murphy completed a number of films this year that are currently awaiting release.

The director of one, a thriller called Abandoned, said she was delightful to work with and "was on her game".

"She was such a pro and so good at her craft that she could turn it on and off as necessary," said Michael Feifer.

Christmas celebrations begin in Bethlehem

Thousands of Christian pilgrims are gathering in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, to mark the anniversary of his birth.

Festivities began with a traditional boy scout band and will culminate with midnight mass in St Catherine's Church, next to the Church of the Nativity.

The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land led the annual procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Latin Patriarch Foud Twal said the region sought peace above all else.                                                                                                      

 "The wish that we most want, we most hope for, is not coming. We want peace," he said after he and his convoy of cars entered the Palestinian territory, having passed through Israel's heavily-guarded separation barrier.

"We don't have a shortage of food, we don't need aid," he said, according to the Associated Press.

"We want freedom of movement, we don't want walls. We don't want separation fences," he added.

Christmas capital

It was a feeling echoed by the city's mayor, Victor Batarseh.

"We are prepared to welcome Christmas with lights, decorations and joy, but this little town of love and peace, the capital of Christmas, lacks the desired peace it deserves," he said.

The midnight mass will take place next to the church built over the stall where Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus.

Some 300 Christians over the age of 35 from the Gaza Strip were given permission by the Israeli military to leave the territory and come to Bethlehem for 24 hours to celebrate Christmas.

A total of 15,000 tourists are expected in the town during this period, in a year that has seen a record number of visitors - some 1.6 million.

One of the tourists who had crossed the planet to spend Christmas in Bethlehem was 27-year-old Juan Cruz, of Mexico.

"This is the place where God gave us his son, so it is very special for me to be here, for me and my whole community," he told AFP news agency.

Yet the tourism boom has failed to bring money with it as most of the tourists visit the town just for the day, staying in hotels in Israel.

"Only 5% of the money stays on the Palestinian side," Palestinian Tourism Minister Khulud Duaibess said.

What does the future hold for US healthcare?

US senators have passed the final Senate version of a historic healthcare reform bill. What is your reaction?

The legislation aims to cover 31m uninsured Americans and the bill's passage, after months of political wrangling, could lead to the biggest change in US health-care in decades.

The bill has been a priority for President Barack Obama, who rejects claims that compromise has left it weakened. Opposition Republicans say the bill is expensive, authoritarian and a threat to civil liberties.

What do you think of the healthcare reform bill? How will this legislation affect you or your company? Are you a doctor in America with concerns about the bill?