Poll names ‘top book group novel’

British book groups have voted Barbara Kingsolver's 1998 novel The Poisonwood Bible, about a US missionary in 1950s Africa, their favourite read.

Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time came second in the survey of groups entering the Penguin/Orange Reading Group Prize.

Works by Khaled Hosseini, Andrea Levy and Tracy Chevalier were also in the top five books for reading groups.

The Poisonwood Bible was nominated for the Pulitzer and PEN/Faulkner awards.

More than 160 reading groups, with about 2,500 members, offered their all-time favourite books for the poll.

Modern classics

The top of the list is dominated by books published in the last decade.

Mark Haddon's work and The Kite Runner by Afghan-born author Khaled Hosseini, at number three, were both published in 2003.

Andrea Levy's Small Island, in fourth place, won the Orange and Whitbread prizes after being released last year while Tracy Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring came out in 2000.

Classics on the list include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee at six, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath at 12 and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre at 16.

Guy Pringle, one of the Reading Group Prize judges, said all the novels "struck a lasting chord with passionate readers".

"Reading groups have once again made up their own minds about what they want to read – in spite of publishers' marketing campaigns," he said.

"Word-of-mouth recommendation is clearly crucial, pushing new titles like The Kite Runner instantly on to the Reading Group bestseller list alongside old favourites."

Congo’s polio war

In an extraordinary campaign to wipe out Polio globally, the World Health Organisation has pledged to innoculate 16 million children over five days in central Africa.

On a journey that takes her up the Congo river and deep into the tropical rainforest, Dinah Lammiman, explores why this high-profile mass vaccination is proving so controversial in the very countries it is trying to help.

Bofando Jean Claude is one of a band of tricyclists who rattle up and down the streets of Kinshasa, the crumbling capital of the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He rides a very particular kind of machine, driven not by conventional foot pedals but by specially-adapted hand pedals. His legs are withered and useless.

Listen to this programme in full

Jean Claude, like many of these tricyclists, is a survivor of polio, a disease which accounts for around 20 million disabled people around the world – many of them in countries like the DRC.

Jean Claude was just eight when he contracted the disease. He'd wanted to be a journalist but has ended up begging on the streets of Kinshasa. He admits he resorts to threats, to try and make some kind of living to support him and his three boys.

Traditionally the tricyclists have made small amounts of money by trading goods back and forth across the Congo river – between Brazzaville in Congo and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Baskets behind the bike seat carry food and other commodities. Other specially-made compartments under the seat conceal all manner of goods from the gaze of customs officers, unwilling to grapple with a disabled traveller in the search for illegal imports.

The disease

Polio is a terrible disease. Most at risk are the under fives. The lifelong effects are visible all over Kinshasa: teenagers drag themselves around, wearing shoes on their hands, their useless legs trailing behind, as they move around the streets trying to survive.

The campaign

The Congo basin is one of the last reservoirs of the polio virus. In July the World Health Organisation along with other international aid agencies launched a week-long campaign to immunise 16 million children in four neighbouring central African countries against polio.

It's the third year there have been these huge national immunisation drives but the first time Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola and the DRC have come together to fight the disease.

The aim is try and achieve the target of wiping out the disease world-wide by 2002, so the world can be declared polio-free in 2005.

In order to reach children in previously inaccessible border areas and deep in the country, ceasefires amongst warring factions had to be painstakingly negotiated in the weeks leading up to the campaign.

Shattered infrastructure

War is just one of the obstacles confronting the campaign organisers. The Democratic Republic of Congo is bigger than Western Europe and its entire infrastructure has almost ceased to exist. There are few roads, railways and not much left of its public health system.

With extensive resources of gold, diamonds and the rare compound coltan – vital to every mobile phone – the DRC should be one of the richest countries in Africa. But it's been pillaged over and over – first by the Belgian colonialists, then by a thirty year dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko. There are still around six armies from other countries fighting on its soil, vying for the DRC's mineral wealth.

The economy too is in disarray. To pay vaccinators and health workers taking part in the polio eradication campaign, millions of Congolese francs have had to be packed into rice sacks and sent by truck, plane and finally by bicycle, along tracks deep into the country, to towns hauntingly familiar – like Kikwit, scene of the Ebola virus eruption a few years ago.

A priority or not?

Nobody would wish polio on anyone. But in this country, where most people are trying to get by on around twenty cents a day, is polio eradication really a priority?

Malaria kills 250 thousand people a year here. Measles kills as many children while in a country where parts of the population are constantly being displaced, no-one knows how much of a killer AIDs is.

For the Minister of Health, Dr Machako Mamba, this campaign at least means the world is taking an interest – beyond just exploiting the DRC's minerals. Already the network of health workers and communication routes put in place by the polio eradication campaign is being talked of as a basis for a more comprehensive infrastructure that might be used to distribute mosquito nets to try and curb malaria, or vaccines for diseases like measles.

Dr Mamba sees the polio campaign as a chance to get the world to wake up to the other problems the DRC faces. Above all, he says, the one thing that the Congolese need; that could change the fortunes of this impoverished, destitute country – is peace.

10 ways to get you to read a book

As the Man Booker Prize looms, every competing publisher has every finger crossed that their book will be boosted into the stratosphere. But what are the reasons a book sells well?

Below are 10 of the factors that could influence the next sales behemoth.

And if you haven't read the six titles on the Booker shortlist, watch the Guardian's John Crace summarise each, by clicking on the boxes on the right. We've re-hashed some of them from the Guardian originals to make them slightly less fruity and slightly more suitable for a family audience.

1. Word of mouth. Who do we really trust? When the chips are down, it's the opinions of our friends and family and colleagues that matter in all things. When you're trying on an item of clothing you don't scratch around for a piece of pertinent fashion journalism, you just ask a mate to have a quick look.

"Word of mouth is still number one even in this media-saturated age," says Joel Rickett, deputy editor of The Bookseller. A survey of 1,000 people by BML for World Book Day in 2005 found 25% of respondents had bought their last book for pleasure on the basis of a recommendation from a friend.

But that's not to say that word of mouth is an entirely natural, organic process. Publishers would sell their grandmothers for ways to manipulate it. From viral marketing to social networking, they'll try many avenues of multimedia attack to get the books into the hands of the literary pioneers in any group of friends.

2. The book group. A big part of the word of mouth network are the little reading groups of friends that have sprung up around the country in the past decade. Over cheese and nibbles the fates of novels are decided. Most people are not in a book group but many people know someone who is in one. Book groups are the crucible.

Book group favourites from recent years include Life of Pi, the Bookseller of Kabul, Shadow of the Wind, the Alchemist, the Time Traveller's Wife, the Line of Beauty, A Million Little Pieces, Everything is Illuminated and so on.

3. Richard and Judy. Book groups have to get their ideas from somewhere and many implant themselves into the minds of the members via the Richard and Judy Book Club. Modelled on the fearsomely influential Oprah's Book Club, it has backed many of the titles that have come to be book group classics.

4. Author. It's almost too obvious to state, but the easiest people to market to are the people waiting for the next instalment. If all you have to do is alert people to the latest John Grisham or Martina Cole then life is a bit easier. Despite the belief in word of mouth, the 2005 BML survey found the only factor that trumped it was "having read another book by the author".

"The author as brand has become ever more important," notes Mr Rickett.

5. Art of covers. Pop into a second hand bookshop and feel the thickness of a paperback cover from 2006. Then feel a book from 1956.

Luxurious, thick paper, cut-out sections, embossing, full colour, even glitter. The rise of cheap publishing in the Far East and elsewhere means the book front cover is a battleground as never before.

There has always been great cover art on novels in British mass publishing, particularly on Penguins, but the production quality has now rocketed. "Penguin blazed a trail but everyone else has caught up. The cover can make or break a book. The book as 'object' is ever more important," explains Mr Rickett.

6. In-store marketing. Be honest. What percentage of the books you've bought in the last five years came with a "3 for 2" sticker on them?

With the end of agreements that controlled the price of books the key battlegrounds are the supermarket and the chain bookstore. And in these chains if you're not on those pyramids of books in the front of the ground floor of the store, you're dead. Does anybody find themselves flicking through a new novel where one copy has been placed in the far corner of the fourth floor?

7. Rise of prizes. There is nothing as priceless as free publicity and this is what the literary prizes offer in spades. The trinity in the UK of the Man Booker Prize, the Orange Prize (for female authors) and the Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread) can get the ball-rolling for a monster-selling book.

Yann Martel's Life of Pi was one such success, blasting its way through the million sales mark and revolutionising the fortunes of Scottish publisher Canongate.

8. Unusual titles. Who isn't tempted to at least pick and have a flick through a Salmon Fishing in the Yemen or A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian?

9. Praise for. Once upon a time in the monomedia world, the reviewer was king. Powerful newspaper literary critics bestrode the world of publishing like colossi. Now not so much.

As Mr Rickett notes: "People themselves are the reviewers now on Amazon and on all kinds of sharing websites. Reader response has almost supplanted the top-down role of the critic."

10. Newspaper serialisation. One for the non-fiction work predominantly, serialisation delivers a risk-free prospect for the author at least. If the attention brings sales then great. If it persuades people they've had enough then the writer has still got a whacking fee from the newspaper.

BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Wales defend spending on new HQ

The Football Association of Wales has defended the decision to spend a £1.1m Uefa grant to build new offices instead of developing grass-roots football.

"We're using the money in exactly the way Uefa are asking us to do," said FAW secretary general David Collins.

"The Uefa HatTrick money has to be spent for office structures, national stadia and training facilities."

Uefa president Lennart Johansson opened the new headquarters in Cardiff on Monday.

The new premises close to Cardiff Bay replaces the FAW's previous 100-year-old city centre headquarters, and Johansson gave it a ringing endorsement.

He told BBC Wales Sport: "The premises and technical equipment tells us that we have done something to the benefit of the Football Association of Wales.

"Without a new building there is no space for those who are employed to do a proper job and to serve football. This is a must.

"I can understand fans asking why not spend the money on pitches, but we do both.

"But to develop football for the future, it needs people to work day-to-day in premises with the necessary communication tools. And here they have it.

"It's quite elegant, with good materials without being snobby. It's just what we wanted to see."

Collins refused to divulge how much the FAW has spent on the project, only to describe it as a "sizeable sum of money".

But he said the critics are "wrong" to accuse the FAW of ignoring the needs at grassroots level.

"We are spending money at grassroots on 44 mini pitches, again assisted by Uefa through their HatTrick programme, the foundation for the sports and the arts and our own money," said Collins.

"We are halfway through that programme and I was able to take Mr Johansson to one of the pitches in Butetown (in Cardiff)."

He added: "We are developing a new national training facility, but in this case with the help of Fifa.

"We're putting a sizeable sum of our own money aside to assist the ground improvements of the Welsh Premier, the Welsh League and the Cymru Alliance.

"Last year we were able to develop Carmarthen and Rhyl with very large sums of money.

"We are continuing that programme – as we have been doing for the past 15 years, but of course that doesn't always grab the headlines."

It’s good to talk… by text

We have invited readers to submit opinion articles to the BBC Scotland news website. Sarah Hepburn, an administrator with an oil-related company in Aberdeen, considers the impact of text messaging on everyday life.

THE UPS AND DOWNS IN A WORLD OF TEXTS

Students from schools on Shetland, Orkney, Lewis and Skye have received their exam results by text as part of a voluntary pilot scheme which has so far been deemed a success.

Other schemes using SMS being introduced include parents being informed of their children's truancy by text, pupils texting incidences of bullying to teachers, members of the public texting town security with details of anti-social behaviour, and residents of a town voting on council plans reality TV-style by electronic keypad, e-mail and text.

The effectiveness of such schemes is debatable but with the Mobile Data Association announcing that Britons sent a record 26 billion texts last year, there is a clear aim to raise awareness of issues amongst our texting teenagers by making the most of a well-used tool.

From flirting with your partner and conducting illicit affairs, to splitting up with someone and getting revenge on your ex, texting has been used and abused in the field of dating and can potentially lead to serious circumstances like these.

As an avid "texter" (my service provider informs me I send an average of 43 texts a day), I know from personal experience that texting can be problematic.

The thrill of sending a well-composed flirty text to that special someone is lost in the stomach-churning moments of waking up after a night out and realising I've been sending drunken texts to my ex.

The potential to misread the "tone" of a text, leading to text arguments, deleting unwelcome spam texts and receiving the "you're a nice girl but…" texts have also become common occurrences on my mobile phone.

But maybe the most disturbing outcome of texting is the ever decreasing ability of today's text generation to look each other in the eye and experience the pain, joy, love and hate of actually talking about the things that really matter.

Like Bob said… "It's good to talk."

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and are not endorsed by the BBC.

Your thoughts on Sarah Hepburn's article.

Texting must be a huge help for the deaf community, being able to contact another person deaf or otherwise without a third person translating must make life a little easier. My friends also all work shifts and somtimes sleep at odd hours so rather than phone and wake somebody we text. I must have sent hundreds of text that just saying "U awake?"
Sue, Sussex

I had a record night last night. Drank far too much alcopop, and sent out 14 txt messages to various feminine acquaintances resulting in four barrages of abuse, one break-up, one "I never want to speak to you again" and one particularly disgruntled mother, rejecting my somewhat ill-timed advances!
Allan, Scotland

Text messages are a useful way of keeping in touch, especially if you just have a short question for someone. But it's a nightmare if you try and have any kind of meaningful exchange. There's far too much scope for misunderstanding. A simple "How're you?" message could escalate into any number of things.
Rachel, Scotland

I've actually been so spineless as to break up with a partner by text. Realisation of what i was doing only hit me after i'd pressed 'send' and couldn't take it back. I realise it's not the medium but the user who is at fault but I do believe if the reception wasn't so patchy in the Highlands, I could have called her and passed it off as a joke. Tut tut tut. Excuses excuses eh!
Andy McKenzie, Paisley

Too busy running a home to flirt by text. Text is great for myself and partner working round our jobs and a baby – not always free to take a call. I also text the odd joke or newsflash round Ireland, Scotland and Australia regularly. It's very handy when everyone has scattered to the four winds!
John, Dublin

I would love texting if it weren't for the fact that my mates refuse to reply to text messages! Fair enough if it's just something stupid, but most of them don't reply when I actually ask a question! I just phone them now as at least they're forced to reply then.
Gregor, Glasgow

I text quite a bit, but what annoys me is when you are at work and staff members' mobile phones start beeping, they drop everything and reply straight away, then continue this throughout the working day. Surely people can wait until their breaks, lunch hour or finishing time before texting everyone.
Jill, Scotland

I think that Sarah has made some good points in her article, but I am surprised she has time to do anything in her life at all if she sends an average of 46 texts a day! I consider myself to be an average user because I send around five texts a day, maybe I need to re-think!
Eve, London

I find that 'conversation' by text is rarely a good idea. You can spend 10 minutes texting to and fro to conclude what would be a one minute voice discussion. In its place though, text is a useful tool. I'm increasingly using it to send messages to my wife who can't take calls when she's at work. Having said that, I probably only average about one text a day and can't quite fathom tarrifs offering 500 or more texts a month. They should come with a health warning about RSI!
Colin, Stirling

I don't text at all, I'm not really that interested in it, I wonder about something though watching other people furiously hitting the tiny phone keys. Tennis elbow, RSI… when is "texter's thumb" going to make an appearance?
Martin, Dundee

Diane, how can you "innocently" flick through someone's text messages? You were snooping and it suggests problems in your relationship prior to the discovery of his affair.
Pete, Scotland

There's no such thing as 'innocently' flicking through someone else's text messages! You get what you deserve if you spy on someone.
Gillian, Edinburgh

Texting also gives you the comfort of having an easy means to communicate with friends and family when you are by yourself (particularly when abroad)
Damien, Sydney

I txt way 2 much, my english has went downhill as well. Using shortened versions like "u, 2, ure, r" and ending every txt message with a "x" has become common. Kids spend way too much money on phones. 10p a txt message is too much. The phone operators can see kids are wasting their money and someone should put a stop of them charging such high rates. If you txt from abroad, it will cost something in the region of 50pence. How can 160 characters cost 50p? Get it sorted!
Alan, Glasgow

Texting is a very useful and easy form of communication, unfortunately as with many things some people are too stupid to use it properly.
Kevin, Edinburgh

There is nothing better than a lazy Sunday afternoon sending out a flirty "send to many" text message to the girls in my contacts. The same message sent out to six different "projects" asking the same question: "Hey you, how you? Fancy having some fun tonight?" then when the messages come in, you can sit back and weigh up your options. Happy days.
Ray, Dundee

Texting when drunk can be very dangerous as both myself and my boyfriend have found out recently. It is definitely better to talk!
Mike Watson, Aberdeen

I find text messages to be incredibly irritating. I have a few friends who have mobile phones and yet rarely use them unless required and yet I have other friends who are constantly texting irritating and pointless texts to and fro with people. What's the point! It just costs a stupid amount of money, is exceedingly fiddly and doesn't exactly allow scope for very deep messages. One for the dumbed down generation, give me MSN any day.
Craig MacDonald, Scotland

I text a lot, but the amount that I say differs. Text arguments can be good, because you have more time to think about what you want to say. Also, texting allows people to reply when they aren't busy and when it is convenient to them. However, text break-ups are the worst thing ever
Kirsty, Scotland

I think that texting when drunk or emotional is far more destructive than say an argument when inebriated, as in the morning there is some hard evidence of what has been said. Things taken out of context, misunderstood, or mis-communicated are commonplace. I agree wholeheartedly that it is better to talk and engage properly with someone in most situations. I send about 5-10 text messages per day and try to keep them short, to the point, and hopefully conclusive. Great mode of communication though compared to days gone by purely from a convenience point of view.
Frazer Gillespie, Inverness.

I discovered my husband was having an affair after innocently flicking through his text messages.
Diane, Scotland

Town ‘betrayed’ by college move

Campaigners trying to save a Devon arts college have met with the Regional Development Agency (RDA) in a bid to prevent it moving to Cornwall.

The RDA is crucially involved in the proposed merger of Dartington College of Arts in Totnes with University College in Falmouth as it administers the European grants which will be necessary to fund the £25m move.

Dartington's governors agreed to the merger in March, claiming the college could no longer afford to remain at Dartington.

Since then, shock waves have reverberated through the town of Totnes, which is inextricably linked with the college and its students.

An impact study by South Hams District Council estimated a loss of £4.7m to the town's economy and about 120 to 150 job losses if the college closes at its current site.

These statistics have raised concerns with those who live and work in Totnes, but they are also worried about what will happen to the town's image if and when the students go.

The college's artistic heritage has led to the vibrant market town's image as a Bohemian enclave standing on the tranquil River Dart in the South Hams.

'Still bonkers'

On the day of the governors' announcement many of the college's 680 students staged a protest outside the boardroom. They believe the essence of the college comes from its relationship with the Dartington Hall Trust that runs the 850-acre estate.

Totnes has been home to the college since 1961 and the ancient town, which began life as a fortified Saxon settlement, has a resident community of writers, therapists, musicians, and herbalists.

The chairman of Totnes Chamber of Commerce says the town will be affected, but it will adapt.

Mike Sealey, who also runs the Totnes Pet and Garden Centre, said: "It will have an impact financially – but no-one knows how much.

"I don't think the funky image will change one iota. We'll still have the sandal brigade, crystals, beads and organic foods.

"It'll still be bonkers."

'Lost in hippydom'

Austin Burn-Jones runs the Greenlife shop with his business partner Mike Sermon.

The shop epitomises what many Totnes shoppers look for – ethical, fair trade, organic and GM-free products.

Mr Burn-Jones believes the college's move will affect the town on many levels.

"I think the impact will be catastrophic," he said.

"Students rent property here, so losing hundreds of them could mean a drop in rental prices.

"And there'll be the knock-on effect on businesses, because the students won't be spending money in our shops, eateries and pubs.

"Long-term I'm sure the town will survive and I'm sure Totnes will remain lost in hippydom."

A vociferous opponent of the relocation is Will Fitzgerald who has lived in Totnes for more than 30 years, raised a family and has become a stalwart of the community.

He is the chairman of Dartington Housing Association, chairman of the board of governors for King Edward VI Community College and proudly boasts of being the acting chairman of Meadowbrook Football Club – a Sunday league division three team. He is also a former deputy principal of the college.

Now an active member of the Save Dartington College campaign, Mr Fitzgerald is passionate about the connection between the town and the students.

"Many people feel the trust has betrayed its local stewardship," he said.

"If only three years ago they'd recognised there were financial troubles.

"It makes me angry, because sadly I feel they've left it too late to put off the inevitable.

"But if the college goes, it will leave behind a huge social, economic and cultural vacuum.

"Totnes will revert back to being a small middle-class market town. No different to anywhere else."

Councillor Anne Ward, the Totnes member for South Hams District Council, has not completely given up hope of a change of mind

"Never say never, but it's up to the Regional Development Agency if it thinks it's worth fighting for," she said.

"Cornwall is poaching one of Devon's greatest assets."

Ms Ward says the college has made Totnes a hotspot for creative people, including musicians, dancers and publishers.

"I'm an old hippy, but I believe people gravitate to Totnes because of its experimental and radical community," she said.

Resident Les Smith has lived in the town for 27 years and says the students and Totnes go hand-in-hand.

"They are paying out rent and spending their money in the town and we'll lose all that.

"They're a good crowd and they're colourful. I'll be sorry to see them go."

'Iceberg' ahead

Anthony Steen has been the MP for Totnes for 24 years and has been working closely with the Save Dartington College campaign for the past three months.

He believes the college's financial problems should have been tackled a long time ago.

"We've been heading for this iceberg for the past decade," he said.

"The governors should have woken up two years ago and acted responsibly, but it's not a done deal if EU money is not forthcoming.

"There's still everything to play for."

The final decision should be made in the autumn.

Web worm tests network security

More serious security problems for Microsoft software could follow in the wake of the Sasser worm.

Using vulnerabilities revealed at the same time as those exploited by the web worm, security firm IRM has demonstrated how they can be used to gain control of a Windows web server.

Using widely available exploit code for the vulnerability, IRM was able to take over a Microsoft server with just a few keystrokes.

The loophole potentially affects millions of web servers, many of which are run by financial organisations.

Hole game

On 13 April Microsoft released a security patch that fixed a series of critical vulnerabilities in many different versions of the Windows operating system.

In the patch was code that fixed problems with the way that Windows Internet Information Server 5.0 handled secure communications.

IIS 5.0 is web server software included with the Windows 2000 operating system.

Days after Microsoft announced its patch, malicious code to exploit the vulnerability appeared online.

BBC News Online was shown just how easy this code makes it to take over a vulnerable IIS 5.0 server by Phil Robinson, technical manager for security firm IRM.

Once the code was compiled using Microsoft Visual C++ the only other things needed were the internet address of a target and the number of an open working port, or net channel, on that machine.

Widely available scanning tools make it very easy to find IIS 5.0 servers on the net, not least because there are so many of them.

Internet monitoring firm Netcraft reports that there are more than 8.6m sites running IIS 5.0.

Some of these sites will be protected because they applied a patch to protect themselves against the Sasser worm but it is likely that many of them are still vulnerable.

Site seeing

Mr Robinson said most hackers looking for working net channels, or ports, would try the well-known ones for e-mail or file transfers.

Moments after loading the exploit code, adding a net address and port number the targeted server returned a prompt that gave an attacker complete control over that machine.

Mr Robinson declared himself "amazed" that the vulnerability was not getting the exposure enjoyed by the one that the Sasser worm exploited.

He said the Sasser vulnerability affected a relatively obscure part of Windows.

"But this is for a public service and it's much more predominant on the internet," he said.

Netcraft reports that there are at least 132,000 servers running the secure communications system vulnerable to the exploit that IRM used.

Many of the sites using this code are banks and other financial institutions.

There are known to be two other programs circulating that let people exploit the secure communications bug. The one IRM used has been downloaded almost 15,000 times.

Mr Robinson said that although the exploit code was released only recently it was likely that it had been used for some time before.

There is evidence that hackers have already been scanning the net for sites that are vulnerable.

The Sans Institute has noticed a spike in scans of particular ports associated with this vulnerability suggesting that some malicious or criminal hackers have been trying to exploit it for some time.

Security firm Internet Security Systems said that Australian banking websites vulnerable through the flaw have also been targeted by hacking groups.

ISS said attacks using the flaw were being launched against some of Australia's largest financial institutions.

The hacker that created the exploit code has since decided to stop releasing such code to the public.

In a note about the code he wrote: "Too many risks that kiddies around the world use it for bad purposes. I saw, that the original intention, to publish exploits, for pentesting or patch verifing (sic) purposes didn't work".

Polish voters hear Church’s voice

The Roman Catholic Church has the potential to influence Sunday's general election in Poland, where millions of people are regular churchgoers.

Officially, the Polish Church follows Vatican directives and tries to steer clear of politics.

But Poles link the Church with their national identity and more than 90% of them say they are Roman Catholic. Unlike in Western Europe, Sunday Mass services are full to overflowing.

The Polish pope, John Paul II, was an enormously influential factor for Poles' faith. He was not just a respected spiritual leader in his homeland. Many Poles say his greatest achievement was his role in ending communist rule.

The bishops are well aware that for a short period after the fall of communism in 1989 the Church's authority was dented because it became too active in politics.

That is why a letter written by the bishops and read out during Mass services last Sunday emphasised that "the Church does not identify itself with any political party" and that the Catholic media should not "engage themselves in the election on any side".

The letter did not name any media but many people see it as a clear reference to the controversial priest, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, who runs Radio Maryja, its sister TV channel, Trwam, and the newspaper, Nasz Dziennik.

'Demonic' influence

The charismatic 62-year-old Redemptorist priest has bucked the trend and clearly engaged himself in politics since the early 1990s.

The radio station styles itself as "the Catholic voice in your home" and broadcasts a mixture of Mass services, prayers and talk shows.

With its traditional and nationalistic brand of Catholicism, it appeals in broad terms, to an older audience in medium and smaller cities and the countryside. Its commentators rail against the European Union, liberals and Jewish groups.

The nationalist message falls on fertile ground. In the 19th Century, when Poland was carved up by foreign powers and ceased to exist, the Church played a major role in keeping Polish identity alive. It played a similar role during the communist era, when the regime was associated with the Soviet Union.

Father Kazimierz Sowa, a prominent Catholic priest and journalist, described Radio Maryja's influence on society as "demonic".

"It has a good influence from a religious point of view but from the political point of view it is a totally destructive force in Poland," he told the BBC.

"Talking about politics is not correct and Radio Maryja has influenced people's thinking on everything from economics to politics to the EU. It's always looking for an enemy, be it the Masons, Jews, liberals, or rich people," he said.

'Social broadcaster'

Although the Vatican has expressed its concern about Radio Maryja's involvement in politics, Father Sowa estimated about a third of Poland's bishops supported Fr Rydzyk's media empire.

Radio Maryja did not respond to a BBC request for a comment on the role of the Church in politics.

When asked about the radio's role in the election campaign, Archbishop Leszek Slawej Glodz recently told the Dziennik: "Radio Maryja is a Catholic radio station but it's also a social broadcaster."

"Because of that, they have the right to present the programmes of all the political parties except for the ones whose programmes are against Catholic faith and morality. It would be improper if a party campaigned on the radio but presenting programmes and attitudes is acceptable", he said.

'Liars and hypocrites'

Since the height of its popularity in the late-90s, Radio Maryja has steadily lost listeners but it still claims a daily audience of about one million.

That is why Fr Rydzyk has probably more influence on Poland's political life now than he has ever had.

Before the 2005 parliamentary elections the station's listeners were courted by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the conservative Law and Justice party and current prime minister.

The party's leaders and ministers regularly appear on Fr Rydzyk's radio and TV stations.

During this campaign, candidates associated with the priest are running on the Law and Justice ticket.

The station says it does not favour any political grouping, but during a recent broadcast a priest advised people to vote for Mr Kaczynski's party.

During another recent show a Radio Maryja commentator, Prof Jerzy Robert Nowak, phoned in to denounce the opponents of Mr Kaczynski's political vision as "liars and hypocrites".

A recent opinion poll said 74% of the radio's listeners would vote for Law and Justice.

"Obviously it is influential, especially because of its million listeners, about a half are decided, like an army, and they will go out and vote for Law and Justice," Fr Maciej Zieba, the head of the Dominican order in Poland, told the BBC.

"But every Sunday about 15 million people go to church, so half-a-million is not a great proportion, but this phenomenon exists and it's bad," he said.

CBBC Newsround | Chat | Your Comments | How would you get more kids reading?

Jacqueline Wilson has been named the new Children's Laureate.

Click here to read our interview with Jacqueline

One idea she's had to promote children's books and reading is to set up an exhibition with other authors.

We'd like to know how you'd get more kids reading.

Maybe there's a way you'd encourage going to the library more? Or make books more exciting?

Tell us your ideas and we'll pass them onto Jacqueline Wilson.

Unfortunately this topic is now closed but there are Comments pages on other subjects on the main Chat index.

Your Comments

My school has a reading up scheme where for reading 9 books you get a bronze certificate, silver certificate for 18 books and a gold certificate for 30 books as well as a £10 voucher. It seems to work really well and even the 'cool' people have started to read.
Hannah, 12, Edinburgh

Write stuff down about their favourite pop band, football team or even hobby then get them to read it. Trust me they'll think its fun so they'll read it!
Lauren, 12, Cannock

I adore reading but it's hard to say this to anyone because it is considered nerdy. I think teachers should not force kids to read books that they might not understand, everyone is on different levels and should read book that suit them and their personalities.
Emma, 12, Dublin

I really enjoy reading, but many people I know don't. I think people should tell teachers their interests, and the teachers could recommend books which they think would suit their interest. The teacher could then encourage the person to read that book. They may end up enjoying it, and wanting more!
Emma, 12, Glasgow

One thing we could do is make the books more interesting!! Or go around schools and see what types of books children are in to.
Ranny, 12, Monmouth

There's this phrase ' exercise is to the body as reading is to the mind'. When you read you're in a different world and you get a wider vocabulary and your English is better. There's always a book for everyone and anyone, you just have to find it.
Francetta, 15, London

What can I say. I love reading. I believe there is a book out there for everyone. So my way of getting more children to read, is by getting parents to read to their kids at bedtime then maybe the children could read to their parents every other night and take it in turns.
Samantha, 12, Kent

I think kids should be allowed to choose if the want to read or not. However I do think reading is very good for your brain.
Lucy, 14, Liverpool

You can't force children to read-if you do then it will become a chore, not a hobby. I'd get more children to read by making famous writers come to schools-authors of lots of different styles-magic, non fiction, romance, murder, comedy etc.
Zoe, 12, Reading

I think its a great idea to get children's authors into schools. Just last week, Tim Bowler (author of: River Boy, Starseeker, Shadows and Midget) visited my school and talked about his books.
Stacey, 14, Devon

You can't, really. Some just don't like reading, but usually kids will read if they're interested. Most of the kids at school just don't do it to 'rebel' or because it's uncool. You can't really change that.
Liz, 12, Beckingham

I can't really tell people that I like reading because I'll get teased, but teachers should make children read (but the child can choose the book) and that way they can read and enjoy it but act as though they hate it.
Chloe, 12, London

I think children should read more books but you can't force them to. I love reading books and it's my favourite hobby. Teachers should try and interest kids while they are still at primary or middle school, because I'm in Year 10 and there's hardly anyone who actually reads apart from me.
Caroline, 14, Isle of Sheppey

I would get kids to relate to the books in some way, how do they see themselves in the characters?
Ashleigh, 11, Doncaster

I love reading. I think schools should introduce more free reading time and I think the cover of the book matters. I mean you don't want to read a book with a boring cover, do you? But better books in libraries and schools would be great.
Abigail, 9, Derby

I think that a lot of the kids just haven't found a style they like yet, so they just give up trying. Suggesting books to them is a great way to encourage reading.
Amelia, 13, Stratford

You cannot force kids into reading books. I feel that if you shove books down kids throats they will ignore them. People should realise that it is up to the kid whether or not they want to read. Children should be made aware of the fact that there are libraries and they should be left to find them out for themselves.
Ben, 14, Downpatrick

I think encouraging friends that don't read and showing them favourite books of yours and showing them interesting subjects in books will help your friends become interested in reading and then they will help their friends.
Elizabeth, 13, USA

I read most of the time, and at school, but people don't really say anything. Today I went to a book signing for Garth Nix, it was really cool!
Tom, 14, Epsom

New books in school libraries and local libraries would be a start…
Rayka, 13, London

In our school the p7's (the oldest ones) get to do accelerated reading. That mean you get tested, then you get a level. You have to pick a book which is in your level. When you have read the book, you take a quiz and get points for it. It's really fun. I think all the primaries in our school should get to do that.
Leona, 12, MacDuff

I think everyone should read. It gives you a long range of good jobs and enters you into new worlds. Plus, authors have stacks of money and they're mainly great readers. Reading is the way to loads of cash – and it helps you pass exams!
Lauren, 10, Dronfield

I think we need to introduce kids to more books in order to get them to read more. Nowadays kids are most likely to get introduced to films so that's what they're interested in. Introducing them to books would solve that problem. Some kids don't know how to read well, whatever age they are so I think that there should also be more help in teaching children how to read.
Summrina, 13, Birmingham

I think schools and parents should encourage pupils to read regularly and should stress the importance of reading so that they are aware of how reading can improve their writing skills. I believe that by teaching them, kids will soon develop a reading habit. Parents and teachers must force children to read.
Stephanie, 11, London

It's not so much that people don't want to read, it's just that for older kids reading is not cool. I love reading, but it's not something I tell everyone I do. I would be thought of as a 'swot' and 'uncool'. Organising book fairs at school etc, aren't going to make older kids read especially if they are held at school.
Nicola, 14, Scotland

I'm the school's biggest bookworm but that's because barely anyone reads. I think that a bigger and better library would help. Most of the books in our school library stink!
Jasmine, 11, Walsall

We should have more time to read at school. If you read anywhere else than the library you get teased. More emphasis should be put on reading.
Sally, 14, Oakham

I think that everyday instead of a lesson like French or maths or whatever, classes should go their school library and pick books or read in groups. You could even have double English. One normal lesson and one lesson of reading. Personally, I love reading….. and such a bookworm!!!!!
Jenny, 12, Sittingbourne

One person said that if authors come to the school you would read their books but authors come to my school and people still don't like reading that much. We have a library but only the younger classes use it, unless you go in yourself. I think that the teacher should take the whole class to the library every two days for an hour.
Hannah, 11, Guernsey

I like reading a lot but some of the kids I know hate it. The authors should come to schools and they should have reading lessons at school for people who find reading long words hard.
Hilary, 11, Kirkby

I think we should have one reading period during every school day where all the students have to read, and it should be in a nice comfy place too; not the classroom!
Kate, 13, Surrey

People need to make libraries more cool. They need to make them stand out! I like libraries because you can try new books and if you don't like them you haven't wasted your money, you can just take them back!
Hannah, 10, Kent

Why not have contests? Kids are quite competitive, so a prize of something that kids are motivated for could be yet another great motivation to read.
Arna, 15, Edinburgh

You should get younger kids to start reading at an early age. The parents should read to them often. For the older kids the parents or teacher should find a good book that the kid will like. If he/she enjoys the book or series it will encourage him/her to read other books.
Kristina, 12, Indiana

I think that all books should come out in paperback first. However, the hardback edition should be signed by the author because basically all you're paying for is a cover made out of cardboard. If you pay more you should get more!
Saba, 12, Bradford

I think schools should try and promote reading more; by having special library or reading lessons for kids instead of giving them class work: reading after all is a valuable exercise!
Kate, 14, Townlake

The problem isn't really so much with young kids, it with older ones who've suddenly been told that reading's not "cool" anymore, they need to be targeted as well.
Victoria, 15, Leicestershire

I think it is very important that more children get into reading. Maybe schools could organise more book fairs, or possibly book swaps so children can exchange their old books for someone else's.
Orla, 11, London

I think that more children should get free books so they got enjoy reading it or the author should come in to schools to read to kids.
Sarah, 12, Surrey

I think schools should do competitions like reading a book and then doing a review on it and the best review gets a cool prize (that people want) and for children to read aloud more in class.
Charlie, 10, Leicester

I think some top famous authors should visit schools. e.g. J.K Rowling and Jacqueline Wilson. That would encourage kids to read more.
Rebecca, 14, Essex

I love reading but I think if there were more book fairs at schools and more visits to book festivals could encourage children to read more. Plus, authors could also visit schools if they had the time.
Kaz, 11, Scotland

The government should help to make books cheaper, so more people can afford to enjoy reading!
Matt, 14, Harpenden

Reading is great, but people nowadays seem to forget about reading as they drown into all the other leisures in life. I think if authors visited school and did activities with kids then the kids will love it and feel that they would need to read what the author they met had written. It's very encouraging.
Razan, 14, London

Just give books more hype. I've read some great action books that most kids would love to see on film, but because it's in a library, it's not good for the image. If you advertise books like you do films, maybe that will help.
Louise, 14, Surrey

My idea is that when a small child has visited a library and read some books, each week they should get a small chocolate bar. It wouldn't work for me, but for smaller children, maybe?
Nosheen, 12, London

I would not get more kids reading because I do not like reading myself. I would rather do something else! I should read but I don't! I don't know how I would make children read!
Jobhan, 13, Birmingham

How about Beyonce, Natasha Bedingfield, David Beckham or Jacqueline Wilson advertising books? Or give kids vouchers to buy books cheaper. You could have free books in cereal packets, magazines and other things. You could write extracts of stories in places that children look at e.g. magazines. There are tons of ways it's just that adults need to take action!
Cecily, 12, Bristol

Publishing books online would make more children read.
Edward, 13, Lincoln

I think schools should help a bit more and take trips down to the local library to lend books out.
Grace, 12, Belfast

I think that libraries should be decorated a bit more snazzier than usual because our library is very, very dull – that is why I hardly go there!. Also I think that authors should visit schools more.
Afsana, 12, Bolton

I have always got a book in my hands and I think you have to give a child a book and say read it, and if they don't like it then try again.
Shireen, 15, Bedford

I think it'd be cool if kids' authors visited schools as it'd encourage me to read their books.
Charlie, 13, Sussex

Moein

Moein was born in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran regarded by many as the “City of Artists”. He was so fond of his birthplace even though Tehran had become the center of all artists, he still stayed there and continued to perform in “Shah Abbas” Hotel.

In 1982, after writing “Yeki Ra Doost Midaram”, left the country. In one of his interviews, Moein really explains that his song “Yeki Ra Doost Midaram” has been carried out by Hayedeh (Persian famous singer before him) by the time they arrived in LA. However, is that their version became very popular and carry Moein his first hit. It is interesting to note that even a day many people think Moein made Hayedeh the song. Around this period, her songs attracted a lot of attention, especially since he now has freedom of expression (which is not allowed in Iran). Moein continued to produce hit after hit. As classics Kabeh, Havas, Esfehan, Miparastam, Paricheh. These were all great successes not only in Iran but also self outside Iran (eg Sweden, where many have migrated to Irianans).

Moein so far has produced 23 albums 1 song apart from the album ( ‘e Solh tannins “which worked together with Morteza, Andy, Kouros, and Fattaneh). Moein also made more than 5 concerts around the world hes known as the most talented singer iran.