What is worse, increasing amounts of our food comes from countries where water is scarce, meaning the food we discard has a huge hidden impact on the depletion of valuable water resources across the world. According to the first comprehensive study into the impact of the "embedded water" in the UK's food waste on world water supplies, more than a 5% of the water used by the UK is thrown away in the form of uneaten food.

The water used to produce food thrown away by households in the UK amounts to about 6.2 billion cubic metres a year. That represents 6% of the UK's total water footprint, which includes water used in industry and agriculture. About a quarter of the water used to grow and process the wasted food originates in the UK, but much of it comes from countries that are already experiencing water stress.

Green campaigners have for years called for more attention to be paid to "hidden" or "embedded" water - water that is used in the production of all sorts of goods, from food and clothing to cars and furniture, and which represents a hidden cost on exports. As more countries suffer from water scarcity, these exports can further deplete natural resources and cause environmental problems such as salination - which can render land unfit for growing crops - and higher prices for water to poorer consumers.

The remarks follow a letter to the education secretary from the British Centre for Science Education (BCSE) suggesting that creationists planned to use government legislation on free schools to mount a "concerted attack" on science education. Free schools can be set up by charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents. They will have more freedom over the contents of their curriculum, leading to fears that science teaching in the schools may not be as rigorous. Teachers working at free schools will also not need to have formal teaching qualifications.

The Everyday Champions Church, in Newark, Nottinghamshire, submitted its proposal for a 652-place school in January, shortly before the DfE held its first free school conference where Gove said he would consider applications from creationist groups on a case-by-case basis. On its website the church says it has "660 children 'definitely' signed up to the school and 185 considering". It spent January and February carrying out public presentations and found parental response "overwhelmingly positive".

"Creationism will be embodied as a belief at Everyday Champions Academy, but will not be taught in the sciences," said its leader Gareth Morgan. "Similarly, evolution will be taught as a theory. We believe children should have a broad knowledge of all theories in order that they can make informed choice." The DfE spokesman said groups setting up new free schools in the UK will be vetted to ensure that they have "strong education aims" and "high curriculum standards". He said: "The education secretary is crystal clear that teaching creationism is at odds with scientific fact."

"The armed forces will stay faithful to the oath they gave before God, the nation and political leadership under the brother president, Ali Abdullah Saleh," said Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, the defence minister. "We will not allow under any circumstances an attempt at a coup against democracy and constitutional legitimacy, or violation of the security of the nation and citizens."

Explosions and shooting heard briefly on Monday evening near a presidential compound in the eastern port of Mukalla added to the sense of tension, as did a raid on al-Jazeera's offices in Sana'a by gunmen who seized broadcasting equipment.

Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, suffered a significant blow when General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, his longtime confidante and head of the Yemeni army in the north-west, announced that he would support "the peaceful revolution" by sending soldiers under his command to protect the thousands gathered in the capital to demand that Saleh step down. "According to what I'm feeling, and according to the feelings of my partner commanders and soldiers... I announce our support and our peaceful backing to the youth revolution," Ali Mohsen said.

But the reactor buildings at the plant held the equivalent of almost six years of the highly radioactive uranium fuel rods produced by the plant when disaster struck. Officials within the Japanese government, the power company and the nuclear watchdog are now likely to face tough questions about why the spent fuel rods were stored inside the building.

A much safer but more costly option would have been to build far stronger separate buildings designed specifically for nuclear storage but the plant has been subject to a cost-cutting drive under its chief executive Masataka Shimizu. The crisis, which has seen more than 45,000 residents evacuated and a country filled with the fear of a nuclear Armageddon, has focused attention on the plant's safety procedures and its history of failed checks.

David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the spent fuel was vulnerable because it was protected only by the relatively 'flimsy' outer shell of the reactors and reliant on a single, pump-driven cooling system. 'It's a recipe for disaster and that disaster is now unfolding in Japan,' Lochbaum said.

A number of Libyans, all of them implacably opposed to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, have played a senior role in the terrorist group but sources said the "narrative" of action in Libya could be twisted into propaganda. "No one could have guessed what has happened in the last few months in the Middle East and no one is sure what to expect next," said one source. "There are huge areas of uncertainty."

Reports in Libya suggested that some Islamists had sided with the rebels. "The al-Qaeda narrative is that the leadership of countries such as Libya has been guilty of apostasy and there is every danger that they will see whatever replaces them, especially if it is democratic, as equally guilty," the source said.

The current security level is "severe," meaning an attack is "highly likely," and that has not gone up, but Security Service analysts were thought to have been on alert for increased "chatter" in the extremist community and on websites and chat rooms. MI5 was less concerned about the threat of state-sponsored terrorism from Libya. "Gaddafi would have to go from a standing start within the space of a week and his attention right now is probably on staying alive," one analyst said.

Nevertheless, the Security Service was taking Colonel Gaddafi's threats to attack the West seriously and was examining both possible threats from within the Libyan embassy. David Cameron told the Commons: "If Gaddafi's attacks on his own people succeed, Libya will become once again a pariah state festering on Europe's border, a source of instability, exporting terror beyond her borders."

Amr Mussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said at the weekend that he wanted "protection of civilians in Libya, not bombing other civilians". Yesterday, following the intervention of David Cameron and Ban Ki-Moon, the UN secretary-general, Mr Mussa insisted he had been misquoted and publicly backed the operation in Libya. However, Arab countries had yet to use their extensive military assets to help enforce the no-fly zone and many appeared more concerned with suppressing unrest in their own countries.

Colonel Tim Collins, who participated in the Army's early campaign in Iraq, said: "Their support is crucial, otherwise it looks like yet another attack by the West on Arab nations. We should include Arab nations in the command and control of the operation, to ensure they are involved. They have the gear, there are missed opportunities here."

General Sir Mike Jackson, the former head of the Army, said: "The continuing support of Arab nations is vital, the leaders of the coalition are going to have to work that Arab sensitivity really quite hard. They are reluctant to see non-Arab nations taking action within the territory of the Arab League."

Mr Putin, who was speaking to workers at a Russian missile factory, added, "I am concerned by the ease with which decisions to use force are taken in international affairs. This is becoming a persistent tendency in US policy," he added.

However, in one of the most public clashes between the two men to date, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said it was unacceptable to make such historical comparisons, warning such remarks risked stirring up even more trouble. Mr Medvedev sharply rebuked Mr Putin, saying, "Under no circumstances is it acceptable to use expressions which essentially lead to a clash of civilisations. Such as [talking of] a 'crusade' and so on."

The Office for National Statistics has defended the wording of the census. While 61% of the poll's respondents said they did belong to a religion, 65% of those surveyed answered "no" to the further question: "Are you religious?" Among respondents who identified themselves as Christian, fewer than half said they believed Jesus Christ was a real person who died, came back to life and was the son of God. Another 27% said they did not believe that at all, while 25% were unsure.

In the last census in 2001, 72% of people were classed as Christians - a figure which is much higher than other surveys. The BHA believes people might tick "yes" to the census question on religion for reasons of cultural identity. The chief executive of the BHA, Andrew Copson, is running a national campaign encouraging non-religious people to state their unbelief clearly on their census forms. He said: "This poll is further evidence for a key message of the Census Campaign - that the data produced by the census, used by local and national government as if it indicates religious belief and belonging, is in fact highly misleading."

The think tank Theos, which undertakes research into religious matters, says attempting to measure cultural affiliation to religion - rather than actual, regular practice - is a good idea, as it shows the broad values society shares. It also disputes the BHA's assertion that the collected data is used for political purposes.

Countries including the US, UK and France are continuing strikes after the UN authorised action to protect Libyan civilians from government forces. Colonel Gaddafi has been fighting a rebellion that broke out last month. US officials have said Colonel Gaddafi himself is not a target of the air strikes, which they say are aimed at his armed forces and air defence systems. A Libyan official said 64 people had been killed in strikes at the weekend, but the figure could not be verified.

Earlier at the Pentagon, US Navy Vice Admiral William Gortney said the coalition had control of the air space between Tripoli and the main rebel stronghold, Benghazi. "The no-fly zone is effectively in place," he said. He added that ground forces moving on rebel positions were also open to attack. The US says a Libyan government claim that armed forces were observing a ceasefire "isn't true or has been immediately violated".

Qatar is to send four planes to join the coalition enforcing the UN-mandated no-fly zone, the US and France have said. The move would make Qatar the first Arab country to play an active part in the campaign against Colonel Gaddafi, who has been battling a month-long revolt. Other Arab countries are also preparing to join the campaign against Colonel Gaddafi, Vice Admiral Gortney said.

The only party with a strong presence in the Mansfeld-Sudharz district, as in many parts of Saxony-Anhalt, is the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD). Party supporters have hung up posters in nearly every town with slogans such as "A slap in the face for political fat cats" and "Out with criminal foreigners." Internal NPD emails reveal the significance party members place on the upcoming election in Saxony-Anhalt. Matthias Heyder, the party's leading candidate for the state, calls it an election that will "determine the fate of the entire national movement in Germany."

The far-right party already has a presence in the regional parliaments of the eastern states Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and is looking to gain a foothold in a third. The only way to achieve that goal, according to one internal email, is a "battle of resources." Accordingly, the cash-strapped party is pouring nearly all available funding into the east, with one of its most important members taking charge of the campaign -- Holger Apfel, NPD leader in the parliament of the neighboring state of Saxony. Current polls show the extremist party getting 5 percent of the vote, the threshold that a party has to reach to hold seats in parliament.

"Entry into the state parliament would mean the NPD had achieved its goal," says David Begrich from the association Miteinander ("Together") that works to promote democracy and combat right-wing extremism in Saxony-Anhalt, explaining that the party would now be represented in the parliaments of three states. Now it's up to politicians from the democratic parties, Begrich says, to show what they stand for and why it's worth going to vote. If not, he warns, the other parties will be left standing there sheepishly on March 20, wondering how the far-right managed to triumph again.

The "Jasmine Revolution."

Activists on the Internet chose the term, inspired by the Tunisia rebellion of the same name, for a series of demonstrations in which the Chinese were to take to the streets to demand more freedom of expression. So far, however, such upheavals exist purely in the nervous minds of the country's leaders. Nevertheless, it is telling how Chinese party leaders relate to the fates of the Arab autocrats who have already been ousted. They have increased surveillance of their own people with the help of a massive security operation of a magnitude the People's Republic has not experienced since the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Reacting to the unrest in the Middle East, Communist Party leader Hu called together top officials from the provinces and the military for a retreat in February. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is expected to replace Hu soon, was also present. The subject of the meeting was how the authorities can prevent social conflict and guide public opinion on the Internet in the desired direction.

The group came to the conclusion that unrest and demonstrations of the sort that have taken place in North Africa must not be allowed to happen in the first place. Since then, words like "jasmine" have been completely blocked on the Internet. Even a traditional folk song that sings the praises of the fragrant blossoms of the "Mo Li Hua" ("Jasmine Flower") fell victim to the censors. The authorities also placed more than 100 dissidents, attorneys and activists under house arrest.

The Chinese security forces also harassed a few representatives of the Western media in their apartments, using nighttime visits to intimidate reporters into behaving "cooperatively." Otherwise, they warned, the authorities would refuse to extend their work permits at the end of the year. The regime believes that heightened pressure on Western media will close the last few gaps in the Chinese wall of censorship, with which the giant country is successfully sealing itself off from the rest of the world. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have long been blocked.

China's strongest condemnation yet of assaults on the forces of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, and showed how the conflict could become a fresh point of contention between Beijing and Washington.

The paper accused the United States and its allies of violating international rules, although China had refrained from blocking the United Nations Security Council decision last week that effectively authorised the air attacks. The People's Daily likened the assault on Libyan sites to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and suggested it followed a pattern of Western overreaching in other countries' affairs.

"The blood-soaked tempests that Iraq has undergone for eight years and the unspeakable suffering of its people are a mirror and a warning," said the commentary in the People's Daily. "The military attacks on Libya are, following on the Afghan and Iraq wars, the third time that some countries have launched armed action against sovereign countries," it said.

"It should be seen that every time military means are used to address crises, that is a blow to the United Nations Charter and the rules of international relations."

DEATH TOLL

The death toll is difficult to forecast. A total of 8,649 people were confirmed dead by Japan's National Police Agency as of midday on Monday (11pm ET on Sunday), while 13,262 were reported missing.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE EVACUATED

A total of 349,349 people are in shelters around the country as of midday (0300 GMT) Monday after being evacuated, the National Police Agency of Japan said. The government expanded the evacuation area around a quake-stricken nuclear plant in northeastern Japan to a 20-km (12 miles) radius from 10 km on March 12. Since then, around 177,500 residents have evacuated from the zone. The government has also told people within 30 km of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, some 240 km north of Tokyo, to stay indoors.

HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

A total of 242,927 households in the north were without electricity as of Sunday evening, Tohuku Electric Power Company says.

HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT WATER

At least 1.04 million households in 11 prefectures were without running water as of Saturday, the Health Ministry says.

NUMBER OF BUILDINGS DAMAGED

At least 14,637 buildings have been completely destroyed, the National Police Agency of Japan says on Monday.

IMPACT ON ECONOMY

The World Bank, citing private estimates, said the cost of Japan's earthquake and tsunami could range from $122 billion to $235 billion, or 2.5 to 4 percent of GDP. It said the disaster would hurt Japan's GDP growth through 2011.

Gulf Arab states reject Iranian and other foreign interference in their internal affairs and said Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were taking part in Libyan military operations for "safety and security." Asked about UAE and Qatari involvement in a Western military operation against Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, he said: "We are within the coalition for safety and security according to the UN resolution."

The Republican from Youngsville has introduced a bill that would establish a legislative commission to study his plan for a state currency. He is also drafting a second bill that would require state government to accept gold and silver coins as payment for taxes and fees. If the state treasurer starts accepting precious metals as payment, Bradley said that could prod the private sector to follow suit - potentially allowing residents to trade gold for groceries.

"I think we're in the process of inflating a dollar bubble that could be very devastating," said Bradley, a freshman legislator elected in November's GOP tide. "The idea is once the study commission finishes its work, then we could build on top of the hard-money currency with an actual State Tender Act that will basically [issue currency] in correspondence to precious metals stored in the state treasury." Bradley's bill has yet to attract any co-sponsors among his fellow Republicans.