It's an inconvenient truth, but mixing rock with recycling is awkward. In a TV interview earlier this week, Matt Bellamy of the band Muse mocked the event as "private jets for climate change." John Buckley of Carbon Footprint, an organization that helps companies reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, said Saturday that Live Earth will produce about 74,500 tons of the gas.

"WE WOULD HAVE TO PLANT 100,000 TREES TO OFFSET THE EFFECT OF LIVE EARTH," he said, speaking by telephone.

Certainly, on the way into the show, some of the 65,000 people who'd spent $110 (£55) on a ticket appeared unaware of the seven-point pledge that Al Gore, the event's chief impresario, had asked all spectators to make. Asked about it, they offered blank looks and said they were there for Madonna (whose annual carbon footprint, according to Buckley, is 1,018 tons -- about 92 times the 11 tons an average person uses per year).

"I'm not even sure who Gore is," said Georgie Simpson, 35, from Ipswich, in eastern England. "I saw Gore on TV," added Sue Bourner, 38, a health service manager from Hampshire. "But frankly, I think it's cheeky of Americans to come over here and lecture us. They are the worst polluters."

But now experts are warning the world's internet system is about to become a victim of its own success and is literally filling up and grinding to a halt. Fast-moving technology has meant the internet has opened up more and more possibilities for consumers - but the ability to create home videos, make cheap phone calls around the world and transmit massive amounts of data in seconds is taking its toll.

And it is now feared users will see their bills increase as providers are forced to return to the 'pay as you browse' systems used in the early days of the internet just to keep the system running. Extra top-up charges could also be introduced to allow users to enter their favourite websites.

Now the United Nations is calling for action to upgrade the system and prevent meltdown. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a UN-sponsored agency, is asking internet providers and governments to cooperate ahead of its conference in Rio later this year.

The IGF's chair Nitin Desai said: "People are concerned about whether the system we have now will work five years from now." And a source at the IGF added: "As more people come online and do more with the internet, it will need more capacity to continue working at the high speeds users in the West have got used to. It can be done, but only if all the companies and governments involved commit to getting the infrastructure upgraded."

The starkest warning yet that the internet may be filling up came in a recent report from the analyst Deloitte. It revealed that the Amsterdam Internet Exchange, the world's largest internet hub, was handling a million gigabytes of data a day at the beginning of last year. But this year, the exchange is expected to be transferring one billion GB a day.

Phil Smith, Cisco Systems head of technology and corporate marketing, said: "In one day YouTube sends data equivalent to 75 billion e-mails. The network is growing up, is starting to get more capacity than it ever had, but it is a challenge."

The radical leader of Islamabad's Red Mosque, under siege for the last six days by hundreds of Pakistan troops, said the 1,800 children he claims are still in the religious-school complex have taken oaths on the Quran to fight to the death, a frightening possibility confirmed by frantic parents who have spoken by cell phone with sons and daughters who say they soon hope to be martyrs.

"I spoke to my daughter. She said there was no food or water left," said Luftullah Khan, a shopkeeper, who was able to get through to them on their cell phone. "I tried to arrange a meeting, but she said, 'We're here - my dead body will be here. I will not leave my teachers'." Followers of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, leader of the pro-Taliban mosque, said yesterday 30 girls had been buried in a mass grave inside the complex.

The six-day siege has been mostly restrained, with the military wanting to avoid massive bloodshed. Children from two madrassas, or religious schools, are being held in the mosque. According to London Sunday Times, they have been moved to the basement of the complex.

Yesterday, the army shelled sections of the wall surrounding the complex, bringing them down, and fired tear gas at the militants, but avoided a direct attack on the mosque. While no fuel, food or water is getting into the complex, Ghazi's followers say they have enough ammunition to hold out for 25 or 30 days. Ghazi, who has said he and his followers will fight to the end, now says the 1,800 children he holds have been divided into two groups and will join his fighters against any assault. "The boys are the first line of defense, then the girls," he said. "They have all sworn an oath on the Koran that they will fight to the death."

The standoff was sparked a week ago by Musharraf's crackdown on the mosque after the increasingly militant group's months-long campaign of intimidation in Islamabad, imposing Sharia law and punishment on the city's citizens.

Khan, the desperate father and shopkeeper, succeeded Friday in getting his two daughters to leave the compound with a ruse. Reaching them once again by cell phone, he told them their mother was ill and lay unconscious on the pavement outside. The two girls left the compound and were taken by their father.

Saima, Khan's 10-year-old daughter, denounced the trick. "The teachers taught us about martyrdom and that it is a great achievement," she told the Times. "I could see the fighting was in front of me and I could understand that we would die. I felt real anger about what my father did. He tricked me."

"I'm taking them back to our village," Khan said. "They were ready for martyrdom and they're very angry with me. I'm just happy I've got my daughters back, and sorry for those whose daughters are still in there."

ACCORDING TO KHAN, SAIMA'S TRANSFORMATION HAD TAKEN ONLY EIGHT WEEKS.

UK consumers spend £12bn a year on electronics, much of which is less efficient than older technology, a study by the Energy Saving Trust found. Paula Owen, author of the report called The Ampere Strikes Back, said household appliances currently consumed about a third of an average home's electricity. But she warned this was likely to increase as a result of people buying more energy-intensive devices.

"Your old-fashioned, bulky cathode ray tube TV on average consumed about 100 watts of electricity when it was switched on," Dr Owen explained. "What we are seeing now is a trend for much bigger flat-screened TVs. On average, we are seeing a three-fold increase in the energy needed to power these TVs. "Pretty much in every other sector [such as fridges and washing machines], we find that as the technology moves on, the products get more and more efficient. "Consumer electronics does not work like that."

The equivalent of 14 power stations will be needed just to power consumer electronic devices by 2020, the report warned. By that time televisions on standby will consume 1.4% of all domestic electricity, it predicted.

Digital radios were also singled out by the report as being energy intensive. "Traditional analogue radios consume about two watts when they are switched on," Dr Owen said. "We've looked at digital radios and the average consumption of these is eight watts."

"Mobile phones and their chargers are one area where we have seen an improvement," Dr Owen said. But she added that the sheer volume of mobiles being used, about 63 million in the UK, meant that a huge amount of energy was still being wasted if people were not unplugging their chargers when they were not being used. "The simple message to people is switch things off when you have finished using them," urged Dr Owen.

Farmers have been unable to spray their crops to protect them from the fungal disease which causes plants to rot. The union said cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and other vegetables were also suffering in the conditions.

NFU horticulture board chairman Richard Hirst said that if there was a crop in the country which did not have the potato blight "it is a miracle". "The problem is that conditions are so wet that crops are full of these diseases," he said. Mr Hirst said the land on his farm in Norfolk was the wettest it had been for 25 years.

Sarah Pettitt, chairman of the committee, said: "Other crops such as broad beans, green beans and brassicas are also being seriously affected, particularly broad beans, and the potential green bean crop, where in certain parts of the country we have only 25% drilled."

EU ANTI-FRAUD WATCHDOG ACCUSED OF IRREGULARITIES AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The FT reports that the head of Olaf, the EU's ANTI-FRAUD WATCHDOG, is to be questioned by MEPs over allegations of CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND IRREGULARITIES IN THE WAY IT OPERATES. Paul van Buitenen, the Dutch whistleblower turned MEP, said "There are problems with the European anti-fraud office. The reforms of Olaf that were recommended by a committee of experts in 1999 after the fall of the Commission have not been implemented."

EU TO TAX CHILDREN'S CLOTHES AND NAPPIES?
The Express reports that EU plans to shake up VAT across Europe could lead to goods such as children's clothes and nappies being taxed in the UK for the first time. Open Europe is quoted in the Express warning: "If the EU forces through tax increases on everyday products such as nappies it is only GOING TO ADD TO THE GROWING BRITISH FRUSTRATION WITH BRUSSELS."

CONSERVATIVES QUESTION BRITISH EU TREATY OPT-OUTS
The Telegraph reports that the UK Conservatives are stepping up their demands for a referendum on the new EU treaty, with the party's legal advisers saying that the precise wording of the British opt-outs from controversial aspects of the new EU treaty - including the Charter of Fundamental Rights - leaves considerable room for doubt.

LE MONDE: BLAIR DID NOT GET HIS WAY ON EU TREATY
A leader in Le Monde on Tony Blair's legacy in Europe notes, "EUROPE DID NOT BEND TO HIS DEMANDS. It did not follow him in his battle against the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the extension of qualified majority voting or the designation of a Foreign Affairs Minister." An article in Europolitique looks at the draft IGC mandate's provisions for defence, and quotes Open Europe warning that efforts already underway in this area risk duplicating NATO initiatives.

IF BROWN WANTS TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, REFERENDUMS ARE THE WAY FORWARD
In the Mail, Andrew Alexander argues that " Brown really wants to get citizens properly involved in running the country, [referendums are] the way forward. This would, it is argued, conflict with our tradition of parliamentary democracy where MPs legislate after conscientiously assessing the views of their voters. But they don't. WE SHOULD FACE THE FACT THAT OUR SYSTEM IS OUT OF DATE. IT NO LONGER WORKS BECAUSE MPS DO NOT LISTEN."

IRISH GOVERNMENT COMES UNDER PRESSURE ON CHARTER OPT-OUT
Euobserver reports that Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has come under pressure from the Left after it was revealed in media reports that the government has "reserved the right" to opt out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the new EU treaty. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said it will campaign for a No to the treaty in the referendum if the clause allowing Ireland to opt out remains. Meanwhile, the Green Party, in power for the first time in Ireland, has said the Charter is key to its support for the EU treaty.

BRUSSELS "FURIOUS" WITH FRENCH ECONOMIC POLICY;
Libération reports that "The Commission is no longer hiding its fury with France's economic policy." Paris has admitted that public debt will reach 2.4% of GDP in 2008, the same as its 2007 level, despite the fact that it was supposed to reduce it to 1.8% as promised by the de Villepin government.

SARKOZY : EUROPE SHOULD NOT "SUBMIT TO THE PSEUDO-DICTATORSHIP OF THE MARKET"
The IHT questions whether Nicolas Sarkozy's early talk of market reform was really just a disguise FOR TRADITIONAL GAULLIST PROTECTIONISM. It notes that Sarkozy has recently called for a Europe "that does not submit itself to the pseudo-dictatorship of the market.

GERMANY "LURCHES TOWARDS PROTECTIONISM"
The Telegraph reports that Germany is drawin"giant locust funds" controlled by Russian, Chinese and Middle East governments. "Private finance houses", an apparent reference to Anglo-Saxon hedge funds and private equity groups, could also be excluded. The EU Commission has said the legislation is a breach of EU law and has launched legal action at the European Court.

EU WARNS FRANCE AGAINST QUESTIONING TURKEY'S ACCESSION TALKS;
Euobserver reports that EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has warned France of the consequences of encouraging a general debate on Turkish membership of the bloc. "Whoever kicks off a new debate should also consider all of the possible consequences".The accession process is an anchor for democracy and secularism [in Turkey]." Meanwhile, the FT notes that the Turkish constitutional court yesterday backed the government over a proposal to allow the people rather than Parliament to elect the country's president.

It notes that "The country that most troubles outsiders is Latvia. It has a whopping current-account deficit: some 21% of GDP in 2006, and bigger still so far this year. That reflects soaring consumption and household debt, financed mainly by foreign-owned banks. Wages are rocketing - up by a third year-on-year. Inflation is over 8%. This points to a need for tough restraining measures. But the currency, the lats, is pegged to the euro, so the central bank's ability to raise interest rates is constrained."

It also singles out Hungary as a big offender, on account of its huge budget deficit. The article concludes, "The lesson that other countries take from Hungary's financial shenanigans is that it is possible to spend like crazy to win an election and then sober up afterwards. That will change when global conditions make growth a hard scrabble, rather than a bonanza, and borrowing money means dealing with flinty-eyed sceptics, not rosy-eyed thrill-seekers. The politicians may then have to concentrate on the real sources of competitiveness: brains, hard work and clean government."

It argues that "The Brussels consensus has it that three policy areas are ripe for pushing ahead. Yet thanks to disputes between the various countries that would be needed for a credible core, none of the three could work in practice."

It argues that closer economic policy integration is now "unthinkable" given Nicolas Sarkozy's attempts to exert national control over monetary policy in the Eurozone. On legal harmonisation and a common asylum and immigration policy, the article argues that "much of the feasible work in this field has been done", and
that "The possible next steps are either too hard, even for pioneers (eg, building a single legal system), or too footling to turn into the foundations of a two-speed Europe."

On defence cooperation, and the formation of a European army, it is argued that this is unfeasible as the EU only has two and a half serious military powers (the UK, France and Germany), and there is no chance of Britain agreeing to such a plan, while France is also reluctant. It concludes however that a two-speed Europe is certainly not impossible:

"If Britain were to vote no to a treaty that is already a painful compromise, Europe would enter uncharted waters. And keeping the EU moving at a single pace might then become Brussels's latest lost cause."

An agreement to this effect was signed two years ago between Iranian President Ahmedinajad and Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. The rockets in question are the Shihab-3, Scud-B, and Scud-C, which can reach any part of the State of Israel. They can be fired from mobile launchers.

Ahmedinajad announced earlier this year that if his country feels threatened regarding its nuclear program, Israel will become its first military counter-target.

The Shihab-3 is a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometers. It has the ability to change its trajectory more than once in mid-course, protecting it significantly against Israel's anti-ballistic missile Arrow system. The Scud missiles have a range of 300 to 600 kilometers, and are less accurate than the Shihab.

"We are trying to find answers for the situation in Gaza without diagnosing the problem," the previous IDF chief said. "What we are witnessing in Gaza is the establishment of a Jihadist Islamic society." Yaalon says that any talk of negotiations and withdrawing to the 1967 borders pushes peace farther away.

"These are movements that are not interested in territorial issues between us and the Palestinians, but in other issues altogether. This was proven with the Disengagement and now is our opportunity to look and learn. It was a victory in their eyes for the global Jihad and gave strength to Hizbullah, Hamas and all the other Islamist groups."

According to the report, the checkpoints in question had been in place for 40 years, ever since the Six Day War. Al-Hiyat also claimed that the IDF was conducted maneuvers on the Golan Heights that foreign journalists were barred from covering.

The newspaper also reported that Israel had blocked access to areas on the Golan Heights from which villages and towns were visible. The report also listed the equipment the IDF had left in place, which included bulldozers and 70 tank outposts.

The report came two days after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni addressed Syrian concerns that Israel planned to attack the country. Livni said that the IDF was conducting exercises and nothing more. "Israel, unfortunately, has to be constantly prepared. The IDF's job is to protect Israeli citizens, and for this it must train, and for this exercises were created. It would be a shame? to interpret this otherwise," Livni said.

Madonna's carbon footprint is dwarfed only by her ego - she has vowed that she will 'speak to the planet' at Wembley. In fact, an apology might be in order - for the superstar's energy consumption is only the tip of the iceberg in this epic vanity-fest. For her 2006 World Tour, she flew by private jet, transporting a team of up to 100 technicians and dancers around the globe. Waiting in the garage at home, she has a Mercedes Maybach, two Range Rovers, an Audi A8 and a Mini Cooper S.

THE LIVE EARTH EVENT IS, IN THE WORDS OF ONE COMMENTATOR: "A MASSIVE, HYPOCRITICAL FRAUD". For while the organisers' commitment to save the planet is genuine, the very process of putting on such a vast event, with more than 150 performers jetting around the world to appear in concerts from Tokyo to Hamburg, IS SURELY AN EXERCISE IN HYPOCRISY ON A GRAND SCALE.

A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that far from saving the planet, THE EXTRAVAGANZA WILL GENERATE A HUGE FUEL BILL, ACRES OF GARBAGE, THOUSANDS OF TONNES OF CARBON EMISSIONS, AND A MILEAGE TOTAL EQUAL TO THE MOVEMENT OF AN ARMY.

The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher.

The total carbon footprint of the event is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, THROW IN THE TELEVISION AUDIENCE AND IT COMES TO A STAGGERING 74,500 TONNES. IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE BRITON PRODUCES TEN TONNES IN A YEAR. The concert will also generate some 1,025 tonnes of waste at the concert stadiums - much of which will go directly into landfill sites.

MOREOVER, THE POP STARS HEADLINING THE CONCERTS ARE THE ABSOLUTE ANTITHESIS OF THE MESSAGE THEY PROMOTE - WITH MADONNA LEADING THE PACK OF THE WORST INDIVIDUAL ROCK STAR POLLUTERS IN THE WORLD.

Dr Andrea Collins, an expert in sustainability from Cardiff University, has researched the impact of such mass gatherings on the environment. She said, "It is patently absurd to claim that travel of this nature doesn't have an impact. Each person attending the event will have to make a return journey to the venue, be it by air, rail, bus or car. This burns fossil fuel - precisely what we are trying to reduce. "There is also the environmental cost of these artists flying around the world - that is absolutely huge."

The Daily Mail has found that five of the top performing acts together have an annual output of almost 2,000 carbon tonnes. Madonna alone has an annual carbon footprint of 1,018 tonnes, according to John Buckley. Remember, the average Briton produces just ten tonnes.

PLANS TO ASK THE BRITISH PUBLIC TO TURN OFF THEIR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES DURING THE LIVE EARTH BROADCAST WERE SCUPPERED WHEN THE NATIONAL GRID POINTED OUT THAT AS EVERYONE SWITCHED ON AGAIN, A GIANT POWER SURGE COULD CRIPPLE THE COUNTRY.

So just how does Gore claim that Live Earth will be carbon neutral? He does so by convenient use of 'CARBON OFFSETTING' - A TRENDY NEW METHOD OF ABSOLVING YOURSELF OF GUILT. Carbon offsetting involves 'neutralising' the emissions you are responsible for by buying 'credits'. A spokesperson for Live Earth says: "This might involve buying environmentally sound lightbulbs for a Third World school, planting trees, or installing solar panels in a developing country."

A huge industry has sprung up to provide corporations with carbon credits. However, critics say that the practice is simply a way for consumerist industries and nations to export their responsibility to developing countries. Others say it simply does not work. Dr John Barrett, from the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York, says: "There is a huge irony in flying halfway across the globe in a private jet, eating up fossil fuel. "The idea that you can offset the pollution you cause is just ridiculous. What these people at Live Earth have done is defined their boundaries to suit themselves, but there is no sense in which this concert is carbon neutral.

"Planting trees or investing in renewable energy does not reverse the damage of releasing huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the environment. "It is far better not to pollute in the first place. Carbon offsetting can be a removal of guilt, but it is not an effective one." Dr Barrett says: "It would be far better for these celebrities to stay at home. Holding large concerts to highlight environmental concerns and cut carbon emissions just seems ridiculous. What planet do these people live on?"

Oppressive temperatures eased a bit in some parts of the West, but McDonald's central Montana ranch baked under triple-digit heat. Forecasters reported little relief in the days ahead, saying the weather system that brought the high temperatures could last well into next week.

In Montana, where cattle outnumber residents by more than 2 to 1, livestock and people sought shade and drought-weary farmers watched for damage to grain.Warnings of excessive heat were posted Friday for much of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington state.

Temperatures were expected to ease slightly in Southern California. Phoenix saw a modest drop, a relatively cooler 111 degrees compared to 115 Thursday. With the approach of Arizona's summer rainy season, humidity levels have started climbing along with power demand.

Officials said the fire season could turn fearsome following the dry heat."It's an early start and a hot start," said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Velver in Great Falls.The National Forest Service reported at least 16 fires over 500 acres in size burning throughout the West, including three new ones that sparked Thursday.The agency said fire danger was most extreme in Arizona, California, Oregon and Utah - although a "red flag" warning was posted for much of the West.

But the heat will hover over most of the far West through at least the end of next week, said Kelly Redmond, a regional climatologist for the National Weather Service. He said it could migrate further inland and cover more of the West, including Colorado, as the week goes on.

"It looks like it is going to stay place for a good long while," he said.

In a severe weather update to media, the forecaster noted western states currently wilting in temperatures above 100 degrees will get some relief as their weather system moves to the east, but the Midwest will feel the heat over the weekend and the eastern U.S. could see early-week temperatures at 100 degrees.

Texas and Oklahoma will finally get a break from recent rain showers, as an approaching high-pressure system pushes the wet weather into the Tennessee Valley, the forecaster said.

The high, approaching from the Midwest, will finally dislodge the disturbance that has dumped inches of precipitation on the Southern Plains over the past several weeks.

But environmentalists increasingly feel such schemes do nothing to aid the environment and may harm it. Critics say problems with the schemes include trees being planted only to be cut down a little later, and renewable energy schemes which would have happened anyway.

There are concerns that native trees have been felled, so the area could be replanted to qualify for "carbon" money. THE COMMONS ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT COMMITTEE IS SO WORRIED ABOUT OFFSETTING IT SAID "THE PROCESS SHOULD BE TREATED WITH CAUTION."

The regulated market for carbon credits is expected to more than double in size to about £34bn by 2010, with the unregulated voluntary sector rising to £2bn in the same period. Carbon offsetting allows companies and individuals to carry on producing carbon dioxide from transport and the production of fuel and consumer goods, alleviating the environmental effects by funding schemes, often in developing countries, which absorb emissions.

Jutta Kill, of campaign group SinksWatch, said: "CARBON OFFSETTING IS A DISTRACTION. Many people refer to it as a way of buying time, making people aware. But what awareness is being created? EVEN IN THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO, IT DOES NOT REDUCE EMISSIONS; IT PREVENTS EMISSIONS RISING."

The Live Earth concerts across the world, organised by the former US VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE, involve performers such as Madonna and the Beastie Boys and aim to raise awareness of climate change. However, Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Carbon offsetting schemes are poorly regulated; people should consider that route only if they've done absolutely everything else."

Carbon offsetting is also one of the seven pledges that an estimated two billion viewers of Live Earth will be asked to sign. The pledges also include a demand for an international treaty within two years to cut global warming pollution by 90 per cent in developed countries, and by over half worldwide "in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy Earth".