Hamleys, the famous London toy store, has taken down gender signs for its toys in the wake of a campaign by a feminist blogger that the store’s blue-and-pink marked floors were sexist. Previously, the fifth floor of the Regent Street flagship store – where action figure and war-themed toys were sold – was marked with a blue “Boys” sign. Gone, too, is the third floor “Girls” sign which sells dolls and craft toys. Blogger Laura Nelson started the campaign with an October post that accused the store of promoting “gender apartheid.” “We have a severe lack of women in senior positions in our society and a severe problem of inequality,” she wrote in her blog, Delilah. “Only 22 percent of UK parliamentarians are female. A survey of Britain’s top 100 companies find that, of 329 executive directors, only 20 are women.”

Ryan Giggs 'accepts Imogen Thomas not a blackmailer'

Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has accepted there was no basis for accusing TV presenter Imogen Thomas of blackmail, the High Court has heard.

She took legal action after the Sun accused her of having an affair with a footballer - later named as Mr Giggs - which led him to seek an injunction.

The legal order, which prevented the publication of his name, was granted on the basis that Ms Thomas, 28, appeared to be trying to blackmail him.

Ms Thomas said she had been vindicated.

In a statement read outside the court in London on Thursday, Ms Thomas, the 2003 Miss Wales and former a Big Brother contestant, said: "To suddenly have to defend my character because of this legal process has been extremely upsetting and stressful.

"I'm just relieved that the parties and the court now accept that I'm no blackmailer. I have been vindicated and that's all I wanted.

"I have nothing to add - it's all behind me now."

Morocco bans EU fishing vessels amid Western Sahara row

Morocco has ordered foreign fishing boats operating in its waters under an EU deal to leave immediately.

The moves comes after the European Parliament voted not to extend a deal under which the EU paid Morocco for access to its fish stocks.

MEPs said the deal was illegal as it did not benefit the people living in the disputed Western Sahara, off which most of the fishing took place.

The ministry said the parliament's decision was "regrettable".

In a statement, it said the move could have "serious consequences for co-operation between Morocco and the European Union in fishing".

The EU - Morocco's largest trading partner - had been paying 36m euros (£30m: $47m) a year to Morocco for the right to fish in its waters, primarily off the coast of Western Sahara.

The deal officially expired in February, and the EU wanted it to be renewed up until February next year.

But on Wednesday, MEPs using powers granted under the Lisbon Treaty voted 326 to 296 to block the renewal, saying there was not enough evidence to show the deal would benefit the Sahrawi population, who live in Western Sahara.

Chevron faces $10.6bn Brazil legal suit over oil spill

Prosecutors in Brazil are demanding $10.6bn (£6.8bn) from US oil company Chevron for environmental damage caused when one of its oil wells leaked off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

The prosecutors also asked the court to immediately suspend the operations of Chevron and its drilling contractor, Transocean, in Brazil.

Brazil has already fined Chevron $28m for the spill on 8 November.

A Chevron official said the company had not yet been notified of the suit.

The prosecutors who brought the case argued that "Chevron and Transocean weren't capable of controlling the damages from a spill of 3,000 barrels of oil, which proves a lack of environmental planning and management".

They also accused Chevron of keeping information from Brazil's oil regulator, known by its initials ANP.

Chevron has been banned from drilling any new wells for at least three months, while the ANP investigates the spill.

Chevron has accepted full responsibility for the leak.

The company said it had underestimated the pressure of underwater oil deposits while drilling, causing oil to rush up the bore hole and seep into the surrounding seabed.

US flag ceremony ends Iraq operation

The flag of American forces in Iraq has been lowered in Baghdad, bringing nearly nine years of US military operations in Iraq to a formal end.

The US Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta, told troops the mission had been worth the cost in blood and dollars.

He said the years of war in Iraq had yielded to an era of opportunity in which the US was a committed partner.

Only about 4,000 US soldiers now remain in Iraq, but they are due to leave in the next two weeks.

At the peak of the operation, US forces there numbered 170,000.

French ex-President Jacques Chirac guilty of corruption

A French court has given former President Jacques Chirac a two-year suspended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust.

Mr Chirac, 79, was not in court to hear the verdict because of ill-health but denied wrongdoing.

President from 1995 to 2007, he was put on trial on charges that dated back to his time as mayor of Paris.

He was accused of paying members of his Rally for the Republic (RPR) party for municipal jobs that did not exist.

The prosecution had urged the judge to acquit Mr Chirac and nine others accused in the trial. Two of the nine were cleared. The other seven were found guilty and all but one handed suspended prison sentences.

Jean de Gaulle, grandson of former President Charles de Gaulle, was handed a three-month suspended term while former union leader Marc Blondel, 73, was convicted but escaped a sentence.

Protests against crates use snowball : Dambulla police use tear gas - nine grade Johnny’s novel theory wreaks havoc

The agitation by the farmers and vegetable traders against the Govt.’s vegetable crate regulation had spread to other districts of the country as well. The protests which were staged yesterday at Dambulla continued today with greater vehemence .The police tear gassed the farmers and traders who staged the protests carrying a coffin at Dambulla today. Owing to the tear gas attack , the Dambulla Hospital staff and the patients had been subjected to grave inconvenience . The protestors have also attacked a police vehicle. The ‘Nataameys’ , (laborers ), have agitated that Johnny (Minister) should carry a crate on his shoulder and show them. The police had been unable to control the situation even by evening.

According to subsequent reports , 28 persons have been arrested.