National / International News

Ex-Tory MP Neil Hamilton, his wife Christine, and former TV presenter John Leslie settle phone-hacking legal claims against the publishers of the News of the World.

The National Rifle Association notched another victory this week with the defeat of gun control legislation in the Senate, burnishing its reputation as one of the most effective -- if not the most effective -- lobbying organizations around. Lobbyists for all sorts of other causes are looking at the NRA's success and wondering how they might crib some of the secrets of its playbook.

Jim Thurber has taught a how-to lobbying course at American University for 30 years. The NRA is so good, Thurber says, he brings their chief lobbyist in to talk to students. Thurber says the NRA does have lots of money, but the real lesson here is how it organizes its members to pressure lawmakers.

“So they have at least 180,000 that are immediately reactive to anything that’s going on,” Thurber says. “Through the internet, they get mobilized and send a message.”

Toby Moffett knows some of the targets of those messages. He’s a former member of Congress, who now lobbies mostly on behalf of foreign countries. He says some House Democrats told him they were amazed at how their incoming emails suddenly turned against gun control, during the recent debate.

“Their mail had totally flipped,” he explains. “From 5-1 in favor of doing something, to 5-1 against doing something.  Now, that didn’t just happen by accident. That was the NRA.”

Even though Moffett is a gun control supporter, he appreciates the NRA’s lobbying prowess. He uses similar tactics to build citizen coalitions for his clients.

Steve Fox is also a lobbyist. He’s with the Marijuana Policy Project, which wants to change federal laws on pot. He tries to emulate the NRA’s ability to frame an issue in terms of fundamental rights.

“They are focused on guns, he says. “We are focused on marijuana. They’re similar in that way. It’s sort of an individual liberty issue.”

Fox’s group has even tried to join forces with the NRA to overturn a law that prohibits marijuana users from owning guns. But so far, the NRA isn’t interested.

Dell's deteriorating financial condition leads to Blackstone deciding to withdraw its bid for the computer company.

Games volunteers talk about carrying on the 2012 spirit

A fire which killed five members of a family was started deliberately by someone holding a flame against a child's pushchair, a fire expert tells a court.

A pub landlord from Wiltshire who jumped to his death at sea told his partner to "be good, or I'll come back and haunt you", an inquest hears.

Changes to the Scottish court system which will see 10 sheriff courts across the country closed are accepted by the Scottish government.

Not 24 hours after the FBI released images of two suspects in Monday's blasts, one of the suspects is dead and the other is still at large.

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Two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing killed an MIT police officer, injured a transit officer in a firefight and threw explosive devices at police during their getaway attempt in a long night of violence that left one of them dead and another still at large on Friday morning.

Authorities have described the suspect on the loose as a dangerous terrorist and have urged residents of Watertown, Mass., and several other nearby cities and towns to stay in their homes. All modes of Boston area transit have been suspended. Businesses are being asked to remain closed as the search continues.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Sunday that France's economy is expected to grow just 0.1 percent this year, a downward revision from the country's initial target. Moscovici, who is part of the Socialist goverment of Francois Hollande, was selected along with his party on the promise of more growth and less austerity. Moscovici joined Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss the state of the French economy and where it is headed in the future.

Quentin Tarantino listens to music on cassette, and other nuggets

Europe's Herschel space telescope has imaged one of the most popular subjects in the sky - the Horsehead Nebula - and its environs.

Schoolchildren in England should spend more hours at school each day and have shorter holidays, says Education Secretary Michael Gove

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is included on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Double Olympic bronze medallist Max Whitlock secures his first senior European medal with second place in the all-around in Russia

At least seven people are killed in a mortar attack on a Sunni mosque in northern Iraq, police say, a day before provincial polls.

Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen heads the Red Bulls and Fernando Alonso's Ferrari in second practice at the Bahrain GP.

A man must serve at least 16 years in jail for the murder of a Londonderry man in what a judge described as "unspeakable brutality".

Venezuela's election body announces it will carry out a full audit on all of the votes cast in Sunday's presidential election, as Nicolas Maduro prepares to be inaugurated.

The PSNI has confirmed reports of a collapsed building in Londonderry's Fountain area.

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason praises "tireless worker" album artwork designer Storm Thorgerson, who has died aged 69.