Sun and global warming: A cosmic connection?

Sun and global warming: A cosmic connection?

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website

A web of theory has been spun around the Sun’s climate influence

In February 2007, depending on what newspaper you read, you might have seen an article detailing a “controversial new theory” of global warming. The idea was that variations in cosmic rays penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere would change the amount of cloud cover, in turn changing our planet’s reflectivity, and so the temperature at its surface. This, it was said, could be the reason why temperatures have been seen to be varying so much over the Earth’s history, and why they are rising now. The theory was detailed in a book, The Chilling Stars, written by Danish scientist Henrik Svensmark and British science writer Nigel Calder, which appeared on the shelves a week after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had published its landmark report concluding it was more than 90% likely that humankind’s emissions of greenhouse gases were warming the planet. I think the Sun is the major driver of climate change Henrik Svensmark

In truth, the theory was not new; Dr Svensmark’s team had proposed it a decade earlier, while the idea of a cosmic ray influence on weather dates back to 1959 and US researcher Edward Ney. The bigger question is whether it amounts to a theory of global warming at all. Small change Over the course of the Earth’s history, the main factor driving changes in its climate has been that the amount of energy from the Sun varies, either because of wobbles in the Earth’s orbit or because the Sun’s power output changes. Most noticeably, it changes with the 11-year solar cycle, first identified in the mid-1800s by astronomers who noticed periodic variations in the number of sunspots. If it varied enough, it could change the Earth’s surface temperature markedly. So is it? Cosmic rays appear to influence the formation of clouds

“Across the solar cycle, the Sun’s energy output varies only by about 0.1%,” says Sami Solanki from the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany. “When you look across much longer timescales, you also see changes only of about 0.1%. So just considering directly variations in energy coming from the Sun, this is not enough to explain the climatic changes we have seen and are seeing now.” This is why scientists have been investigating mechanisms which could amplify the changes in solar output, scaling up the 0.1% variation into an effect that could explain the temperature rise of almost half a degree Celsius that we have seen at the Earth’s surface in just the last few decades. One is Joanna Haigh from Imperial College, London, UK. She realised that although the Sun’s overall energy output changes by 0.1%, it changes much more in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. “The changes in the UV are much larger, between 1% and 10%,” she says. “And that primarily has an impact in the stratosphere (the upper atmosphere) – UV is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere and also produces ozone, and this warms the air.” FEELING THE HEAT Three theories on how the Sun could be causing climate change In graphics

Using computer models of climate, Dr Haigh’s team showed that warming in the stratosphere could change the way energy is distributed across the troposphere, the lower atmosphere, changing wind and weather patterns. But not by much. “We found it might raise temperatures by a maximum of half to one Celsius in certain regions,” she says. “But in terms of an impact on the global average temperature, it’s small, maybe about 0.2C.” Which is not enough to explain the warming that has occurred since the late 1970s. Crash test Henrik Svensmark and his collaborators at the Danish National Space Center (DNSC) believe the missing link between small solar variations and large temperature changes on Earth are cosmic rays. “I think the Sun is the major driver of climate change,” he says, “and the reason I’m saying that is that if you look at historical temperature data and then solar activity and cosmic ray activity, it actually fits very beautifully. Proponents of this mechanism have tended to extrapolate their results beyond what is reasonable from the evidence Joanna Haigh

“If CO2 is a very important climate driver then you would expect to see its effect on all timescales; and for example when you look at the last 500 million years, or the last 10,000 years, the correlation between changes in CO2 and climate are very poor.” When hugely energetic galactic cosmic rays – actually particles – crash into the top of the atmosphere, they set in train a sequence of events which leads to the production of ions in the lower atmosphere. The theory is that this encourages the growth of tiny aerosol particles around which water vapour can condense, eventually aiding the formation of clouds. And the link to the Sun? It is because cosmic rays are partially deflected by the solar wind, the stream of charged particles rushing away from the Sun, and the magnetic field it carries. A weaker solar wind means more cosmic rays penetrating the atmosphere, hence more clouds and a cooler Earth. Maximum power The theory makes some intuitive sense because over the last century the Sun has been unusually active – which means fewer cosmic rays, and a warmer climate on Earth. “We reconstructed solar activity going back 11,000 years,” relates Sami Solanki. The Sky experiment showed ions could influence aerosol formation

“And across this period, the level of activity we are seeing now is very high – we coined the term ‘grand maximum’ to describe it. We still have the 11-year modulation on top of the long-term trend, but on average the Sun has been brighter and the cosmic ray flux lower.” There is evidence too that cosmic rays and climate have been intertwined over timescales of millennia in the Earth’s past. And the theory received some experimental backing when in October 2006, Henrik Svensmark’s team published laboratory research showing that as the concentration of negative ions rose in air, so did the concentration of particles which could eventually become condensation nuclei. Other scientists, meanwhile, had started putting the idea to the test in the real world. Seeing the light In 1947, British meteorologists began deploying instruments in various sites across the country to measure sunlight. Whether through foresight or luck, they included one feature which was to prove very useful; the capacity to measure the relative amounts of direct and diffuse light. It is the difference between a sunny day, when light streams directly from above, and a cloudy day, when it seems to struggle in from everywhere, and photographers give up and go home. Giles Harrison from Reading University realised that the UK Met Office’s record of hourly readings from its sunlight stations could be used to plot the extent of cloud cover over a period going back more than 50 years; the larger the ratio of diffuse to direct light, the cloudier the skies. There is some double-speak going on Giles Harrison

By chance, cosmic rays have been recorded continuously over almost exactly the same period. So Dr Harrison’s team compared the two records, looking for a correlation between more intense cosmic rays and more clouds. “We concluded that there is an effect, but that it is small – ‘small but significant’ was how we described it,” he recalls. “It varied UK cloud cover only by about 2%, although we suggested it would have a larger effect on centennial timescales; and it’s difficult to assess what effect this would have on global surface temperature.” He concludes it would be premature to lay global warming at the door of cosmic rays. Perhaps surprisingly, you will find no references to his work in The Chilling Stars. Cosmic flaw In July, Mike Lockwood from the UK’s Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory attempted a definitive answer to the question with what appeared to be a simple method. He simply looked at the changing cosmic ray activity over the last 30 years, and asked whether it could explain the rising temperatures. His conclusion was that it could not. Since about 1985, he found, the cosmic ray count had been increasing, which should have led to a temperature fall if the theory is correct – instead, the Earth has been warming. “This should settle the debate,” he told me at the time. ‘No Sun link’ to warming

It has not. Last month Dr Svensmark posted a paper on the DNSC website that claimed to be a comprehensive rebuttal. “The argument that Mike Lockwood put forward was that they didn’t see any solar signal in the surface temperature data,” he says. “And when you look at [temperatures in] the troposphere or the oceans, then you do see a solar signal, it’s very clear.” Dr Lockwood disagrees; he says he has re-analysed the issue using atmospheric temperatures, and his previous conclusion stands. And he thinks the Svensmark team has been guilty of poor practice by not publishing their argument in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. “Lots of people have been asking me how I respond to it; but how should I respond to something which is just posted on a research institute’s website?” he asks. “This isn’t on, because the report title says it is a ‘comprehensive rebuttal’; if it were that, then it would be his duty to publish it in a scientific journal and clean up the literature – that’s how science filters out what is incorrect, and how it comes to a consensus view as to what is correct.” Droplets of doubt This dispute presumably has some distance to run. But Mike Lockwood’s larger conclusion that current warming has nothing to do with solar changes is backed up by others – notably the IPCC, which concluded earlier this year that since temperatures began rising rapidly in the 1970s, the contribution of humankind’s greenhouse gas emissions has outweighed that of the Sun by a factor of about 13 to one. Even though misguided journalists have sometimes mistaken his work as implying a solar cause to modern-day warming, Sami Solanki agrees with the IPCC verdict. “Since 1970, the cosmic ray flux has not changed markedly while the global temperature has shown a rapid rise,” he says. “And that lack of correlation is proof that the Sun doesn’t cause the warming we are seeing now.” Even to prove that the link between cosmic rays and cloud cover matters in the real world needs a lot more work, observes Joanna Haigh. A weakening Sun could soon see the issue die down

“You need to demonstrate a whole long chain of events – that the atmosphere is ionised, then that the ionised particles act to nucleate the condensation of water vapour, then that you form droplets, and then that you get clouds; and you have to show it’s important in comparison to other sources of nucleation. “And that hasn’t been demonstrated. Proponents of this mechanism have tended to extrapolate their results beyond what is reasonable from the evidence.” And Giles Harrison believes climate sceptics need to apply the same scepticism to the cosmic ray theory as they do to greenhouse warming – particularly those who say there are too many holes in our understanding of how clouds behave in the man-made greenhouse. “There is some double-speak going on, as uncertainties apply to many aspects of clouds,” he says. “If clouds have to be understood better to understand greenhouse warming, then, as we have only an emerging understanding of the electrical aspects of aerosols and non-thunderstorm clouds, that is probably also true of any effect of cosmic rays on clouds.” Dr Svensmark agrees it would be wrong for anyone to claim the case has been proved. “If anyone said that there is proof that the Sun or greenhouse gases alone are responsible for the present-day warming, then that would be a wrong statement because we don’t really have proofs as such in the natural sciences,” he says. Waned world Two events loom on the horizon that might settle the issue once and for all; one shaped by human hands, one entirely natural. At Cern, the giant European physics facility, an experiment called Cloud is being constructed which will research the notion that cosmic rays can stimulate the formation of droplets and clouds. There may be some results within three or four years. By then, observations suggest that the Sun’s output may have started to wane from its “grand maximum”. If it does, and if Henrik Svensmark is right, we should then see cosmic rays increase and global temperatures start to fall; if that happens, he can expect to see a Nobel Prize and thousands of red-faced former IPCC members queuing up to hand back the one they have just received. But if the Sun wanes and temperatures on our planet continue to rise, as the vast majority of scientists in the field believe, the solar-cosmic ray concept of global warming can be laid to eternal rest. And if humankind has done nothing to stem the rise in greenhouse gas emissions by then, it will be even harder to begin the task.

 

Google’s Android mobile unveiled

Google’s Android mobile unveiled

Advertisement Rory Cellan-Jones takes a look at Android, the new mobile phone platform launched by Google. The first mobile telephone using Google’s Android software has been unveiled. The T-Mobile G1 handset will be available in the UK in time for Christmas. The first device to run the search giant’s operating system will feature a touch screen as well as a Qwerty keyboard. It will be available for free on T-Mobile tariffs of over £40 a month and includes unlimited net browsing. Other features include a three megapixel camera, a ‘one click’ contextual search and a browser that users can zoom in on by tapping the screen. The handset will be wi-fi and 3G enabled and has built-in support for YouTube. Users will also have access the so-called Android Market, where they will be able to download a variety of applications. Prototypes The T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to use Android

Google announced its plans for the Android phone software in November 2007 with a declared aim of making it easier to get at the web while on the move. To help develop Android, Google also unveiled the Open Handset Alliance – a partnership of more than 30 firms that would work to make phone software easier to work with. The group includes operators such as Telefonica, handset makers such as HTC and Motorola as well as chip makers such as Intel and Qualcomm. Many of the partners demonstrated early prototype Android phones at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona in mid-February. The idea behind Android is to do for phone software what the open source Linux software has done for PCs. Developers of phone software can get at most of the core elements of the Android software to help them write better applications. Smartphones However, in launching Android, Google faces stiff competition from established players such as Nokia with its Symbian software and Microsoft with its Mobile operating system. More recently Apple has been gaining customers with its much hyped iPhone. The Android software is squarely aimed at the smartphone segment of the handset market which adds sophisticated functions to the basic calling and texting capabilities of most phones. Current estimates suggest that only 12-13% of the all handsets can be considered smartphones.

 

Beijing 2008 Medal tally

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	24	10	8	42	27	11	19	57			1	1	51	21	28	100
2	USA – United States	20	13	20	53	15	23	15	53	1	2	1	4	36	38	36	110
3	RUS – Russian Fed.	12	8	20	40	11	13	8	32					23	21	28	72
4	GBR – Great Britain	11	8	7	26	7	5	6	18	1		2	3	19	13	15	47
5	GER – Germany	7	7	6	20	6	2	7	15	3	1	2	6	16	10	15	41
6	AUS – Australia	6	6	9	21	8	7	8	23		2		2	14	15	17	46
7	KOR – Korea	8	6	4	18	4	4	4	12	1			1	13	10	8	31
8	JPN – Japan	4	4	5	13	5	2	5	12					9	6	10	25
9	ITA – Italy	4	7	6	17	4	3	4	11					8	10	10	28
10	FRA – France	6	14	12	32	1	2	4	7			1	1	7	16	17	40
11	UKR – Ukraine	4	3	8	15	3	2	7	12					7	5	15	27
12	NED – Netherlands	1		2	3	5	4	2	11	1	1		2	7	5	4	16
13	JAM – Jamaica	3			3	3	3	2	8					6	3	2	11
14	ESP – Spain	4	6	2	12		3	1	4	1	1		2	5	10	3	18
15	KEN – Kenya	3	2	4	9	2	3		5					5	5	4	14
16	BLR – Belarus	3	3	5	11	1	2	5	8					4	5	10	19
17	ROU – Romania			1	1	4	1	2	7					4	1	3	8
18	ETH – Ethiopia	2	1	1	4	2		1	3					4	1	2	7
19	CAN – Canada	1	5	3	9	1	3	3	7	1	1		2	3	9	6	18
20	POL – Poland	3	4		7		2	1	3					3	6	1	10
21	HUN – Hungary	2	4	1	7	1	1	1	3					3	5	2	10
21	NOR – Norway	2	3		5	1	2	1	4			1	1	3	5	2	10
23	BRA – Brazil	1	3	5	9	2	1	3	6					3	4	8	15
24	CZE – Czech Republic	1	2		3	2	1		3					3	3		6
25	SVK – Slovakia	2	1	1	4	1	1		2					3	2	1	6
26	NZL – New Zealand	1	1	5	7	2			2					3	1	5	9
27	GEO – Georgia	3		2	5			1	1					3		3	6
28	CUB – Cuba	2	5	8	15		6	3	9					2	11	11	24
29	KAZ – Kazakhstan	2	2	5	9		2	2	4					2	4	7	13
30	DEN – Denmark	1	2	1	4			1	1	1		1	2	2	2	3	7
31	MGL – Mongolia	2	1		3		1		1					2	2		4
31	THA – Thailand	1	1		2	1	1		2					2	2		4
33	PRK – DPR Korea			1	1	2	1	2	5					2	1	3	6
34	ARG – Argentina	2		1	3			2	2			1	1	2		4	6
34	SUI – Switzerland	2		3	5			1	1					2		4	6
36	MEX – Mexico	1			1	1		1	2					2		1	3
37	TUR – Turkey	1		3	4		4		4					1	4	3	8
38	ZIM – Zimbabwe					1	3		4					1	3		4
39	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	3	6			1	1					1	2	4	7
40	UZB – Uzbekistan	1	2	2	5			1	1					1	2	3	6
41	SLO – Slovenia	1	1	1	3		1	1	2					1	2	2	5
42	BUL – Bulgaria			3	3	1	1		2					1	1	3	5
42	INA – Indonesia	1		2	3			1	1		1		1	1	1	3	5
44	FIN – Finland			2	2	1	1		2					1	1	2	4
45	LAT – Latvia	1	1	1	3									1	1	1	3
46	BEL – Belgium					1	1		2					1	1		2
46	DOM – Dominican Rep.	1	1		2									1	1		2
46	EST – Estonia	1	1		2									1	1		2
46	POR – Portugal	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
50	IND – India	1		2	3									1		2	3
51	IRI – Iran	1		1	2									1		1	2
52	BRN – Bahrain	1			1									1			1
52	CMR – Cameroon					1			1					1			1
52	PAN – Panama	1			1									1			1
52	TUN – Tunisia	1			1									1			1
56	SWE – Sweden		2	1	3		1		1		1		1		4	1	5
57	CRO – Croatia		1		1		1	3	4						2	3	5
57	LTU – Lithuania		1	3	4		1		1						2	3	5
59	GRE – Greece		2		2			2	2						2	2	4
60	TRI – Trinidad/Tobago		2		2										2		2
61	NGR – Nigeria		1	1	2			2	2						1	3	4
62	AUT – Austria		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
62	IRL – Ireland		1	2	3										1	2	3
62	SRB – Serbia		1	2	3										1	2	3
65	ALG – Algeria		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
65	BAH – Bahamas		1	1	2										1	1	2
65	COL – Colombia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
65	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan		1	1	2										1	1	2
65	MAR – Morocco		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
65	TJK – Tajikistan		1	1	2										1	1	2
71	CHI – Chile		1		1										1		1
71	ECU – Ecuador		1		1										1		1
71	ISL – Iceland		1		1										1		1
71	MAS – Malaysia		1		1										1		1
71	RSA – South Africa		1		1										1		1
71	SIN – Singapore						1		1						1		1
71	SUD – Sudan		1		1										1		1
71	VIE – Vietnam		1		1										1		1
79	ARM – Armenia			6	6											6	6
80	TPE – Chinese Taipei			2	2			2	2							4	4
81	AFG – Afghanistan			1	1											1	1
81	EGY – Egypt			1	1											1	1
81	ISR – Israel			1	1											1	1
81	MDA – Rep. of Moldova			1	1											1	1
81	MRI – Mauritius			1	1											1	1
81	TOG – Togo			1	1											1	1
81	VEN – Venezuela							1	1							1	1
Total:		165	165	202	532	127	128	141	396	10	10	10	30	302	303	353	958

 

Medal tally 21 August

Beware if you see Airtel (Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited (BTVL))

I am using Airtel mobile prepaid connection. But after a year I am really frustrated with the service of Airtel. On the midnight of 20 August Airtel automatically activate Value Added Service (VAS) and deducted 30 Rupees from my account and when I try to talk customer care executive they disconnect the phone but after trying several times I am able to talk with one executive but this time mother*uker put me on hold, and after that my call is bard. So I am not able to communicate with customer care executive. They never told what the service was activated last night. In the mid July Airtel suffers with some problem (Still we don’t know what the actual cause is) and hence the result is that all outgoing and incoming calls are bard by the Airtel in Mumbai region since 17 July to 28 July 2008. All Airtel consumers suffers for this f**king action (Airtel consumers didn’t get any compensation against these fault. Because these fault is Airtels internal fault not by the consumers so Airtel need to be compensate all consumers in Mumbai Region). But during this period I bought new MTNL card. One example: Suppose that If my validity expires today then after 12 O’clock midnight all incoming and outgoing calls are bard by Airtel they didn’t wait for next morning. After thinking lot I choose MTNL. I think IDEA and Reliance is also good service provider. Hutch (Vodafone) and Airtel are worse service provider in the world. So I suggest my entire known and unknown person to think 1000 times when you are going to buy a new Airtel (prepaid or Postpaid) connection… Your Valuable comment is appreciated…

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	20	7	5	32	25	8	15	48			1	1	45	15	21	81
2	USA – United States	14	8	14	36	12	18	14	44	1	2		3	27	28	28	83
3	GBR – Great Britain	9	7	4	20	7	4	5	16	1		2	3	17	11	11	39
4	RUS – Russian Fed.	7	5	14	26	7	9	4	20					14	14	18	46
5	AUS – Australia	3	5	7	15	8	6	6	20		2		2	11	13	13	37
6	GER – Germany	5	5	4	14	3	2	4	9	3	1	2	6	11	8	10	29
7	KOR – Korea	5	6	3	14	2	4	3	9	1			1	8	10	6	24
8	JPN – Japan	4	4	4	12	4	2	5	11					8	6	9	23
9	ITA – Italy	2	5	4	11	4	2	4	10					6	7	8	21
10	UKR – Ukraine	3	3	4	10	2	2	4	8					5	5	8	18
11	NED – Netherlands	1		2	3	3	4	2	9	1	1		2	5	5	4	14
12	FRA – France	4	11	11	26		1	2	3			1	1	4	12	14	30
13	ESP – Spain	3	2	1	6		2	1	3	1	1		2	4	5	2	11
14	JAM – Jamaica	2			2	2	3		5					4	3		7
15	ROU – Romania			1	1	4	1	2	7					4	1	3	8
16	POL – Poland	3	4		7			1	1					3	4	1	8
17	NZL – New Zealand	1	1	5	7	2			2					3	1	5	9
18	SVK – Slovakia	2			2	1	1		2					3	1		4
19	CAN – Canada	1	4	2	7	1	1	3	5		1		1	2	6	5	13
20	KEN – Kenya	1	1	2	4	1	3		4					2	4	2	8
21	BLR – Belarus	1	2	4	7	1	1	4	6					2	3	8	13
22	CZE – Czech Republic	1	2		3	1	1		2					2	3		5
23	DEN – Denmark	1	1	1	3			1	1	1		1	2	2	1	3	6
23	PRK – DPR Korea			1	1	2	1	2	5					2	1	3	6
25	ETH – Ethiopia	1	1		2	1			1					2	1		3
26	SUI – Switzerland	2		2	4			1	1					2		3	5
27	GEO – Georgia	2		1	3			1	1					2		2	4
28	CUB – Cuba	1		3	4		6	3	9					1	6	6	13
29	KAZ – Kazakhstan	1	1	2	4		2	2	4					1	3	4	8
30	NOR – Norway	1	2		3		1	1	2			1	1	1	3	2	6
31	ZIM – Zimbabwe					1	3		4					1	3		4
32	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	1	4			1	1					1	2	2	5
32	SLO – Slovenia	1	1	1	3		1	1	2					1	2	2	5
34	TUR – Turkey	1		1	2		2		2					1	2	1	4
35	BRA – Brazil	1	1	3	5			2	2					1	1	5	7
36	BUL – Bulgaria			3	3	1	1		2					1	1	3	5
36	INA – Indonesia	1		2	3			1	1		1		1	1	1	3	5
38	FIN – Finland			1	1	1	1		2					1	1	1	3
39	EST – Estonia	1	1		2									1	1		2
39	MGL – Mongolia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
39	THA – Thailand					1	1		2					1	1		2
42	ARG – Argentina	1			1			1	1			1	1	1		2	3
43	IND – India	1		1	2									1		1	2
43	MEX – Mexico	1			1			1	1					1		1	2
45	BRN – Bahrain	1			1									1			1
45	CMR – Cameroon					1			1					1			1
45	PAN – Panama	1			1									1			1
45	TUN – Tunisia	1			1									1			1
49	HUN – Hungary		4		4			1	1						4	1	5
50	SWE – Sweden		2	1	3		1		1						3	1	4
51	UZB – Uzbekistan		2	2	4			1	1						2	3	5
52	AUT – Austria		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
52	GRE – Greece		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
52	LTU – Lithuania			2	2		1		1						1	2	3
55	ALG – Algeria		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
55	COL – Colombia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
55	CRO – Croatia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
55	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan		1	1	2										1	1	2
55	SRB – Serbia		1	1	2										1	1	2
60	CHI – Chile		1		1										1		1
60	DOM – Dominican Rep.		1		1										1		1
60	ECU – Ecuador		1		1										1		1
60	MAS – Malaysia		1		1										1		1
60	POR – Portugal						1		1						1		1
60	RSA – South Africa		1		1										1		1
60	SIN – Singapore						1		1						1		1
60	TRI – Trinidad/Tobago		1		1										1		1
60	VIE – Vietnam		1		1										1		1
69	ARM – Armenia			5	5											5	5
70	TPE – Chinese Taipei			1	1			2	2							3	3
71	AFG – Afghanistan			1	1											1	1
71	EGY – Egypt			1	1											1	1
71	IRI – Iran			1	1											1	1
71	ISR – Israel			1	1											1	1
71	LAT – Latvia			1	1											1	1
71	MAR – Morocco							1	1							1	1
71	TJK – Tajikistan			1	1											1	1
71	TOG – Togo			1	1											1	1
71	VEN – Venezuela							1	1							1	1
Total:		114	114	134	362	98	99	110	307	9	9	9	27	221	222	253	696

 

Medal Tally 20 August

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	20	7	5	32	23	7	13	43			1	1	43	14	19	76
2	USA – United States	14	7	13	34	11	17	14	42	1	2		3	26	26	27	79
3	GBR – Great Britain	8	6	4	18	7	4	3	14	1		2	3	16	10	9	35
4	RUS – Russian Fed.	6	5	14	25	5	9	4	18					11	14	18	43
5	AUS – Australia	3	5	7	15	8	6	5	19		1		1	11	12	12	35
6	GER – Germany	5	5	3	13	3	2	4	9	3	1	2	6	11	8	9	28
7	KOR – Korea	5	6	3	14	2	4	3	9	1			1	8	10	6	24
8	JPN – Japan	4	4	4	12	4	2	4	10					8	6	8	22
9	ITA – Italy	2	5	4	11	4	1	3	8					6	6	7	19
10	UKR – Ukraine	3	2	4	9	2	2	4	8					5	4	8	17
11	FRA – France	4	10	11	25		1	2	3			1	1	4	11	14	29
12	NED – Netherlands			2	2	3	4	2	9	1	1		2	4	5	4	13
13	ROU – Romania			1	1	4	1	2	7					4	1	3	8
14	ESP – Spain	3	2	1	6		1	1	2		1		1	3	4	2	9
15	POL – Poland	3	4		7			1	1					3	4	1	8
16	SVK – Slovakia	2			2	1	1		2					3	1		4
17	CAN – Canada	1	4	2	7	1	1	3	5		1		1	2	6	5	13
18	KEN – Kenya	1	1	2	4	1	3		4					2	4	2	8
19	CZE – Czech Republic	1	2		3	1	1		2					2	3		5
19	JAM – Jamaica	1			1	1	3		4					2	3		5
21	NZL – New Zealand		1	5	6	2			2					2	1	5	8
22	DEN – Denmark	1	1	1	3			1	1	1		1	2	2	1	3	6
22	PRK – DPR Korea			1	1	2	1	2	5					2	1	3	6
24	ETH – Ethiopia	1	1		2	1			1					2	1		3
25	SUI – Switzerland	2		2	4			1	1					2		3	5
26	GEO – Georgia	2			2			1	1					2		1	3
27	CUB – Cuba	1		3	4		5	2	7					1	5	5	11
28	BLR – Belarus	1	2	3	6		1	4	5					1	3	7	11
29	KAZ – Kazakhstan	1	1	2	4		2	2	4					1	3	4	8
30	ZIM – Zimbabwe					1	3		4					1	3		4
31	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	1	4			1	1					1	2	2	5
31	NOR – Norway	1	2		3			1	1			1	1	1	2	2	5
31	SLO – Slovenia	1	1	1	3		1	1	2					1	2	2	5
34	INA – Indonesia	1		2	3			1	1		1		1	1	1	3	5
35	BUL – Bulgaria			2	2	1	1		2					1	1	2	4
36	FIN – Finland			1	1	1	1		2					1	1	1	3
37	EST – Estonia	1	1		2									1	1		2
37	MGL – Mongolia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
39	BRA – Brazil	1		3	4			2	2					1		5	6
40	ARG – Argentina	1			1			1	1					1		1	2
41	BRN – Bahrain	1			1									1			1
41	CMR – Cameroon					1			1					1			1
41	IND – India	1			1									1			1
41	PAN – Panama	1			1									1			1
41	THA – Thailand					1			1					1			1
41	TUN – Tunisia	1			1									1			1
47	HUN – Hungary		4		4			1	1						4	1	5
48	SWE – Sweden		2		2		1		1						3		3
49	TUR – Turkey			1	1		2		2						2	1	3
50	UZB – Uzbekistan		1	2	3			1	1						1	3	4
51	AUT – Austria		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
51	GRE – Greece		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
51	LTU – Lithuania			2	2		1		1						1	2	3
54	ALG – Algeria		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
54	COL – Colombia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
54	CRO – Croatia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
54	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan		1	1	2										1	1	2
54	SRB – Serbia		1	1	2										1	1	2
59	CHI – Chile		1		1										1		1
59	ECU – Ecuador		1		1										1		1
59	MAS – Malaysia		1		1										1		1
59	POR – Portugal						1		1						1		1
59	RSA – South Africa		1		1										1		1
59	SIN – Singapore						1		1						1		1
59	TRI – Trinidad/Tobago		1		1										1		1
59	VIE – Vietnam		1		1										1		1
67	ARM – Armenia			5	5											5	5
68	TPE – Chinese Taipei							2	2							2	2
69	EGY – Egypt			1	1											1	1
69	IRI – Iran			1	1											1	1
69	LAT – Latvia			1	1											1	1
69	MAR – Morocco							1	1							1	1
69	MEX – Mexico							1	1							1	1
69	TJK – Tajikistan			1	1											1	1
69	TOG – Togo			1	1											1	1
Total:		107	107	124	338	91	92	101	284	8	8	8	24	206	207	233	646

 

Medal Tally 18 august

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	16	7	3	26	23	7	10	40	0	0	1	1	39	14	14	67
2	USA – United States	13	6	13	32	8	16	13	37	1	2	0	3	22	24	26	72
3	GBR – Great Britain	6	4	4	14	5	3	2	10	1	0	2	3	12	7	8	27
4	AUS – Australia	3	5	7	15	8	4	5	17	0	1	0	1	11	10	12	33
5	GER – Germany	3	5	2	10	3	2	4	9	3	0	1	4	9	7	7	23
6	RUS – Russian Fed.	4	4	11	19	4	9	4	17	0	0	0	0	8	13	15	36
7	KOR – Korea	5	5	3	13	2	4	3	9	1	0	0	1	8	9	6	23
8	JPN – Japan	4	3	3	10	4	2	4	10					8	5	7	20
9	ITA – Italy	2	5	3	10	4	1	3	8					6	6	6	18
10	UKR – Ukraine	3	1	4	8	2	2	4	8					5	3	8	16
11	FRA – France	4	10	10	24	0	1	2	3	0	0	1	1	4	11	13	28
12	ROU – Romania	0	0	1	1	4	1	2	7					4	1	3	8
13	NED – Netherlands	0	0	2	2	3	4	2	9		1		1	3	5	4	12
14	ESP – Spain	3	1	1	5		1	1	2		1		1	3	3	2	8
15	POL – Poland	3	3		6			1	1					3	3	1	7
16	SVK – Slovakia	2			2	1	1		2					3	1		4
17	CAN – Canada	1	1	2	4	1	1	2	4		1		1	2	3	4	9
18	KEN – Kenya	1		2	3	1	3		4					2	3	2	7
19	CZE – Czech Republic	1	2		3	1	1		2					2	3		5
20	JAM – Jamaica	1			1	1	2		3					2	2		4
21	DEN – Denmark	1	1	1	3			1	1	1		1	2	2	1	3	6
21	NZL – New Zealand		1	3	4	2			2					2	1	3	6
21	PRK – DPR Korea			1	1	2	1	2	5					2	1	3	6
24	ETH – Ethiopia	1	1		2	1			1					2	1		3
25	SUI – Switzerland	2		2	4			1	1					2		3	5
26	GEO – Georgia	2			2			1	1					2		1	3
27	CUB – Cuba	1		3	4		5	2	7					1	5	5	11
28	BLR – Belarus	1	2	3	6		1	4	5					1	3	7	11
29	KAZ – Kazakhstan	1	1	2	4		2	2	4					1	3	4	8
30	ZIM – Zimbabwe					1	3		4					1	3		4
31	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	1	4			1	1					1	2	2	5
31	NOR – Norway	1	2		3			1	1			1	1	1	2	2	5
33	INA – Indonesia	1		2	3			1	1		1		1	1	1	3	5
34	SLO – Slovenia	1		1	2		1	1	2					1	1	2	4
35	BUL – Bulgaria			1	1	1	1		2					1	1	1	3
35	FIN – Finland			1	1	1	1		2					1	1	1	3
37	MGL – Mongolia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
38	BRA – Brazil	1		3	4			2	2					1		5	6
39	CMR – Cameroon					1			1					1			1
39	IND – India	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
39	PAN – Panama	1			1									1			1
39	THA – Thailand					1			1					1			1
39	TUN – Tunisia	1			1									1			1
44	HUN – Hungary		4		4			1	1						4	1	5
45	SWE – Sweden		2		2		1		1						3		3
46	TUR – Turkey			1	1		2		2						2	1	3
47	AUT – Austria		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
47	GRE – Greece		1		1			2	2						1	2	3
47	UZB – Uzbekistan		1	1	2			1	1						1	2	3
50	ALG – Algeria		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
50	COL – Colombia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
50	CRO – Croatia		1		1			1	1						1	1	2
50	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan		1	1	2										1	1	2
50	SRB – Serbia		1	1	2										1	1	2
55	CHI – Chile		1		1										1		1
55	ECU – Ecuador		1		1										1		1
55	EST – Estonia		1		1										1		1
55	MAS – Malaysia		1		1										1		1
55	POR – Portugal						1		1						1		1
55	RSA – South Africa		1		1										1		1
55	SIN – Singapore						1		1						1		1
55	TRI – Trinidad/Tobago		1		1										1		1
55	VIE – Vietnam		1		1										1		1
64	ARM – Armenia			5	5											5	5
65	TPE – Chinese Taipei							2	2							2	2
66	ARG – Argentina							1	1							1	1
66	EGY – Egypt			1	1											1	1
66	LTU – Lithuania			1	1											1	1
66	MAR – Morocco							1	1							1	1
66	MEX – Mexico							1	1							1	1
66	TJK – Tajikistan			1	1											1	1
66	TOG – Togo			1	1											1	1
Total:		93	93	108	294	85	86	95	266	7	7	7	21	185	186	210	581

 

Bejing: 14 August Medal Tally

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	9	4	3	16	13	4	2	19	0	0	0	0	22	8	5	35
2	USA – United States	7	1	7	15	3	7	8	18	0	1	0	1	10	9	15	34
3	GER – Germany	3	2	0	5	1	0	3	4	3	0	0	3	7	2	3	12
4	KOR – Korea	5	4	1	10	1	3	2	6	0	0	0	0	6	7	3	16
5	ITA – Italy	2	4	1	7	4	0	2	6	0	0	0	0	6	4	3	13
6	AUS – Australia	0	2	4	6	5	1	3	9	0	1	0	1	5	4	7	16
7	JPN – Japan	3	3	1	7	2	0	2	4	0	0	0	0	5	3	3	11
8	RUS – Russian Fed.	3	3	3	9	0	5	0	5	0	0	0	0	3	8	3	14
9	FRA – France	2	6	4	12	0	1	2	3	0	0	0	0	2	7	6	15
10	GBR – Great Britain	0	1	0	1	2	1	1	4	0	0	2	2	2	2	3	7
11	CZE – Czech Republic	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	3
12	GEO – Georgia	2			2			1	1					2	0	1	3
13	CUB – Cuba	1		1	2		3	1	4					1	3	2	6
14	NED – Netherlands	0		2	2	1	1	2	4		1		1	1	2	4	7
14	PRK – DPR Korea	0	1	2	3	1	1	2	4					1	2	4	7
16	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	1	4									1	2	1	4
17	ROU – Romania	0		1	1	1	1	1	3					1	1	2	4
18	MGL – Mongolia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
18	SVK – Slovakia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
20	UKR – Ukraine	0	0	3	3	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	5
21	SUI – Switzerland	1	0	2	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	4
22	ESP – Spain	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2
22	FIN – Finland	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2
24	IND – India	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
24	THA – Thailand	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
26	HUN – Hungary	0	3		3			1	1						3	1	4
27	ZIM – Zimbabwe	0					3		3						3		3
28	KAZ – Kazakhstan	0	1	2	3		1		1						2	2	4
29	SWE – Sweden	0	1	1	2		1		1						2	1	3
30	ALG – Algeria	0	1		1			1	1						1	1	2
30	AUT – Austria	0	1		1			1	1						1	1	2
30	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan	0	1	1	2										1	1	2
30	TUR – Turkey	0		1	1		1		1						1	1	2
34	COL – Colombia	0	1		1										1		1
34	NOR – Norway	0	1		1										1		1
34	SLO – Slovenia	0					1		1						1		1
34	VIE – Vietnam	0	1		1										1		1
38	ARM – Armenia	0		4	4											4	4
38	BRA – Brazil	0		3	3			1	1							4	4
40	BLR – Belarus	0		1	1			1	1							2	2
40	INA – Indonesia	0		2	2											2	2
40	TPE – Chinese Taipei	0						2	2							2	2
43	ARG – Argentina	0						1	1							1	1
43	BUL – Bulgaria	0		1	1											1	1
43	CRO – Croatia	0						1	1							1	1
43	DEN – Denmark	0										1	1			1	1
43	EGY – Egypt	0		1	1											1	1
43	LTU – Lithuania	0	0	1	1											1	1
43	MEX – Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	TJK – Tajikistan	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	TOG – Togo	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	UZB – Uzbekistan	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Total:		44	44	59	147	38	38	44	120	3	3	3	9	85	85	106	276

 

Bejing: 14 August Medal Tally

Rank	NOC Name	Men				Women				Open/Mixed				Total
		G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T	G	S	B	T
1	CHN – China	9	4	3	16	13	4	2	19	0	0	0	0	22	8	5	35
2	USA – United States	7	1	7	15	3	7	8	18	0	1	0	1	10	9	15	34
3	GER – Germany	3	2	0	5	1	0	3	4	3	0	0	3	7	2	3	12
4	KOR – Korea	5	4	1	10	1	3	2	6	0	0	0	0	6	7	3	16
5	ITA – Italy	2	4	1	7	4	0	2	6	0	0	0	0	6	4	3	13
6	AUS – Australia	0	2	4	6	5	1	3	9	0	1	0	1	5	4	7	16
7	JPN – Japan	3	3	1	7	2	0	2	4	0	0	0	0	5	3	3	11
8	RUS – Russian Fed.	3	3	3	9	0	5	0	5	0	0	0	0	3	8	3	14
9	FRA – France	2	6	4	12	0	1	2	3	0	0	0	0	2	7	6	15
10	GBR – Great Britain	0	1	0	1	2	1	1	4	0	0	2	2	2	2	3	7
11	CZE – Czech Republic	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	3
12	GEO – Georgia	2			2			1	1					2	0	1	3
13	CUB – Cuba	1		1	2		3	1	4					1	3	2	6
14	NED – Netherlands	0		2	2	1	1	2	4		1		1	1	2	4	7
14	PRK – DPR Korea	0	1	2	3	1	1	2	4					1	2	4	7
16	AZE – Azerbaijan	1	2	1	4									1	2	1	4
17	ROU – Romania	0		1	1	1	1	1	3					1	1	2	4
18	MGL – Mongolia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
18	SVK – Slovakia	1			1		1		1					1	1		2
20	UKR – Ukraine	0	0	3	3	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	5
21	SUI – Switzerland	1	0	2	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	4
22	ESP – Spain	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2
22	FIN – Finland	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2
24	IND – India	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
24	THA – Thailand	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
26	HUN – Hungary	0	3		3			1	1						3	1	4
27	ZIM – Zimbabwe	0					3		3						3		3
28	KAZ – Kazakhstan	0	1	2	3		1		1						2	2	4
29	SWE – Sweden	0	1	1	2		1		1						2	1	3
30	ALG – Algeria	0	1		1			1	1						1	1	2
30	AUT – Austria	0	1		1			1	1						1	1	2
30	KGZ – Kyrgyzstan	0	1	1	2										1	1	2
30	TUR – Turkey	0		1	1		1		1						1	1	2
34	COL – Colombia	0	1		1										1		1
34	NOR – Norway	0	1		1										1		1
34	SLO – Slovenia	0					1		1						1		1
34	VIE – Vietnam	0	1		1										1		1
38	ARM – Armenia	0		4	4											4	4
38	BRA – Brazil	0		3	3			1	1							4	4
40	BLR – Belarus	0		1	1			1	1							2	2
40	INA – Indonesia	0		2	2											2	2
40	TPE – Chinese Taipei	0						2	2							2	2
43	ARG – Argentina	0						1	1							1	1
43	BUL – Bulgaria	0		1	1											1	1
43	CRO – Croatia	0						1	1							1	1
43	DEN – Denmark	0										1	1			1	1
43	EGY – Egypt	0		1	1											1	1
43	LTU – Lithuania	0	0	1	1											1	1
43	MEX – Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	TJK – Tajikistan	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	TOG – Togo	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
43	UZB – Uzbekistan	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Total:		44	44	59	147	38	38	44	120	3	3	3	9	85	85	106	276

 

Bush and Brown’s warning to Iran

President Bush warns Iran that "all options" are on the table Gordon Brown and President George Bush have warned Iran to accept their “offers of partnership” or face tough sanctions and international isolation. The UK prime minister said he wanted to maintain a dialogue with Tehran, but if Iran ignores UN resolutions then sanctions would be intensified. Europe would take action to freeze overseas assets of Iran’s biggest bank and impose new oil and gas sanctions. The two were speaking at a press conference after talks in London. The trip is part of Mr Bush’s European tour – although he dismissed reports that it would be his last before leaving office as “speculation”. Iran’s nuclear ambitions In their talks on Monday the two leaders discussed issues including Iraq and Afghanistan, Burma and Zimbabwe and oil and food prices. Iran has been accused of not co-operating with the UN over its nuclear programme, amid fears it is enriching uranium to use in weapons. The prime minister said the Iranians did not have to choose a “path of confrontation” and Britain would do “everything possible” to maintain dialogue with Tehran. They face serious isolation and the people who are suffering are the Iranian people President Bush UK to boost Afghan troops Sketch: The Bush and Brown show But he said if it ignored UN resolutions, they would intensify sanctions and face “further isolation”. President Bush said Tehran’s demand for nuclear power for civilian purposes was “justifiable” – but could be met by Russia’s offer to supply them with fuel. In a message to Tehran, he said: “You bet you have a sovereign right, absolutely, but you don’t have the trust of those of use who have watched you carefully when it comes to enriching uranium.” Mr Brown said Britain would urge Europe to impose “further sanctions” on Iran and Europe would take action to freeze the overseas assets of the country’s biggest bank and impose new sanctions on oil and gas. Troop numbers President Bush thanked Mr Brown for his “strong statement” and added: “The Iranians must understand that when we come together and speak with one voice we are serious.” Let me thank President Bush for being a true friend of Britain Gordon Brown Bush and Brown in Belfast In Pictures: Bush visit He said pressure was necessary to “solve this problem diplomatically” – but added: “Iranians must understand, however, that all options are on the table.” Mr Brown, who became prime minister a year ago, and President Bush, who leaves office in six months’ time, also discussed Afghanistan, with Mr Brown announcing there would be an increase in British troop numbers. Mr Brown described the US president as a “true friend of Britain” while President Bush praised Mr Brown for being “tough on terror” and said it was in “all our interests” to help people in Afghanistan and Iraq. And he dismissed reports of a split between the UK and US on troop numbers in Iraq as “typical”. “He’s left more troops in Iraq than initially anticipated and like me, we will be making our decisions based on conditions on the ground … without an artificial timetable.” President Bush said history would judge whether the military tactics could have been different in Iraq, but he stood by the decision to remove Saddam Hussein as the right one for “our security”, for peace and for 25 million Iraqis. He said it was important to support democracy “at the heart of the Middle East”: “It’s a democracy that’s not going to look like America, it’s not going to look like Great Britain, but it’s a democracy that will give government responsive to the people”. He said it had “absolutely” been worth it and democracy in Iraq would make it easier to deal with “the Iranian issue” and would send a message to reformers and dissidents. He dismissed the idea that “perhaps freedom is not universal – maybe it’s only western people who can self govern” as “the ultimate form of political elitism”. After the press conference in Downing Street, Mr Bush and Mr Brown travelled to Stormont, Belfast, for talks with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy, Martin McGuinness.

 

Bush and Brown’s warning to Iran

President Bush warns Iran that "all options" are on the table Gordon Brown and President George Bush have warned Iran to accept their “offers of partnership” or face tough sanctions and international isolation. The UK prime minister said he wanted to maintain a dialogue with Tehran, but if Iran ignores UN resolutions then sanctions would be intensified. Europe would take action to freeze overseas assets of Iran’s biggest bank and impose new oil and gas sanctions. The two were speaking at a press conference after talks in London. The trip is part of Mr Bush’s European tour – although he dismissed reports that it would be his last before leaving office as “speculation”. Iran’s nuclear ambitions In their talks on Monday the two leaders discussed issues including Iraq and Afghanistan, Burma and Zimbabwe and oil and food prices. Iran has been accused of not co-operating with the UN over its nuclear programme, amid fears it is enriching uranium to use in weapons. The prime minister said the Iranians did not have to choose a “path of confrontation” and Britain would do “everything possible” to maintain dialogue with Tehran. They face serious isolation and the people who are suffering are the Iranian people President Bush UK to boost Afghan troops Sketch: The Bush and Brown show But he said if it ignored UN resolutions, they would intensify sanctions and face “further isolation”. President Bush said Tehran’s demand for nuclear power for civilian purposes was “justifiable” – but could be met by Russia’s offer to supply them with fuel. In a message to Tehran, he said: “You bet you have a sovereign right, absolutely, but you don’t have the trust of those of use who have watched you carefully when it comes to enriching uranium.” Mr Brown said Britain would urge Europe to impose “further sanctions” on Iran and Europe would take action to freeze the overseas assets of the country’s biggest bank and impose new sanctions on oil and gas. Troop numbers President Bush thanked Mr Brown for his “strong statement” and added: “The Iranians must understand that when we come together and speak with one voice we are serious.” Let me thank President Bush for being a true friend of Britain Gordon Brown Bush and Brown in Belfast In Pictures: Bush visit He said pressure was necessary to “solve this problem diplomatically” – but added: “Iranians must understand, however, that all options are on the table.” Mr Brown, who became prime minister a year ago, and President Bush, who leaves office in six months’ time, also discussed Afghanistan, with Mr Brown announcing there would be an increase in British troop numbers. Mr Brown described the US president as a “true friend of Britain” while President Bush praised Mr Brown for being “tough on terror” and said it was in “all our interests” to help people in Afghanistan and Iraq. And he dismissed reports of a split between the UK and US on troop numbers in Iraq as “typical”. “He’s left more troops in Iraq than initially anticipated and like me, we will be making our decisions based on conditions on the ground … without an artificial timetable.” President Bush said history would judge whether the military tactics could have been different in Iraq, but he stood by the decision to remove Saddam Hussein as the right one for “our security”, for peace and for 25 million Iraqis. He said it was important to support democracy “at the heart of the Middle East”: “It’s a democracy that’s not going to look like America, it’s not going to look like Great Britain, but it’s a democracy that will give government responsive to the people”. He said it had “absolutely” been worth it and democracy in Iraq would make it easier to deal with “the Iranian issue” and would send a message to reformers and dissidents. He dismissed the idea that “perhaps freedom is not universal – maybe it’s only western people who can self govern” as “the ultimate form of political elitism”. After the press conference in Downing Street, Mr Bush and Mr Brown travelled to Stormont, Belfast, for talks with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy, Martin McGuinness.