My Mum was a professional elevator operator who had the most appallingly affected powdery professional voice! My sister and I used to stand at the door of her elevator (actually, we call it a 'lift') and laugh uproariously at her as she announced in a most un-Mumly voice 'ground floor: toys, floor coverings, gentlemens' apparel - thenk you for shopping at Winn's'.

Union flags will be flown at half mast on UK Government Buildings from today until 2000hrs 14 October.

Since the early twentieth century, the burakumin have had strong liberation movements that have won many concessions for the group, but which have also, through their sometimes quite violent activism, further alienated many mainstream Japanese.

their eyes of fire sparking through sights of steel