January 14 [ 2007-01-15 08:00 ]
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Millions of animals were
slaughtered during the 2001 outbreak in mass
pyres |
2002: UK declared free of
foot-and-mouth |
England have
The foot-and-mouth crisis that began almost 11 months ago will
officially end at midnight, the Department for the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.
There have been no outbreaks for more than three months - the last
recorded case of the fatal and infectious disease was in Cumbria.
Also, tests on sheep flocks in Northumberland, where the disease was
initially traced, have proved negative.
Farmers have said the decision by Defra gives them new hope for the
industry's future.
But it will be several weeks before restrictions on livestock farmers
can be lifted, and international clearance for the export trade in animals
and animal products will take longer.
Currently, only limited exports are allowed within the European Union.
Rural Affairs minister Lord Whitty said: "It will be some time,
probably months, before our international partners restore our trading
status in the European Union and beyond as a fully foot-and-mouth free
state."
Nevertheless, the National Farmers' Union says the end of the crisis
removes a "long, dark shadow" from the countryside where more than 2,000
cases of foot-and-mouth have been recorded.
Since the first signs of the disease were discovered on 19 February
2001 at an abattoir in Essex, more than four million animals have been
slaughtered - the majority of them sheep.
So huge was the cull, the army had to be called in to organise the
burning of animals on mass pyres and their burial in mass graves.
According to the Countryside Agency, the government body which works to
improve the life of rural England, the outbreak has cost the UK farming
industry ?.4bn and the cost to tourism could be as much as ?bn.
Large areas of the countryside were closed and the drop in tourism
numbers triggered a wave of bankruptcies among UK businesses, who depend
heavily on high spending overseas visitors.
Farmers have criticised the government for the handling of the outbreak
and not doing enough to contain the disease. |
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Sir Matt was knighted
shortly after his team won the European
Cup |
1969: Matt Busby retires from Man
United | Artificially 1969: The Football
legend Sir Matt Busby has announced he will retire as manager of
Manchester United at the end of the season - FA Cup final day on 26 April.
Sir Matt, who is 59, told a news conference at the club's ground at Old
Trafford: "It's time to make way for a younger man... a track-suited
manager".
He said the pressures of managing a top-class team were becoming too
great for a man of his age and he would now take on the role of general
manager.
"United is no longer just a football club," he said, "it is an
institution. I feel the demands are beyond one human being."
The new team manager has not yet been chosen but one man that may well
be considered for the job is Wilf McGuinness, a former United wing-half, a
coach and manager of England Under-23s.
Sir Matt is English football's longest serving manager. He took over
United in 1945 and has since had a superlative record of achievement.
With the ? million in profits he has since made for the club he rebuilt
Old Trafford, which had been badly damaged by the blitz.
He has managed three highly successful teams. The first won the 1948 FA
Cup Final against Blackpool.
The second team of talented young players, known as the "Busby Babes",
included Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.
In 1958 tragedy struck when eight players were killed in an air crash
at Munich after competing for the European Cup against Red Star Belgrade
in Yugoslavia.
Sir Matt was seriously injured but survived, along with Charlton who
said of him today: "Matt Busby's presence will always be at Manchester
United. He is Manchester United."
After the Munich tragedy, Sir Matt built up his third team, which
included the transfer of Denis Law from Italian side Torino for a record
fee of ?16,000.
In May last year United beat Portuguese team Benfica 4-1 to win the
European Cup - the first English side to do so.
In June Sir Matt was awarded a knighthood. |
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Vocabulary:
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pyre : a funeral
pile(火葬用的柴堆)
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