Timekeeping proposal sparks row

[Mike]

A proposal to scrap leap seconds - small adjustments made to clock time - could create chaos for astronomers and satellite operators, it is claimed.

Every six months, the Paris Observatory tells the world whether to add or subtract a second from atomic clocks.

This synchronises clock time with the solar time used by astronomers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4271810.stm