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22:43
Obama pens children's book
» The Guardian World NewsOf Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters is described as a tribute to American pioneers
He is the leader of the free world, with two wars to run, a collapsing economy to revive and a disintegrating political base, but somehow Barack Obama has found the time to write a new book.
Long before he was a winning presidential candidate, Obama's award-winning memoir, Dreams From My Father, helped catapult him into the political spotlight, selling an estimated 1.5m copies worldwide.
This time, though, Obama's book is aimed at readers aged three. Called Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, it is described as a tribute to American pioneers, including the likes of George Washington, artist Georgia O'Keeffe and baseballer Jackie Robinson, the first black man to break professional baseball's colour bar.
Publishers Alfred A Knopf Books for Young Readers, a division of Random House, said the president's daughters, Sasha and Malia, inspired him to write the book, which it bills as "a moving tribute to 13 groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation". It will retail for $17.99, with the proceeds going to a scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled soldiers.
So with opinion polls sagging and the US economy still refusing to bounce back, how has Obama had the time to write a Facebook update, let alone a 40-page book? The answer is that this is one Obama prepared earlier.
Back in 2004, just as Obama was elected as a US senator, he signed a $1.9m three-book deal with Random House, including a children's book. The publisher says he completed Of Thee I Sing before becoming president in January 2009, and that the illustrator has been working for two years on the book's images. In a surprising twist, Obama's book comes out on 16 November, just a week after his predecessor George Bush's episodic memoir, Decision Points, which may or may not be aimed at a similar reading level.
Obama will not be the first president to publish a work for children. Teddy Roosevelt co-authored Hero Tales from American History, also written before he became president. Jimmy Carter waited 15 years after leaving the White House to publish The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer, which was probably wise.
Other administrations have seen similar efforts, although Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, probably doesn't want to be reminded of her 1998 opus, Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets.
- Barack Obama
- Publishing
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21:08
Billy Wright death 'due to negligence'
» The Guardian World NewsNo collusion between republican paramilitaries and MI5 found in 1997 killing – but prison failures made it easy to carry out
There is no evidence of collusion between republican paramilitaries and the security forces in the 1997 killing of the loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Wright, according to a long-awaited official inquiry.
The 700-page report, released today, highlights a catalogue of security failures but unearths nothing to suggest there was official connivance at the murder of Wright. Nicknamed "King Rat", he was a hardline opponent of the peace process.
The inquiry found there was no evidence to support his family's allegation that MI5 set up the Loyalist Volunteer Force founder for assassination in jail.
Special branch, the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) and MI5 are all subject to varying degrees of blame for taking insufficient precautions to prevent the shooting inside the Maze prison. None of the failures, however, are deemed to amount to collusion with the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), three of whose members carried out the attack.
Wright, who was 37, was shot dead on 27 December 1997 in a yard at the high security jail during a critical stage of the Northern Ireland peace process. He was being transferred to a visitors' hall to meet his girlfriend.
The killers, who had managed to smuggle weapons into the Maze, were Christopher "Crip" McWilliams, John Kenneway and John Glennon. All were imprisoned members of the INLA.
Wright, founder of the breakaway LVF, had been a vocal critic of the peace process. Over his paramilitary career, he is believed to have killed as many as 20 Catholics in sectarian attacks in Portadown and other areas of mid-Ulster.
After £30m having been spent on the five-year inquiry, the report's final sentence ends on a downbeat note: "To our regret, no explanation emerged in the evidence as to how the two firearms were introduced into the prison and put into the hands of his INLA."
The conclusion states: "We have been critical of certain individuals and institutions or state agencies, some of whose actions did in our opinion facilitate his death. We were not, however, persuaded that in any instance there was evidence of collusive acts or collusive conduct."
Despite the report's apparently unequivocal conclusion on collusion, Wright's father, David, tonight told a press conference in Belfast that the inquiry into his son's death amounted to "firm and final" proof of collusion by state agencies.
The inquiry found that many relevant security files had been initially withheld by the authorities or previously destroyed.
Failure to lock INLA prisoners in their cells in the H6 wing at the Maze made it easier for paramilitary inmates to find an opportunity to cut the wires in a yard fence and contributed to Wright's death, the report concluded.
A "series of failures in the management of the NIPS" was identified.
One failure was the lack of adequate roof defences on the H-6 wing of the Maze which allowed the INLA gang to climb down into the exercise yard and trap Wright, who was held in a minibus prior to a prison visit.
No risk assessment had been carried out before Wright was transferred to the Maze, despite intelligence that there were republican threats against his life.
Placing LVF and INLA prisoners in the same wing of the Maze, the inquiry added, "was a wrongful act that directly facilitated the murder of Billy Wright".
A Red Cross report in November 1997 that described the Maze as a "powder keg" was not properly considered by the prison service, the inquiry's report also noted.
One recurring complaint from the Troubles surfaces in criticism that the RUC's special branch did not share information with the rest of the force. "There was a culture of secrecy and confidentiality that was endemic," the report observes. Threats to Wright were not passed on.
MI5 is blamed for not informing the Northern Ireland prisons minister that it knew of threats to Wright's life.
"The [inquiry] panel conclude that it is most unfortunate that Security Service officers did not communicate this information to the minister when he was considering the transfer of Billy Wright to the Maze in April 1997," the report says.
"The inquiry heard no evidence to substantiate the allegation that special branch or any other intelligence agency was involved in the plot to kill Billy Wright or that [special branch] or any other intelligence agency was in possession of information about the murder plot before the event," the findings note, "or that there had been an attempt to cover up acts or omissions by state agencies which facilitated the death of Billy Wright."
An assessment carried out by MI5 a month after Wright's death dismissed suggestions that the Provisional IRA – then on ceasefire – had either formally sanctioned or approved of the killing. One security witness told the panel it was not believed that "the INLA asked [the Provisional IRA] for permission to kill Billy Wright".
Suggestions that two of the INLA killers had carried out a previous raid inside another Northern Ireland jail in an effort to kill Wright were disputed.
"On the basis of the evidence, the panel do not conclude that the hostage-taking incident in HMP Maghaberry on 28 April 1997 was an attempt to carry out an attack on Billy Wright," the report said. The first INLA threats to kill Wright were, nonetheless, received by army intelligence as early as October 1996.
The panel's members were the judge Lord MacLean, Professor Andrew Coyle and the Right Rev John Oliver. They explain that they do not agree with the wider term of "collusion" adopted by the Canadian supreme court judge Peter Cory in his earlier investigation into Wright's murder.
Wright's father, David, who has campaigned over the last 13 years for a public inquiry, is likely to issue a legal challenge to its findings.
Among the report's main recommendations was the suggestion that the NIPS be subjected to a root-and-branch reform programme similar to that carried out by former Tory chairman Chris Patten and his team, which led to the evolution of the RUC into the PSNI.
- Northern Ireland
- Maze prison
- IRA
- UK security and terrorism
- Prisons and probation
- UK criminal justice
- MI5
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21:06
Family Groupings
» Snell-PymJean has been playing with Dino-Mountain pretty much everyday but one of the interesting things she has done is put the dinosaurs in family groupings. This is interesting as she has large and small of the same type of dinosaurs but they are in like different style and different colours! Also depending on what she's [...]
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21:04
Anti-censorship program withdrawn
» BBC News - TechnologySoftware that was intended to help Iranians escape government control of the web has been withdrawn over security fears.
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21:00
Capitalist storm clouds loom over Havana
» The Guardian World NewsCuban workers told to become entrepreneurs in bid to boost island's private sector
It was supposed to be the start of a brave new world in which the customer was king. But the teenage boy in the barber's chair stared at his reflection, aghast and almost crying. "What have you done?" he asked, caressing uneven clumps on a shorn scalp.
The barber, a fortysomething man with a grubby white coat, put down the scissors, lit a cigarette, and shrugged. "Looks OK to me. Don't know what you're on about."
The young customer examined his head from different angles, each worse than the last. "It's like …" – he struggled for words – "a tennis ball. A bald bloody tennis ball." The barber took another drag and put out his hand. "Forty pesos. Have a nice day."
The scene on Neptuno street, a crumbling, sun-bleached quarter near downtown Havana, was a taste of Cuba's challenge in transforming its socialist economy with a sweeping privatisation drive.
Authorities announced yesterday they will lay off more than 1 million state employees in the island's biggest economic shake-up since the 1960s. Cuts begin immediately, with 500,000 jobs due to go by March. Loosened controls on private enterprise will, it is hoped, jumpstart the private sector and turn former public workers into entrepreneurs.
"Our state cannot and should not continue maintaining companies, productive entities, services and budgeted sectors with bloated payrolls [and] losses that hurt the economy," said the official Cuban labour federation, which announced the news.
"Job options will be increased and broadened with new forms of non-state employment, among them leasing land, co-operatives and self-employment, absorbing hundreds of thousands of workers in the coming years," it said.
In fact, the changes started in April with a pilot scheme to privatise barbers and hairdressers. Formerly state employees – about 85% of the labour force works for the communist state – they were told to take over their own salons, charge whatever they wanted, pay tax – and court customers.
As the barber showed, providing good customer service, let alone expanding market share, is an alien concept to many accustomed to receiving the same pittance wage regardless of job performance. "I don't want to take over this place," Luis, the barber, who preferred not to give his surname, told the Guardian. "How do I know it'll make a profit? How do I pay suppliers?"
Like it or not, those are questions many more Cubans will soon be asking after receiving their pink slips. The authorities, according to a 26-page party document leaked to the Associated Press, have a plan for them to raise rabbits, paint buildings, make bricks, collect garbage and pilot ferries across Havana's bay.
Some of those let go will be urged to form private co-operatives, others will be directed towards foreign-run companies and joint ventures, and others will be encouraged to set up their own small businesses.
The Communist party document admitted lack of experience, insufficient skill levels and low initiative could sink new enterprises. "Many of them could fail within a year," it says.
After half a century of official certitude about being its socialist course, Cuba is entering new waters. Its final destination remains unclear. "A hybrid is evolving which can't be said to be any one thing," said Julia Sweig, a Cuba expert at the Council on Foreign Relations thinktank. "We're seeing a uniquely Cuban transition but within the global economy."
Unemployment last year was officially 1.7%, but with average monthly salaries of only $20, supplemented by a ration book and free health care and education, many Cubans make minimal efforts, prompting an old joke: "They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work." Che Guevara's dream of creating a "socialist man" motivated by moral rather than material incentives has long been abandoned.
This week's announcement – widely reported across state media – has been trailed since Raul Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president in 2008. "We have to erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world in which people can live without working," he told the national assembly last month. The decades-old US embargo – a crippling, punitive measure – could no longer be blamed for all the island's woes, he said.
It was no longer possible to protect and subsidise salaries on an unlimited basis and cuts will affect all government sectors, said the labour federation. "Losses that hurt our economy are ultimately counterproductive, creating bad habits and distorting worker conduct."
Workers at the ministries of sugar, public health, tourism and agriculture will be let go first, according to the Communist party document. The last in line will be those at civil aviation and the ministries of foreign relations and social services.
To ease the pain, authorities hope to energise the stunted private sector by encouraging Cubans to raise animals, grow vegetables, drive taxis, repair vehicles, make sweets and dried fruit and seek building work.
Leftwingers abroad may feel let down by the cuts, but Cuban officials believe the thriving black market is an indicator that the private sector will soak up surplus labour. Such consensus would contrast with Britain, Ireland and Greece, among others, where cutbacks have triggered vocal protests.
One Havana-based western diplomat was less sanguine about Cuba's response, especially as there were simultaneous cuts in subsidies for food, cigarettes and other products which people used to barter. "People knew this was coming, but now it's here, it's real, and they're worried. Bosses will get rid of the least productive employees, the ones who don't work or show up for work. The type of people who may lack the get up and go to start a business. People wonder if there will be a rise in crime, or social protests."
Europe was enduring its own economic travails but was at least accustomed to unemployment, said the diplomat. "People here aren't used to being threatened with losing their job. They may complain their salary is only $15 a month, but that's $15 more than nothing."
- Cuba
- Communism
- Fidel Castro
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20:46
Confessions of a scene-stealer
» The Guardian World NewsHe's the character actor who has played everything from porn stars to vampires. But now John C Reilly is finally landing juicy lead roles
When I first meet John C Reilly, he is standing at the window of his hotel room, gazing out at the rain-lashed streets below. He turns round, and it's hard not to marvel at a face that has been the source of so much honest, faltering emotion on screen. With its mixture of the craggy and the spongy, it suggests Mount Rushmore remade in cake form, pock-marked but soft. Running across the bridge of his nose is a crease deep enough to hold a pencil. His ear lobes are droopy, his hair a pile of chaotic curls. They broke the mould, not to mention the curling tongs, when they made him.
Even if you can't place the name, Reilly's face will be familiar from some of the 40-plus movies he has appeared in – and frequently stolen, often on the strength of a few choice scenes. His breakthrough came in 1997, nearly a decade after his debut, when he appeared as a patently ridiculous porn star in Boogie Nights. Reilly's career is as eclectic as it is impressive. How many actors who have played sidekick to Will Ferrell (in Step Brothers) can also list on their CV three Paul Thomas Anderson films, two Martin Scorseses and a Terrence Malick?
Reilly's latest picture, Cyrus, is a twisted comedy in which he plays a divorcee engaged in psychological warfare with his new girlfriend's creepily obsessive adult son. "My character is a little desperate," the 45-year-old actor says. "Maybe he makes a few poor choices. But he's the most well-adjusted character in the whole movie." This is a role that leaves Reilly exposed, and not just emotionally. In his first scene, his character's ex-wife walks in on him masturbating. His boozy rendition of the Human League's Don't You Want Me? ranks only slightly lower on the cringe-o-meter. "People say that until the last scene, they have no idea what's going to happen. That's cool, because it's getting harder and harder to surprise audiences."
Reilly seems to have managed it, though. "Surprising people is the key to career longevity for someone like me," he says. The life of a character actor has enabled him to keep his privacy, but he sees that starting to fall away. "I've been getting recognised more in the last few years, as my face appears on more posters. If people have seen me in a comedy, they're, like, 'You're always so funny!' And I'll be, like, 'Well, I've done a few funny movies. But there are 25 or 30 others that are more dramatic.'" He bristles slightly, just as he does later when I suggest he has an everyman quality. "For those kind of characters, then sure, maybe. But I've played a lot of parts that aren't like that. A vampire, a porn star, child-men." Point taken.
Raised in Marquette Park, Chicago, Reilly is the fifth of six children born to Irish and Lithuanian parents. "I had 35 first cousins within a 10-block area," he says. When I ask him to talk a bit more about the place, his discomfort returns. "You're very interested in Marquette Park, I must say," he says suspiciously. "It wasn't the most genteel neighbourhood. I got involved in some delinquent activity. It's just what we did out of boredom. 'What shall we do?' 'Let's go break some bottles.'"
Despite that, he had a sensitive side. He began acting in local plays at the age of eight, a development greeted with bemusement by his family and neighbours. Only when a fellow actor from his neighbourhood landed a film role did Reilly twig that he could, too. His first movie job was as a walk-on in the gruelling Vietnam drama Casualties of War. But after extensive recasting, he ended up with a major speaking part. Reilly met his wife Alison Dickey, with whom he has two children, on the set. She was an assistant to its star, Sean Penn. I say that a film about the rape of a young Vietnamese woman by US soldiers doesn't sound like a promising backdrop for romance. He seems mildly offended. "Phuket is a very romantic place," he replies, straight-faced. I wait for the joke, but it doesn't come.
After that, Reilly found roles that brought vital energy or eccentricity to a film – as a bright-eyed monk in We're No Angels, or menacing Meryl Streep in The River Wild. But leading parts are becoming increasingly common. After Cyrus, he will next be seen in the film of Lionel Shriver's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin. "I always say it takes as much preparation and thought to do a small part as a leading part," he says. "In some ways, leads are easier because you have the luxury of time to discover the character.
"For a long time, it was like I was part of some special forces unit: I'd land, meet everyone, five minutes later I'd have to do some amazing work, then – boom! – I'm out again." He grins: a joke, at last. "You know, playing supporting parts takes courage."
Ryan Gilbey
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20:33
Cameron to fight 'vested interests'
» The Guardian World NewsPM and ministers provoked by warning over cuts to police force, while Charles Kennedy reveals tensions in coalition
David Cameron is to lead a cabinet fightback against "vested interests" in Britain's public services issuing dire warnings of the dangers of introducing drastic spending cuts in next month's spending review.
The cabinet, which held a political session at its weekly meeting today, is to challenge what the prime minister described as "inflammatory arguments" about the cuts.
Downing Street sources highlighted the "Christmas for criminals" warning by the Police Federation as an example of the sort of claim that needs to be challenged.
Paul McKeever, the federation's chairman, warned that up to 40,000 police officers would have to be axed if cuts of 25% are introduced. This would lead to "Christmas for criminals", he said.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "We will be challenging lobby groups that are making inflammatory arguments. We will take their claims on. We will highlight when it is irresponsible to make statements like that."
The government's more strident approach was signalled by No 10 after a political session of the cabinet ahead of the party conference season, which starts this weekend when the Liberal Democrats meet in Liverpool.
Ministers were irritated by reports that Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett, president of the Police Superintendents' Association, will say that Britain needs a "strong and confident" police force as the toughest cuts since the second world war are introduced.
Barnett is due to tell the association's annual conference in Cheshire: "In an environment of cuts across the wider public sector, we face a period where disaffection, social and industrial tensions may well rise. We will require a strong, confident, properly trained and equipped police service, one in which morale is high and one that believes it is valued by the government and public."
The prime minister's spokesman said that Cameron would not be "bowing to vested interests".
But the unease in the coalition was highlighted when the former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy warned George Osborne not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" when he unveils the spending review next month. Kennedy told BBC Alba: "We have to be terribly careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater because trying to provide education services in the Highlands, or in the Borders … inescapably, that is going to cost you more per capita … than it is in the central belt or in metropolitan England."
Nick Clegg will be working hard at the Lib Dem conference to address Kennedy's concerns. Clegg will outline what coalition ministers agreed yesterday: that the tough action to bear down on the fiscal deficit, outlined by Osborne in his emergency budget, had ensured that Britain was now "out of the danger zone and in the safe zone".
Osborne believes that Labour's plans to halve the deficit in four years did not go far enough and could have led to a downgrading of Britain's credit rating, leading to an increase in the cost of borrowing that would have choked off the recovery.
Cameron said that the next Labour leader would have to come clean on how to implement the £44bn cuts at the heart of Alistair Darling's pledge to halve the deficit in four years. "They got us into this mess and still have not got any idea on how they will clear it up," the prime minister said.
- David Cameron
- Liberal-Conservative coalition
- Public sector cuts
- Charles Kennedy
- Police
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20:03
Real IRA: we will target UK bankers
» The Guardian World NewsExclusive: Republican terror group vows to resume mainland attacks with banks and bankers now potential targets
Banks and bankers are now potential targets for the Real IRA, leaders of the dissident republican terror group have warned in an exclusive interview with the Guardian. Despite having only 100 activists they also said that targets in England remained a high priority.
In an attempt to tap into the intense hostility towards the banks on both sides of the Irish border they branded bankers as "criminals" and said: "We have a track record of attacking high-profile economic targets and financial institutions such as the City of London. The role of bankers and the institutions they serve in financing Britain's colonial and capitalist system has not gone unnoticed.
"Let's not forget that the bankers are the next-door neighbours of the politicians. Most people can see the picture: the bankers grease the politicians' palms, the politicians bail out the bankers with public funds, the bankers pay themselves fat bonuses and loan the money back to the public with interest. It's essentially a crime spree that benefits a social elite at the expense of many millions of victims."
But security sources in Northern Ireland point out say the Real IRA lacks the logistical resources of the Provisional IRA to prosecute a bombing campaign similar to the ones that devastated the City of London in the early 1990s or the Canary Wharf bomb in 1996. Although the Real IRA has access to explosives it has yet to carry out large-scale bombings.
The terror group stressed in a series of written answers to the Guardian's questions that future attacks would alternate between the "military, political and economic targets". It is the first time the Real IRA has engaged in such open anti-capitalist rhetoric or focused on the role of the banking system.
The leaders also threatened to intensify the group's terror campaign on all fronts.
"Realistically, it is important to acknowledge that we have regrouped and reorganised and emerged from a turbulent period in republican history.
"We have already shown our capacity to launch attacks on the British military, judicial, and policing infrastructure. As we rebuild, we are confident that we will increase the volume and effectiveness of attacks," the organisation said.
One element in the Real IRA's recent activity has been a wave of so-called "punishment" shootings and beatings of those they deem "antisocial elements" in nationalist working class areas. In Derry alone the Real IRA and other aligned groups have shot around two dozen men over the last 18 months.
The Real IRA's leadership was unapologetic over what its critics have described as "rough justice". The group believes such attacks are popular and can garner support in areas where the communities were previously alienated from the police.
"These actions are taken as a last resort to protect the community. We are an integral part of the community and the people in them are our eyes and ears. The fact is that the British police force is rejected by republican communities and people naturally turn to us for help.
"The vast majority of issues are resolved by negotiation, a small percentage require more direct forms of intervention including punishment shootings and expulsions," they said.
On the political front they dismissed Sinn Féin's claims that its electoral strategy would ultimately yield a united Ireland despite the majority of nationalists in Northern Ireland still voting for Sinn Féin and an overwhelming majority backing the peace process.
The Real IRA insisted, however, that support for them was building and they had turned away hundreds of young disaffected nationalists because they didn't have the capacity to absorb so many members.
"From the point of view of republican communities, there is still a heavily armed British police force that casually uses plastic baton rounds, CS gas and Tasers, carry out house raids, stop and search operations and general harassment.
"There's still a 5,000-strong British army garrison, a new MI5 HQ in Belfast, and a British secretary of state. Republican communities are still subjected to sectarian parades and the right to protest is being met with intimidation and violence."
On the subject of recent reports of talks between dissident republicans and the Dublin and London governments the Real IRA said: "There are no talks with either the British government or the Free State Administration.
"The IRA is not unwilling to talk, in fact there needs to be talks … however, talks need to deal with the root cause of the conflict, namely the illegal British occupation of Ireland. We are mindful, though, that the history of such approaches from the British has been characterised by a lack of integrity, a lack of willingness to address the causes of conflict, and has been motivated by a self-serving agenda." Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and Sinn Féin MP, Martin McGuinness, also came in for strong criticism. The former chief-of-staff of the IRA and key Sinn Féin negotiator recently claimed that he had knowledge that dissidents were holding secret discussions with the two governments.
"Martin McGuinness is a British Crown minister who has a vested interest in causing mischief among republicans. His job is to administer the Queen of England's writ in Ireland ... However, if he has any evidence to back up his claims, he should make it public," the Real IRA said.
- Real IRA
- Northern Ireland
- Northern Irish politics
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19:37
Panasonic Adds an Interchangeable-Lens Camcorder
» NYT > TechnologyThe AG-AF100 is the first camcorder to use the Micro Four Thirds format
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19:21
How Do People Use Their Smartphones?
» NYT > TechnologyA new report released by the Nielsen Company discussed new trends in advertising and downloads on smartphones.
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19:20
Sienna Miller set to join legal action
» The Guardian World NewsActor poised to take legal action while it emerges Sean Hoare has been interviewed by police under caution
Sienna Miller was today expected to become the latest public figure to join the legal assault on Scotland Yard and the News of the World over the phone-hacking scandal.
Lawyers for the actor, whose private life has long been a tabloid staple, said she was ready to join the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and others in asking the courts for a judicial review of the police's conduct of the case.
Sources at the News of the World said she had taken the first step towards suing the paper for invading her privacy by allegedly listening to her voicemail messages.
The legal moves came after Miller, 28, discovered that the paper's private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, had procured her mobile phone numbers, account number and secret PIN code, needed to intercept the voicemail of the minority of people who change the factory settings on their phones.
It also emerged today that Sean Hoare, a former News of the World journalist who told the New York Times and the BBC about hacking at the paper under Coulson, has been interviewed by police under caution. Lawyers said this indicated he was being treated by police as a suspect. "An interview under caution would follow someone being arrested as a suspect, except in the most exceptional circumstances," said Peter Lodder QC, a criminal barrister.
Paul McMullan, a second former News of the World staffer who told the Guardian that hacking was rife at the paper, was also contacted by detectives and told that they would like to question him under caution.
Scotland Yard has had the information about Miller being targeted in its possession since August 2006, when Mulcaire was arrested and his records seized, but failed to say anything to Miller until her lawyer, Mark Thomson, of Atkins Thomson, wrote to ask them. Even then an answer was delayed for 14 weeks.
Thomson said: "Our client only discovered that the Metropolitan police held this information on 15 October 2009 in response to our letter of 10 July 2009."Miller had previously sued the News of the World for invading her privacy by running intrusive stories about her relationships and publishing photographs of her in a bikini in Italy and of her filming a nude scene on a closed set.
In 2008, the paper settled the claims by paying her damages and sending her a written acknowledgement that they had been wrong to publish stories and photographs about her private life.
Friends of Miller said she had noticed warning signs with her voicemail, including new messages being recorded as old before she had listened to them.
For this reason, they said, she had changed her mobile number, but the material seized from Mulcaire suggested he had been able to discover her new number.
Former staff at the News of the World say Mulcaire was able to obtain confidential information from mobile phone companies and British Telecom.
Miller plans to join the legal action being run by Bindmans law firm to seek a judicial review of Scotland Yard's failure to warn potential victims of the hacking.
Those already involved in the action include Prescott, Brian Paddick, a former deputy assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard, the Labour frontbench spokesman Chris Bryant and the investigative journalist Brendan Montague.
Meanwhile it was revealed last night that MPs are to investigate whether parliamentary privileges were breached by Mulcaire. The Commons standards and privileges committee, which has been asked by MPs to investigate the matter, has decided to ask the clerk of the House and outside legal experts to advise on whether phone hacking is a contempt of parliament.
Miller is waiting for Scotland Yard to reply to a letter asking for an explanation of its failure to warn her, and Bindmans said she would join the legal action if a satisfactory response was not forthcoming.
During the original investigation in 2006, police told the director of public prosecutions that they would contact all "potential victims". But they failed to inform all those where there was clear evidence of successful hacking until after the Guardian revived the story last year and still have not warned all the owners of the 91 PIN codes found in Mulcaire's possession – Miller was one of them. Police continue to refuse to say how many people they have warned on the grounds that releasing the numbers would risk identifying the individualvictims.
- News of the World phone-hacking scandal
- Newspapers & magazines
- Newspapers
- News of the World
- National newspapers
- Police
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19:03
Intel CEO succession speculation creates uncertainty in ranks
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesThere’s a problem at Intel and it’s causing numerous employees to feel uncomfortable, it has emerged.
Paul Otellini, the CEO and president of the Intel Corporation, is close to retirement age and there are no obvious successors.
Sean Maloney was tipped to become the number one, but is still recovering from his stroke.
Senior sources inside Intel said that the problem has arisen because rising stars, such as Pat “Kicking” Gelsinger, Mike Splinter, Mike Fister and others found new careers outside the corporation.
The different sources all agreed on one matter – Dadi Perlmutter is not the logical successor to Otellini when he retires.
Different names came up. One very senior Intel source suggested that Andy Bryant, the former chief beancounter would be an ideal candidate.
Another senior Intel source said it was time for a woman to run the corporation. Patricia Murray’s name came up.
The source who told us Andy Bryant in the frame said it was extremely unlikely that the board would appoint an outsider, given the nature of the corporation’s business and the complexity of its manufacturing.
Bryant, he said, had a very good handle on all the company’s operations, including semiconductor fabrication.An Intel representative declined to comment on the speculation.
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19:00
Zillow Replaces C.E.O. and Hints at a Public Offering
» NYT > TechnologyRich Barton is stepping down as chief executive of Zillow, which is making moves toward an initial public offering.
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18:57
Putting 3-D TV's Problems in Focus
» NYT > TechnologyA report from Nielsen shows the ambivalence consumers are feeling toward 3-D TV.
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18:49
George Michael jailed for drug crash
» The Guardian World NewsPop star also fined and given driving ban after admitting he had taken antidepressents and cannabis before getting behind wheel
George Michael, pop star, heart-throb and celebrity bad boy, is no stranger to feeling the hand of the law on his shoulder. But today the singer felt its full weight as he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison after he admitted crashing his car under the influence of cannabis.
After being greeted at the court by screaming fans and flashing cameras, the 47-year-old former Wham! frontman, real name Georgios Panayiotou, was also fined £1,250 and banned from driving for five years. He will serve four weeks of the sentence, spending the rest on licence.
The star was arrested in July this year after his Range Rover crashed into a branch of Snappy Snaps in the early hours of the morning, in Hampstead, north London.
The incident is the singer's latest brush with the law. Open about his use of cannabis, he has been cautioned on a number of occasions for possessing drugs, questioned over several minor accidents, and infamously fined for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet in California.
Highbury Corner magistrates court in north London had previously heard Michael was convicted of driving while unfit through drugs after he was found collapsed in his Mercedes in 2006.
Today, district judge John Perkins told Michael that on the night of the crash he had taken a "dangerous and unpredictable mix" of prescription drugs and cannabis. He said he had taken into account the fact that the singer had checked himself into rehab immediately after the accident, his remorse, and his work for charity. But after Michael's previous conviction, a jail term was inevitable, he said.
"It does not appear that you took proper steps to deal with what is clearly an addiction to cannabis. That's a mistake which puts you and, on this occasion, the public at risk," he said.
He added: "I accept entirely that you have shown remorse for the offence, that you are ashamed of it, that you admitted it".
The singer released an audible sigh as Perkins passed sentence and glanced at those sitting in the court. As he was told prison was unavoidable, his longterm partner, Kenny Goss, sitting at the back of the court, put his head in his hands.
At the sentencing, Michael's barrister, Mukul Chawla QC, said mitigating factors should be taken into account. He told the judge that Michael felt "profound shame and horror" after the accident.
"He recognises his actions of driving had the effect of causing other road users to be in danger and that stark fact caused him to be greatly ashamed," he said.
He also told the judge that, after a long period in the creative wilderness, Michael had begun writing again. "His creativity, so long hampered by his drug dependence, is re-emerging," he said.
Chawla said the singer – who had used prescription medication to deal with his anxiety, depression and insomnia over a long period – had attempted to wean himself off drugs in March this year. He had some success, but later found "the feelings of anxiety and insomnia appeared to have redoubled".
Michael returned to his doctor and was given the antidepressant Amitriptyline, which he took on the night of the crash.
He told police after his arrest: "I'm so ashamed of it. It is so ridiculously dangerous and that is why I have stayed away from them [the antidepressants], even though I still have insomnia and I had some anxiety." He had only started taking the drug recently, he said, adding: "They are a recent thing, and it's taken me a whole week to fuck up again."
In June 2007, Michael was banned from driving for two years and sentenced to 100 hours of community service at Brent magistrates' court, north London.
In the latest incident, Michael was held in Hampstead in the early hours of 4 July. He was arrested just before 4am after police found him slumped over the wheel of his car in Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, having crashed into the shop front of the photography shop.
The court heard that he did not at first appear to notice police, and tried to get the car into gear, before being roused by an officer banging on his window. Police said he appeared "spaced out", was sweating and breathing heavily. He did not initially respond to police, but, when asked what his name was, replied: "George." When told he had crashed into a shop, he said: "No I didn't. I didn't crash into anything."
The star was found to be in possession of two cannabis joints, and was charged with possession of cannabis on 12 August. Michael admitted smoking a "small quantity" of cannabis at about 10pm the previous evening, and said he also took a newly prescribed sedative to help him sleep. He told police he decided to drive between his homes in Highgate and Hampstead to meet a friend on the spur of the moment and had forgotten he had taken the sedative.
Michael first achieved fame in the 1980s after starting the band Wham with school friend Andrew Ridgeley.
His first solo album, Faith, topped the UK charts in 1987, but he spent much of the early 90s locked in a legal fight with Sony, which prevented him from recording any fresh material. Virgin and Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks paid Sony $40m (£23.8m) to release him from a multi-album deal. His last album of original material, Patience, was released in 2004.
Nick Freeman, a lawyer who has represented a string of celebrities accused of drink driving offences, criticised the sentence.
"This is a man in the public eye who clearly has problems," he said.
"What good will this kind of sentence do? He obviously needs help. Locking him up will achieve nothing.
"It is obvious that he is being made an example of. An immediate jail term is a terrible outcome for him.
"The government tell us that short-term sentences don't work, so why has one been given in a case like this where treatment is clearly the best solution?"
Fans gathered outside the court today included Shelly Williams, 41, from east London, who said she hoped the singer would continue with the process of trying to improve himself.
"I am here to show my support, I have been a fan for 26 years – that's longer than a marriage," she said.
As the singer was escorted to the court's cells following his sentence, Williams broke down into noisy tears. Her idol said nothing, but kept his eyes to the floor, before later being driven away in a white security van.
- George Michael
- Crime
- Drugs
- Health
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18:41
Gang offered to sell virgins to Arabs
» The Guardian World NewsIranians offered girls as young as 14 for up to £150,000 in plot revealed by note left at Knightsbridge hotel
An Iranian gang who tried to sell young female virgins to wealthy Arabs charging up to £150,000 a girl, was jailed for sex trafficking and prostitution today.
The gang claimed to have 12 girls in the UK, available for sex in London hotels, including one aged 14 whom they regarded as "bait". They plotted to rake in huge sums through a party where young women could accept cash to sleep with wealthy Middle Eastern businessmen.
The gang – named as Mahrookh Jamali, 41, Sara Bordbar, 43, both of north London, and Fatima Hagnegat, 24, along with the latter's husband, Rasoul Gholampour, 30, both of Wigan – offered their services in a handwritten letter to Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the multibillionaire ruler of Dubai, who, police said, had had no involvement with the crimes.
They were caught last August when Hagnegat dropped off the note at the Jumeirah Carlton hotel, in Knightsbridge, London, which is owned by the sheikh. The note said: "My name is Mary and I have been in contact with one of your assistant in Dubai since 06.06.09 … I have 12 girls ready from the age 14-20 years, who are living all over the UK. I have spent money on the preparation of this event such as a rented house for the girls and also all expenses needed … Please, please, Mary … Please my life is dependent on your call."
Staff passed the note to Scotland Yard, which began an undercover sting operation involving a Farsi-speaking officer.
Provocative photographs of the girls were exchanged in 27 emails before the meeting, with discussion of potential sex acts. One conspirator said some of the virgins could be "broken" by clients, and offered to bring along two 13-year-olds for dancing.
When members of the gang went to a second hotel with six scantily-clad girls aged 14 to 22, they were arrested by police. The victims came from England, Poland and Iran, and had been told they could earn money dancing for rich men.
Bill McGivern, prosecuting, said the girls were told that if they had sex with a guest they would get more money.
Judge Alan Greenwood told Harrow crown court that the gang was motivated by greed, running a "money-making operation based on the exploitation and corruption of vulnerable young women".
All four pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic six women aged 17 to 22 last year for sexual exploitation. Jamali, Hagnegat and Bordbar also admitted conspiracy to incite prostitution for gain.
The gang ringleader, Jamali, was jailed for two years and nine months. Hagnegat was jailed for two years and six months, and Bordbar, the only member with British citizenship, was jailed for two years and three months. Gholampour was jailed for two years and nine months. A charge of conspiracy to arrange prostitution of children lies on the files of all four.
- Prostitution
- Crime
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18:15
Betterfly Raises Cash to Help People Find Services
» NYT > TechnologyBetterfly pairs users with a specific "betterist" -- a barber, guitar instructor, running coach, sewing teacher or other person who can provide a particular service.
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17:38
Samsung to partner with Nvidia for Galaxy Tab 2
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesIt seems that Samsung and Nvidia could be heading for a beautiful future together. Rumours from Korea suggest the two are likely to team up on the follow up to Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab already.
According to a report on RCR Wireless, “a highly reliable source in Seoul” has revealed that Samsung’s successor to the first tablet would likely run on Nvidia's Tegra 2 chip. Nothing is definite yet, but apparently negotiations have reached the final stages.
This would be a move away from the first version of the Galaxy Tab, the company’s rival to the iPad. The Tab, a 7-inch portable Android device, runs on Samsung’s own Hummingbird processor. It’s been suggested that the company could be looking for increased processing power to turn version two of its latest gadget into more of a gaming tablet - and that's where Nvidia could come in.
The folks in the know at Nvidia said they were not in a position to be drawn on the rumours. But TechEye was lucky enough to grab a chat with Bea Longworth, corporate communications manager for Nvidia in Europe.
Bea said she couldn't comment on supplying a part for another company’s product. “It’s Samsung’s product so it’s up to them,” was all she would reveal.
But she did say that Tegra had been her baby for a while now and was “a really interesting” part of the business. She added: “I’m absolutely bursting to shout from the rooftops about Tegra and to show off what the chip can do. When it’s out there I think people are going to be very impressed with the results.”
She also said that it had taken much longer than originally anticipated to get Tegra to market due to things moving so fast in the sector, but acknowledged that this was “the nature of the beast”.
Bea told TechEye that any announcements about Tegra would have to be at the right time for the company’s partners. Which suggests the rumours are on the right trail.
RCR Wireless also revealed that the time-frame for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 was apparently expected to be the second quarter of next year. So watch this space for a spring announcement.
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17:19
Iran frees US hiker on $500,000 bail
» The Guardian World NewsOne of three American hikers detained on spying charges is released but other two are to be held for two more months
Sarah Shourd, one of three American hikers held in Iran as spies for over a year, has left the country, after being freed from prison on a bail of $500,000 (£324,000).
Shourd, 32, was reportedly en route for the Gulf state of Oman where she was to be reunited with her mother. "She just left Iran from Tehran's Mehrabad airport," a diplomatic source told the Associated Press.
Iran's English language channel Press TV reported that Shourd had been released "on a bail of $500,000" but did not give more details. Iran had previously said that Shourd could be freed on payment of $500,000, but her family said it would have difficulties raising the money, and the US government said it would not pay.
Shortly after Shourd's release was announced, the country's judiciary announced that the detention of Shourd's two American friends, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, had been extended for two more months.
Shourd's release was apparently brokered by the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian news agencies, quoting the judiciary, reported that bank documents had been submitted to secure Shourd's release and that she had been handed to Swiss officials.
Tehran's chief prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, said bail had been paid to Iran's bank, the Melli in Muscat, Oman, but it was not immediately clear who paid it. "The judge issued the release order and Ms Shourd was simply set free and she can leave Iran if she wants to," he told Press TV. He said there was "no talk of releasing [Bauer and Fattal] right now".
Shourd, and Bauer and Fattal, both 28, were detained by Iranian security forces while hiking near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan in July 2009. They have flatly denied accusations of spying and have never been charged with any offence.
Their families say they were hiking in Iraq's scenic north when they were detained, and that if they crossed the border into Iran, they did so unwittingly.
In a statement the three families said they were overjoyed by Shourd's released, but "also heartbroken that Shane and Josh are still being denied their freedom for no just cause".
Nora Shourd, Sarah Shourd's mother, said: "I've hoped and prayed for this moment for 410 days and I cannot wait to wrap Sarah in my arms and hold her close when we are finally together again." She added: "I can only imagine how bittersweet her freedom must be for her, leaving Shane and Josh behind."
President Obama welcomed news of the release, and said he remained hopeful that Iran would "demonstrate renewed compassion" by freeing Bauer and Fattal.
The three Americans are pawns in a tense diplomatic standoff between the US and Iran and have apparently also fallen victim to internal political rivalry in the Islamic country.
Iran first announced last Friday that Shourd would be released on Saturday, as a humanitarian gesture to mark Eid al-Fitr - the holiday at the end of the Ramadan fast - but excitement quickly gave way to confusion in the wake of conflicting statements from Tehran.
Ja'fari-Dowlatabadi told a press conference on Sunday that Shourd would be freed on health grounds but criticised the initial announcement of her release, saying it had been made while the judiciary was still working on the case.
Shourd's mother said her daughter has been denied treatment for serious health problems, including a breast lump and pre-cancerous cervical cells.
In May, Shourd and Bauer got engaged in jail and will marry once they are released, their mothers said. Nora Shourd and Cindy Hickey said Bauer proposed to Shourd using an improvised ring he wove together with threads from his shirt. Bauer and Fattal's fate remains unclear.
- Iran
- Middle East
- United States
- US foreign policy
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17:18
Computer crim tried to rat on his cat
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesA Florida techie paedophile had a go at blaming all the kiddie porn that coppers found on his computer system, on his cat.
Keith Griffin, 49, claimed to be gob smacked when Inspector Knacker of the Jensen Beach yard banged on his door. The coppers were very interested in a file sharing site which was distributing child porn.
Griffin said that he had seen porn accidentally while using Limewire but he would "usually delete" it. Asked if anyone else could have set up such a site he said there was only really his teenage son or the cat.
He told them that "sometimes he would leave the computer on and his cat would jump on the keyboard and he would come back to the computer and find strange things on it."
Griffin, who was no Blofeld, did not want to elaborate how his moggie turned to file-sharing without opposable thumbs or how it would set up a site which distributed child and not kitten porn.
We guess he was too terrified of grassing up his cat. You don't mess with cats, they can come into your room at night and steal your breath or just leave a dead mouse in your shoe.
Needless to say the Judge did not buy his yarn about paedophile cats and sentenced him to 12 years porridge.
The cat was not charged or even cautioned. We guess it had a better lawyer. Cats usually do.
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17:07
Nokia's N8 smartphone on show
» BBC News - TechnologyRory Cellan-Jones gets a run-through of the new touchscreen mobile at Nokia World in London.
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16:48
Study shows growth of the internet may be at risk
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesOrganisations and internet service providers (ISPs) which don't pick up IPv6 will face complex engineering problems and a lot of expense, the Number Resource Organisation (NRO) has warned.
Axel Pawlik, chairman of the NRO, told TechEye: “As we're moving towards IPv4 exhaustion, companies must wake up and begin to source IPv6 addresses from RIRs. However, many are not doing this leaving them open to huge expense and complex engineering later on.
"I don't understand why companies don't want to do this," he added.
The warnings come as the NRO issues research looking at how IPv6 has been implemented. Funded by the European Commission and conducted by GNKS Consult and TNO, the study found that of the 1500 organisations surveyed, the majority are taking steps toward IPv6 deployment, as the IPv4 address pool continues to deplete rapidly.
The NRO has been warning organisations that IP addresses are critical for the operation of the internet as every internet-enabled device needs an IP address to connect to the rest of the network.
It found that the biggest threat facing the internet today is that less than 6 percent of the current form of IP addresses, IPv4, remain and the pool is likely to be completely depleted next year. This means that organisations need to adopt IPv6 and now.
Approximately 84 percent of those questioned already have IPv6 addresses or have considered requesting them from the RIRs. However 16 percent of respondents have no plans to deploy IPv6 addresses.
Of those polled 58 percent were ISPs, which NRO said fell behind other organisations in IPv6 deployment. However, it warned that all organisations should ensure that their ISP offers or plans to offer services over IPv6.
“There is still a distinct lack of Internet traffic over the next addressing protocol, with not enough ISPs offering IPv6 services and 30 percent of ISPs saying the proportion of this traffic is less than 0.5 percent. It’s critical that ISPs now take the next step in the global adoption effort by offering IPv6 services to their customers to help boost traffic over IPv6,” Pawlik said.
The study also showed that there were some misconceptions around the cost of adopting IPv6.Over half of all respondents noted that the cost of deployment was a major barrier for IPv6 adoption. Of the 84 percent of respondents that have requested IPv6 addresses or have considered doing so, three-quarters reported the need to stay ahead of competition as the main reason for IPv6 adoption.
The UK is a little slow on the uptake of IPv6 too. According to NRO figures we're at just 30 percent, while Slovenia is way up ahead at 70 percent.
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16:45
McDonald's targeted in US health ad
» The Guardian World NewsUnhappy meals: American doctors' TV ad features a corpse holding a hamburger and the line 'I was lovin' it'. McDonald's, which has thrived in the recession, isn't laughing
It is an image to sap the flabbiest of appetites. An overweight, middle-aged man lies dead on a mortuary trolley, with a woman weeping over his body. The corpse's cold hand still clutches a half-eaten McDonald's hamburger.
A hard-hitting US television commercial bankrolled by a Washington-based medical group has infuriated McDonald's by taking an unusually direct shot at the world's biggest fast-food chain this week, using a scene filmed in a mortuary followed by a shot of the brand's golden arches logo and a strapline declaring: "I was lovin' it."
The line is a provocative twist on McDonald's long-standing advertising slogan, "I'm lovin' it" and a voiceover intones: "High cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks. Tonight, make it vegetarian."
The commercial, bankrolled by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), goes further than most non-profit advertising and has drawn an angry reaction from both the Chicago-based hamburger multinational and the broader restaurant industry.
The National Restaurant Association criticised it as "irresponsible" and said it was an attempt to scare the public with a "limited" view of nutrition. A McDonald's spokesman said: "This commercial is outrageous, misleading and unfair to all consumers. McDonald's trusts our customers to put such outlandish propaganda in perspective, and to make food and lifestyle choices that are right for them."
The commercial, to be aired initially in the Washington area but potentially in further US cities, comes amid an increasingly lively debate in the US about healthy eating. The first lady, Michelle Obama, has made nutrition a signature issue and is leading a campaign to encourage physical fitness and improved diets – particularly among American children, a third of whom are overweight.
The recession has hardly helped the healthy eating cause. McDonald's has enjoyed a relatively prosperous financial crisis as diners opt for its affordable offerings in place of more expensive high-street restaurants. Its global profits for the six months to June were up 12% to $2.3bn, powered by sales rises both in the United States and Britain.
The PCRM's director of nutrition education, Susan Levin, made no apologies for singling out the golden arches: "McDonald's is one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world. Its name and its golden arches are instantly recognisable. We feel we're making a point about all fast food when we talk about McDonald's."
- McDonald's
- Food & drink industry
- United States
- US healthcare
- US economy
- Advertising
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16:43
IBM boss slams HP over 3PAR acquisition
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesSamuel J. Palmisano, CEO of IBM, has slammed rival HP, suggesting it was foolish to buy 3PAR for such a large amount and that it was no longer an inventive company.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Palmisano shared his thoughts about HP, which is currently IBM's largest competitor. He said that IBM would once never have bought 3PAR for $2.4 billion, the price HP eventually settled on after a long bidding war with Dell, indicating that HP was mad to pay over three times what the company was worth before the bidding war ensued.
He said that the reasoning behind HP's buy was because it “had no choice”, due to a lack of research and development within the company itself. He blamed former HP CEO Mark Hurd, saying that the company used to be very inventive, but no longer invests in new technology.
He was also particularly condemnatory of how the Board of Directors at HP dealt with the departure of Hurd after the sex and expenses scandal. He said that the $35 million severance package Hurd got was not a good use of shareholder money, particularly considering Hurd then took up the post as President of Oracle, with a salary of $950,000 and a $10 million bonus.
Palmisano said that HP is not really a threat to IBM and that he is not worried about it, but he did indicate that Oracle was becoming a major player. He commended Oracle's work and its CEO Larry Ellison, and said that it will be the biggest threat to IBM in the long run.
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16:40
Alliance responds to Billy Wright report
» The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland News StoriesAlliance Party Justice Spokesperson, Stephen Farry, has responded to the outcome of the Billy Wright public inquiry that was announced today.
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16:08
Mozambique 'blocked riot texts'
» BBC News - TechnologyThe BBC sees a letter seemingly sent by Mozambique's authorities ordering mobile phone companies to block text messages during recent riots.
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15:37
Microsoft says it abhors Russian anti-piracy ploy
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesMicrosoft has spoken out against Russian attempts to suppress dissent with anti-piracy laws, saying that it “abhors” the practice.
Senior vice-president and general counsel for Microsoft, Brad Smith, said that the news that the Russian government had been using anti-piracy laws relating to Microsoft software to confiscate computers and otherwise persecute several non-government organisations (NGOs) in Russia was disturbing to read.
“Whatever the circumstances of the particular cases the New York Times described, we want to be clear that we unequivocally abhor any attempt to leverage intellectual property rights to stifle political advocacy or pursue improper personal gain,” said Smith.
He revealed that Microsoft is looking into the situation in Russia and is seeking advice from human rights groups. Microsoft is also bringing in an international law firm not connected with anti-piracy to conduct an independent investigation of the situation and advise accordingly.
“We're creating in Russia a new NGO Legal Assistance Program focused specifically on helping NGOs document to the authorities that this new software license proves that they have legal software,” he said.
Smith said that while Microsoft is keen to reduce piracy and counterfeiting of its software it must be done in a way that respects the fundamental rights of human beings. -
15:17
Steve Jobs tried to smuggle Ninja death stars onto Japanese plane
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesSteve Jobs, the revered Saint of Appledom and CEO of Apple, was barred from taking ninja throwing stars aboard a private plane in Japan, according to Japanese tabloid SPA.
We imagine he couldn't bring an iPod on board as they tend to melt. Instead Jobs showed his martial spirit by packing away some weapons, called throwing stars or shuriken in Japanese. Instead of declaring them and sending them into the luggage bay like anyone else would do Jobs wanted to bring them into the passenger section of the plane in his carry bag.
The weapons were detected in a security scan of the bag at Kansai International Airport near Osaka, prompting the airport officials to tell Jobs he couldn't bring weapons on board. Clearly while Jobs was in his walled garden of delights all these years he hadn't noticed the enormous level of global paranoia and safety checks absolutely everyone else in the world is aware of.
The tabloid says that Jobs went bonkers and vowed never to visit Japan again. He apparently argued with officials over it "not making sense" - why anyone try to hijack their own plane, he pondered. Reports suggest that he then dumped the weapons.
Airport officials refused to confirm that the person in question was Jobs, but they did confirm the story. They said that airport rules apply to both public and private planes, meaning that items like shuriken must be declared and sent to the luggage bay, not brought on board with the passengers.
This situation is reported to have occurred in July when Jobs was on holiday with family in Kyoto. We don't know quite what he's up to - recently FruityCo patented a bullet-proof line of iPhones.
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15:15
'Mate' crime
» The Guardian World NewsLearning disabled people living in the community are increasingly finding themselves the victims of so-called mate crime
Steven Hoskin had strong feelings about his killers. They had abused, exploited and humiliated him over a year, taking his money, treating him as their slave and making him wear his own dog's collar and lead. Eventually, having forced him to swallow 70 painkillers, they took him to the top of a railway viaduct and made him hang from the railings as one member of the gang, a girl aged 16, stamped on his hands until he fell 30 metres to his death.
Yet these were the people the 38-year-old, who had severe learning disabilities, had boasted excitedly of counting as friends. "He thought they were the cat's whiskers," says Morley Richards, who had known Hoskin before he met the group. "He would say, 'They're my mates, I've got my own mates now.'"
Hoskin's case is extreme, but the phenomenon of learning disabled people being groomed by those who pretend to be their friends before being exploited by them financially, physically or sexually – "mate crime", as it is sometimes known – is far from rare, experts say, and appears to be on the increase. As more individuals are given the chance to live independently, the unwelcome side effect is that they are more likely to fall prey to criminals. Hoskin was a case in point: he had left the tiny Cornish village of Maudlin, near Bodmin, where he had grown up, and was thrilled to have his own bedsit in the market town of St Austell, where he made his new "friends".
The Association for Real Change (ARC) has been researching mate crime for the past year in Calderdale, west Yorkshire, and in north Devon, after a groundswell of concern among its members who are service providers for people with learning disabilities. Examples it has been told about range from perpetrators routinely going to a victim's house and clearing their cupboards of food and alcohol before leaving them to clear up the mess, to instances of people being persuaded to part with their benefits.
Women can be sexually exploited by men who claim to be their boyfriend, says David Grundy, who runs the Calderdale project. "They might be told, 'We're a couple and we haven't got any money – if you sleep with my mate he'll pay us.'" In other cases, someone with learning disabilities may be asked to look after a package that contains drugs and end up being beaten up as a result, or go shoplifting with their new-found friends carrying a weapon, only to get caught by police.
The victim may not realise that what is happening is wrong. "There can be a feeling of, 'He's my friend, that's what friends do,'" says Grundy. "People with learning disabilities have fewer friends. For some, any friends is better than no friends, even if they're spending all your money.
"It involves a lot of issues [around] self-belief and self-worth: thinking it's all right for people to walk all over them all the time, because that's what's happened to them the whole of their lives."
Rod Landman, from the north Devon project, likens the situation to domestic violence. "The primacy of the relationship can be more important than what's happening inside it. People are prepared to put up with all sorts of crap to keep a relationship that may be the only one they have apart from with someone who's being paid to be with them." As a result, victims shy away from reporting such hate crime incidents to the police, or indeed anyone. Every service provider that Landman talks to will tell him of cases, he says, but no one with learning disabilities will do the same.
Some families and frontline social care staff are still unaware of what constitutes a disability hate crime and what to do when one happens, says Grundy. Abusive relationships may get flagged up to adult safeguarding teams, but their primary aim is to keep the individual safe by removing them from the situation, rather than report those committing the crimes. This means that perpetrators remain free to target others.
As cuts lead to the closure of day centres and potentially less support for vulnerable people, there are fears that the situation could get worse. Gavin Harding, vice-chair of the National Forum for People with Learning Disabilities, remembers the shock and anger he felt five years ago when he realised that someone he believed to be a friend had taken his cheque book and, together with another man, forged a cheque for £500.
"It was the fact they took advantage of me," he says. "It felt awful. You feel you can't trust people after that."
• Information on ARC's Safety Net project is at arcsafety.net
- Social care
- Learning disability
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15:14
Bing Overtakes Yahoo in Search
» NYT > TechnologyAccording to a Nielsen Company report, Microsoft's search services trailed only Google in August in the United States.
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15:07
OSS waves PPC goodbye as old Macs turn paperweights
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesIf you have an old PowerPC based Mac, the time to move is now, as software developers are dropping support of the platform left and right. And the future doesn't look too bright for newer Power-architecture systems, as ARM seems to be where the action is at, from set top boxes to full blown PCs.
What was once seen as a microprocessor platform that could eclipse the x86 dominance, the PowerPC architecture seems to be losing whatever attractive qualities it might have had. Granted, PPC is alive and kicking inside popular game consoles, but outside of that niche acquired years ago, and others like communications and automotive, the chances of having a Power Architecture CPU at home seem to be diminishing rapidly.
In this report, we'll use PowerPC and Power Architecture brands interchangeably, although we know this makes Power.org marketing people quite mad.
2010: the year PowerPC Macs became total paperweights
Recently, several software developers have started dropping support for the PowerPC Macs, which only makes sense as the last OS from the fruity white computer manufacturer to support PowerPC processors was OS X "Leopard", released in 2007. This hasn't prevented the church of Apple worshippers from clinging onto their slow and ageing - but surely perfectly functioning and beautiful - PowerPC Macs.
Google gave PowerPC based Mac users the finger two years ago when it released its video chat feature and explicitly left off PowerPC based Mac users. Some die-hard PowerPC fans are still complaining, even to this day. How dare they!.
Days ago, game developers Blizzard and also Basilisk Games announced that they were dropping PowerPC support. Blizzard said: "Shortly before the release of Cataclysm, a patch will be released in which PowerPC processor based Macs will no longer be supported."
Basilisk developers said: "It is becoming impossible to compile our games on the PowerPC Mac due to lack of support from other software providers. Technology marches on and the sun has set on the Macintosh PowerPC architecture, at least for us." The firm ended its missive with a farewell message: "To the PowerPC processor that made the Mac what it is today, we salute you!."
Opera software also announced it will be dropping PowerPC support, with reports indicating that "the 10.6x branch will be the last release with support for the processor PowerPC architecture" and quoting Opera Developer Daniel Aleksandersen, who said: "Only 0.1% of Opera users still use PowerPC-based systems."The last blow came from the Mozarella Foundation, which also plans to wave PowerPC users goodbye.
These events remind us that besides IBM handing the niche to Freescale, it was Apple's switch away from the PPC platform what gave the architecture the most severe blow, in terms of mind share.
PowerPC Linux going the way of the DodoOne could think that software developers' lack of enthusiasm for the PPC platform is restricted to commercial Mac software vendors, but that would be wrong.
Some in the Open Source world seem to be waving the PowerPC goodbye. Earlier this year, when the RedHat-sponsored Fedora community released version 13, PowerPC users were dismayed to find that support for their beloved CPU marchitecture had been dropped.
As such, PPC systems need to keep running Fedora version 12, and after that version is no longer maintained, well, users are on their own if they want to port current Fedora versions to the PPC platform.
And Fedora has been pretty loyal to the platform, maintaining support until May this year. Ubuntu dropped its official PowerPC architecture support a long time ago.
An article on LWN.net a couple months back admits: "The number of Linux distributions that officially support this platform is diminishing year by year." Ouch, seems Freescale will have a hard time selling its Power family of processors (PDF) outside the existing embedded niches like the automotive market.
Last year, a firm dubbed "Mentor Graphics" trumpeted the porting of Google's Android operating system to the PowerPC platform. Now, about one year later, one does a web search for "powerpc tablet" on Google's product search engine and... nothing of relevance turns up.There were a couple of adventurous firms which released PPC-based general computing systems: last year we spotted the LimeBook netbook running on a Freescale PPC CPU. A similar 8.9-inch display netbook system - very similar if not the same reference design - is now selling in South Africa under the "LinkBook" name, where it is practically given away for $25 with a two-year 3G mobile internet service contract.
That's two that this scribbler knows about. Doesn't seem like there's a rush to the PPC. Both of these systems ship with a custom Linux OS, by the way.
If you want more proof that ARM - and probably, MIPS - is where the action is at, look no further than Freescale. Earlier this year the firm released a tablet reference design using an ARM based CPU, not Power.
While all this happens, Linux on ARM is getting better, not harder to find. Trident and ARM are collaborating to optimise open source software like Qt and WebKit for Set Top Boxes based on ARM's platform.
Adobe has been optimising its Flash player and Sun/Oracle offers ARM optimised builds. While ARM announced its Cortex A15 and touted the platform's availability of Flash, Java SE, JavaFX, Ubuntu and Android support, the Chinese firm NuFront is about to sell a $250 desktop PC running ARM, not Power.
Power.org awakens and wants to promote its platform
It seems the boffins at Power.org are feeling the pressure. Maciej Bajkowski at ChipCrunch writes a nice artiicle outlining several of the Power Architecture roadmaps and Power.org's reaction to all the buzz around ARM.Bajkowski says: "With all this x86 vs. ARM talk, it is really not surprising that the PowerPC guys via Power.org decided to go on the offensive". So what did Power.org do? Release updated roadmaps!
However, he wonders aloud if this will be enough to make the Power architecture a conversational topic once again: "Will all of this help Power.org make the Power architecture more of a conversation topic? Only time will tell. "
We asked IBM's Brad Frey who sits as advisor on the Power architecture board for his thoughts, and we're sure he will have something to say after reading this piece. Stay tuned.
Not dead, just niche, and unpopular
It'd be wrong to conclude that Power architecture is dead in the water, Power excels for networking and raw computation, for instance, so it's got a pretty firm niche in embedded in military applications. Take for instance the XPedite5430 from Extreme Engineering Solutions. It's geared towards the networking and military applications, and features a Freescale P4080 processor with eight 1.5-GHz Power Architecture e500 cores.But on the low-end things don't look so bright. Four years ago this scribbler reviewed Buffalo's impressive Gigabit Linkstation. It ran Linux on a PowerPC CPU. Current NAS appliances by Buffalo, like the Terastation now run on... yes, ARM. So it's undeniable that it's feeling the heat, not only from ARM on the consumer market , but now also by Intel.
We decided to ask someone in the know in the consumer sector to see if indeed ARM was trouncing everyone. We ran into "video thumbnail inventor" and software developer Vladimir Pantelic - who works at tablet designer firm Archos, and he told us his personal opinion:
"Like every other SOC vendor that once had his own embedded CPU variant (Super-H, Mips, NEC, ST) Freescale is going ARM. I held a Freescale tablet reference design in my hands just last week, but of course it was ARM based." he told us.
Pantelic also cited another Freescale ARM based tablet, the French QOOQ which runs on the ARM-based Freescale i.MX37 .
He concluded by pointing out: "This trend towards the ARM marchitecture has started since Android redefined the "mimimum" SOC as being ARM Cortex-A8, HW-video decoder and a 3D unit".
So, judging by his words and all of the above about the diminishing software support for the platform, yes, it looks like Power.org better release something more attractive than updated roadmaps. That's if it wants to bring back some buzz and activity to its platform, and keep any mind share in the process.
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14:54
Neeson welcomes electricity price freeze
» The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland News StoriesAlliance Enterprise spokesperson Sean Neeson MLA has welcomed the announcement by Northern Ireland Electricity that they are freezing their prices ahead of winter.
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14:41
US court rules against software resale
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesA software company has won the right to stop a man from re-selling second hand copies of software because the programs are licensed to users and not owned by them.
A US appeal court ruled in favour of software company Autodesk follows a long running dispute with Timothy Vernon who sells products on Ebay. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said software producers who clearly impose restrictions on buyers and make it clear that buyers are only licensing material rather than owning it outright do have the right to restrict second hand sales of the material.
The ruling has angered the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which described the decision as
"deeply disappointing", and "very bad news for consumers."
Telling the story on its site, it said: "By undermining the crucial balance between copyright owners and users that supports used bookstores, libraries, and DVD rentals, it hurts both our ability to save a few dollars and our ability to retain, archive and access older, out-of-print materials. Libraries and second-hand sellers are often the only hope for these materials and the “long tail” community of researchers, historians and hobbyists that value them.
"But the potential effects of this decision don’t stop there: it risks creating a situation in which violating contracts and end-user license agreements (EULAs) could result in a copyright infringement lawsuit (with the heavy club of statutory damages, attorneys fees and low standards for injunctions) rather than just a simple breach of contract claim."
The legal matters first began when Timothy Vernor bought second hand versions of Autodesk's architectural drawing software from a company. He made them available for sale on eBay, but Autodesk wasn't happy and filed claims that this infringed its copyright.Autodesk claimed that the copies Vernor had obtained should have been destroyed and this eventually led to Vernor's eBay account being suspended. This prompted him to go to the courts and ask a judge to declare his activity lawful. He prevailed before the district court in 2009, prompting Autodesk to appeal.
Although the EFF filed an amicus brief supporting Mr. Vernor, arguing that copyright owners should not be able to trump the first sale doctrine by using a few “magic words” in a “license agreement," this didn't cut the mustard.Vernor had also argued that the software was bought and owned by Autodesk's customers, and that the first sale doctrine meant that it was theirs to dispose of however they saw fit.
The court sided with Autodesk, holding that: "A software user is a licensee rather than an owner of a copy where the copyright owner, in the documents included with the software packaging, (1) specifies that the user is granted a license; (2) significantly restricts the user’s ability to transfer the software; and (3) imposes notable use restrictions.
"[Original owner] CTA was a licensee rather than an owner of copies of [the software] and thus was not entitled to invoke the first sale doctrine or the essential step defense," said the ruling.
"Autodesk retained title to the software and imposed significant transfer restrictions: it stated that the license is nontransferable, the software could not be transferred or leased without Autodesk’s written consent, and the software could not be transferred outside the Western Hemisphere.
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14:19
Colm Tóibín on his novel Brooklyn
» The Guardian World NewsColm Tóibín visited the Guardian book club last month to talk about his novel Brooklyn, the story of a young Irishwoman emigrating to the United States soon after the second world war.
He talked about how, although the novel takes place in a relatively remote era, it was partly inspired by watching new arrivals in Dublin – from China, Poland, Nigeria – and registering their "in-between" condition, having left their home countries behind without fully arriving in the new culture.
He also discussed the appeal of a story set in a repressed milieu, "the system of silence" where things sometimes cannot even be consciously felt, let alone spoken of, by the characters, but are understood by the reader. He also explains how – in search of the "felt life" – bypassed some of the more obvious events in his story.
John Mullan
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14:12
Ray Gosling avoids jail for wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA BBC presenter was spared jail today after admitting he made up claims that he killed a former lover who was dying of Aids.
Related Stories
- Ex-MPs to appeal to Supreme Court over expenses claims
- Sailor found dead on warship
- Ray Gosling admits wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
- Mystery ashes found buried in grave
- 'Cowboy builders' accused of £1 million fraud
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14:06
Children aged 10 granted shotgun certificates
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedChildren as young as 10 are being granted shotgun certificates partly because British gun laws are "a mess" and few people can fully understand them, MPs examining the legislation in the wake of Derrick Bird's killing spree were told today.
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- Strike dates threaten to derail BBC coverage of key political events
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- Man dies in surfing accident
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14:05
Why do we eat chilli?
» The Guardian World NewsChillies burn our tongues, make our eyes water and bring us out in a sweat. Jason Goldman looks at a peculiarly human form of masochism
Jason is a developmental psychologist and blogs at The Thoughtful AnimalDave's Red Hot. Mother Puckers. Green Bandit. Scorned Woman. Pain is Good. Blair's Death. No, they're not rock bands. These names represent just a small selection of the brands of hot sauce available at my local supermarket.
Humans, apparently, enjoy torturing themselves. Spiciness, after all, is not a flavour, not like sweet or salty or sour. Spicy means pain. The sensation of spiciness is the result of the activation of pain receptors in the tongue. According to psychologist Paul Rozin of the University of Pennsylvania, about a third of the people around the world eat hot peppers every single day. Why? Because they "love the burn". At a symposium on gastro-psychology during this year's Association for Psychological Science convention, Rozin pointed out that humans are the only species – we know about – that specifically seek out what would otherwise be considered negative events.
Healthy, sane humans do not stab themselves in the thighs, or bathe their eyes in lemon juice. So why do we so love to assault one of the most sensitive organs in the human body, the tongue, with what amounts to chemical warfare? Chillies are unique among foods that we should otherwise not enjoy. For example, humans also have natural aversions to the bitterness of coffee or the harshness of tobacco, but those substances have some addictive qualities, which might make them desirable. Capsaicin, the compound that provides the mouth-watering punch of chillies, does not seem to have any addictive qualities whatsoever. And yet the preference for capsaicin is almost universal; nearly every culture has incorporated it into their cuisine in some way, for milllennia.
Rozin writes:
"There are records suggesting use of chilli pepper dating back to 7000BC in Mesoamerica; they were domesticated some thousands of years after this. These fiery foods made their debut in the Old World when they were brought back by Columbus and other early explorers. In spite of their initial unpalatability, they became accepted as a basic part of the diet in many parts of the world: west and east Africa, India, south-east Asia, parts of China, Indonesia, Korea, and other smaller geographic regions, such as Hungary."
Most young children, even from cultures known for their spicy recipes, are averse to capsaicin. So maybe, then, instead of actually liking the pain, we're merely desensitising ourselves: what used to be really painful is now just sort of painful.
Since capsaicin is a member of the vanilloid family of molecules, it binds to a receptor on the tongue called the vanilloid receptor subtype 1. Upon binding to the VR1 receptor, the sensation produced by the capsaicin molecule is the same sensation that heat would cause, which explains capsaicin's burn. When scientists discovered that the VR1 receptor was a member of the larger family of TRP ion channels, the VR1 receptor was renamed TRPV1. TRP receptors are known to be sensitive to changes in temperature and are likely responsible for temperature sensation. When chilli peppers are the source of the capsaicin, there isn't any actual tissue damage; but because it binds to the TRPV1 receptor, the brain is tricked into believing that the tongue truly is on fire.
In 1980, Rozin and a colleague, Deborah Schiller, reported a study in which they compared the pepper preferences of Mexicans and Americans. Mexicans generally eat chillies several times per day, while Americans only eat chillies a few times a week. If desensitisation could explain our preference for oral pain, then Mexicans should show higher tolerance for capsaicin than Americans, and Americans should more easily detect capsaicin, even in small amounts, than Mexicans.
The data only weakly supported these predictions: the differences were seen, but were not statistically significant. Another prediction made by the desensitisation hypothesis is that individual tolerance should increase with exposure, and therefore with age. Rozin and Schiller found no correlation between age and tolerance though. Experiments conducted to try to induce a preference for capsaicin in rats, using traditional reinforcement techniques, proved futile.
In the late 1970s, Frito-Lay tried to market a brand of corn chips in Mexico that had the flavour of chilli peppers, but without any capsaicin. As would be expected in a culture that actually enjoys the burn, the product was a failure. Likewise, bell peppers, which have some pepper flavour but no capsaicin, are not at all popular in Mexico.
While most scientists still do not quite have a handle on the human preference for spicy foods, the best explanation comes from a mechanism called "hedonic reversal", or "benign masochism". Something happens, in millions of humans each year, which changes a negative evaluation into a positive evaluation, like flipping a light switch.
Rozin writes: "If the oral receptors are sending the same message to the brain in the chilli liker and the chilli hater, then the chilli liker must have come to like the very same sensation that the chilli hater, the infant, and nonhuman animals find aversive. One gets to like the burn." Only humans seem to be able to derive pleasure from the negative sensation itself. Animals have been trained to endure self-harm, but only within the context of positive reinforcement.
Perhaps we seek out the painful experience of snacking on chillies while consciously maintaining awareness that there is no real danger to ourselves. After all, people seem to enjoy – and actively seek out – many other sensations that are otherwise undesirable but are ostensibly safe: the sensation of falling provided by rollercoasters or skydiving, the feelings of fear and anxiety while watching horror movies, the physical pain experienced upon jumping into icy water, or even the feelings of sadness that come while watching a tear-jerker. Perhaps it is this cognitive mismatch itself that provides the thrill: like strapping into a rollercoaster or popping Hostel into your DVD player over and over again, the burn of capsaicin only seems to be threatening.
Want a thrill? Go out and buy yourself a bottle of One Fuckin' Drop At A Time Hot Sauce. It comes with an eye-dropper for portion control. Benign masochism, indeed.
Jason Goldman is a developmental psychologist and blogs at The Thoughtful Animal- Food science
- Psychology
- Food & drink
- Neuroscience
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14:04
Cahill loses red card appeal
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedBolton defender Gary Cahill has lost his appeal over his red card at Arsenal at Saturday.
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- Reina: top-four finish may be beyond Liverpool
- Grieving Pulis lauded by Stoke
- Manchester City will benefit from fixture congestion says Milner
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- Baird signs new Fulham deal
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14:03
Today's political developments – live
» The Guardian World News• Rolling coverage of the day's political developments
• Read Andrew Sparrow's lunchtime summary3.02pm: In his Observer column at the weekend Andrew Rawnsley quoted an unnamed Lib Dem cabinet minister as saying that the party could be on 5% in the polls by next year. But what's the official story from Lib Dem HQ? I'm off to find out. Norman Lamb, Nick Clegg's parliamentary private secretary (but also a minister in the Cabinet Office) is briefing journalists ahead of the Lib Dem conference, which starts on Saturday.
2.20pm: David Cameron has recorded a video message which has just gone up on the Downing Street website offering Pope Benedict a "very warm welcome" ahead of his "incredibly important and historic visit" that starts on Thursday.
In his broadcast - which I think is his first since his father died last week - Cameron says the pope's visit will provide a "unique opportunity to celebrate the enormous contribution that all our faith communities make to our society". He also says that society should be about "more than materialism".
The fellowship and solidarity that unite us are not just Christian values, but British values; values we cherish right across our society, amongst people of every faith and none. Now, of course, not everyone would agree with everything the pope says. But that should not prevent us from acknowledging that the pope's broader message can help challenge us to ask searching questions about society, and how we treat ourselves and each other.
It's a bit "Thought for the Day" (ie, bland and platitudinous). But it's a lot better than Gordon Brown's YouTube video moment.
1.57pm: Lady Warsi, the chairman of the Conservative party, has written to the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, to ask what the corporation will do to make sure that coverage of the Tory conference is not disrupted by the strikes planned for next month. One of the 48-hour strikes is due to take place on 5 and 6 October, overlapping with the final two days of the Tory conference. Here's an extract from Warsi's letter.
Everyone's hope remains that a fair and amicable resolution can be found to the dispute so that strike action need not go ahead ... I would be grateful if you could let me know what contingency plans are in place to ensure political coverage is maintained during the Conference period in line with the BBC's obligation to provide impartial political coverage.
1.49pm: The Iraq inquiry is meeting military personnel who served in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 at Tidworth garrision today to hear their views. Those attending responded to this letter that the inquiry sent out in August. To coincide with this, Radio 4 broadcast an interview with Col Tim Collins, the soldier who became famous for his eve-of-battle address to his Royal Irish regiment. Collins said that planning for the aftermath of the war was non-existent.
I rather thought that there would be some sort of plan and the government had thought this through, and I was clearly wrong ... When I gave my now notorious talk to the Royal Irish, I was trying to rationalise for those young men what was going on from my standpoint. As it turned out, it had a wider appeal because nobody had any idea why this was happening ... It became very apparent to me shortly after crossing the border that the government and many of my superiors had no idea what they were doing.
12.46pm: It's been a bit flat this morning. But here's a lunchtime summary anyway.
• A poll for the Times shows little public support for the government's approach to dealing with the deficit. Only 22% of respondents told Populus that the deficit needed to be eliminated by the time of the next election. Some 37% said it would be better to cut the deficit more slowly (Labour's position at the general election) and another 37% said keeping unemployment low should take priority over cutting the deficit. The Populus poll coincided with YouGov figures showing the government's approval ratings have hit a new low. (See 9.41am and 10.49am.)
• Three former Labour MPs accused of fiddling their expenses have been told they can go to the supreme court next month to argue that the criminal courts do not have the jurisdiction to hear their cases. David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine are accused of theft by false accounting. They deny the charges, but they also claim they should be protected from prosecution by parliamentary privilege. This issue will be decided by the supreme court.
• Sarah Teather, an education minister, has said the government needs to consider the merits of describing children as having "special needs". Responding to a report saying as many as half of all the children identified as having special educational needs are wrongly diagnosed, she told the BBC: "We need to look at whether those labels are helpful and how we diagnose special educational needs."
11.45am: Three former Labour MPs facing trial over allegations about fiddling their expenses are going to go to the supreme court next month to argue that the criminal courts should not be dealing with the matter. This is from the Press Association story about the case.
Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, today refused permission to take the case to the Supreme Court in the wake of [the appeal court's] dismissal, in July, of argument by David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine that they are protected from prosecution by parliamentary privilege.
But he gave them permission to pose a question to the supreme court justices, allowing the three to make a direct application for a final hearing into the case.
Lord Judge cleared the way for the final appeal by agreeing that they could ask the
supreme court to consider "points of general importance" in their cases.The questions were: Does the crown court have the jurisdiction to try an MP in relation to allegations of dishonest claims for parliamentary expenses or allowances, or is the court deprived of jurisdiction by Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1688 or the exclusive jurisdiction of parliament?
Lord Judge, after formally refusing permission, said the matter would "no doubt" be renewed before the Supreme Court at a date he said could be October 18 or 19.
He also refused the MPs, who were not in court, legal aid for separate representation by lawyers because he said there was no conflict of interests in the cases but "a complete identity of interests".They were allowed one leading and junior counsel and one firm of solicitors.
The three, who deny theft by false accounting, claim that any investigation into their expenses claims and the imposition of any sanctions "should lie within the hands of parliament".The judges were told that this was not an attempt to "take them above the law", but to ensure they were adjudicated by the "correct law and the correct body".
11.38am: A website has been set up to find out what Tory and Lib Dem MPs are doing to create David Cameron's big society. At the-big-society.co.uk they've been contacting all coalition MPs and asking them what voluntary work they undertook during the summer recess. So far, the results have been underwhelming. Only around 5% of them have written back with details of the voluntary work they've been doing. The website includes an entry for every Tory and Lib Dem MP.
10.49am: You'll find all today's Guardian politics stories here. And all the politics stories filed yesterday, including some in the paper today, are here.
As for the rest of the papers, here are the political stories and articles that I found most interesting.
• Sam Coates and Roland Watson in the Times (paywall) report on a Populus poll showing that three quarters of voters do not support the coalition government's approach to cutting the deficit.
Populus asked the public to identify which of three deficit reduction plans they agree with most, without identifying which party or group was advocating each position.
More than a third of voters, 37 per cent, say they prefer Labour's position to halve the deficit by the next election and deal with it over ten years. The same number say that protecting the vulnerable and keeping unemployment as low as possible should be bigger priorities than reducing the budget deficit.
Only one in five voters, 22 per cent, agree with the coalition plan to deal with the deficit by the next general election, in five years' time. Even a minority of Conservative supporters, 31 per cent, agree with the coalition line on spending cuts, while 51 per cent say they prefer the policy currently adopted by Labour.
(Other polls give a different picture. If you look at the figures on page 4 of this YouGov chart (pdf), you'll see that a plurality of voters think that the way the government is cutting the deficit is good for the economy. This has been the case ever since May, although the numbers who think the government's approach has been bad for the economy has been rising.)
• Rachel Sylvester in the Times (paywall) says that behind the scenes there is a row going on in the coalition government about the review of anti-terrorism legislation.
The Liberal Democrats have long promised to reverse legislation allowing terrorist suspects to be detained without trial for 28 days. They are also determined to abolish control orders, under which suspects are effectively placed under house arrest. The Tories, although committed to "reversing the substantial erosion of civil liberties", have been more ambiguous about specific pledges — they have abstained in recent Commons votes on control orders, for example.
• Philip Stephens in the Financial Times (subscription) says David Cameron and Nick Clegg want Ed Miliband to win the Labour leadership.
Ed, the younger Miliband, who could yet win as everybody's second choice, has offered mostly mush – policies and promises calculated to make the party feel good about itself and about his candidacy. Few of the voters who deserted Labour at the election will be persuaded by a declaration that he was against the Iraq war ...
By choosing David Miliband, Labour would be saying it wanted to win back England's aspirant classes – that it was still serious about power. But the party's heart could yet rule its head. Mr Clegg – and Mr Cameron – are cheering on the younger of the two brothers.
• The Independent says 22 MPs have advertised for unpaid interns in the last two months. In the Financial Times (subscription), Andy Burnham calls for a ban on unpaid internships.
10.13am: Alastair Campbell has been sounding off about the Special Relationship, a new drama-documentary about Tony Blair and his relationship with Bill Clinton. This is what Campbell told Radio Times:
The gap between what actually happened and what is portrayed is even bigger in The Special Relationship than in The Queen. What's more, there is enough material out there for that to have been discerned, which makes me think the makers simply decided facts would not be allowed to get in the way of a good story ... It ends, improbably, with Clinton at Chequers watching on as Tony Blair talks on the phone to George Bush, and then telling his young heir that he always had doubts about him and wonders now whether he was ever a progressive at all. Somewhere between fanciful and preposterous. The film gets nowhere near the truth about the TB [Blair]/Clinton relationship and the final scenes expose the filmmakers' real agenda – to have the Clinton character warning TB in lurid terms not to get too close to Bush.
9.56am: Paul Waugh has got hold of more quotes from the Charles Kennedy interview. (See 9.10am) As Waugh reports on Twitter, Kennedy also said that he was "not interested in being an irritant or sniping from the sidelines" and that he wanted the coalition to succeed.
9.41am: As yahyah points out in the comments, the coalition government's approval rating has hit a new low. Here's Anthony Wells at UK Polling Report on the figures.
YouGov's government approval rating today hits a new low for the coalition, down to minus 8 (37% approve and 45% disapprove). To some extent this will be an outlier, but it is part of a continuing downwards trend in the government's approval rating.
Wells also writes about the Populus figures in the Times showing little public support for the coalition's economic policies. I'm a bit more sceptical about these figures because other polling results give a different picture. I'll post more about this later.
9.19am: Diane Abbott has said that public sector bodies should monitor the gender and ethnicity of people who lose their jobs as a result of the cuts. This is what she told the Today programme.
Black [people] and ethnic minorities are predominantly employed in the public sector, particularly women. My concern is that the progress black and ethnic minority workers have made in employment is relatively recent and if there have to be big cuts, it will be 'last in, first out' and these cuts will fall disproportionately not just on women but on black and ethnic minority workers. I think that is a thing which could lead to a degree of instability .... I think the public sector cuts have the potential to set back race relations and black and ethnic minority communities by a generation.
Asked what could be done to deal with this problem, she went on:
You could make local authorities, government, quangos mindful by making them monitor the gender and ethnic distribution of people losing their jobs.
The quotes come from an interview/profile put together by Norman Smith. You can listen to it here. Smith suggests that, even though Abbott won't win the Labour leadership contest, her decision to stand has had a postive impact on the party.
9.10am: Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader, has expressed concern about the planned spending cuts, the BBC has been reporting this morning. Apparently he made his comments in a BBC Scotland interview. But the version of this story on the BBC's website only includes one word from Kennedy in inverted commas ("he speaks of the need for 'enlightened' public investment and expenditure"). The Daily Record has done slightly better; their story has got eight words of direct quotes from the sceptic Scot. ("He said it was important not to 'throw the baby out with the bath water' when deciding where and how deep to wield the axe.") If anyone knows where I can listen to the full interview, please let me know. But it does not feel like a full-scale rebellion yet.
8.40am: There's plenty of politics around today, but no single story that is obviously going to dominate the news bulletins. The TUC is still meeting in Manchester, parliament is sitting and there are a handful of potentially interesting select committee hearings taking place. Here's a diary for the day.
9.30am: The standards and privileges committee meets in private to consider how it will conduct its inquiry into the hacking of MPs' phones.
9.45am: Lord Myners gives evidence to the Treasury select committee on banking regulation.
10.15am: The Commons transport committee takes evidence on the drink driving laws.
11.30am: Jeremy Hunt gives evidence to the culture committee about the work of his department.
12pm: William Hague gives evidence to a public administration committee hearing into "Who does UK Grand Strategy?"
3pm: Norman Lamb, Nick Clegg's parliamentary private secretary, briefs journalists about the Lib Dem conference
3.30pm: Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland secretary, publishes a report into the killing of the loyalist paramilitary Billy Wright.
At the TUC they are debating subjects including equality and health in the morning (one of the motions is about sunbeds) and in the afternoon the debates will cover international affairs (including a call for a boycott of Israeli goods), arts and the media, and education.
I'll be keeping an eye on all these stories, bringing you all the breaking news, having a look at the best stories in the papers and flagging up the best politics from the web.
Andrew Sparrow
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14:02
Pope Visit to UK: September 16th
» InterfaithPope Benedict XVI’s visit to the UK this week, the first visit by Pope since Pope John Paul II in 1982, continues to capture a mixture of headlines.
As expected, some Protestant groups are particularly unhappy, with a special delegation from the Free Presbyterian Church of Northern Ireland, lead by Rev. Ian Paisley, flying to Scotland in order to protest the visit.
However, the overall visit is being treated with a general apathy by the British public if media reports from the BBC about low ticket sales are representative.
The overall event has failed to light the fires of interest in the nation, with the visit viewed as a curiosity rather than a state occasion to take note of.
And the general tone of news articles has moved repeatedly between the relevant and irrelevant.
On the one hand, a recent poll suggested the majority of the British public were against public money being used to cover policing costs.
On the other hand, New Statesman magazine highlights it’s favourite potential memorabilia - dictaphone in the shape of the Holy Father named … the Benedictaphone.
Even the BBC is not adverse to picking up the story in its general coverage of the Papal visit.
Which probably underlines the general sense of expectation, or lack of, from the British public.
In the meantime, Pope Benedict XVI’s program of events can be found on the Vatican website here: Apostolic Journey to the United Kingdom - Program (September 16-19, 2010).
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14:01
BBC Trust chairman to step down
» The Guardian World NewsHead of corporation's governance and regulatory body says he does not want to be reappointed when four-year term ends
Read Sir Michael Lyons's letter to Jeremy HuntThe BBC Trust chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, has decided against seeking a second term and is to step down in May next year.
Lyons has today written to the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, saying he does not want to be reappointed when his current four-year term ends.
The former local government executive was the first chairman of the BBC Trust, which replaced the board of governors as the corporation's governance and regulatory body in 2007 in the wake of the Hutton inquiry.
In his letter to Hunt, he defended the record of the trust, which has come in for criticism for being too much of a "cheerleader" for the BBC.
"For all the continuing debate, I am clear that this model is robust, workable and effective. I am proud of what we have achieved in safeguarding the BBC's independence against significant challenge, and bringing the interests of audiences in all their diversity to the centre of the BBC's thinking," Lyons wrote. "We have taken openness and transparency to a new level."
That has been a key area of conflict between Hunt and the BBC, however, with the culture secretary putting pressure on the corporation to publish more details about the amount it pays its stars – including individual salaries – and senior executives, and management resisting that demand.
In the past year the BBC Trust has helped push the director general, Mark Thompson, and his senior executives into more transparency over their pay and expenses and also to take pay cuts.
Asked at a press conference in July, when the BBC published its annual report, if he wanted to seek a second term in the job, Lyons said: "I'm up for it."
However, BBC sources said he had thought again about his role over the summer and decided it was too time-consuming.
"I have taken time over the summer to reflect on whether I would want to be considered for reappointment," Lyons wrote to Hunt.
"For all the positives associated with this agenda, I have to acknowledge that the role of chairman has been far more demanding than the nominal three to four days a week in the job specification," he said. "This workload has now reached a point where I am increasingly concerned that it is crowding out other appointments to which I remain committed and other activity that I wish to undertake. So balancing all the factors I have on reflection concluded that my preference would be to limit my appointment to a single term and not seek reappointment from next May."
Hunt said in a statement: "I'd like to thank Sir Michael Lyons for the all work he has done during his term as chair of the BBC Trust and wish him the best of luck for the future. I am grateful that he has let us know of his intentions in good time so we can begin the process of finding a replacement as soon as possible."
The shadow culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, said: "The government must not use Michael Lyons's departure to further
undermine the BBC or tear up its charter. The new chair must be someone who is able and willing to defend the BBC and its independence and impartiality robustly."
There has been intense speculation about Lyons's role since the coalition government was formed.
Hunt has said in the past he would scrap the BBC Trust. He decided to retain it once elected but piled pressure on Lyons to force BBC management to comply with a string of requests, including providing more detail on talent pay and allowing the National Audit Office greater access to the BBC's accounts.
Lyons carried out a review into civil service jobs in 2004 for Gordon Brown when Brown was chancellor. Hunt pointed out to MPs earlier this year that Lyons is also "a former Labour councillor".
The government will begin a search for Lyons's successor in due course.
YouGov chairman Roger Parry is thought to be one of the leading contenders to become BBC chairman, along with existing trustee Dame Patricia Hodgson.
Parry advised Hunt on how to encourage commercially viable local television networks. Hodgson joined the BBC as a member of the founding team of the Open University and became its director of policy and planning before leaving to become chief executive of the Independent Television Commission.
Lyons's decision to leave after a single term means the BBC Trust will start next year with a new chairman and vice-chairman, as the current deputy, Chitra Bharucha, is also leaving.
This year, eight of the BBC's 12 trustees come up for re-appointment. Six, including Hodgson, are due to be reappointed by the DCMS for a second four-year term.
Bharucha, and the trustee for Wales, Janet Lewis-Jones, are stepping down at the end of October.
It is understood that – although Hodgson will continue for another four years – some of the other trustees are requesting they serve only a two-year term.
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- BBC Trust
- BBC
- Television industry
- Radio industry
- Jeremy Hunt
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13:58
Symantec warns Google Aurora hackers are back
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesThe Chinese hackers who targeted Google in what was called “Operation Aurora” - which caused a huge rift between Google and the Chinese government - are back in action according to security firm Symantec.
New signs that the same hackers who compromised Google's source code and endangered Chinese human rights activists have appeared, utilising an Adobe zero-day vulnerability in PDFs known as Adobe Reader 'CoolType.dll' TTF Font Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
This type of attack means that anyone who downloads the exploited PDF file will find a downloader DLL in their Temp folder, which subsequently downloads additional malware. It effectively bypasses the need to run an executable file, making it a much bigger threat, since most people are cagey about .exe files, but not about .pdf files.
Symantec pointed out a number of similarities between this attack and the Aurora one on Google, Adobe, Yahoo, and a number of other big names, including Symantec itself.It caught a number of socially engineered emails being sent out that are written in a very similar style to those used to load up the Hydraq trojan in the Aurora attacks and said that this confirms its suspicions that those hackers did not simply fade away, but still in operation.
This spells bad news for the net. Insecurity experts agreed that Aurora was one of the most elaborate and sophisticated of its type in history. McAffee, now owned by Intel, said: “We have never ever, outside of the defense industry, seen commercial industrial companies come under that level of sophisticated attack. It’s totally changing the threat model.”
Google reported the attacks in January of this year, revealing that between the middle and end of 2009 it was subject to a large-scale attack which primarily employed a previously unknown vulnerability in Internet Explorer as well as another in source code revision software Perforce.
The attacks led to a bitter exchange between Google and the Chinese government, where Google accused Beijing of being behind the attacks, which were allegedly aimed at spying on human rights activists and stealing Google's source code.It strained their relationships so much that Google gave China an ultimatum: allow an uncensored version of Google's search engine or watch the company close up shop there for good. After months of holding ground they eventually reached a compromise, allowing a censored version of Google to link to an uncensored one.
Google employed Symantec as part of its investigations into the Aurora attack, so news from them that the hackers are still at large and potentially planning another big attack is very worrying indeed.
-
13:53
Migraine gives woman French accent
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA serious migraine can lead to nausea, sensitivity to light and even temporary paralysis of limbs, but for one woman it resulted in a foreign accent.
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- Study highlights dangers of IVF treatment overseas
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-
13:51
Mystery ashes found buried in grave
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA grieving family discovered a casket of ashes buried in their loved one's grave, police said today.
Related Stories
- Ex-MPs to appeal to Supreme Court over expenses claims
- Sailor found dead on warship
- Ray Gosling admits wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
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- Ray Gosling avoids jail for wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
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13:49
'Cowboy builders' accused of £1 million fraud
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA gang of cowboy builders fleeced homeowners out of nearly £1 million for work they never did, a court heard today.
Related Stories
- Ex-MPs to appeal to Supreme Court over expenses claims
- Sailor found dead on warship
- Ray Gosling admits wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
- Mystery ashes found buried in grave
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-
13:47
Iran frees US hiker after holding her on spy charges
» The Guardian World NewsShourd, one of three US citizens held by the Islamic country for over a year, released in deal brokered by Swiss embassy
Sarah Shourd, one of three American hikers held in Iran as spies for over a year, has been freed from prison on a bail of $500,000 (£324,000) according to state television.
Iran's English language channel Press TV reported the news today after a deal apparently brokered by the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The channel reported that Shourd had been released "on a bail of $500,000" but did not give more details. Iran had previously said that Shourd and her two friends, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, could be freed on payment of $500,000, but her family said it would have difficulties raising the money, and the US government said it would not pay.
Shourd's lawyer, Massoud Shafei, told Reuters: "I am inside Evin prison, doing her paperwork. She has been released and is heading towards the Swiss embassy." He said he had no information about her departure route or any details about bail.
A spokesman for the Swiss foreign ministry, Lars Knuchel, said the release had not been formally confirmed but "we are very confident that things are moving into the right direction."
Fattal's brother Alex said in a statement: "She is out. Confirmed."
Iran's judiciary announced that the detention Bauer and Fattal, had been extended for two more months.
Shourd, 32, Bauer and Fattal, both 28, were detained by Iranian security forces while hiking near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan in July 2009. They have flatly denied accusations of spying and have never been charged with any offence.
Their families say they were hiking in Iraq's scenic north when they were detained, and that if they crossed the border into Iran, they did so unwittingly.
Iran had said they could be freed on payment of $500,000 in bail, though her family said it would have difficulties raising the money, and the US government said it would not pay.
Iranian news agencies, quoting the judiciary, reported that bank documents had been submitted to secure Shourd's release and that she had been handed to Swiss officials.
The three Americans are pawns in a tense diplomatic standoff between the US and Iran and have apparently also fallen victim to internal political rivalry in the Islamic Republic.
Iran first announced last Friday that Shourd would be released on Saturday, as a humanitarian gesture to mark Eid al-Fitr – the holiday at the end of the Ramadan fast – but excitement quickly gave way to confusion in the wake of conflicting statements from Tehran.
Tehran prosecutor Abbas Ja'fari-Dowlatabadi told a press conference on Sunday that Shourd would be freed on health grounds but criticised the initial announcement of her release, saying it had been made while the judiciary was still working on the case.
Shourd's mother said her daughter has been denied treatment for serious health problems, including a breast lump and pre-cancerous cervical cells.
In May Shourd and Bauer got engaged in jail and will marry once they are released, their mothers said.
Nora Shourd and Cindy Hickey said Bauer proposed to Shourd using an improvised ring he wove together with threads from his shirt. Bauer and Fattal's fate remains unclear.
- Iran
- Middle East
- United States
- US foreign policy
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13:44
Aussie lawyer uses YouTube for controversial "Bible or Koran" stunt
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesAn Aussie lawyer has given a whole new meaning to the phrase Holy Smoke.
Brisbane-based Alex Stewart posted a video on YouTube entitled 'Bible or Koran - which burns best?' in which he appeared to rip a page out of a copy of the Bible and then a copy from the Koran - before rolling them up and smoking them.
The 12-minute clip showed Stewart inhaling deeply from one of the roll-ups before blowing out the smoke and sighing: ‘Holy’ although adding that it was a “little bit papery”.
Stewart, who according to reports is an atheist, said in the video: “With respect to books like the Bible and the Koran, whatever, just get over it.”
He insisted that the video was a joke.
“If you’re gonna get upset about a book then you’re taking life far too seriously,” he added.
The footage, which followed US paster Terry Jones threatening to burn Islamist books, was posted over the weekend.
Stewart’s video has since been deleted from YouTube but is available to view through other websites.
Queensland University of Technology, where Stewart works, seemed to be fuming over the YouTube clip.
The university’s vice-chancellor professor Peter Coaldrake issued a statement on the QUT website, stating: “QUT does not condone the destruction of any religious artefacts. This was a personal view and action expressed in the person’s own time.
“The staff member is not an academic and does not work in an academic faculty. He does not associate himself with QUT in the clip. QUT is tolerant of all religions and welcomes staff and students from many countries to our university and regularly celebrates their cultures and religions.”
He added that the “staff member” was on leave and QUT was looking into the matter.
Not that TechEye would ever condone burning books or, worse still, smoking, but we were glad to see there wasn’t any religious discrimination involved in the experiment. The point, as Alex highlighted at the end of the footage, is that if someone disrespects your beliefs it’s not worth getting upset about - “it’s not like you lose your belief”.
-
13:35
Focus can bring Arsenal Champions League success says Wenger
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedArsene Wenger feels maintaining mental focus is all which stands in between Arsenal and Champions League glory this season.
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13:33
Preston manager Ferguson faces FA charge
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedPreston manager Darren Ferguson has been hit with a misconduct charge by the Football Association following Saturday's stormy derby defeat at Burnley.
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13:29
We take a dekko at Nvidia's Fermi Quadro 4000
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesJuly 27th 2010 saw the launch of Nvidia's secret weapon, the Quadro Fermi® 4000, 5000 and 6000 cards.
We bagged the exclusive on both 5000 and 6000 cards and these pretty much blew us away. The Nvidia Quadro® 6000 was the derby winner and caught us on the hop as the results dazzled.
The last and most interesting of the trio is the Nvidia Quadro® 4000 – and it has just arrived.
Today we have a look into at the final edition of the Quadro Fermi cards aimed squarely at the workstation market. This neat single slot card is one of the mainstay bread and butter professional graphics cards from Nvidia. The Nvidia Quadro® 4000 gives end-users certified application support for the industry’s top CAD/CAM, 3D Design, and Digital Content Creation software applications.
The entry level position of the high-end graphics has always been a bitterly fought out arena and currently the Quadro FX3800 has maintained its ground as a high volume turn-over card for Nvidia in both retail and within the OEMs. It's a versatile, single slot card which can be found in many different types of systems around the globe in many walks of industry – users like the power and memory density hidden under its hood. Enter now the Nvidia Quadro® 4000 the proud successor, and our exclusive look into the card and it's performance.
Scorching straight out the starters gate, the NVIDIA Quadro® 4000 sports 2GB of GDDR5 memory and 256 CUDA Cores and might we add at a very affordable price.
One of the main question always asked when a new card is launched how much bigger is it and how mush faster can it go, so taking both cards specifications we lined them up side by side. You can instantly see what the actual raw differences are between both cards. In some places very significant, others remain the same:
GPU Specs:
NVIDIA Quadro GPU
Quadro 4000
Quadro FX3800
CUDA Cores
256
192
Form Factor
Single Slot
Single Slot
GPU Memory Specs:
Total Frame Buffer
2 GB GDDR5
1 GB GDDR3
Memory Interface
256-bit
256-bit
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec)
89.6 GB/s
51.2 GB/s
Display Support:
Dual Link DVI-I
1
1
DisplayPort
2
2
# of Digital Outputs
2
3 (2 out of 3 active at a time)
# of Analog Outputs
1
1
Stereo (3-pin Mini-DIN)
1 (Optional)
An optional 3-pin Mini-DIN bracket is available from NVIDIA Quadro resellers)
Maximum Display Resolution Digital @ 60Hz
2560x1600
2560x1600
Active Display Channels
2
3D Vision/3D Vision Pro
Feature Support:
Shader Model
5.0
4.0
OpenGL
4.0
3.1
Microsoft DirectX
11
10
SLI Multi-OS Technology
NVIDIA CUDA Architecture
SDI Option
NVIEW Display Management Software
FSAA (maximum)
64x
32x
Thermal and Power Specs:
EnergyStar Enabling
Yes (with 2:1 or better max/idle power ratio)
Yes
Maximum Power Consumption
142 W
108 W
This is a heavy weight piece of muscle at the entry position of the high-end professional graphics with a superb pedigree. This pedigree high-end, single slot card brings the power of high performance professional graphics to the next level in professional desktop graphics as a stand alone card never seen at these levels. We have covered all the features and benefits of the new Quadro range before but to recap briefly:
NVIDIA® Scalable Geometry Engine™. Dramatically improves geometry performance across a broad range of CAD, DCC and medical applications, enabling you to work interactively with models and scenes that are an order of magnitude more complex than ever before.
GPU Tessellation with Shader Model 5.0 Quadro Tessellation Engines automatically generate finely detailed geometry, for cinematic quality environments and scenes, without sacrificing performance.
NVIDIA GigaThread™ Engine. Provides up to 10x faster context switching compared to previous generation architectures, concurrent kernel execution, and improved thread block scheduling.
Dual Copy Engines. Enables the highest rates of parallel data processing and concurrent throughput between the GPU and host, accelerating techniques such as ray tracing, colour grading and physical simulation.
NVIDIA® Parallel DataCache™. Supports a true cache hierarchy combined with on-chip shared memory. L1 and L2 caches drive exceptional throughput, accelerating features such as real-time ray tracing, physics and texture filtering.
NVIDIA® SLI® Multi-OS. NVIDIA SLI Multi OS allows a user to run multiple Windows or Linux workstation applications from a single system, with each Operating System directly assigned to a Quadro graphics solution. Only available on SLI Multi-OS certified platforms.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Supported Platforms
• Support for two operating systems, from a Quadro SLI Multi-OS certified workstation, with each operating system
assigned to a dedicated Quadro GPU
• Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit and 32-bit)
• Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit and 32-bit)
• Microsoft Windows XP (64-bit and 32-bit)
• Linux® - Full OpenGL implementation, complete with NVIDIA and ARB extensions (64-bit and 32-bit)
• Solaris®
System Set-Up and Software UsedOur in house testing kit has had supplied parts courteously sent along by Intel, Supermicro, Crucial Memory, NVIDIA and Akasa. They could be found in most high-end studios and enthusiast workstation scenarios. These are very reliable and sound workstation platforms which have an abundance of scope for upgrading.
For this outing we sat back and looked carefully at the target market place and as the single socket Intel Xeon is now becoming the vogue choice of platform for many studios we decided to run with Supermicro's X8SAX Rev 2 mainboard that support Intel's X5677 (3.46GHz) Xeon CPU.Component
Test System
Mainboard
Supermicro X8SAX Workstation Board Rev 2
CPU
1 X 3.46GHz Intel® Xeon® X5677 Nehalem EP®, 12MB Shared Cache, 6.4GB/s QPI
HSF Coolers
Intel's Socket 1366 Stock Cooler
Memory
3 X 2GB Crucial DDR3 (6GB Total) 1333MHz
Unbuffered Non ECC DIMMS Memory ModulesHard Drive
256GB Crucial C300 RealSSD
PCI Ex Video Card
NVIDIA® Quadro® 4000
Benchmarks and Software Used 64-bit Mode
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Bentley Graphics MicroStation Benchmark
Cinebench 11.5
Redway Turbine Benchmark
SPECapc for SolidWorks 2007™
SPECviewperf® 11.0 64-bit.Each set of tests has been applied on the clean system hard drives shown above to ensure that no residue drivers were left installed with all updates/patches applied. A test/render has been completed many times over different periods of the system uptime. Whilst maintaining the fair play rules of SPEC® HyperThreading and Turbo Boost have been enabled, with the memory being left in its default status of Auto. Tests have been conducted in accordance with the resolutions detailed above @ 59Hz / 60Hz in 32 bit colour. Results that have been shown within this article are from the application/benchmarks first run in accordance with the SPECviewperf® and SPECapc™ fair play rules.
Conclusions
This is a nifty piece of equipment which will catch the market unaware on the performance and power that the Nvidia Quadro® 4000 has to offer. The predecessor the Nvidia Quadro® FX3800 was one wicked piece of equipment and won hands down in this sector of professional graphics cards. Offering good value in price and performance, now the Nvidia Quadro® 4000 has swiftly slotted into place taking over the realm. We foresee many using this new card as an immediate upgrade or purchase choice. Once more the clever marketing people at Nvidia have pitched the price point very well.
The scores returned within all the professional benchmarks are bang on target at what they should be. We see good scores in the SPEC APC and the Viewperf 11 backs this all up. Any sort of anomaly would be spotted by these tests straight away. It shows that the driver team within Nvidia have most certainly done their job well. The new SPECviewperf 11 is one harsh test that really sorts out the thoroughbreds from the cobs.
Support from the ISV's on this new product range has been exceptional and many have adopted the CUDA code within their own software to further enhance their final product. Uptake from the Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers has been very quick with new Sku's readily available supporting the new card.
What must not be forgotten is the overall additional benefits the Quadro® 4000 has in other areas. Support for Nvidia's SDI Capture card which enables multi-stream, uncompressed video to be streamed directly to Quadro SDI-enabled GPU memory. Finally support for Quadro SDI Output card provides integrated graphics-to-video enabling 2D and 3D effects to be composited in real-time with 2K, HD, and SD video (3D not currently supported). More information can be found here on Nvidia's SDI product range.
The system shown here that all the tests have been completed on is fast becoming a vogue unit as many of the Tier 1s are shipping these systems in substantial volumes. Intel has done a superb job on this particular CPU and the raw power from it is something to behold.
Shipping. The Nvidia Quadro® 4000 is now shipping in quantity from all good resellers, VAR's and System Integrators are building to request. Get the orders in fast as the expectations are that this is going to be a hot selling card. Cost. Currently MRSP is around $1200 USD, £777, €950. A very nice price point considering what the card and its drivers have to offer.Notwithstanding, we see a professional graphics card that has doubled in faster GDDR5 memory, the memory bandwidth has shot up by some additional 35 percent and last but not least we see an additional 58 CUDA processing cores.
With these significant changes it must be remembered that the overall compute power of the Quadro® 4000 is one almighty noteworthy increase for an entry level High-End performance professional graphics card.
Ultimately, and to summarise, the range of cards from Nvidia have all been an excellent success. Drivers are maturing quickly and the improvement results are being seen across the board. The grand successor, the Nvidia Quadro®4000 is here to stay - bringing with it exceptional technology advancements.
TechEye verdict: 9 out of 10
-
13:21
Ryanair pilot has even cheaper idea
» The Guardian World NewsMorgan Fischer responds to Ryanair chief executive's call to ditch co-pilots by saying a cabin crew member could run airline
As perhaps the most quotable and publicity-hungry head of a major company, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary has made an art out of generating newspaper coverage through supposed money-saving wheezes. Among the ideas mooted but somehow never implemented were a fat tax on bigger passengers and the introduction of standing-only tickets.
Now O'Leary is on the receiving end after a senior Ryanair pilot proposed a novel way for the budget carrier to save even more money: replace the chief executive with a low-paid cabin crew member.
Morgan Fischer's idea, outlined in a letter to the Financial Times, was put in a jocular fashion but contained a deadly serious message to O'Leary: as head of an airline, the one thing you don't speak about lightly is safety.
In an interview last week, O'Leary said he was seeking permission from aviation authorities to let Ryanair use just one pilot on short-haul flights as "the computer does most of the flying now", making co-pilots redundant.
Co-pilots are deemed a necessity in case something happens to the pilot. But O'Leary argued: "In 25 years with over about 10m flights, we've had one pilot who suffered a heart attack in flight and he landed the plane."
In typically provocative style, he ventured the idea that a flight attendant could fill in for the co-pilot given that this role was mainly to "make sure the first fella doesn't fall asleep and knock over one of the computer controls".
In a letter brimming with barely concealed distaste for the proposal, Fischer, who trains Ryanair pilots at its Marseille base, wrote: "As a Ryanair employee, I am aware of the company's desire to reduce costs whenever feasible, and in so doing, pass on these lower costs in the form of lower fares to the travelling public.
"I would propose that Ryanair replace the chief executive with a probationary cabin crew member currently earning about €13,200 (£11,000) net a year. Ryanair would benefit by saving millions of euros in salary, benefits and stock options. Further, there will be no need to petition either Boeing or governmental aviation regulators for approval to replace the CEO with a cabin crew member; as such approval would not be required."
Perhaps inevitably, Ryanair responded to the seemingly open challenge to its chief executive's authority with some slightly forced levity of its own.
"Michael thinks that cabin crew would make a far more attractive CEO than him – this obviously isn't a very high bar – so we are going to seriously look at the suggestion," a spokesman said. "After all, if we can train cabin crew to land the plane, it should be no problem training them to do Michael's job as well."
Separately, the head of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association, Evan Cullen, wrote to the FT querying O'Leary's assertion about the Ryanair pilot who suffered a heart attack, pointing out that the man in question was too gravely ill to land the plane and subsequently died. The pilot's family had asked for this to be clarified, he added.
The paradox is that in openly discussing his own demise as Ryanair boss O'Leary might, for once, be serious. In an interview with the Observer last weekend the 49-year-old argued that the airline might soon have to move away from surviving purely on low fares and vigorous PR efforts, thus needing a change in style at the top.
He said: "You will need a different management then. We won't need my dog and pony show, which is about generating publicity."
- Ryanair
- Michael O'Leary
- Airline industry
- Air transport
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13:19
Iraq postwar plan was 'non-existent'
» The Guardian World NewsVeteran officer says leaders had no ideas for aftermath of invasion, and calls for end to miltary culture of 'obsequiousness'
Britain's government and military leaders had "absolutely no idea" what to do in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, a prominent veteran of the war said today.
Colonel Tim Collins, who became famous worldwide for his inspirational eve-of-battle address to his Royal Irish regiment, said the Chilcot inquiry into the war should recommend action to end the culture of "obsequiousness" among senior military officers that led to them telling politicians what they wanted to hear.
The inquiry team visited the army base in Tidworth, Wiltshire, to hear evidence from troops who served on the frontline in Iraq.
Asked whether he had a clear understanding of the reasons for war as he prepared his troops for the invasion, Collins told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Absolutely not. I don't think anybody had any idea why it was we were going to do this."
The then prime minister, Tony Blair, and US president, George Bush, had given Saddam Hussein "an offer he couldn't understand" and even the Iraqi dictator probably did not know what he was required to do to avoid war, said Collins.
"I rather thought that there would be some sort of plan and the government had thought this through, and I was clearly wrong," he said. "When I gave my now notorious talk to the Royal Irish, I was trying to rationalise for those young men what was going on from my standpoint. As it turned out, it had a wider appeal because nobody had any idea why this was happening.
"It became very apparent to me shortly after crossing the border that the government and many of my superiors had no idea what they were doing."
Collins said it was left to units such as his to make plans for restoring order to Iraq, which he tried to do by forging links with local people who advised him on how to keep schools, shops and markets open.
"That was all done at a local level by the Irish brigade with no instruction whatsoever coming from above," he recalled. "There was no preparation. They had absolutely no idea what to do. We turned up, took away a country's infrastructure and its law and order with absolutely nothing to put in its place."
Looting on a "biblical" scale shortly after the invasion was "the fault of the coalition for not providing that help", he said.
Asked what result he was hoping for from the Chilcot inquiry, Collins said: "I think it has to look at the way in which government controls its armed forces and takes these decisions. And it has to look at the higher ranks of the army and the armed services to weed out incompetence and obsequious behaviour, so people are giving sound advice to government, not telling them what they want to hear, which is what they were doing. Anyone who lost anyone dead in that conflict should feel angry about that."
Collins said the US military appeared better able to learn from mistakes in Iraq than the British. And he was backed on this point by another veteran of the war, the author Patrick Hennessey, who told Today: "Chilcot has no remit to brand Tony Blair a war criminal, which is clearly what some people want, but what it can do is say we need to be better institutionally – the military and everybody – in learning from mistakes."
- Iraq war inquiry
- Iraq
- Military
- Defence policy
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13:13
Gosling admits wasting police time
» The Guardian World NewsPresenter given 90-day suspended sentence after police found no evidence to support TV claim he had smothered dying lover
The television presenter Ray Gosling has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting wasting police time for claiming on a programme to have killed his dying partner.
Gosling, 71, told the BBC East Midlands Inside Out programme in February that he had smothered his lover, who was dying of Aids-related illness in hospital. He later repeated the claims and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder 36 hours after the original programme aired. However, last month he was charged with wasting police time after a six-month investigation found no evidence that Gosling had killed anyone.
Gosling, wearing jeans and a suit jacket and carrying a plastic bag, initially denied the charge before changing his plea.
"In my heart and in my head I plead not guilty," the presenter said. However, following a short adjournment with his lawyer, Gosling told the court: "Digby Johnson, my solicitor, tells me technically I am guilty.
"I just want to say, very clearly and very strongly, sorry to my lover's family and for the distress I have caused them and sorry that apparently I have wasted police time," Gosling told Nottingham magistrates court, where he was handed a 90-day suspended sentence.
The charge related to claims made by the presenter during the 12-minute Inside Out programme described on the BBC's website as "Ray Gosling contemplates mortality – his own and everyone else's. Just how does he want to die and be remembered?"
Wandering through a graveyard while delivering a piece to camera, Gosling said his partner, who had Aids, had been in "terrible pain" when a doctor told him there was nothing more that could be done.
He said he asked the doctor to leave them alone and then "I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead".
Speaking after Gosling was charged last month, Helen Allen, a lawyer in the special crime division of the CPS, said police were convinced Gosling's statement on the programme was untrue.
"The police established that there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of proving that Mr Gosling's confession was false and asked the CPS to consider whether he should be prosecuted for wasting police time, given the amount of work they had to carry out to establish what had happened," she said.
After being charged with wasting police time last month, Gosling strongly denied that he had made the claims in an attempt at self-promotion. "I know what some people say, that I said what I did for publicity to promote a book I'm writing," he said.
"That is absolutely not true, I haven't finished the book yet. Some people say I did it to revive a dying career. I didn't. I said it out of my heart, out of my feeling for people who had told me their intimate private stories and it got out of hand and I'm sorry."
The 71-year-old initially said he would refuse to divulge details of the man or of when and where the killing took place, "even under torture". However, he later said he had told police the man's identity during questioning.
The court heard that Gosling's claims wasted around 1,800 hours of police time, costing in excess of £45,000.
District judge John Stobart told Gosling: "As cases of wasteful employment of police time go, this is as bad a case of its type as I have seen.
"You know the power of television celebrity and the trust the public and television producers have in you. You have to match this with the responsibility of identifying and telling the truth to the public.
Stobart said he would take into account Gosling's age, guilty plea, remorse and previous exemplary character and ordered him to pay £200 towards court costs at a rate of £5 a week.
- Ray Gosling
- Crime
- BBC
- Assisted suicide
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13:12
ALDE welcomes Commission action against France over Roma
» ALDE News"In response to our concerns on the situation of Roma in France, Europe is finally proving its worth by not ignoring xenophobic, discriminatory, and nationalist policies perpetrated by Member States. We welcome Commissioner Reding's action announced today to bring fast-track infringement proceedings against France. This confirms that we were right and it must be a warning to any Member States that the EU does not ignore or compromise on breaches of European fundamental rights" said the president of the ALDE Group, Guy VERHOFSTADT.
"Even though this measure might seem tough, I believe it is actually appropriate to the discriminatory behaviour that France has shown with its recent actions against the Roma population. I hope this will be a clear signal for all member states, that these types of actions are unacceptable in the Europe of 2010." said Renate WEBER (PNL, Romania), ALDE coordinator for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Internal Affairs (LIBE)
"This is an important step forward in making the European Union a true community of values, with tangible results for its citizens. Fundamental Rights are now truly enforceable in the EU. The European Parliament has been a catalyst for change. The Commission is playing its rightful role as custodian of the Treaties." added ALDE LIBE vice president Sophie IN´T VELD (D66, Netherlands)
"It is clear that the Commission has been pushed to act because of MEP pressure and the voices of citizens. Hopefully this signals a tougher approach, one which at last starts to call Member States to account for breaches of EU human rights and civil liberties law including pandering to racism." commented ALDE MEP Sarah LUDFORD (Liberal Democrat, UK)
Note to the editor:
The ALDE group was the first to ask for a debate in plenary session of the European Parliament, at the end of August, responding to the alarming and legally questionable mass expulsions of Roma people conducted by France. These concerns have been proven right since yesterday's disclosure of a memo dated 5 August signed by the French Interior Minister's chief of staff ordering to police and regional prefects "a systematic operation to dismantle illegal camps, prioritising those of the Roma".
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13:04
Nokia starts smartphone fightback
» BBC News - TechnologyThe mobile phone giant Nokia has launched its fightback against Apple's iPhone.
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12:59
3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution
» NYT > TechnologyNew technology is giving rise to never-before-possible businesses that are selling products like iPhone cases, doorknobs, perfume bottles and architectural models.
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12:57
An Easy, Painless Way to Keep a PC in Shape
» NYT > TechnologyDiving under the digital hood to clean out your operating system is rightly daunting to many-even though the performance benefits are considerable. Fortunately, there is software that can give your PC a deep clean in just a few clicks.
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12:57
Iran releases American woman
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedThe lawyer of an American woman detained in Iran says she has been released from custody but is still in the prison finalising details.
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12:55
Webb shocked by second paramilitary style shooting in North Belfast
» The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland News StoriesAlliance North Belfast representative Cllr Billy Webb has expressed his shock at the paramilitary style shooting of man in Glenview Court, off the Oldpark Road by two masked men. The man was shot in both legs in the early hours of Tuesday morning and was later taken to hospital. This follows a similar shooting in North Belfast at the weekend which the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for.
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12:51
Nokia launches range of Symbian smartphones
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesNokia today announced a few smartphones from Nokia World in London. They're powered by a newer Symbian which will "bring significant enhancements in speed and ease of use."
The three smartphones, the Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6 are all integrated with Ovi music services and apps, including new pedestrian and motorist features, and join the previously announced Nokia N8.
The Nokia E7 is being tipped by Nokia as a business smartphone. It runs Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, which provides direct, real-time and secure access to corporate email inboxes. It's got a 4-inch touchscreen display as well as a full keyboard.
The C7 is targeted at social networking geeks and lets users get live updates from Twitter and Facebook. It also has a 3.5-inch AMOLED screen.
The C6 has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and Nokia ClearBlack technology, which apparently improves outdoor visibility.
"Today our fight back to smartphone leadership shifts into high gear," said Niklas Savander, executive vice president, markets, Nokia.
"Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smartphone platform in the world. Our new family of smartphones introduced today feature the all-new Symbian OS, rewritten to be faster, easier to use, more efficient and more developer friendly."
The Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6 are all expected to begin shipping before the end of the year and will include an updated Ovi Store. They will cost €495, €335 and €260 respectively.
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12:48
Depardieu 'helped De Niro's erection'
» The Guardian World NewsFrench star claims his concoction of water and Chinese heat rub helped De Niro maintain reputation as one of hard men of cinema in sex-heavy Italian film 1900
He is an award-winning actor, the co-owner of a French vineyard, an outspoken critic of Juliette Binoche and an occasional spokesman for a Polish bank, Zachodni WBK. Today, however, we can add a fresh credential to the glittering CV of Gerard Depardieu: that of sex therapist to the stars.
Jetting into the Montreal World film festival last weekend, the 61-year-old actor recalled how he once coaxed co-star Robert De Niro through a sex scene on the set of the Italian epic 1900. His secret recipe, Depardieu explained, involved a combination of water and Tiger Balm, a Chinese heat rub. It was this concoction, he added, that ensured De Niro was able to maintain an erection throughout a scene that demanded full-frontal nudity. The two men have apparently been firm friends ever since.
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, 1900 starred Depardieu and De Niro as two friends who come of age against a backdrop of political unrest in Italy. Along the way, they also have a great deal of sex. The film premiered at the 1976 Cannes film festival.
Depardieu's recent films include In the Beginning, by Xavier Giannoli, and Bellamy, the last picture by the late Claude Chabrol. But in the past weeks he has attracted more attention for his off-screen remarks. Depardieu's chuckling reminiscences about working with De Niro follow hard on the heels of last month's comments about his compatriot Juliette Binoche, who he scathingly dismissed as "nothing".
- Robert De Niro
- Juliette Binoche
- Bernardo Bertolucci
- Claude Chabrol
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12:41
Six-figure sum for @Israel username
» The Guardian World NewsState of Israel buys account from Spaniard despite Twitter policy against username squatting
While Twitter tries to work out how to make money, a Spaniard has sold his username on the site for a six-figure sum.
In 2007 Israel Meléndez set up a Twitter account under his first name. This year he was approached by the state of Israel, which wanted to buy @Israel from him for a quantity of dollars that, he told Spain's Público newspaper, included "five zeroes".
The sale went through despite Twitter's stated policy of preventing username squatting and Meléndez, who runs adult websites for a living, said Twitter itself had advised the Israeli government on how this could be done.
"All the business of getting in contact with Twitter was done by them [Israel]," Meléndez said. "I never saw any emails [between them] and Twitter never contacted me, but if the @Israel account is open and working I imagine it means that Twitter had no problem with the transaction."
Meléndez said he set up the @Israel account when he stopped using another Twitter name to escape the attention of an ex-girlfriend. He barely used the account, which was soon flooded with messages criticising the policies of the Israeli government. Only recently did he decide to look at it again and found a message from the office of the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, asking whether it could be bought.
He said he negotiated the deal with the Israeli foreign ministry's Chaim Shacham. "The negotiating lasted for two months but once everything was clear it was all simple. I went to the Israeli consulate in Miami and from there, by telephone, we closed the deal and the transaction."
He sold Israel his password, allowing them to close his account down and immediately reopen it, moving the Israeli foreign ministry's @israelMFA account to @israel on 26 August. "They got on the phone, I gave them the password, they saw that it worked and they gave me a cheque at the consulate," he said from his home in Miami.
Israel is not the first to find a way to purchase control of a Twitter account. The cable news service CNN was one of the first to manage it.
Twitter explains its rules on selling usernames like this: "Unless you have been specifically permitted to do so in a separate agreement with Twitter, you agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell."
- Spain
- Internet
- Israel
- Middle East
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12:39
Sir Michael Lyons to step down as BBC Trust chief
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedBBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons is to step down after four years in the post, he announced today.
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12:34
Zulu king condemns virginity photos
» The Guardian World NewsKing Goodwill Zwelithini fears pictures will be used to attack Zulu culture after event featuring 25,000 bare-breasted maidens
Any event featuring Jacob Zuma, virginity tests and more than 25,000 bare-breasted maidens dancing for a polygamous king is unlikely to pass entirely without incident. And so it proved with this year's Zulu reed dance in South Africa.
King Goodwill Zwelithini, who has five wives, spoke out angrily against the photographing of girls undergoing virginity tests at the event, arguing that the images would be used to undermine Zulu culture.
Girls participating in the annual uMkhosi WoMhlanga are required to have their genitalia inspected to certify they are virgins. The centuries-old practice has been condemned by gender rights groups but defended by Zulus as means of combating teenage pregnancy and HIV.
Zuma was among guests at the ceremony in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal province, last weekend. Zwelithini, 62, condemned "rogue" virginity testers and expressed dismay at seeing pictures of the tests turn up on the internet, South Africa's Mercury newspaper reported.
"I was shocked when I received these pictures on my website," the Zulu monarch was quoted as saying. "I have no doubt these pictures are going to be used to attack this solemn culture of ours. This is a very important tradition and culture and needs to be conducted with dignity and respect without abusing and violating the dignity and privacy of the maidens."
The Mercury said there were fears that the event, in which thousands of mostly adolescent girls parade bare-breasted wearing traditional beaded skirts and necklaces, had become a target for pornography syndicates.
Before the dance, the arts and culture department in KwaZulu-Natal had insisted that only accredited photographers would be allowed to attend and anyone taking "indecent" pictures would be arrested.
It declared that women wearing trousers would be banned from the king's palace. It said the participating maidens would be taught life skills, moral regeneration and HIV/Aids prevention methods.
The ceremony sees Zulu maidens sing and ululate as they descend on the eNyokeni palace to present the king with a reed symbolising their purity. Last year one maiden died and several were injured in a stampede.
Mangosuthu Buthelezi, traditional Zulu prime minister and president of the Inkatha Freedom party, said the reintroduction of the reed dance 26 years ago was ahead of its time. "It encouraged young people towards chastity even before we were swept up in the devastating wave of the HIV/Aids pandemic," he told the gathering.
Virginity testing has been criticised because of a widespread superstition in rural areas that sex with a virgin can cure HIV/Aids – blamed for fuelling high levels of rape.
- South Africa
- Jacob Zuma
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12:16
Bellamy coin-thrower case thrown out
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedThe case against a man charged with throwing a coin at footballer Craig Bellamy collapsed today.
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12:16
Expulsion of Roma from France 'a disgrace'
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedThe deportation of Roma minorities by France was condemned as a "disgrace" today in an unprecedented attack on a member state by a European Commissioner.
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12:06
Family celebrate £2.6m National Lottery win
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA couple spoke of their elation today at sharing in a £2.6 million Lotto jackpot in the week they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.
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12:04
New plans to test would-be lawyers
» The Guardian World NewsThe Law Society is investigating a legal aptitude test to stem the tide of solicitors entering the profession
Should wannabe solicitors have to take a test before being allowed to start their vocational training? That is the question the Law Society is now investigating in an effort to stem the tide of students flooding into the field only to find once they have finished the legal practice course (LPC) that there are simply no jobs.
I wrote in July about the growing scandal of too many students and not enough training contracts, and it emerged last week that the Law Society has appointed a consultant to look at whether it should follow the Bar Standards Board by introducing an aptitude test.
Such a test would stop students from incurring large expense (the LPC can cost up to £12,500, the bar professional training course even more) in return for little reward, and help law firms maximise the value of the time invested in training.
The inquiry is one of various initiatives under consideration to "manage" the number of students. The society is shortly to launch a "warts-and-all" guide to qualifying as a solicitor and also look into incentives for firms to take on trainees.
It has arguably taken the Law Society too long to get to this point (the bar started working on an aptitude test to assess analytical and critical reasoning, and fluency in English, following the 2008 Wood report), but at least it is finally doing something. However, is this the kind of something that is needed?
Clearly any test has to be calibrated carefully if it is not to prove a barrier to entry. In opposing the bar's plans last year, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said a compulsory test was overly restrictive and anti-competitive because of the likely effect it would have of reducing the numbers coming through the bar course.
As well as potentially reducing the number of courses, and thus possibly raising the cost of those that survive, the OFT said it could also lead to a smaller pool of potential barristers, less choice for chambers, decreased pressure on the industry to increase the number of pupils, and "a combination of decreased quality and availability and increased price in the final market for advocacy services". It could also have an impact on the market for providing professional training for those who do not wish to, or cannot due to lack of pupillages, go on to become a barrister.
The OFT's answer – echoed in a blog last week by leading legal academic Professor Richard Moorhead – was to make the test voluntary and not an entry requirement. This could act "as an indicator which firms and students could use for their propensity to succeed in practice", Professor Moorhead explained. It clearly works from a competition law perspective, and if the student still chose to take the LPC despite the test suggesting that it might not be for them, then that would surely be their look-out.
The bar is still piloting its test, with a view to introducing it for next year's course, and ultimately any LPC test would be for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to introduce. While it says it welcomes ideas for improving regulatory processes, aptitude tests are not currently on the radar. The authority's focus instead is on the work-based learning project, which is researching "alternative learning pathways" to the training contract.
This debate again raises bigger questions about the whole structure of legal training. The coming of alternative business structures next year heralds a more variegated legal landscape where the demand for staff with different levels of qualification and experience will be greater than now. So should there be more "exit" points, with formal recognition of the training students have completed short of qualifying as a solicitor or barrister? The College of Law will shortly renew its campaign for completion of the LPC to be the point of qualification, with further training required if students then want to go on and practice certain reserved activities, such as advocacy.
College chief executive Nigel Savage argues vehemently that nobody is taking a grip of legal education and training policy from the undergraduate law degree onwards – it is all being done on a piecemeal basis with no real vision, as witnessed by the fact that the SRA and Law Society appear to be going in different directions. This would seem a fair analysis. It might well be time for the Legal Services Board to step in.
Neil Rose is the editor of legalfutures.co.uk
- Law
- All sectors
- Graduate
- Alternative Business Structures
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12:02
Ray Gosling admits wasting police time over 'Aids killing'
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA BBC presenter today admitted making up a confession that he killed a lover dying of Aids by smothering him with a pillow.
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11:59
Roma deportations 'a disgrace' – EU
» The Guardian World NewsEuropean Union justice commissioner compares expulsions to Vichy France's deportation of Jews
France was forced on to the defensive over Nicolas Sarkozy's crackdown on the Roma population today after the European commission threatened the French government with legal action, labelling the policy disgraceful and comparing it to second world war deportations.
In her first direct criticism of France, after being widely reviled for prevaricating, Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, attacked the Sarkozy government over the mass expulsions of Roma people and accused it of duplicity in its dealings with Brussels.
Reding likened the recent deportation of almost 1,000 Gypsies to Romania and Bulgaria to Vichy France's treatment of Jews in the second world war. She said Brussels had no option but to launch infringement proceedings, meaning that France could be hauled before the European court of justice.
The ultimatum from Reding represented a policy U-turn only a few days after she declared that the French government was sending "very positive" signals on its Roma policy, and José Manuel Barroso, European commission president, called a truce on the issue with Sarkozy.
The volte-face was triggered by the leak of a French government document demonstrating that Gypsies from Romania and Bulgaria were the explicit targets of a Sarkozy policy to shut down 300 immigrant encampments, an apparent breach of the EU ban on ethnic discrimination.
Over the past six weeks the French authorities have expelled almost 1,000 Roma and demolished scores of camps, while repeatedly denying that the families were the target of the campaign. "I can only express my deepest regrets that the political assurances, given by two French ministers officially mandated to discuss this matter with the European commission are now openly contradicted by an administrative circular issued by the same government. This is not a minor offence. This is a disgrace … my patience is wearing thin. Enough is enough," Reding said.
The commission is charged with upholding European law. Until today, Reding had refused to say whether France was breaking a 2004 law enshrining freedom of movement across the EU, including Romania and Bulgaria. The Gypsies deported from France are EU citizens.
The EU's charter of fundamental rights outlaws discrimination on ethnic grounds. The leaked French policy paper showed the Roma were targeted collectively.
"I am personally convinced the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement action against France," said Reding. "I have been appalled by a situation which gave the impression that people are being removed from a member state just because they belong to a certain ethnic minority. This is a situation I had thought Europe would not have to witness again after the second world war." She said the legal action should be fast-tracked.
The strong words met with quiet defiance in Paris today, where a French foreign ministry spokesman, Bernard Valero, said the Quai d'Orsay had been "surprised" by Reding's move.
"We do not believe these kinds of statements will improve the fate and situation of the Roma," he said. "Now is not the time for polemic, not for declarations of this kind. Now is the time for work in favour of the Roma population."
Other supporters of the crackdown were less diplomatic in their retort. Jean-François Copé, parliamentary head of Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party, said he was "very sorry" to hear of the news from Brussels, and that he hoped the threat of legal action would not "come to fruition".
"The French authorities have faced up to their responsibilities in this matter and pursued a policy in keeping with our laws," said Copé. "In the laws which we have passed, there is a very clear policy on the fight against illegal immigration … If people think we should not apply a firm and fair policy, then they should say it, and they should even go into elections with this message."
His strident defence echoed that of France's Europe minister, Pierre Lellouche, who on Monday accused the European commission of hypocrisy, saying the French people were "the guardian of the [EU] treaties".
But Reding, in stark contrast to last week, when, at the European parliament, she played down the controversy and praised France's cooperation, rounded on Lellouche, saying that France was in "an untenable situation.
I also take issue with the statements by [Lellouche] questioning the role of the commission as guardian of the treaties. The commission's role is one of the foundations of the EU – a union which is held together not by force, but by respect of the rule of law agreed upon by all member states, including France."
Reding's broadside was in stark contrast to her appearance at the European parliament last week, where she played down the controversy and praised the French government's co-operation.
She was attacked by MEPs as pusillanimous, being seen to for appease the French. The parliament passed a non-binding resolution strongly condemning Paris.
"Better late than never," said Dany Cohn-Bendit, the leading Green MEP, of Reding's shift todayMartin Schulz, the German MEP who leads the Social Democrats party in the parliament, said Reding's U-turn was "too late for a lot of people affected by French government actions".
Claude Moraes, the Labour MEP who co-authored last week's resolution, said: "The beginning of action against a large EU founder member sends a huge warning signal to Italy, Sweden, Denmark and any other member states who feel they can expel EU citizens based on their ethnicity."
What next?The Franco-German Greens' leader Dany Cohn-Bendit was first to demand an instant halt to the expulsions of Balkan Roma – EU citizens – from France. He will not be the last. But the uncharacteristically bold demand from the European commission of a core EU state raises the question of what next. Will the Sarkozy administration call a halt to its policy or risk further confrontation, being seen to flout European law?
Since Sarkozy ordered the campaign in July after Roma ransacked a police station in response to the killing of one of their community by the police, around 100 encampments have been demolished. The leaked interior ministry document stipulated that 300 had to be closed down as a priority.
Most of the 900 deportees have been put on planes, mainly to Bucharest, after receiving ¤300 plus ¤100 for each child and signing a declaration that they were leaving voluntarily. Questions are being asked about the degree of coercion.
The remainder are said to have been kicked out due to criminal records. Under EU rules anyone being deported represents a separate, individual case with rights of appeal.
Before launching a formal "infringement procedure" against France, an explanation will be sought, although Viviane Reding believes French government ministers have been telling her stories so far. The commission anger following last week's condemnation from a European Parliament sitting in France are big blows to French prestige.
Ian Traynor
- Roma
- France
- European Union
- Race issues
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11:43
Sailor found dead on warship
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedA sailor has been found dead on board a Royal Navy warship while docked at a naval base, police confirmed today.
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11:38
Ofsted special needs report under fire
» The Guardian World NewsExpert says more special needs children are being identified because diagnosis has improved
A study indicating that teachers may have wrongly labelled thousands of children as having special needs was challenged today.
Brian Lamb, who carried out a review for the previous government of parents' views of the special needs system, said more children were being identified because of better diagnosis.
About 1.7 million schoolchildren in England are regarded as having some form of special needs, ranging from physical disability to emotional problems.
While the number with the most severe challenges has gone down since 2003, the number identified as having milder problems has risen from 14% to 18% of all pupils in England in the past seven years.
An Ofsted review of special needs provision, published today, recommends that schools should stop identifying children as having special educational needs (SEN) when they simply need better teaching and pastoral support.
However, Lamb told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There are some very good reasons why the numbers have increased over recent years. We have identified children better. We are finding children with autism, with hearing loss, that we wouldn't have identified before, for example. They are now being identified and getting provision.
"Also, as Ofsted shows itself, there is both over-identification in some areas and under-identification, so there's swings and roundabouts on that."
Lamb's review recommended improving information for parents so they do not have to battle to get extra help. It also highlighted major concerns about the system of "statementing" children with SEN, saying it is patchy.
Nasen, formerly the National Association for Special Educational Needs, welcomed the Ofsted review of special educational needs and disability.
The association said in a statement: "This report highlights the need for some schools to review not only which children they have identified as having a special educational need or disability but also the support provision they are allocating to individual children.
"This would then ensure that the budgets that schools will receive in the future are spent in the most cost effective way, without a detrimental effect on the educational provision for these young people."
Alison Ryan, education policy adviser at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "Ofsted's report makes for interesting reading, but there are some notable omissions, in particular, the need for a greater emphasis on SEN in teachers' initial training and continuing professional development.
"Ofsted needs to do more than say what schools should do and identify 'poor practice'."
- Special educational needs
- Ofsted
- Teaching
- Schools
- Disability
- Health
- Children
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11:35
Free download: The South American Football Show
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedWelcome to The South American Football Show in association with The Independent.
Related Stories
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- Fear of slipping out of Europe's elite led to 'Manic Monday'
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11:30
Q.&A.;: Sampling the Future of the Web With HTML 5
» NYT > TechnologyExplaining what's behind HTML5.
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11:21
Nokia starts smartphone fightback
» BBC News - TechnologyFinnish phone giant Nokia has vowed to fightback, launching a range of new smart phones, as it battles for customers.
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11:21
Marc Jacobs at New York fashion week
» The Guardian World NewsSee the highlights from Marc Jacobs's spring/summer collection, which brought drama and glamour to the New York catwalk
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11:16
Migraine gave woman French accent
» The Guardian World NewsKay Russell, from Gloucestershire, says foreign accent syndrome shattered her confidence and she had to stop working
A woman who went for a lie down while suffering a chronic migraine woke to find that she appeared to be speaking in a French accent.
Kay Russell, 49, from Gloucestershire, said today she felt she had lost a part of herself after being diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome (FAS), an extremely rare condition that can be a side effect of severe brain injury.
Russell said friends she had known for years did not recognise her on the telephone and she had trouble convincing strangers that she was British. The former sales executive, who used to have an unmistakably English accent and has only been to France twice, said her confidence was shattered and she had to give up her job.
"A lot of people come up and say: 'What a lovely voice you have,'" said Russell, who has lived with the condition, of which there are only 60 recorded cases worldwide since 1941, since January. "You lose your identity and an awful lot about yourself. I feel like I come across as a different person.
"It's not just my voice I miss. I would love to have my old voice back obviously. But it goes way, way beyond that. It's the person I was – the person I want to be.
"I rang up a friend I had known since I was a teenager and the last time I had spoken to her I was speaking in my old voice. It took me a while to explain it was me."
Some people think that Russell is from eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union. But most fasten on French. Her condition has also changed her syntax. For example, she tends to say (and even write) "peoples" instead of people and misses out some basic words such as a, of and to.
FAS is an extremely rare condition which damages part of the brain controlling speech and the way words are formed. It can last for just a few days or be permanent.
Professor Nick Miller, an expert on FAS at Newcastle University, said: "A lot of people with foreign accent syndrome speak of a loss of their former accent or speak in terms of bereavement as though they have lost a bit of the their former selves. They say part of their personality has died almost or been lost to them."
Earlier this year Sarah Colwill, 35, a woman from Devon who used to speak with a West Country drawl, told how she began to speak in an accent that sounded as if she was from the far east. Paramedics who came to her help when she suffered from a migraine that apparently triggered FAS told her they thought she had a Chinese accent.
- Health & wellbeing
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11:11
Buffalo Springfield in one-off reunion
» The Guardian World NewsThe folk-rock survivor finally follows up on his 2000 invitation in song by reuniting his first band for their first show in 42 years
Surviving members of Buffalo Springfield will reunite for a one-off benefit concert in California next month. Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay will perform together in public for the first time in 42 years at Young's annual Bridge School Benefit gig in Mountain View.
It was 1968 that Buffalo Springfield last told an audience, "There's something happening here." The group split up after barely two years together but would act as a launch-pad for some of the era's biggest names.
Although members played together at Stills' home in July 1986, that was a private party and nothing similar has been attempted in public since the late 60s. With Young allegedly rejecting a tour, some of the band's less famous members were left to keep the flame alive as pseudo-tribute act Buffalo Springfield Revisited. The band's founding bassist, Bruce Palmer, died in 2004 and Dewey Martin, the drummer, passed away last year. It's not clear whether guitarist Jim Messina will join the rest for the October concert.
In 2000, three years after Buffalo Springfield were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Young wrote a song called Buffalo Springfield Again – borrowing the name of the group's 1967 album – which was released on Silver and Gold. "Used to play in a rock'n'roll band," he sang, "but they broke up/ We were young and we were wild./ It ate us up ... / Heard an old song playing on a radio/ Like to see those guys again/ and give it a shot./ Maybe now we can show the world/ what we got." While nothing initially came of that invitation, Young seems to have made it happen for his customary concert on behalf of the Bridge School, which caters to students with serious disabilities.
Young and his wife Pegi have organised the benefit gigs since 1986. According to Rolling Stone, this year's "likely" performers include Pearl Jam, Lucinda Williams, Grizzly Bear, Billy Idol, and a variety show fronted by T-Bone Burnett and featuring Elton John, Neko Case, Elvis Costello and many more. Tickets go on sale this Sunday.
- Neil Young
- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Pop and rock
- Folk music
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11:05
Rights holders to pick up costs of online copyright infringement
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesThe government has outlined how costs will be shared as part of its Digital Economy Act’s measures to tackle online infringement of copyright, and it looks as though rights holders are picking up the larger part of the bill.
In an announcement today the government said that costs will be split by 25 percent by ISPs and 75 percent by rights holders for implementing the initial obligations to send notifications to consumers who have infringed online copyright.
It said currently no fee would be charged to consumers who want to appeal a notification, however, it said it will monitor the situation closely and could introduce a small fee at a later stage if it was inundated with appeals.
Commenting on the decision, which follows a long BIS consultation that opened in March, Minister for Communications Ed Vaizey said: “Protecting our valuable creative industries, which have already suffered significant losses as a result of people sharing digital content without paying for it, is at the heart of these measures.
“The Digital Economy Act serves to reduce online copyright infringement through a fair and robust process and at the same time provides breathing space to develop better business models for consumers who buy music, films and books online.
“We expect the measures will benefit our creative economy by some £200m per year and as rights holders are the main beneficiaries of the system, we believe our decision on costs is proportionate to everyone involved.”
However, not everyone is as convinced by the measures. Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of thinkbroadband.com, said: "We welcome the government's decision to keep the appeal mechanism free for consumers at the point of access, at least until we can see how well the Copyright Infringement Notice process works in practice.
"We do still have some concerns about the level of technical understanding a consumer may require, to effectively challenge an allegation of copyright infridgement, but we hope that the system will be designed to be as accessible as possible."
The decision will now be handed over to the European Commission before being introduced in Parliament as a Statutory Order. Ofcom’s Online Copyright Infringement Initial Obligations Code, which is still being worked on, will implement the notifications process and will also reflect the decision on costs. This will come into force in the first half of 2011.
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11:04
Rights-holders pay in pirate hunt
» BBC News - TechnologyMeasures to crackdown on illegal file-sharing will largely be funded by the copyright-holders, the government reveals.
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11:02
George Michael could face jail on drug-driving charge
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedPop singer George Michael could face jail today after he admitted crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.
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- Head of doomed Film Council John Woodward quits
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10:55
Soaring cotton prices put pressure on inflation
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedSoaring cotton prices threaten to put further pressure on inflation amid a chorus of warnings over the likely impact on price tags.
Related Stories
- Job losses rise to 1,100 at Connaught
- Cable under pressure to block Sky takeover
- Vince Cable under pressure to block Sky takeover
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- Soaring air fares keep inflation high
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10:53
Ronaldo 'happy and surprised' at Barcelona defeat
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedReal Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has declared himself 'happy and surprised' at Barcelona's weekend defeat.
Related Stories
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- Redknapp turns focus on Tottenham players
- Ajax midfielder suffers on pitch heart attack
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- Focus can bring Arsenal Champions League success says Wenger
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10:48
Baird signs new Fulham deal
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedFulham defender Chris Baird has signed a new deal running until the summer of 2013.
Related Stories
- Reina: top-four finish may be beyond Liverpool
- Grieving Pulis lauded by Stoke
- Manchester City will benefit from fixture congestion says Milner
- Why Rangers will always mean regret for Ferguson
- Cahill loses red card appeal
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10:46
Gaga’s beef dress... and fashion for every food group
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedTo look like a piece of meat is not normally what a glamour puss aims for when she dons a posh frock and heaps on the jewellery. But that’s exactly the impression pop Queen Lady Gaga decided to give at the MTV Video Music Awards yesterday, when she picked up 8 gongs clad in a gown made from raw meat.
Related Stories
- End of the Road Festival, Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset
- It's time to reassess Gilbert and Sullivan
- Art or abuse?: A lament for lost innocence
- In pictures: New York Fashion Week
- Gaga’s beef dress...and fashion for every food group
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10:46
Gaga’s beef dress...and fashion for every food group
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedTo look like a piece of meat is not normally what a glamour puss aims for when she dons a posh frock and heaps on the jewellery. But that’s exactly the impression pop Queen Lady Gaga decided to give at the MTV Video Music Awards yesterday, when she picked up 8 gongs clad in a gown made from raw meat.
Related Stories
- End of the Road Festival, Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset
- It's time to reassess Gilbert and Sullivan
- Art or abuse?: A lament for lost innocence
- In pictures: New York Fashion Week
- Gaga’s beef dress... and fashion for every food group
-
10:45
Smartphones and tablets drive small and medium sized LCD TFTs growth
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesRising sales of smartphones and tablet PCs in 2010 will contribute to the growth of small and medium sized TFT LCD panels and enable it to expand at its fastest pace in years, according to analyst outfit iSuppli.
TFT LCD panels are set to rise by 28.1 percent in 2010 to 2.3 billion units, up 28.1 percent from 1.8 billion in 2009. iSuppli reckons this will represent the highest level of growth for the market since 2007, when shipments rose by 49.8 percent.
The figures below represent iSuppli’s forecast of global shipments of small and medium TFT LCD panels. iSuppli defines small/medium displays as those having a diagonal dimension of less than 10 inches.Vinita Jakhanwal, director, small and medium displays at iSuppli, said: “Sales of smart phones and tablets are booming in 2010 courtesy of the iPhone, the iPad and a range of competing products.
“Because such devices focus on delivering a high-quality user experience, many are employing TFT-LCD displays that offer bright, sharp images—a move that represents a boon for the suppliers of these displays.”
It's predicted that global smart phone shipments are set to rise by 35.5 percent in 2010, while tablet PC shipments will grow by a huge 787.3 percent. These will be driven, says iSuppli, "almost entirely by Apple’s iPad."
Smartphone outlets had also been inspired by the iPhone 4 and are now adopting TFT LCDs using In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology. IPS supports a wider viewing angle and better picture quality in terms of presentation of colour than a conventional LCD. It also consumes less electricity.
TFT-LCD suppliers now are making alliances or developing their own technology so that they can offer IPS displays to their smart phone and tablet customers.
The competing advanced display technology known as the Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) is experiencing rapid growth in the small/medium display market. AMOLEDs are expanding because of the rise of Android.
TFT LCD shipments will slow in 2011 and beyond as the expansion of the smartphone and tablet markets cools to more normal levels.
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10:43
Event: EU Forecast briefing, 14 September 2010
» European Movement IrelandToday saw our first EU forecast event taking place on a wet and windy morning in Dublin.
This new service, developed specifically for members, is aimed to give an inside track on what key EU policies and legislation is coming down the line. Covering areas such as financial, employment and environmental policy, these briefings are tailored to suit the interests of our corporate and individual members.
This morning saw Belgian Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Robert Devriese, give an excellent overview of the current Presidency, and what lies ahead for us up to the end of December and beyond.
Covering areas such as environment, the social agenda, justice & security and external relations, particular insight was given to the economic work that the EU is doing to tackle the global financial crisis.
Thank you to you all for braving the weather and coming along and we look forward to seeing you at the next event.
Photos are to follow but in the meantime, click below for the relevant materials from the event:
Ambassador Devriese's presentation
Investing in Belgium: A short video (currently being uploaded)
To help us improve this new service, please do take part in our quick 7-question online survey.
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10:38
Inflation rate remains at 3.1%
» The Guardian World News• Air transport saw the biggest August increase on record
• City expected inflation to fall back towards 2% target
• Bank of England dilemma over interest rates intensifiesDearer air fares, rising food bills and price mark-ups on clothes after the summer sales kept Britain's inflation rate stubbornly high at 3.1% last month.
The figures, released today by the Office for National Statistics, confounded City expectations that the cost of living, as measured by the consumer prices index, would fall back towards the government's 2% target.
Air fares rose 16% in August, the sharpest rise for the month on record, while clothing and footwear prices notched up their biggest August rise since 2001 as retailers stocked up with new autumn lines. The ONS said the global jump in commodity prices was having an impact on the cost of food.
Falling fuel prices helped offset some of the increases in air travel, clothes and food but were not enough to bring the annual rate down to the 2.9% level predicted by the City.
The persistently high level of inflation will add to the policy dilemma faced by the Bank of England. It has kept the bank rate at the emergency level of 0.5% for more than 18 months in an attempt to hasten the UK's recovery from recession but also has a legal duty to hit the 2% inflation target.
Jeremy Cook, analyst at currency broker World First, said: "This figure will exacerbate divisions in the [Bank of England's rate-setting] monetary policy committee with Andrew Sentance likely to only increase the volume of his calls for interest rate rises as soon as possible. Unfortunately the recovery is still too weak and I forecast February of next year as when rates should rise first."
Alternative measures of inflation were also higher than expected in August. The Retail Prices Index – which includes more housing costs – fell from 4.8% to 4.7%. The City had pencilled in a drop to 4.6%.
James Knightley, UK economist at ING, said: "Looking to the inflation outlook, there are some concerns about food price inflation and the hike in the VAT rate at the beginning of next year, but the strengthening seen in sterling should at least help to dampen import price inflation in coming months. Meanwhile, a weak economic recovery and the headwinds of major fiscal austerity measures should dampen corporate pricing power and limit the likelihood of second-round price effects in the medium to longer term."
- Inflation
- Economics
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10:34
Settlements dispute threatens talks
» The Guardian World NewsIsraelis and Palestinians return to direct negotiation as US secretary of state Hillary Clinton says 'time is ripe' for agreement
The Israelis and Palestinians today returned to direct negotiations under US supervision as a bitter dispute over West Bank settlements threatened an early crisis for the relaunched Middle East peace process.
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, is in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh to oversee a second face to face meeting between the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
The negotiations are being hosted by the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, a loyal supporter of the peace process who represents US-backed regimes in the Arab world that are desperate to see an Israeli-Palestinian deal.
Diplomats say today's negotiations will be more businesslike and less ceremonial than the high-profile relaunch of talks, after almost two years, in Washington on 2 September. No joint statements or press conferences are planned.
Netanyahu is to hold a bilateral meeting with Mubarak, followed by one with Clinton and a trilateral meeting with Abbas and Clinton.
Mubarak will then meet the leaders for lunch, and the talks then move to Jerusalem tomorrow.
Clinton said the US would not impose a deal, but many experts believe only direct and forceful US intervention – or at the very least "bridging proposals – will force the two sides to reach agreement.
"The time is ripe," the secretary of state told reporters accompanying her on a flight from the US to Egypt.
"Final status" issues as sensitive as borders, the status of Jerusalem and refugees – which have not been resolved in 18 years of sporadic talks – are on the table.
Recently, Israel has begun demanding Palestinian recognition of it as a Jewish state, seen as a way to head off calls to recognise the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees.
But the settlement issue threatens an immediate clash. Netanyahu has insisted he will not renew a partial 10-month freeze on building in the West Bank, but says the end of the freeze, later this month, will not be met by a major building boom.
The Palestinians have warned that they will walk away from the negotiations if the Israeli government does not extend the freeze.
"Either there is a halt to settlement building or there is not," Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told reporters in Sharm el-Sheikh.
"We hope that if the Israeli government is given the choice of either peace or settlements, it will choose peace. If it chooses any kind of settlement building, this means that it has destroyed the whole peace process and it would be fully responsible for that."
Clinton said: "We recognise that an agreement that could be forged between the Israelis and the Palestinians ... that would enable the negotiations to continue is in the best interests of both sides."
The indications are that the parties will be guided by the US to begin by tackling security arrangements or borders – issues at the less difficult end of the scale.
Analysts say that, despite profound pessimism about prospects on both sides, it is all but unthinkable that the US could allow the latest peace talks to collapse so quickly.
Abbas has little domestic support for agreeing to return to negotiations, but will want to avoid a failure that bolsters the position of Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip and opposes negotiations on Israel from a position of weakness.
Netanyahu faces pressure from his rightwing coalition partners, and there are doubts about his overall commitment to a final peace settlement with the Palestinians while he insists that Israel's real problem is Iran's support for Hamas and Hizbullah and its alleged plans to develop a nuclear weapon.
Israeli Radio quoted an official travelling with Netanyahu as calling on the Palestinians "to show greater responsibility, not adopt a position of all or nothing that will lead to an impasse".
- Middle East
- Palestinian territories
- Israel
- Mahmoud Abbas
- Binyamin Netanyahu
- United States
- Hillary Clinton
- Barack Obama
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10:29
Ex-MPs to appeal to Supreme Court over expenses claims
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedThree former Labour MPs facing criminal trials over expenses-fiddling allegations will go to the Supreme Court next month to argue that the criminal courts do not have jurisdiction to hear their cases.
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10:20
Benfica directors urge own fans to boycott matches
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedBenfica's board of directors have urged their supporters not to attend away matches as a protest against several refereeing errors in Friday's 2-1 defeat at Vitoria Guimaraes.
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- Redknapp turns focus on Tottenham players
- Ajax midfielder suffers on pitch heart attack
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- Focus can bring Arsenal Champions League success says Wenger
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10:19
Quarter of financial services complaints about Lloyds
» The Independent - Frontpage RSS FeedPart-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group accounted for more than a quarter of all complaints made against financial services firms during the first half of the year, figures showed today.
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10:02
Stiles to sell 1966 World Cup medal
» The Guardian World NewsItem among collection of football memorabilia from England midfielder's career to be auctioned next month
World Cup winner Nobby Stiles is selling a collection of memorabilia from a football career including his medal and cap from England's 1966 campaign, it was announced today.
The 45 lots are to auctioned next month. Stiles, 68, who had a stroke in June, said: "It was always my intention to leave the entire collection to my children. But I have three sons – how do you fairly divide up this sort of collection between them?
"They have each selected some pieces they would like to keep for themselves."
The tough-tackling midfielder and Manchester United legend won two league titles and a European Cup during an 11-year career with the team.
He added: "I'm as patriotic as the next Englishman and will always cherish my memories and the friendships I made in my playing days, but at this stage of my life I would rather have some control over the distribution of my memorabilia and know that my family will benefit."
The sale includes his 1966 World Cup winner's medal (estimated to fetched £100,000-£150,000), a 1966 World Cup cap (£20,000-£30,000), his 1968 European Cup winner's medal (£20,000-£30,000) and the blue Manchester United shirt he wore during that final against Benfica (£15,000-£20,000).
Also going on sale is Alan Ball's 1966 World Cup final shirt (estimated to fetch £20,000-£30,000), which Stiles acquired from his teammate as a swap after the match.
David Convery, from Convery Auctions, said: "The Nobby Stiles collection represents English football's greatest period in both the domestic and European arena."
He added: "We anticipate worldwide interest in this important collection, particularly for his World Cup and European memorabilia."
Born Norbert Peter Stiles in Collyhurst, Manchester, in 1942, the footballer was awarded the MBE in 2000 for his part in England's 4-2 victory over West Germany on 30 July, 1966.
The sale will take place at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh on 27 October.
- England
- Manchester United
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9:59
Quick study
» BBC News - TechnologyHow action games change the way you think
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9:37
Billy Wright father mulls legal action
» The Guardian World NewsFather of murdered LVF leader receiving legal advice on his next move if collusion is not at the centre of report into son's death
The father of Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright is expected to take legal action if today's report into the death of his son inside the Maze prison fails to conclude there was collusion between the state and his son's republican killers.
The inquiry into Wright's death, which has cost £30m, is expected to be highly critical of security around the jail in December 1997 when the loyalist leader was shot dead by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) inmates.
The Guardian understands that David Wright is already receiving legal advice on his next move if collusion is not at the centre of the report.
One of Wright's killers, John Kennaway, claimed that "security was a joke" at the time they shot the LVF founder, but Kennaway, who later died in Maghaberry jail, denied any collusion between the INLA and any branch of the security forces.
The report is due to be published this afternoon after the Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, addresses the House of Commons and is expected to be highly critical of the Prison Service.
The murder, just two days after Christmas, threatened to wreck the tense all-party political negotiations in the months before the signing of the Good Friday agreement the following year.
Wright, from Portadown, Co Armagh, who was linked to up to 20 murders of mostly Catholics, was sitting in the back of a prison van waiting to be taken to meet his visiting girlfriend when he was shot seven times.
Three republican prisoners belonging to the INLA, a republican breakaway faction, were involved.
Two of the three, Christopher "Crip" McWilliams and John Kennaway, had been transferred into the same H-Block as Wright the previous May, just weeks after Wright was moved from Maghaberry prison, also near Lisburn, Co Antrim, to serve out an eight-year sentence. The INLA had previously tried to kill Wright in Maghaberry.
The two men and a third man, John Glennon, armed with a semi-automatic pistol and a double-barrelled .22 Derringer, moved in to kill him after hearing his name announced over the prison public address system.
They surrendered themselves to prison staff after negotiations with a Catholic chaplain and were later sentenced to life imprisonment but released early under the terms of the 1998 peace deal.
McWilliams later died of cancer while Kennaway took his own life while being held in Maghaberry prison.
- Northern Ireland
- Prisons and probation
- UK criminal justice
- Crime
- Ireland
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9:36
Boffins claim that Galileo was wrong
» Tech Eye - Latest technology headlinesA group of top boffins are holding a conference next month to declare that the Church was correct to persecute Galileo for peddling his daft theory that the earth went around the sun.
More than ten boffins, most calling themselves doctors, are holding the first Catholic symposium on Geocentrism.
Well, they say the first, we assume that there might have been others, but the theory has not been that popular for a while.
According to a conference flyer the conference subjects reads like a conference on UFOs. The big idea is that the truth of Geocentrism is known by the powers that be but they are hiding it. We guess it is because it proves everything that the Bible and the Church has said before Vatican II was completely right.
Dr. Robert Bennett is going to show scientific experiments indicating that the earth is motionless in space.
Others will show "proof" that the earth is the centre of the universe, outer space is not empty and how carbon 14 & radiometric dating show that the earth is jolly young.
All this proves the Catholic church was completely right to stop these mad scientists from managing to prove wacky things like black holes, quasars, red shifts and cats which might be dead and alive at the same time.
The only problem is that the modern Catholic church seems to believe all this modern nonsense too.
Still if these boffins are right, then it seems that they were perfectly justified in burning Bruno at the stake for being a nutter and claiming that other planets could have life on them.
It is proof that the world has gone to hell in a handbasket since we started believing in dinosaurs rather than what the Pope told us. Joining your local Catholic Church is therefore the only way you will get any real scientific truth. Er...
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9:26
ALDE calls for a full Commission inquiry into Roma deportations
» ALDE NewsALDE is scandalised by news of a memo from the office of the French Interior ministry which quotes the Roma specifically in actions to close camps on the grounds of public order. This is a clear confirmation of the fears of the European Parliament expressed last week by a resolution and a blatant denial of the statements from the Immigration Minister who dared to suggest that "France has not taken any specific measure against the Roma".
"The arrogance with which the French authorities replied to the Parliamentary resolution is bluntly contradicted by reality. France has deliberately adopted a policy of discrimination", declared Sophie IN'T VELD (D66, Netherlands) vice President of the Civil Liberties Committee. "Faced with such behaviour the European Commission can no longer continue to say that it is taking its time, without any deadline, in analysing the situation and content itself with an amicable exchange of letters with Ministers who are clearly not cooperating honestly", she continued. "It is now its responsibility as guardian of the treaties to carry out its own inquiry to urgently send officials to the French administration concerned and if necessary to open an infringement procedure".
"Liberals and Democrats too attached to the universal values espoused by France for over 200 years and which constitutes the foundation of the EU, to let such an affront to fundamental rights and Community law pass without comment", continued Ms In't Veld. "France was behind the Lisbon Treaty which enshrines the Charter of Fundamental Rights, an integral part of all European legislation concerning free circulation and non-discrimination which are Community competences. If the EU institutions are not able to react to such a violation of our law and of our principles by one of the founding Member States then our credibility itself is at stake", she concluded.
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9:00
Church schools get chance to shine - launch of national awards
» Church of England NewsChurch schools get chance to shine at launch of national awards - religious schools contribute ‘significantly and substantially’ to community cohesion Church schools across the country are being invited to showcase examples of how they help foster strong community relations with the launch of the Church School Awards for inspiring citizens and transforming communities.
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8:01
Shark attack victims fight to save fish
» The Guardian World NewsNine victims want a ban on killing the fish just for the fins to make soup
Thirty-five years after Jaws struck fear into cinema audiences, with the story of a man-eating great white, a group of shark attack victims has called on the UN to stop the world fishing sharks into extinction.
The nine victims want a ban on finning, a gruesome practice in which fishermen cut off a fin for shark fin soup and then dump the fish back in the water to drown or bleed to death. An estimated 73 million sharks are killed by finning each year. Nearly a third of all shark species are threatened or near threatened with extinction, conservationists said.
For Krishna Thompson, a New York banker who nearly died after a shark took his left leg, the scale of that carnage easily trumps his personal loss. "I was attacked by a shark. Yes it was a tragedy but that is what sharks do, I can't blame the shark for what it did," he said. "You have to put that aside and look at the bigger picture: 73 million sharks killed yearly for shark finning." Yesterday's event, which was sponsored by the Pew Environment Group, was intended to put pressure on the United Nations to protect sharks.
Sharks, as top predators, are essential to the balance of the marine environment. Remove sharks, and systems would collapse because of an abundance of smaller fish. But unlike other at-risk species such as tuna, there is no global management plan for shark fishing, said Matt Rand, director of global shark conservation for Pew.
"Right now in the open ocean there are no limits on the number of shark that can be caught," said Rand. "It is the wild west out there and that is not a substainable situation." .The cultural staying power of Jaws has not helped cultivate sympathy for the species either.
Thompson was on a trip to Bahamas to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary in 2001 when he was attacked in about five feet of water. "I was treading water not too far out when from the corner of my eye I saw a dark fin approach me," he said.
The shark swam between his legs before he heard it crunching into the bone of his left leg, and then shook his body violently as it tried to tow him out to sea. Thompson used both his hands to free his leg, and then beat the shark until it released him.
A doctor on the beach applied a makeshift tourniquet, and he was medivaced back to the US where his leg was later amputated below the knee.
"If I could endure such an attack and lose a limb and still support shark conservation, I don't see why anybody else shouldn't," he said. "I don't even want to think about what the oceans would be like if we didn't have sharks. I know it wouldn't be good."
- Marine life
- Fishing
- Wildlife
- Conservation
- Food
- Animals
- United States
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