Tiangong-1 will be launched over Gobi desert and is a stepping stone towards a bigger, fully-fledged orbiting platform China is preparing to take its building boom into space on Thursday night by putting a first research module – the “Heavenly Palace” – into orbit The unmanned Tiangong-1 laboratory, which will be launched into the skies above the Gobi desert, is a stepping stone towards a bigger, fully-fledged orbiting platform that China expects to be cheaper than the US and European-backed International Space Station. The 10.5m-long cylinder will ride around 220 miles (350km) into space on board a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre and remain in orbit for two years. It will be used by Chinese scientists and astronauts to practice the rendezvous and docking techniques needed to construct bigger structures in space. The first trial will come later this year, with the launch of another vessel, Shenzhou 8, which will attempt to link up with the lab. If this is successful and life-support systems within the module remain stable, manned missions will be attempted next year and yuhangyuan (astronauts) will spend two weeks inside the narrow structure. Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China’s manned space programme, said these missions may include the country’s first female astronauts. Following China’s first manned space flight in 2003, the launch of the Tiangong-1 is the second stage in a 10-year programme to build a manned 60-tonne platform, scheduled to come into operation in 2020. This may leave China with the largest mannable presence in space. That title currently belongs to the International Space Station, which is supported by the US, Europe, Russia, Japan and Canada. Although much bigger at 400 tonnes, its future is in doubt due to the high cost of ferrying supplies through space and the economic problems faced by its principle funders. Hopes to draw China into this international programme have so far made little progress due to political differences with the US. When the current commitments expire in 2020, Russian scientists have proposed that it is left to fall into the ocean. Beijing claims its programme is cheaper. While Russia and the US initially practiced docking by sending up two vessels for each trial, China said it saves money by leaving one in space for an extended time. “Tiangong-1′s cost is similar to that of a spaceship. We only need four launches and can experiment with rendezvous and docking three times,” space programme chief designer Zhou Jianping told The China Daily. “The US is still ahead. They sent a man to the moon 40 years ago,” said Fu Song, a professor at the School of Aerospace in Tsinghua University. “But there is the advantage for latecomers. The cost is less and wrong turns can be avoided. If the Tiangong is successful, it will be a significant symbol for the Chinese space industry.” Though based primarily on Russian technology, Chinese scientists say they have enhanced navigation and other systems. The country also has ambitions for a moon landing and deep-space exploration. The Tiangong-1 will provide useful preparation for both, according to Ping. China Space International Space Station Jonathan Watts guardian.co.uk
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Industry plans for £5.6bn of schemes include delivering more than 700 extra train services a day between northern cities Rail chiefs have announced plans to provide better services, improved passenger information and cuts in the cost of running the railwayss. The programme, described as an initial industry plan, covers the period between 2014 and 2019, with the industry aiming to cut rail costs by £1.3bn a year by the end of the decade. Plans include £5.6bn of schemes, including the Northern Hub – a £560m proposal to deliver more than 700 extra services a day between Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sheffield. The programme also includes journey time improvements in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Bristol and Oxford areas and the electrification of the Midland main line, the north trans-Pennine line and further electrification schemes in Scotland. It also envisages improvements to a number of stations including Fenchurch Street, in London, and Liverpool Central, as well as a £200m scheme to improve services between Inverness and Aberdeen. By better linking Britain’s major cities, an extra 180,000 peak time seats could be provided, as well as a 30% increase in freight. Rail chiefs also announced plans to move from 800 signal boxes to 14 modern signalling centres. The hoped-for schemes – which will need government approval – are in addition to £4.9bn of ongoing projects such as the Thameslink and Crossrail schemes in London and already-announced electrification schemes such as that for the Great Western line. The rail industry also spoke of trying to improve the passenger experience in key areas such as information, comfort and accessibility. The Network Rail group strategy director, Paul Plummer, said: “The railways are booming, with more and more people choosing rail. Closer collaboration within the industry will deliver even more efficiencies. “This revenue growth and improved efficiency taken together provide governments with real choices to consider, choices around the appropriate balance between subsidy, investment and fares.” Michael Roberts, the chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: “Rail has a bright future in supporting a successful green economy in the years ahead. “This plan shows how we can do that by providing a better quality of service to growing numbers of passengers at a more affordable cost. “We look forward to working with the government to ensure the right framework is in place to make this possible.” The plan comes as season-ticket holders face average fare rises of 8% in the new year, at a time when passenger numbers are rising on a network where rail costs are seen as too high. Rail transport Transport guardian.co.uk
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Former IMF chief and Tristane Banon who he allegedly attacked in 2003 are jointly questioned by Paris investigators Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn met with a Frenchwoman who says he tried to rape her in a face-to-face confrontation, as the two were questioned jointly by investigators deciding whether to pursue the case. The Paris prosecutor’s office is investigating Tristane Banon’s claims that Strauss-Kahn attacked her during an interview for a book in 2003. Strauss-Kahn calls the claims imaginary and slanderous. Banon requested a one-on-one meeting with Strauss-Kahn, which investigators granted. The two arrived at the police station on Thursday morning and did not speak to reporters gathered outside. This kind of confrontation is a practice sometimes used in France to help officials decide if a case is worth pursuing. Strauss-Kahn quit as head of the International Monetary Fund and saw his chances for the French presidency evaporate after a New York hotel maid accused him of attempted rape in May . The US case was later dropped amid questions about the alleged victim’s credibility, but the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, has filed a civil suit. Strauss-Kahn claimed on Monday he has diplomatic immunity and asked a New York court to dismiss the lawsuit. French accuser Banon has also threatened to sue Strauss-Kahn if Paris prosecutors decide not to go forward with a criminal case against him. One challenge for Banon’s case is that the incident in question happened eight years ago. Banon has said that Strauss-Kahn invited her to an empty apartment for the book interview, and they ended up tussling on the floor, with the politician trying to open her jeans and bra and putting his fingers in her mouth and underwear. Banon has defended her decision not to press charges against Strauss-Kahn at the time of the alleged incident. In 2003, she was 23 years old and Strauss-Kahn was an eminence grise of France’s Socialist party. Dominique Strauss-Kahn France Europe guardian.co.uk
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A few days after a contentious appearance on The Daily Show , Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels made clear to the Washington Examiner ’s “Yeas & Nays” column that he didn’t appreciate how Jon Stewart treated him.
Continue reading …Sorry, but this trader’s banking confession was no prank | The Yes Men
September 29, 2011 No Comment
The Yes Men have been blamed for Alessio Rastani’s comments on the financial crisis. But sometimes truth outdoes satire This week, an insignificant market trader and self-proclaimed financial self-help guru, Alessio Rastani, rocketed to stardom after speaking frankly on the BBC about the collapsing market and his plans to make money from it. We Yes Men heard about it right away, because soon after the broadcast, people started emailing from all over the world to congratulate us on another prank well done. They couldn’t imagine that a real trader could possibly speak so candidly about the market, so they assumed Rastani was one of our posturings. He wasn’t. Rastani is small potatoes , but he’s a real trader. And he said nothing that would suggest otherwise; he simply described what he does, more honestly than a true insider would, but quite accurately. “Every night I dream of another recession,” Rastani said, and explained that it’s possible to make huge money from a big crisis even when millions of others lose their life savings, and worse. Well, duh. Don’t we all know that Goldman Sachs bet against the same housing market they were such a big player in, and made $1bn in profit when the sub-prime crisis rendered millions of Americans homeless? John Paulson, the manager whose hedge fund was betting for Goldman, could have honestly said exactly what Rastani said, but of course he knew better – possibly because unlike Rastani, Paulson’s firm had a major, immediate and provable impact, and there’s no telling how his millions of victims might have reacted. Unlike Rastani, true industry insiders like Paulson, Geithner et al remain silent about the way their system works, couching it all in technical jargon and full-on deceit. They’ve been doing it for decades, and, since Ronald Reagan’s day, with increasing consistency. Lately, it hasn’t been working so well. Something has been speaking in very plain language to millions of people. The crowds amassing in cities from New York to Athens to Paris are just the tip of the iceberg, just the most visible of all those who have long known, viscerally, that Rastani’s point of view is actually mainstream. Those people also know that, armed with truth and awareness, anything is possible. As Michael Moore pointed out to those occupying Liberty Plaza near Wall Street, in America it’s just 400 people who own as much as most of the rest of us put together. And when the rest of us decide we really want to change the rules of the game, and take back this country for all the people, those 400 won’t be able to do anything about it. Financial crisis Global recession Banking Goldman Sachs Hedge funds Financial sector The Yes Men guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sorry, but this trader’s banking confession was no prank | The Yes Men
September 29, 2011 No Comment
The Yes Men have been blamed for Alessio Rastani’s comments on the financial crisis. But sometimes truth outdoes satire This week, an insignificant market trader and self-proclaimed financial self-help guru, Alessio Rastani, rocketed to stardom after speaking frankly on the BBC about the collapsing market and his plans to make money from it. We Yes Men heard about it right away, because soon after the broadcast, people started emailing from all over the world to congratulate us on another prank well done. They couldn’t imagine that a real trader could possibly speak so candidly about the market, so they assumed Rastani was one of our posturings. He wasn’t. Rastani is small potatoes , but he’s a real trader. And he said nothing that would suggest otherwise; he simply described what he does, more honestly than a true insider would, but quite accurately. “Every night I dream of another recession,” Rastani said, and explained that it’s possible to make huge money from a big crisis even when millions of others lose their life savings, and worse. Well, duh. Don’t we all know that Goldman Sachs bet against the same housing market they were such a big player in, and made $1bn in profit when the sub-prime crisis rendered millions of Americans homeless? John Paulson, the manager whose hedge fund was betting for Goldman, could have honestly said exactly what Rastani said, but of course he knew better – possibly because unlike Rastani, Paulson’s firm had a major, immediate and provable impact, and there’s no telling how his millions of victims might have reacted. Unlike Rastani, true industry insiders like Paulson, Geithner et al remain silent about the way their system works, couching it all in technical jargon and full-on deceit. They’ve been doing it for decades, and, since Ronald Reagan’s day, with increasing consistency. Lately, it hasn’t been working so well. Something has been speaking in very plain language to millions of people. The crowds amassing in cities from New York to Athens to Paris are just the tip of the iceberg, just the most visible of all those who have long known, viscerally, that Rastani’s point of view is actually mainstream. Those people also know that, armed with truth and awareness, anything is possible. As Michael Moore pointed out to those occupying Liberty Plaza near Wall Street, in America it’s just 400 people who own as much as most of the rest of us put together. And when the rest of us decide we really want to change the rules of the game, and take back this country for all the people, those 400 won’t be able to do anything about it. Financial crisis Global recession Banking Goldman Sachs Hedge funds Financial sector The Yes Men guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Listeria outbreak expected to cause more deaths across US in coming weeks
September 29, 2011 No Comment
Outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe melons from Colorado farm has caused at least 72 illnesses and up to 16 deaths so far An outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe melons in the US may cause more illness and deaths in coming weeks, say health officials. So far, the outbreak has caused at least 72 illnesses and up to 16 deaths, in 18 states, making it the deadliest food outbreak in the country in more than a decade. The Colorado farm where the potentially deadly cantaloupes were traced to, Jensen Farms in Holly, says it shipped fruit to 25 states, and people with illnesses have been discovered in several states that were not on the shipping list. A spokeswoman for Jensen Farms said the company’s product is often sold and resold, so they do not always know where it ends up. “If it’s not Jensen Farms, it’s OK to eat,” said Thomas Frieden, director of the US Centres for Disease Control . “But if you can’t confirm it’s not Jensen Farms, then it’s best to throw it out.” The recalled cantaloupes may be labelled “Colorado Grown,” “Distributed by Frontera Produce,” “Jensenfarms.com” or “Sweet Rocky Fords” but not every recalled cantaloupe is labelled with a sticker, the US Food and Drug Administration said. The company said it shipped out more than 300,000 cases of cantaloupes that contained five to 15 melons each, meaning the recall involved 1.5m to 4.5m pieces of fruit. Frieden and FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg said that illnesses are expected for weeks to come because the incubation period for listeria can be a month or even longer. Jensen Farms last shipped cantaloupes on 10 September, and the shelf life is about two weeks. “We will see more cases likely through October,” Hamburg said. The FDA said Colorado health officials found listeria in cantaloupes taken from grocers’ and from a victim’s home. Matching strains of the disease were found on equipment and cantaloupe samples at Jensen Farms’ packing facility in Granada, Colorado. Sherri McGarry, a senior adviser in the FDA’s office of foods, said the agency is looking at the farm’s water supply and possible animal intrusions among other things in trying to figure out how the cantaloupes became contaminated. Listeria bacteria grow in moist, muddy conditions and often are carried by animals. The health officials said this is the first known outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe. Listeria generally is found in processed meats and unpasteurised milk and cheese, although there have been a growing number of outbreaks in produce. Hamburg called the outbreak a surprise and said the agencies were studying it closely to find out how it happened. Cantaloupe is often the source of other outbreaks, however. Frieden said CDC had identified 10 other cantaloupe outbreaks in the last decade, most of them salmonella. Listeria is more deadly than well-known pathogens like salmonella and E coli, although those outbreaks generally cause many more illnesses. Listeria generally affects only the elderly, pregnant women and others with compromised immune systems. The CDC said the median age of those struck with illness is 78 and that one in five who contract the disease can die from it. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, often with other gastrointestinal symptoms. Unlike many pathogens, listeria bacteria can grow at room temperatures and even refrigerator temperatures. It is hardy and can linger long after the source of the contamination is gone; health officials say people who may have had the contaminated fruit in their kitchens should clean and sanitise any surfaces it may have touched. Food safety United States Food guardian.co.uk
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Shaima Jastaina was sentenced to be lashed 10 times after being found guilty of driving a car without permission A Saudi woman sentenced to be lashed 10 times for defying the country’s ban on female drivers has had her punishment overturned by the king. The woman, named as Shaima Jastaina and believed to be in her 30s, was found guilty of driving without permission in Jeddah in July. Her case was the first in which a legal punishment was handed down for a violation of the ban in the ultraconservative Muslim nation. Although there has been no official confirmation of the ruling, Princess Amira al-Taweel, wife of the Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, tweeted: “Thank God, the lashing of [Shaima] is cancelled. Thanks to our beloved king. I am sure all Saudi women will be so happy, I know I am.” She later added that she and her husband had spoken to Shaima, who told them: “The king’s orders washed the fears I lived with after this unjust sentence.” Jastaina was sentenced on Monday — a day after King Abdullah promised to protect women’s rights and said women would be allowed to participate in municipal elections in 2015 . He also promised to appoint women to the all-male Shura council advisory body. The moves underline the challenge facing Abdullah , known as a reformer, as he pushes gently for change while trying not to antagonise the powerful clergy and a conservative segment of the population. Although there are no written laws that restrict women from driving, the prohibition is rooted in conservative traditions and religious views that hold that giving freedom of movement to women would make them vulnerable to sins. Police usually stop female drivers, question them and let them go after they sign a pledge not to drive again. But dozens of women have continued to take to the roads since June in a campaign to break the taboo. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving. The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers, and those who cannot afford the $300-$400 (£190-£255) a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them. Saudi Arabia King Abdullah Middle East Women Sam Jones guardian.co.uk
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Crucial test for Angela Merkel as the Bundestag decides whether to approve extending the powers of the European Financial Stability Facility 8.09am: As forecast, shares have fallen back in early trading. The FTSE 100 dropped 40 points, or 0.7%, at the open – with all the major European indexes falling by a similar amount. So, traders will probably be marking time while they await events in the Bundestag. 8.00am: The German debate is just about to start. The Bundestag looks certain to approve enhanced powers for the eurozone’s bailout fund on Thursday, but Angela Merkel’s credibility is at stake. Will she get a convincing majority within her own coalition of Christian Democrats and Liberals – or will she scrape through with the votes of the main opposition parties, the Social Democrats and Greens? While most of Merkel’s own CDU party are toeing the party line, Horst Seehofer, the leader of its sister faction, the Bavarian CSU, is making life difficult for her. He recently disagreed with her contention that Europe would fail if the euro failed. “I don’t see the connection,” he stated bluntly. As far as the CDU goes, its chief whip, Peter Altmeier, is confident. “As a chief whip, I have to be optimistic, but so far we have managed to win every single struggle in parliament, every single vote and that is going to happen again this Thursday,” he told the BBC on Wednesday. You can watch the German debate live here 7.49am: City traders believe the stock markets will lose ground again this morning, at least until the German vote on the EFSF has been concluded. Last night the Dow Jones index fell 1.6%, after the FTSE 100 has shed 76 points. Chris Weston of IG Markets warned that: In what is becoming an increasingly common theme, investor sentiment faltered once again yesterday over the outlook for successfully navigating the eurozone debt crisis. 7.38am: Here’s a breakdown of some of the key timings today: • The Bundestag will start debating the EFSF expansion at 9am CET (8am BST) • Voting is expected to begin at 11am CET (10am BST) • The EU summit in Warsaw is taking place all day • Eurozone consumer confidence data is released at 11am CET (10am BST) • Revised US second-quarter GDP is released at 8.30am EST (1.30BST) 7.31am: Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the European debt crisis. Later this morning, the German Bundestag will vote on the proposal to enlarge and extend the eurozone rescue packaga. Angela Merkel is likely to win the vote, but may lose the support of some members of her own coalition. Elsewhere, Nick Clegg will address the EU summit in Warsaw. The deputy prime minister is expected to warn that the European Union could fragment if its members fail to work together to resolve the situation. More strikes are expected in Greece, where international inspectors will begin to assess whether George Papandreou’s administration has done enough to earn the next €8bn portion of its bailout fund. European debt crisis Euro Germany Financial crisis Currencies Economics Graeme Wearden Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
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Residents flee as fighting resumes in capital, ending three-day ceasefire called by President Saleh on his return last week Heavy clashes have rocked northern neighbourhoods of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, , breaking a truce aimed at ending the worst violence since a popular revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh began eight months ago. A Reuters reporter at the scene said three areas in the north of the city had been hit by heavy shelling and there were exchanges of gunfire between government troops and armed followers of a powerful tribal leader, Sadeq al-Ahmar, who supports the opposition. Many residents fled their homes on Thursday morning as the fighting intensified, shattering three days of calm in the capital after Saleh ordered a ceasefire upon his surprise return to Yemen last week. The truce had followed more than a week of fighting when over 100 people died, raising fears the country could be dragged closer to civil war. Saleh had been recuperating in Riyadh for three months after a bomb attack in June and had been pressured by western diplomats to stay in Saudi Arabia while they struggled to push through a long-stalled power transition plan. The president has faced the biggest challenge to his 33-year rule in mass protests across the country demanding his overthrow. Powerful figures once close to Saleh have supported the protests, particularly Ahmar and General Ali Mohsen, who defected to the opposition in March. Sana’a is now carved up into areas controlled by government troops and pro-opposition forces. Ahmar’s men battled state security forces and troops from the elite republican guard, which is led by Saleh’s son. During the lull politicians and diplomats had scrambled to revive talks over a plan brokered by Gulf Arab states under which Saleh would stand down. Yemen Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East guardian.co.uk
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