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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Report finds that delays in finding operating theatre spaces lead to deaths while only one in three receives critical aftercare Thousands of patients needing emergency surgery are having their lives put at risk by poor NHS care and delays in accessing treatment, according to a damning report. The Royal College of Surgeons study found that some patients die or suffer major complications because of delays in finding space in operating theatres. Only a minority who need critical care following surgery receive it Junior staff are often left in charge of dealing with post-surgical complications, which can rapidly lead to death if not treated promptly, the report went on. A patient’s chance of survival also varies widely between NHS hospitals, and even within the same hospital depending on the day of the week. The report calls for the NHS to improve the way it deals with this group of “forgotten” patients, who are often elderly. Some 170,000 patients have major emergency surgery each year, mostly on the abdomen. Of these, 100,000 will develop significant complications following surgery, resulting in more than 25,000 deaths. In the UK, fewer than one in three of all these patients are admitted to critical care following their surgery. Even those who are admitted only tend to stay 24 hours before enduring a longer hospital stay on other wards. The report said: “Premature discharge from critical care has been identified as an important risk factor for post-operative death, as has delayed admission to critical care.” On managing complications, the study added: “Too often the whole process is slow or inaccurate as it is complex, requires multidisciplinary input, often occurs out of hours and is initiated by junior staff.” Surgeons leading the study also pointed to “suboptimal care on general wards” as a factor in poor outcomes following surgery. Research highlighted in the report shows that the chance of a patient dying in a UK hospital is 10% higher if they are admitted at a weekend rather than during the week. “There are no evident reasons for these differences other than that care, at times, is of variable quality: a conclusion which fits with the available evidence and professional opinion,” it added. An analysis of several patients who died showed some suffered from delays in assessment, decision making and treatment. “There were shortfalls in access to theatre, radiology and critical care; surgery was suboptimally supervised in 30% of cases and there was a failure for juniors to call for help in 21% of cases,” the study went on. “Timely surgery was not carried out in 22% of patients who died.” In general, there seems to be a lack of appreciation across the NHS of the level of risk for emergency surgical patients, the report said. Death rates of 15% to 20% are typical and rise as high as 40% in the most elderly patients. But this imminent risk of death is not being reflected in the priority given to these patients, whose chances of survival can more than double, depending on which NHS hospital they are treated in. Recommendations in the study include improving access to operating theatres to overcome the fact delays are “common”. The study says hospitals should provide fast access to operating theatres within defined time periods and prioritise emergency cases over planned surgery wherever necessary. It may be that separation of planned and unplanned operations is necessary. Another recommendation is for the highest risk patients to be treated under the direct supervision of consultant surgeons, anaesthetists and intensive care staff, while more needs to be done on access to critical care. Iain Anderson, report author and consultant general surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Complications and death rates vary significantly between hospitals and even within the same hospital depending on the time of admission. “Trusts should acknowledge that these problems exist and work to review their services using this guidance.” Norman Williams, president of the RCS, said: “The focus on reducing waiting times for elective procedures has resulted in a large group, of mostly elderly patients, becoming seriously under-prioritised to the point of neglect in the some NHS hospitals. “These changes won’t happen on their own and we are calling on all surgeons and managers to work together to deliver the high quality care that these patients need and which some hospitals are already proving can be delivered.” NHS Health guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Report finds that delays in finding operating theatre spaces lead to deaths while only one in three receives critical aftercare Thousands of patients needing emergency surgery are having their lives put at risk by poor NHS care and delays in accessing treatment, according to a damning report. The Royal College of Surgeons study found that some patients die or suffer major complications because of delays in finding space in operating theatres. Only a minority who need critical care following surgery receive it Junior staff are often left in charge of dealing with post-surgical complications, which can rapidly lead to death if not treated promptly, the report went on. A patient’s chance of survival also varies widely between NHS hospitals, and even within the same hospital depending on the day of the week. The report calls for the NHS to improve the way it deals with this group of “forgotten” patients, who are often elderly. Some 170,000 patients have major emergency surgery each year, mostly on the abdomen. Of these, 100,000 will develop significant complications following surgery, resulting in more than 25,000 deaths. In the UK, fewer than one in three of all these patients are admitted to critical care following their surgery. Even those who are admitted only tend to stay 24 hours before enduring a longer hospital stay on other wards. The report said: “Premature discharge from critical care has been identified as an important risk factor for post-operative death, as has delayed admission to critical care.” On managing complications, the study added: “Too often the whole process is slow or inaccurate as it is complex, requires multidisciplinary input, often occurs out of hours and is initiated by junior staff.” Surgeons leading the study also pointed to “suboptimal care on general wards” as a factor in poor outcomes following surgery. Research highlighted in the report shows that the chance of a patient dying in a UK hospital is 10% higher if they are admitted at a weekend rather than during the week. “There are no evident reasons for these differences other than that care, at times, is of variable quality: a conclusion which fits with the available evidence and professional opinion,” it added. An analysis of several patients who died showed some suffered from delays in assessment, decision making and treatment. “There were shortfalls in access to theatre, radiology and critical care; surgery was suboptimally supervised in 30% of cases and there was a failure for juniors to call for help in 21% of cases,” the study went on. “Timely surgery was not carried out in 22% of patients who died.” In general, there seems to be a lack of appreciation across the NHS of the level of risk for emergency surgical patients, the report said. Death rates of 15% to 20% are typical and rise as high as 40% in the most elderly patients. But this imminent risk of death is not being reflected in the priority given to these patients, whose chances of survival can more than double, depending on which NHS hospital they are treated in. Recommendations in the study include improving access to operating theatres to overcome the fact delays are “common”. The study says hospitals should provide fast access to operating theatres within defined time periods and prioritise emergency cases over planned surgery wherever necessary. It may be that separation of planned and unplanned operations is necessary. Another recommendation is for the highest risk patients to be treated under the direct supervision of consultant surgeons, anaesthetists and intensive care staff, while more needs to be done on access to critical care. Iain Anderson, report author and consultant general surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Complications and death rates vary significantly between hospitals and even within the same hospital depending on the time of admission. “Trusts should acknowledge that these problems exist and work to review their services using this guidance.” Norman Williams, president of the RCS, said: “The focus on reducing waiting times for elective procedures has resulted in a large group, of mostly elderly patients, becoming seriously under-prioritised to the point of neglect in the some NHS hospitals. “These changes won’t happen on their own and we are calling on all surgeons and managers to work together to deliver the high quality care that these patients need and which some hospitals are already proving can be delivered.” NHS Health guardian.co.uk
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Countdown begins to lift-off of Tiangong-1, the first step towards a permanent Chinese base in orbit China has started the countdown to launch a space station module, the Tiangong-1, that is the first step in establishing a permanent manned presence in orbit above the Earth. A Long March II 2F rocket is scheduled to take off soon after 1.16pm GMT on Thursday from Jiuquan in Gansu province, carrying the laboratory to an altitude of 220 miles (350km) where it will circle the planet unmanned while its systems are tested. A crew capsule, Shenzhou 8, is to be launched unmanned in November and carry out docking tests with the Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace”. Manned missions by Chinese astronauts, known as yuhangyuans , are to begin in 2012, according to Chinese state media. A backup, Tiangong 2, has been built in case Thursday’s launch goes wrong. China’s eventual aim is to build a 60-tonne space station within 10 years – it will be about a sixth the mass of the International Space Station. The Tiangong is believed by international analysts to include docking technology based on Russian designs. Yang Liwei in 2003 became the first man put in orbit by China’s space programme, circling the Earth 14 times during 21 hours in orbit. Five others have followed him in crews of up to three at a time. The diving bell-shaped Shenzou is similar to the Russian Soyuz but as a whole the Shenzou is larger and has greater flying capabilities in orbit. China Space Warren Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Title: You Ain’t Alone Artist: The Alabama Shakes The bees have been buzzing about the Alabama Shakes lately, and rightly so. Singer Brittany Howell has the good pipes and the band lays it down greasy. Check it.
Continue reading …Title: You Ain’t Alone Artist: The Alabama Shakes The bees have been buzzing about the Alabama Shakes lately, and rightly so. Singer Brittany Howell has the good pipes and the band lays it down greasy. Check it.
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President halted construction in wake of police violence but remains accused of betraying native peoples Tens of thousands of Bolivians have taken to the streets to reproach President Evo Morales over a police crackdown on indigenous protesters. The marchers decried the perceived betrayal by Bolivia’s first Indian president of his prime constituencies: native groups and environmentalists. “Evo was a very strong symbol for many people. He embodied principles of justice, of human rights. But now these people are disenchanted,” said Jim Shultz, an analyst with thinktank the Democracy Centre, which works on Bolivian issues. Some Bolivians, such as 44-year-old schoolteacher Juana Pinto, said Morales had proved a disappointment. “This government is the worst and it should go because it attacked human beings, the indigenous compatriots who had given it their support, and now it’s turned its back on them,” said Pinto, who took part in a march that brought central La Paz to a standstill. The president issued a statement saying the protests had been a “profound wake-up call” for his government following weekend police action that broke up a march by Indians protesting against a proposed highway through their protected Amazon reserve. “I could never order such violence as has been seen by the Bolivian people,” Morales said in a statement released to news media. He asked for forgiveness from the families of the protesters and urged indigenous groups to hold talks with the government. Bolivia’s main labour federation called a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday. It appeared only partially successful – most businesses were open. Morales championed a new constitution in 2010 that granted Bolivia’s 36 indigenous groups an as yet ill-defined autonomy. He promised to protect indigenous people from industry and developers. But since winning election in December 2005 the president has been forced to weigh development against environmental protection. His “revolution” reached a crossroads last year when he decided to pursue a 190-mile (300km) jungle highway funded by Brazil through the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory National Park, or TIPNIS, in the eastern lowlands state of Beni. About 1,000 people began a march on La Paz in mid-August from Beni’s capital, Trinidad, to protest against the highway they say is an open invitation to loggers and coca-planting settlers and a threat to park inhabitants. That march was broken up on Sunday by riot police who used teargas and truncheons, arresting several hundred marchers but later freeing them under pressure from local people. Bolivia’s defence minister resigned immediately in protest at the crackdown and the interior minister followed, accepting responsibility for police actions. Morales announced on Monday that he was suspending the highway project and would let voters in the affected region decide its fate in a referendum. The original protesters against the highway have promised to resume their own march. Bolivia Indigenous peoples Amazon rainforest guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …President halted construction in wake of police violence but remains accused of betraying native peoples Tens of thousands of Bolivians have taken to the streets to reproach President Evo Morales over a police crackdown on indigenous protesters. The marchers decried the perceived betrayal by Bolivia’s first Indian president of his prime constituencies: native groups and environmentalists. “Evo was a very strong symbol for many people. He embodied principles of justice, of human rights. But now these people are disenchanted,” said Jim Shultz, an analyst with thinktank the Democracy Centre, which works on Bolivian issues. Some Bolivians, such as 44-year-old schoolteacher Juana Pinto, said Morales had proved a disappointment. “This government is the worst and it should go because it attacked human beings, the indigenous compatriots who had given it their support, and now it’s turned its back on them,” said Pinto, who took part in a march that brought central La Paz to a standstill. The president issued a statement saying the protests had been a “profound wake-up call” for his government following weekend police action that broke up a march by Indians protesting against a proposed highway through their protected Amazon reserve. “I could never order such violence as has been seen by the Bolivian people,” Morales said in a statement released to news media. He asked for forgiveness from the families of the protesters and urged indigenous groups to hold talks with the government. Bolivia’s main labour federation called a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday. It appeared only partially successful – most businesses were open. Morales championed a new constitution in 2010 that granted Bolivia’s 36 indigenous groups an as yet ill-defined autonomy. He promised to protect indigenous people from industry and developers. But since winning election in December 2005 the president has been forced to weigh development against environmental protection. His “revolution” reached a crossroads last year when he decided to pursue a 190-mile (300km) jungle highway funded by Brazil through the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory National Park, or TIPNIS, in the eastern lowlands state of Beni. About 1,000 people began a march on La Paz in mid-August from Beni’s capital, Trinidad, to protest against the highway they say is an open invitation to loggers and coca-planting settlers and a threat to park inhabitants. That march was broken up on Sunday by riot police who used teargas and truncheons, arresting several hundred marchers but later freeing them under pressure from local people. Bolivia’s defence minister resigned immediately in protest at the crackdown and the interior minister followed, accepting responsibility for police actions. Morales announced on Monday that he was suspending the highway project and would let voters in the affected region decide its fate in a referendum. The original protesters against the highway have promised to resume their own march. Bolivia Indigenous peoples Amazon rainforest guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …WARNING: May cause some viewers to spit coffee through their nose. Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry shares a few poignant thoughts via some very Bad Lip Reading.
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Bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra made a fleeting appearance on the Rachel Maddow show Monday night, just long enough for Maddow to assure her viewers that this too can be seen as Bush's fault. Maddow did her best to put a shine on the situation, suggesting the Bush administration was at much at fault for considering Solyndra's application for a $535 million federal loan as the Obama administration was — for approving it. (video after page break) — To the extent that Washington's talking about alternative energy right now at all, that talk has to do with a failed government loan to a company called Solyndra, a maker of solar panels. In 2009 Solyndra got a loan for more than half a billion dollars from the US government. This month the company closed its plant, laid off more than a thousand people and went bankrupt. Congress called its top executives to testify last week on Capitol Hill. The executives took the Fifth. You can argue the Solyndra case any number of ways, whether President Bush was responsible for it since the loan started under him, or whether you want to blame President Obama, whether either administration should have known better to lend to Solyndra or whether this was just a bad bet in one of those public-private partnerships that are never a sure thing, but that nevertheless elected officials are always saying we need more of. “Whether either administration should have known better” — in other words, equal culpability for both. Unfortunately for Maddow, the administration that didn't know better was the one led by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. That's why clips of both men touting Solyndra's alleged capacity for job creation are only clicks away at YouTube while one will search in vain for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney gushing on the same subject. More from Maddow on Solyndra — Solyndra made headlines last week in the latest round of funding for rural electrification. It's of course the dirty word of clean energy anymore. And this week the conservative weekly The Weekly Standard put President Obama on its cover as 'President Solyndra.' That's what they want to call him, trying to reduce his whole presidency to one loan to one failed maker of solar panels. Maddow deserves credit for even mentioning Solyndra, sensitive subject that it must be at MSNBC, though her doing so was out of character. More than two weeks have passed since Republicans won special elections to fill House vacancies in New York and Nevada — and the seldom-tongue tied Maddow still hasn't uttered a word about it.
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