Pauline Pearce, nicknamed ‘the Hackney Heroine’ after speaking out against rioters in east London, gets a taste of mainstream politics Richard Sprenger Michael White
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The suicide attack is the most devastating since the al-Qaida-linked group withdrew from Mogadishu in August A suicide truck bomb has exploded outside a compound housing government buildings in Mogadishu, killing at least 65 people and maiming scores in one of the most devastating attacks claimed by al-Shabaab insurgents since they withdrew most of their forces from the Somali capital. The explosion ripped through the K4 (Kilometre Four) area of Mogadishu, which is under the control of government troops and African Union peacekeeping forces. Many of those killed and injured were students and parents waiting for exam results at the Ministry of Higher Education. Buildings were destroyed and rescue workers struggled to free people trapped in the debris while the walking wounded made their way to the battered city’s hospitals. News reports said students had gathered inside the compound to take exams. “We have carried 65 dead bodies and 50 injured people,” the ambulance co-ordinator Ali Muse told Reuters. “Some are still lying there. Most of the people have burns.” A Reuters reporter said scores of people with burns were walking to a nearby hospital and police were trying to evacuate more students trapped inside the damaged buildings. The Somali government put the death toll at 15 with more than 20 injured from the suicide bombing. “The casualties are mostly students and parents who were waiting for results of scholarships from the Ministry of Higher Education,” the government said in a statement. “The attack shows that the danger from terrorists is not yet over and that there are obviously still people who want to derail the advances that the Somali people have made towards,” it said. Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the African Union peacekeeping force Amisom, which has 9,000 troops in the country, said the explosion had been caused by a suicide vehicle bomb, but that he had no definite figures yet on casualties. “We have conflicting reports. Some people are still lying under the debris because buildings fell down … we are trying to pull them out. Amisom has sent excavators,” he told the Guardian by phone. Al-Shabaab, which is linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the blasts, Reuters reported. The group, which is fighting the weak Transitional Federal Government, pulled most of its fighters out of Mogadishu in early August but threatened to carry out attacks on government installations. “This is the biggest attack since al-Shabaab was defeated,” said Ankunda. “This was expected because we knew they would go more into this kind of attack, including suicide attacks,” he said. Asked what Amisom’s response would be, he said: “Vigilance. We need more vigilance.” A Somali living in Nairobi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described what he had heard about the blast. “My house is in K6, which is 1km from the bombing, and all the glass windows are shattered so that tells you how strong the blast was,” he said. Somalia Global terrorism Africa guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The suicide attack is the most devastating since the al-Qaida-linked group withdrew from Mogadishu in August A suicide truck bomb has exploded outside a compound housing government buildings in Mogadishu, killing at least 65 people and maiming scores in one of the most devastating attacks claimed by al-Shabaab insurgents since they withdrew most of their forces from the Somali capital. The explosion ripped through the K4 (Kilometre Four) area of Mogadishu, which is under the control of government troops and African Union peacekeeping forces. Many of those killed and injured were students and parents waiting for exam results at the Ministry of Higher Education. Buildings were destroyed and rescue workers struggled to free people trapped in the debris while the walking wounded made their way to the battered city’s hospitals. News reports said students had gathered inside the compound to take exams. “We have carried 65 dead bodies and 50 injured people,” the ambulance co-ordinator Ali Muse told Reuters. “Some are still lying there. Most of the people have burns.” A Reuters reporter said scores of people with burns were walking to a nearby hospital and police were trying to evacuate more students trapped inside the damaged buildings. The Somali government put the death toll at 15 with more than 20 injured from the suicide bombing. “The casualties are mostly students and parents who were waiting for results of scholarships from the Ministry of Higher Education,” the government said in a statement. “The attack shows that the danger from terrorists is not yet over and that there are obviously still people who want to derail the advances that the Somali people have made towards,” it said. Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the African Union peacekeeping force Amisom, which has 9,000 troops in the country, said the explosion had been caused by a suicide vehicle bomb, but that he had no definite figures yet on casualties. “We have conflicting reports. Some people are still lying under the debris because buildings fell down … we are trying to pull them out. Amisom has sent excavators,” he told the Guardian by phone. Al-Shabaab, which is linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the blasts, Reuters reported. The group, which is fighting the weak Transitional Federal Government, pulled most of its fighters out of Mogadishu in early August but threatened to carry out attacks on government installations. “This is the biggest attack since al-Shabaab was defeated,” said Ankunda. “This was expected because we knew they would go more into this kind of attack, including suicide attacks,” he said. Asked what Amisom’s response would be, he said: “Vigilance. We need more vigilance.” A Somali living in Nairobi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described what he had heard about the blast. “My house is in K6, which is 1km from the bombing, and all the glass windows are shattered so that tells you how strong the blast was,” he said. Somalia Global terrorism Africa guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …In a good sign for the economy, construction spending jumped in August, perhaps offering tentative evidence that one of the sectors hit hardest by the downturn could finally be on the way back. Total spending on construction rose in August to an annual rate of $799.1 billion, an increase of 1.4 percent from July, the
Continue reading …Thousands of Hispanic students still missing from Alabama schools this week
October 4, 2011 No CommentEven more Hispanic students were absent from schools Monday following a federal judge’s decision to let the state’s tough new immigration law go into effect on Thursday. Malissa Valdes, a spokeswoman for Alabama’s education department, told The Lookout that total absences among Hispanic students rose from 2,011 on Friday to 2,285 on Monday. The state
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Prime minister says ‘fat tax’ could help prevent health costs soaring and life expectancy falling The government will consider introducing a “fat tax” to tackle Britain’s growing obesity levels, the prime minister, David Cameron, has said. Cameron said drastic action was needed to prevent health costs soaring and life expectancy falling. Under measures introduced in Denmark recently, a surcharge is being placed on foods that contain more than 2.3% saturated fat. The levy targets high-fat products such as butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed food. Danish consumers have criticised the move, which has left many retailers complaining of excessive bureaucracy. However, Cameron said the introduction of a similar idea in the UK should not be ruled out. “I think it is something that we should look at,” he told 5 News during a round of broadcast interviews at the Tory conference in Manchester. “The problem in the past when people have looked at using the tax system in this way is the impact it can have on people on low incomes. “But frankly, do we have a problem with the growing level of obesity? Yes. Do we have a kind of warning in terms of – look at America, how bad things have got there – what happens if we don’t do anything? Yes, that should be a wake-up call.” He added: “I am worried about the costs to the health service, [and] the fact that some people are going to have shorter lives than their parents.” He warned that obesity was on the verge of overtaking smoking and drinking as the biggest health challenge facing Britain. “Don’t rule anything out, but let’s look at the evidence and let’s look at the impact on families,” he added. Conservative conference 2011 David Cameron Health policy Tax and spending Conservative conference Obesity Health guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister says ‘fat tax’ could help prevent health costs soaring and life expectancy falling The government will consider introducing a “fat tax” to tackle Britain’s growing obesity levels, the prime minister, David Cameron, has said. Cameron said drastic action was needed to prevent health costs soaring and life expectancy falling. Under measures introduced in Denmark recently, a surcharge is being placed on foods that contain more than 2.3% saturated fat. The levy targets high-fat products such as butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed food. Danish consumers have criticised the move, which has left many retailers complaining of excessive bureaucracy. However, Cameron said the introduction of a similar idea in the UK should not be ruled out. “I think it is something that we should look at,” he told 5 News during a round of broadcast interviews at the Tory conference in Manchester. “The problem in the past when people have looked at using the tax system in this way is the impact it can have on people on low incomes. “But frankly, do we have a problem with the growing level of obesity? Yes. Do we have a kind of warning in terms of – look at America, how bad things have got there – what happens if we don’t do anything? Yes, that should be a wake-up call.” He added: “I am worried about the costs to the health service, [and] the fact that some people are going to have shorter lives than their parents.” He warned that obesity was on the verge of overtaking smoking and drinking as the biggest health challenge facing Britain. “Don’t rule anything out, but let’s look at the evidence and let’s look at the impact on families,” he added. Conservative conference 2011 David Cameron Health policy Tax and spending Conservative conference Obesity Health guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …A surge in support for Herman Cain and an equally dramatic drop in support for Rick Perry has left the pair tied in second place among GOP candidates with 12% each, according to the latest Washington Post poll, which finds Mitt Romney in first place with 25%. Support for the…
Continue reading …Investigation finds the media tycoon ‘brought bodily harm’ to fellow billionaire Sergei Polonsky on the TV programme Russian prosecutors have launched a criminal case against the media tycoon Alexander Lebedev on charges of hooliganism for punching a fellow billionaire on a television programme. Lebedev would be charged with hooliganism after a preliminary investigation found that the incident “brought bodily harm” to Sergei Polonsky, the Moscow investigative committee of the general prosecutor’s office said in a statement posted on its website. The charges could carry up to two years in prison, Russian news agencies said. Lebedev, owner of the Independent and London Evening Standard, punched the property developer during a chatshow on the NTV channel . The notoriously brash Polonsky had been arguing with guests on the show when he said he was “already worn out from the desire to give [him] a punch in the chops”, gesturing to Lebedev. Lebedev jumped from his seat and threw punches at Polonsky, knocking him backwards off his chair. After the attack Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, said the incident amounted to “hooliganism”. Lebedev later defended the move, while Polonsky immediately said he would consider legal action. Polonsky, the former owner of Mirax Group, one of Russia’s biggest property developers, posted photographs online showing a cut on his arm and a tear in his trousers after the brawl. Lebedev could not be immediately reached for comment. Alexander Lebedev Russia Europe Miriam Elder guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Investigation finds the media tycoon ‘brought bodily harm’ to fellow billionaire Sergei Polonsky on the TV programme Russian prosecutors have launched a criminal case against the media tycoon Alexander Lebedev on charges of hooliganism for punching a fellow billionaire on a television programme. Lebedev would be charged with hooliganism after a preliminary investigation found that the incident “brought bodily harm” to Sergei Polonsky, the Moscow investigative committee of the general prosecutor’s office said in a statement posted on its website. The charges could carry up to two years in prison, Russian news agencies said. Lebedev, owner of the Independent and London Evening Standard, punched the property developer during a chatshow on the NTV channel . The notoriously brash Polonsky had been arguing with guests on the show when he said he was “already worn out from the desire to give [him] a punch in the chops”, gesturing to Lebedev. Lebedev jumped from his seat and threw punches at Polonsky, knocking him backwards off his chair. After the attack Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, said the incident amounted to “hooliganism”. Lebedev later defended the move, while Polonsky immediately said he would consider legal action. Polonsky, the former owner of Mirax Group, one of Russia’s biggest property developers, posted photographs online showing a cut on his arm and a tear in his trousers after the brawl. Lebedev could not be immediately reached for comment. Alexander Lebedev Russia Europe Miriam Elder guardian.co.uk
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