Pair admitted cruelty charges after two-year old girl and four-year old boy were rescued crossing A38 in Birmingham A couple whose two young children were found wandering on a busy dual carriageway in Birmingham during the morning rush hour have been spared jail. The two-year-old girl and four-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found trying to cross the A38 in the city earlier this year. The older child was barefoot and the younger one’s clothes were dirty. The children’s parents – who are in their 20s – were sentenced after they admitted child cruelty charges. Birmingham crown court heard that CCTV showed a driver – Linda Young – pulling over and rushing to move the children to safety. Police later visited the children’s maternal grandmother’s flat, where they had been staying for the night. Their parents were asleep there and had not realised the children were missing. The parents pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty at Birmingham crown court at an earlier hearing. Madhu Rai, prosecuting, told the court the boy had bare feet while his sister was dressed in an all-in-one pink suit. When officers searched the children’s bedroom at the flat they found a knife, half-eaten food and a bag containing raw meat on a bed, along with a bottle of liquid paracetamol. “In the living room, they found carrier bags with empty butane gas canisters and loose cans,” said Rai. The father was given an 18-week sentence suspended for 12 months while the mother was given an 18-month community order. Judge Elizabeth Fisher told the parents: “By the grace of God a member of the public stopped her own car. “Certainly CCTV footage in the area shows exactly the risk in which the children were placed. “When the police first came to the address, you were both still asleep.” The court heard how the children tried to cross the A38 shortly before 9am on 27 March and were close to cars. Young said she stopped after she’d been struck by how young the children were and by the fact that there was no adult with them. When questioned by police, the couple admitted they had no idea the youngsters had left the property. They assumed they were in another bedroom. The children’s mother told police she had put her son and daughter to bed and assumed that was where they were as she lay with her partner in another room. She was adamant she knew nothing about the presence of the knife, the paracetamol or the raw meat. There was no suggestion that the couple had been drunk or abusing drugs. The children’s father is said to have admitted that he had previously abused aerosol sprays but insisted he had never done so in front of the children. Joseph Keating, in mitigation for the father, said he was remorseful and making significant attempts to address his addictions. Sophie Murray, mitigating for the 24-year-old mother, said she loved her children and suffered from low esteem and low self-confidence. The children’s paternal grandmother said they were now under the care of social services. “My son’s agreed that he won’t see the children until after he’s completed a drug programme he’s on,” she said, adding that he loved his children. Claude Knights, director of the Kidscape charity, said: “This is a very disturbing case which could so easily have ended in tragedy.” Birmingham Crime Children Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
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Activists wave fake meat cleavers and chant anthems outside adult entertainment industry summit in London Dozens of feminists have staged a protest in central London to protest against the “meat market” of the pornography industry, as adult entertainment executives attended an international trade summit in Bloomsbury. Dressed as butchers in aprons smeared with fake blood, the activists waved pretend meat cleavers and chanted anthems outside the Radisson hotel in Bloomsbury. “You’re not welcome in our city,” they sang. “Pornographers go home!” The three-day XBIZ EU conference, which opened for the first time in London on Friday, is billed as an “international digital media conference” for the adult entertainment industry. Speakers include Michael Klein, president of Hustler, the pornographic magazine and website, and Berth Milton, chairman and chief executive of Private Media Group, a producer and distributor of pornography. Its website says it is “designed to deliver cutting-edge educational seminars, engaging technology workshops, special guest keynote presentations and high-energy business-networking and deal-making opportunities”. But to the men and women protesting, the conference’s slick image conceals a disturbing reality of misogyny in 21st-century pornography. Julia Long of the London Feminist Network said: “This summit is being presented as a lavish, respectable corporate event, when in fact it is a brazen opportunity for the porn industry to plan new ways of profiting from the exploitation of women.” Watching the protest, Claire Wigington, head of marketing of Television X, said this argument was “simplified”. “It’s easy to say ‘porn degrades women’ but the women in the industry know what they’re doing,” she said. In recent years the multi-billion dollar industry has become a focus for the feminist movement as fears grow over the impact its pervasive influence is having on society at large. Activists claim that viewing pornography can lead to greater acceptance of rape myths and attitudes supporting violence against women. Gail Dines, academic and author of Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality, said it was “central” to the fight for equality. “You cannot have a massive industry built on the sexual torture and dehumanisation and debasement of women. If you want any gender equality in a society you cannot have this industry steam-rollering into men’s psyches, sexuality and identity,” she said, adding that there was an “immeasurable” difference between the X-rated industry of decades ago and the kind of “body-punishing, hardcore” material available now, which she says has become the “major seller” in the industry today. Not all feminists agree, however. Catherine Stephens, an activist for the International Union of Sex Workers, said opposing pornography as a whole did not make sense as there were so many different kinds. “This porn summit represents pimps in suits … meeting to plot how to push the boundaries of porn even further to increase their profits,” said Anna van Heeswijk, campaigns co-ordinator of the activist group Object. “It is their aim to make the sexual violence of porn appear normal and acceptable. It is our aim to stop them. Our message is clear: ‘Women are human, stop treating us like objects.’” Pornography Protest Feminism Women Lizzy Davies guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Warning of a stock market rout on Monday unless a eurozone rescue package is found
September 23, 2011 No Comment
Obama urges France and Germany to move quickly to find a solution to the eurozone crisis, while UK chancellor George Osborne claims Britain is ‘ahead of the curve’ EU leaders were under renewed pressure today to agree immediate steps towards a full-scale rescue of ailing eurozone economies or risk a stock market rout when exchanges open on Monday. Fears that months of debate over how to resolve the Greek debt crisis had brought the world economy to another “Lehman’s moment” led several prominent analysts to warn that the situation could spark a run on bank stocks next week. President Obama and the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, welcomed a commitment by the European Central Bank to step up its efforts to boost growth, which could mean a cut in interest rates at its next meeting in October, but pressed France and Germany to move quickly with a rescue package to prevent further turmoil. George Osborne warned that the leaders of the eurozone had six weeks to end their political wrangling and resolve the continent’s crippling debt crisis. Eric Wand, a gilts strategist at Lloyds Corporate Markets, said: “If we come in on Monday with nothing on the table, then we’ll be back to the races.” Wand warned that loans from the ECB would be more sticking plaster and unlikely to satisfy investors. “[They] are hoping for a co-ordinated policy response. If we get that, then risk assets could rally, but for how long? More liquidity doesn’t really cut the mustard,” he said. Stocks rallied today after G20 leaders said they would do all in their power to prevent another crash. The FTSE rebounded after the assurance to finish the day up 25 points at 5066 while the German Dax and French CAC both ended the day marginally higher. But a week of speculation that several eurozone banks could be wrecked by defaults in the peripheral countries without further ECB support and large capital injections has helped knock $3.4tn (£2.2tn) off global stock values since Monday. The FTSE had its second worst week this year and French and German exchanges remain at two-thirds of their value in July. Commodities fell to a nine-month low as silver, copper and nickel tumbled. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 commodities fell as much as 2.2%, leaving it 7.8% lower than at the start of the week. Speaking in Washington, Osborne said that the turmoil in the world’s financial markets meant there was now “a far greater sense of urgency” and mounting pressure on Europe from the G20 group of developed and developing nations. “There is a sense from across the leading lights of the eurozone that time is running out. There is a clear deadline at the Cannes (G20) summit in six weeks time,” the chancellor said. “The eurozone has six weeks to resolve this political crisis.” He added that “bad politics” were leading to “bad economics” in the eurozone. “We need political solutions that can help resolve the economic problems.” Osborne said the package of measures agreed in July to provide financial support for troubled members of the single currency needed to be implemented, as well as ensuring banks had enough capital to withstand market pressures. “I wouldn’t say all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place,” Osborne said, adding that the members of the eurozone had to supplement monetary union with closer fiscal ties. While the government had no intention of joining monetary union, the chancellor said it was in Britain’s interests for the eurozone to work. “The break-up of Europe would be bad for Britain.” The chancellor said Europe needed to show that it had enough firepower to convince the markets it was getting ahead of the curve, and made it clear that the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility needed to be beefed up. “I am not sure it is adequate,” Osborne said. He refused to speculate on whether Greece would be forced to default on its debts, but said the government had contingency plans in the event that the worst-affected eurozone country did capitulate. “I have made it a priority for the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England to make sure that the UK banking system is adequately capitalised and have sufficient liquidity to deal with all eventualities. We have stress-tested sovereign writedowns.” Osborne admitted that the darkening international economic outlook would have repercussions for the UK but insisted that he had no intention of amending his tough deficit reduction plans. It was up to the Bank of England, he added, to support demand over the coming months. “A credible fiscal plan allows you to have a looser monetary policy than would otherwise be the case. My approach is to be fiscally conservative but monetarily active.” His comments come amid signs from Threadneedle Street that it would restart its quantitative easing programme over the coming months. The Bank pumped £200bn of electronically created money into the economy between early 2009 and early 2010 in an attempt to lift the economy out of recession. Asked how bad the situation in the UK would have to get before he would consider changing course, Osborne said: “The UK is taking appropriate action. It is very clear what has got to happen. We are sticking to the plan. These discussions in Washington are about the eurozone and the challenges there, not about market pressures on the UK. We have got ahead of the curve and have credibility.” The chancellor said the heavily indebted state of Britain meant that he could not simply “pull a lever” to boost demand. “This was a different sort of recession and it is a different sort of recovery,” he said.He added that there was a certain amount of flexibility built into his budget plans because weaker growth would allow the automatic stabilisers – a bigger budget deficit caused by higher benefit payments and lower tax receipts – to kick in. The government would announce supply-side reforms of the economy to remove obstacles to growth over the coming months, Osborne said. Global economy European debt crisis Financial crisis George Osborne G20 Phillip Inman Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Warning of a stock market rout on Monday unless a eurozone rescue package is found
September 23, 2011 No CommentObama urges France and Germany to move quickly to find a solution to the eurozone crisis, while UK chancellor George Osborne claims Britain is ‘ahead of the curve’ EU leaders were under renewed pressure today to agree immediate steps towards a full-scale rescue of ailing eurozone economies or risk a stock market rout when exchanges open on Monday. Fears that months of debate over how to resolve the Greek debt crisis had brought the world economy to another “Lehman’s moment” led several prominent analysts to warn that the situation could spark a run on bank stocks next week. President Obama and the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, welcomed a commitment by the European Central Bank to step up its efforts to boost growth, which could mean a cut in interest rates at its next meeting in October, but pressed France and Germany to move quickly with a rescue package to prevent further turmoil. George Osborne warned that the leaders of the eurozone had six weeks to end their political wrangling and resolve the continent’s crippling debt crisis. Eric Wand, a gilts strategist at Lloyds Corporate Markets, said: “If we come in on Monday with nothing on the table, then we’ll be back to the races.” Wand warned that loans from the ECB would be more sticking plaster and unlikely to satisfy investors. “[They] are hoping for a co-ordinated policy response. If we get that, then risk assets could rally, but for how long? More liquidity doesn’t really cut the mustard,” he said. Stocks rallied today after G20 leaders said they would do all in their power to prevent another crash. The FTSE rebounded after the assurance to finish the day up 25 points at 5066 while the German Dax and French CAC both ended the day marginally higher. But a week of speculation that several eurozone banks could be wrecked by defaults in the peripheral countries without further ECB support and large capital injections has helped knock $3.4tn (£2.2tn) off global stock values since Monday. The FTSE had its second worst week this year and French and German exchanges remain at two-thirds of their value in July. Commodities fell to a nine-month low as silver, copper and nickel tumbled. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 commodities fell as much as 2.2%, leaving it 7.8% lower than at the start of the week. Speaking in Washington, Osborne said that the turmoil in the world’s financial markets meant there was now “a far greater sense of urgency” and mounting pressure on Europe from the G20 group of developed and developing nations. “There is a sense from across the leading lights of the eurozone that time is running out. There is a clear deadline at the Cannes (G20) summit in six weeks time,” the chancellor said. “The eurozone has six weeks to resolve this political crisis.” He added that “bad politics” were leading to “bad economics” in the eurozone. “We need political solutions that can help resolve the economic problems.” Osborne said the package of measures agreed in July to provide financial support for troubled members of the single currency needed to be implemented, as well as ensuring banks had enough capital to withstand market pressures. “I wouldn’t say all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place,” Osborne said, adding that the members of the eurozone had to supplement monetary union with closer fiscal ties. While the government had no intention of joining monetary union, the chancellor said it was in Britain’s interests for the eurozone to work. “The break-up of Europe would be bad for Britain.” The chancellor said Europe needed to show that it had enough firepower to convince the markets it was getting ahead of the curve, and made it clear that the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility needed to be beefed up. “I am not sure it is adequate,” Osborne said. He refused to speculate on whether Greece would be forced to default on its debts, but said the government had contingency plans in the event that the worst-affected eurozone country did capitulate. “I have made it a priority for the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England to make sure that the UK banking system is adequately capitalised and have sufficient liquidity to deal with all eventualities. We have stress-tested sovereign writedowns.” Osborne admitted that the darkening international economic outlook would have repercussions for the UK but insisted that he had no intention of amending his tough deficit reduction plans. It was up to the Bank of England, he added, to support demand over the coming months. “A credible fiscal plan allows you to have a looser monetary policy than would otherwise be the case. My approach is to be fiscally conservative but monetarily active.” His comments come amid signs from Threadneedle Street that it would restart its quantitative easing programme over the coming months. The Bank pumped £200bn of electronically created money into the economy between early 2009 and early 2010 in an attempt to lift the economy out of recession. Asked how bad the situation in the UK would have to get before he would consider changing course, Osborne said: “The UK is taking appropriate action. It is very clear what has got to happen. We are sticking to the plan. These discussions in Washington are about the eurozone and the challenges there, not about market pressures on the UK. We have got ahead of the curve and have credibility.” The chancellor said the heavily indebted state of Britain meant that he could not simply “pull a lever” to boost demand. “This was a different sort of recession and it is a different sort of recovery,” he said.He added that there was a certain amount of flexibility built into his budget plans because weaker growth would allow the automatic stabilisers – a bigger budget deficit caused by higher benefit payments and lower tax receipts – to kick in. The government would announce supply-side reforms of the economy to remove obstacles to growth over the coming months, Osborne said. Global economy European debt crisis Financial crisis George Osborne G20 Phillip Inman Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
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Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
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Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Via Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times: A new Federal Reserve study finds that the Federal Reserve is awesome. OK, it’s not quite that simple. In August, the central bank announced that it would keep short-term interest rates near zero for the next two years, in order to encourage borrowing and spur growth. Some
Continue reading …Via Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times: A new Federal Reserve study finds that the Federal Reserve is awesome. OK, it’s not quite that simple. In August, the central bank announced that it would keep short-term interest rates near zero for the next two years, in order to encourage borrowing and spur growth. Some
Continue reading …Via Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times: A new Federal Reserve study finds that the Federal Reserve is awesome. OK, it’s not quite that simple. In August, the central bank announced that it would keep short-term interest rates near zero for the next two years, in order to encourage borrowing and spur growth. Some
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