Only 20 states and Washington D.C. paid the hefty sums required to get their students’ tests checked for suspicious erasures last school year, according to a report in USA Today. Checking standardized tests for erasures from wrong to right answers is a good way to catch teacher-sanctioned cheating, and is also required under the federal
Continue reading …Casey Anthony’s loyal mom blames a seizure— and post-partum depression, and maybe even a brain tumor—for her daughter’s chillingly cold behavior after the death of her toddler Caylee. “I’m not making excuses for her. I want to find out what’s wrong with Casey. I know that there’s something wrong,…
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Judge names figures who will be able to give evidence to investigation into phone hacking and media ethics and practices Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who famously guards her privacy, is one of a number of prominent public figures expected to give evidence to Lord Justice Leveson’s judicial inquiry into phone hacking and media ethics and practices. Rowling is one of 46 celebrities, politicians, sportsmen, other public figures, and members of the public who believe they have been the victims of media intrusion granted “core participant” status in the inquiry by Leveson on Wednesday. This will mean Rowling and other core participants can give evidence personally, or via a lawyer, on her experience of alleged media intrusion to the inquiry, which begins in October at London’s Royal Courts of Justice. The Harry Potter author has previously expressed her displeasure with the press. In May 2008, she won a legal battle to secure the privacy of her children after photographs were published in the Sunday Express of her young son as he was wheeled down an Edinburgh street in a push-chair. Others on the list including Anne Diamond’s former husband, Mike Hollingsworth; former nurse turned model and TV presenter Abi Titmus; Sheryl Gascoigne; and Mark Oaten, the former MP who had to pull out of the Liberal Democrat leadership race after tabloid revelations about his sex life. The parents of murder victim Diane Watson also in Leveson’s initial core participants list, along with the parents and sister of teenage murder victim Milly Dowler, and the parents of Madeleine McCann. The son of mass murderer Harold Shipman is also on the list. Christopher Jefferies, arrested on suspicion of murdering Joanna Yeates in December but released without charge, has also been granted core participant status. He subsequently sued several newspapers successfully for libel. Several celebrities who have allegedly had their phones hacked, including Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and Calum Best, are among the 46 named on Leveson’s list of core participants. MPs Chris Bryant, Tessa Jowell, Denis MacShane, Simon Hughes, and former Labour deputy leader Lord Prescott also feature, along with a smattering of sports stars including jockey Kieron Fallon and former Premiership footballer Gary Flitcroft. More details soon… •
Continue reading …The special election to replace Rep. Anthony Weiner was widely seen as a referendum on President Obama’s economic policy—and the resounding answer was: “No.” Republican political novice Bob Turner soundly defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin, AP reports. It’s the first time a Republican has won New York City’s…
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Ryan Crocker says attacks were a statement of militants’ weakness, after security forces kill last insurgents The American ambassador to Afghanistan has described a 20-hour assault on the heart of Kabul’s diplomatic and military quarter as “not a very big deal”, after security forces finally killed the last of a small team of insurgents who had paralysed the city. About six Taliban fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons took over a half-completed building on Tuesday, from where they rained down fire on the nearby US embassy and Nato compounds. Meanwhile, suicide bombers targeted police buildings in other parts of the city. Afghan security forces backed by Nato and Afghan attack helicopters were forced to fight floor by floor before the last insurgent was killed on Wednesday, putting an end to the longest sustained attack in the capital since the US-led invasion in 2001. At least nine Afghans, including four police officers were killed, and 23 people including civilians were wounded. The city’s streets were far quieter than normal: local staff of non-governmental agencies were told to come in late and many expatriate employees were locked down in their well-defended compounds. Afghans were again left questioning how such a complex attack could take place under the noses of international troops and their Afghan counterparts, who are due to take over security responsibilities in 2014. The US ambassador Ryan Crocker said the attack needed to be put into perspective. “These were five guys that rumbled into town with RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) under their car seats,” he said. “They got into a building and did some harassment fire on us and Isaf. This really is not a very big deal, a hard day for the embassy and my staff, who behaved with enormous courage and dedication, but half a dozen RPG rounds from 800 metres away – that isn’t Tet, that’s harassment,” he said in reference to the Tet offensive in Vietnam. “If that’s the best they can do, I think it’s actually a statement of their weakness and more importantly since Kabul is in the hands of Afghan security it’s a real credit to the Afghan national security forces.” Crocker said six or seven RPGs landed inside the compound. Isaf reported that six of its personnel were wounded. The ambassador blamed the attack on the Haqqani network, a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan which has long been accused of receiving support from the Inter Services Intelligence agency. The group has also been blamed for this week’s truck bomb outside an isolated US base that wounded 77 soldiers. “It’s tough when you’re trying to fight an insurgency that has a lot of support outside the national borders,” Crocker said. “And the information available to us is that these attackers, like those who carried out the bombing in Wardak, are part of the Haqqani network, they enjoy safe haven in [the Pakistani region of] Northern Waziristan. The Isaf commander general, John Allen, praised the Afghan security forces. “The insurgency has again failed,” he said of the attack. But for ordinary Afghans there was anger at the security forces’ inability to prevent the attack. Hundreds of people gathered in Abdul Haq Square for a glimpse of the bullet-ridden bodies of the six attackers being brought out of the building after it was finally cleared. “For Afghans, this is a strong attack and very sad for us,” said Malek Tose. “Afghans are dying but for America it is nothing because they are fighting all over the world,” he said. Mohammad Bashir Suleiman Khil, a shopkeeper, said people were increasingly scared, even in Kabul, considered to be the most secure city in the country. “Every 10 days there are attacks in Kabul. Afghanistan will not be quiet again. There is no work, there is no business. People are not coming out of their homes today. We don’t have any hope here.” The bodies of four insurgents lay on a concrete floor strewn with bullet casings. One had a bullet wound between his eyes. Crime scene investigators took the fingerprints of the dead and when they picked up a body to place it on a stretcher, a live grenade was found underneath him. At least one of the attackers had held out nearly 20 hours inside the building before he was eventually overcome by police commandos using stun grenades. The attackers appeared to have used metal barrels to climb floors inside the building to avoid the external and exposed stairwells. United States Afghanistan guardian.co.uk
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French appeal court upholds acquittal of former PM on charges of slandering Nicolas Sarkozy in Clearstream scandal A Paris appeal court has cleared the former prime minister Dominique de Villepin of running a dirty-tricks smear campaign against Nicolas Sarkozy. The verdict draws a line under the Clearstream affair, a marathon courtroom battle that exposed the seething hatred between the two biggest rivals on the French right. Sarkozy had accused De Villepin of smearing him over alleged acts of money laundering through the Luxembourg bank Clearstream. In June 2004, a French judge received an anonymous poison-pen letter accusing a number of senior politicians and business figures of laundering money through hidden foreign accounts. On the list was Sarkozy, then finance minister and contender to succeed Jacques Chirac as president. Paris braced itself for what seemed to be the corruption scandal of the decade, but the judge quickly established the accusations were false. Sarkozy accused De Villepin of deliberately using the bogus scandal to smear him in the run-up to the presidential race in 2007. The appeal court upheld an earlier decision to acquit De Villepin of charges of complicity in slander. They dismissed a state prosecutor’s request for a 15-month suspended sentence. The acquittal was a setback for Sarkozy, who had been the key plaintiff in the trial, and who once said he would like to hang De Villepin from a butcher’s hook . The Élysée said he would not comment. After the verdict De Villepin, who had complained that Sarkozy was pursuing a vendetta, praised “the independence of our justice system which resisted political pressure”. He said he had come out of this “ordeal” stronger and “more determined than ever to serve the French”. The acquittal in theory clears the path for De Villepin to run against Sarkozy in the 2012 presidential election. Best known for his stance against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, De Villepin quit Sarkozy’s ruling rightwing UMP party and set up his own small political grouping, République Solidaire. De Villepin, a Gaullist positioned on the centre-right, has been a strong critic of Sarkozy’s rightwing drift. But his political support base remains limited and his poll ratings are low. It is unclear whether he has enough support among politicians to muster a campaign. The six-year Clearstream battle was unprecedented in French modern history. A trial, appeal and retrial involved scores of plaintiffs and witnesses from the highest levels of French politics, including senior spies and businessmen, and damaged the credibility of the French political class. France Europe Nicolas Sarkozy Angelique Chrisafis guardian.co.uk
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Taliban spokesman and Isaf press office have spat online as insurgents attack Kabul’s diplomatic and military enclave As the 20-hour assault by Taliban insurgents on Kabul’s diplomatic and military enclave drew to a close on Wednesday, insurgents and coalition forces decided to prolong the battle the modern way: on Twitter. If the continued insurgency in Afghanistan represents a failure of dialogue, the spat between the Taliban and the press office of the international security assistance force (Isaf) on Wednesday proved that they are ready to exchange words directly, even if their comments offered little hope of peace being forged anytime soon. The argument began when @ISAFmedia , which generally provides dry updates in military speak of the security situation in Afghanistan, took exception to comments from a Taliban spokesman, tweeting : “Re: Taliban spox on #Kabul attack: the outcome is inevitable. Question is how much longer will terrorist put innocent Afghans in harm’s way?” The Taliban – who, when in power, eschewed most modern technology, including television and music players – decided to point the finger of blame back at the international forces. Showing an affinity with textspeak, Taliban tweeter Abdulqahar Balk (@ABalkhi) wrote : “@ISAFmedia i dnt knw.u hve bn pttng thm n ‘harm’s way’ fr da pst 10 yrs.Razd whole vllgs n mrkts.n stil hv da nrve to tlk bout ‘harm’s way’” @ISAFmedia was moved to respond by providing statistical backing for its case : “Really, @abalkhi? Unama reported 80% of civilians causalities are caused by insurgent (your) activities http://goo.gl/FylwU” But @ABalkhi questioned the value of the quoted statistics, pointing out, in somewhat sarcastic tones , that the Isaf, an organisation established by the UN security council, was using figures from another UN body (the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan) to try to win the argument: “@ISAFmedia Unama is an entity of whom? mine or yours?” That brought to an end the direct exchanges, although @ABalkhi continued to try to score points, registering a “lol” at a CNN article titled ” Pentagon: Afghan insurgency ‘less effective’ this year “. Taliban Afghanistan Nato Twitter Internet Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk
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US envoys, EU foreign policy chief and Tony Blair all due to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders this week Efforts to persuade the Palestinians to change tack ahead of next week’s UN meeting on the creation of a state of Palestine accelerated this week with a series of high-level delegations sweeping through Jerusalem and Ramallah aiming to avert a diplomatic collision in New York. The US envoys David Hale and Dennis Ross, the European foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, and the Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair were all due to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders. Barack Obama piled on the pressure, describing the Palestinian push for recognition at the UN general assembly as “counterproductive”. Israel was also making last-minute efforts to persuade undeclared countries not to vote for a Palestinian resolution, amid threats to tear up previous agreements, impose financial penalties and annexe West Bank settlements if the Palestinians go ahead. Obama confirmed the US would veto a request brought before the security council. But the White House wants to avoid such a step, knowing it will play badly among Arabs whose own moves for self-determination this year Obama has endorsed. The European Union is at the centre of efforts to avoid a diplomatic meltdown at the UN. Its belief that only a negotiated settlement can resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is given added force by its desire to avoid a damaging split among its 27 members. But efforts to secure a breakthrough are constrained by Palestinian demand of guarantees that any talks would be based on the pre-1967 borders plus a total settlement freeze. Israel is unlikely to sign up to that. The Palestinians insist their approach to the UN does not preclude a return to negotiations later. “We see no contradictions between doing both,” said Mohammad Shtayyer, a senior member of the team heading to New York. The UN bid was “the beginning of the game, not the end. It is a process.” he said. In public, Palestinian officials are standing firm in the face of “very serious pressure” to backtrack. Privately, there are suggestions of wavering. However, the International Crisis Group warned this week that any climbdown now “could decisively discredit [Mahmoud Abbas's] leadership, embolden his foes and trigger unrest among his people”. It went on: “Most Palestinians do not strongly support the UN bid; but they would strongly oppose a decision to retract it without suitable compensation.” Israel has engaged in its own diplomatic offensive to try to derail the Palestinian bid, instructing its diplomats around the globe to campaign vigorously for votes and lavishly hosting delegations from undeclared countries. But Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, acknowledged that the “battle to stem the tide” was lost and warned that “this unilateral course of action won’t lead to peace and won’t lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state”. The Palestinians reject the claim that they are acting unilaterally, saying the UN path “is the ultimate expression of multilateralism”. They add that Israel’s apparent opposition to unilateralism has not stopped it acting without agreement, such as building and expanding settlements. Sallai Meridor, a former Israeli ambassador to the US, said the move “weakens the chances for negotiation and agreement and increases the chances of frustration and violence. For Israelis it will strengthen the voices saying there is no one to talk to. Once you act unilaterally, the chances for negotiations are much lower.” Israel is also alarmed at the prospect that the Palestinians could bring a case against it at the international criminal court, a possibility that would open up with enhanced UN status for the Palestinians. “No Israeli government could negotiate if it has criminal proceedings hanging over its head,” said a former official. Retaliatory options raised by Israeli ministers should the Palestinian bid succeed include tearing up the Oslo accords, under which the Palestinian Authority was given control of parts of the West Bank and Gaza, annexing the West Bank settlements and withholding tax revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the PA. The US Congress is also threatening to cut off financial aid to the Palestinians. Violence in the aftermath of the UN move has been predicted by the Israelis for months, despite Abbas’s insistence that any demonstrations would be peaceful. “Non-violent demonstrations have a high risk of developing into something violent regardless of planning,” said Meridor. “When you take gasoline and play with matches, you run the risk of a big fire.” The Israeli security forces have restocked with crowd-dispersal equipment, including teargas, rubber bullets and water canon. They are also training and arming settlers, fuelling fears on both sides that hardline elements could provoke violence. How the bid for Palestinian statehood will work at the UN • The main session of the 2011 UN general assembly opens in New York with a speech by Barack Obama on Wednesday 21 September. • The Palestinians say they will submit a formal application for full membership as a state next week. The approval of the 15-member security council is required. • The US will veto such an application. But it may set up a committee to examine the request in the hope of kicking the issue into the long grass. • In the event of a veto, the Palestinians say they will request enhanced “observer member status” at the general assembly, which does not require security council approval but needs a two-thirds majority (129 votes). • The Palestinians claim to have the support of 126 countries, equating to about 75% of the world’s population, including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Ireland and Spain. • Israel concedes it will lose a vote at the general assembly but hopes to claim the support of a “moral minority” of countries, including the US, Canada and Italy. • The EU bloc of 27 countries is split. Of the “big three”, Britain and France have not explicitly declared their intentions, and Germany is opposed to full membership. France is inclined to back the Palestinians but is attempting to come up with a compromise acceptable to Germany in the interests of EU unity. • The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is due to address the general assembly on Friday 23 September. • Israel’s turn at the podium is also scheduled for 23 September. It has not been decided whether the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, or the president, Shimon Peres, will represent Israel. Palestinian territories Israel Middle East United Nations Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sick Travellers at Dale Farm offered legal pitches next to unauthorised site
September 14, 2011 No Comment
Owners of legal Traveller pitches make land temporarily available to families before planned eviction next week Ill and vulnerable Travellers from Dale Farm will be allowed to move to legal pitches next to the Essex site in a surprise attempt to defuse next week’s controversial eviction. Owners of legal Traveller pitches next to the unauthorised site, on a former scrapyard close to Basildon, have given permission for Dale Farm residents to live temporarily on their land. In a letter seen by the Guardian, Basildon council said it would not object to families moving on to the legal site. “It would appear that your proposal has considerable prospects of success,” Dawn French, the head of corporate services at the council, wrote to a resident who owns much of the legal site and offered to broker a peaceful solution to the eviction. Basildon council signalled that it would not interfere with any agreement between residents of the legal site and Dale Farm residents. There are 34 pitches on the legal site, on a field immediately adjacent to Dale Farm. One touring caravan and one mobile home is allowed on each pitch. The legal site could house the most vulnerable of the 86 families on Dale Farm, who will be made homeless when bailiffs arrive for the £18m eviction on Monday. The authorities’ acceptance of the Travellers’ plan has come with Basildon council under increasing pressure from the UN and other human rights monitors and agencies. Members of the UN habitat advisory group on forced evictions are visiting Dale Farm on Wednesday. Prof Yves Cabannes, the chair of the mission and a planning specialist from University College London, told Radio 4′s Today programme that Basildon council was infringing international human rights in three areas – the right of ethnic minorities to be protected, the right to adequate housing and the right to be protected from forced evictions. An eviction headquarters and a temporary road to the site is being constructed by private contractors to facilitate next week’s eviction of the largest unauthorised Travellers’ site in Britain, where Travellers have lived on land they own for the last 10 years. While the high court recently ruled that no human rights had been infringed during the lengthy dispute over the site, Travellers are planning to lodge another last-minute appeal, citing the declining health of elderly and sick residents on the site. Dale Farm Roma, Gypsies and Travellers Communities Patrick Barkham guardian.co.uk
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