French first lady Carla Bruni headed home today with the littlest Sarkozy in hand, leaving the Paris clinic where she gave birth to daughter Giulia on Wednesday. The baby is the first born to a sitting French president, notes the AP, a fact that was evident by Nicolas Sarkozy’s absence:…
Continue reading …
View supports Justice for Jane campaign that wants prosecutors to be allowed to appeal against judges’ decision to grant bail The director of public prosecutions has said he would welcome a right to appeal against crown court judges’ decisions to grant bail. Keir Starmer last week met the parents of nurse Jane Clough, who was stabbed to death by her ex-partner, to discuss their campaign to amend bail laws. Ambulance technician Jonathan Vass murdered the 26-year-old mother-of-one in the car park of Blackpool Victoria hospital while he was on bail charged with raping her. He was jailed for a minimum of 30 years last October. Her parents, John and Penny Clough, of Barrowford, Lancashire, launched the Justice for Jane campaign which backs an amendment to the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill to allow prosecutors to appeal against a judge’s decision to grant bail. In a statement , Starmer said: “I met Mr and Mrs Clough and we discussed a number of issues. One of which is the current government proposal to provide the prosecution with the opportunity to appeal against the decision of a crown court judge to grant bail. From my perspective having given the matter careful consideration, I have come to the view that we would welcome the introduction of such a power for the prosecution.” Clough kept a diary detailing her abuse and fears of what Vass might do, Preston crown court was told during his trial. She and her family had been “rocked and devastated” when he was bailed, leaving her extremely concerned for her safety. She left home to live with her parents and recorded in the diary that she was worried “Johnny was going to do something stupid”. Starmer added: “We would not anticipate such a right of appeal being used very often; however, where it was felt that a judge had got a decision on bail wrong, and the interests of victims and the wider public demanded that such a decision be challenged, then this would be regarded as a useful and appropriate option for the prosecution to have available to it. Former victims commissioner Louise Casey, who attended the meeting, said: “As commissioner I have often had cause to challenge and criticise what can be an opaque and process-driven criminal justice system but I am enormously heartened that the director of public prosecutions has shown he has both a keen regard for the human suffering behind the cases he prosecutes and has his door open to those who propose sensible changes to the system.” Nick Herbert, the justice minister, told the Commons last month that the government was considering changing the law on bail. In June this year the Cloughs’ MP, Andrew Stephenson, introduced a bill calling for the prosecution to have a right to appeal against bail. However, the amendment has a greater chance of becoming law as it is part of a government bill, said Clough. Legal aid Judiciary UK criminal justice Prisons and probation guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …View supports Justice for Jane campaign that wants prosecutors to be allowed to appeal against judges’ decision to grant bail The director of public prosecutions has said he would welcome a right to appeal against crown court judges’ decisions to grant bail. Keir Starmer last week met the parents of nurse Jane Clough, who was stabbed to death by her ex-partner, to discuss their campaign to amend bail laws. Ambulance technician Jonathan Vass murdered the 26-year-old mother-of-one in the car park of Blackpool Victoria hospital while he was on bail charged with raping her. He was jailed for a minimum of 30 years last October. Her parents, John and Penny Clough, of Barrowford, Lancashire, launched the Justice for Jane campaign which backs an amendment to the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill to allow prosecutors to appeal against a judge’s decision to grant bail. In a statement , Starmer said: “I met Mr and Mrs Clough and we discussed a number of issues. One of which is the current government proposal to provide the prosecution with the opportunity to appeal against the decision of a crown court judge to grant bail. From my perspective having given the matter careful consideration, I have come to the view that we would welcome the introduction of such a power for the prosecution.” Clough kept a diary detailing her abuse and fears of what Vass might do, Preston crown court was told during his trial. She and her family had been “rocked and devastated” when he was bailed, leaving her extremely concerned for her safety. She left home to live with her parents and recorded in the diary that she was worried “Johnny was going to do something stupid”. Starmer added: “We would not anticipate such a right of appeal being used very often; however, where it was felt that a judge had got a decision on bail wrong, and the interests of victims and the wider public demanded that such a decision be challenged, then this would be regarded as a useful and appropriate option for the prosecution to have available to it. Former victims commissioner Louise Casey, who attended the meeting, said: “As commissioner I have often had cause to challenge and criticise what can be an opaque and process-driven criminal justice system but I am enormously heartened that the director of public prosecutions has shown he has both a keen regard for the human suffering behind the cases he prosecutes and has his door open to those who propose sensible changes to the system.” Nick Herbert, the justice minister, told the Commons last month that the government was considering changing the law on bail. In June this year the Cloughs’ MP, Andrew Stephenson, introduced a bill calling for the prosecution to have a right to appeal against bail. However, the amendment has a greater chance of becoming law as it is part of a government bill, said Clough. Legal aid Judiciary UK criminal justice Prisons and probation guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Hamid Karzai claims on TV his country ‘will side with Pakistan if US attacks’
October 23, 2011 No Comment
Afghan president accused of hypocrisy and ingratitude over remarks made soon after Hillary Clinton’s visit to the region The US reacted with dismay on Sunday after the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said that he would side with Pakistan in the event of any war with America. Karzai’s remarks will be greeted with outrage by an American public already thinking him ungrateful for US military and financial support. In an interview on Geo Television, Pakistan’s largest satellite network, hours after a visit to the region by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, Karzai said: “If there is war between Pakistan and America, we will stand by Pakistan.” He put his hand on his heart and described Pakistan as a “brother” country. The remark, which went further than other Karzai outbursts critical of the US, was viewed negatively not only in the US but in Afghanistan where opponents accused him of hypocrisy given Kabul’s difficult relationship with Pakistan. The US embassy in Kabul, responding to reporters’ questions, said it was up to the Afghan government to explain Karzai’s remarks. An embassy spokesman, Gavin Sundwall, tried to play down the row. He told the Associated Press: “This is not about war with each other. This is about a joint approach to a threat to all three of our countries: insurgents and terrorists who attack Afghans, Pakistanis and Americans.” A western diplomat, speaking anonymously, described Karzai’s comments as unfortunate. “The phraseology could have been better,” the diplomat said. Karzai’s words were being interpreted as an attempt to mollify Pakistan ahead of a US-Afghanistan military strategic agreement to be completed within the next few months. “[Karzai's remarks are] essentially reassurance to Pakistan that the US strategic relationship will not be used to threaten Pakistan,” the diplomat said. The statement was widely interpreted as a rhetorical flourish rather than as a significant offer of defence co-operation. Despite tension between Pakistan and the US, open warfare is a remote possibility. Clinton on Sunday said there were no plans to put US troops into Pakistan but acknowledged differences with the country over securing an Afghan peace deal. “We have to have a very firm commitment to an Afghan-led reconciliation peace process,” Clinton told CNN, adding that Pakistan was not yet fully aboard. “We’re about 90% to 95% in agreement between the US and Pakistan about the means of our moving toward what are commonly shared goals, and we have a work plan and a real commitment to making sure we are as effective as possible together.” Clinton’s comments follow her warning to Pakistan that the US would act unilaterally if Islamabad failed to crack down on the Taliban-linked Haqqani network inside its North Waziristan sanctuary. Karzai, who is scrambling to ensure his political future before the US military drawdown in 2014, needs Pakistani help to bring the Taliban to peace talks. In the event of a conflict, his army, which is dependent on US money and training, would be in no position to back Pakistan. Nevertheless, the interview with Geo was at stark variance with the tone during the visit to the region by Clinton and David Petraeus, the CIA director. Clinton had flown to Islamabad and, in a four-hour meeting with Pakistan’s top generals, called on the military to bring the Haqqanis to the negotiating table, destroy the group’s leadership, or pave the way for the US to do so. Karzai’s interview with Geo was aired barely 24 hours after Clinton left. He said Afghanistan owed Pakistan a great debt for sheltering millions of refugees over the past three decades, and stressed that his foreign policy would not be dictated by any outside power. “Anybody that attacks Pakistan, Afghanistan will stand with Pakistan,” he said. “Afghanistan will never betray their brother.” Karzai has wildly swung away from, and then closer to, Pakistan over the past 18 months as efforts to draw the Taliban into peace talks have gained momentum. First he welcomed the Pakistani military chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, and the ISI spy chief, General Shuja Pasha, to talks in Kabul but then, this month, flew to New Delhi to sign a “strategic partnership” with India that strengthened trade and security ties between the two countries but infuriated Pakistan, where the movewas seen as a fresh sign of Afghan perfidy. Karzai is trying to strike a balance, reaching a peace deal but also managing criticism from non-Pashtun groups and their political representatives, who accuse him of getting too close to Pakistan. Hamid Karzai Afghanistan Pakistan Taliban Hillary Clinton US foreign policy United States Ewen MacAskill Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Hamid Karzai claims on TV his country ‘will side with Pakistan if US attacks’
October 23, 2011 No Comment
Afghan president accused of hypocrisy and ingratitude over remarks made soon after Hillary Clinton’s visit to the region The US reacted with dismay on Sunday after the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said that he would side with Pakistan in the event of any war with America. Karzai’s remarks will be greeted with outrage by an American public already thinking him ungrateful for US military and financial support. In an interview on Geo Television, Pakistan’s largest satellite network, hours after a visit to the region by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, Karzai said: “If there is war between Pakistan and America, we will stand by Pakistan.” He put his hand on his heart and described Pakistan as a “brother” country. The remark, which went further than other Karzai outbursts critical of the US, was viewed negatively not only in the US but in Afghanistan where opponents accused him of hypocrisy given Kabul’s difficult relationship with Pakistan. The US embassy in Kabul, responding to reporters’ questions, said it was up to the Afghan government to explain Karzai’s remarks. An embassy spokesman, Gavin Sundwall, tried to play down the row. He told the Associated Press: “This is not about war with each other. This is about a joint approach to a threat to all three of our countries: insurgents and terrorists who attack Afghans, Pakistanis and Americans.” A western diplomat, speaking anonymously, described Karzai’s comments as unfortunate. “The phraseology could have been better,” the diplomat said. Karzai’s words were being interpreted as an attempt to mollify Pakistan ahead of a US-Afghanistan military strategic agreement to be completed within the next few months. “[Karzai's remarks are] essentially reassurance to Pakistan that the US strategic relationship will not be used to threaten Pakistan,” the diplomat said. The statement was widely interpreted as a rhetorical flourish rather than as a significant offer of defence co-operation. Despite tension between Pakistan and the US, open warfare is a remote possibility. Clinton on Sunday said there were no plans to put US troops into Pakistan but acknowledged differences with the country over securing an Afghan peace deal. “We have to have a very firm commitment to an Afghan-led reconciliation peace process,” Clinton told CNN, adding that Pakistan was not yet fully aboard. “We’re about 90% to 95% in agreement between the US and Pakistan about the means of our moving toward what are commonly shared goals, and we have a work plan and a real commitment to making sure we are as effective as possible together.” Clinton’s comments follow her warning to Pakistan that the US would act unilaterally if Islamabad failed to crack down on the Taliban-linked Haqqani network inside its North Waziristan sanctuary. Karzai, who is scrambling to ensure his political future before the US military drawdown in 2014, needs Pakistani help to bring the Taliban to peace talks. In the event of a conflict, his army, which is dependent on US money and training, would be in no position to back Pakistan. Nevertheless, the interview with Geo was at stark variance with the tone during the visit to the region by Clinton and David Petraeus, the CIA director. Clinton had flown to Islamabad and, in a four-hour meeting with Pakistan’s top generals, called on the military to bring the Haqqanis to the negotiating table, destroy the group’s leadership, or pave the way for the US to do so. Karzai’s interview with Geo was aired barely 24 hours after Clinton left. He said Afghanistan owed Pakistan a great debt for sheltering millions of refugees over the past three decades, and stressed that his foreign policy would not be dictated by any outside power. “Anybody that attacks Pakistan, Afghanistan will stand with Pakistan,” he said. “Afghanistan will never betray their brother.” Karzai has wildly swung away from, and then closer to, Pakistan over the past 18 months as efforts to draw the Taliban into peace talks have gained momentum. First he welcomed the Pakistani military chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, and the ISI spy chief, General Shuja Pasha, to talks in Kabul but then, this month, flew to New Delhi to sign a “strategic partnership” with India that strengthened trade and security ties between the two countries but infuriated Pakistan, where the movewas seen as a fresh sign of Afghan perfidy. Karzai is trying to strike a balance, reaching a peace deal but also managing criticism from non-Pashtun groups and their political representatives, who accuse him of getting too close to Pakistan. Hamid Karzai Afghanistan Pakistan Taliban Hillary Clinton US foreign policy United States Ewen MacAskill Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …With Tunisians voting today in the Middle East’s first elections since the dawn of the Arab Spring, analysts and citizens alike are looking to the vote for a sense of where Tunisia and democracy in the region might be heading, reports the AP . Tunisia’s 7.5 million voters face an…
Continue reading …Mat Honan has a message seemingly directed at the current generation occupying Wall Street and feeling sorry for itself: “Generation X is sick of your bullshit.” A recent New York article claimed this might be the first generation to end up worse off than its parents: “Please. Been there,” retorts…
Continue reading …
Officials consulting lawyers over how to remove protest camp as cathedral’s closure is costing £20,000 a day in lost revenues Officials from St Paul’s Cathedral and the wider City district are considering legal action to force protesters to remove a camp set up outside the church more than a week ago, following an impasse between the two sides. The cathedral has been shut since Friday afternoon after its dean, the Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, said the presence of more than 200 tents and marquees beside the building’s western edge was an unacceptable fire, and health and safety risk. Both he and the cathedral’s canon chancellor, Giles Fraser , have publicly urged the activists to leave. It is the first time the cathedral has been closed since the second world war, and church officials say it is costing St Paul’s around £20,000 a day in lost visitor revenues. The Occupy the London Stock Exchange movement , part of a wave of similar global protests against the perceived excesses of the financial and banking systems, says it is sympathetic to the cathedral’s plight but believes the closure is an overreaction. Members of the group say they have received assurances from the fire service and Health and Safety Executive that the camp poses no such risk. With the deadlock seemingly set to continue, St Paul’s and other nearby institutions have consulted lawyers about possible efforts to forcibly evict the protesters. Cathedral staff were due to hold an emergency meeting with fire officers, police and officials from the Corporation of London, which administers the City district, on Monday. A St Paul’s spokesman, the Reverand Rob Marshall, said the impact of the closure would be felt more intensively next week as tourist numbers swell during half-term. “The penny is dropping,” he said. “Half-term has started and we’ve got hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world in London. It will soon begin to dawn that the cathedral will not be open for the foreseeable future. It’s such a chunk of a visitor’s itinerary and there will be a momentum that this is a reality. If there is no sign of movement in the early part of the week there will be further negotiations.” The Corporation of London has not commented publicly since Friday, when it also called on the camp to disband . But the organisation is known to have consulted lawyers about how an eviction might take place, and whether the legal options could even include an emergency injunction to clear the space immediately. But this is seen as a last resort. Aside from the potential public relations disaster of police officers dragging peaceful protesters from their tents in the shadow of a cathedral, eviction proceedings would most likely take some weeks. Part of the land housing the camp is owned by St Paul’s, who would need to take action for trespass, while other parts belong to the Corporation, requiring a case under laws relating to obstruction of the highways. The Occupy movement has said it, too, has been taking legal advice, and cannot be expected to leave voluntarily without more information from St Paul’s. Ronan McNern from the group said: “If this is so serious, that St Paul’s has been closed, shouldn’t they be telling us? Aren’t they putting us at risk? We want dialogue, we want proper open dialogue rather than statements through the media by the dean.” Yesterday Todaytourists and regular worshippers expecting to join the usual half-dozen services over the day were being directed to nearby churches. Inside the cathedral there was only a private holy communion for clergy, organised to comply with an Anglican statute requiring all cathedrals to hold such a service every week. Some would-be visitors were caught out. “We didn’t know, so we’re very disappointed,” said a woman from a visiting American family forced to suddenly revise their plans for the day. But others remained positive. “I suppose you could say we’re part of the 99% as well,” said Levin Brunner, an IT consultant from Munich, using the term coined by activists for the bulk of people who do not enjoy stellar salaries and annual bonuses. “We have similar protests in Germany, so we knew this was taking place and we have a lot of sympathy for it. It’s very interesting for tourists to see, anyway.” Complicating matters still further is an offshoot of the St Paul’s camp, set up on Saturday at Finsbury Square, a small grassed area slightly further to the east, on the fringes of the financial district, which now has around 40 tents. Activists insist this is not intended as a replacement for the main protest, but primarily a spillover as the original site is too small to accept more tents. Fabian Flues, a 26-year-old consultant, said he had moved to the new site after four nights at St Paul’s: “This new site is actually even closer to my office. I can spend the night here and have a shower and get changed when I get to work.” Occupy London Occupy movement London Peter Walker Riazat Butt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Officials consulting lawyers over how to remove protest camp as cathedral’s closure is costing £20,000 a day in lost revenues Officials from St Paul’s Cathedral and the wider City district are considering legal action to force protesters to remove a camp set up outside the church more than a week ago, following an impasse between the two sides. The cathedral has been shut since Friday afternoon after its dean, the Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, said the presence of more than 200 tents and marquees beside the building’s western edge was an unacceptable fire, and health and safety risk. Both he and the cathedral’s canon chancellor, Giles Fraser , have publicly urged the activists to leave. It is the first time the cathedral has been closed since the second world war, and church officials say it is costing St Paul’s around £20,000 a day in lost visitor revenues. The Occupy the London Stock Exchange movement , part of a wave of similar global protests against the perceived excesses of the financial and banking systems, says it is sympathetic to the cathedral’s plight but believes the closure is an overreaction. Members of the group say they have received assurances from the fire service and Health and Safety Executive that the camp poses no such risk. With the deadlock seemingly set to continue, St Paul’s and other nearby institutions have consulted lawyers about possible efforts to forcibly evict the protesters. Cathedral staff were due to hold an emergency meeting with fire officers, police and officials from the Corporation of London, which administers the City district, on Monday. A St Paul’s spokesman, the Reverand Rob Marshall, said the impact of the closure would be felt more intensively next week as tourist numbers swell during half-term. “The penny is dropping,” he said. “Half-term has started and we’ve got hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world in London. It will soon begin to dawn that the cathedral will not be open for the foreseeable future. It’s such a chunk of a visitor’s itinerary and there will be a momentum that this is a reality. If there is no sign of movement in the early part of the week there will be further negotiations.” The Corporation of London has not commented publicly since Friday, when it also called on the camp to disband . But the organisation is known to have consulted lawyers about how an eviction might take place, and whether the legal options could even include an emergency injunction to clear the space immediately. But this is seen as a last resort. Aside from the potential public relations disaster of police officers dragging peaceful protesters from their tents in the shadow of a cathedral, eviction proceedings would most likely take some weeks. Part of the land housing the camp is owned by St Paul’s, who would need to take action for trespass, while other parts belong to the Corporation, requiring a case under laws relating to obstruction of the highways. The Occupy movement has said it, too, has been taking legal advice, and cannot be expected to leave voluntarily without more information from St Paul’s. Ronan McNern from the group said: “If this is so serious, that St Paul’s has been closed, shouldn’t they be telling us? Aren’t they putting us at risk? We want dialogue, we want proper open dialogue rather than statements through the media by the dean.” Yesterday Todaytourists and regular worshippers expecting to join the usual half-dozen services over the day were being directed to nearby churches. Inside the cathedral there was only a private holy communion for clergy, organised to comply with an Anglican statute requiring all cathedrals to hold such a service every week. Some would-be visitors were caught out. “We didn’t know, so we’re very disappointed,” said a woman from a visiting American family forced to suddenly revise their plans for the day. But others remained positive. “I suppose you could say we’re part of the 99% as well,” said Levin Brunner, an IT consultant from Munich, using the term coined by activists for the bulk of people who do not enjoy stellar salaries and annual bonuses. “We have similar protests in Germany, so we knew this was taking place and we have a lot of sympathy for it. It’s very interesting for tourists to see, anyway.” Complicating matters still further is an offshoot of the St Paul’s camp, set up on Saturday at Finsbury Square, a small grassed area slightly further to the east, on the fringes of the financial district, which now has around 40 tents. Activists insist this is not intended as a replacement for the main protest, but primarily a spillover as the original site is too small to accept more tents. Fabian Flues, a 26-year-old consultant, said he had moved to the new site after four nights at St Paul’s: “This new site is actually even closer to my office. I can spend the night here and have a shower and get changed when I get to work.” Occupy London Occupy movement London Peter Walker Riazat Butt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Towns of Ercis and Van in mountainous region of eastern Turkey appear to be worst affected by 7.2 magnitude quake Many hundreds of people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake hit eastern Turkey, destroying scores of buildings and leaving many victims trapped in the rubble. Scientists from Turkey’s Kandilli earthquake institute said that given the force of the 7.2-magnitude quake, which struck at 1.41pm local time (11.41am BST), and often shoddy construction standards in the mountainous area near Turkey’s border with Iran, up to 1,000 people may have lost their lives. The worst-affected areas appeared to be around Ercis, a town of about 75,000 people where up to 80 buildings collapsed, including a student dormitory; and the nearby city of Van, where at least 10 buildings were razed. TV footage showed distraught relatives waiting outside a collapsed eight-storey building in Van that housed shops on the ground floor. Hospitals in Ercis reported receiving around 1,000 casualties. The epicentre was a village about 15 miles north of Van, the Kandilli institute said. The mayor of Ercis, Zulfukar Arapoglu, said many other buildings had been badly damaged, a particular risk with dozens of aftershocks still shaking the region, and that the town urgently needed tents. The need for shelter is particularly acute. Van is 1,750m (5,740ft) above sea level and nighttime temperatures are near freezing. A man who gave his name as Hanifi Arli told a TV news channel that there was no sign of outside help arriving: “All these people are trapped under buildings. All buildings have collapsed. We have no ambulances,” he said. Another survivor in the town told NTV television: “It’s ridiculous that there is still not a single tent here. Everybody waits outside. There is no water, no bread. It’s not even clear who runs the operations … We only want the government to rescue the people trapped inside the collapsed buildings. Why is the government not helping?” In the absence of rescue teams, many people were searching for survivors themselves, shifting rubble with iron bars or their bare hands. The quake brought down many electrical power lines, further hampering efforts. State-run TRT television said 45 bodies had been recovered already in Ercis, and 150 people injured. Fifteen others were known to have died in Van. The death tolls seems certain to rise significantly. Casualties were also reported in Celebibag district, near Ercis. “There are many people under the rubble,” Veysel Keser, the mayor of Celebibag, told NTV. “People are in agony. We can hear their screams for help. We need urgent help.” Earthquakes are common in Turkey, which is crossed by a number of geological faultlines. The most significant one in recent years struck the western city of Izmit in 1999 . The official death toll was 17,000, although some reports suggested the real figure was significantly higher. Poorly-built housing was blamed for many deaths, and tens of thousands more people were left homeless as other buildings were damaged beyond repair. The head of Turkey’s search and rescue organisation, Nasuh Maruki, said his staff had learned a lot from the 1999 quake and were now far better able to assist. However, he added, poorly-built buildings were likely to remain a problem: “They will all have to be strengthened to withstand earthquakes or they will have to be demolished and built from scratch.” Turkey’s prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, was travelling to Van to view the situation. According to the country’s media, Turkey has already received offers of help from the UK, US, Germany and Greece. There has also been an offer from Israel, despite difficult relations following last year’s Israeli navy raid on a Turkish-registered flotilla heading for Gaza, which left nine Turkish nationals dead . The quake was also felt in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and several Iranian towns close to the border, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. Turkey Natural disasters and extreme weather Europe Middle East Constanze Letsch Peter Walker guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …