An air traffic controller in Tokyo is in hot water after posting secret information on his blog, including the flight plan of Air Force One when President Obama visited last year. The controller apparently wasn’t looking to cause trouble but to impress his friends with all the cool stuff he…
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The publication, which offers ideas on Labour’s future direction, has been described by opponents as ‘lazy’ and ‘idiotic’ A book offering ideas for Labour’s future direction has caused a savage split in the party, with one senior figure accusing its detractors of employing the tactics of Damian McBride, an adviser to Gordon Brown who was forced to resign after his underhand behaviour was revealed. The Purple Book , which includes a chapter by Ivan Lewis, the shadow culture secretary, on re-engaging communities with politics – regarded as Blairite in approach – was described by opponents in anonymous briefings published yesterday as “lazy” and “idiotic”. However, supporters of the book, which has been written as a response to Lord Glasman’s Blue Labour ideas, a philosophy said to be an inspiration to party leader Ed Miliband, hit back last night, claiming the attacks were reminiscent of McBride’s actions. A senior figure in the Labour party told the Observer that while Miliband and those around him had previously called for the party to re-engage with ideas and let a thousand flowers bloom, “it would seem some people don’t want a thousand flowers to bloom, hence this Damian McBride-style briefing”. He added: “This hasn’t been the hallmark of Ed Miliband’s operation and he has put great store in removing himself from this kind of thing.” That was why, he said, the latest briefing had “caused a great deal of alarm”. The split comes in the run-up to the party conference, where tensions now seem set to become public. There are concerns within the Blairite wing that Miliband has moved himself too far towards the ideas of Glasman, who claims the party needs to re-engage with traditional working-class issues such as the family and patriotism. Miliband announced on taking leadership of the party that the era of New Labour was dead. While the Labour leader has managed to reassert his authority over the party in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, during which he was an impressive performer, the are continuing doubts about whether he has the ability to win a general election. Last night shadow transport minister, John Woodcock, posted a message on Twitter, saying: “Shame 2 c anon hatchet job on Purple Book in Times, partic when so few’ve had chance to read it. Ed’s clear we’ve moved on from this approach.” Labour Ed Miliband Daniel Boffey guardian.co.uk
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Fresh fears over threat of urban sprawl as National Trust survey finds majority of people are unlikely to get involved Fears that the coalition’s relaxation of the planning system will result in urban sprawl have been reignited after it emerged that the vast majority of people are unlikely to participate in the government’s newly created local forums that allow communities to block housing developments. A YouGov poll, commissioned by the National Trust, found that few people were aware of the government’s proposals to alter the planning laws dramatically, and even fewer had the inclination to address planning issues in their local area. The findings, based on interviews with 2,319 adults living in England, are a blow to the government which has struggled to defend its controversial draft national planning policy framework in recent weeks. The framework is seeking to slash what most agree are unwieldy planning laws. But ministers insist this will not result in a carte blanche for developers. Instead, they say communities will have the final decision under the government’s new neighbourhood plans, which allow local people to voice their opposition to new developments. Planning minister Greg Clark pledged that the plans “will be a huge opportunity for communities to exercise genuine influence over what their home town should look like in the future”. But the poll found that 70% of people said they were “not very likely” or “not at all likely” to get involved in their neighbourhood plan. Only 4% said they were “very likely” to get involved. The apathy appears subject to political variation. Lib Dem and Tory voters are slightly more likely to get involved (28% and 26%, respectively) than Labour voters (21%). The National Trust, which is strongly opposed to the plans, suggested the findings reinforced fears that the new laws would play into the hands of developers, who have the time and resources to participate in planning applications and want to develop on greenfield rather than more expensive brownfield sites. “The government needs to do more to understand how to engage people in planning,” said Dame Fiona Reynolds, the director general of the National Trust. “Our fear is that if people don’t participate in the new system, then neighbourhood plans may simply become a charter for those best equipped or with vested interests to get the most, say, with local communities only getting involved once decisions have been made.” Communities secretary Eric Pickles and the chancellor, George Osborne, have defended the proposals, saying they are good for the UK economy. “No one should underestimate our determination to win this battle,” they wrote in an article in the Financial Times last week. “We will fight for jobs, prosperity and the right protection for our countryside.” But there has been criticism that the legislation is being rushed through with little consultation. Labour MPs have urged the government to extend the consultation period on the draft framework and hold a Commons debate and vote. The National Trust poll suggests that concerns over the speed with which the government is moving on the issue may be justified. The survey revealed that 73% of the population say they have heard “not very much” or “nothing at all” about the proposals. Geographically, awareness is highest in the south east, outside London, with 25% saying they have heard a “fair amount” or a “great deal”, compared with 17% in the north. “This low level of awareness is very concerning, especially given the government’s timetable for consultation on the proposed changes to the planning system,” Reynolds said. “We think the government should make sure people across the length and breadth of England have heard more about the proposals before a major decision like this, which will affect our landscape for ever, is made.” The survey also found that there appeared to be wariness of “big business” when it came to planning. Only 5% of those questioned said commercial property developers should have a significant say in planning decisions. And seven in 10 people said they believed that all new housing developments should be required to include space for people to grow food, such as allotments. “People are clearly wary about big business having too big a role in planning in their local community,” Reynolds said. “Commercial developers and large businesses appear to be the stakeholders that the public feel should have the least say in deciding what gets built.” Clark has insisted that the government has put in place “extensive consultation arrangements” and promised a parliamentary debate on the proposals. He told the Observer last month that building more housing was vital if younger generations were to gain a foothold on the property ladder. There is speculation, however, that a group of backbench Tories, led by Chris Heaton-Harris, MP for Daventry, may press the government to make changes. Planning policy Housing The National Trust Communities Jamie Doward guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Unite leader Len McCluskey calls for protests and strikes against cuts
September 10, 2011 No Comment
Uncompromising rallying cry by leader of Britain’s biggest union ahead of TUC conference likely to alarm Labour leader The leader of Britain’s biggest union today calls on millions of working people to prepare for a national campaign of “civil disobedience” and co-ordinated strikes in protest at coalition cuts to pensions and public services. In a rallying cry ahead of the Trades Union Congress, which opens in London on Sunday, Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, warns that the movement will head into “terminal decline” if the 6.5 million members of unions fail to “stand up and fight” this autumn. In terms that will alarm the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, who won the leadership a year ago on the back of union votes and has worked since to shed his “red Ed” label, McCluskey says all forms of organised action and disruption should be considered to defeat a government with “no legitimacy”. “My view is that we should rule nothing in and nothing out. Every conceivable form of protest and action should be carefully considered from civil disobedience through to co-ordinated industrial strikes,” he said in an interview with the Observer . “Everything should be considered in the face of the type of onslaught that we are looking at.” McCluskey, who condemned last month’s riots and looting as “the exact opposite of community spirit, collectivism and what trades unionism is all about”, said non-violent civil disobedience would be justified. “The reality is that we have got to demonstrate to people that unions are organisations that we are proud to belong to. If we don’t – if we run for cover – if we involve ourselves in shabby compromises and shabby deals, if we appear frightened in the face of the enemy, then who would want you on their side?” He added: “The concept of protest is as old as democracy itself. We should looks at all forms of engagement. That is why we are involved in a coalition of resistance with church groups, with community organisations, with student organisations, with unemployed organisations, with senior citizens organisations, creating people power that can demonstrate its anger against a coalition that we don’t believe has a mandate to do what it is doing and to try to persuade it to take a step back.” Unite, which has 1.55m members, is expected to announce details this week of plans to ballot them on strike action, as is Unison, the public services union, and the GMB general union. On Friday, the NASUWT teaching union announced a ballot that it said could lead to strike action by up to 250,000 school staff. Its general secretary, Chris Keates, said ministers were riding roughshod over measures to support teachers and raise standards. In June the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers took part in a one-day strike over cuts to their pensions. The strike closed thousands of schools. Government plans to increase the amount that public sector workers pay into pensions by an average 3%, while at the same time raising the pension age, are likely to dominate the TUC. McCluskey, whose union is Labour’s principle donor, said he did not expect Miliband to back him on strikes or civil disobedience. “I would like him to support our campaign but I don’t expect him to… I suspect he is worried about the union tag that the media put on him.” The Unite leader said talks with ministers on pensions had made minimal progress, making it almost certain that there would at least one co-ordinated one-day strike across the public services before the end of the year. This is expected to be followed by a rolling programme of targeted action and so-called “smart strikes” involving selected groups of workers. “I think, therefore, it is almost inevitable that there will be large-scale industrial action within the public services before the year is out.” A former Liverpool docker, McCluskey cited the poll tax riots that helped bring down Margaret Thatcher, the protests against the Iraq war that hardened opposition to Tony Blair, and the “Arab Spring” pro-democracy uprisings as evidence of where “people power” can make a real difference. Last night the unions appeared to be backing away from a confrontation with Miliband over his plans to reduce the union vote at party conference. The Labour leader, who is addressing the TUC in Tuesday, has indicated he wants to loosen the grip of union leaders over party policymaking. McCluskey said he had an “open mind” about the ideas and did not expect a big row about them. In his opening speech, the TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will call for reform of the banks so they promote lending and investment in the economy. Ahead of the release this week of a report by the government’s commission on banking reform, he will say: “Banking should be a utility just like energy and water – supplying credit and the other services that our productive industries and services need. “The spectre of a double dip is raising its head. We desperately need an economic stimulus. Unless we move to a low-carbon economy, we face climate chaos. The real challenge, therefore, is how to raise investment – not just by companies but in infrastructure and the public works that can provide jobs, restore confidence and kick start growth. “And while the political classes seem rather embarrassed and can’t wait to get rid of them, the public has big stakes in two major banks. It’s time we put them to work on behalf of the public.” Trade unions Len McCluskey TUC Public sector pensions Public sector cuts Unite Labour Liberal-Conservative coalition Toby Helm guardian.co.uk
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Greek prime minister George Papandreou under fire amid rumours that creditors are about to pull the plug Greece’s embattled prime minister, George Papandreou, has moved to counter growing fears that Athens is about to default on its debts, saying there was a clear route back to economic health. Speaking amid high security as protesters converged on the northern city of Thessaloniki for its annual international trade fair on Saturday, the socialist leader said: “There are two paths. One is the path of major change that will lead to a productive and creative Greece. “The other path, the supposedly easier one, does not look problems straight in the eye and leads to disaster. We insist on the path of change.” Despite strong denials that the country is heading for a default, rumours have grown that the end game is approaching. Wolfgang Schäuble, the German finance minister, has insisted that a sixth, €8bn (£6.8bn) instalment of aid will not be released unless Greece enacts corrective measures to kickstart its economy and improve competitiveness. Experts from Washington and Brussels will fly into Athens this week to assess whether Greece is sticking to its programme of drastic spending cuts and tax rises, amid fears that its creditors could be ready to pull the plug. Share prices plunged on both sides of the Atlantic on Friday, as Athens was forced to deny that it would default, perhaps as soon as this week. The Dow Jones closed more than 300 points down, while in London the FTSE100 lost more than 2% of its value. A team from the so-called “troika” of the IMF, the European commission and the European Central Bank, which bankrolled the Greek rescue deal last May, are due to rule by the end of the month whether it should receive the latest €8bn tranche of the bailout. The troika left Athens at the start of this month after talks with the government broke down. Papandreou has faced down riots on the streets to pass a series of austerity bills, but the country’s creditors accuse him of dragging his feet over job cuts in the civil service and the privatisation of €50bn-worth of state assets. Greece’s plans have also been blown off course by the worse-than-expected performance of its recession-hit economy, which is now expected to shrink by up to 7% this year. Without the €8bn, Athens will be unable to meet repayments due on its bonds. At the same time, Europe’s finance ministers, who gathered with their G7 counterparts in Marseille on Saturday, are still wrangling over the details of a second, €109bn rescue package for the embattled country. The ministers sought to calm world markets by repeating their pledge to do everything necessary to secure recovery, but there were no new details of concrete measures. “There is now a clear slowdown in global growth. We are committed to a strong and co-ordinated international response to these challenges,” they said. As the euro plunged to its weakest level in six months on Friday, Athens issued a statement describing the latest rumours as “a game of very bad taste, an orchestrated speculation that is targeting the euro and the euro area as a whole”. The latest sell-off in financial markets came after a rumour emerged that Germany was drawing up plans to protect its banking sector in the event of a Greek default. A series of other key measures, such as new powers for the eurozone-wide rescue fund, are awaiting approval by national parliaments. But insiders say both IMF boss Christine Lagarde and German chancellor Angela Merkel are coming round to the view that Greece must be allowed to go bust. The IMF, in particular, is said to have become convinced that Greece’s debts are unsustainable. If it passes this week’s test, Greece faces another progress check in December. “My understanding is that in December it’s much more likely the plug will be pulled,” said a source close to the troika. That could prompt other struggling euro members, including Portugal and Ireland, to demand reductions in their own debt burdens, and increase fears that the single currency area is close to collapse. Friday’s anxious mood was exacerbated by news that ECB director Jürgen Stark, who had been sceptical about its policy of buying up Italian and Spanish bonds to restore calm to international debt markets, had resigned. Stark, with Bundesbank boss Jens Weidmann, had toured German media outlets criticising the bank’s policy. A furious outburst from ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet on Thursday, in which he said Germany should be grateful for the low inflation it had achieved through euro-membership, was seen by many observers as an attack on Stark. “Overall, Mr Stark’s departure could be seen by financial markets as another indication of growing disenchantment in Germany towards the euro,” said Julian Callow, of Barclays Capital. But Erik Britton, of City consultancy Fathom, said it was good news if Germany was preparing its banks for the debt restructuring which a growing number of observers see as inevitable. “If they are drawing up a plan to protect the banks, it’s not before time,” he said. “[Greece] will default, it’s just a matter of time – but the bad scenario would be if we got a messy default.” Greece Europe IMF Economics Global economy Euro Currencies Helena Smith Heather Stewart guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Separate ferry accidents in Tanzania and China have taken a heavy toll: Tanzania: An overcrowded ship with about 600 people capsized in rough seas after leaving port at Dar es Salaam. At least 40 are dead and about 370 missing. The rest were rescued, reports AP . Relatives are livid the…
Continue reading …Gaddafi’s diehard secret police dig in as Nato jets blast desert stronghold
September 10, 2011 No Comment
Fierce resistance from fighters loyal to the dictator have stopped rebels in their tracks in the hills leading to Bani Walid Nato launched air strikes against Bani Walid, one of the last remaining Libyan towns still held by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. Loyalists were mounting fierce resistance, fuelling speculation about which regime figures were hiding in the desert bastion. Rebel commanders believe several hundred fanatical fighters are trapped in the town, a maze of hills and fortified positions 90 miles south-east of the capital, Tripoli. Street-to-street fighting raged and loyalists were accused of firing Grad rockets from civilian homes. Air strikes hammered fortified positions near the town centre, including buildings thought to shelter Scud missiles that have already been launched against rebel-held Misrata. Overnight fighting saw eight prisoners, one of them a brigadier, captured by rebel patrols, and one unit of Misrata’s Halbus brigade, thought to be operating with forward air controllers of the SAS, is now six miles from the town centre. But the fierce resistance convinced rebel forces to cancel an attack planned for the early hours of the morning, together with an offensive further east at Sirte, Gaddafi’s birthplace and his final coastal stronghold. Three weeks after rebel forces entered Tripoli, and with the new government, the National Transitional Council, completing its move to the capital, loyalist units continue to hold out in Sirte and in a series of desert towns far to the south. The impetus appears to be not realistic hopes of victory but fear of retribution if loyalist units surrender. War crimes investigations are already well advanced in Libya, and lists of names linked to so-called blood crimes have been circulated around rebel units, with trial and execution the likely fate of Gaddafi loyalists who surrender. Regular soldiers, by contrast, are deserting in droves, with rebel units finding outlying positions around Bani Walid deserted. Khalid Abdula Salem, commander of the rebel Western Front, said advanced units were inside the suburbs of the sprawling town and found many people flying the green flag of Gaddafi. He said no reprisals were being taken against them. “Some houses now have our flag, some have the green flag. For those houses, we take down the green flag.” He said that an attack order for the early hours of the morning was cancelled, apparently to give Nato jets freedom to strike. “We have an order from the National Transitional Council not to go inside,” he said. Ranged against the rebels are more than 600 diehard Gaddafi loyalists, including men of the Legion Thoria,Gaddafi’s secret police, and units of the elite 32nd Brigade, commanded by the dictator’s son Khamis. Khamis is thought to have fled the town, leaving his men to their fate. Salem said the town’s defenders also included mercenaries from a rebel faction in Darfur, who had first been encountered when Misratan rebels broke their siege late last month. Bani Walid will prove a tough nut to crack: loyalist forces are dug into caves among the twisting valleys that lead into the town. In the town centre they are barricaded into a former Kalashnikov machine-gun factory, the university and a half-built replica castle built on a hill as a luxury residence for Gaddafi. Bani Walid’s tribal elders, who were once among Gaddafi’s staunchest supporters, last week gave their permission for opposition forces to enter the town, but say they are powerless to overcome the loyalist units within. Instead, it is likely the rebels will have to winkle them out: at the rebel forward base of Abdul Rauf, five tanks and more than 100 black pickup trucks, most mounting rockets or anti-aircraft guns, stood ready for an assault. Standing at a checkpoint facing the empty desert highway that leads to the town, rebel fighter Abdul Fatah Susi said: “The guys in there [Bani Walid] are Legion Thoria, that’s why they don’t want to give up. “We are ready to attack.” Libya Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Africa Nato Chris Stephen Abdul Raufu Mustapha David Smith guardian.co.uk
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Attack on embassy is latest storm to engulf Jewish state as relations with Turkey also deteriorate Israel is facing its worst crisis with Egypt for 30 years after being forced to airlift diplomats and their families to safety during the storming of its embassy in Cairo by a violent mob. The siege of the embassy ended, with the 86 Israelis fleeing, only after intervention from the White House following phone calls between the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and US President Barack Obama. The attack was the latest diplomatic storm to engulf the Jewish state, whose relations with another ally, Turkey, have worsened over the past nine days. Israel is also facing a “diplomatic tsunami” at the UN later this month when a majority of countries are expected to back recognition of a Palestinian state. The embassy attack, in which a security wall was demolished and a group of protesters reached the door of the embassy’s secure area, threatened to cause “serious damage in peaceful relations between our two countries”, the prime minister said. He added that it was a “grave violation of accepted diplomatic practice”. He spent the night with senior officials in a foreign ministry operation room dealing with the crisis. Eighty diplomats and their families were airlifted on an Israeli military plane at 4.40am, but six personnel were trapped inside the building. “There was one door separating them from the mob,” said the official, who described the night as “very dramatic and tense”. Eventually the six were rescued by Egyptian commandos following behind-the-scenes intervention by the US. Obama spoke to Netanyahu during the night, the White House said. He also appealed to Egypt to “honour its international obligations”. David Cameron condemned the attack and urged Egypt to meet its responsibilities under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic property and personnel. Three people died during the overnight protests in Cairo and at least 1,093 were injured, according to Egypt’s deputy health minister. Anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt has been vociferous since the killing of five Egyptian soldiers by Israeli forces in the aftermath of a militant attack last month near the border between the two countries in which eight Israelis died. Thousands of people mobbed the Israeli embassy in Cairo, and Israel was forced to issue a statement regretting the deaths in the hope that it would contain the anti-Israel mood. Israel has been nervous about the future of its peace treaty with Egypt, signed 30 years ago, since its staunch ally, former president Hosni Mubarak, was forced out of office in an uprising earlier this year. It fears the temporary military government is more attuned to anti-Israel sentiment on the street. Israel is also deeply alarmed by its rapidly deteriorating relationship with Turkey, whose prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is to visit Cairo amid fears that he will attempt to forge an anti-Israel alliance with the new Egyptian government. “The situation with Turkey is not good, and the situation with Egypt is not good,” said the Israeli official. “We hope this is not a sign of things to come.” Both Turkey and Egypt are supporting the bid to have a Palestinian state recognised at the UN general assembly. Israel is braced for what its defence minister, Ehud Barak, described as a “diplomatic tsunami”. The US – which has pledged to veto Palestinian statehood – is frantically trying to find a way of averting a vote, fearing further alienation within the Arab world. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said US efforts to encourage the parties to return to negotiations had come “too late”. Egypt Israel Turkey Binyamin Netanyahu Middle East Africa Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …A new study suggests that parents who lose a child in the first year are more likely to die early themselves, reports the BBC . Researchers at York and Stirling universities found that such moms and dads are four times more likely to die within a decade. It’s not clear why…
Continue reading …NASA’s not done with the moon yet. It plans to launch two unmanned spacecraft today (Grail A and Grail B) to study the lunar gravitational field and interior, reports Space.com . The $496 million mission has an interesting twist, notes the PopSci blog: a MoonKAM that will allow students to…
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