Models at ChinaJoy gaming event in Shanghai banned from wearing bikinis and revealing outfits as authorities clamp down on “vulgarity” To the dismay of attendant geeks but official approval, China’s biggest online gaming fair has ordered exhibitors to cover up their showgirls. While the gaming industry as a whole is not noted for progressive representations of women, Shanghai’s ChinaJoy event – which is sponsored by several official bodies – has become notorious for the scantily clad models promoting gaming stands. The new policy, which follows a government drive against “vulgarity”, limits the number of performers companies may use and how much flesh they may display, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported on Friday. It includes a ban on bikinis and costumes that expose more than two-thirds of the wearer’s back, and bars models from putting stickers in “sensitive positions”, such as over their breasts. “The length of my dress is longer than before,” one model told the paper. The fair’s organisers were not available for comment but a notice posted on their website earlier this year warned: “To eradicate vulgarity and cultivate a good expo atmosphere [and] avoid a negative impact on ChinaJoy through bad activities … the commission will conduct strict checks on the number, costumes and performance content of performers at the site.” The move follows a government edict last year ordering online gaming companies not to use sexual or violent imagery to promote their products. But thighs and cleavage were still evident in photographs from the event, suggesting exhibitors may be paying more attention to the letter than the spirit of the new code. “To be honest, I came here largely for spicy girls,” said a student, Xavier Du. “I’m satisfied with female models for this year’s ChinaJoy, [who have] impressive faces and curves. I care more about them rather than only sexy clothing.” The event still includes a beauty pageant, described as “the most delightful platform for female players, models and showgirls for gaming companies”. China Games Women Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
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Nicholas Read, who played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, given suspended sentence for performing sex act in front of teenager An actor who appeared in the Harry Potter and Star Wars films has been given a suspended 20-week jail term for indecently exposing himself to a teenager on a train. Former pantomime star Nicholas Read, who played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, was told by a judge that a suspended sentence would offer the best opportunity for rehabilitation. Read, of Cheadle, north Staffordshire, was convicted of indecent exposure last month after a 17-year-old girl told Leicester crown court how the actor performed a sex act under the cover of a juggler’s hat. Read was shown mercy by recorder Richard Bond despite having previous convictions for sexual offences, including an incident in which he climbed into the bed of a stage manager and his girlfriend. The 40-year-old’s previous convictions also included a series of “random” and explicit phone calls made to women from a hotel room as long ago as 1995. Passing sentence, Bond said: “A relatively short sentence of imprisonment will not help you, and it certainly will not protect the public from your fantasies. I have had to ask myself this question: is this a case where not just you, but more importantly, the public would benefit from you receiving a short custodial sentence? The answer to that is no.” The judge imposed two specific requirements on Read, which will require him to be supervised by the probation service and to undertake a community sex offender group work programme. Read, who must also pay £500 towards the cost of his prosecution, was arrested last October after “trapping” his victim in a window seat on a train travelling between London and Leicester. Bond described Read’s latest offence as chilling, telling him: “It was obvious that she was extremely scared by what you did to her. She was so scared that she couldn’t complain immediately for fear that you would touch her.” Offering mitigation, Read’s defence barrister, Nigel Hamilton, said his client had been involved with pantomimes since the age of 16, earning a weekly wage of up to £800. Hamilton told the court: “He will not be able to do that anymore – he has had cancellations left, right and centre.” Crime guardian.co.uk
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• First quarter economic growth revised down to 0.4% • Consumer spending grew 0.1% in second quarter • Shares fall sharply The US economy ground to a virtual halt in the first half of the year, with consumer spending at its weakest level in two years. The shock figures sent shares tumbling in London. The FTSE 100 index extended losses to fall 84 points to 5789, a decline of 1.4%. Wall Street futures indicate that the Dow Jones will fall 116 points at the open. The data comes at a time when the White House and Congress are locked in a battle over how to raise the debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow more money . If they cannot agree, the government will soon run out of money, leaving it unable to pay its bills, such as social security payments, military pay and interest payments. The world’s largest economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.3% between April and June, the US Commerce Department said. Wall Street economists had expected 1.8%. Moreover, the first quarter growth rate was revised sharply lower to 0.4% from 1.9%, which means the economy barely grew over the first six months of the year. Growth in the fourth quarter of last year was also revised down, to 2.3% from 3.1%. Consumer spending grew by just 0.1% in the second quarter, the weakest since the recession ended two years ago. Car production was severely disrupted by the earthquake in Japan. Economists said the data could prompt the Federal Reserve to restart its quantitative easing (QE) programme to pump money into the economy. “While this is somewhat disappointing, the big surprise is in the revisions, which show growth being downgraded sharply in the first and fourth quarters,” said James Knightley, senior economist at ING. “Furthermore, the recession was deeper and started earlier than previously thought. his further reduces the prospect of any Fed policy tightening and offers some support to those arguing the case for QE3.” This means the US economy contracted by 0.3% in 2008, rather than posting zero growth, while in 2009 the economy shrank by 3.5% rather than 2.6%. The economy needs to grow by at least 2.5% to bring down the country’s 9.2% unemployment rate. US economy Economics United States Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• First quarter economic growth revised down to 0.4% • Consumer spending grew 0.1% in second quarter • Shares fall sharply The US economy ground to a virtual halt in the first half of the year, with consumer spending at its weakest level in two years. The shock figures sent shares tumbling in London. The FTSE 100 index extended losses to fall 84 points to 5789, a decline of 1.4%. Wall Street futures indicate that the Dow Jones will fall 116 points at the open. The data comes at a time when the White House and Congress are locked in a battle over how to raise the debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow more money . If they cannot agree, the government will soon run out of money, leaving it unable to pay its bills, such as social security payments, military pay and interest payments. The world’s largest economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.3% between April and June, the US Commerce Department said. Wall Street economists had expected 1.8%. Moreover, the first quarter growth rate was revised sharply lower to 0.4% from 1.9%, which means the economy barely grew over the first six months of the year. Growth in the fourth quarter of last year was also revised down, to 2.3% from 3.1%. Consumer spending grew by just 0.1% in the second quarter, the weakest since the recession ended two years ago. Car production was severely disrupted by the earthquake in Japan. Economists said the data could prompt the Federal Reserve to restart its quantitative easing (QE) programme to pump money into the economy. “While this is somewhat disappointing, the big surprise is in the revisions, which show growth being downgraded sharply in the first and fourth quarters,” said James Knightley, senior economist at ING. “Furthermore, the recession was deeper and started earlier than previously thought. his further reduces the prospect of any Fed policy tightening and offers some support to those arguing the case for QE3.” This means the US economy contracted by 0.3% in 2008, rather than posting zero growth, while in 2009 the economy shrank by 3.5% rather than 2.6%. The economy needs to grow by at least 2.5% to bring down the country’s 9.2% unemployment rate. US economy Economics United States Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Emergency services at scene after light aircraft hits properties in Peel Green area A light aircraft has crashed into two properties in Salford, Greater Manchester. Police were called to Newlands Avenue in Peel Green, Salford, just after 12.20pm following reports that a plane had come down on to houses. No injuries could be confirmed at this stage, police said. A police spokesman said: “Officers attended and discovered a light aircraft had come down and collided with two properties. A cordon is in place and the other emergency services are also working at the scene.” A spokesman for Greater Manchester fire and rescue service said: “Just after 12.20pm we received reports of an incident involving a light aircraft. “Fire crews were mobilised to Newlands Avenue in the Peel Green area of Eccles, Salford, who on their arrival discovered that a light aircraft had crashed into a house. “At 1.20pm six fire engines were in attendance at the incident.” Plane crashes Manchester guardian.co.uk
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Exclusive : Party believes it can broaden support within armed services it feels the Tories have lost touch with over cuts Millions of armed forces veterans are to be targeted by a Labour recruitment drive that will see former soldiers, sailors and air staff being offered membership of the party for 1p. Labour believes that the Tories have lost touch with the military and wants to challenge the notion that members of the services are more likely to vote Conservative. It has also frustrated party chiefs that many traditional recruiting grounds – for the army in particular – are in poorer areas of the country, where Labour is strong. Yet this has not translated into broad support for the party within the services, or among veterans. The idea for 1p membership emerged during the review set up after last year’s election defeat. It is supposed to provide new ways of invigorating the party under the leadership of Ed Miliband. Called Refounding Labour, the consultation is being conducted by the former cabinet minister Peter Hain, who is understood to be strongly in favour of the veterans’ initiative. The Labour party’s standard membership rate is £41 a year or £3.42 a month; the reduced rate for the unwaged and pensioners is £20.50 or £1.71 a month. The veterans’ initiative will be among a number of recommendations to be put before this September’s party conference, when members will be urged to vote for a change to the existing membership rules. No other party has ever offered a concession to veterans, and if it goes ahead, Labour will begin an aggressive marketing campaign – with posters, email and mailshots. The potential political dividend is obvious: in 2007, it was estimated that there were 3.8 million armed forces veterans in the UK. Labour has chosen to use the Ministry of Defence’s own broad definition of veteran – anyone who has served in the armed forces at any time, irrespective of length of service, including reservists and those who went through national service. The 1p offer will last for a year, but those who sign up will probably have to pay the full annual rate in the second year. Labour officials argue that “changing our party rules … would signal how seriously we intend to be a party of the armed forces”. “We want all those with frontline experience to be involved in shaping our party’s culture, policy and campaigns,” said one. “Veterans’ unique experience and insight will bring wisdom and expertise to the Labour party. No other political party has a membership scheme which offers concessions for veterans so this move would set us apart from others.” Jim Murphy, the shadow defence secretary, said: “Veterans have made our country safer and now I want to invite them to help make our party stronger. The Tories have totally lost touch with our armed forces because of their rushed defence cuts. “This would be an excellent and exciting move which would strengthen not just Labour’s defence policy but also Labour’s links with the whole defence community.” However, the Equality for Veterans Association, which campaigns for ex- armed forces personnel on issues such as pensions, took a dim view of the idea. “Personally, I wouldn’t pay 1p to join any political party,” said Sid West, the group’s deputy campaign manager. “I don’t think that offering a bribe to vote for a party is a good thing. Veterans have real hardships caused by things like the lack of parity for pensions. I wish the parties would concentrate on serious things like that.” The Royal British Legion declined to comment. Labour Military Conservatives Public sector cuts Public services policy Public finance Public sector pensions Nick Hopkins guardian.co.uk
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Writer warns of increasingly repressive political regime after he is stopped from entering Chinese mainland from Hong Kong One of China’s most acclaimed authors, who is now a British citizen, has warned that its “increasingly harsh” political climate has echoes of the Cultural Revolution after authorities barred him from entering the mainland. Ma Jian, author of Red Dust and Beijing Coma , was prevented from crossing the border from Hong Kong on Saturday. He had previously returned hundreds of times since leaving China in 1986. Officials have given him no reason for the ban or any indication of how long it will last. “The fact that I have been denied entry is an indication of how repressive the regime has become,” said Ma. “It is vitally important for me, both personally and for my writing, to be able to return to China freely, so being barred entry has caused me deep concern and distress. “I suspected that my trip to Beijing this summer might be problematic because of the increasingly harsh political climate in China. And sure enough, for the first time in my life, I have been denied entry.” The 58-year-old said this clampdown felt different to others he had witnessed over the last three decades, and suggested that a lack of international reaction was partially responsible. Citing the imprisonment of Nobel peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo and the two-month detention of Ai Weiwei , he warned: “There are echoes of the Cultural Revolution, when no sounds could be heard other than the deafening voice of the Communist party. This current clampdown began with the Beijing Olympics. The government discovered that they could suppress all forms of dissent, and still receive the approbation of the international community.” Ma is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, having moved there shortly before his first book was denounced by the Chinese authorities in 1987. He left for the UK when Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 and lives in London with his partner and translator Flora Drew and their children. Although his works are banned on the mainland he has been able to return regularly, but said his movements are closely monitored. Ma added: “When I travelled through the Chinese countryside while researching the book I’ve just finished, almost every friend I stayed with along my route was later questioned by the police.” He was also summoned to see state security officers while visiting Beijing in 2008. They said they were watching him closely but that as long as he stayed away from politically sensitive people such as Liu Xiaobo, and did not contact the media while on the mainland, he could return whenever he wished. Ma said he had been in Hong Kong for a book fair last week and wanted to buy books in Shenzhen before flying back to London. He now fears he will be unable to make a long planned trip to Beijing next week with his family. His 88-year-old mother is in frail health and has yet to meet his youngest children. “Many people have suggested that the clampdown is connected with an internal jostling for power ahead of the change in government leadership next year, but I think something more fundamental is going on, something relating to the nature of the Communist party itself and the totalitarian regime’s inability to adapt to modernity and to respond to natural yearnings for free expression,” he said. “My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime’s strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them.” China Communism Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
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Helmand explosions come a day after 12 children were killed in neighbouring Uruzgan province Roadside mines have killed 23 civilians in southern Afghanistan, with a minibus and a tractor struck separately by explosives in Helmand province, according to officials. The minibus was travelling from Nahr-e-Saraj district to the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, when it hit a mine and all 19 people inside were killed, said Kamaluddin Shirzai, deputy police chief for Helmand. When security forces arrived at the scene they were attacked by Taliban insurgents, said Hekmatullah Akmal, a police commander. He said it appeared at least 17 people had been killed but the damage from the blast made it difficult to determine how many people had been on the bus. In Garmsir district, south of Lashkar Gah, a tractor hit a roadside bomb, killing four civilians, officials said. It has been the deadliest six months for civilians in Afghanistan since the war began nearly a decade ago, according to the UN mission in the country. Civilian deaths between January and June were up 15% compared with the first half of 2010 owing to roadside and suicide bombings, increased ground fighting and more deaths from air strikes. The minibus and tractor deaths in Helmand came a day after at least 17 civilians were killed, including 12 children aged between four and 13, when suicide bombers targeted government buildings in neighbouring Uruzgan province. Two policemen were also killed. Helmand has been the site of some of the most vicious fighting of the war. Far more foreign troops have died there than in any other province. There are still several Helmand districts dominated by the Taliban. Afghan security forces took over security control this month for Lashkar Gah, the most contentious of the first seven areas for which foreign troops handed over responsibility. The gradual transition of security control to Afghan forces is due to be completed by the end of 2014. Afghanistan Global terrorism guardian.co.uk
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• Report to require new fit and proper person test • Club licensing and ownership should be a priority An influential parliamentary committee has called for “urgent reform” of the Football Association to enable it to take on the task of overseeing a new club licensing system, including a new and “rigorously applied” fit and proper persons test. The committee’s report says “there is no more blatant an example of lack of transparency than the recent ownership history of Leeds United” and urges the FA to investigate, if necessary with the assistance of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. In May the Leeds United chairman, Ken Bates, was forced to reveal that he was the ultimate owner of Leeds following a Guardian investigation and after the issue became a key theme of the inquiry. As predicted by the Guardian, the committee’s 116-page report into the future of English football recommends a radical overhaul of the FA to enable it to establish itself as an overarching regulator. “No one doubts the success of the Premier League in revitalising English football. But it has been accompanied by serious financial problems throughout the football league pyramid. Significant changes need to be made to the way the game is run to secure the future of England’s unique football heritage, and the economic and community benefits it provides,” said the committee chair, John Whittingdale. “The FA is the organisation for the job, but it has some way to go getting its own house in order before it can tackle the problems in the English game, and address the future. We need a reformed FA to oversee and underpin a rigorous and consistent club licensing system and robust rules on club ownership, which should be transparent to supporters.” The report by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee says the current 12-strong FA board should be reduced to 10 and reconstituted to reduce the power of the “vested interests” that the former chief executive Ian Watmore claimed resulted in an inability to take any strategic decisions. It recommends that the board should be made up of the chairman, David Bernstein, the general secretary, Alex Horne, two professional game representatives, two national game representatives, two non-executives and two further FA staff, one of whom should be the director of football development (currently Sir Trevor Brooking). At present the board is split 50/50 between national game and professional game representatives, often resulting in deadlock. Bernstein has proposed adding a further two non-executives to the board, a measure for which he has won the approval of the conservative FA Council. The 116-strong FA Council should also be reformed “to improve inclusivity and reduce average length of tenure”, says the report. It also recommends that the FA reconsider the current policy of splitting surplus revenues 50/50 between the grassroots game and the professional game in order to take long-term strategic decisions. The call for reform has echoes of the 2005 report by Lord Burns, who lamented the lack of progress and expressed regrets that he had not been bolder when he appeared before the committee. The Premier League has long backed calls for reform of the FA’s governance structure, but is likely to oppose the moves to hand responsibility for club licensing to the organisation. “The licensing model adopted should both review performance and look to promote sustainable forward-looking business plans,” says the report. “We recommend that the FA takes on a strong scrutiny and oversight role in the licensing process and makes the final decision on contentious licence applications.” It also urges the FA to spend more on grassroots football and coach education and says it is “concerned” by the lack of a co-ordinated approach to youth development. In a bid to help the supporters’ trust movement, the report also urges the government to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to clear some of the regulatory hurdles to establishing a trust and calls on the FA to consider a mechanism whereby supporters are given the opportunity to match any other offer for a club in administration. “The reluctance of the FA, Premier League and Football League to devise a formula for the long-term future of Supporters Direct constitutes a failure of imagination and of governance,” it adds. “We urge them to work quickly towards a funding solution, and the government to use its influence with the football authorities to work to this end.” The government is due to respond to the committee’s report by the autumn and is expected to endorse the majority of the recommendations. It is expected to set a 12 month deadline for significant progress to be made. Successive sports ministers have sought to urge the FA to reform, with little success. The report urges football authorities to work together and “to respond positively with an agreed strategy and timetable for change”. Whittingdale said: “Almost all our recommendations could be achieved without legislation, through co-operation and agreement between the football authorities, and we urge them to respond positively with an agreed strategy and timetable for change. Legislation should considered only as a last resort in the absence of substantive progress.” The FA Football politics Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk
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Officials give go-ahead for work on site of Hinkley C in Somerset despite strong opposition Planners in Somerset have given the go-ahead for work to begin on the site of the first nuclear power station to be built in Britain for 20 years. Officials approved the site despite strong protests from opponents who say the preparatory work for Hinkley C will wreck the coastline. The site’s developers, EDF Energy, say the power station will help secure Britain’s power supply and boost the local economy. Anti-nuclear campaigners believe West Somerset district council has been pressured by the government to approve the site, and villagers whose lives will be affected say the project would change the area forever. Crispin Aubrey, of the Stop Hinkley campaign , argued that the work would leave a “devastated wasteland” and said it was “inaccurate” to describe the work EDF has been given permission for as “preparatory”. “The extent of the activity, the clearance of most vegetation, hedges and trees, the excavation of more than 2m cubic metres of soil and rocks, the re-routing of underground streams, the creation of roads and roundabouts, major changes to the landscape … mean it is effectively the beginning of construction of the proposed Hinkley C nuclear power station,” he said. Hey claimed the “over-riding” pressure to proceed had come from the government and asked councillors at a meeting of West Somerset district council’s planning committee: “Are you prepared to over-ride local concerns because the government is leaning on you? “The real purpose of this application is not to significantly advance the timing of the new plant, it is to destroy all that is precious about the site so that when the main application for the power station is made to the infrastructure planning commission [IPC] it will meet with less opposition. “If the site is covered in concrete, then it will be so much easier for the decision to be made in its favour.” Nikki Clark, also of the Stop Hinkley campaign, claimed not enough work had been done to assess the risk of Hinkley C being damaged because of rising sea levels. “Ongoing events at Fukushima are a timely reminder of the consequences of flooding at coastal nuclear sites,” she added. A third group member, Helen Grant, told the meeting: “Nuclear was flavour of the month before Fukishima. Now governments around the world are wobbling on nuclear.” Opponents of the scheme have pointed out that if the government went cold on nuclear energy, or EDF decided to pull out of the project, the area would be left with the “biggest hole in Europe”. However, not all local residents are opposed to the scheme, and many feel it will bring jobs to an area in which they are much needed and which has lived with nuclear power stations for more than 50 years. David Rosser, the south-west and Wales regional director of the Confederation of British Industry, said: “We believe it critical that we are able to guarantee a secure and low carbon energy mix for the UK in the decades to come.” Rupert Cox, the chief executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s an opportunity to kickstart the local economy – thousands of jobs during construction, hundreds for the many years of operation and millions of pounds for the local economy and the skills and training provision in Somerset.” EDF will immediately submit applications for various permits required to build, commission, operate and decommission the Hinkley C nuclear power station. It will submit its development consent order – full planning permission – to the infrastructure planning commission later this year. The company has promised to restore the site if the build does not go ahead. It says 500 jobs will be created during the preparatory stage, and it is ploughing £25m into minimising the impact of the work on the local environment and communities. It says the power station will be safe and will help secure Britain’s energy supply. The EDF chief executive, Vincent de Rivaz, thanked the councillors for giving permission for work to go ahead. “They have taken a major decision enabling a project which is vital to the country,” he said. “We are committed to listen to the community and to deliver this investment in partnership with the people of Somerset.” Nuclear power Energy Local politics Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
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