Yingluck Shinawatra announces deal to buy her valuable breathing space from opponents of her brother Thaksin Yingluck Shinawatra has moved fast to consolidate the Thai opposition’s resounding electoral victory by announcing a coalition deal that supporters say should buy her valuable breathing space from opponents of her brother Thaksin. The Puea Thai party, fronted by Yingluck and backed by the exiled former prime minister, won an absolute majority with 264 seats in the 500-seat parliament, according to preliminary results. But cementing its position will make it harder for opponents to intervene before Yingluck forms a government when the final results are announced in a few weeks. She said the agreement with four minor parties would give a coalition 299 seats. The outgoing Democrat prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said he would step down as party leader. Yingluck, who would be Thailand’s first female prime minister, said her first task was the “roadmap to reconciliation” after years of unrest. She also cited the need to tackle high prices, improve international relations and curb corruption. But both sides warned of fresh conflict in a country beset by turmoil since a coup toppled Thaksin in 2006. Last year more than 90 people died when the military cracked down on Thaksin supporters. The defence minister said the army would accept a government led by the 44-year-old businesswoman. “I’ve said this several times,” General Prawit Wongsuwon told Thai newspapers. “We are not going to intervene.” Puea Thai are understood to have held talks with the army before the election. Political analyst Chris Baker cautioned: “[The military] always say they have nothing to do with politics and then keep interfering. But they are obviously feeling quite sensitive after the last five years. They are going to be reluctant to make a move that puts them in the public eye in politics. They are going to pull the strings of the [anti-Thaksin, conservative and monarchist] yellowshirts and that sort of thing. “I think we are more likely to see a formula of street demonstrations and judicial action [than coups].” Sean Boonpracong, formerly a redshirt spokesman and close to Puea Thai, predicted the coalition “should buy six months’ peace” at best. Democrat MP Surichoke Sopha said a Puea Thai government would not last long. “They will have to compromise with the ruling class and at the same time satisfy the grassroots. [Yingluck] has many problems including the case against her in the courts and other things which could come up and really destroy her credibility.” Supporters say allegations of perjury, which relate to the confiscation of Thaksin’s assets, are a smear. Opponents have filed a complaint calling for the dissolution of Puea Thai because it is a proxy for Thaksin, who is banned from Thai politics. The billionaire has a passionate support base drawn largely from rural workers and new money – but has earned the enmity of the old elites and the urban middle class, alarmed by his rapidly expanding power and warnings of crony capitalism. He has already seen two parties disbanded and lives in Dubai as a fugitive due to a conviction for abuse of power that he says was politically motivated. Yet each apparent setback has boosted his support. “The vote is about having a voice that is heard,” Kevin Hewison, professor of Asian studies at the University of North Carolina, told Associated Press. Dr Andrew Walker, a political analyst at the Australian National University, suggested that Thaksin was now in a stronger position than if the coup had never happened. Experts say much will depend on how Puea Thai plays its hand. It campaigned in part on an amnesty allowing Thaksin to return, but knows introducing one quickly could galvanise opposition. Asked if he would return to politics, Thaksin said: “I may be too old … I really want to retire.” Activist and former senator Jon Ungpakorn, who voted Puea Thai largely due to his opposition to the crackdown on demonstrators, warned that people should “not allow Puea Thai to behave like the old Thaksin government, trying to stifle political opposition and criticism”. Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Aircraft reportedly crashes on recreation ground after midair collision with second plane, which landed safely One person is believed to have died after a light aircraft collided with another plane in midair near an airport. The incident was reported close to Shoreham airport, near Brighton, at about 4.30pm, Sussex police said. One aircraft is understood to have crashed on a nearby recreation ground after the collision, while the second plane landed safely. No one is thought to have been injured on the ground. Motorists were warned to expect delays as the A259 Brighton Road was sealed off during the evening rush hour. A police spokesman said: “Emergency services are attending the scene of a light aircraft crash at Shoreham airport. Initial reports suggest that one person has died. “The alarm was raised at 4.28pm. Initial accounts suggest that the aircraft was in collision with another and then crashed on a recreation ground close to the airport.” He added: “It is believed at this stage that the second aircraft involved landed safely. No one is believed to have been injured on the ground.” Air transport guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Jeremy Hunt announces £55m scheme to help arts organisations build American-style endowment funds The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has announced a £55m scheme to help and encourage arts organisations to build up endowment funds from private money rather than being too reliant on public subsidy. Hunt has put former Conservative miniter Michael Portillo in charge of the scheme, which will see organisations competing for around 50 grants of between £500,000 and £5m to match the money they raise from private sources. Driving up philanthropic giving to the arts and creating more US-style endowment funds is one of Hunt’s centrepiece cultural policies. In a speech at the Whitechapel Gallery in east London he said: “It took the Met in New York over 100 years to build up their £2bn endowment. I want our endowments century to start today.” Hunt accepted that many arts organisations were fragile. “They are led by talented, passionate people who rightly think that great art matters more than great money. Yet without financial security, fragility becomes vulnerability – and great art can sometimes wither on the vine.” The scheme is part of a £100m pot of money to boost philanthropy which includes £50m from Arts Council England, £30m from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £20m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Last week, the Arts Council announced its £40m philanthropy scheme, Catalyst Arts, which aims to make sure organisations have the skills, time and tools to raise private money. The new “endowment fund” scheme will require organisations to raise, on average, £2 from private sources for every £1 they get from public money. That means the £55m scheme aims to unlock £110m from private sources. Hunt said it was all about arts organisations becoming more stable and not being reliant on one source of money. Applications for the money will open in October, with decisions expected early next year. Alan Davey, the Arts Council’s chief executive, welcomed the announcement, calling it “another important step in helping to make arts organisations more sustainable in the long term”. The speech came on the day the Guardian revealed that Nicolas Kent, the artistic director at London’s Tricycle theatre for 27 years, was standing down because of arts cuts . He said philanthropy was not a panacea for the arts and proved very difficult to attract for the type of work the Tricycle specialised in, such as political theatre and black and Asian theatre. Hunt said the Tricycle’s 11% cut in Arts Council funding was a lot less than many organisations in the public sector were going through. But he added: “I don’t want to pretend it’s easy for anyone. Nor do I think that philanthropy is going to plug the gap in every case and that’s why it is really important that we have public funding. It’s really important that we have a mixed economy in the arts.” Arts funding Jeremy Hunt Philanthropy Mark Brown guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Sir George Young announces reaction to controversial legal ruling that time spent on police bail counted towards the 96-hour limit of pre-charge detention Emergency legislation to reverse a controversial legal ruling on police bail will go through all stages in the Commons on Thursday. The leader of the House, Sir George Young, said peers would then consider the police detention and bail bill early next week. The move to rush through new laws comes after ministers told MPs that waiting for the results of an appeal to the supreme court would take too long. The initial ruling, made by a district judge and backed by a judicial review at the high court, means officers can no longer bail suspects for more than four days without either charging or releasing them. Young’s announcement came as three supreme court justices were considering an application from Greater Manchester police (GMP) to stay the judgment pending a full appeal at the same court on 25 July. The row started when district judge Jonathan Finestein, sitting at Salford magistrates court, refused a routine application from GMP for a warrant of further detention of murder suspect Paul Hookway on 5 April. High court judge Mr Justice McCombe confirmed the ruling in a judicial review on 19 May, which meant time spent on police bail counted towards the maximum 96-hour limit of pre-charge detention. For the past 25 years, police and the courts have only counted the time spent being questioned or in police custody towards the limit, with many suspects being released on bail for months before being called back for further interviews. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, claimed it had led to police failing to arrest domestic violence suspects who breached bail conditions, leaving alleged victims vulnerable. The Home Office has been criticised for not acting sooner to reverse the ruling but the home secretary, Theresa May, told police chiefs: “There is a clear need to act fast to make sure we put things right for the police.” Policing minister Nick Herbert announced that emergency legislation would be used an hour after receiving legal advice from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), she said. “There is no question that I will always give the police the tools and powers they need to catch criminals, investigate crimes and protect the public,” May said. Herbert admitted last week that officials were told of the oral judgment in May, but its full impact only became clear when the written judgment was handed down on 17 June and ministers were alerted on 24 June. Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire police, highlighted the problems the ruling caused his officers last week, saying they were left “running round like headless chickens … wondering what this means to the nature of justice”. About 85,200 people are on bail in England and Wales at any one time and the common practice in most major inquiries of releasing suspects on bail and calling them back for questioning weeks later was “pretty much a dead duck” after the ruling, police chiefs said. UK criminal justice George Young Police Crime Theresa May UK supreme court Yvette Cooper guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Tristane Banon’s lawyer says she will file lawsuit centred on alleged behaviour of Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2002 interview A French writer who claims she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn is to file a lawsuit on Tuesday against him for attempted rape. Tristane Banon’s lawyer said the legal proceedings would centre on the behaviour of the former head of the International Monetary Fund when she went to interview him in 2002. Banon, who was 22 at the time, later spoke about the alleged assault on French television and described Strauss-Kahn, then a leading member of France’s Socialist party, as acting like a “rutting chimpanzee”. Strauss-Kahn’s name was censored out of the broadcast. The alleged incident went largely unreported in France until Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York in May and accused of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a hotel chambermaid. The 62-year-old politician, who had been widely tipped to become the next French president, denied the charges. His passport was confiscated and he was put under virtual house arrest by a US judge. After questions were raised about the credibility of evidence given by the chambermaid, Strauss-Kahn was released without bail on Friday, but his passport was not returned. The apparent collapse of the case against him has led some colleagues to suggest he could make a political comeback in France. David Koubbi, Banon’s lawyer, had previously said she would not make any official complaint in France until the US case had been resolved, as she did not want to be forced to give evidence in the US. Koubbi said Banon would not respond to an appeal by the chambermaid’s lawyer to testify. Although the writer and journalist was said to be deeply disturbed after the alleged attack by Strauss-Kahn in a Paris flat, she was reportedly dissuaded from taking legal action by her mother, Anne Mansouret, who is a local councillor for his Socialist party. Mansouret later admitted she regretted talking her daughter out of making a complaint. “Tristane Banon will file a complaint Tuesday for attempted rape in Paris,” Koubbi said. “These acts are extremely serious. These events were combined with a violence that was absolutely striking for these kinds of situations.” Koubbi would not say whether the timing was affected by developments in New York. Under French law, attempted rape charges can be brought up to 10 years after an alleged attack, whereas sexual assault charges expire after three years. In the television programme, broadcast in 2007, Banon accused Strauss-Kahn of leaping on her, wrenching open her bra and trying to unbutton her jeans. The writer, who was a close friend of Strauss-Kahn’s daughter Camille, said she was forced to fight him off. “It finished badly … very violently … I kicked him,” she said. “When we were fighting, I mentioned the word rape to make him afraid, but it didn’t have any effect. I managed to get out.” Explaining why she had not pressed charges, Banon said “I didn’t want to be known to the end of my days as the girl who had a problem with the politician.” Mansouret told journalists she regretted having dissuaded her daughter from legal action, but had done so because she believed Strauss-Kahn’s behaviour had been out of character and because of close links with his family. Strauss-Kahn’s second wife was Banon’s godmother. She said he was “an otherwise warm, sympathetic and extremely talented man”, but the attack had left her daughter depressed and traumatised. “My daughter, despite the passing years, is still shocked by these facts. Her life was completely upset by this affair and she was depressed for a long time.” Before Koubbi’s announcement, France was divided on whether it wanted Strauss-Kahn back in public life. A poll released on Monday found that 51% of French people thought Strauss-Kahn no longer had a political future, versus 42% who thought he did. Another poll published on Sunday in Le Parisien showed 49% wanted Strauss-Kahn to return to French politics. Dominique Strauss-Kahn France Europe Kim Willsher guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Deleted voicemails gave family false hope • Hacking interfered with police hunt • Family lawyer: actions ‘heinous and despicable’ The News of the World illegally targeted the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler and her family in March 2002, interfering with police inquiries into her disappearance, an investigation by the Guardian has established. Scotland Yard are investigating the episode, which is likely to put new pressure on the then editor of the paper, Rebekah Brooks, now Rupert Murdoch’s chief executive in the UK; and the then deputy editor, Andy Coulson, who resigned in January as the prime minister’s media adviser. Milly’s family lawyer this afternoon issued a statement in which he described the News of the World’s activities as “heinous” and “despicable”. Milly Dowler, then aged 13, disappeared on her way home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on 21 March 2002. Detectives from Scotland Yard’s new inquiry into the phone hacking, Operation Weeting, are believed to have found evidence of the targeting of the Dowlers in a collection of 11,000 pages of notes kept by Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator jailed for phone hacking on behalf of the News of the World. During the last four weeks the Met officers have approached Surrey police and taken formal statements from some of those involved in the original inquiry, who were concerned about how News of the World journalists intercepted – and deleted – the voicemail messages of Milly Dowler. The messages were deleted by journalists in the first few days after Milly’s disappearance so as to free up space for more messages. As a result friends and relatives of Milly concluded wrongly that she might still be alive. Police feared evidence may have been destroyed. The Guardian investigation has shown that, within a very short time of Milly vanishing News of the World journalists reacted by engaging in what was then standard practice in their newsroom – they hired private investigators to get them a story. Their first step was simple, albeit illegal. Paperwork seen by the Guardian reveals that they paid a Hampshire private investigator, Steve Whittamore, to obtain home addresses and, where necessary, ex-directory phone numbers for any families called Dowler in the Walton area. The three addresses which Whittamore found could be obtained lawfully, using the electoral register. The two ex-directory numbers, however, were “blagged” illegally from British Telecom’s confidential records by one of Whittamore’s associates, John Gunning, who works from a base in Wiltshire. One of the ex-directory numbers was attributed by Whittamore to Milly’s family home. Then, with the help of their own full-time private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, the News of the World started illegally intercepting mobile phone messages. Scotland Yard are now investigating evidence that they hacked direct into the voicemail of the missing girl’s own phone. As her friends and parents called and left messages imploring Milly to get in touch with them, the News of the World were listening and recording their every private word. But the journalists at the News of the World then encountered a problem. Milly’s voicemail box filled up and would accept no more messages. Apparently thirsty for more information from more voicemails, the News of the World intervened – and deleted the messages which had been left in the first few days after her disappearance. According to one source, this had a devastating effect: when her friends and family called again and discovered that her voicemail had been cleared, they concluded that this must have been done by Milly herself and, therefore, that she must still be alive. But she was not. The interference created false hope and extra agony for those who were misled by it. The Dowler family then granted an exclusive interview to the News of the World in which they talked about their hope, quite unaware that it had been falsely kindled by the newspaper’s own intervention. Sally Dowler told them: “If Milly walked through the door, I don’t think we’d be able to speak. We’d just weep tears of joy and give her a great big hug.” The deletion of the messages also caused difficulties for the police. It confused the picture at a time when they had few real leads to pursue. It also potentially destroyed valuable evidence. According to one senior source familiar with the Surrey police investigation: “It can happen with abduction murders that the perpetrator will leave messages, asking the missing person to get in touch, as part of their efforts at concealment. We need those messages as evidence. Anybody who destroys that evidence is seriously interfering with the course of a police investigation.” The newspaper made little effort to conceal the hacking from its readers. On 14 April 2002, they published a story about a woman who was allegedly pretending to be Milly Dowler and who had applied for a job with a recruitment agency: “It is thought the hoaxer even gave the agency Milly’s real mobile phone number … The agency used the number to contact Milly when a job vacancy arose and left a message on her voicemail … It was on March 27, six days after Milly went missing, that the employment agency appears to have phoned her mobile.” The newspaper also made no effort to conceal their activity from Surrey police. After they had hacked the message from the recruitment agency on Milly’s phone, they informed police about it. It was Surrey detectives who established that the call was not intended for Milly Dowler. At the time Surrey police suspected that phones belonging to detectives and to Milly’s parents also were being targeted. One of those who was involved in the original inquiry said: “We’d arrange landline calls. We didn’t trust our mobiles.” However, they took no action against the News of the World, partly because their main focus was to find the missing schoolgirl and partly because this was only one example of tabloid misbehaviour. As one source close to the inquiry put it: “There was a hell of a lot of dirty stuff going on.” In a statement today, the family’s lawyer, Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton, said the Dowlers were distressed at the revelation: “It is distress heaped upon tragedy to learn that the News of the World had no humanity at such a terrible time. The fact that they were prepared to act in such a heinous way that could have jeopardised the police investigation and give them false hope is despicable.” During the last four weeks, officers from Scotland Yard’s new inquiry into the phone-hacking, Operation Weeting, have approached Surrey police and taken formal statements from some of those who were involved in the original inquiry. Two earlier Yard inquiries had failed to investigate the relevant notes in Mulcaire’s logs. The News of the World’s investigation was part of a long-running campaign against paedophiles championed by the then editor, Rebekah Brooks. Labour MP Tom Watson last week told the House of Commons that four months after Milly Dowler’s disappearance, the News of the World had targeted one of the parents of the two 10-year-old Soham girls, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, who were abducted and murdered on 4 August 2002. The behaviour of tabloid newspapers became an issue in the trial of Levi Bellfield, who last month was jailed for the rest of his life for murdering Milly Dowler. A second charge, that he had attempted to abduct another Surrey schoolgirl, Rachel Cowles, had to be left on the file after premature publicity by tabloids were held to have made it impossible for the jury to reach a fair verdict. The tabloids, however, focused their anger on Bellfield’s defence lawyer, complaining that the questioning had caused unnecessary pain to Milly Dowler’s parents. Surrey police referred all questions on the subject to Scotland Yard, who said they could not discuss it. Milly Dowler Phone hacking News of the World Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Crime Rebekah Brooks Privacy & the media Privacy Andy Coulson News Corporation News International Nick Davies Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Deleted voicemails gave family false hope • Hacking interfered with police hunt • Family lawyer: actions ‘heinous and despicable’ The News of the World illegally targeted the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler and her family in March 2002, interfering with police inquiries into her disappearance, an investigation by the Guardian has established. Scotland Yard are investigating the episode, which is likely to put new pressure on the then editor of the paper, Rebekah Brooks, now Rupert Murdoch’s chief executive in the UK; and the then deputy editor, Andy Coulson, who resigned in January as the prime minister’s media adviser. Milly’s family lawyer this afternoon issued a statement in which he described the News of the World’s activities as “heinous” and “despicable”. Milly Dowler, then aged 13, disappeared on her way home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on 21 March 2002. Detectives from Scotland Yard’s new inquiry into the phone hacking, Operation Weeting, are believed to have found evidence of the targeting of the Dowlers in a collection of 11,000 pages of notes kept by Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator jailed for phone hacking on behalf of the News of the World. During the last four weeks the Met officers have approached Surrey police and taken formal statements from some of those involved in the original inquiry, who were concerned about how News of the World journalists intercepted – and deleted – the voicemail messages of Milly Dowler. The messages were deleted by journalists in the first few days after Milly’s disappearance so as to free up space for more messages. As a result friends and relatives of Milly concluded wrongly that she might still be alive. Police feared evidence may have been destroyed. The Guardian investigation has shown that, within a very short time of Milly vanishing News of the World journalists reacted by engaging in what was then standard practice in their newsroom – they hired private investigators to get them a story. Their first step was simple, albeit illegal. Paperwork seen by the Guardian reveals that they paid a Hampshire private investigator, Steve Whittamore, to obtain home addresses and, where necessary, ex-directory phone numbers for any families called Dowler in the Walton area. The three addresses which Whittamore found could be obtained lawfully, using the electoral register. The two ex-directory numbers, however, were “blagged” illegally from British Telecom’s confidential records by one of Whittamore’s associates, John Gunning, who works from a base in Wiltshire. One of the ex-directory numbers was attributed by Whittamore to Milly’s family home. Then, with the help of their own full-time private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, the News of the World started illegally intercepting mobile phone messages. Scotland Yard are now investigating evidence that they hacked direct into the voicemail of the missing girl’s own phone. As her friends and parents called and left messages imploring Milly to get in touch with them, the News of the World were listening and recording their every private word. But the journalists at the News of the World then encountered a problem. Milly’s voicemail box filled up and would accept no more messages. Apparently thirsty for more information from more voicemails, the News of the World intervened – and deleted the messages which had been left in the first few days after her disappearance. According to one source, this had a devastating effect: when her friends and family called again and discovered that her voicemail had been cleared, they concluded that this must have been done by Milly herself and, therefore, that she must still be alive. But she was not. The interference created false hope and extra agony for those who were misled by it. The Dowler family then granted an exclusive interview to the News of the World in which they talked about their hope, quite unaware that it had been falsely kindled by the newspaper’s own intervention. Sally Dowler told them: “If Milly walked through the door, I don’t think we’d be able to speak. We’d just weep tears of joy and give her a great big hug.” The deletion of the messages also caused difficulties for the police. It confused the picture at a time when they had few real leads to pursue. It also potentially destroyed valuable evidence. According to one senior source familiar with the Surrey police investigation: “It can happen with abduction murders that the perpetrator will leave messages, asking the missing person to get in touch, as part of their efforts at concealment. We need those messages as evidence. Anybody who destroys that evidence is seriously interfering with the course of a police investigation.” The newspaper made little effort to conceal the hacking from its readers. On 14 April 2002, they published a story about a woman who was allegedly pretending to be Milly Dowler and who had applied for a job with a recruitment agency: “It is thought the hoaxer even gave the agency Milly’s real mobile phone number … The agency used the number to contact Milly when a job vacancy arose and left a message on her voicemail … It was on March 27, six days after Milly went missing, that the employment agency appears to have phoned her mobile.” The newspaper also made no effort to conceal their activity from Surrey police. After they had hacked the message from the recruitment agency on Milly’s phone, they informed police about it. It was Surrey detectives who established that the call was not intended for Milly Dowler. At the time Surrey police suspected that phones belonging to detectives and to Milly’s parents also were being targeted. One of those who was involved in the original inquiry said: “We’d arrange landline calls. We didn’t trust our mobiles.” However, they took no action against the News of the World, partly because their main focus was to find the missing schoolgirl and partly because this was only one example of tabloid misbehaviour. As one source close to the inquiry put it: “There was a hell of a lot of dirty stuff going on.” In a statement today, the family’s lawyer, Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton, said the Dowlers were distressed at the revelation: “It is distress heaped upon tragedy to learn that the News of the World had no humanity at such a terrible time. The fact that they were prepared to act in such a heinous way that could have jeopardised the police investigation and give them false hope is despicable.” During the last four weeks, officers from Scotland Yard’s new inquiry into the phone-hacking, Operation Weeting, have approached Surrey police and taken formal statements from some of those who were involved in the original inquiry. Two earlier Yard inquiries had failed to investigate the relevant notes in Mulcaire’s logs. The News of the World’s investigation was part of a long-running campaign against paedophiles championed by the then editor, Rebekah Brooks. Labour MP Tom Watson last week told the House of Commons that four months after Milly Dowler’s disappearance, the News of the World had targeted one of the parents of the two 10-year-old Soham girls, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, who were abducted and murdered on 4 August 2002. The behaviour of tabloid newspapers became an issue in the trial of Levi Bellfield, who last month was jailed for the rest of his life for murdering Milly Dowler. A second charge, that he had attempted to abduct another Surrey schoolgirl, Rachel Cowles, had to be left on the file after premature publicity by tabloids were held to have made it impossible for the jury to reach a fair verdict. The tabloids, however, focused their anger on Bellfield’s defence lawyer, complaining that the questioning had caused unnecessary pain to Milly Dowler’s parents. Surrey police referred all questions on the subject to Scotland Yard, who said they could not discuss it. Milly Dowler Phone hacking News of the World Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Crime Rebekah Brooks Privacy & the media Privacy Andy Coulson News Corporation News International Nick Davies Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Oil and mineral deals mean money and jobs, but Inuit leaders are concerned about the lack of a national debate on industrialisation and what it means for the traditional way of life “I certainly have seen the benefits that can come from [oil] royalties. Schools are better. There are swimming pools, gymnasium, cars – and jobs – all the result of billions of dollars.” Patricia Cochran, a former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council from Alaska, expresses the view of many indigenous people on industrial development in the Arctic. Vast oil and mineral wealth have brought huge benefits to some communities. But her own conflicted feelings about development neatly sum up the dilemma that indigenous leaders in the region face. In Barrow – Alaska’s oil capital – there are also high rates of suicide and depression, while offshore drilling is a threat to subsistence whaling and the hunting of seals and walrus, she points out. So despite the benefits, Cochran is personally quite negative about industrial development and questions the wider benefit to society. “I personally have a problem with it. I was raised in a traditional way and regard it as my job to be a steward of the land. I see this [industrialised] world of hedonism and consumption as a sign we have lost our moral compass.” And there are fears that the vast sums on offer can sometimes be too tempting. Aqqaluk Lynge, former president of the council, says the wave of money that big multinationals bring to their lobbying “overwhelms” local community organisations. “We have questions about how the democratic process is gone about and how decisions are reached,” he said. “How can we survive as a people under the pressure that comes from oil companies whose daily income can be higher than our annual budget? “Arctic people themselves must have the time to look into [proposed industrial projects] to ensure we are not risking losing our country, self-rule or livelihoods.” Lynge, a continuing activist based in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is most concerned about the decision by the government there to allow British-based oil explorer, Cairn Energy , to drill last summer and again this year . But he is also worried about moves by Canadian metals group, Alcoa , to try to press ahead with plans to build a massive aluminium smelter on the island. The Inuit leader accepts Greenland ministers have the democratic right to negotiate and to reach agreements with companies. But he says the consultation process is still fatally undermined by the imbalance between the financial resources of Cairn and the like, compared to that available to local indigenous communities. Greenland, whose population is 80% Inuit, has recently won a measure of self-rule from its traditional colonial masters, Denmark. The new government in Nuuk is desperately keen to win complete independence and understands this is impossible while the country is dependent on financial handouts from Copenhagen. But Inuuteq Holm Olsen , Greenland deputy foreign minister, says that environmental concerns should be balanced against economics. “We welcome focus and attention on environmental issues … What we don’t welcome is the notion that there should not be any industrial development in the name of environmental protection.” Lynge says he realises that Cairn and Alcoa may offer a get-rich-quick route for Greenland and therefore a fast-track to political self-determination. But he says that rushing into oil and mineral exploitation deals risks drowning out a proper debate within the country about the pros and cons of industrialisation which could further undermine the traditional Inuit way of life based around fishing and hunting. “We don’t have the proper democratic infrastructure in place for a public hearing mechanism. So Cairn can knock on one [government] door and win agreement for their plans. This is a problem. “We are not against development in general as such but what we really want to see is sustainable development that will enable us to live in the future in the way we have for hundreds of years around fishing. We know oil and gas is not ultimately sustainable because it will run out.” Other concerns are more particular – such as where the kind of skilled workforce will come from to deal with any oil or other largescale industrial schemes. Greenland’s workforce is just 32,000 people. If large numbers of workers are brought in from outside, indigenous people risk becoming a minority. There is also a fear that big business can use its financial muscle to buy off opposition while not having its own track records fully investigated. “Propaganda can be done in simple ways. Promises to give lots of work or money to local communities: people tend to say ‘yes’ to these things without necessarily thinking them through the consequences,” said Lynge. Inuit in Canada have 40 years’ experience with oil so have found their own way of accommodating change. But even there, local leaders of indigenous people have mixed views about who is really benefiting. And overall the “community” representing indigenous people is split down the middle over the issue. Certainly the big oil companies that have been active in the seas off Alaska since the late 1980s are keen to be seen consulting local people. Robert Blaauw, the Anglo-Dutch company’s spokesman on the Arctic said: “Many coastal native communities depend on fishing and hunting of sea mammals not only for survival but also to keep alive a cultural centrepiece that has thrived for centuries. With that experience comes a deep knowledge of the Arctic environment … We continue to be humbled by what we don’t know and we are constantly looking for ways to incorporate traditional knowledge into our operations. Not just for the advancement of our project, but out of respect for those who will live off the ocean long after we are gone.” Ove Gudmestad , a professor of marine and Arctic technology at the University of Stavanger in Norway, carries out academic research which is useful to oil companies, and has travelled widely in the far north region. He believes there are practical problems and a fundamental lack of trust between indigenous people and the oil industry. “Of course it is important to take local knowledge into account, but it is hard to speak local languages. Whether it is in the US or Norway, fishermen do not trust the politicians or the NPD [ Norwegian Petroleum Directorate ] – never mind the oil companies.” Gudmestad said local people were rightly wary that they could get sucked into a legal dispute that could last for decades and for which the oil companies are far better prepared and resourced. “Just remember that in the US for every petroleum engineer being trained there are 200 lawyers,” he jokes. Lynge would like to see a more holistic look at the future for the Arctic in the light of climate change which already threatens some coastal communities with flooding and dislocation. “I don’t like the way that the debate seems to be framed around the industrial opportunities created by global warming. I would rather see a much better study about how climate change will affect fish stocks and renewable energy sources to see what we can survive on in future.” Polar regions Mining Land rights Energy Fossil fuels Oil Oil Commodities Mining Arctic Greenland Alaska United States Indigenous peoples Terry Macalister guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Strauss-Kahn faces new test as French writer moves to file sex assault lawsuit
July 4, 2011 No Comment
Lawyer for Tristane Banon says writer will formally accuse ex-IMF chief of attempted rape at 2002 interview The lawyer for a French journalist and writer claims she will file a lawsuit accusing former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape. Lawyer David Koubbi told the Associated Press that Tristane Banon will file the suit on Tuesday in Paris. Banon has described an encounter several years ago in which Strauss-Kahn allegedly assaulted her. Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York in May on charges that he tried to rape a hotel maid. Strauss-Kahn, who vigorously denied wrongdoing, was released without bail last week after questions emerged about the maid’s credibility. Koubbi had said in the past that they would not file a lawsuit until the US trial was finished. He said on Monday that they had decided to move forward now instead of waiting. Dominique Strauss-Kahn France Europe United States IMF guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Group loosely connected to hacker collective says it took control of Twitter feed to claim President Obama assassinated A group loosely connected to the hacker collective Anonymous says it took control of the Fox News Politics Twitter account to claim that President Obama had been assassinated while campaigning in Iowa. The Fox News Politics account – @foxnewspolitics – was used to put out a number of fake tweets saying that President Obama had been shot in the head and died, and that vice-president Joe Biden had been installed in his place. The tweets went out at around 2am Pacific time (5am EST, 10am BST). Obama is in fact thought to be in Washington at the White House, where his schedule shows he is due to give a speech in the Rose Garden at 6.30pm. A representative of the group ‘Scriptkiddies’ said in an interview with Stony Brook University’s Think Magazine : “We are looking to find information about corporations to assist with antisec [a concerted hacker attack on corporate and government security]. Fox News was selected because we figured their security would be just as much of a joke as their reporting.” He warned too that Fox News might see more attacks: “I’ve looked into their security, and site defacement does not seem to be an option. Everything else is fair game.” The Script Kiddies representative added: “I would consider us to be close in relation [to Anonymous], two of the members of our group were members of Anonymous … I was a member of Anonymous. We hope to be working with them soon.” ‘Script kiddie’ is a generally insulting phrase used by hackers about inexperienced would-be hackers who used ready-made programs to attack sites. The group’s name here plays on that. The attack is the latest in a rapidly growing list of attacks this year on the online presence of corporations and governments since Sony’s PlayStation Network was hacked in April, exposing the details of more than 75 million users. Since then many other game and company sites have been hit, with varying degrees of disruption. The Script Kiddie representative told Think Magazine: “It will be a never-ending battle. The names change from time to time, like LulzSec and Anonymous or Script Kiddies. But there will always be a group of people that need to stand up for everyone else and attempt to keep the government in balance with its people. Without groups like Anonymous, what is there to prevent corruption?” The group tried to create a number of Twitter accounts, but they had all been suspended wtihin hours of being created. Meanwhile, “AnonymousIRC” – thought to be composed of some of the leaders of LulzSec – has continued to attack web systems belonging to the Arizona police. They also leaked the user names and encrypted passwords to a survey system belonging to Apple, saying: “Apple could be [a] target, too. But don’t worry, we are busy elsewhere.” Hacking Twitter Internet Blogging Fox News TV news Television industry US television industry Fox United States The news on TV Barack Obama Charles Arthur guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …