Click here to view this media There are moments where I despair for the fate of this country, because it seems to me that we operate from completely different sets of realities based on the same set of facts. Unfortunately, Jim Cramer exemplifies this kind of “make-your-own-reality” within the media. You’d think he’d have learned after his humiliation on The Daily Show . But no, Jim Cramer unabashedly keeps blurring the lines between business reporting and market advocacy . Cramer came on Hardball on Friday to insist that Wall Street just hates Obama’s guts and they’re just waiting for that cuddly Republican to get into office before they unleash all those jobs we all know they have. It’s all that taxation and regulations that mean ol’ Barack Obama insists on inflicting on Wall Street. CRAMER: Okay, first, I’m going to agree with you, that the market has been fabulous, which is one of the reasons I’m always so astonished when people tell me that the problem is Obama. I mean, it’s clear Washington can be dysfunctional, but Democrats and Republicans not getting together. But when you get offline with CEOs, it’s not just Wall Street, but Industrial America, what they tend to say is, listen, we want to add, we want to hire, we want to grow in the United States, but everything is so up in the air and when it gets to the point where we’re thinking about what Washington’s going to do, we know we’re going to be the loser if President Obama is making the decision, because President Obama does not favor wealth creation and corporate profits. Not, the profits are huge. People have made a lot of money, but that is the rap that I hear. MATTHEWS: What is it particularly when a banker or a rich guy, anybody who’s got to make thse big decisions—well, let’s look at some of these numbers first, because I think they’re really informative. When President Obama took office January 20th, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 7949. Today, it closed at 11, 509, up from yesterday. That’s a 31% increase since Obama’s been president. Well, that alone sould be, wow, this guy’s good. And then there’s corporate profits. The New York Times cites a study by Northeastern University, and economist reports, “since the recovery began in June of 2009, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of that growth.” This is the stuff that causes revolutions, from the bottom, not from the top. [..] CRAMER: Look, I’m telling you that when you get off the desk with them, they really just feel like, look, if we got a Republican in there, we could really do a great thing in this country by hiring a lot of people. My rage meter at Cramer’s gleeful dishonesty is just redlining. CEOs are telling him privately that they’re just waiting for a Republican in the White House to hire people while Americans suffer through massive unemployment? Well then NAME NAMES, Cramer, you dishonest jerk, and tell us just which CEOs are telling you this and who are acting so treasonously. Because Chris Matthews–to his credit, since you apparently don’t believe in offering up these facts to these business owners–pointed out all the reasons that Obama could hardly be considered anti-business. These asses were bailed out by American taxpayers, posted record profits, pocketed nice little bonuses…but they need a Republican in the White House to pass that largesse back to the Americans? Well to put it bluntly, eff that. And eff Cramer and his ridiculous advocacy for Republican lies. But I have to give kudos to Chris Matthews for having facts on hand to show the lies and propaganda of Cramer’s statements. Look how very differently Cramer was received earlier that day on Morning Joe. Click here to view this media
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Click here to view this media There are moments where I despair for the fate of this country, because it seems to me that we operate from completely different sets of realities based on the same set of facts. Unfortunately, Jim Cramer exemplifies this kind of “make-your-own-reality” within the media. You’d think he’d have learned after his humiliation on The Daily Show . But no, Jim Cramer unabashedly keeps blurring the lines between business reporting and market advocacy . Cramer came on Hardball on Friday to insist that Wall Street just hates Obama’s guts and they’re just waiting for that cuddly Republican to get into office before they unleash all those jobs we all know they have. It’s all that taxation and regulations that mean ol’ Barack Obama insists on inflicting on Wall Street. CRAMER: Okay, first, I’m going to agree with you, that the market has been fabulous, which is one of the reasons I’m always so astonished when people tell me that the problem is Obama. I mean, it’s clear Washington can be dysfunctional, but Democrats and Republicans not getting together. But when you get offline with CEOs, it’s not just Wall Street, but Industrial America, what they tend to say is, listen, we want to add, we want to hire, we want to grow in the United States, but everything is so up in the air and when it gets to the point where we’re thinking about what Washington’s going to do, we know we’re going to be the loser if President Obama is making the decision, because President Obama does not favor wealth creation and corporate profits. Not, the profits are huge. People have made a lot of money, but that is the rap that I hear. MATTHEWS: What is it particularly when a banker or a rich guy, anybody who’s got to make thse big decisions—well, let’s look at some of these numbers first, because I think they’re really informative. When President Obama took office January 20th, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 7949. Today, it closed at 11, 509, up from yesterday. That’s a 31% increase since Obama’s been president. Well, that alone sould be, wow, this guy’s good. And then there’s corporate profits. The New York Times cites a study by Northeastern University, and economist reports, “since the recovery began in June of 2009, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of that growth.” This is the stuff that causes revolutions, from the bottom, not from the top. [..] CRAMER: Look, I’m telling you that when you get off the desk with them, they really just feel like, look, if we got a Republican in there, we could really do a great thing in this country by hiring a lot of people. My rage meter at Cramer’s gleeful dishonesty is just redlining. CEOs are telling him privately that they’re just waiting for a Republican in the White House to hire people while Americans suffer through massive unemployment? Well then NAME NAMES, Cramer, you dishonest jerk, and tell us just which CEOs are telling you this and who are acting so treasonously. Because Chris Matthews–to his credit, since you apparently don’t believe in offering up these facts to these business owners–pointed out all the reasons that Obama could hardly be considered anti-business. These asses were bailed out by American taxpayers, posted record profits, pocketed nice little bonuses…but they need a Republican in the White House to pass that largesse back to the Americans? Well to put it bluntly, eff that. And eff Cramer and his ridiculous advocacy for Republican lies. But I have to give kudos to Chris Matthews for having facts on hand to show the lies and propaganda of Cramer’s statements. Look how very differently Cramer was received earlier that day on Morning Joe. Click here to view this media
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Click here to view this media There are moments where I despair for the fate of this country, because it seems to me that we operate from completely different sets of realities based on the same set of facts. Unfortunately, Jim Cramer exemplifies this kind of “make-your-own-reality” within the media. You’d think he’d have learned after his humiliation on The Daily Show . But no, Jim Cramer unabashedly keeps blurring the lines between business reporting and market advocacy . Cramer came on Hardball on Friday to insist that Wall Street just hates Obama’s guts and they’re just waiting for that cuddly Republican to get into office before they unleash all those jobs we all know they have. It’s all that taxation and regulations that mean ol’ Barack Obama insists on inflicting on Wall Street. CRAMER: Okay, first, I’m going to agree with you, that the market has been fabulous, which is one of the reasons I’m always so astonished when people tell me that the problem is Obama. I mean, it’s clear Washington can be dysfunctional, but Democrats and Republicans not getting together. But when you get offline with CEOs, it’s not just Wall Street, but Industrial America, what they tend to say is, listen, we want to add, we want to hire, we want to grow in the United States, but everything is so up in the air and when it gets to the point where we’re thinking about what Washington’s going to do, we know we’re going to be the loser if President Obama is making the decision, because President Obama does not favor wealth creation and corporate profits. Not, the profits are huge. People have made a lot of money, but that is the rap that I hear. MATTHEWS: What is it particularly when a banker or a rich guy, anybody who’s got to make thse big decisions—well, let’s look at some of these numbers first, because I think they’re really informative. When President Obama took office January 20th, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 7949. Today, it closed at 11, 509, up from yesterday. That’s a 31% increase since Obama’s been president. Well, that alone sould be, wow, this guy’s good. And then there’s corporate profits. The New York Times cites a study by Northeastern University, and economist reports, “since the recovery began in June of 2009, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of that growth.” This is the stuff that causes revolutions, from the bottom, not from the top. [..] CRAMER: Look, I’m telling you that when you get off the desk with them, they really just feel like, look, if we got a Republican in there, we could really do a great thing in this country by hiring a lot of people. My rage meter at Cramer’s gleeful dishonesty is just redlining. CEOs are telling him privately that they’re just waiting for a Republican in the White House to hire people while Americans suffer through massive unemployment? Well then NAME NAMES, Cramer, you dishonest jerk, and tell us just which CEOs are telling you this and who are acting so treasonously. Because Chris Matthews–to his credit, since you apparently don’t believe in offering up these facts to these business owners–pointed out all the reasons that Obama could hardly be considered anti-business. These asses were bailed out by American taxpayers, posted record profits, pocketed nice little bonuses…but they need a Republican in the White House to pass that largesse back to the Americans? Well to put it bluntly, eff that. And eff Cramer and his ridiculous advocacy for Republican lies. But I have to give kudos to Chris Matthews for having facts on hand to show the lies and propaganda of Cramer’s statements. Look how very differently Cramer was received earlier that day on Morning Joe. Click here to view this media
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Click here to view this media There are moments where I despair for the fate of this country, because it seems to me that we operate from completely different sets of realities based on the same set of facts. Unfortunately, Jim Cramer exemplifies this kind of “make-your-own-reality” within the media. You’d think he’d have learned after his humiliation on The Daily Show . But no, Jim Cramer unabashedly keeps blurring the lines between business reporting and market advocacy . Cramer came on Hardball on Friday to insist that Wall Street just hates Obama’s guts and they’re just waiting for that cuddly Republican to get into office before they unleash all those jobs we all know they have. It’s all that taxation and regulations that mean ol’ Barack Obama insists on inflicting on Wall Street. CRAMER: Okay, first, I’m going to agree with you, that the market has been fabulous, which is one of the reasons I’m always so astonished when people tell me that the problem is Obama. I mean, it’s clear Washington can be dysfunctional, but Democrats and Republicans not getting together. But when you get offline with CEOs, it’s not just Wall Street, but Industrial America, what they tend to say is, listen, we want to add, we want to hire, we want to grow in the United States, but everything is so up in the air and when it gets to the point where we’re thinking about what Washington’s going to do, we know we’re going to be the loser if President Obama is making the decision, because President Obama does not favor wealth creation and corporate profits. Not, the profits are huge. People have made a lot of money, but that is the rap that I hear. MATTHEWS: What is it particularly when a banker or a rich guy, anybody who’s got to make thse big decisions—well, let’s look at some of these numbers first, because I think they’re really informative. When President Obama took office January 20th, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 7949. Today, it closed at 11, 509, up from yesterday. That’s a 31% increase since Obama’s been president. Well, that alone sould be, wow, this guy’s good. And then there’s corporate profits. The New York Times cites a study by Northeastern University, and economist reports, “since the recovery began in June of 2009, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of that growth.” This is the stuff that causes revolutions, from the bottom, not from the top. [..] CRAMER: Look, I’m telling you that when you get off the desk with them, they really just feel like, look, if we got a Republican in there, we could really do a great thing in this country by hiring a lot of people. My rage meter at Cramer’s gleeful dishonesty is just redlining. CEOs are telling him privately that they’re just waiting for a Republican in the White House to hire people while Americans suffer through massive unemployment? Well then NAME NAMES, Cramer, you dishonest jerk, and tell us just which CEOs are telling you this and who are acting so treasonously. Because Chris Matthews–to his credit, since you apparently don’t believe in offering up these facts to these business owners–pointed out all the reasons that Obama could hardly be considered anti-business. These asses were bailed out by American taxpayers, posted record profits, pocketed nice little bonuses…but they need a Republican in the White House to pass that largesse back to the Americans? Well to put it bluntly, eff that. And eff Cramer and his ridiculous advocacy for Republican lies. But I have to give kudos to Chris Matthews for having facts on hand to show the lies and propaganda of Cramer’s statements. Look how very differently Cramer was received earlier that day on Morning Joe. Click here to view this media
Continue reading …Click here to view this media There are moments where I despair for the fate of this country, because it seems to me that we operate from completely different sets of realities based on the same set of facts. Unfortunately, Jim Cramer exemplifies this kind of “make-your-own-reality” within the media. You’d think he’d have learned after his humiliation on The Daily Show . But no, Jim Cramer unabashedly keeps blurring the lines between business reporting and market advocacy . Cramer came on Hardball on Friday to insist that Wall Street just hates Obama’s guts and they’re just waiting for that cuddly Republican to get into office before they unleash all those jobs we all know they have. It’s all that taxation and regulations that mean ol’ Barack Obama insists on inflicting on Wall Street. CRAMER: Okay, first, I’m going to agree with you, that the market has been fabulous, which is one of the reasons I’m always so astonished when people tell me that the problem is Obama. I mean, it’s clear Washington can be dysfunctional, but Democrats and Republicans not getting together. But when you get offline with CEOs, it’s not just Wall Street, but Industrial America, what they tend to say is, listen, we want to add, we want to hire, we want to grow in the United States, but everything is so up in the air and when it gets to the point where we’re thinking about what Washington’s going to do, we know we’re going to be the loser if President Obama is making the decision, because President Obama does not favor wealth creation and corporate profits. Not, the profits are huge. People have made a lot of money, but that is the rap that I hear. MATTHEWS: What is it particularly when a banker or a rich guy, anybody who’s got to make thse big decisions—well, let’s look at some of these numbers first, because I think they’re really informative. When President Obama took office January 20th, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 7949. Today, it closed at 11, 509, up from yesterday. That’s a 31% increase since Obama’s been president. Well, that alone sould be, wow, this guy’s good. And then there’s corporate profits. The New York Times cites a study by Northeastern University, and economist reports, “since the recovery began in June of 2009, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of that growth.” This is the stuff that causes revolutions, from the bottom, not from the top. [..] CRAMER: Look, I’m telling you that when you get off the desk with them, they really just feel like, look, if we got a Republican in there, we could really do a great thing in this country by hiring a lot of people. My rage meter at Cramer’s gleeful dishonesty is just redlining. CEOs are telling him privately that they’re just waiting for a Republican in the White House to hire people while Americans suffer through massive unemployment? Well then NAME NAMES, Cramer, you dishonest jerk, and tell us just which CEOs are telling you this and who are acting so treasonously. Because Chris Matthews–to his credit, since you apparently don’t believe in offering up these facts to these business owners–pointed out all the reasons that Obama could hardly be considered anti-business. These asses were bailed out by American taxpayers, posted record profits, pocketed nice little bonuses…but they need a Republican in the White House to pass that largesse back to the Americans? Well to put it bluntly, eff that. And eff Cramer and his ridiculous advocacy for Republican lies. But I have to give kudos to Chris Matthews for having facts on hand to show the lies and propaganda of Cramer’s statements. Look how very differently Cramer was received earlier that day on Morning Joe. Click here to view this media
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• Lenders threaten to pull plug on further bailouts • Finance minister promises reforms and cost-cutting Europe’s failure to resolve its spiralling debt crisis saw stock markets and the euro fall sharply on Monday amid fears that Greece, the country at the centre of the drama, was veering towards default. Investors watched closely as a crucial teleconference between the Greek finance minister and Athens’ international creditors got under way tonight in a desperate bid by the cash-strapped nation to secure more funds to keep afloat. European stock markets were down heavily with the FTSE 100 in London closing down more than 100 points at 5259. The Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 200 points in afternoon trading amid warnings from the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, that the euro crisis was affecting American business confidence. The oil price fell $2.20 to $85.76 in New York, while the euro dropped at one point as low as $1.3586, approaching last week’s seven-month low of $1.3495. At stake for Greece is an €8bn (£7bn) rescue loan – the sixth instalment of a €110bn package that Greece received in May 2010 – and a second bailout worth €109bn that the European Union, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) also approved to prop up an economy viewed as insolvent. Before the start of the two-hour talks, the finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, had emphasised that he would stress Greece’s commitment to meeting its debt obligations. He attempted to douse anger over Athens’ failure to implement long-overdue reforms by insisting that the socialist government would faithfully implement cost-cutting policies prescribed by the country’s “troika” of lenders, the EU, ECB and IMF. “If we don’t make such changes now we will have to make them later in circumstances that will be possibly uncontrollable and much worse,” Venizelos told the conference attended by IMF officials in Athens. With lenders threatening to block further aid, a barrage of further austerity measures were to be the focus of the televised talks, according to Greek media. Venizelos described the conference call as “a productive and substantive discussion”, saying “tomorrow morning, the teams of technical experts in Athens will further elaborate on some data and the conference call will be repeated tomorrow at the same time”. International inspectors, who abruptly suspended a visit to Athens three weeks ago in frustration over the emergence of budget shortfalls, had made clear that they will not return until they are convinced that the government is intent on pursuing reforms in return for aid. Without implementation of measures that include the privatization of state assets and deregulation of the labour market, EU officials believe neither Greece’s economy nor culture will ever change. The budget deficit originally projected at 7.4% for this year is now expected to be nearer 10%.Under unprecedented pressure during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Poland at the weekend, the beleaguered government agreed to fast-track reforms – outlined in a contentious ‘mid-term fiscal plan’ passed by the Athens parliament amid fierce protests in July – to make up for the gaping €2bn budget black hole. “Every time we give them something, they give up,” complained one EU observer following Greece’s fiscal progress. “Nothing has been done to implement the reform programme passed in July, which is why the economy is now in such difficulty.” Measures required to reduce the public deficit to a sustainable level will now almost certainly include mass layoffs in the 700,000-strong public sector, closure of inefficient state-owned entities, cutting pay and pensions and extra taxes on heating and diesel oil. Once reclaimed from the public sector – long exploited for political patronage in a society reared on grace and favours – resources will be released into Greece’s under-developed private sector to help boost lagging levels of competitiveness. “The ball is in the Greek court. Implementation is of the essence,” Bob Traa, the IMF’s permanent representative in Athens, told the conference. Some 50,000 civil servants will likely be placed in a special “labour reserve” with lower pay in the coming weeks with double that number laid off by 2015 if the policies are enforced as creditors want. The spectre of more austerity – after two years of continuous price rises, wage cuts, pension drops and tax increases – has been described by many Greeks as a tipping point that will almost certainly unleash further social unrest. The country’s powerful unions reacted last week to the news of a surprise new property tax – perhaps the most unpopular measure to date – by promising to take to the streets. “The measures will be much harder to pass now than they were two months ago,” political analyst Kostas Panagopoulos said. “The government now has to do what it hasn’t done [yet] in record time and people are not only frustrated, they are increasingly desperate. There will be unrest. We are closer to a social revolution in Greece than ever before.” European debt crisis European banks Greece Europe Stock markets IMF Economics Global economy Helena Smith guardian.co.uk
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Libyan forces takes key parts of Sabha but NTC claims sighting in city where Gaddafi loyalists hold fast Free Libyan forces have taken key parts of the southern desert town of Sabha, a bastion of support for Muammar Gaddafi and other senior regime fugitives, the new rebel government in Tripoli announced on Monday. Confirmation of the capture of Sabha’s citadel and airport marks a significant military advance, though the fate of the rest of the town was unclear. But there was no sign of an end to heavy fighting in Bani Walid, 100 miles south of Tripoli, where Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, the deposed leader’s son, was said to have been spotted. Saif al-Islam, wanted along with his father for crimes against humanity, has been rumoured to be in the area before, but this was the first sighting to be claimed by officials of the National Transitional Council, now recognised internationally as Libya’s government. Fighting continued around Bani Walid on Monday amid signs that the rebels remain disorganised and disoriented in the face of a determined enemy that dominates the high ground. The situation is complicated by the fact that the town is home to Libya’s largest tribe, the Warfalla, who were hitherto loyal to Gaddafi. NTC officials have made confident predictions about the eventual outcome of the fighting, promising victory within a few days, but there are worries about civilian casualties. “Our fighters are at the gates of Bani Walid,” said the NTC’s military spokesman, Ahmed Bani, who warned that the “forces of the dictator” were trying to destroy the town before it was captured. “Everyone who has been implicated in crimes in Bani Walid will be punished according to the law,” he said. Rebels in Misrata believe a senior Gaddafi figure – possibly another son, Mutasim – is hiding in the coastal city of Sirte, which is also holding out after five days of heavy fighting in which 44 rebels have died. Many believe that the ferocity of the resistance in both strongholds can be explained only by the presence of a member of the former ruling family. Gaddafi was born in Sirte, home to his Gaddadfa tribe. But reports that communications intercepts had revealed the presence of a key regime figure could not be confirmed. Suleiman Mahmoud, the NTC military chief, toured the Sirte front, where it was confirmed that one of his most charismatic brigade commanders, Ibrahim Halbus, had been paralysed by a bullet on Sunday. Mahmoud told the Guardian he hopes to negotiate the surrender of loyalist forces. With Tripoli under NTC control, Gaddafi’s cause was hopeless. “We succeed,” he said. “We will win this fight for freedom.” Speaking in Tripoli, Bani played down the significance of capturing Gaddafi, insisting: “We are not concerned with him. We are busy liberating the whole of Libya. That is our first priority. If we knew where he was we would have finished with this problem earlier. We consider him as part of the past. And the best proof of that is that we are here in Tripoli.” Libyans believe Gaddafi may be hiding in the desert south of Sabha, protected by Tuareg tribesmen and specially recruited loyalists who have been trained to defend him with their lives. Many say it is vital that he be killed, or caught and brought to justice, not least so that the vast sums of money he is believed to have stolen can be reclaimed by the new government. The volatile security situation remains a preoccupation amid fears that continued fighting will embolden Gaddafi supporters and set back ambitious plans for change. The so-called “countdown” to a new Libya can begin only when the NTC is able to declare the liberation of the entire country, which cannot happen as long as Sirte and Bani Walid hold out. In another important step towards wider international recognition, Libya’s interim prime minister, Mahmoud Jibril, will be at the UN general assembly in New York this week. But he leaves behind the unfinished business of forming a larger interim cabinet to address concerns about the under-representation of Tripoli and pressure from Islamists for a bigger role in government. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Middle East Africa Arab and Middle East unrest Ian Black Chris Stephen guardian.co.uk
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Rupert Murdoch’s company in negotiations over payout that will set new benchmark in phone-hacking scandal Milly Dowler’s family have been made a £3m offer by Rupert Murdoch’s News International in an attempt to settle the phone-hacking case that led to the closure of the News of the World and the resignation of the company’s chief executive, Rebekah Brooks. The money on the table is understood to include a £1m donation to charity and contributions to the family’s legal costs. But the publisher has not yet reached final agreement with the Dowler family, whose lawyers were thought to be seeking a settlement figure closer to £3.5m. The seven-figure sums under negotiation are far larger than other phone-hacking settlements reached – and amount to one of the largest payouts ever made by a newspaper owner – reflecting the fact that the phone-hacking case affected a family who were victims of crime. Milly Dowler went missing aged 13 in March 2002 and was later found murdered. The terms of any final settlement are not expected to be confidential. It is less clear, however, whether more detail will emerge about how and when the phone was targeted. The family and their lawyers declined to commenton Monday. The hacking of Milly Dowler’s mobile phone after her death emerged in July. Voicemails were accessed on behalf of the News of the World and messages left for her were deleted to make room for more recordings. This gave the family false hope that she was still alive. On Monday afternoon there was growing speculation that a deal was close, with some involved in the negotiations suggesting a deal could come as soon as this week. However, other sources familiar with the negotiations indicated that there are still enough matters unresolved to mean that a final settlement will be delayed further. The actor Sienna Miller accepted £100,000 from News International after the publisher accepted unconditional liability for her phone hacking and other privacy and harassment claims in May. A month later football pundit Andy Gray accepted £20,000 plus undisclosed costs. Other lawyers bringing phone-hacking cases have privately indicated that they would be advising many of those bringing actions to try to reach a settlement rather than take their cases to lengthy and expensive trials. A handful of cases have been taken forward as lead actions by Mr Justice Vos, to establish a benchmark for settlements in future lawsuits. However, with the amount of damages alone offered to the Dowler family expected to amount to well over £1m, the settlement easily exceeds other high-profile payout made by newspapers by way of apology. In 2008, Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of the missing Madeleine McCann, accepted £550,000 in damages over more than 100 “seriously defamatory” articles published by Richard Desmond’s Express newspapers, including both the Daily Express and Daily Star . This year, eight newspapers paid an unspecified six figure sum to Chris Jefferies , the landlord of the murdered Joanna Yeates over allegations made against him over the her death. The titles made public apologies to him, and another man Vincent Tabak has been charged with her murder, with a trial due next month. Rupert Murdoch personally met the Dowler family in July, shortly after the story about hacking into her phone broke, making what the family’s lawyer, Mark Lewis, said was a “full and humble” apology . The News Corporation chairman and chief executive “held his head in his hands” and repeatedly told the family he was “very, very sorry”. On Monday night, News International confimed it was “in advanced negotiations with the Dowler family regarding their compensation settlement. No final agreement has yet been reached, but we hope to conclude the discussions as quickly as possible.” Sources close to News International said the publisher had initiated the offer of compensation, although at a level lower than the £3m settlement. Phone hacking Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Milly Dowler News International News of the World Dan Sabbagh guardian.co.uk
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Tens of thousands join Fukushima protest march in Tokyo amid continuing fears over radiation Tens of thousands of people marched in Tokyo on Monday in the biggest show of public opposition to nuclear power since the start of the Fukushima Daiichi crisis in March. The protesters, who included residents of Fukushima prefecture, called for the immediate closure of all of Japan’s nuclear reactors and a new energy policy centred on renewables. The demonstration was the biggest the country has seen in years. Police said 20,000 people had taken part, while media reports put the number as high as 60,000. Among the protesters were the Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe, musician Ryuichi Sakamoto and actor Taro Yamamoto, who was forced to leave his production company earlier this year because of his opposition to nuclear power. “We already have enough electricity, even without nuclear plants,” Yamamoto said. “If we don’t act, Japan will become a disposal site for nuclear waste.” Almost three-quarters of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors are inoperative due to emergency safety checks and regular maintenance. Pro-nuclear groups, including Japan’s biggest industry lobby, Keidanren, have warned that the country faces power shortages unless idle reactors are brought back online. Oe told protesters: “We need to let leaders of major parties and the Japan Business Federation know that we intend to resist [nuclear power].” Before the Fukushima accident, Japan depended on nuclear for just under a third of its power supply. The government has abandoned plans to increase its share to 50%. The prime minister at the time of the disaster, Naoto Kan, came out in favour of phasing out nuclear power. In recent media interviews he said that at the height of the crisis he had feared Japan would cease to function as a nation and that 30 million people would have to be evacuated from Tokyo. His successor, Yoshihiko Noda, has hinted that reactors that pass newly introduced stress tests will go back on line, although he accepts that Japan must also look to other sources of energy. According to a poll by Associated Press and the market research firm GfK, 55% of Japanese want to reduce the number of reactors, while 35% believe the number should be kept the same. Only 4% wanted an increase, while 3% supported abolition. Six months after three of Fukushima Daiichi’s six reactors suffered core meltdowns, the plant continues to release radiation. The leaks have contaminated the water supply and food chain, and forced the evacuation of 100,000 people living in or around a 12-mile radius of the plant. Residents of towns closest to the facility have been told it could be years, perhaps decades, before radiation levels are low enough for them to return . Japan’s environment minister, Goshi Hosono, said on Monday that the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) would stabilise the reactors earlier than planned. Tepco, which has been heavily criticised for its handling of the crisis, had said it would bring the reactors to a safe state known as “cold shutdown” by mid-January. “We will move up the existing target period and endeavour to achieve cold shutdown by the end of this year,” Kyodo quoted Hosono as telling an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference in Vienna. Hosono, who oversees the government’s response to the crisis, confirmed Japan would accept a team of IAEA inspectors due to arrive next month to advise on how to clean up the area surrounding the plant. Japan disaster Japan Energy Nuclear power Renewable energy Pollution Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk
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Celebrations after high court grants emergency order restraining Basildon council from clearing site Residents due to be evicted from the Dale Farm Traveller site won an 11th-hour reprieve on Monday after being granted an emergency injunction restraining Basildon council from clearing structures on the site pending a further hearing at the high court on Friday. There were cheers from the barricade shortly after 5pm when the news arrived that bailiffs, who were due to begin evicting 86 families from the site built on a former scrapyard, would not be able to enter legally until after the hearing. The council will also not be able to cut off utilities to the site, something that had concerned residents, who argued that the lives of sick people of on the site could be endangered. Speaking at the high court in London, Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart granted the order because there were concerns that measures carried out by Basildon borough council “may go further” than the terms of the enforcement notices. The case hinges on the argument that residents have not been sufficiently informed about what is allowed on each pitch, and what must be removed. Despite the scale of the operation by Basildon council, which includes a camp to accommodate bailiffs, police, council staff and the hundreds of journalists from around the world covering the case, it took three individuals, without the aid of a lawyer, to put a stop to their plans. Candy Sheridan, vice-chair of the Gypsy Council of North Norfolk, resident Mary Sheridan and volunteer Stuart Carruthers appeared at three courts on Monday, including the high court, before the injunction was granted. Speaking after the decision, Sheridan said: “This is a victory for residents who have been shown a glimmer of respect today from a judge who listened to our reasoned arguments.” The leader of the council, Tony Ball, said he was “extremely disappointed and frustrated” by the judge’s decision. “I am absolutely clear that on this issue, on Friday, the court will find in the council’s favour and that the site clearance will be able to continue,” he said. “But until then, as always, this council will comply with the law and we will comply with the judgment that has been put before us.” The judge ruled that Basildon council must tell residents on a plot-by-plot basis what enforcement measures are proposed. Residents must respond to the proposals by noon on Thursday. The judge will then decide at 11.30am on Friday if there are any remaining legal issues that could extend the injunction further. Physical structures including cars and caravans will not be able to be moved by bailiffs and electricity and water will not be cut off unless they pose a danger “to life and limb”. But the judge said further protest – which has included several protesters chained to the gates, to concrete blocks and to each other – should be discouraged and that the 20ft (6m) high barricade, festooned with banners of support, should be taken down. “It is in nobody’s interests that we have a riot on this site,” he said. “There’s got to be a bit of give and take over a limited timeframe to see if the problems can be dealt with in an orderly rather than disruptive way.” Council representatives should be allowed on site to discuss the arrangements with individual residents, he said. He told the Dale Farm representatives: “I appreciate it is a deeply unpleasant situation but unfortunately this is a road which is reaching its end and there is sadly no mileage in prolonging the agony.” Some protesters were not in favour of bringing down the barricade. “I think it’s tactical on their side and therefore it needs to be tactical on ours,” said Carol Stuart McIvor, a writer on the site. “But the decision must be the Travellers’. It’s their gig – we are only here to support them.” The council’s barrister, Reuben Taylor, told the judge a lengthy delay to the eviction could cause losses to the public purse “running into millions”, he said. Any damages granted would not come “anywhere near” meeting the council’s costs for the thousands of police officers on special duty, compounds, plant hire and bailiffs, he said. “The consequences would be enormous.” The judge responded that there was “a lack of clarity” as to which properties would be affected and to what extent. He said: “They are entitled to know whether their home is on the list for permanent removal or not, or whether just a little bit of their plot is to be removed.” There was delight at Dale Farm as the news came through after a tense day that saw bailiffs jeered as they issued a final warning to protesters and residents. Bailiffs were called “scum” and “fascists” as they told residents the council was concerned for their safety as a result of the blocking of the site gate. Tom Berry, a resident at the site, said the injunction was a stay of execution and a relief for families. “I’m over the moon. Especially for my family and the other residents on here. At the end of the day, we’ve got another week for them to sort something out for us or somewhere to go to.” He had a personal message for the leader of the council who had, earlier in the day, insisted that delaying tactics from residents were unacceptable. “Tony Ball should go back to school,” he said. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the government refused help from the United Nations to help broker an agreement between the Travellers and the council. Jan Jarab, the European representative of the UN high commissioner for human rights, said the UN had offered to help negotiate a “less dramatic” solution. “There was communication between the British government and our headquarters, but it was made clear to us that we would receive a letter that that offer was rejected,” he said. Dale Farm Roma, Gypsies and Travellers Protest Housing Communities Human rights Local politics Alexandra Topping Johnny Howorth guardian.co.uk
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