African Union postpones meeting on funding for Horn of Africa crisis| Liz Ford
August 5, 2011 No Comment
Decision to delay talks on financial aid for famine victims could hinder efforts to help millions of people suffering in the region The African Union’s decision to postpone a pledging conference for east Africa has been described as a “serious blow” to relief efforts. Save the Children said on Friday the decision would hinder efforts to help millions of children suffering in the region. The AU had been due to meet on Monday to discuss members’ financial response to the crisis that is now affecting more than 12 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. But in a statement on Thursday the AU said the meeting had been re-scheduled for 25 August. The statement gave no specific reasons why the conference has been delayed, but it is understood the postponement would allow members more time to mobilise resources. Erastus Mwencha, the deputy chairman of the African Union commission, reportedly said some member countries felt they hadn’t been given enough notice of the conference. “There is no point of us rushing into a conference only again to come up again regretting [sic],” he was reported as saying. “Many African countries wanted to delay because they felt it was too short notice for them to be able to do something meaningful. We need some time for planning, and I think that request is well-founded.” Last month, the AU announced it was to give $300,000 to the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, to assist Somalis living in camps in Somalia and in neighbouring countries. The Daily Nation newspaper in Kenya reported an anonymous AU commissioner as saying the organisation was facing serious financial problems as a result of the uprisings in north Africa. Five countries, including Egypt and Libya, contribute around 75% of AU’s budget. Libya has suspended its contributions. This week, the UN declared that three further regions of Somalia were in a state of famine and expected it to spread across the south of the country over the next six weeks. The UN said more than $1bn in aid was still needed to address the crisis. Tens of thousands of people had already died in Somalia, which, after failed rains and two decades of conflict, is at the epicentre of the crisis. Humanitarian relief efforts in the south of Somalia and the capital, Mogadishu, are being hampered by al-Shabaab, the Islamist group that is refusing access to international aid agencies. On Friday, Andris Piebalgs, EU commissioner for development, pledged an extra €175m ($248m) in development assistance for Somaliland, Puntland and central Somalia, which are more stable. Rachel Palmer, working for Save the Children at Dadaab refugee camp complex in northern Kenya, where thousands of Somalis are arriving daily, said: “Children are dying from starvation every day, yet world leaders are failing to make good on their promises. Young children are arriving at our feeding centres in shocking conditions – they haven’t eaten or drunk anything for days. “Yet we can pull them back from the brink. We can save their lives – but there are many more we need to reach. The British public and government have been overwhelming in their generosity, now governments around the world have to turn words into action or more children will die.” Famine African Union Africa Aid Liz Ford guardian.co.uk
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New amateur video claims to show gunfire in the restive Syrian city of Homs. Loud protests also broke out in Homs and Daraa late Thursday night. The AP cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. (Aug. 5)
Continue reading …CBS Skips How Own Poll Finds Many More Think Spending Cuts Too Small Over Too Big
August 5, 2011 No Comment
Running through the findings of a new CBS News/ New York Times poll, on Thursday’s CBS Evening News Chip Reid highlighted how, after weeks of media hostility the Tea Party has lost popularity, as he also located people to illustrate how more wanted, and still want, taxes raised over spending cuts alone. Reid ignored, however, how far more – Republicans, independents, and even Democrats – believe the spending cuts “didn’t go far enough” over “went too far.” Overall, 44 percent answered “not far enough” compared to only 15 percent for “too far,” with 29 percent answering “about right.” Amongst Republicans, the split was 62 percent unsatisfied with the level of cuts to just 4 percent who said they went too far; for independents 3.5 times as many thought the cuts fell short as were big enough, at 46 to 13 percent; and even Democrats answered not far enough over too far by 28 percent to 26 percent. (CBSNews.com's PDF of poll results ) Reid relayed: “The Tea Party fares poorly in the poll. Unfavorable views up 11 points to a new high of 40 percent. At Second Solutions, a small Richmond company that recycles electronic equipment, owner Mike Fibelman says he wanted more compromise in the debt deal, even if it meant higher taxes.” Without finding anyone opposed to a tax hike, Reid found a second person in favor: “According to the new poll, 50 percent of Americans say higher taxes should have been part of the deal; 44 percent say no. At the Healthy Heart Wellness Center, Alice Freeman doesn't want higher taxes but suggests there may be no choice.” The woman contended: “No, I don't want to pay more taxes, but how are we going to fix this problem as a nation?” From the Thursday, August 4 CBS Evening News , transcript corrected against the close-captioning by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth: SCOTT PELLEY: The economy caused another plunge in numbers, the numbers in our new CBS News/New York Times poll that has just been released tonight. Rating the economy, 86 percent of Americans believe that it's bad. And look at how people feel about that debt ceiling crisis that was resolved just on Monday: 82 percent said that it was all about the parties gaining political advantage. Only 14 percent said that it was about doing what's best for the country. We asked Chip Reid to talk to the Americans behind the numbers. CHIP REID: Outside Richmond, Virginia, at the Resource Workforce Employment Center, there's deep frustration over the messy battle to raise the debt limit. ANDRE BEST, UNEMPLOYED: I feel that we keep getting distracted from the main point of creating jobs. REID: Most people here blame Congress more than the President. That's also true, according to the new CBS News/ New York Times poll. The President's approval rating is holding steady at 48 percent, but Congress' has sunk to an abysmal 14 percent. Its disapproval soaring to 82 percent the highest in decades. Donna Martin, unemployed for two and a half years, says Congress isn't living in the real world. What is the real world like? DONNA MARTIN, UNEMPLOYED: My goodness, it's tough, you know, trying to find a job. REID: Robert Drake has been out of work for nine months after a 40-year career. When you think of Congress, what words come to mind? ROBERT DRAKE, UNEMPLOYED: Politics. I mean, that's all it is. I mean, you've got, you've got three entities sitting up there trying to win. You've got the Democrats, the Republicans and the Tea Party Republicans. And I don't think any of them’s thinking about jobs. REID: The Tea Party fares poorly in the poll. Unfavorable views up 11 points to a new high of 40 percent. At Second Solutions, a small Richmond company that recycles electronic equipment, owner Mike Fibelman says he wanted more compromise in the debt deal, even if it meant higher taxes. MIKE FIBELMAN, SECOND SOLUTIONS: There’s a lot of corporations, maybe including ours, that could pay more taxes at least till we get out of the situation that we’re in. REID: According to the new poll, 50 percent of Americans say higher taxes should have been part of the deal; 44 percent say no. At the Healthy Heart Wellness Center, Alice Freeman doesn't want higher taxes but suggests there may be no choice. ALICE FREEMAN, HEALTHY HEART WELLNESS CENTER: No, I don't want to pay more taxes, but how are we going to fix this problem as a nation? REID: And, Scott, according to our new poll, only 22 percent of Americans think the debt deal is going to make the economy any better.
Continue reading …NASA’s solar-powered Juno mission heads to Jupiter today, Orbiter finds water on Mars? (video)
August 5, 2011 No Comment
NASA’s Juno mission has been beset by delays for a while now, but the solar-powered excursion is finally scheduled to take off for Jupiter today, in the hopes of making history. Throughout the course of its five-year journey, the “armored tank” spacecraft will be powered exclusively by a trio of solar panels, each measuring nine feet wide and 30 feet long. Close to Earth, these panels will be able to generate 14 kilowatts of electricity, but as Juno ventures deeper into space, they’ll crank out only 400 watts. Power, however, shouldn’t be an issue, as NASA has outfitted the craft with energy efficient onboard computers, and has drawn out a route that will maximize its exposure to the sun. Juno should arrive at Jupiter by 2016 and, if all goes to plan, will ultimately travel farther than any solar-powered craft ever has. The agency expects their creation to set the record in April 2017, when it should be about 507 million miles away from the sun, eclipsing the 492 million mile mark likely to be set by Russia’s sun-juiced Rosetta craft, in 2012. Meanwhile, closer to home, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has just delivered new imagery of the Red Planet’s mountains, providing perhaps the strongest evidence that water still flows there. The images reveal long, finger-like tendrils that extend down steep slopes, including the rims of craters. They appear during the summer and fade away once winter arrives, suggesting the presence of a volatile material. Researchers failed to identify water above ground, but speculate that briny water may be flowing underground. Launch past the break to see the images, in all their eight seconds of glory. Continue reading NASA’s solar-powered Juno mission heads to Jupiter today, Orbiter finds water on Mars? (video) NASA’s solar-powered Juno mission heads to Jupiter today, Orbiter finds water on Mars? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Publisher keen for paper’s controversial former investigations editor, Mazher Mahmood, not to join rival title ‘Fake sheikh’ Mazher Mahmood, the News of the World’s controversial investigations editor, is in talks with the Sunday Times about relaunching his career, after 20 years at the Sunday tabloid where he claimed to have “saved children from paedos and nailed 250 evil crooks”. News International is determined not to lose Mahmood to the competition and has encouraged talks with the Sunday broadsheet. Mahmood, who specialised in undercover stings, often dressed as a sheikh, has not been tainted by the phone-hacking scandal, but nonetheless a move to the Sunday Times would be an eye-catching signing for the upmarket paper. “Mahzer is the News of the World. He is the brand. He has had some spectacular stings like the cricket match fixing, Fergie and Sophie-Rhys Jones, but he specialises in fairly low-rent villains that hardly fit in with the tone and culture of the Sunday Times,” said one former colleague. Talks will no doubt centre on how he will operate within, or alongside, the paper’s core investigations unit and whether his team goes with him. Mahmood worked secretly and was rarely in the office but had a team of journalists, technical staff and bodyguards with him on his operations. Mahmood’ scalps included Sarah Ferguson, who agreed to take $40,000 from the ‘sheik’ to arrange access to Prince Andrew. The fact that Mahmood had also snared other royals including Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Princess Michael of Kent using the same disguise didn’t set alarm bells ringing for Ferguson, who subsequently said she was “devastated” by the revelations. If Mahmood signs a deal with the Sunday Times he will be one of a handful of former News of the World journalists who are expected to stay at News International. Rank-and-file journalists say they feel they are being frozen out by the publisher despite promises by former chief executive Rebekah Brooks that staff would be redeployed within the group. Last week it emerged that the jobs on offer include posts include a Fox TV job in Siberia and oil reporting jobs in Murdoch’s Dow Jones financial wire service, neither of which are obvious career moves for News of the World journalists. “I don’t think there is the slightest chance of getting a job at NI. The most obvious place to go is the Sun but they don’t want to risk of the paper being drawn into the phone-hacking scandal and no matter how slim the risk is, having one of their staff arrested, even as a witness, is something they don’t want. They want to de-link from the News of the World totally,” said one journalist. Another said: “The 90-day consultation period is up on 8 October. It feels like a prison sentence. Most people are looking around elsewhere but it’s difficult with such a cloud hanging over the paper you’ve been working for.” •
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A federal judge has ordered toy giant Mattel Inc. to pay more than $309 million to rival toymaker MGA Entertainment Inc., its founder and some associated subsidiaries in the fight over Bratz. (August 4)
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The Glove and Boots puppets Fafa and Mario explain the Evolution of the Hipster. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Laughing Squid Discovery Date : 04/08/2011 15:32 Number of articles : 4
Continue reading …NoW publisher sued for £100,000 over alleged breach of anonymity agreement
August 5, 2011 No Comment
Paper’s former publisher rejects claim, saying it cannot be sued over information provided to police in an ongoing investigation News Group Newspapers, former publisher of the defunct News of the World, is being sued for £100,000 by a prison warden’s brother who claims that a senior executive at the newspaper confirmed to police he was the source of leaked stories about the Soham killer Ian Huntley. John Capewell, the brother of a prison officer who worked at high security lock-up HMP Frankland in Durham where Huntley is incarcerated, is suing the newspaper publisher for allegedly breaching an anonymity agreement. Capewell, 47, has launched legal action against NGN claiming it broke the deal because Tom Crone, the former senior lawyer at NoW, confirmed that Capewell was the source of the stories, in a phone call to police officers investigating leaks from the prison in 2008. Lawyers representing Capewell believe the case is important because a newspaper has a duty to protect the identity of its sources. “It is Mr Capewell’s case that they [NGN] betrayed the trust of a confidential source who was seeking to exercise his freedom of speech to provide information of public interest,” said his legal representatives. “In doing so, Mr Capewell alleges that they have caused him to suffer the indignity and intrusion of a criminal trial, caused his reputation to be smeared and caused him to lose his job. Mr Capewell says that his life has been ruined.” NGN has applied to have the claim struck out, on the grounds that it cannot be sued over information provided to assist the police in an ongoing investigation. The paper also says police officers had already determined that Capewell was the source of information about HMS Frankland before officers approached Crone. Capewell had already been arrested by the time the News of the World was approached by the police. Capewell, 47, approached NoW in 2008 offering “anonymous information” about the prison in return for a sum of money, alleged to be £40,000 , although the publisher is not thought to have paid for the information. Capewell offered Chris Tate, a former senior reporter at the tabloid, information about “preferential treatment” being given to Huntley and, separately, claims of an alleged “sexual relationship” between a female warden and an inmate convicted of murder and several serious sexual offences involving minors. Capewell also gave the reporter details about an alleged plot by Muslim inmates to decapitate a prison warden. The NoW did not publish any of Capewell’s claims. However stablemate the Sun allegedly printed a story about Huntley based on the information just days after his first meeting with Tate. The Daily Mail published a similar story three weeks later. In September 2008 police launched an investigation into the source of the leaks from HMP Frankland after a dog walker found confidential prison documents bearing Capewell’s fingerprints – including the contract between Capewell and Tate –
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Another 140,000 homes plunged into fuel poverty as E.ON becomes fourth utility company to raise charges E.ON has become the fourth big utility company to announce a jump in energy prices, raising the cost of gas by 18.1% and electricity by 11.4%. The rises, effective from 13 September, are roughly in line with price increases announced in the past two months by Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power. However British Gas has raised its electricity and gas prices by 16% and 18% respectively, just eight months after lifting prices by 7%. This means only nPower and EDF have yet to announce price rises, which could be lower following a continued easing in the cost of wholesale gas and oil prices. Energy prices generally track those of oil, but the price of a barrel of oil has fallen from $118 to $108 in the past few days. Wholesale prices for gas and electricity are down by a third compared to their peak in 2008, according to comparison website TheEnergyShop.com , while the price of a barrel of oil is down 24%. Graham Bartlett , managing director of E.ON Energy Solutions, said in a message to customers: “About half the price we charge for energy is governed by the price we have to pay for it in the world market. And, this year, wholesale prices throughout the industry have soared. According to Ofgem, they’re up by some 30% since last winter.” He admitted that wholesale prices were higher in 2008 than now, but said the trend has been steadily upward and made much worse by events in Japan, Libya and Egypt. “At the same time, our costs for using the infrastructure that gets the energy to your home have gone up too. Of course each bill also includes an element of profit. But it’s nothing like as much as you might think. For every £1,000 our domestic customers paid in 2010, we made £5.” E.ON said it was offering its customers help to counter the price rises, such as advice on insulation and the installation of solar panels for £99. But this will be cold comfort to the 140,000 homes that will be plunged into fuel poverty, where people are paying at least 10% of their income towards heating their home, according to comparison site Energyhelpline . It calculates that dual-fuel customers face paying an extra £170 a year following the increases. Mike O’Connor, chief executive of Consumer Focus , pointed out that although wholesale prices are now about one third lower than in 2008, consumer prices have reached an all-time high. “Yet another price rise will leave the average energy bill £1,250 a year. Many consumers worry how they will afford to keep their homes warm this winter given other price rises and flat or falling incomes. They need to know whether these increases are warranted. Customers will feel they didn’t get the benefit when wholesale costs were low,” he said. He continued: “Ofgem has said it is prepared to refer the energy market to the Competition Commission if necessary. That is welcome but the regulator must be prepared to act if it can’t say for certain whether prices are fair. It is even more important these questions are answered with £200bn of investment needed in cleaner power plants and other low carbon programmes set to push bills up further. If consumers are to stomach such price rises, they need to know they are fair.” TheEnergyShop.com recommends that energy users on a standard deal with no exit penalties switch to a three-year fixed deal from EDF . Joe Malinowski, founder of the website, said: “The fact that E.ON’s new prices are lower than those of the other three suppliers to have announced price changes is no reason to accept them. They are still at a massive premium to current fixed deals, which is where the real value lies. “Customers switching to a fixed price deal to 2014 can save themselves £120-£130 a year – over £300 during the fix. We urge customers to do this now while the opportunity still exists.” Energy bills Household bills Consumer affairs Family finances Utilities Jill Insley guardian.co.uk
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Scientists say a new lava flow has broken out at Mt. Kilauea, a Hawaiian volcano that has been continuously erupting for nearly three decades. (Aug. 5)
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